“my heart goes out to peter. so many of us are so much like him. we pledge our loyalty; we affirm our determination to be of good courage; we declare, sometimes even publicly, that come what may we will do the right thing, that we will stand for the right cause, that we will be true to ourselves and to others.
“then the pressures begin to build. sometimes these are social pressures. sometimes they are personal appetites. sometimes they are false ambitions. there is a weakening of the will. there is a softening of discipline. there is capitulation. and then there is remorse, followed by self-accusation and bitter tears of regret. …
“… if there be those throughout the church who by word or act have denied the faith, i pray that you may draw comfort and resolution from the example of peter, who, though he had walked daily with Jesus, in an hour of extremity momentarily denied the Lord and also the testimony which he carried in his own heart. but he rose above this and became a mighty defender and a powerful advocate. so, too, there is a way for any person to turn about and add his or her strength and faith to the strength and faith of others in building the kingdom of God”
(see the whole talk here)
elder holland has noted the don't know all that was going on here, but i love the principle that is being taught here and this is one reason i've always liked peter. there have been times when i've also not been a bold, valiant, or as faithful as i should have been, even though i've wanted to. but that doesn't mean that it's over. we can stand up again, stand tall again, and rise back to where we should be. we can turn around and leave those bitter tears behind us.
in talking about another part of the lesson, a girl shared a lesson that she had learned that i liked. she said that if she wants to do something, she will work towards it. if things still don't work out the way she wants them to, after doing all that she can, then she knows that it wasn't Heavenly Father's will for her, and that He has something better on her path.
i liked that.
so, just some lessons from church today as i'm enjoying my new mormon tabernacle choir cd. : )
“then the pressures begin to build. sometimes these are social pressures. sometimes they are personal appetites. sometimes they are false ambitions. there is a weakening of the will. there is a softening of discipline. there is capitulation. and then there is remorse, followed by self-accusation and bitter tears of regret. …
“… if there be those throughout the church who by word or act have denied the faith, i pray that you may draw comfort and resolution from the example of peter, who, though he had walked daily with Jesus, in an hour of extremity momentarily denied the Lord and also the testimony which he carried in his own heart. but he rose above this and became a mighty defender and a powerful advocate. so, too, there is a way for any person to turn about and add his or her strength and faith to the strength and faith of others in building the kingdom of God”
(see the whole talk here)
elder holland has noted the don't know all that was going on here, but i love the principle that is being taught here and this is one reason i've always liked peter. there have been times when i've also not been a bold, valiant, or as faithful as i should have been, even though i've wanted to. but that doesn't mean that it's over. we can stand up again, stand tall again, and rise back to where we should be. we can turn around and leave those bitter tears behind us.
in talking about another part of the lesson, a girl shared a lesson that she had learned that i liked. she said that if she wants to do something, she will work towards it. if things still don't work out the way she wants them to, after doing all that she can, then she knows that it wasn't Heavenly Father's will for her, and that He has something better on her path.
i liked that.
so, just some lessons from church today as i'm enjoying my new mormon tabernacle choir cd. : )
2 comments:
i've studied peter a little. especially the part where god knew and told him, and how peter didnt even know. but god knows us, better than we know ourselves. and i like all you wrote about him.
i also like the girl's point that you shared. i think i need to take that into consideration. there are things i've tried and tried for. i didnt want to wonder, later in my life, "what if?". so i did all i could and sometimes, things just haven't worked out. but i assumed that maybe i did something wrong.. or too late or something. but, i just need to look at it like she said, it's not heavenly father's will for me.
sometimes that's a hard pill to swallow. but, knowing he has our best interest in mind, always makes it taste better..
I have often wondered what I would have done in a case like Peter's. I'd like to think I'd stand strong, but you never know.
Sidenote: I still need to see Spartacus.
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