Past Timeless Thoughts

Washing Your Hands & Memorizing Scripture

How many times a day do you wash your hands? But now ask yourself what do you mentally do while washing your hands? Remember, it is recommended we wash 20-30 seconds to do the job right. While doing that, are you thinking about work? Singing the alphabet song? Counting one-one thousand, two-one thousand until you get to twenty?

     What a waste of time this is—unless you make it productive—mentally! I decided I would memorize a scripture and repeat it when I washed my hands. I found scriptures that could be said mentally in about 20-30 seconds. By doing this you are exercising your mental spiritual mind.

     I wash my hands about 16 times a day. This adds up to a whopping 49 HOURS in a year!  If you take just one week to memorize a scripture, then in one year you will have 52 scripture verses memorized. Add year after year and you will see what you will be able to recall with the help of the Holy Ghost. This works no matter how old you are.

     Remember what Elder Richard G. Scott said in his October 2011 General Conference talk about what scripture memorization can do to help us in our lives:    “Great power can come from memorizing scriptures. To memorize a scripture is to forge a new friendship. It is like discovering a new individual who can help in time of need, give inspiration and comfort, and be a source of motivation for needed change. For example, committing to memory this psalm has been for me a source of power and understanding:

“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
“For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.
“Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?
“He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
“He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation” (Psalm 24:1–5).

     Pondering a scripture like that gives great direction to life. The scriptures can form a foundation of support. They can provide an incredibly large resource of willing friends who can help us. A memorized scripture becomes an enduring friend that is not weakened with the passage of time.”

     Why not make your first scripture the one Elder Scott quoted from Psalms. It even mentions “clean hands!” Or how about “He that hath clean hands and a pure heart.” (Psalms 24:4; Alma 5:19) After that scripture verse, you could choose one from the 100 Scripture Mastery Scriptures the church uses for seminary students. You can see the list by clicking here.  Or you can choose scripture verses which are relevant and applicable to this time in your life.

     Ready for an advanced tip? Click here to read the complete article with some fascinating insights on memorization and additional tips and techniques in memorizing scriptures.

~Bruce Barton

 

Some scriptures about the importance of the scriptures and the words they contain for our benefit:

John 5:39   “Search the scriptures; for …they are they which testify of me.”
1 Nephi 15:23-24  “…hearken unto the word of God…”
DC 84:85  The scriptures are called “the words of life”
2 Nephi 4:15-16  “For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children.”
2 Timothy 3:14  “…the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation.”
Jacob 2:8  “…the word which healeth the wounded soul.”
JS-M 1:37 “And whoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceived.”
Psalms 19:105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
2 Nephi 32:3  feasting upon the words of Christ “will tell you all things what ye should do.”
Alma 31:5  “the word [has] a great tendency to lead people to do that which [is] just—yea, it [has] more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which [has]happened unto them.”
Alma 31:5  “It [is] expedient that [you] should try the virtues of the word of God.”
James 1:22  “But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
3 Nephi 23:1-5  “…search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently…give heed to my words…”
DC 84:52  “Whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me.”

Past Timeless Thoughts

Healing What You Cannot Heal

“Restoring what you cannot restore, healing the wound you cannot heal, fixing that which you broke and you cannot fix is the very purpose of the atonement of Christ.  When your desire is firm and you are willing to pay the uttermost farthing (see Matt. 5:25:-26), the law of restitution is suspended.  Your obligation is transferred to the Lord.  He will settle your accounts.  I repeat, save for the exception of the very few who defect to perdition, there is no habit, no addiction, no rebellion, no transgression, no apostasy, no crime exempted from the promise of complete forgiveness.  That is the promise of the atonement of Christ.”  (Boyd K. Packer, “The Brilliant Morning of Forgiveness,”  General Conference October 1995; Ensign, Nov. 1995, pp. 19-20)

Elder Packer has also written this beautiful poem –

 “What must be done to make us clean

We cannot do alone.

The law, to be a law, requires

A pure one must atone.

He taught that justice will be stayed

Til mercy’s claim be heard

If we repent and are baptized

And live by every word…

If we could only understand

All we have heard and seen,

We’d know there is no greater gift

Than those two words–“Washed clean!”

 (April 1997 Ensign, which contains a longer version of this poem)

~ Sister Pat Barton

 

1 Nephi 10:18  “For he is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him.”

1 Nephi 11:33  “And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.”

Mosiah 4:2  “And they had viewed themselves in their own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth. And they all cried aloud with one voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men.”

Alma 42:13  “Therefore, according to justice, the plan of redemption could not be brought about, only on conditions of repentance of men in this probationary state, yea, this preparatory state; for except it were for these conditions, mercy could not take effect except it should destroy the work of justice. Now the work of justice could not be destroyed; if so, God would cease to be God.”

Helaman 5:11  “And he hath power given unto him from the Father to redeem them from their sins because of repentance; therefore he hath sent his angels to declare the tidings of the conditions of repentance, which bringeth unto the power of the Redeemer, unto the salvation of their souls.”

DC 59:23  “But learn that he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come.”

 

Past Timeless Thoughts

AlI I Need To Know About Life I Learned From The Easter Bunny

 Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

Walk softly and carry a big carrot

Everyone needs a friend who is all ears

There’s no such thing as too much candy

All work and no play can make you a basket case

A cute little tail attracts a lot of attention

Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day

Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits

Some body parts should be floppy

Keep your paws off other people’s jelly beans

Good things come in small sugar-coated packages

The grass is always greener in someone else’s basket

An Easter bonnet can tame even the wildest hare

To show your true colors you have to come out of your shell

The best things in life are still sweet and gooey

 

~ Sister Pat Barton

 

 

 

Past Timeless Thoughts

A Mile In My Shoes

There is a great story about Elder Delbert L. Stapley in the May, 1990 New Era.  As a young man Elder Stapley was called to the Southern States Mission.  His mission president, Charles A. Callis, told Elder Stapley they would catch a train together that would take the new missionary to his area.“The train stopped in a very small community and the bags were unloaded. They were transferred to a buggy. There was only room for two riders, the driver and one passenger. President Callis climbed up on the seat beside the driver and asked Elder Stapley to follow on foot.

The horse and buggy kicked up the dust as Elder Stapley walked along behind. He said he began to resent his new mission president. The farther he walked and the more the dust was raised, the more he came to dislike his mission president. He felt he was losing respect for this leader.

After he had walked a mile, however, the president had the driver stop. Then President Callis traded places with Elder Stapley and he walked for two miles.

“I grew to love him more with every step,” Elder Stapley recalled. “I thought he was about the greatest man who had lived.”

Dallin H. Oaks has said: “We should, if possible, refrain from judging until we have adequate knowledge of the facts. ….We do not need to judge nearly so much as we think we do. This is the age of snap judgments. … [We need] the courage to say, ‘I don’t know. I am waiting further evidence. I must hear both sides of the question.’ ….this suspended judgment is the supreme form of charity.”  Elder Oaks then makes the comment: “You cannot slice cheese so fine that it doesn’t have two sides.”   (“Judge Not and Judging,” Ensign, Aug. 1999 p. 7-12.)

~ Sister Pat Barton

 

Alma 41:14 “Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again.”

 D&C 11:12  “And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good-yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit.”

 

Past Timeless Thoughts

Be Happy!

A little sign has hung on our fridge for years.

Is it a struggle for anyone else to be happy this time of year?  Day after day of dark, gloomy weather takes a toll.

Another saying I like says:

Pain is inevitable but misery is optional.

Starting at this very moment I hereby choose to control my attitude!  In fact, my attitude is the only thing over which I can exercise total and complete control.

The very last paragraph of our Relief Society lesson on Sunday (Lorenzo Snow, chapter 4, page 80) says:  “We should endeavor, as far as possible, to forget all worldly matters which grieve and vex us, and fix our minds upon the Lord, having a sufficiency of His Holy Spirit that we may be enabled to receive such knowledge and suggestions as will help us in our onward path.”  (from the Millennial Star, Nov. 25, 1889, 737)

At one time in the life of Eliza R. Snow, she lived in a one-room log cabin about 18 feet square.  It was roofed with mud and willows and over the years hundreds of mice had made their nests there.  One night in a March rainstorm when the roof leaked badly, Eliza sat in bed with her umbrella up all night laughing, while it rained mice and mud.

I want to be like Eliza!

Don’t worry!  Be happy!

What’s the best way to pull yourself out of the blues?  “Just act happy,” says Hope College psychologist David G. Myers in “The Pursuit of Happiness.”

Try a small smile. It’ll feel good.

 

 

Now try a broad smile.  You’ll feel even better.

 
Doesn’t matter that you’re just faking it.  Going through the motions will trigger the emotions.

One more thought – studies from around the world show that very spiritual people report being very happy! We, of all people, should be cheerful!

~ Sister Pat Barton

 

D&C 78:17-18; 84:88; 78:18:  “Verily, verily I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you;

“And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along.”

“…I will go before your face.  I will be on your right hand and on your left,…and mine angels [shall be] round about you, to bear you up.

“…The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.”

Past Timeless Thoughts

100 Scripture Mastery Scriptures

The Seminary program teaches students “100 Scripture Mastery Scriptures.”  There are 25 key scriptures for the Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine & Covenants/Pearl of Great Price.

If you would like to see the 100 scripture mastery scriptures, click here.

There is power in memorizing scripture. “Great power can come from memorizing scriptures.  To memorize a scripture is to forge a new friendship.  It is like discovering a new individual who can help in time of need, give inspiration and comfort, and be a source of motivation for needed change.”    (Richard G. Scott, “The Power of Scripture,” General Conference, October 2011)

 

“You may well worry that you won’t be able to remember something important that you will need in some vital moment. The Lord made you a promise of revelation that can reassure and guide your listening. Here are His words about retaining important ideas you will need later:

‘Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man’ (D&C 84:85).

The words treasure up in that passage refer to scripture, yet they apply equally to the words of living prophets and those in the handbooks. Few of us have the mental capacity to recall, from tens or even hundreds of thousands of words we have read or heard, exactly what we need when we need it. Yet all of us have had meted out to us what we needed just in time.

You may have noticed, as have I, that with the words that you recall came feelings, as if they were retrieved from your heart as much as from your mind. You may have had a similar experience in trying to memorize a scripture or a poem or the words of a song. If the words touched your heart when you heard them, they are easier to memorize and to recall.

You can more easily treasure up what you hear or read today if it touches your heart. That could guide you as you listen or whenever you seek to learn from the handbooks or train others to use them well. You might read and listen with this question in your mind: “How might these words or that idea bless someone I love?” When you feel an answer to that question, you have added to the treasury from which the Lord will draw in the very hour when you need it to serve and to lead for Him.”    (President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, February 2011 Worldwide Leadership Training)

~ Brother Bruce Barton

 

John 14:26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

 

Past Timeless Thoughts

CTR- Choose The Right

I read a story in the newspaper some time ago about United Parcel Service – UPS.  ….”With fuel prices near record levels, everyone is looking to save money at the gasoline pump,” it said. UPS began saving millions of dollars by changing how its drivers drive.

The delivery company saved 3 million gallons of gas nationwide and shaved 30 million miles off its delivery routes by reconfiguring its routes so that drivers turn right as often as possible.

Cutting out left turns means less waiting at lights, more miles per gallon and safer deliveries because trucks are not crossing traffic lanes in intersections. Left-hand turns increase idle time, emissions, and fuel consumption.

Are you getting the point?  There is good application here for our lives.  Choosing The Right is the most efficient way for us here on earth, too.

Sing this cute Primary song next time you are in your car.  See if it helps you remember how important it is to Choose The Right!

There’s a right way to live and be happy;
It is choosing the right ev’ry day.
I am learning the teachings of Jesus;
They will help me and show me the way.

Choose the right way and be happy.
I must always choose the right.

Through the gospel I learn to be prayerful,
To have faith, to repent, to obey,
And I know if I live by his teachings,
I will truly be happy each day.

Words and music: Clara W. McMaster, 1904–1997. © 1981 IRI

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught us, “Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God” (History of the Church, 5:134–35).

 

“Choose you this day whom ye will serve; … but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)

~ Sister Pat Barton

Past Timeless Thoughts

  A Tavern Puzzle Is A Powerful Lesson

Many years ago while our family was in Nauvoo we stopped by a small country store that had antiques. My wife looked at the homemade clothing, the kids looked at the homemade candy, and I found a display rack with metal Tavern Puzzles.

A Tavern Puzzle is a metal puzzle usually with two solid pieces like rings, rods, chains and other pieces about a foot or less in height. They look like something a blacksmith would have made by twisting the metal and interweaving the chains and rings in such way that it is not readily apparent how to separate them. It is a puzzle traditionally forged by blacksmiths in the 1800’s to amuse friends and generate conversation at country taverns and inns.

 

Always intrigued by puzzles, I picked up one of these and learned that to solve the puzzle you had to remove the heart from the other parts. So I began.

After about 5 minutes of twisting and turning and pulling and pushing with no success, the owner of the small store came by and said, “Can I help you solve that puzzle?” I said, “No, I’m fine. Thanks.” I kept working on it. The frustration started to mount. I had picked an easy one as I had seen that they had easy, medium, and hard puzzles. But if it was easy, the solution sure wasn’t!

I lost track of what my family was doing as my attention had focused on solving this puzzle. In another five minutes the owner came by again. “Are you sure I can’t help you?” And again I responded, “No, I’m fine, I think.” She smiled and left. Again, no luck and another five minutes passed. She came back and again the same question, but this time my answer was, “Thanks, I’ll figure it out on my own.” But I didn’t. The kids were now coming up to me and saying they wanted to go and I said, “Okay, in a few minutes.”  I was determined to solve that blanket-blank puzzle.

After about thirty minutes the owner again came by and asked again with a new twist.  After her usual “Can I help you?” she said, “Are you ready now for me to help you?” Always offering to help!  Was she mocking me? I couldn’t tell.  She seemed sincere and smiled pleasantly. In humility (after all it had been thirty minutes and many offers of help), embarrassment, frustration, and desperation I said “Yes.”

She took the puzzle in her hands and in about three seconds of moving the pieces—they came apart! “No way,” I said.  She smiled.  I was amazed, appreciative, and disbelieving but thankful for her help. She had me do it, and I was pleased, happy, and satisfied. My feelings of frustration melted away. And my family was overjoyed that we could all now leave the store and move on.

On the long drive back from Nauvoo I thought about that experience with the puzzle and the shopkeeper many times. It finally dawned on me that this experience was like our relationship with God. As we live our lives we encounter problems we cannot figure out or solve ourselves.

Periodically He asks us, in different ways, if we need His help. We say no and continue on, and on—until one day, perhaps even years later we accept God’s invitation to come to Him for help.  When we do, we find He can solve our problems quickly and in ways we never could have thought of or imagined on our own.

God and Jesus Christ are ALWAYS there for us. They are waiting patiently for the time when we are ready for them.  (DC 43:25)

And then I thought of my family, waiting for me in the shop to solve my puzzle, my problem, so we could move on together as a family to new experiences shared together. So many families have fathers, mothers, or kids who are dealing with problems, puzzles in their lives, on their own; caught up with the pride, the vanity, the egotism, thinking they can solve their own problems—or not even acknowledging they have a problem—while others wait . . . and wait . . . and wait.

I learned a greater truth that day in Nauvoo than just solving a puzzle.

~Brother Bruce Barton

 

Sciptures

DC 43:25    How oft have I called upon you by the mouth of my servants, and by the ministering of angels, and by mine own voice, and by the voice of thunderings, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms, and by the voice of famines and pestilences of every kind, and by the great sound of a trump, and by the voice of judgment, and by the voice of mercy all the day long, and by the voice of glory and honor and the riches of eternal life, and would have saved you with an everlasting salvation, but ye would not!

Psalms 119:77    Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight.

Isa. 55:3    Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

Jer. 25:3    From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened.

Mt. 11:28    Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Jn. 7:37    In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

1 Ne. 8:15,18    And it came to pass that I beckoned unto them; and I also did say unto them with a loud voice that they should come unto me, and partake of the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit.  And it came to pass that I saw them, but they would not come unto me and partake of the fruit.

2 Ne. 28:32    Wo be unto the Gentiles, saith the Lord God of Hosts!  For notwithstanding I shall lengthen out mine arm unto them from day to day, they will deny me; nevertheless, I will be merciful unto them, saith the Lord God, if they will repent and come unto me; for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of Hosts.

3 Ne. 9:14    Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life.  Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.

3 Ne. 12:20    Therefore come unto me and be ye saved; for verily I say unto you, that except ye shall keep my commandments, which I have commanded you at this time, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Ether 4:13     Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, and I will show unto you the greater things, the knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief.

Ether 12:27    And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness.  I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

Scripture Sticky Notes

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Elder Bednar Uses Sticky Notes in his scriptures.