Week 41

So a couple people asked for things about PMG or mentioned it to me in their letters this week so I thought I would send my thoughts on it.

Alright, well PMG is great just cover to cover.
Chapter 1 is a really good chapter and takes a couple times reading it over for it to fully sink in but what doesn't right?
Chapter 2 is effective study and so it is good, but don't spend too much time on it the first go around.
Chapter 3 is the lessons and that yeah, you need to learn. Every member should have chapter 3 memorised.
Chapter 4 is THE SPIRIT. Julie B. Beck says, "The single most important task in this life is to learn how to recognize and respond to the Spirit".
Chapter 5 is the Book of Mormon and that is really good too. It was placed in there to stop Bible Bashing I think =D. "When all is said and done, every man is backed up to the wall of Faith and there he must make his Stand."

CHAPTER 6 is Christlike Attributes. Seek to develop an attribute one at a time and build. That is the only way to do it. Chapter 6 should be a continual study alongside the rest of your studies. One of those attributes should always be in a Daily Goal. Charity being the toughest and the one that most often alludes me =/.

Chapter 7 is learning a language. (Not too important for most (except Dana =D) but read over it anyways.)
Chapter 8 is goal setting. "If one masters this chapter, they will be at least 3X more successful and double their income later in life." -Bishop Pattenden England MTC.
Chapter 9 is Finding People. (read it so you know what missionaries have to do and how important members are!)
Chapter 10 is Teaching Skills. (Ask. Listen. Adjust.)
Chapter 11 is making and keeping commitments. It is a really good one as well.
Chapter 12 is Baptismal Interview...yeah not sure how to apply this to y'all...
Chapter 13 is sort of the government of the church up through the stake level and will be helpful to better understand the church and how it is run.

I originally sent this to Anna, but I felt as though other people needed to hear this last sentence too:
PMG will definitely help you turn the gospel from doing to becoming and that change is really what helps people make decisions that create the progressive feeling in life.

"Preach My Gospel was written on the other side of the veil and compiled here"-President Boyd K. Packer

Along with that, I have been thinking a lot about the build up of catastrophe's over the past couple years. Just off the top of my head I can see:

Haiti, Chile, Oil Spill in Gulf, New Zealand, Japan, all while an Iraq War is going on, then North Korea as well, and now I hear people talking about government leaders in Paris to talk about a war with someone else. Egypt is in overturn and also Libyan government is going nuts.

There are numerous signs of the times and it is only a matter of time until something lands on Europe whether Natural Disaster or man caused war. A lot of people wonder why God lets all of these things happen if he actually exists. We see many answers for these questions in the scriptures. The Book of Mormon has countless stories of how people were too prideful to listen until something bad happened. In a small way...I think our family was too busy and self centered in our lives until Dad was diagnosed with Cancer. It turned us back towards each other and made us more faith focused. Something that clicked however for me and I do not have any official doctrine for this besides PoGP and Apocryphal writings of Enoch, but it is this.

We have a body. So does the Earth. We have a Spirit. So does the Earth. God gave us Agency and will not take away that Agency even when we do things wrong that will effect and harm others. Why do we expect God to take away the "Agency of the Earth" as it growns under the weight of our sins it is carrying and cries every moment for God to end everything? Know that God is in Control and that he deals mercifully and justly in all things. He chooses the right.

"Moses 7:24 And there came generation upon generation; and Enoch was high and alifted up, even in the bosom of the Father, and of the Son of Man; and behold, the power of Satan was upon all the face of the earth.
25 And he saw angels descending out of heaven; and he heard a loud voice saying: Wo, wo be unto the inhabitants of the earth.
26 And he beheld Satan; and he had a great achain in his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the earth with bdarkness; and he looked up and claughed, and his dangels rejoiced.
29 And Enoch said unto the Lord: How is it that thou canst aweep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?
30 And were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea, millions of aearths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy bcreations; and thy curtains are stretched out still; and yet thou art there, and thy bosom is there; and also thou art just; thou art merciful and kind forever;
32 The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own ahands, and I gave unto them their bknowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his cagency;
36 Wherefore, I can stretch forth mine hands and hold all the acreations which I have made; and mine eye can pierce them also, and among all the workmanship of mine hands there has not been so great bwickedness as among thy brethren.
37 But behold, their sins shall be upon the heads of their fathers; Satan shall be their father, and misery shall be their doom; and the whole heavens shall weep over them, even all the workmanship of mine hands; wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer?
39And athat which I have chosen hath pled before my face. Wherefore, he bsuffereth for their sins; inasmuch as they will repent in the day that my cChosen shall return unto me, and until that day they shall be in dtorment;
40Wherefore, for this shall the heavens weep, yea, and all the workmanship of mine hands.

AND HERE IS WHAT IT LEADS UP TOO:
48 And it came to pass that Enoch looked upon the aearth; and he heard a voice from the bowels thereof, saying: Wo, wo is me, the mother of men; I am bpained, I am weary, because of the wickedness of my children. When shall I crest, and be dcleansed from the efilthiness which is gone forth out of me? When will my Creator sanctify me, that I may rest, and righteousness for a season abide upon my face?
49 And when Enoch heard the earth mourn, he wept, and cried unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, wilt thou not have compassion upon the earth? Wilt thou not bless the children of Noah?"

Ponder these things and then link them back into what is happening in our day:

59 And Enoch beheld the Son of Man ascend up unto the Father; and he called unto the Lord, saying: Wilt thou not come again upon the earth? Forasmuch as thou art God, and I know thee, and thou hast sworn unto me, and commanded me that I should ask in the name of thine Only Begotten; thou hast made me, and given unto me a right to thy throne, and not of myself, but through thine own grace; wherefore, I ask thee if thou wilt not come again on the earth.
60 And the Lord said unto Enoch: As I live, even so will I come in the alast days, in the days of wickedness and vengeance, to fulfil the boath which I have made unto you concerning the children of Noah;
61 And the day shall come that the earth shall arest, but before that day the heavens shall be bdarkened, and a cveil of darkness shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake, and also the earth; and great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I dpreserve;

I know all of the words of God must be fulfilled. Every decree, every covenant, every jot and tittle must be fulfilled.

I love you all!

Elder Blackburn