There are certain phrases in the Book of Mormon that stand out to me and have great meaning in just a few words. Ever since I heard Elder Bednar's talk on the "tender mercies of the Lord" I feel compelled to ponder some of these phrases to get their full meaning and find out how they can help me change my life for the better. One of those phrases that appears a few time in the scriptures is "always abounding in good works." I underlined it in Ether 12:4.
As I thought about it, it occurred to me that this is a goal I need to work toward more. I felt it meant more than just doing what is right, that somehow it meant being proactive and going out of my way to help others- not just occasionally but always. But I was still having trouble really nailing down the full meaning - I knew what "always" meant, but I was a little hazy on the definition of "abounding." And I wasn't sure if I totally comprehended the extent of the meaning of "good works."
So I went to LDS.org and searched talks that mentioned that phrase. I found the following portion of a short talk by Elder Faust that gave me exactly the answers I was looking for. Here's what he said and how he defined the terms.
Abounding
Abounding—having in large numbers or great quantity
Good Works
How can your life be “always abounding in good works”? Here are a few ideas:
• Pray for opportunities to serve others, and then look for those opportunities.
• Write in your journal each day the things you did that were kind, helpful, or spiritually uplifting.
• On a Sunday, make a list of good things you think you could accomplish that week. Put the list where you can see it every day to remind yourself of your goals, and then review the list on the following Sunday to see how you did.
Good Works
“When faith springs up in the heart, good works will follow, and good works will increase that pure faith within them.”
President Brigham Young (1801–77), Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young (1997), 57.
There was my answer. To implement the scripture in my life I need to pray for opportunities to serve, write down those experiences, and make weekly goals of good things I can accomplish in the coming week. I plan to do that and would challenge you to do the same.
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2 comments:
When I was at Allison and Riley's house, zI noticed that one night at dinner, Allison asked each of the children if they had had a CTR moment that day. I think, in elementary terms, that is the same concept as "always abounding in good works" and what a great way to teach children to seek out those opportunities. I will try to have many CTR moments each day so that my life can abound with good works.
As part of the workshop that Jr put on, Riley and I took 20 minutes one Sunday night last fall and made a list of goals. There were different areas like spiritual, friendship, family, etc. Several of my goals were based on service to others. It amazed me as I went throughout the week, how many opportunities to serve that I recognized, that I might not have otherwise noticed, because I had written down goals.
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