The Whole Armour of God

A few weeks ago I had a strange dream. Ron and I were being outfitted with armour. With heavy helmets, breastplates, heavy armour on our legs and feet and we were given swords. I distincly remember in the dream feeling the incredible weight of that armour. We were being prepared for battle, and we were going to war together! It felt so real---so serious. As I woke up pondering this strange dream I thought what is coming? What kind of war did I just dream about? Then that thought was immediately answered in my mind, "You are already at war, you are in the midst of it now." I looked up Ephesians 6:11-19 and read it again.

"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,"

After re-reading this scripture I found much to ponder over. It's been on my mind a lot lately, the things that we "wrestle" with in this mortal world. I pray God will give me, and all of us the strength to "withstand in this evil day!"

Having Faith In The Coming Days

I just read an article by G.G. Vandagriff, in Meridian Magazine this morning that certainly caught my attention. She wrote:

"In a recent talk broadcast to the stakes in Utah Valley, President Boyd K. Packer and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland had a special message for us. Elder Holland started by talking of the faith of the pioneers to do whatever they were asked. In a stirring narrative of the pioneers who dug out a pathway through the sheer rock passageway in south central Utah in order to fulfill their mission to colonize a particular area, he gave us an example of what he called "rock-ribbed" faith. "When you're called to go, you go."

Elder Holland pleaded with us to nurture our physical and spiritual strength for the trials ahead. "Search your soul and search the heavens," he said. "Remember that strong family ties are the strongest resource of the church." In conclusion, he reminded us that though the world was steeped in wickedness, the forces of righteousness will always prevail. In order to stay within the safety provided by those forces, we need to be willing to conform our will to that of the Father, just as the pioneers did.

When President Packer began to speak, he startled me to the soles of my feet by saying, "From now on it's going to be rougher than the pioneers had it." Though he and Elder Holland had not planned it, their talks built on each other, proving to me that they were inspired by the Spirit to give us the same message. "Easy times are in the past," he said. "Humbly confess to the Lord that you will do things His way. The days of the Hole in the Rock were easy times compared to what faces you."

These were very sobering talks, completely unlike a normal Stake Conference. The message that things are only going to get worse is not one you usually hear from the Brethren."

Wow! It got my attention!

After The Still Small Voice

My sister has grandchildren adopted from Haiti, and my son Brian served a mission in Chile in the late 90's, so these recent earthquakes have really hit home for our family. Meridian Magazine has a wonderful article on "The Lord's Earthquake Warning!" Everyone should read it as it shares how the Lord warned and protected his servants in that land!

These days I have been thinking of these scriptures continually:

Helamin 5: 30 "And it came to pass when they heard this voice, and beheld that it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul—"

1 Ne. 19: 11 "For thus spake the prophet: The Lord God surely shall visit all the house of Israel at that day, some with his voice, because of their righteousness, unto their great joy and salvation, and others with the thunderings and the lightnings of his power, by tempest, by fire, and by smoke, and vapor of darkness, and by the opening of the earth, and by mountains which shall be carried up."                                            
D&C 88:87-92 "For not many days hence and the earth shall tremble and reel to and fro as a drunken man; and the sun shall hide his face, and shall refuse to give light; and the moon shall be bathed in blood; and the stars shall become exceedingly angry, and shall cast themselves down as a fig that falleth from off a fig-tree. And after your testimony cometh wrath and indignation upon the people. For after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes, that shall cause groanings in the midst of her, and men shall fall upon the ground and shall not be able to stand.

And also cometh the testimony of the voice of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the voice of the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds. And all things shall be in acommotion; and surely, men’s hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people. And angels shall fly through the midst of heaven, crying with a loud voice, sounding the trump of God, saying: Prepare ye, prepare ye, O inhabitants of the earth; for the judgment of our God is come. Behold, and lo, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him."