Hastening the Work

D&C 88:73 "Behold, I will hasten my work in its time."

D&C 52:43 "But, behold, I, the Lord, will hasten the city in its time, and will crown the faithful with joy and with rejoicing."

Recently there has been a lot of talk about “hastening the work”. I also think there has been a lot of misunderstanding as to what that means. This morning I attended a Stake Priesthood leadership meeting and heard a great definition from our Stake President.

This is a summary of his comments:

“The Lord will hasten His work according to His way, His will, and His time. Man won’t “hasten” His work. When He asks us to hasten the work, He’s not asking us to “lift more” or “run faster”. What IS being asked is that we get our lives in order and in focus. In other words, to focus on the Savior, to purify our own lives and our families. The time has arrived when we can no longer sit idly by and watch. We have to choose whether we are on the Lord’s side or not.”

I felt that was a fabulous description! It’s not whether or not we can actually “hasten” the Lord’s work, it’s whether or not we will procrastinate the day of our repentance or whether we will get our lives in order now. Events are coming which will test each of us and our resolve to serve the Lord. Now is the time for us to get our lives in order and to follow Him.

When we say “hasten”, let’s not waste any more time saying to ourselves, “I’ll fix that soon.”

Today is the day for us to do good, to lift those around us, to help someone in need, to strengthen our resolve to follow the Savior and seek the Holy Ghost!

With Wondrous Awe

This morning I woke up at 5:45 a.m. to play racquetball with a close friend. While I waited for him to pick me up, I walked outside to observe the full moon reflecting off the snowy fields behind our house. It was quiet. It was beautiful. It was majestic.

With wondrous awe I stood with amazement looking at the Lord's creations which appear to be beyond number, yet they are somehow numbered to Him. It was a great moment of reflection to consider our place in the universe. How does He govern all of these systems, yet He still notices the sparrow? It is beyond my human mind to grasp the majesty of his kingdom.

Three scriptures that should cause us to think and ponder as we reflect on His creations:

D&C 88:26 "Wherefore, it {speaking of the earth} shall be sanctified; yea, notwithstanding it shall die, it shall be quickened again, and shall abide the power by which it is quickened, and the righteous shall inherit it."

D&C 88:37 "There are many kingdoms; for there is no space in the which there is no kingdom; and there is no kingdom in which there is no space, either a greater or a lesser kingdom."

Abraham 3:11 "And he {The Lord} said unto me: My son, my son (and his hand was stretched out), behold I will show you all these. And he put his hand upon mine eyes, and I saw those things which his hands had made, which were many; and they multiplied before mine eyes, and I could not see the end thereof."

Stars and planets come and go. Galaxies, stars, and planets are organized and disorganized. He is in control of it all.

The Lord can teach and show us all things. What He offers is greater than any earthly treasure. He is truly the light and the way. I love Him. He is my friend and master!

As I contemplate the majesty of the universe, I can't help but to stand in awe while looking at some of the deep space pictures taken by the Hubble telescope. I've posted some of them below. As you view them, keep in mind the scriptures and thoughts written above.