Keeping focus

This amazing photo that Jaci took last week typifies to me a lot of Nauvoo.  We look back at the people who lived here in Nauvoo and we talk about the sacrifices they made and dedication that  they had.  The history in itself is interesting, but how we look at, assimilate and apply the information is what is important.  Learning from history, means applying the information to ourselves.

FOCUS:   I see her focused in this picture.  The saints were focused on the Temple, their covenants with God, family, living the Gospel and following the Prophet.  We need to keep our focus and not let the trials and distractions of the world sidetrack us.  The problems of today are different, but without the focus we will be lost in the process.

TREASURING.  She is treasuring and caring for the stuffed animal, the same as we need to cherish and care for all of those around us.

In each site I learn more,  the families who lost their children -with an infancy death rate of 40%  most lives here had were touched with loss and grief.  The knowledge that families will be together forever and that this earth life is just a step helps us recognize the hope and joy in being together again, although we still grieve and sorrow here.

I pull weeds in some of the yards, sometimes as an assignment.  Makes me contemplate the pernicious things like Dandelions which in the garden are a weed, but some people harvest them to eat.  We need to take care with what we are nourishing or yanking out of our lives.  Some of those weeds take a lot of effort to get pulled out, just like the flowers take a lot of nurturing to survive.  Making sure we have our focus on Heavenly Father and his plan helps us to more easily recognize the good from the bad in our lives.  We also have to be continually ready to repent and change in order to keep our lives ready.

The early Saints had the Gospel of Jesus Christ, a Prophet and twelve Apostles.  Being human they made mistakes just like we do, but they treasured the Gospel and their covenants with God..  We also today have a Prophet and 12 apostles on the earth that testify of Jesus Christ and we likewise need to follow them and hold the Gospel dear.