Hey there everyone, hope you all had a great week.
"Diligence is steady, consistent, earnest, and energetic effort in doing the Lord’s work. The Lord expects you to work diligently—persistently and with great effort and care."
Diligence can be seen as a triangle, with each of the three points representing an adjective to describe your work. These points are:
"Let no man count them as small things; for there is much which lieth in futurity, pertaining to the saints,which depends upon these things."
This week I wanted to move forward into the next portion of how I have come to work through doubts. As I said last week this next portion will be focused on how diligence in scripture study and prayer will open the windows of heaven and give you great gifts of knowledge to help you work through your doubts.
To open I want to share a small section out of Preach My Gospel - if you don't have a copy I'd highly recommend it, it's a wonderful study guide for the basic principles of the gospel. This particular passage comes out of Chapter 6 under the section of Diligence:
My favorite part of the definition of diligence is that it is an energetic effort. The energy that you display in your study and in your approach to solve your problems will have a massive impact on how you receive your answers. By studying with full purpose and heart you show the Lord that you value the knowledge that is available and that you have faith that he will enlighten your mind. Think of it kind of like a task at work. If your boss sees you sluggishly moving around he likely won't offer much in the way of benefits. If your boss sees you sprint around for an hour and then stop for the rest of the work day he isn't likely to help you as well.
Diligence can be seen as a triangle, with each of the three points representing an adjective to describe your work. These points are:- You must work steadily.
- You must work smart.
- You must work hard.
If you work steadily and hard but not smart, you're going to waste your time. You're not going to find an answer on temple marriage by studying the word of wisdom. If you work steadily and smart, but are slow to do the job, you're just dragging things out. And if you work hard and smart, but don't work steadily you will reap inconsistent blessings and miss out on many pieces of knowledge.
If you take away one of those points you no longer have a triangle, and your growth and increase in knowledge will suffer to some degree. When it comes to studying the scriptures and prayer you need to work with this triangle in mind so that you can have that balance in all things.
In my study for this post I read a scripture in the 123rd Section of the Doctrine and Covenants. In verse 15 we are given some council from the Lord pertaining to seemingly 'small' things.
Scripture study and prayer may seem like small things. But we often do not see how they are the basis for all of the future blessings that are in store. Those future blessings are amazing, and are built and earned based on the principles of diligence in this gospel. The small and simple things of this church are able to work mighty miracles.
It is my hope that you will have faith in the words of prophets and apostles, both modern and past. Learn the basics, learn them over and over. If you are a master to the basics of the gospel, then the blessings of heaven will be available unto you.
I love you all, and can't wait for the opportunity to continue this mini series, which will end with a post based on the power of the Holy Ghost. It will cover his role, power, and importance in our everyday lives. I hope you all have a great week.
Love, Elder Gailey
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