Comments on: Eliza R. Snow on the Spirit http://roxcy.synthian.org/2007/03/21/eliza-r-snow-on-the-spirit/ Uplifting, edifying, and enriching reading by and for Latter-day Saint Women Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:11:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Michelle http://roxcy.synthian.org/2007/03/21/eliza-r-snow-on-the-spirit/#comment-17318 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 04:21:28 +0000 http://roxcy.synthian.org/2007/03/21/eliza-r-snow-on-the-spirit/#comment-17318 RoAnn, Love the analogy! I agree that agency is so very significant in all of this. I guess that was part of what struck me about this quote. What it said to me is that the potential for peace is there. The more we do to access the Spirit, the more we increase our ability to enjoy His influence. RoAnn,
Love the analogy! I agree that agency is so very significant in all of this. I guess that was part of what struck me about this quote. What it said to me is that the potential for peace is there. The more we do to access the Spirit, the more we increase our ability to enjoy His influence.

]]> by: RoAnn http://roxcy.synthian.org/2007/03/21/eliza-r-snow-on-the-spirit/#comment-17317 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 04:12:19 +0000 http://roxcy.synthian.org/2007/03/21/eliza-r-snow-on-the-spirit/#comment-17317 Michelle (#8), I think you brought up a key point when you said, "Those quiet evidences of the Spirit are sometimes so delicate that I think we can cast them away through our human, sometimes impatient responses to trials." We, as parents, often need to stand back and let our children get through experiences like piano recitals or sports events on their own. But, if they look for us, they will see us giving them a "thumbs up" or encouraging smile and nod from the sidelines. Perhaps, in a similar way, the Spirit is always available to sustain us; but we have our agency, and must choose to look in the right direction if we want to obtain the peace of the Lord. Michelle (#8), I think you brought up a key point when you said, “Those quiet evidences of the Spirit are sometimes so delicate that I think we can cast them away through our human, sometimes impatient responses to trials.”

We, as parents, often need to stand back and let our children get through experiences like piano recitals or sports events on their own. But, if they look for us, they will see us giving them a “thumbs up” or encouraging smile and nod from the sidelines.

Perhaps, in a similar way, the Spirit is always available to sustain us; but we have our agency, and must choose to look in the right direction if we want to obtain the peace of the Lord.

]]> by: Michelle http://roxcy.synthian.org/2007/03/21/eliza-r-snow-on-the-spirit/#comment-17045 Sun, 25 Mar 2007 06:44:15 +0000 http://roxcy.synthian.org/2007/03/21/eliza-r-snow-on-the-spirit/#comment-17045 Cheryl, I'm so grateful this was helpful to you. Isn't it wonderful to have many ways to be reminded how to keep ourselves focused? The Lord is good to us. Cheryl,
I’m so grateful this was helpful to you. Isn’t it wonderful to have many ways to be reminded how to keep ourselves focused? The Lord is good to us.

]]> by: Cheryl http://roxcy.synthian.org/2007/03/21/eliza-r-snow-on-the-spirit/#comment-16912 Sat, 24 Mar 2007 23:19:33 +0000 http://roxcy.synthian.org/2007/03/21/eliza-r-snow-on-the-spirit/#comment-16912 Oh, thank you! I've been struggling lately on how lost I feel with all the changes surrounding me. My favorite part: "I loved that Sister Snow said that the Spirit “satisfies and fills up every longing of the human heart” and “fills up every vacuum” (emphasis added). " That is exactly what I needed to hear. Instead of giving myself over to the Lord and to allowing the peace of the Spirit into my life, I've been allowing food (no joke!) and other outlets to alleviate my fears. And yet, I'm not filled. Go figure! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Great post... Oh, thank you!
I’ve been struggling lately on how lost I feel with all the changes surrounding me. My favorite part:

“I loved that Sister Snow said that the Spirit “satisfies and fills up every longing of the human heart” and “fills up every vacuum” (emphasis added). ”

That is exactly what I needed to hear. Instead of giving myself over to the Lord and to allowing the peace of the Spirit into my life, I’ve been allowing food (no joke!) and other outlets to alleviate my fears. And yet, I’m not filled. Go figure! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Great post…

]]> by: Michelle http://roxcy.synthian.org/2007/03/21/eliza-r-snow-on-the-spirit/#comment-16804 Sat, 24 Mar 2007 03:25:19 +0000 http://roxcy.synthian.org/2007/03/21/eliza-r-snow-on-the-spirit/#comment-16804 RoAnn, You bring up an important point. I can't help but wonder, though, if there is still so much of the voids we feel that come as a result from us distancing ourselves from the Spirit (even if simply by lack of faith, humility and patience when sore trials come upon us). I agree that sometimes our faith is tested, but I also reflect on the promise that we can have the Spirit <i>always</i> with us. I think this is a process to learn how to live so that, regardless of what is happening around us, we can have (as you said) sufficient peace to endure our trials with grace and patience. Not that answers will always come in expected ways, but I wonder if we might miss moments of peace and strength that could come even when we are passing through difficult times. Those quiet evidences of the Spirit are sometimes so delicate that I think we can cast them away through our human, sometimes impatient responses to trials. Thoughts? I love your focus on how we can help lift each other and help each other. Reminds me of Pres. Kimball who said that often God answers our prayers through others. RoAnn,
You bring up an important point. I can’t help but wonder, though, if there is still so much of the voids we feel that come as a result from us distancing ourselves from the Spirit (even if simply by lack of faith, humility and patience when sore trials come upon us). I agree that sometimes our faith is tested, but I also reflect on the promise that we can have the Spirit always with us. I think this is a process to learn how to live so that, regardless of what is happening around us, we can have (as you said) sufficient peace to endure our trials with grace and patience. Not that answers will always come in expected ways, but I wonder if we might miss moments of peace and strength that could come even when we are passing through difficult times. Those quiet evidences of the Spirit are sometimes so delicate that I think we can cast them away through our human, sometimes impatient responses to trials. Thoughts?

I love your focus on how we can help lift each other and help each other. Reminds me of Pres. Kimball who said that often God answers our prayers through others.

]]> by: Kirsti http://roxcy.synthian.org/2007/03/21/eliza-r-snow-on-the-spirit/#comment-16786 Fri, 23 Mar 2007 22:34:47 +0000 http://roxcy.synthian.org/2007/03/21/eliza-r-snow-on-the-spirit/#comment-16786 What a beautiful quote! Just reading it makes me feel motivated to seek the spirit more in my life. I know that the spirit will teach us all that we allow him to teach us and I believe that the spirit truly "fills up every longing of the human heart". Thanks for the reminder Michelle! What a beautiful quote! Just reading it makes me feel motivated to seek the spirit more in my life. I know that the spirit will teach us all that we allow him to teach us and I believe that the spirit truly “fills up every longing of the human heart”. Thanks for the reminder Michelle!

]]> by: RoAnn http://roxcy.synthian.org/2007/03/21/eliza-r-snow-on-the-spirit/#comment-16785 Fri, 23 Mar 2007 22:19:22 +0000 http://roxcy.synthian.org/2007/03/21/eliza-r-snow-on-the-spirit/#comment-16785 Michelle, I really agree with what you said, "I wonder sometimes if we look in the wrong places and in the wrong ways when we feel spiritually unsatisfied, or have an unfulfilled ache in our hearts." I also agree that "we live far beneath our privileges" most of the time, in terms of missing out on guidance from the Spirit that we might merit, if we were but to ask for it. However, I also think that many times we need to develop our humility and faith by not having every void filled or answer given to us immediately, or even very soon. Think Job. Think Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail. Perhaps at times the delay in the arrival of answers is a trial of our faith. But I definitively believe that if we are trying our best to live righteously and repent daily, and if we look to God for help, rather than worldy sources, that God will grant us <em>sufficient</em> "peace and strength along the way" to endure until we receive more definitive answers or more complete understanding. Part of what I see as the marvelous opportunities given to us as R.S. visiting teachers, is that we can help sustain each other, through all the vagaries of our lives. As Eliza, said, "The Spirit of God will impart instruction to your minds, and you will impart it to each other." That mutual encouragement can help us get through our spiritually "lean" times, reminding us (as these quotes do) of truths from which we tend to be so frequently distracted! Michelle, I really agree with what you said, “I wonder sometimes if we look in the wrong places and in the wrong ways when we feel spiritually unsatisfied, or have an unfulfilled ache in our hearts.”

I also agree that “we live far beneath our privileges” most of the time, in terms of missing out on guidance from the Spirit that we might merit, if we were but to ask for it.

However, I also think that many times we need to develop our humility and faith by not having every void filled or answer given to us immediately, or even very soon. Think Job. Think Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail. Perhaps at times the delay in the arrival of answers is a trial of our faith.

But I definitively believe that if we are trying our best to live righteously and repent daily, and if we look to God for help, rather than worldy sources, that God will grant us sufficient “peace and strength along the way” to endure until we receive more definitive answers or more complete understanding.

Part of what I see as the marvelous opportunities given to us as R.S. visiting teachers, is that we can help sustain each other, through all the vagaries of our lives. As Eliza, said, “The Spirit of God will impart instruction to your minds, and you will impart it to each other.” That mutual encouragement can help us get through our spiritually “lean” times, reminding us (as these quotes do) of truths from which we tend to be so frequently distracted!

]]> by: Michelle http://roxcy.synthian.org/2007/03/21/eliza-r-snow-on-the-spirit/#comment-16605 Fri, 23 Mar 2007 05:22:40 +0000 http://roxcy.synthian.org/2007/03/21/eliza-r-snow-on-the-spirit/#comment-16605 Eric and MJ, Thanks for your comments. This really was a great quote, eh? Mary, thanks for doing my work for me. I was too lazy to look it up! :) Eric and MJ,
Thanks for your comments. This really was a great quote, eh?
Mary, thanks for doing my work for me. I was too lazy to look it up! :)

]]> by: Mary A http://roxcy.synthian.org/2007/03/21/eliza-r-snow-on-the-spirit/#comment-16587 Thu, 22 Mar 2007 23:34:41 +0000 http://roxcy.synthian.org/2007/03/21/eliza-r-snow-on-the-spirit/#comment-16587 Oh, and the site looks terrific!!! Oh, and the site looks terrific!!!

]]> by: Mary A http://roxcy.synthian.org/2007/03/21/eliza-r-snow-on-the-spirit/#comment-16586 Thu, 22 Mar 2007 23:33:28 +0000 http://roxcy.synthian.org/2007/03/21/eliza-r-snow-on-the-spirit/#comment-16586 Thanks for this post, Michelle. Something to strive for. Joe J. Christensen had a talk in the June 1983 <i>Ensign</i> that contained the Brigham Young quote you mentioned. (I don't know how to put a link in a comment--sorry!) The talk was called "Toward Greater Spirituality: Ten Important Steps." <blockquote>What a blessing it would be if all of us would receive more spiritual strength and personal revelation than we do. President Brigham Young said, “There is no doubt, if a person lives according to the revelations given to God’s people, he may have the Spirit of the Lord to signify to him his will, and to guide and to direct him in the discharge of his duties, in his temporal as well as his spiritual exercises. I am satisfied, however, that in this respect, we live far beneath our privileges.” (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. and arr. by John A. Widtsoe, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1973, p. 32; emphasis added.)</blockquote> It's an interesting idea and one that I believe is true. For me, this is encouragement to try a little harder! Thanks for this post, Michelle. Something to strive for. Joe J. Christensen had a talk in the June 1983 Ensign that contained the Brigham Young quote you mentioned. (I don’t know how to put a link in a comment–sorry!) The talk was called “Toward Greater Spirituality: Ten Important Steps.”

What a blessing it would be if all of us would receive more spiritual strength and personal revelation than we do. President Brigham Young said, “There is no doubt, if a person lives according to the revelations given to God’s people, he may have the Spirit of the Lord to signify to him his will, and to guide and to direct him in the discharge of his duties, in his temporal as well as his spiritual exercises. I am satisfied, however, that in this respect, we live far beneath our privileges.” (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. and arr. by John A. Widtsoe, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1973, p. 32; emphasis added.)

It’s an interesting idea and one that I believe is true. For me, this is encouragement to try a little harder!

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