tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266009681076554415.post2766236494796687331..comments2023-09-05T20:54:42.242-04:00Comments on A Latter-day Voice: A pattern of blessingsPaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11294214866282354575noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266009681076554415.post-53628209632102808182013-04-16T16:16:33.361-04:002013-04-16T16:16:33.361-04:00Julia, you raise an excellent point, namely that t...Julia, you raise an excellent point, namely that the blessing we identify is not always proximate to the commandment we keep. I remember someone saying in conference in the last few years (was it Elder Scott?) that the Lord does that so that we can learn to walk by faith: blessings (or the lack thereof) are sometimes not immediate so that we can act of more than just a pavlovian response (my words, not his). Interesting that such a concept seems a little at odds with King Benjamin's claim that as soon as we keep a commandment we are blessed so we continue in the Lord's debt. I have no doubt the blessings are "immediate" in the Lord's time, even if our awareness of them may not be in ours (such as my experience described above).<br /><br />Thanks for reading (and commenting!). (You, too, Robin!)<br /><br />Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11294214866282354575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266009681076554415.post-14716079164460991882013-04-16T14:43:44.707-04:002013-04-16T14:43:44.707-04:00What strikes me most about the experience you shar...What strikes me most about the experience you shared, is that at any time during your time in Germany, you would not have been able to say that you saw the blessings from your commitment to following that principle. I am guessing that while the experiences at Youth Conference were great at the time, it took even more time to understand just how much good would come from those faith experiences. <br /><br />What I always need to remind myself, when I am feeling like everyone else is in the "blessing part of the cycle," is that blessings don't come on anyone's timeline but our Heavenly Parents. Job becomes a comfort when you are in the middle of a trial. <br /><br />Whether we do everything perfectly, as long as we do our best, the Atonement makes up for the rest. I've never tried to break the Word of Wisdom, but twice I've been served what I thought was a "virgin" drink that ended up having Alcohol in it. I don't think that those times call for great repentance, although each time I spent time in prayer, recommitting to my commitment not to drink alcohol. If I had purposely chosen to order a drink, the process of repentance would have been more complicated, and might have lead to a loss of blessings, but not a forfeiture of all blessings. <br /><br />I love fast and testimony meetings because they are the place where we hear the impact of the gospel on the lives of those we worship and serve with. While I am housebound, my favorite blogs often serve the same function. Thanks for sharing your experience, and reminding me how important each decision we make is, and that even if it isn't immediately clear what the blessings are *now* but that they do come. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13655197693521484077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266009681076554415.post-75564587977224727532013-04-15T21:08:27.858-04:002013-04-15T21:08:27.858-04:00Thanks for sharing your story; a good lesson.Thanks for sharing your story; a good lesson.Robin Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13762942736068477765noreply@blogger.com