Special Fast

Special fast for Sister Roundy as she battles ovarian cancer - Sunday February 19th
See Mormon 9:11, & 15-21

As we help these next few days, during and after this special fast, may we encourage and lift one another up and create an atmosphere of love, understanding, hope and faith to accept God's will - whatever it may be. 

Mormon 9:

11 But behold, I will show unto you a God of ^amiracles, even the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and it is that same ^bGod who created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are.

 15 And now, O all ye that have imagined up unto yourselves a god who can do ^ano miracles, I would ask of you, have all these things passed, of which I have spoken? Has the end come yet? Behold I say unto you, Nay; and God has not ceased to be a God of miracles.

 16 Behold, are not the things that God hath wrought marvelous in our eyes? Yea, and who can comprehend the marvelous ^aworksof God?

 17 Who shall say that it was not a miracle that by his ^aword the heaven and the earth should be; and by the power of his word man was ^bcreated of the ^cdust of the earth; and by the power of his word have miracles been wrought?

 18 And who shall say that Jesus Christ did not do many mighty^amiracles? And there were many ^bmighty miracles wrought by the hands of the apostles.

 19 And if there were ^amiracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he ^bchangeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles.

 20 And the reason why he ceaseth to do ^amiracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should ^btrust.

 21 Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, ^awhatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this ^bpromise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth.

WE TALK OF CHRIST (Ensign article January 2010)

BY MICHAEL R. BLAIR

Walking through the Valley of the Shadow of Death 

In recent months I have been particularly drawn to Psalm 23 because I am, in fact, walking “through the valley of the shadow of death” (verse 4). Being diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma with an uncertain prognosis has been sobering, to say the least. But I’ve felt great hope in my Savior. He truly has been with me to teach and comfort me. Here are a few things I’ve learned:

• • 
   His teachings are a pattern for happy living. My greatest joy has been in serving others—the way the Savior spent His life. Of course, any good that I have done pales in comparison with what He did for us. He asks only that we do “all we can do” (2 Nephi 25:23).
• • 
   The Lord knows what it is to suffer. Alma 7:11 teaches us that Jesus suffered “pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind” so that He can succor us. Whatever I have felt, am now feeling, or will yet feel, He knows what it is like.
• • 
   Faith in Him is powerful. Believing in miracles and the power of the priesthood is important. But faith sufficient to accept the Father’s will (see John 17) may be the most important factor in recovery. I am confident that whatever God’s will is regarding my disease will be right.
• • 
   The Savior’s grace is sufficient for all of us. We often look back at our lives and hope the good outweighs the bad. I am starting to understand that the Atonement is not something we earn. It is a gift freely given. The Lord’s grace is real, and it is sufficient to pay debts that we cannot.

I do not believe that my illness is a punishment from God. Instead, this is a time for me to learn to be dependent on Him and His Son. Regardless of the outcome of this dreadful disease, I am grateful that God has not—that He will never—give up on me. Perhaps our tests are yet another chance for us to seek after Him and to come to Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.