FEELING OVERWHELMED

An overwhelm is something one does. It is not that hard to do. All one has to do is first, focus temporally, and secondly, look at all the things that have to be done for the day.

King Benjamin recommends the following:
"And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength." (Mosiah 4:27) (D & C 10:4)

Nephi says,
"...for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do."
(2 Nephi 32:3)

-Read the scriptures and list all the things you should do to reach exaltation. Focus on this list and you will be able to do an overwhelm.

Then Nephi give us the solution:
"For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do." (2 Nephi 32:5)

The only way to enjoy the day and make it worthwhile is to select what you will do during the day by the Spirit. And then do each activity out of the love you have for Heavenly Father & the Savior.

Therefore, review the following principles from the first 6 thought patterns of Christ:
1. The three worlds (temporal, spiritual and inner-world)
2. How to change and improve thought patterns (See, think, feel & do)
3. The Six thought patterns of Christ
a. Self worth and high feelings of worth the Saviors way
b. Performance used for spiritual growth
c. Seeing all things spiritually
d. Using enticements to focus spiritually
e. Learning how to rejoice in your adversities

Seek Heavenly Father's help in selecting what would be the best for your spiritual growth today. For example, you may feel impressed to separate your worth from your performance. You may feel impressed to work on that for the next three months. The other thought patterns can wait until another day. This way, one will enjoy the journey and not do an overwhelm. For one is now focusing on their spiritual progression and not on the temporal "to do" list.

ALMA"S PROCESS to become one with Christ EXERCISING MY FAITH TO KNOW THE SEED IS GOOD Thought Pattern #6

SEE AS HE SEES - Understanding the Truth:

a. For the next week, review this section on: "How to be thankful in your adversities." it is important to have some experience with seeing all things spiritually (thought pattern #4) and some experience using enticements for spiritual growth (thought pattern #5), before working on this thought pattern.
b. Understanding the importance of being thankful for ALL things.

THINK AS HE THINKS - Hold the truth in your mind, by prayer, throughout the day.

a. Several times a day, talk with Heavenly Father about the purpose of adversities and how you will be steadfast by keeping a spiritual focus. If you do not have any adversities to work on, then keep working on using enticements to practice remaining steadfast in Christ. The adversary will come, and when it comes, you will be well prepared to remain steadfast in Christ.
b. Practice being thankful with each enticement. Feel the difference of how being thankful keeps the shield of faith up.

FEEL AS HE FEELS - Continue to pray about these truths until you receive a witness by the spirit that each is good.

a. Seek to feel the Spirit confirm this truth of the purpose of adversities and experience the power of Christ being released on your behalf.
b. Transferring the pain, sorrow, and suffering to the spiritual world takes faith in Christ. It takes patience, diligence, long suffering before you will receive the fruit you desire. (Alma 32:43).

DO AS HE DOES:

Doing all these faith exercises out of the love you have for the Heavenly Father & the Savior makes it easier, and gives you increased strength to continue. Experience the joy of being thankful in all things.

HOW TO RELEASE THE POWERS OF HEAVEN

THE 3 BASIS PRINCIPLES IN ALL ADVERSITIES

1. By thanking Heavenly Father for the adversity, we become spiritually focused.

2. By focusing spiritually, we can receive the spiritual strength to overcome (transcend) the adversity.

3. As we remain steadfast during the adversity, we release the powers of heaven by which miracles occur.

Elder M. Russell Ballard in October 1992, General Conference said:

"Of course, that does not necessarily mean that we will be spared personal suffering and heartache. Righteousness has never precluded adversity. But faith in the Lord Jesus Christ--real faith, whole souled and unshakable--is a power to be reckoned with in the universe. It can be a causative force through which miracles are wrought. Or it can be a source of inner strength, through which we find peace, comfort, and the courage to cope." (Ensign, Nov. 1992, pp.32-33)

In 1914 the First Presidency taught the same principle:

"...God, doubtless, could avert war, prevent crime, destroy poverty, chase away darkness, overcome error, and make all things bright, beautiful, and joyful. But this would involve the destruction of a vital and fundamental attribute in man, the right of agency. It is for the benefit of His sons and daughters that they become acquainted with evil as well as good, with darkness, as well as light, with error as well as truth, and with the results of the infraction of eternal laws. Therefore, He has permitted the evils, which have been brought about by the acts of His creatures, but will control their ultimate results for His own glory and the progress and exaltation of his sons and daughters when they have learned obedience by the things they suffer. The contrasts experienced in this world of mingled sorrow and joy are educational in their nature and will be the means to raising humanity to a full appreciation of all that is right and true and good. The foreknowledge of God does not imply His action in bringing about that which he foresees, nor makes Him responsible in any degree for that which man does or refuses to do." (Christmas newsletter, the First Presidency, Deseret News, Dec 19, 1914)

Elder Russell M. Nelson Testified:

"Committed children of the covenant remain steadfast, even in the midst of adversity. We shall be chastened and tried, even as Abraham, who was commanded to offer up his only son." (Ensign, May 1995, p. 34)

Apostle Paul lived and taught the same principles about adversity, and he was able to use all his adversities to grow spiritually. How serious were his adversities?

a. Five times received 39 stripes (40 stripes meant death)

b. Beaten with rods, 3 times

c. Once was stoned

d. Three times suffered shipwreck (a day and a night he was in the sea)

e. In his various travels he was in perils of: robbers, heathens, in wilderness, the sea, among false brethren, in weariness and painfulness, in hunger and thirst often, in fasting often, in cold and nakedness.

f. Besides all this he had the daily cares of all the churches.

(2 Corinthians 11:24-28)

How did Paul describe these adversities?

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

Paul even asked the Lord three times to remove the thorn in his side, but he was turned down. The answer he received from the Lord was,

"My grace is sufficient for thee."

Then Paul makes this impressive statement about the purpose of adversities in his spiritual growth and development:

"...for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the POWER OF CHRIST may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

BE WILLING TO SUFFER FOR HIM WHO SUFFERED FOR YOU

Keep in mind the reality of the pain & suffering one goes through in adversity. It hurts, it can be extremely painful, it is not fair, and it seems like it will never end. One of the benefits of going to the spiritual world for help & the strength to endure and overcome the adversity, is the transferring of this pain & suffering to the spiritual world. By thanking Heavenly Father for the adversity this will change our focus from the temporal to the spiritual. With a spiritual focus, the Lord will ask if we are willing to go through this for Him. As we think of what the Savior went through for our sins, it helps us to be willing to go through it for Him. As we endure the pain & suffering for Him, we are transferring the pain to the spiritual world where the powers of heaven will help us to endure and overcome. The heavens are rejoicing because they know that our spiritual steadfastness will release the powers of heaven to bless us, to sustain us, and to make this journey worthwhile. In this process we become spiritually stronger. We feel the powers of heaven in greater abundance, which causes us to rejoice, as it did Apostle Paul.

*AS ONE EXPANDS HIS CAPACITY TO FEEL SORROW, HE IS ALSO EXPANDING HIS CAPACITY TO FEEL JOY, AND HIS CAPACITY TO FEEL GOD'S PERFECT LOVE.

As one takes this sorrow unto the spiritual world, and is willing to go through it out of the love he feels for the Savior and Heavenly Father, the healing begins. These deep feelings of sorrow or pain expand one's capacity to feel the perfect love that Heavenly Father has for him. This process is evident in the lives of many of the past prophets such as; Paul, Peter & Moses. It was evident in the life of President Spencer W. Kimball and Howard W. Hunter. Each suffered much, but thanked Heavenly Father for the experience of drawing closer to Him and becoming more dependant upon Him.

Brother George Q Cannon testifies of this process:

"We of all people should be happy and joyful. When the clouds seem the darkest and most threatening, and as though the storm is ready to burst upon us with all its fury, we should be calm, serene and undisturbed, for if we have the faith we profess to have, we know that God is in the storm, in the cloud, or in the threatened danger, and that he will not let it come upon us only as far as it is necessary for our good and for our salvation; and we should, even then, be calm and rejoice before God and praise Him..." (JD, 15:375)

RESULTS THAT COME FROM BEING THANKFUL FOR MY ADVERSITIES

(Helaman 3:35)

1. The adversity helps me to grow stronger in my dependency upon God. (humility)

2. It helped me to grow firmer in my faith in Christ.

3. I was able to progress on becoming sanctified by yielding my heart unto God and not on the adversity.

4. I was prepared to use any other adversity that might occur that day for continued spiritual growth and development.

5. I was able to find worthwhileness in my adversity, to rejoice, and to experience the peace the gospel promises. (D & C 59:23)

IN ORDER TO ENJOY THE DAY IT REQUIRES A SPIRITUAL FOCUS.

Thought patterns #4, #5 & #6 are helpful in learning to enjoy and making every day worthwhile.

THOUGHT PATTERN #4 - Seeing all things Spiritually

I now count every day unto the Lord, that is, I use each day and the activities of the day therein to become one with Christ. I see all of my activities as stewardships in which I carry them out for Heavenly Father. This helps me to use all my roles, goals & activities for spiritual growth. It makes no difference if I serve Heavenly Father this day in my profession, or with my wife, or with my children or all three. As long as I seek spiritual input to help me select stewardship priorities for the day and then carry each one out for Heavenly Father. it is all the same.
This thought pattern has taught me that my priorities in this life are to develop:
1. A perfect brightness of hope for me to be raised unto eternal life.
2. A steadfastness in Christ (to see, think, feel & do as He does)
3. and to love God & all men with the pure love of Christ.

I discovered that through stewardships I am able to develop all three of these priorities. In fact, this life has been designed perfectly with all the conditions necessary for me to develop these God like attributes.

THOUGHT PATTERN #5 - Using Enticements for Spiritual Growth

I am now learning how to see all things spiritually, while doing all things for Heavenly Father. I have found that spiritual strength that comes from all enticements. I now see them as opportunities to get me to choose between a temporal focus or a spiritual focus. Since I am practicing using enticements for a spiritual focus, I am enjoying each day more because I can see how the enticements are helping me to draw closer unto my Father in Heaven.

THOUGHT PATTERN #6 - How to be Thankful in my Adversities

This thought pattern is critical in helping me to always make the day worthwhile. If I am learning to see more and more things spiritually, and I have experienced the power from using enticements for spiritual growth, then I am ready to learn how to be thankful even in my adversities.
Our goal is to become steadfast in Christ. This is to see, think, feel & do what Christ would do in the same situation.

What some of the prophets have said concerning being thankful in all things.

"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations." (James 1:2)

"Verily I say unto you my friends, fear not, let your hearts be comforted; yea, rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks waiting patiently on the Lord...and all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good, and to my name’s glory, saith the Lord."
(D & C 98:1-3)

"And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more." (D & C 78:19)

"Therefore, let your hearts be comforted; for all things shall work together for good to them that walk uprightly, and to the sanctification of the church." (D & C 100:15)

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

"Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer." (Romans 12:12)

"If thou art sorrowful, call on the Lord thy God with supplication, that your souls may be joyful... My people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them, even the glory of Zion; and he that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom. Let him that is ignorant learn wisdom by humbling himself and calling upon the Lord his God, that his eyes may be opened that he may see, and his ears opened that he may hear; For my Spirit is sent forth into the world to enlighten the humble and contrite..."
(D & C 136:29-33)

"Nevertheless, Jacob, my first-born in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain." (2 Nephi 2:2)

"If thou art called to pass through tribulation...know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good." (D & C 122:5-7)

"For verily I say unto you, blessed is he that keepeth my commandments, whether in life or in death; and he that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven. Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand." (D & C 58:2-4)

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?...For I am persuaded, that...(nothing) shall be able to separate us from the love of God..." (Romans 8:35-39)

Brigham Young counseled: "By the natural mind we cannot see and understand the things of God, therefore we must then seek unto the Lord, and get His Spirit and the light thereof, to understand His will. And when He is calling us to pass through that which we call afflictions, trials, temptations & difficulties, did we possess the light of the Spirit, we would consider this the greatest blessing that could be bestowed upon us." (JD, p. 303)