Faithful

Faithful

FA'ITHFUL, adjective
1. Firm in adherence to the truth and to the duties of religion.
Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Revelation 2:10.
2. Firmly adhering to duty; of true fidelity; loyal; true to allegiance; as a faithful subject.
3. constant in the performance of duties or services; exact in attending to commands; as a faithful servant.
4. Observant of compact, treaties, contracts, vows or other engagements; true to one's word. A government should be faithful to its treaties; individuals, to their word.
5. True; exact; in conformity to the letter and spirit; as a faithful execution of a will.
6. True to the marriage covenant; as a faithful wife or husband.
7. Conformable to truth; as a faithful narrative or representation.
8. Constant; not fickle; as a faithful lover or friend.
9. True; worthy of belief. 2 Timothy 2:2.


SCRIPTURES:

Matthew 25:23

• New Testament

His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 

Luke 16:10

• New Testament

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. 

Hebrews 3:2

• New Testament

Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. 

Matthew 25:21

• New Testament

His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 

Psalms 119:86

• Old Testament

All thy commandments are faithful: they persecute me wrongfully; help thou me. 

Psalms 119:138

• Old Testament

Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful. 

JST, Revelation 1:5

• Joseph Smith Translation

Therefore, I, John, the faithful witness, bear record of the things which were delivered me of the angel, and from Jesus Christ the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth. 

Proverbs 25:13

• Old Testament

As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soul of his masters. 

JST, Luke 12:50

• Joseph Smith Translation

And they said, Who then is that faithful and wise servant? 

Psalms 101:6

• Old Testament

Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me. 

D&C 62:6

• Doctrine and Covenants

Behold, I, the Lord, have brought you together that the promise might be fulfilled, that the faithful among you should be preserved and rejoice together in the land of Missouri. I, the Lord, promise the faithful and cannot lie. 

Titus 3:8

• New Testament

This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. 

1 Corinthians 7:25

• New Testament

Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful. 

1 Thessalonians 5:24

• New Testament

Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. 

Proverbs 27:6

• Old Testament

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. 


“A revelation I give unto you concerning my will; and if thou art faithful and walk in the paths of virtue before me, I will preserve thy life, and thou shalt receive an inheritance in Zion.” (D&C 25:2.)


QUOTES:

In very large measure each of us holds the key to the blessings of the Almighty upon us. If we wish the blessing, we must pay the price. A part of that price lies in being faithful. Faithful to what? Faithful to ourselves, to the very best that is within us. No woman can afford to demean herself, to belittle herself, to downgrade her abilities or her capacities. Let each be faithful to the great, divine attributes that are within her. Be faithful to the gospel. Be faithful to the Church. We have all about us those who are seeking to undermine it, to look for weaknesses in its early leaders, to find fault with its programs, to speak critically of it. I give you my testimony that it is the work of God, and those who speak against it are speaking against him.

Be faithful to him. He is the one true source of your strength. He is your Father in Heaven. He lives. He hears and answers prayers. Be faithful to God.

-Gordon B. Hinckley


The promised blessings of God to the faithful are glorious and inspiring. Among them are “thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths.”² And it takes more than a spiritual birth certificate or a “Child of God Membership Card” to qualify for these incomprehensible blessings.
-Dieter F. Uchtdorf

---

The fire of the covenant will burn in the heart of every faithful member of this Church who shall worship and honorably hold a name and standing in the Lord’s holy house.

-David A. Bednar

To faithful souls who labor in His service, in whatever calling, Jesus gives the blessing of acting as His undershepherds, charged with nourishing the sheep of His pasture and the lambs of His fold. How do wise undershepherds fulfill that sacred responsibility with honor and energy, striving always to be true and faithful to the trust reposed in them? The scriptures provide the guidelines within which faithful servants carry out sacred tasks.

Faithful undershepherds nourish with the good word of God, as occurred in the “Zion Society” phase of Nephite history. Moroni wrote: “And after they had been received unto baptism, … they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God.” (Moro. 6:4.)

Faithful servants of the master use the scriptures to learn and teach the grand and glorious principles of salvation and exaltation.

-Alexander B. Morrison


PERSONAL DEFINITION:
To be faithful I believe means to be loyal, to follow your leader. Obedience and humility as well as being submissive fall into that category. If we accept Christ as our leader, and be faithful unto Him, we are promised eternal life. Faithfulness and competence go hand in hand. We need to be adequately equipped with the tools necessary to follow Him faithfully. We can see the Lord's path for us more clearly by seeking and applying knowledge, thus becoming more competent. We can't really follow someone if we don't know how!
As we diligently apply our acquired knowledge, it opens our view and we realize how following the Savior is a privilege. We earnestly desire to be His disciple, and as we become faithful we find fulfillment.

Competent

Competent

COMPETENT, adjective
1. Suitable; fit; convenient; hence, sufficient, that is, fit for the purpose; adequate; followed by to; as, competent supplies of food and clothing; a competent force; an army competent to the preservation of the kingdom or state; a competent knowledge of the world. This word usually implies a moderate supply, a sufficiency without superfluity.
2. Qualified; fit; having legal capacity or power; as a competent judge or court; a competent witness. In a judge or court, it implies right or authority to hear and determine; in a witness, it implies a legal right or capacity to testify.
3. Incident; belonging; having adequate power or right.
That is the privilege of the infinite author of things, who never slumbers nor sleeps, but is not competent to any finite being.
It is not competent to the defendant to alledge fraud in the plaintiff.




SCRIPTURES/QUOTES:


“The older generation has been raised without them, but there is another generation growing up. The revelations will be opened to them as to no other in the history of the world. Into their hands now are placed the sticks of Joseph and of Judah. They will develop a gospel scholarship beyond that which their forebears could achieve. They will have the testimony that Jesus is the Christ and be competent to proclaim Him and to defend Him.”
-Boyd K. Packer




 "It is good to be faithful, but it is better to be faithful and competent."
-President Lee

Competence, like truth, beauty, and contact lenses, is in the eye of the beholder.

Laurence J. Peter

The single most exciting thing you encounter in government is competence, because it's so rare.

Daniel Patrick Moynihan

No human being will work hard at anything unless they believe that they are working for competence.

William Glasser

To many a man, and sometimes to a youth, there comes the opportunity to choose between honorable competence and tainted wealth. The young man who starts out to be poor and honorable, holds in his hand one of the strongest elements of success.

Orison Swett Marden

Fathers and mothers have lost the idea that the highest aspiration they might have for their children is for them to be wise... specialized competence and success are all that they can imagine.

Allan Bloom

The most powerful men were those who most effectively used the power of adult competence to enforce childish agreements.

George W. S. Trow

The man who is gloomy, taciturn and lives in a world of doubt seldom achieves more than a bare living. There have been a few who have groaned their way through to a competence, but in proportion to that overwhelming number of souls who carry cheer through life, they are as nothing - mere drops in the bucket.

Douglas Fairbanks

PERSONAL DEFINITION:
Words that come to mind: Able, eligible, fit for the cause, sufficient, good, enough, equipped, ready.
I think that to be competent means to do what you do with quality, thoroughly, well.
If you do something with competence, you are not doing it half-heartedly, it is a diligent effort.
I want to be more competent in my life by getting a deeper education, and applying and living what I know to be right. Just thinking about my goals minor effort, but actually accomplishing them, and accomplishing them well, that's competence!

Foundation

Foundation

FOUNDA'TION, noun [Latin fundatio, fundo.]
1. The basis of an edifice; that part of a building which lies on the ground; usually a wall of stone which supports the edifice.
2. The act of fixing the basis.
3. The basis or ground work, or any thing; that on which any thing stands, and by which it is supported. A free government has its foundation in the choice and consent of the people to be governed. Christ is the foundation of the church.
Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone - a precious cornerstone. Isaiah 28:16.
Other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:10.
4. Original; rise; as the foundation of the world.
5. Endowment; a donation or legacy appropriated to support an institution, and constituting a permanent fund, usually for a charitable purpose.
6. Establishment; settlement.

 SCRIPTURES:

Revelation 21:19

• New Testament

And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 

Isaiah 28:16

• Old Testament

¶Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. 

Psalms 87:1

• Old Testament

His foundation is in the holy mountains. 

JST, Psalms 11:2

• Joseph Smith Translation

For the wicked bend their bow; lo, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart, to destroy their foundation. 

Helaman 5:12 
 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

1 Nephi 20:13

• Book of Mormon

Mine hand hath also laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens. I call unto them and they stand up together. 

Ephesians 1:4

• New Testament

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 

Matthew 25:34

• New Testament

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 

Psalms 102:25

• Old Testament

Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. 

Hebrews 1:10

• New Testament

And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: 

2 Chronicles 8:16

• Old Testament

Now all the work of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord, and until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was perfected. 

Luke 6:48

• New Testament

He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. 

Job 4:19

• Old Testament

How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth? 

Proverbs 10:25

• Old Testament

As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation. 

QUOTES:

A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.

David Brinkley

Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

A grateful heart is a beginning of greatness. It is an expression of humility. It is a foundation for the development of such virtues as prayer, faith, courage, contentment, happiness, love, and well-being.

James E. Faust

The foundation stones for a balanced success are honesty, character, integrity, faith, love and loyalty.

Zig Ziglar

Optimism is essential to achievement and it is also the foundation of courage and true progress.

Nicholas M. Butler

In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can't build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery and death.

Anne Frank

Humility is the solid foundation of all virtues.

Confucius

 The foundation of every state is the education of its youth.

Diogenes

You can't build a great building on a weak foundation. You must have a solid foundation if you're going to have a strong superstructure.

Gordon B. Hinckley

Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves.

Henry David Thoreau

Do you wish to be great? Then begin by being. Do you desire to construct a vast and lofty fabric? Think first about the foundations of humility. The higher your structure is to be, the deeper must be its foundation.

Saint Augustine

I've come to believe that all my past failure and frustration were actually laying the foundation for the understandings that have created the new level of living I now enjoy.

Tony Robbins

Discontent, blaming, complaining, self-pity cannot serve as a foundation for a good future, no matter how much effort you make.

Eckhart Tolle

Good order is the foundation of all things.

Edmund Burke

Fear is the foundation of most governments.

John Adams

Trust is to human relationships what faith is to gospel living. It is the beginning place, the foundation upon which more can be built. Where trust is, love can flourish.

Barbara Smith

There is only one secure foundation: a genuine, deep relationship with Jesus Christ, which will carry you through any and all turmoil. No matter what storms are raging all around, you'll stand firm if you stand on His love.

Charles Stanley

We can never learn too much of His will towards us, too much of His messages and His advice. The Bible is His word and its study gives at once the foundation for our faith and an inspiration to battle onward in the fight against the tempter.

John D. Rockefeller

The bond between a parent and child is the primary bond, the foundation for the rest of the child's life. The presence or absence of this bond determines much about the child's resiliency and what kind of adult they will grow up to be.Jane Fonda

I believe the process of going from confusion to understanding is a precious, even emotional, experience that can be the foundation of self-confidence.

Brian Greene

It will appear evident upon attentive consideration that equality of intellectual and physical advantages is the only sure foundation of liberty, and that such equality may best, and perhaps only, be obtained by a union of interests and cooperation in labor.

Frances Wright

Only to the extent that men desire peace and brotherhood can the world be made better. No peace even though temporarily obtained, will be permanent, whether to individuals or nations, unless it is built upon the solid foundation of eternal principles.

David O. McKay

Once something is memorable, it's living and you're using it. That to me is the foundation of a creative society.

Yo-Yo Ma

If we would build on a sure foundation in friendship, we must love friends for their sake rather than for our own.

Charlotte Bronte

Testimony is the beginning of and a prerequisite to continuing conversion. Testimony is a point of departure; it is not an ultimate destination. Strong testimony is the foundation upon which conversion is established. Testimony alone is not and will not be enough to protect us in the latter-day storm of darkness and evil in which we are living.

David A. Bednar

Since God is the foundation of my life, anything that streams from that can only be positive.

Ving Rhames

Education is the foundation upon which we build our future.

Christine Gregoire

Surely the only sound foundation for a civilization is a sound state of mind.

E. M. Forster

PERSONAL DEFINITION:

I believe a Foundation is a base, a fundamental grounding, or a start.

Our personal foundation should be built on Christ. He is the strongest most trustworthy being, for He has gone through everything you have and more! He will never let you down and His way is the surest way to eternal life and happiness.
Applied principles expand our testimony of Christ and build our foundation. Everyday we can make our foundation a little stronger by doing the Lord's will and accepting His atonement.

transgression TRANSGRES'SION, n. The act of passing over or beyond any law or rule of moral duty; the violation of a law or known principle of rectitude; breach of command. He mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away. Ezra 10. Forgive thy people all their transgressions. 1 Kings 8. 1. Fault; offense; crime.

SCRIPTURES and QUOTES:
Moses 5:

 10 And in that day Adam blessed God and was filled, and began toprophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.
 11 And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.

1. Partaking of the forbidden fruit was not a sin

To help explain that Adam and Eve did not sin when they partook of the forbidden fruit, read the following statement from Elder Dallin H. Oaks:

“It was Eve who first transgressed the limits of Eden in order to initiate the conditions of mortality. Her act, whatever its nature, was formally a transgression but eternally a glorious necessity to open the doorway toward eternal life. Adam showed his wisdom by doing the same. …

“… We celebrate Eve’s act and honor her wisdom and courage in the great episode called the Fall. … Elder Joseph Fielding Smith said: ‘I never speak of the part Eve took in this fall as a sin, nor do I accuse Adam of a sin. … This was a transgression of the law, but not a sin.’ …

“This suggested contrast between a sin and a transgression reminds us of the careful wording in the second article of faith: “We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression” (italics added). It also echoes a familiar distinction in the law. Some acts, like murder, are crimes because they are inherently wrong. Other acts, like operating without a license, are crimes only because they are legally prohibited. Under these distinctions, the act that produced the Fall was not a sin—inherently wrong—but a transgression—wrong because it was formally prohibited. These words are not always used to denote something different, but this distinction seems meaningful in the circumstances of the Fall” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1993, 98; orEnsign, Nov. 1993, 73).

PERSONAL DEFINITION:

Transgressing is merely acting contrary to a said law. Transgressing only is related to sin when someone acts contrary to what is morally right. Adam and Eve did not act against God's will when they partook of the fruit, for it was His will that they should do so. They only acted against the said law. They did not do something wrong, because before they transgressed, there was no good or evil.
I think Transgression is also possible in ignorance, because sinning in ignorance isn't really sinning, if you have no knowledge of what is right or wrong.
Mistakes happen, and are part of our growth here on earth, and so are sins, but we are accountable for our sins.
The more truth we learn, the less mistakes we are apt to make, and the less sins we will want to make. :)

perception PERCEP'TION, n. [L. perceptio. See Perceive.] 1. The act of perceiving or of receiving impressions by the senses; or that act or process of the mind which makes known an external object. In other words, the notice which the mind takes of external objects. We gain a knowledge of the coldness and smoothness of marble by perception. 2. In philosophy, the faculty of perceiving; the faculty or peculiar part of man's constitution, by which he has knowledge through the medium or instrumentality of the bodily organs. 3. Notion; idea. 4. The state of being affected or capable of being affected by something external. This experiment discovers perception in plants.

SCRIPTURES/QUOTES:

HERE is an awesome article about perception

I pray that this will be the desire of your hearts: always to have the correct perception of life, always to keep the commandments, “for length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee” (Prov. 3:2)....

Evidently, then, proper perception of the gospel message is critical. And of course, the earlier in life that you can develop a correct perception, the better for you, because it will give you a true course to follow.

-Charles Didier

Alma 5:

 34 Yea, he saith: Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely;

 35 Yea, come unto me and bring forth works of righteousness, and ye shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire—

(Perfect perception) Through Holy Ghost.

 45 And this is not all. Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true. And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety?

 46 Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me.

Two people looking at the same picture can see totally different things. But when looking at life’s big picture, it’s important to try to align your perception with that of Heavenly Father.

PERSONAL DEFINITION:

I think perception is a very interesting word... It's sort of a shape-shifting word, for it varies between different people. No-one has exactly the same perception as somebody else.

It is an opinion gained through observation and experience.
I think Faith is a form of perception. If you have perfect faith, your reality becomes perfect, and the truth you know is absolute. When we align our focus to correlate with God's focus, we see perfectly.

When we know we our doing what He would have us do, we can have pure confidence in our actions- and the closer our perception will come to truth.
Gaining a perfect perception comes with acting in faith.

Decide

Decide

DECI'DE, verb intransitive To determine; to form a definite opinion; to come to a conclusion.
We cannot decide how far resistance is lawful or practicable.
The court decided in favor of the defendant.

SCRIPTURES:

D&C 130:16

• Doctrine and Covenants

I was left thus, without being able to decide whether this coming referred to the beginning of the millennium or to some previous appearing, or whether I should die and thus see his face. 

D&C 136:7

• Doctrine and Covenants

Let each company, with their captains and presidents, decide how many can go next spring; then choose out a sufficient number of able-bodied and expert men, to take teams, seeds, and farming utensils, to go as pioneers to prepare for putting in spring crops. 

D&C 107:79

• Doctrine and Covenants

And the Presidency of the council of the High Priesthood shall have power to call other high priests, even twelve, to assist as counselors; and thus the Presidency of the High Priesthood and its counselors shall have power to decide upon testimony according to the laws of the church. 

1 Kings 20:40

• Old Testament

And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it. 

Joseph Smith—History 1:9

• Pearl of Great Price

...the cry and tumult were so great and incessant. The Presbyterians were most decided against the Baptists and Methodists, and used all the powers of both reason and sophistry to prove their errors, or, at least, to make the people think they were in error. On the other hand, the Baptists and... 

D&C 42:72

• Doctrine and Covenants

Or they are to receive a just remuneration for all their services, either a stewardship or otherwise, as may be thought best or decided by the counselors and bishop. 

Acts 15

• New Testament

The Acts of the ApostlesChapter 15Great dissension arises at Antioch concerning circumcision—The Apostles at Jerusalem decide the issue—Paul chooses Silas as his companion. 

D&C 67

• Doctrine and Covenants

...revelations already received from the Lord through the Prophet was considered and acted upon (see the heading to section 1). It was decided that Oliver Cowdery and John Whitmer should take the manuscripts of the revelations to Independence, where W. W. Phelps would publish them as the Book... 

Judge, Judgment

• The Guide to the Scriptures

To evaluate behavior in relation to the principles of the gospel; to decide; to discern good from evil. 


QUOTES:



















 

 

 

 

“We hope we can help our young men and young women to realize, even sooner than they do now, that they need to make certain decisions only once. … We can push some things away from us once and have done with them! We can make a single decision about certain things that we will incorporate in our lives and then make them ours—without having to brood and redecide a hundred times what it is we will do and what we will not do.

“… My young brothers, if you have not done so yet, decide to decide!” ~Spencer W. Kimball

 "Decide to work. Work is necessary if you are to reach your goal


 ...decide to believe. Believe in God. Believe in yourself. Believe that God is very interested in you as an individual, that he is anxious for you to succeed. He has provided in the gospel of his Son Jesus Christ the sure pattern for ultimate success.

Decide to make decisions about certain things once—those things will push from you that might otherwise destroy you—and decide about other things that you will incorporate into your life, things that will bring you eternal happiness. Decide to set goals which are consistent with your divine destiny. Decide to believe in God, who created you. Decide to believe in yourself, that you truly can reach goals—your goals. Decide to work. You can be successful in any righteous endeavor when you are willing to work under the guiding hand of the Lord.

May we all make our decisions in the favorable light of the gospel of Jesus Christ"

 ~Rex D. Pinegar

PERSONAL DEFINITION:

I think to decide means to make a choice. To commit to a choice, and then go forward with it. 

To truly decide, I think we must take action on our resolve, whatever it is.
If we really want to accomplish anything, we first have to decide to do it.
I believe there is great wisdom in deciding beforehand, what your standards are so that you don't even have to be shaken when something arises that could cause you to go astray.

Decide is a very strong word. I think true decision is immovable.
It is my hope to make immovable decisions regarding where I stand in my beliefs. In fact, I already have! :)