Latter-day Lent
Helping Latter-day Saints learn about Lent through daily devotionals to help elevate their Easter celebrations in a higher and holier way.
[Latter-day Lent] Don't Quit - Week 2 Wednesday
Is today the day you are thinking of quitting your sacrifice? Is it getting hard? Is it feeling overwhelming? Is the temptation great? It's been a week. Some people couldn't last one hour. President Jeffrey R. Holland said in October General Conference: So, if sometimes the harder you try, the more difficult it seems to get; if, just as you try to work on your limitations and your shortcomings, you find someone or something determined to challenge your faith; if, as you labor devotedly, you...
[Latter-day Lent] Line upon Line - Week 2 Tuesday
There are a couple reasons why we can’t have meat before milk. This is the principle of line upon line. You can’t have all the answers at once because your mind can’t comprehend it. Neither can your stomach. The symbolism here is powerful. Milk is what we have as babies, when we are too weak and small to take care of ourselves. Meat is what we have to get by heavy physical exertion. And it’s not just more challenging to chew, but we have to work to get meat. Milk is given to all freely when...
[Latter-day Lent] Suffer in Silence | Week 2 Monday
Why does God want us to suffer in silence? In the sermon on the mount, Christ teaches about many things. This is the part of the bible where He gives the higher law. The law that tells us to turn the other cheek, give to others freely, and to suffer in silence. Suffer in silence? Where does it say that? He's talking specifically about fasting in verses 16-18 of Matthew 6: Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may...
[Latter-day Lent] - It Gets Easier Week 2: Sunday
When you make a commitment to sacrifice through deep spiritual meaning, it actually becomes easier to attach spiritual meaning to other things. There are a couple prerequisites to this. First, you must really attach the spiritual meaning. For example, let's say that you're sacrifice for Lent is running a mile every day. If you're not thinking about the deep spiritual reason every time something is telling you you can't do it, you probably are sacrificing deep enough. Let's say you run three...
[Latter-day Lent] Seeing the Through-LIne - Week 1 Saturday
It's easy to look back at your life and see why the struggles you had were useful. You can often see a straight line leading directly to where you currently are. But it is exceptionally hard to see that when you are in the thick of it. Why is my baby screaming at 2:37 am, and why can't I just go back to sleep? Why did I not get that job or promotion I was perfect for? Why did that person break up with me? What God has in store for you is according to His perfect plan. When we sacrifice for...
[Latter-day Lent] What Lack I Yet? Week 1 Friday
It is said that if you truly love someone you will sacrifice for them. Christ truly loved us and he sacrificed for us. What are you willing to sacrifice to show Him you love Him? Your sacrifice may seem small to someone else, but that doesn't matter. All that matters is how the Lord sees your sacrifice. The Lord may inspire you to do some great thing, or He may inspire you to make a very small change. He may inspire you to clean your room. He may inspire you stop using your phone while in...
[Latter-day Lent] Repent, and Live: First Week, Thursday
You are worth it! When you start sacrificing, you start making yourself more like Christ. You are worth the effort. The world will tell you that you should give up and just be complacent with your life. Christ will tell you that you should continue to strive to be like Him, for that is what He asks you to do. We are reminded that "Be ye therefore perfect" means "be ye therefore complete." Christ is present in your life and He Knows you personally. “Remember the worth of souls is great in the...
[Latter-day Lent] Official Start: Ash Wednesday
As you begin this process of fasting from something for 40 days, the goal is to grow closer to Christ. Attach this deep spiritual meaning to the thing you are sacrificing, and you'll be able to manage this process so much better. Today might be tough to give up something, but more likely than not, you're probably going to feel motivated and inspired to push for change and keep going, because this is a new thing and you're all fired up. In a week, you might not feel the same. So today, focus...
Week 1: Fat Tuesday!
Hi Reader,We don't typically condone intentional sinning, so we aren't going to celebrate Fat Tuesday in the way it is traditionally celebrated. Instead, let me give you some insight into what you can look forward to each day as part of this event. Our goal is to sacrifice intentionally for Christ. He doesn't need us to sacrifice for Him, but by sacrificing for Him, we become more like Him. And that's what we are all going for. Each day, you'll get an email, sent at 4 am Mountain time. It...
Sacrifice Brings Forth the Blessings of Heaven
Hi Reader,Daryl, struggling to lose weight, seemed unable to keep himself from eating goodies whenever he saw them. It was like they were magnetic. He couldn't keep them out of his mouth. One day, he cried unto the Lord, saying "Why can I not stop eating these gummy bears? I want to, but I feel so weak." The spirit came to him and told him he was loved no matter what, but continuing to eat gummy bears was not healthy or helping him. In fact, for him, the Lord whispered it was a sin, and he...
Helping Latter-day Saints learn about Lent through daily devotionals to help elevate their Easter celebrations in a higher and holier way.