Connections

One day  I heard about a sister in my ward whose husband was deployed for the first time leaving her home with her two  young sons.  The news came that her mother had died.  I just ached for her.  I wanted to scoop her up, and  let her cry, and  bear her burdens with her. But  I  didn't know her well

enough and  all though I would have had no problems doing this I felt like with her personality she would not feel comforted but more uncomfortable because we were not close at all. I did everything I could for her ... gave her a long hug at church, placed her name on the temple prayer roll, prayed for her night and day. My thoughts were always with her.   After asking God how I could best help her and bear her burden and make it light and mourn with her in a meaningful, way the way we covenanted to to when we are baptized. (see Mosiah 18: 8-9) He taught me about  connections.
 Here is a bit of background on connections. When you are doing Energy Work for someone you are connected.  In fact you can with permission of the other person assume that persons energy for a while to help you do you work and muscle test in their behalf.
Because I knew a little bit about energetic connections  God was able to teach me about  certain connections that we can pray for. Here are my notes from that night

Energy Work Connection

This is a connection established with God or Christ as the center link in the connection. I am connected to Christ and  then Christ is connected to the person I want to heal. All healing and questions are transmitted through the center link. I know this is not the way every one does it, but it is the way I prefer to do it.  I know that God and Christ know the answers I need even better than the patients subconscious  does so I  ask for God or Christ to be the connecting link when I work with others.
This connection should be severed or  broken when done.

The Comforting Connection
  This is different than your typical healing energy connection in that it is not a two way connection. When you pray and ask Heavenly Father to give you a comforting connection to a person, you are connected to them, but they are not connected to you.  This connection is  temporary and only sends your  comfort and love and allows you to mourn with those who mourn and  comfort them. The connection breaks at night  when the giver is  asleep and therefore must be prayed for every day that you want to send love and comfort. You can also send out  this connection to more than one person at a time. I will interject a little caution here though. This  does pull from your energy so if you try to connect to too many people you will feel drained. So be prayerful and follow the spirit when you make this  connection.
I made this connection with this sister every day for weeks.  Some days  I could feel the comfort and love just being sucked out  of me. Her  FaceBook posts at the end of those days were full of discouragement and sadness with a  little  note at the end that she could feel comfort from the Lord.

A  few  days  after being told about the comforting connection  I read farther in  the Emotion Code and read this.

 "On one occasion, I had been using the Emotion Code to help a woman who lived in Cleveland. Her sister had been a patient of mine for some time at my clinic in California, and would act as proxy for her sister on occasion.
I once made the mistake of not breaking the connection between the two of them at the end of a session. The next day my patient came back to the office and said, “Something is wrong. I feel like I’m turning into my sister. I’m feeling her emotions, I think. It’s weird. Could I still be connected to her?” I immediately realized my mistake, broke the connection, and she felt like herself again. When you are finished, thank the person who has acted as proxy. To break the connection, simply have the proxy state their own name and muscle test them until they test strong. "pg 311 

 This really got me thinking about taking on energy of others and emotions and attitudes of others. I noticed when I meditate I feel like Im connecting with God or some days my savior, and I feel full  of love and light, and I am a better person. But the feelings only seem to last during meditation and they fizzle  as the day goes on.
 I had pondered on the things I had read and the things I knew and meditated on it. I then had this great idea. I wanted to be connected to Christ. An Open connection that was not severed. I wanted to  feel what he would feel for others, I wanted to see others the way he would.  I prayed about this desire of my heart and got an answer called the Christ Consciousness.

Christ Consciousness
Pray and ask Father in Heaven to  connect your consciousness with Christs. Then leave this connection  open with the intention of becoming more Christ like.  I found that when I do this I am flooded with love for myself and others. I am more patient, and I can see other peoples point of view more clearly than I could before.  I also noticed when I would lose my temper, or be judgemental or think bad thoughts about others this connection would dissolve. I would have to repent and ask to be reconnected.  This connection also only lasts for the day and needs to be asked for daily and then reinstated if broken through out the day by sin.

I then asked Heavenly Father if there were more connections out there. The answer was yes and I learned about three more  that I would like to share.

The Testimony Connection
 I have a loved one who is no longer living the gospel.  He has distanced himself  pretty far from the church and its teachings.  Sometimes I want to  take him by the shoulders and shake him and say  with all the love in my heart for him "You KNOW the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, please come back." But  that is not going to be effective. Like Alma  the Elder(Alma 27:14) I spent years praying for  him to remember the testimony that once burned inside him and be brought to the knowledge of the truth.  I know that I am stirred inside by others when they bear powerful testimony when guided by the spirit.  I also know, when guided by the spirit, my testimony has changed others and strengthened their testimony as well.  This is what God told me to pray for. A Testimony  Connection.  You ask God to make this connection to a specific person. This sends  the person the light and energy of your testimony.  I like to think of it in my mind as me standing there sharing my testimony with him all day long :) Over time this helps them remember their own testimony , and can strengthen it.  Again this is a temporary connection and will be lost once the sender falls asleep and needs to be asked for every time you want to send it.

The LOVE Connection
This one was interesting here are my notes.  The Love connection communicates love for that person. Mothers have a love connection with their children that does not need to be established each day. It is permanent from conception. This  connection is a gift from God to all mothers.  Even though fathers do not have a permanent love connection to their children they do have a permanent ( as in it does not  need to be asked for each day) connection to the mother of their children.  Wifes must ask for a connection  to their husbands and Fathers must ask for a connection to their children.  A childs love for both parents is a permanent connection.  This is not to say that  fathers love their children any less than mothers do, or that wives love their husbands less than husbands  love their wives.

Scripture Connection
When you read the scriptures ask for this connection and  you can get specific with what you want. You can ask to read between the lines or see the intent of what was  written. Ask to connect to the prophet who wrote the record.   Ask that the words connect with  your spirit, mind, and memory. Ask to connect with the past or future and see with  spiritual eyes what is/was/will happen(ing) at the time the record is being written or what the record is about.

 There are many more connections out there that we can pray for and obtain. I would  love to hear of any that you know of.
  

Jesus Savior Pilot Me

Today I am frustrated!  There is so many  new things I want to learn and do but there is not time in the day  or $ to spend to learn it all. I feel like a cat chasing 300 mice!
It was super windy out but the sky  was clear and the sun was shining down with a  warm radiance that felt like it came  from heaven. I  knelt down on the ground outside and shivered from the wind and began to feel the warmth of the sun as I prayed.
As I prayed I was taken to  the middle of the ocean in a ship, my ship.  I was at the helm looking at a range of 360 degrees of direction I could steer.  Behind me was choppy sea and rocks and many things that I had just navigated through.  I stood on my deck and looked up to heaven and said "I dont want to drive my boat. I dont want to steer any more." In my heart I had the feeling of knowing that God could steer my ship much better than I ever could. I knew he could, and I knew I could ask Him to take the helm.  I let go of  the helm and stood back waiting for God to take over.

Then Christ came.
 He put his right hand on the helm and what he did next surprised me.  Without saying a word he put his left hand at the small of my back and directed me to stand in front of the helm. He  then took   my hands and placed them on the helm and placed his pierced hands over mine. I stood for a few minutes with Him behind me helping me gently  guide my ship. We sailed East towards dark clouds with lighting dancing all through them, but I felt at peace.
The vision faded  I was onceagain aware of being outside in the sunshine with tears on my face. Then the words of one of my favorite hymns flooded my memory.

Lyrics

1. Jesus, Savior, pilot me

Over life's tempestuous sea;

Unknown waves before me roll,

Hiding rock and treach'rous shoal.

Chart and compass came from thee;

Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

2. As a mother stills her child,

Thou canst hush the ocean wild;

Boist'rous waves obey thy will

When thou say'st to them, "Be still!"

Wondrous Sov'reign of the sea,

Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

3. When at last I near the shore,

And the fearful breakers roar

'Twixt me and the peaceful rest,

Then, while leaning on thy breast,

May I hear thee say to me,

"Fear not; I will pilot thee."

Text: Edward Hopper, 1818-1888

Music: John Edgar Gould, 1822-1875

Prayer- and how to get more out of it.

So Grandpa says "It's time for prayer! Everybody be  reverent!"
So what happens when this is said at your house?- Well on a good day what happens?  The men in the room remove their hats, everyone is  quiet,  the moms  rush to the side of their  noisy children to help keep them from ___ ( insert whatever you want here... any thing from eating the food before the blessing is said, to picking up  flatware and  using them as drumsticks, or talking loudly about how they have a dog that goes to the bathroom in the back yard.).  OK  but what else happens?

What is everyone doing?  Well on a good day in your house  they would be bowing their head,  folding their arms,  closing  their eyes,  and doing  whatever they need to do to keep their feet still. Right? Does that sound like your house on a good day?  That used to be my house too until I discovered a better way.
So did you happen to go to college and then get lucky enough to take communications class?  Well lets go back to  the communications basics and then we will expound from there.   What did you learn?  You learned about  enunciating, turn taking, showing attention and interest, leaving a conversation, and other basic manners.  Then they had you practice on each other Right? Well  in my class they did. The teacher put  us in groups and said  #2 you are the speaker here is your topic ... toothbrushes. #1,3,and 4 show great interest in whatever #2 has to say.  Then we would  review afterwards. #2  how did you know  they  were interested in your toothbrush information?  Then #2 said something like, They were looking at me,  they were facing me,  they took notes, they asked questions or  gave me nods or whatever to show they were understanding me. Good! the teacher would say.  Now lets do it again #3 you talk about your favorite book or movie.  #1,2,4  you pretend you don't care one bit about  anything she has to say.  Okay #3 how did it go?  What did they do that made you feel like you just didn't want to talk to them any more?  Well  they didn't look at me, they started talking about other things, they crossed their arms and legs and ducked their head.  Right!  So then you have this big discussion about  open communication and closed communication body language.
 We reviewed that  open body language means opening the heart center or the area of the chest.   Back is straight so not slouchy,  hands are open, the face is not down. Check! We got it. Then we reviewed closed body language. And that is folded or crossed arms,  slouchy back, tucked chin, crossed legs.
Now you know where Im going with this.  Look at the poor boy in the picture above. Now most of us would say  look at how relevant that is. But if you look at the nonverbal communication ... he is totally closed off.  You know we as LDS members are the only people I know  who pray like this.  Why?  It started way back in primary somewhere as a way  to get kids to be still.  Being still is great and I recommend it, but being reverent does not mean  hugging yourself into a little ball.  Being reverent means showing respect. We do this by being  open and still and good listeners as a prayer is said.
Are you feeling closed off when you pray to God? Do you feel like you have open communication with him? Do you feel like you are hearing anything He has to say to you? Maybe you are closing yourself off from the communication you could be getting if you were more open when you pray.
Take a look at this and see what you think.

Now praying with  your hands at prayer pose with your shoulders back and your spine straight might feel uncomfortable at first.  You can also sit in receptive pose. Its like sitting criss- cross- applesauce (Indian style) but then uncross your legs so the ankles lay side by side instead of  on top of each other. Sit with a straight back, and then cup your hands lay the back of your hands on your knees.
Try this one simple change in how you pray and see how it makes a difference for you.  If you want open communication with God then get in an open position to talk to Him and to listen to Him.

Read more about Bowing Here
Read about becoming a living prayer  or praying always  below

Become a Living Prayer for the Aquarian Age By Catalyst Yogi

"The head is a computer. The heart has the power of 108 suns. The Heart Center is the strongest of all centers. Whenever you pray with the head, it will take so long—you have to go through the intellect, thought, circumstance, environment, space and time. Whenever you sing or pray from the heart, it will be timeless, spaceless and absolutely effective." –Yogi Bhajan
In these tumultuous times on planet Earth, there are many who are suffering and in some kind of distress and it can seem as though we are moving far from peace. You too may be feeling a general sense of unease, or know others that are going through extremely challenging times.
As a teacher and leader of the Aquarian Age, the most effective tool you have to bring peace to our planet is your power of prayer. Prayer is not begging or pleading or even asking for help. This is the ego's version of prayer, “Get me out of this problem and I promise I will go to church every Sunday.” The ego sees prayer as pleading with God as a savior that you need to negotiate with in order to get yourself out of trouble.
Prayer is your divine gift to be used to help your fellow brothers and sisters. When we pray only from our mind, it lacks ‘oomph’ because it takes a long time to penetrate through the Maya. Bring in the frequency of the heart and look out – your prayer has just received a rocket booster.
Prayer is a frequency of energy that is created when the heart and mind are one. In prayer, the frequency of the heart and the thoughts from the mind are in perfect harmony. This alignment of energy calls on the power of Grace that does not obey the laws of time and space.
Prayer brings you to a state of Shunyia. It zeroes the ego so that your mind, body, heart and soul are consolidated as one. That is why we bring our hands into prayer pose when we pray. Palms come together and this connects the left and right brain hemispheres and connects our masculine and feminine energies. This mudra sits at the heart center at a 45 degree angle which links the heart energy to the Infinite as well as brings our infinite and finite selves together.
The next time you pray, zero yourself in this way by becoming an empty receptive vessel. Feel the frequency of your heart and simply allow the words to surface without mental force to your lips. Then send your prayer out as a ray of love into the infinite.
Have a prayer on your lips as you move through the world. I remember being on a bus once and people were loudly talking on their cell phones, arguing, and the general energy was ungrounded and negative. Instead of listening to the mental complaining of my ego and feeling powerless to the situation, I chose something different.
I closed my eyes and went deep within and brought each person on the bus into my heart. Then, it seemed as though my soul started to spontaneously pray that each person be at peace. As I came closer to my stop, I opened my eyes and it felt like a buddha bus—people were quiet, grounded and smiling.
Don't underestimate your power of prayer. Your prayers create miracles in a hopeless world. Your prayers are a vibration of love that clears the path of obstacles for others. Your prayers bring you to the YOU inside you—a living prayer for the Aquarian Age.

Intentions

Lets define it first shall we. Websters Dictionary  tells us that the root word for Intention is Intent and that is defined as : the thing that you plan to do or achieve : an aim or purpose.
Many of us have set Goals before -New Years Resolutions- though most of us are not  very resolute in those resolutions.   When we think of Goals we think   of something you are trying to do or achieve
Or we might  think of  a motion that needs to happen or a space. Sports illustrate that well. Think of  an area or object into which a ball or object  must be thrown, hit, kicked, etc.,  into in order to score points.   To me Goals are focused they are contained. I think of  a Soccer Goal its a designated boundary or space, it is  resolute it doesn't move, and it is the same for  every game. There are specific steps that are required to achieve that "goal"  in sports those are called "the basics" or fundamentals. So lets think beyond goals for a minute and discuss  the difference between goals and intentions.  Intentions unlike most goals are broad, all encompassing, and can be achieved in any number of ways with many different  outcomes.  Intentions are more relatable to art or music than sports.
 A piece of  art or a piece of music  can have  the intention of making people happy or sad or think or or, or, or, or, or...  there are  millions of trillions of possibilities on what  the creator WANTS to happen when you look at, hear, or experience their  art.   They can  use any combination of notes, instruments, voices or any combination of paint, clay, or pen  to create their art.  Yet  they can  produce the same intention using different modalities.  Think broad, or expensive, but effective.

Why we need an intention when we meditate?
Because you get what you project.  This works for goals too... in sports they say "visualize the ball going in the net".   Intention adds power to your meditation. You have added reason, motivation, and incentive to your meditation. Well that is all well and good but WHY? Why should I do this? So I will answer that  question with a new one. Have you ever heard of the butterfly effect?  Edward Lorenz who was a mathematician and meteorologist  is accredited with the theory of the butterfly effect.  So in his theory a butterfly flapping his wings in ( pick any place ) lets say  Beijing  changes the weather in Kansas.  Or as Wikipedia puts it

in chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependency on initial conditions in which a small change at one place in a deterministic nonlinear system can result in large differences in a later state

So the small act of setting an intention can manifest great differences in the future, In many different parts of your life.  So set a broad intention something Macro. Here are a few examples:

•  I want to have and exercise more faith
•  I want  to recognize and live  up to my divine potential (A side note:  I did that one for my very first intention- wow- it was wonderful !!!)
•  I want to see the world/people with my spiritual eyes or how God sees
•  I want to act with more charity...

These are all broad statements that can be realized any number of ways and can be manifested in all parts  of your life.

When Should I Set my Intentions?

I love how sprouting seeds look like a brain.

The new moon is a great time to plant seeds. The  pull of the moon (you know the  pull that causes the  tide change in the ocean)  pulls the  moisture  from the earth  to the surface of the soil making the ground more moist, thus making it a great time to plant seeds because there is more moisture.  Or the conditions are more favorable for seeds to sprout when the moons energy is influencing the water in this way.  Ideas are the seeds of  the mind and  fully formed intentions are  good seeds  to plant.  A good time to plant your mind seeds is the  new moon it happens  once a month so its a good reminder and it comes often  enough for you to check up on  your intention and  see how it has manifested itself or see if you  need to tweak it or not.  The  new moon  is the beginning of the moon cycle so think of  birth  or rebirth of new ideas and a  new and better you.

How often should I Change it?
 Its good to keep an intention for at least 40 days. Give it time to stick its OK to tweak  it a bit but keep the basic concept the same long enough to feel its influence strongly.  A great way to do this is pray. Ask God to help you  find something to focus on. God has Great Intentions for you and they are all over the scriptures. Ask God to help you find one that would be best and then stick with  it until  you feel prompted to change.  This could be a  long time so review it now and again.

How often to I need to  review my intention?
Just set your intention and  then think about it when you think about it.  That is the power of the subconscious you don't have to think about it every min of the meditation you can set it at the start and then  not think of it for weeks but it will still influence your  meditation and out comes of it. But  a honest review of it on the  new moon,  or full moon, or every 3rd Tuesday, or whatever works for you would be good too.  The point being you don't need to have it at the front of your brain for every meditation and during every moment of the day.  Writing it down in a journal and  writing down ways you have seen it come to pass is  a great way to review.

Can I set MORE than ONE intention?
Yes! Its good to have an Overall intention - lets say that its to recognize and use the atonement more  in my life. But  a few weeks  into  meditating with this intention and I have a family member who  is sick. I can  set a underlying intention  of  sending  light, love, and healing to  this family member as I  meditate.  Both intentions are in effect but  I will drop  my intention on  helping  Jethro or Skippy or whomever  once he is better. Oh, and don't over do it. You Can set Too many intentions. Keep them Small and few.

Caution
OK now that you have done all that I will caution you against setting intentions and then planing  out results or how  this intention will come about or be displayed. If you place limitations  or  plan a road map for your intentions than  that is most likely what will happen and you will miss out on  filling your life with  blessings of this intention in every angle of your life.  Think of it this way. Say your intention is to fill your life to the brim with good things.  So lets make your life a cup a great big tall

cup. After setting this intention you decide the best way to fill your  life or cup  up is with  a steady stream of  scripture study.  So you turn on the tap and  read your heart out and study until you are  full to the brim with the good things of the gospel  that are contained in the scriptures. There!  Intention was met! Hurrah,  my cup is full and all is good!!!  -True- your cup is full- True you are full of good things- True you met your  intention.
Now lets do this differently. Lets take the same intention Of filling your life with good things and the same cup and lets  let God fill it.  He takes your cup/life and rolls you  down to  Antarctica.  What!?  That wasn't part of the plan-  its OKAY because we have no plans, we let God fill our intentions. Then  he takes our cup and plunges it into the ice cold waters. These waters are pure and filled with more than just scripture study.  They are complete  they have service opportunities, temple work, self love, repentance, faith, love, charity, new ways to understand the magnitude and importance of the atonement, and much MUCH more.  These pure,cold, clear waters don't just stream in  the bottom of my cup, like it does from the tap, They flow over the rim of every side of our cup, they run down the edge of the glass and come crashing at the bottom of the cup they continue to mix and connect as they rise in our cup , enveloping and filling the cup with  goodness, clean pure goodness from every angle of our lives.  When we are done we are full just like we were when we filled our cup up to  the brim with the tap, but  we are filled more completely.  Every aspect of our life that could be touched and reached is influenced.  So don't map out your intentions let God "fulfill" your intentions and make note when he does.

MORE FUN READING
The Intention Experiment 
5 Steps to Setting Powerful Intentions
Set the Tone for Your Meditations with an Intention

Be Still, and Know That I Am God

Here Elder Ballard  talks about  Being Still

Here are a few quotes that I thought applied here

As an Apostle, I now ask you a question: Do you have any personal quiet time?
I have wondered if those who lived in the past had more opportunity than we do now to see, feel, and experience the presence of the Spirit in their lives.
Seemingly, as our world gets brighter, louder, and busier, we have a greater challenge feeling the Spirit in our lives. If your life is void of quiet time, would you begin tonight to seek for some?

Everyone needs time to meditate and contemplate. Even the Savior of the world, during His mortal ministry, found time to do so: “And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.”2
We all need time to ask ourselves questions or to have a regular personal interview with ourselves. We are often so busy and the world is so loud that it is difficult to hear the heavenly words “be still, and know that I am God.”3
In addition to finding time to contemplate and meditate, we also need to find a place, as mentioned in the Doctrine and Covenants, that will be “a defense, and … a refuge from the storm.”6
We need a special place of refuge where we can wean ourselves from the distractions of our electronic devices by unplugging them so we can connect to the Spirit of God.

 I know that my life has changed greatly by being still. I can hear the Holy Ghost because I am  more in tune and  quiet enough to listen to the small voice.   My spirit  comes to the surface and I view my world more through the eyes of my spirit and  with an eternal lense.  Even the  most busy day feels calm and  quiet because of setting my day up right by starting my day  quiet with prayer, meditation,  and  scripture study.  The being still and meditating has amplified my prayers and my scripture study  it magnifies  their power in my life.  Now I never want to be with out it. 

Words and Thought are Energy

So we did this for one of our  Family Home Evenings. 

   

So here are our Jars  The Happy Jar, the  Sad  or Hate jar, and The Good words bad tone of voice. 

Here is what they look like  almost a month later

The happy jar  still has  big rice particles its hardly broken down at all  the water is clear and it has a sweet smell to it. 

Here is the  Yell or use a angry tone with happy words jar. The  water is more  yellowed and the rice is not as complete  some of it is very mushy and it smells a bit. 

Here is our Hate or sad jar.  CAN I JUST SAY IT SMELLS LIKE  PUKE!!!  Very yucky smell comes from the jar.  It started to  ooze and turn brown and black  there are no rice fragments it is all mushy from top to bottom.  AND did I mention that it stinks?!  My girls started feeling sorry for it and started saying I love you to  the jar at about week two so that kind of  messed up the experiment but it was exactly what I wanted them to learn. To say  nice positive things to fix "sad jars" and to not say mean things or you will hurt other people.  When  mean words or tones are flying through the house  its now common to hear  One child say to the other "Remember the three jars!" 

Mosiah 4: 30

 30 But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not. 

3 Nephi 12:22 or Matthew 5:22

22 But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of his judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Here are some other Great Videos to Check out on the water study and just sound and thoughts in general and how they affect us. 

How Thoughts Affect Our Reality LINK to youtube

There are SOOO many of these  but not all of them have  clean language (you would  think after doing the experiment they would clean up their mouths but no such luck.) This one is clean.  You can look at others if you like. Just search  rice experiment and see what you get. 

And if you STILL want more on how to apply this to the Gospel check out  my teacher's post  HERE

 

The Word of Wisdom

The Lord has told us through the Prophet Joseph Smith:
“If a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life, through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.” [D&C 130:19.]
No man who breaks the Word of Wisdom can gain the same amount of knowledge and

intelligence in this world as the man who obeys that law. I don’t care who he is or where he comes from, his mind will not be as clear, and he cannot advance as far and as rapidly and retain his power as much as he would if he obeyed the Word of Wisdom. (TEACHINGS: HEBER J. GRANTCHAPTER 21: OBSERVING THE WORD OF WISDOm)

A law of health revealed by the Lord for the physical and spiritual benefit of the Saints (D&C 89). It has become commonly referred to as the Word of Wisdom. The Lord has always taught his followers principles of health. The Lord revealed to Joseph Smith which types of foods to eat and which to avoid, along with a promise of temporal and spiritual blessings for obeying the Word of Wisdom.
Do not drink wine nor strong drink:Lev. 10:9;
Wine is a mocker, and strong drink is raging:Prov. 20:1;
Strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it:Isa. 24:9;
Daniel would not defile himself with the king’s meat and wine:Dan. 1:8;
If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy:1 Cor. 3:16–17;
Drunkards shall not inherit the kingdom of God:1 Cor. 6:10; ( Gal. 5:21; )
Whoso forbiddeth that man should not eat meats is not ordained of God:D&C 49:18–21;
All things which come of the earth are to be used with judgment, not to excess:D&C 59:20;
The Lord counseled the Saints to not use wine, strong drinks, tobacco, and hot drinks:D&C 89:1–9;
Herbs, fruits, flesh, and grain are ordained for the use of man and of animals:D&C 89:10–17;
Obedience to the Word of Wisdom brings temporal and spiritual blessings:D&C 89:18–21;



President Boyd K. Packer, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, taught:

“Your body is the instrument of your mind. In your emotions, the spirit and the body come closest to being one. What you learn spiritually depends, to a degree, on how you treat your body. That is why the Word of Wisdom is so important.

“The habit-forming substances prohibited by that revelation—tea, coffee, liquor, tobacco—interfere with the delicate feelings of spiritual communication, just as other addictive drugs will do.


“Do not ignore the Word of Wisdom, for that may cost you the ‘great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures’ [D&C 89:19] promised to those who keep it. And good health is an added blessing” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1994, 78; or Ensign,Nov. 1994, 61).

"A strong human spirit with control over appetites of the flesh is master over emotions and passions and not a slave to them. That kind of freedom is as vital to the spirit as oxygen is to the body! Freedom from self-slavery is true liberation!"

—Russell M. Nelson, "Decisions for Eternity"

Showing Respect

This post has been a work in progress for a while.  One day when doing some Energy Work I  started to make notes. I found that my prayers and pleading to God for help in removing negative energy and trapped emotions were becoming  repetitive in word. I started  to make some notes and was guided to write down some names and titles of God and Jesus Christ to use as I prayed.  I then was blessed with some inspiration.

 God wants us to call him by his godly names when we pray to him and ask him for his help.  God is our Father and  out of all his titles I know  he is most pleased with this title.  But God is the God of everything in this universe.  We need to  hear and use Gods titles for our benefit not for His. God doesn't need us to pray to him. He knows the thoughts and intents of our Hearts.  (Alma 18 : 30-32) And he knows what we need before we  even ask. (Matt 6:8) Prayer is for us. Lets say that again, Prayer is a blessing  for US. We need prayer to bring us closer to God. The names and titles of God are there for  us as well. When we call on God and use His  titles we  remind ourselves of His Everlasting power and knowledge over that area of our lives. Here is a  quote from Elder Oaks during conference that explains it  well.

... communications to our most senior government leaders should be addressed in a particular way, such as Mr. President, Your Excellency, or Your Majesty. The use of titles signifies respect for office and authority.

The words we use in speaking to someone can identify the nature of our relationship to that person. They can also remind speaker and listener of the responsibilities they owe one another in that relationship. The form of address can also serve as a mark of respect or affection.

So it is with the language of prayer. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches its members to use special language in addressing prayers to our Father in Heaven.

When we go to worship in a temple or a church, we put aside our working clothes and dress ourselves in something better. This change of clothing is a mark of respect. Similarly, when we address our Heavenly Father, we should put aside our working words and clothe our prayers in special language of reverence and respect. Dallin H. Oaks APRIL 1993 The Language of Prayer

Therefore, when I approached God my Father, I was to appeal to him as the God over my specific concern. God has many titles and is the God over all.  As LDS we tend to only refer to him as  our Father in Heaven, our Heavenly Father, or God when we pray.

Yet in our  scriptures and hymns (which  ARE prayers to God - See  D & C 25:12) we praise God with many of His wonderful titles. Here are just a few I picked from the back of the hymn book: God of our Fathers, Wonderful, God of Power, My Guide, My Stay, Lord of Hosts, My Light, Great, God on High, Eternal Father, King of Glory, Master of Earth and Sky, Lord of Harvest,  Divine Healer,  Counselor, Everlasting Father, A Mighty Fortress, and Great King of Heaven.
 There are so many divine titles that God is entitled to, and that we should be using when we pray and praise Him.  It does us good to remember that God is the King of all glory, light, knowledge, and creation. We can address him  by theses titles as long as we are specifically praying to the one true God, The Father of our spirits. Prayer is sincere, heartfelt communication with our Heavenly Father. We should pray to God and to no one else. We do not pray to any other being or to anything made by man or God (see Exodus 20:3–5).  But just because we are to pray to God does not mean we can not use his divine titles as we pray. When we are praying for health and strength it is good to  refer to God as the Master Healer, or Creator of our bodies, and  Our Strength.  I found this quote  helpful:

According to man’s judgment there may be but little importance attached to names; but in the nomenclature of the Gods every name is a title of power or station. God is righteously zealous of the sanctity of His own name and of names given by His appointment. JESUS THE CHRIST James E. Talmage CHAPTER 4: THE ANTEMORTAL GODSHIP OF CHRIST

 So before you pray think about what you are asking God to help you with. Is it healing, knowledge, peace,or prosperity? Find a good office and remember that God is  the God of the Universe and is worthy of every title save those that apply to  the atonement (Those titles are reserved for Jesus Christ).  God is the Father of My Spirit, God is  the God of the Universe, God  of Creation, God of Health, God of  Wisdom and Knowledge,  He is the God of Peace and Serenity, He is the God of  Plenty and Blessings.   So praise and show  honor and respect to God as you pray, and recognize God and his power and His absolute authority in  all areas of your life.

The Language of Prayer- Elder Oaks  LINK 

 HERE is  A meditation calling on  the many aspects of God  It is: Gobinday Mukunday Udaaray Apaaray Hariang Kariang Nirnamay Akamay It is usually translated as: Sustainer, Liberator, Enlgihtener, Infinite, Destroyer, Creator, Nameless, Pure Light . Listen to  a version of it here.

Chakras

First of all what are they?  A Chakra is an energy center in the  body and there are 8 main ones.  Chakras are not only energy centers but they are in constant movement they  are swirling vortexes of energy. The word Chakra comes from the Sanskrit word meaning wheels.  How open or closed these  energy centers are  effects your  Kundalini energy- or what we like to call our Divine Potential.  Lets back up some.  And take a min to  review the chart.  Start at  #1 and read a bit about each  energy center.

There are 8 major energy centers in the body and each energy center is responsible for certain types of energy and is associated with certain  feelings. Yes the  diagram only shows 7 the 8 th is your aura and your aura is affected by all the chakras and how they are interacting with each other.  Your aura which combines the effects of the other seven chakras can often be seen by others and is another post on its own- some day I might get around to writing one.  The chakras  and their swirling motion  tie the spiritual body, and physical body, and ethereal bodies together. They transfer spiritual information back and forth to and from your physical body and are centers where energy flows.  Remember that  swirling vortexes are powerful forms of energy. Think of  Hurricanes, tornadoes,and maelstroms for a visual reference. Just like these environmental vortexes, energy is constantly being pulled in and emitted out in  a circular motion internally through each chakra.  

The  first three chakras  deal with the basic needs of life and the physical needs of the body.  In the LDS world we would call this living as the natural man focusing only on  physical things that bring  pleasure, power, and posterity. In KY (Kundalini Yoga)  we call this  the lower triangle.  Lets talk about the upper triangle now. The chakras in the upper triangle  are 5, 6, 7  they accumulate, create, and refine the energy, and deal with more spiritual things.  Someone who lives in the upper triangle (think of  a wise man  who spends his days meditating in a cave, or people who devote ALL their time and energy to spiritual things) we consider them to be very enlightened and intuitive but they live in this triangle so they lack balance.
On to  the 4th chakra  or the heart center. The Heart Center  is the balancing point in the body between the flow of the upper energies of the Spiritual things or the Heavens and the lower energies that stem from the natural man or the energies of the Earth. A balancing of the energy in all the chakras  will meet here at the heart. 

When  man partook of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil there was more than just a physical detachment from God. Man's consciousness  fell as well.  In stead of being like god and balanced and spiritually minded  we fell to the lower triangle making us natural men and carnal minded. Lets read Mosiah  16 :3-5   

3 For they are carnal and devilish, and the devil has power over them; yea, even that old serpent that did beguile our first parents, which was the cause of their fall; which was the cause of all mankind becoming carnal, sensual, devilish, knowing evil from good, subjecting themselves to the devil.

 4 Thus all mankind were lost; and behold, they would have been endlessly lost were it not that God redeemed his people from their lost and fallen state.

 5 But remember that he that persists in his own carnal nature, and goes on in the ways of sin and rebellion against God, remaineth in his fallen state and the devil hath all power over him. Therefore he is as though there was no redemption made, being an enemy to God; and also is the devil an enemy to God.

So this isnt a good thing. We need to rise up and over come the natural man. Mosiah 3:19  

Knowing that energy attracts like energy its important to raise your vibration- raise your  kunidalini energy up the Chakras or Raise your divine potential  by putting off the natural man.  Here is a good  quote that  says  it better than I could. 

This relationship between behavior and your dominant chakra is key because energy acts like a magnet. We constantly attract vibrations to ourselves that are on the same wavelength as the chakras from which we are operating. Kundalini Yoga allows the kundalini energy to rise, balancing and coordinating all of the chakras.
Kundalini Yoga does not force the kundalini to rise; it prepares the body to allow it to rise so that you can experience your higher consciousness. When this balance of the chakras occurs, you become empowered; you are able to be a compassionate, conscious, and capable human being.
Yogi Bhajan taught about the functions and attributes of the eight major chakras so that we could understand and transform ourselves via the practice of Kundalini Yoga.
[From Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of Eternal Power by Shakti Parwha Kaur and The KRI Aquarian Teacher Training Level 1 Manual]

So when we tap in to our divine potential and divine energy we become  more Christ like. Pay attention to the word Energy its all over in the Scriptures if you are looking for it. "All energy of heart."  it is interesting  to me that when the word is used  it often corresponds to  the correct chakra. energy of heart- love and concern for children and others.  Or this one  " I did speak unto my people,and did urge them with great energy" here he is using the energy of his throat speaking words to convince others to  fight for freedom.
It should be our  goal to find a Good balance and to live in the heart chakra. We can come up  for spiritual highs but we cant live there or we wont be able to live this life as it was meant to be lived.  We can  spend time doing Earthly things- hey its part of life- but we cant live there or we will miss the spiritual experiences we are are meant to have in this life. So to live life to its fullest we  must seek a balance we must raise up from the natural man and shake yourself from the dust of the earth and become a saint - full of LOVE.   Heb 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled (GR purified) from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.  Or in other words let us  be pure in heart  cleaned from evil minds and have a clean body free from the dust of the earth.

For more reading  check these helpful sites out
Chakras
The Eight Major Chakras
Yogi Bhajan Lecture: Living in Love
The Chakras and the Two Trees in The Garden of Eden
Chakra Center

Cleaning Mind and Cleaning your Blood

D&C 88:73-75
73 Behold, I will hasten my work in its time.
 74 And I give unto you, who are the first laborers in this last kingdom, a commandment that you assemble yourselves together, and organize yourselves, and prepare yourselves, and sanctify yourselves; yea, purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands and your feet before me, that I may make you clean;
 75 That I may testify unto your Father, and your God, and my God, that you are clean from the blood of this wicked generation; that I may fulfil this promise, this great and last promise, which I have made unto you, when I will.
Lets read more about what the  Guide to the Scriptures say about blood before we move on to new things shall we.

Blood-

Regarded by the ancient Israelites and many cultures today as the seat of life or vital energy of all flesh.      The Guide to the Scriptures

 There is that word again ENERGY. Keep it in mind as you keep reading. There is a  Venezuelan Proverb that states: Blood is inherited and virtue is acquired. I think there is a lot of truth to that. Im not just talking about your DNA part of your blood but ALL things you have inherited from your ancestors so their ENERGY.  Lets read  Truman G. Madsen's talk on this.

"And, therefore, as you look back at your seventy or so forebears... you might recognize that you have inherited the blood of many generations. And blood may not be a correct word scientifically, but in the scriptures it stands for seed, which means heredity, the inheritance of tendencies, and all of us have them. You have the blood of this generation, from which we must become clean - 'clean from the blood of this generation' (D&C 88:85). If you do, you will be clean from the blood of every generation, because it is compounded and accumulated into now- and that includes the blood of some degeneration.So perhaps you do have problems that you can blame on your ancestors, and if you forgive that and choose to stand close to the Lord in the process of purifying your life, that will affect your whole family in both directions. You are not alone. There is no way you can gain solitary and neutral ground. You are in it - you are involved. And this, I believe, is one of the profound meanings of the tame and wild olive trees. If you take a wild branch and graft it in to a tame one, if the branch is strong enough it will eventually corrupt and spoil the tree all the way to the roots. But if you take a tame branch and graft it in to a wild tree, in due time, if that branch is strong enough, it will heal and regenerate to the very roots. You will have then been an instrument in the sanctification even of your forebears.
...To be that kind of branch and achieve that kind of transformation backward and forward is perhaps the greatest achievement of this world. But to do it one must be great, one must be linked, bound to the Lord Jesus Christ. One must be mighty. One must be something of a savior. And that is exactly what the Prophet Joseph Smith said we are: 'saviors on Mount Zion.' (Truman G. Madsen, "The Temple: Where Heaven Meets Earth," p 84)

So all that is so cool but  what do we do about it HOW do we do the 'dirty work' and clean out our blood?
Meditation and Energy work my friends are the answer.  If you haven't taken a min to watch this video about  your blood then take a look and this will start to make more sense.

 So meditation  cleans the mind  from subconscious garbage. By so doing we are also  cleaning  our  blood from negative energy and helps raise our vibration to be closer to God. Also remember every thing is Energy. That means our blood and the "Stuff" in it. We can also clear and clean our bodies from negative energy by using the Emotion Code and other techniques similar to it.  This is done by connecting  to God and asking him to help you find impurities or negative  energy in your body.  Once these  trapped  emotions/the negative  Energy is  located we can ask God to help  us remove it. For more on that read Dr Nelsons book The Emotion Code. You can read it on line here.  He specifically talks about many times we have inherited negative  emotions from our ancestors. These  negative emotions taint our blood and  we are not clean. We can remove these negative energies only by and through the atonement.  With out the atonement we could not be free.