2- 2/6/2023 Our Day Star is RIsing- New Testament

 2- Hello Family,

I hope you have had a great week! Mama and I are praying for each one of you. Elder Miller, keep up the great work, we are excited to hear all about your new companion and all about the work that is happening. We love you!

Mama, for Christmas, gave me a book written by Elder Holland entitled Our Day Star Rising. It is a book of commentary on the New Testament and I have been studying it in following along with the Come Follow Me Curriculum for this year. 

This week part of our study has been in Mathew Chapter 4. This Chapter details temptations the Savior underwent as Satan approached Him at the end of his forty days of fasting. 

There are so many lessons we can learn from this experience in the Savior’s life. No doubt we all feel the relentless knocking of Satan at our doors, sometimes on a daily basis. Here are a couple of thoughts as I studied this experience

The adversary knows us each very well. He knows our current circumstances, and struggles, and he “lies in wait to deceive” at every opportunity.

Elder Holland noted, “ Whatever else Satan may do, he will certainly appeal to our appetites. Far better to play on natural, acknowledged needs than struggle to plant in us artificial ones”. 

- The good news is when we are completely honest with ourselves, we know how, and often when, he will attack. Let us do our best to prepare ourselves.

 In my Patriarchal Blessing the Lord promises me that I will have the power to “evade” Satan’s snares. I have pondered that promise throughout my life, and am coming to better understand this promised power.  Like each one of us, we sometimes stumble, or are tripped up by the adversary and the worldly influences so prevalent around us. But special power is promised each of us as we honor our temple covenants. The promise is that we will be blessed with the power of godliness to withstand the whirlwinds of the evil we face. It will take hard spiritual work, and most certainly take thoughtful and careful planning, but we can evade, and escape Satan’s influence in our lives and in our homes.

Invitation - In a private place, write down your covenants you make in the temple (Avery, you can write down your baptismal covenant) - then consider how you are striving to  apply each of these covenants in your day to day living. Following the promptings of the Holy Ghost in learning and applying these covenants will bring us closer to the Savior, becoming more Christlike in the process. This is the power of godliness promised us in the temple! With this power we will win the battle with Satan, and the world.  It doesn’t mean we won’t stumble, Satan will definitely “bruise our heels” many times throughout our lives, but we can be confident in our testimonies of Jesus Christ and His promises. This will be the power that sees us through to the promised blessings that await us as a family as we cling to these (our) covenants.

I love you so so much! Mama and I see your strivings! Keep after it! We are so proud of each of you! You are doing amazing things! Have a great week,

Dad