Years ago, I had a profound experience. We had a Ward temple excursion, and I

had put aside “important” projects that I was working on and rushed to the temple. I remember feeling harried and agitated as I entered.   During the session I became more and more relaxed, and by the end, I felt engulfed in peace and joy.

As I left the temple, I marveled that I could go from one extreme to the other in such a short time. As I pondered this, I heard the words in my mind that said, “Anne, maintaining your peace is more important than any project you can do.” What a life-altering concept!  I thought I was doing some very worthy projects, but I was clearly taught that they weren’t nearly as important as my inner workings, and the wattage of spirit I was allowing to grow inside my soul.

Levels of Spirit

We have all experienced different levels of the spirit, which can vary from simple contentment, all the way to joy, bliss, and beyond. Where are you on that spectrum of light? Could you function at a higher level than you do? Could this be your year of spiritual increase?  

As you make your New Years Resolutions’ list consider that anything you want to accomplish this year will more likely come to be if you are fuelled by a high resonance of the spirit. In fact, the higher the level you maintain, the more you can accomplish things that truly matter, because you tie into real and usable power.

Spiritual Hastening

The Church is going through an extraordinary process called “The Hastening,” Elder L. Tom Perry said, “This is the most remarkable era in the history of the Church. This is something that ranks with the great events that have happened in past history, like the First Vision, like the gift of the Book of Mormon, like the Restoration of the gospel…” (“Concluding Remarks” [address given at the seminar for new mission presidents, June 26, 2013], 1, Church History Library, Salt Lake City).  We have responded as a Church to this challenge in amazing ways, but are we personally experiencing an “Inner Hastening?” Are we accelerating our spiritual awareness and level?   Are we consistently more in tune with the spirit now than we were last year? Last month? Last week?

“Bear” His Presence

We all know what it takes to elevate our spiritual resonance: scriptures, prayer, positive thinking, music, temple attendance etc., but these things only expand our spiritual “frequency” according to the duration of mindfulness we give them. “One purpose then behind the Lord’s continual admonition that we study scripture and that we pray always is to promote this process of opening the Spiritual Mind in order to increase one’s spiritual energy so as to be able to bear more and more of His presence. (M. Catherine Thomas, Light in the Wilderness, page 105.) The more of His presence that we can bear, the more easily we can accomplish things that we want, in addition to the marvelous and previously un-imagined things He gives us to do.  We can’t fathom what He has in store for us until we make the effort to “climb” to a new spiritual summit where remarkable blessings are embedded in its fabric, to be claimed only when we reach that level.

Instead of constantly pleading for the Lord to help us be more patient, kind, spiritual, or service oriented, etc., we can choose to FOCUS on raising our level of light. As we raise our spiritual resonance, all the God-like traits we desire will automatically become part of us as long as we can maintain that high level of the spirit.  When we are “one” with the Lord, we have the exalted honor of experiencing the mind of God.   “And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things.“ ((D&C 88:67) This privilege is promised to all. Are we willing to put forth the effort to receive it?

Angelic Help

When we are operating at this high spiritual wattage, we can EXPECT angelic help. “[Angels minister to} them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness. (Moroni 7:30) We begin to operate in the realm of miracles, and things just seem to get done or to unfold before us in miraculous ways. Joseph Smith declared the reason for this when he said, ..” if you live up to your privilege, the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates. … If you will be pure, nothing can hinder. “(Daughters in My Kingdom Chap. 10) In this “high” realm nothing is impossible.

THIS year!

What do you want to accomplish this year? Make the choice now to “open up” to receive all that this new era of Hastening has available for you. The level of light you choose to maintain is completely up to you! Live up to your privileges! Let it be THIS year!  

THIS is the year of “inner hastening!”

THIS is the year to forgive others and yourself!

THIS is the year to love more deeply!

THIS is the year to intensify your relationship with the Lord!

THIS is the year to overcome weakness!

THIS is the year to be fit and make your body a temple!

THIS is the year for increased angelic help!

THIS is the year to claim promised blessings!

This CAN be our BEST year ever.   Instead of focusing on the details of our new years resolutions, let us focus on maintaining peace, and joy. If THAT is our objective, everything else will fall into place.

THIS IS THE YEAR!   

 

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