Even when we are temple worthy, the accumulated daily weight of our weakness and shortcomings can become a burden to our souls, weighing us down with feelings of inadequacy and guilt. It is difficult sometimes to feel spiritually refreshed and pure, and acceptable before God. Most people do not seem to understand the nature of human diversity, and worse yet, many seem quiet unwilling to accept what science has to contribute to the subject. Many of the misconceptions are no doubt rooted in cultural history over the last few centuries, especially regarding how race is defined and categorized. Although many cultures have attempted to come to grips with these issues, for better or worse, the most influential of these perspectives developed in the Western Word (i.e., Europe and North America). The way many individuals still view themselves and their relationship to other peoples is a legacy of the last four centuries of racial interpretations. As early as 1350 B.C., the ancient Egyptians had classified humans on the basis of skin colour: red for Egyptian, yellow for people to the east, white for those to the north, and black for Africans south of the Sahara. In the sixteenth century, after discover of the New World, Europe embarked on a period of intense exploration and colonization in both the New and Old Worlds. One result was an increased awareness of human diversity. #RandolphHarris 1 of 9

There is a greater need for a divine oversight in our lives today than ever before. By the power of the Holy Ghost, we can know what to do and what not to do to bring happiness and peace to our lives. All people are enlightened by the Spirit of God, of Light of Christ—sometimes called conscience. There is also a spirit in humans, a spirit the Almighty gives us for inspiration and understanding. This power of God is the means by which every person is enlightened, the wicked as well as the good, the intelligent and the ignorant, the high and the low, each in accordance with his or her capacity to receive light. The gift of the Holy Ghost, however, indistinction from the Spirit of God, does not come to all men and women. The ministrations of the Holy Ghost are, however, limited without receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. There is a difference between the Holy Ghost and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Many outside the Church have received revelation from the Holy Ghost, convincing them of the truth of the gospel. It is through this power that seekers after truth acquire a testimony of the principles of the gospel. Faith and repentance, baptism and bestowal of the Holy Ghost constitute the heart of the gospel of Christ, being the essential requirements for entry into the celestial kingdom. “And I would not that ye think that I know of myself—not of the temporal but of the spiritual, not of the carnal mind but of God,” reports Alma 36.4. #RandolphHarris 2 of 9

Because of the plan of salvation, we can be perfected through the Atonement, receive a fulness of joy, and live forever in the presence of God. Our family relationships can last through the eternities. The gifts of the Holy Ghost are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and Fear of the Lord. Wisdom illumines the mind and instills an attraction to the divine. A wise and loving hearts is the perfection of the theological virtue of charity. Understanding helps one relate all truths to one’s supernatural purpose; it further illuminates one’s comprehension of the Sacred Scripture; this gives us a profound appreciation for God’s providence. Counsel functions as a sort of supernatural intuition, to enable a person to judge promptly and rightly, especially in difficult situation. The gift of counsel operates under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to illuminate the will of God. Fortitude is often identified with courage, but its meaning also encompasses endurance. It is a willingness to stand up for what is right in the sight of God, even if it means accepting rejection. The gift of fortitude allows people the firmness of humankind that is required both in doing good and in enduring evil. It is the perfection of the cardinal virtue of the same name. The gift of knowledge allows one, as far as is humanly possible, to see things from God’s perspective. It allows us to perceive the greatness of God and his love for his creatures through creation. Piety accords with reverence. A person with reverence recognizes one’s total reliance on God and comes before God with humility, trust, and love. #RandolphHarris 3 of 9

Piety is our recognition of belonging to God, our deep bond with him, even during the most difficult and troubled moments. It is that genuine religious spirit which makes us turn to the Farther as his children grow in our love for others, seeing them as our brothers and sisters.  Fear of the Lord is no servile fear, but rather a joyful awareness of God’s grandeur and a grateful realization that only in the Lord do out hearts find true peace. A person with wonder and awe knows that God is the perfection of all desires. This gift is a fear of separating oneself from God. Many of these treasures of the Holy Ghost are bestowed upon us after one repents and becomes worthy. Those possessing the gift of the Holy Ghost can come to a greater light and testimony. The Holy Ghost bears witness of the truth and impresses upon the soul the reality of God the Father so deeply that no Earthly power or authority can separate one from that knowledge. The word of God is the answer to the fractured soul and is the beginning of its sanctification process. The word of God is engrafted into the heart and when it takes root it produces change and healing. As we are healed and transformed we are able to see our life for what it was and we are able to relinquish long held, outdated belief systems and patterns of interacting with our World. “Thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed,” reports Enos 1.5. #RandolphHarris 4 of 9

God has new ways of doing things for us to discover and explore. It is imperative that we learn the ways of God from the Spirit of God. When we do, our vision improves; we make better choices because we have tapped into a much superior data source. The beauty of leaning on God is that the Lord knows all things including our future. Participation in the transformation process guarantees that our souls will be restored. However, when most people fall short of achieving a goal, many of us fall back to being self-critical. Then it is difficult not to let all of that negativity have a drain on our motivation. When we are faced with challenged, and hold a negative perception of ourselves, it is not surprising that we feel quickly defeated. Chronic stress can occur in response to everyday stressors that are ignored or poorly managed, as well as exposure to traumatic events. The consequences of chronic stress are serious, particularly as it contributes to anxiety and depression. People who suffer from depression and anxiety are at twice the risk for heart disease than people without these conditions. Additionally, research has shown that there is an association between both acute and chronic stress and a person’s abuse of addictive substances. More than 40 percent of all adults say they lie awake at night because of stress. Many people who experience prolonged stress are not making the lifestyle changes necessary to reduce stress and ultimately prevent health problems. #RandolphHarris 5 of 9

They key to managing stress is recognizing and changing the behaviours that cause it, but changing our behaviours can be a challenge. When circumstances in our lives demand more of us than we feel we can give, we can feel overwhelmed. For some of us, such feelings may arise because we have a house full of growing children, each requiring time and attention. Perhaps we have committed ourselves to too many activities and cannot do them all as well as we would like. Family members may be facing urgent deadlines that create pressures on us, or maybe health problems are causing us to be irritable, impatient, and tired. The list goes on and on. Some experts like to rank stressful activities by the amount of stress they produce. However, the truth is, it is more the way we react to events, rather than the events themselves, that causes stress. It is our ability to adjust to changes in our circumstances that determines the degree of stress we feel. It is for this reason that what is stressful for one person is not necessarily stressful for another. Surprisingly, a certain amount of stress can be good for us. People who have a hardy view of stress will look at a potentially difficult event as a challenge rather than as something to be feared. Even working on a project sixty hours a week can be challenging and exciting as long as we are committed to the undertaking. #RandolphHarris 6 of 9

How we cope with stress, therefore, is more important than what causes the stress. However, it does help to identify what those stressors are before we can deal with them. Some people may be trying to stress you out on purpose, but keep being mature. View them as children who are misguided and try not to focus on whatever it is they are doing to annoy you and turn to God in prayer. “Each one of us will give an account of oneself to God,” reports Romans 14.12. Even though life may not be the way we want it and we tried to prevent certain things from happening, it often helps to reflect on the blessings we do have so that we can see that we have succeed at something. And when we believe in ourselves and trust in God, failures will not seem so big. We have to focus on valuing who we are, not what we do. When we look to our accomplishments to validate that we are worthy, our sense of feeling about ourselves rides on those accomplishments. So, if we perform well, we will feel good about ourselves. If we perform poorly, we will feel less worthy. However, we are more than our accomplishment. Just as every infant is born into this World as a worthy human being, we are worthy of just being who we are. The true power is within us. We may know that the worth of souls is great in the sight of God, but modern conditions and social pressures have blinded many people from this profound knowledge. #RandolphHarris 7 of 9

An engineer will explain that stress is an essential part of any structure. The excess of stress in a structure is strain. When the stress points in a structure are strained, the structure becomes damages. Likewise, once the normal stress of life builds to a certain level, it no longer serves a productive purpose. Out lives become strained, and we face the potential of emotional and physical damage. The truth is, few achieve perfection in this life. For most of us, the best we can hope for is steady progression toward the goals our Heavenly Father has outlined for us. When in situations of stress we wonder if there is any more in us to give, we can be comforted to know that God, who knows our capacity perfectly, places us here to succeed. No one was foreordained to fail or be wicked. When we have been weighed and found wanting, let us remember that we were measured before and we were found equal to our task; and, therefore, let us continue, but with a more determined discipleship. When we feel overwhelmed, let us recall the assurance that God will not over program us; he will not press upon us more than we can bear. The Holy Ghost and the World Soul are thought to be one. The spirit of life is in all things. The creative quality of God becomes humanity, or love, which makes us the moral beings we are. The divine spirit allows us to embrace all things and Heaven and Earth as one body. #RandolphHarris 8 of 9

We should nurture our mind with great thoughts; to believe in the heroic makes heroes. Consciousness is a tremendously powerful force. When we concentrate on our thoughts and emotions, they become charged with energy and power. This is why thoughts and emotions get stronger the more attention we give them. The World we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking. Perfect is our ultimate hope, but in the meantime, we should be realistic and kind in our expectations of ourselves and others. Being realistic is a very important way to handle the strains life places on us. However, there are other ways as well. When we decide to use life to free ourselves, we become willing to pay any price for the freedom of our soul. Our center of consciousness is always stronger than the energy that is pulling on it. We just have to be wiling to exercise our will. There is a place deep inside of us were the consciousness touches our soul, and noting can take our consciousness from us. “And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a person should run faster than one has strength. And again, it is expedient that one should be diligent, that thereby one might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order,” report Mosiah 4.27. #RandolphHarris 9 of 9