031926, Thursday

Vitals: 

Weight: 228.6

BP and Pulse: 124/70, 69

Reported Sleep: 7:05

Yesterday's Steps: 2,742

Journal Entry

Come Follow Me 

Genesis 45: 24 So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way.

"After Joseph, youngest son of Jacob, had been reunited with his brothers, he asked them to return home to Canaan to bring his father, Jacob, to him in Egypt. As the brothers were preparing to depart, Joseph said to them simply, “See that ye fall not out by the way.” 

Might our Heavenly Father have given us much the same counsel as we departed his presence to begin our earthly sojourn?

May our yearning for home be the motivation we need to so live that we can return to our heavenly home with God our Father on a forever basis."

Elder Marvin J. Ashton, Apostle 

031826, Wednesday

Vitals: 

Weight: 228.8

BP and Pulse: 132/71, 71

Reported Sleep: 6:17

Yesterday's Steps: 4,242

Journal Entry

Come Follow Me 

Genesis 45: 7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

"While in college, our oldest son was hired into a very desirable part-time student job that had the potential to lead to a wonderful, permanent job after graduation...At the end of his senior year, almost as if orchestrated by heaven (at least to our son’s way of thinking), the permanent position did open up, and he was the leading candidate, with every indication and expectation that, indeed, he would get the job.

Well, he was not hired. None of us could understand it…He was devastated and crushed, and the entire episode left all of us scratching our heads. Why had God abandoned him in his righteous desire?

It wasn’t until several years later that the answer became very clear. Had he received the dream job after graduation, he would have missed a critical, life-changing opportunity that has now proved to be for his eternal benefit and blessing. God knew the end from the beginning (as He always does), and in this case the answer to many righteous prayers was no, in favor of a far superior outcome."

Elder Brooke P. Hales of The Seventy

031726, Tuesday

Vitals: 

Weight: 228.8

BP and Pulse: 135/82, 80

Reported Sleep: 3:24

Yesterday's Steps: 4,709

Journal Entry

Come Follow Me 

Genesis 45: 5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

"With our trust and faith in God, trials and afflictions can be consecrated for our good. Joseph, sold into slavery in Egypt, later saved his family and people. The Prophet Joseph Smith’s incarceration in Liberty Jail taught him “these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.” Lived with faith, trials and sacrifices we would never choose can bless us and others in ways never imagined."

Elder Gerrit W. Gong, Apostle 

031626, Monday, My dad's 110th birthday

Vitals: 

Weight: 230.1

BP and Pulse: 127/81, 80

Reported Sleep: 4:49

Yesterday's Steps: 3,006

Journal Entry

Come Follow Me 

Genesis 44: 33 Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.

34 For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.

"Judah and his brothers needed to take their youngest brother, Benjamin, to Egypt. Initially their father resisted. But Judah made a promise to Jacob—he would bring Benjamin home.

In Egypt, Judah’s promise was put to the test. Young Benjamin was wrongly accused of a crime. Judah, true to his promise, offered to be jailed in Benjamin’s place. “For,” he said, “how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me?” Judah was determined to keep his promise and return Benjamin safely. Do you ever feel about others the way Judah felt toward Benjamin?

Isn’t this how parents feel about their children? How missionaries feel about people they serve? How Primary and youth leaders feel about those they teach and love?

No matter who you are or your current circumstances, someone feels exactly this way about you. Someone wants to return to Heavenly Father with you."

Elder Michael T. Ringwood of The Seventy

031576, Sunday

 Vitals: 

Weight: 231.2

BP and Pulse: 133/75, 74

Reported Sleep: 6:29

Yesterday's Steps: 5,815

Journal Entry

Come Follow Me 

Genesis 41: 55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.

"Joseph, the son of Jacob and Rachel, was sold into slavery in Egypt. Because of treachery in the house of Potiphar, Joseph went to prison. Pharaoh had two troubling dreams. Hearing of Joseph’s discernment from the chief butler, he sent for him to interpret the dreams. Joseph told him through inspiration that seven years of plenty would be followed by seven years of famine. Pharaoh not only recognized this true interpretation but he trusted Joseph and appointed him to be second only to Pharaoh in power. The years passed and the famine came. In time Joseph rescued all of his brothers and his father from starvation. Because he earned the implicit trust of those who were over him, Joseph enjoyed a great amount of freedom. Like Joseph, you too can be trusted by others, but trust must be earned."

President James E. Faust, Apostle 

031426, Saturday

Vitals: 

Weight: 230.1

BP and Pulse: 128/83, 78

Reported Sleep: 7:11

Yesterday's Steps: 6,520

Journal Entry

Come Follow Me 

Genesis 41: 54 And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

"When considering the principle of preparedness, we can look back to Joseph in Egypt for inspiration. Knowing what would happen would not have been sufficient to carry them through the “lean” years without a degree of sacrifice during the years of abundance. Rather than consume all that Pharaoh’s subjects could produce, limits were established and followed, providing sufficient for their immediate, as well as their future, needs. It was not enough to know that challenging times would come. They had to act, and because of their effort, “there was bread.”

…Being temporally prepared and self-reliant means “believing that through the grace, or enabling power, of Jesus Christ and our own effort, we are able to obtain all the spiritual and temporal necessities of life we require for ourselves and our families.”

Bishop W. Christopher Waddell, First Counselor, Presiding Bishopric 

031326, Friday

Vitals: 

Weight: 229.7

BP and Pulse: 126/80, 71

Reported Sleep: 5:24

Yesterday's Steps: 3,732

Journal Entry

Come Follow Me 

Genesis 41: 38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?

"Joseph was able to interpret the Pharaoh’s dream. The Pharaoh, being so impressed, made Joseph one of his servants. Again the Lord was with Joseph. Soon Joseph rose to a position of being second to the Pharaoh in all the land of Egypt. There was something special that distinguished Joseph from all the other servants. Pharaoh remarked what made Joseph different from all of the others when he said, “Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?”

You will notice in each situation in which Joseph found himself that the Lord was with him. It was easy to recognize the special spirit in him because of the way he lived and heeded the voice of the Lord to direct him."

Elder L. Tom Perry, Apostle