On the 18th day of Christmas

December 18th
Today's Goal: Be a calming influence today and try extra hard to control your temper.
Reading: Matthew 8:23-26

 23 ¶And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.

 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.

 25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

Song: Master the tempest is raging, hymn105

Source: etsy.com via Christy on Pinterest

The following is from the New Era October 1990

So, how do you control your temper?

1. Simply chill out. Whatever it is, ignore it. It isn’t worth it. There’s an exercise you can do that is great for your spirit. It’s called a shrug.
2. Prepare in advance. Decide before you get up in the morning or before you get behind the steering wheel of a car that you are not going to react badly. Visualize the situations that usually set you off and see yourself acting calmly.
   
3. Look at yourself. You’re mortal and probably do some dumb, irritating things yourself. Give others the same slack you expect.
   
4. Develop your sense of humor. Learn to dismiss other people’s silly mistakes as just that—silly mistakes. In fact, even when people appear to be deliberately rude or thoughtless, humor can be an excellent defense.
   
5. Above all, seek the peace and love that come from the Spirit. Fast. Forgive. An attitude of forgiveness helps keep us from being easily offended. Pray daily and have a constant prayer in your heart. Read the scriptures and do everything you have been taught in order to have the Spirit.
   

We can learn more about controlling our temper from this talk by Douglas E. Brinley, in the Liahona in 2008

I like this scripture: psalms 145:8
8 The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

President Spencer W. Kimball quoted an unknown author as follows:

“The height of a man’s success is gauged by his self-mastery; the depth of his failure by his self-abandonment. … He who cannot establish a dominion over himself will have no dominion over others. He who masters himself shall be king” (The Miracle of Forgiveness [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1969], p. 176).

Does anyone have any good stories about controlling their anger? Or an angry person they saw?