Stand a Little Taller

Defending Your Faith

2012-02-12T12:32:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to write this post for a while now - but man oh man has this month been busy! After I decided that this needed to be written I have been hearing about this topic and the scriptures I want to share with you, everywhere. It's funny how that always happens!

About a week ago, I was reading an article on CNN that was about Mormons. I do have to say that the writer of that article had kind intentions and was doing his best to offer a positive perspective on our beliefs and the people. Then curiosity had my interest and I scrolled down to the bottom to see what people had to say. I should have known (as usual) that there would be comments bashing Mormons and comments from Mormons defending their beliefs as is the case with any news article I see in regards to the Mormon Faith or Christianity in general.

As I looked over the comments there was one particular person (an atheist) that really had a beef about Mormonism which I will now refer to by the appropriate name The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or LDS. He lashed out with very cruel comments in which others were quick to argue and defend. When he could no longer argue his doctrinal points he turned to just hateful words. He then went on to say that he used to be LDS and about the age of going on a mission he had decided to become an atheist instead. It was clear to see that he was very bitter and angry and that his goal was to get others to feel the way that he was. Hence the saying "Misery loves company."

Right then, my mind was turned to a scripture I had read in the temple a couple of days before. I remember opening up the New Testament right to this chapter and thought to myself, "Hmmm...this must be what the Lord needs me to read right now - so I will." I never realized that a couple days later I would have this experience that would have me reflect back onto this scripture and inspire me to write this blog post. The Lord works though us in mysterious and wonderful ways.

I was reading in Matthew chapter 12. The Pharisees are following Jesus around looking for something to accuse him of. He heals a man's withered hand and they immediately accuse him of breaking the Sabbath. Jesus proves a wonderful point that serving someone and showing love is very lawful to do on the Sabbath. The Pharisees are angry and stumped, so they leave to go council with each other of how they can destroy Jesus. Jesus leaves and goes on to heal more people including casting out a devil.

The Pharisees return. They see the wonderful miracles Jesus is performing and probably realize that the multitudes are in awe. It is then that they accuse him of working his miracles through the power of the devil. Clearly they are sounding more and more ridiculous and when Jesus responds I can only imagine how much more stumped they were at his response. The people must have realized who was in the right here.

The Savior says:
32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

All I have to say is "Go Jesus!!"

The very next day, my son put on a Living Scriptures DVD which depicted this exact chapter in Matthew. I thought to myself "What a coincidence." It wasn't until the next day I realized that this was no coincidence. The Lord wanted me to continue to ponder on Jesus' words.

After seeing the crazy conversation going back and forth in regards to the CNN article, Jesus' words became very clear. "for the tree is known by his fruit" not it's fruit - notice the Lord says "his fruit". The hateful basher was displaying his fruit through cruel words and crude language. Those defending the LDS faith were using kind and loving words. If his goal was to lead others away from the LDS faith or Jesus Christ I can't imagine who would be crazy enough to be persuaded by him after seeing both sides of the coin. You just can't argue against "good treasures" and "good fruits". You also can't deny the difference of feeling the Holy Ghost and the feeling of contention or "the adversary".

I then went on to ponder the many times in my life when I have encountered atheists, anti-Christians, "anti-Mormons" and for all that matter you could take it further with anti-Jews and so forth. These people generally express anger, bitterness, hate or just a lack of interest in serving others. I truly wonder how they could persuade anyone to follow their beliefs when the power of love for all mankind, acts of selflessness and words of love are so much more powerful and desirable. It almost seemed as though these people had a bone to pick because of one of two things. 1) They had been offended or hurt by someone in the past who was a "Christian, Latter Day Saint (Mormon) etc. or 2) They had committed some type of sin or desired to live a life and make choices that contradict the teachings of Jesus. To avoid the guilt - they change their beliefs so that their actions are justified. Finding that their choices are not bringing the happiness they had anticipated they strive to bring others down as "Misery loves company".

"By their fruits ye shall know them." Actions speak louder than words. If I saw that there were two movies playing at the theater - one being a movie that had a positive message and would leave me feeling inspired and wanting to be a better person : the other - a movie full of vulgar behavior, crude language and would leave me feeling disturbed, dark or depressed it would be a no-brainer. I would want to see the movie that made me feel good. The same goes for groups of people we associate with and our goals as individuals. Do we want to be around people that lift us up or tear us down? Are we examples to others of "good fruits" or "bad fruits"?

I brought this up with my husband and he said, "That's why I never read the comment sections on news articles". He had a point. It was clear to see that these people (bashers) had an agenda. They were not interested in being persuaded to the other side. There was nothing anyone could say to change their hearts, opinions or minds. Their goal is to spread their anger and destroy people's faith. There is a great danger in conversing with these people. "For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." You will walk away feeling angry, hurt or frustrated or even worse - your faith will be destroyed. When people's intentions are not to uplift, express kindness or love in any way - be cautioned.

This reminded me of the account in Luke 22, when Jesus points out that there is often no point in arguing with naysayers. They have their agenda and are not open to feeling the Spirit or having an open mind. When Peter has betrayed Jesus and he is being held by men who mock him, these men ask him if he is the Christ. In verses 67-68 it reads:

67 Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe:

68 And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go.

He was right.

In the world that we now live in, and with all the political heat that is rising, we must be prepared for these experiences. Faiths and religions of all kinds are being attacked and these attackers are not interested in making friendships or having pleasant and open minded conversations with those they attack. Bearing your testimony of what you know to be true is all you can and should do. Let the Spirit work through you. Never try to "prove a point" or argue doctrine. The Spirit is the teacher and the greatest power and influence in doing good and building love. Avoid contention at all cost but always be bold in what you stand for and believe.

I conclude with the scripture that hits this right on the nail. In the times of Jesus and in our own time, there are many who say "Show me a sign and I'll believe." I always say to that - if God came down and told everyone what they needed to believe, what was true and what was false it would defeat the whole purpose of why we are here. We have to desire the truth, seek after it and build faith. For those who do not wish to believe and would rather be shown a sign - here is the best response to that:

In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Alma sums this up best. In order to grasp this I think it's best to read the entire chapter of Alma chapter 30:

1 Behold, now it came to pass that after the people of Ammon were established in the land of Jershon, yea, and also after the Lamanites were driven out of the land, and their dead were buried by the people of the land—

2 Now their dead were not numbered because of the greatness of their numbers; neither were the dead of the Nephites numbered—but it came to pass after they had buried their dead, and also after the days of fasting, and mourning, and prayer, (and it was in the sixteenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi) there began to be continual peace throughout all the land.

3 Yea, and the people did observe to keep the commandments of the Lord; and they were strict in observing the ordinances of God, according to the law of Moses; for they were taught to keep the law of Moses until it should be fulfilled.

4 And thus the people did have no disturbance in all the sixteenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.

5 And it came to pass that in the commencement of the seventeenth year of the reign of the judges, there was continual peace.

6 But it came to pass in the latter end of the seventeenth year, there came a man into the land of Zarahemla, and he was Anti-Christ, for he began to preach unto the people against the prophecies which had been spoken by the prophets, concerning the coming of Christ.

7 Now there was no law against a man’s belief; for it was strictly contrary to the commands of God that there should be a law which should bring men on to unequal grounds.

8 For thus saith the scripture: Choose ye this day, whom ye will serve.

9 Now if a man desired to serve God, it was his privilege; or rather, if he believed in God it was his privilege to serve him; but if he did not believe in him there was no law to punish him.

10 But if he murdered he was punished unto death; and if he robbed he was also punished; and if he stole he was also punished; and if he committed adultery he was also punished; yea, for all this wickedness they were punished.

11 For there was a law that men should be judged according to their crimes. Nevertheless, there was no law against a man’s belief; therefore, a man was punished only for the crimes which he had done; therefore all men were on equal grounds.

12 And this Anti-Christ, whose name was Korihor, (and the law could have no hold upon him) began to preach unto the people that there should be no Christ. And after this manner did he preach, saying:

13 O ye that are bound down under a foolish and a vain hope, why do ye yoke yourselves with such foolish things? Why do ye look for a Christ? For no man can know of anything which is to come.

14 Behold, these things which ye call prophecies, which ye say are handed down by holy prophets, behold, they are foolish traditions of your fathers.

15 How do ye know of their surety? Behold, ye cannot know of things which ye do not see; therefore ye cannot know that there shall be a Christ.

16 Ye look forward and say that ye see a remission of your sins. But behold, it is the effect of a frenzied mind; and this derangement of your minds comes because of the traditions of your fathers, which lead you away into a belief of things which are not so.

17 And many more such things did he say unto them, telling them that there could be no atonement made for the sins of men, but every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature; therefore every man prospered according to his genius, and that every man conquered according to his strength; and whatsoever a man did was nocrime.

18 And thus he did preach unto them, leading away the hearts of many, causing them to lift up their heads in their wickedness, yea, leading away many women, and also men, to commit whoredoms—telling them that when a man was dead, that was the end thereof.

19 Now this man went over to the land of Jershon also, to preach these things among the people of Ammon, who were once the people of the Lamanites.

20 But behold they were more wise than many of the Nephites; for they took him, and bound him, and carried him before Ammon, who was a high priest over that people.

21 And it came to pass that he caused that he should be carried out of the land. And he came over into the land of Gideon, and began to preach unto them also; and here he did not have much success, for he was taken and bound and carried before the high priest, and also the chief judge over the land.

22 And it came to pass that the high priest said unto him: Why do ye go about perverting the ways of the Lord? Why do ye teach this people that there shall be no Christ, to interrupt their rejoicings? Why do ye speak against all the prophecies of the holy prophets?

23 Now the high priest’s name was Giddonah. And Korihor said unto him: Because I do not teach the foolish traditions of your fathers, and because I do not teach this people to bind themselves down under the foolish ordinances and performances which are laid down by ancient priests, to usurp power and authority over them, to keep them in ignorance, that they may not lift up their heads, but be brought down according to thy words.

24 Ye say that this people is a free people. Behold, I say they are in bondage. Ye say that those ancient prophecies are true. Behold, I say that ye do not know that they are true.

25 Ye say that this people is a guilty and a fallen people, because of the transgression of a parent. Behold, I say that a child is not guilty because of its parents.

26 And ye also say that Christ shall come. But behold, I say that ye do not know that there shall be a Christ. And ye say also that he shall be slain for the sins of the world—

27 And thus ye lead away this people after the foolish traditions of your fathers, and according to your own desires; and ye keep them down, even as it were in bondage, that ye may glut yourselves with the labors of their hands, that they durst not look up with boldness, and that they durst not enjoy their rights and privileges.

28 Yea, they durst not make use of that which is their own lest they should offend their priests, who do yoke them according to their desires, and have brought them to believe, by their traditions and their dreams and their whims and their visions and their pretended mysteries, that they should, if they did not do according to their words, offend some unknown being, who they say is God—a being who never has been seen or known, who never was nor ever will be.

29 Now when the high priest and the chief judge saw the hardness of his heart, yea, when they saw that he would revile even against God, they would not make any reply to his words; but they caused that he should be bound; and they delivered him up into the hands of the officers, and sent him to the land of Zarahemla, that he might be brought before Alma, and the chief judge who was governor over all the land.

30 And it came to pass that when he was brought before Alma and the chief judge, he did go on in the same manner as he did in the land of Gideon; yea, he went on to blaspheme.

31 And he did rise up in great swelling words before Alma, and did revile against the priests and teachers, accusing them of leading away the people after the silly traditions of their fathers, for the sake of glutting on the labors of the people.

32 Now Alma said unto him: Thou knowest that we do not glut ourselves upon the labors of this people; for behold I have labored even from the commencement of the reign of the judges until now, with mine own hands for my support, notwithstanding my many travels round about the land to declare the word of God unto my people.

33 And notwithstanding the many labors which I have performed in the church, I have never received so much as even one senine for my labor; neither has any of my brethren, save it were in the judgment-seat; and then we have received only according to law for our time.

34 And now, if we do not receive anything for our labors in the church, what doth it profit us to labor in the church save it were to declare the truth, that we may have rejoicings in the joy of our brethren?

35 Then why sayest thou that we preach unto this people to get gain, when thou, of thyself, knowest that we receive no gain? And now, believest thou that we deceive this people, that casues such joy in their hearts?

36 And Korihor answered him, Yea.

37 And then Alma said unto him: Believest thou that there is a God?

38 And he answered, Nay.

39 Now Alma said unto him: Will ye deny again that there is a God, and also deny the Christ? For behold, I say unto you, I know there is a God, and also that Christ shall come.

40 And now what evidence have ye that there is no God, or that Christ cometh not? I say unto you that ye have none, save it be your word only.

41 But, behold, I have all things as a testimony that these things are true; and ye also have all things as a testimony unto you that they are true; and will ye deny them? Believest thou that these things are true?

42 Behold, I know that thou believest, but thou art possessed with a lying spirit, and ye have put off the Spirit of God that it may have no place in you; but the devil has power over you, and he doth carry you about, working devices that he may destroy the children of God.

43 And now Korihor said unto Alma: If thou wilt show me a sign, that I may be convinced that there is a God, yea, show unto me that he hath power, and then will I be convinced of the truth of thy words.

44 But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.

45 And yet do ye go about, leading away the hearts of this people, testifying unto them there is no God? And yet will ye deny against all these witnesses? And he said: Yea, I will deny, except ye shall show me a sign.

46 And now it came to pass that Alma said unto him: Behold, I am grieved because of the hardness of your heart, yea, that ye will still resist the spirit of the truth, that thy soul may be destroyed.

47 But behold, it is better that thy soul should be lost than that thou shouldst be the means of bringing many souls down to destruction, by thy lying and by thy flattering words; therefore if thou shalt deny again, behold God shall smite thee, that thou shalt become dumb, that thou shalt never open thy mouth any more, that thou shalt not deceive this people any more.

48 Now Korihor said unto him: I do not deny the existence of a God, but I do not believe that there is a God; and I say also, that ye do not know that there is a God; and except ye show me a sign, I will not believe.

49 Now Alma said unto him: This will I give unto thee for a sign, that thou shalt be struck dumb, according to my words; and I say, that in the name of God, ye shall be struck dumb, that ye shall no more have utterance.

50 Now when Alma had said these words, Korihor was struck dumb, that he could not have utterance, according to the words of Alma.

51 And now when the chief judge saw this, he put forth his hand and wrote unto Korihor, saying: Art thou convinced of the power of God? In whom did ye desire that Alma should show forth his sign? Would ye that he should afflict others, to show unto thee a sign? Behold, he has showed unto you a sign; and now will ye dispute more?

52 And Korihor put forth his hand and wrote, saying: I know that I am dumb, for I cannot speak; and I know that nothing save it were the power of God could bring this upon me; yea, and I always knew that there was a God.

53 But behold, the devil hath deceived me; for he appeared unto me in the form of an angel, and said unto me: Go and reclaim this people, for they have all gone astray after an unknown God. And he said unto me: There is no God; yea, and he taught me that which I should say. And I have taught his words; and I taught them because they were pleasing unto the carnal mind; and I taught them, even until I had much success, insomuch that I verily believed that they were true; and for this cause I withstood the truth, even until I have brought this great curse upon me.

54 Now when he had said this, he besought that Alma should pray unto God, that the curse might be taken from him.

55 But Alma said unto him: If this curse should be taken from thee thou wouldst again lead away the hearts of this people; therefore, it shall be unto thee even as the Lord will.

56 And it came to pass that the curse was not taken off of Korihor; but he was cast out, and went about from house to house begging for his food.

57 Now the knowledge of what had happened unto Korihor was immediately published throughout all the land; yea, the proclamation was sent forth by the chief judge to all the people in the land, declaring unto those who had believed in the words of Korihor that they must speedily repent, lest the same judgments would come unto them.

58 And it came to pass that they were all convinced of the wickedness of Korihor; therefore they were all converted again unto the Lord; and this put an end to the iniquity after the manner of Korihor. And Korihor did go about from house to house, begging food for his support.

59 And it came to pass that as he went forth among the people, yea, among a people who had separated themselves from the Nephites and called themselves Zoramites, being led by a man whose name was Zoram—and as he went forth amongst them, behold, he was run upon and trodden down, even until he was dead.

60 And thus we see the end of him who perverteth the ways of the Lord; and thus we see that the devil will not support his children at the last day, but doth speedily drag them down to hell.

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ - amen.

God Had Mercy on My Pitty Party

2012-01-29T19:21:00.000-08:00

About mid last week I was having trouble ridding a small storm cloud that seemed to be following me around. I have had some things I have been praying about for the past couple of years and little by little, here and there the Lord blesses me with a small stepping stone that helps me get a bit closer to my goals. However I had reached a point where I felt I had been so patient for so long and I finally needed to reach a deadline I had set for myself regarding a huge goal.

I had done all that I could do on my own. In fact, I had spent hours working towards my goal because I wanted the Lord to see that I really had given it my all. Finally. I had reached a point where I was feeling defeated and that I had wasted countless hours of my time. I was worried that what I had been praying for was never going to happen. If that was going to be the case I would let a handful of people down that were counting on me. I would then have to problem solve a whole other set of issues that would stem from my prayer not being answered (the way I wanted it to be). I dreaded having to face these issues and was running out of hope.

After a few days of dragging around this ball and chain of despair, I realized that if I continued on this "poor me" attitude it would take me on a downward spiral which would greatly affect my family and my well being. I wanted to be happy again, but I just couldn't find anything to be happy about. I was fatigued from the burden of doubt and hopelessness and began to lose my desire to be positively productive. I'd rather take a nap and sleep my unhappiness away. I knew I needed to do something more.

About mid morning, I knelt down in humble prayer and told the Lord how I felt. I let Him know that I needed His help. I told Him that I wanted to feel the Spirit and I wanted to be guided back to that place where I could feel strength and happiness. After that I went about the rest of my morning doing my daily tasks not feeling too much better but hanging on to my hope that the Lord had heard my prayer and would help me.

After the kids went down for a nap I felt strongly that I needed to read the January Ensign. Realizing that if I didn't read the Ensign I would probably opt to take a wasteful nap. I knew that at least by reading the Ensign I would open up a channel for the Spirit to speak to me. I had been praying for help hadn't I? I needed to then put myself in a position where I could feel the Spirit.

I opened it up to the very first page titled, Living the Abundant Life by President Thomas S. Monson. Intrigued by the title I began to read. Just a few sentences into the message I knew that this message was meant for me. The Spirit had guided me to it. President Monson gave counsel about how to reach your goals and find success. He spoke about having a positive attitude and believing in yourself. He said,

"So much in life depends on our attitude. The way we choose to see things and respond to others makes all the difference. To do the best we can and then to choose to be happy about our circumstances, whatever they may be, can bring peace and contentment."

Though I have told myself similar words of comfort before and probably had given similar advice to family member and friends in the past who came to me needing a boost, it was the mere fact that I had been guided to these words and they were from a prophet, that I felt the Lord was speaking directly to me. Immediately I felt the warm wave of love and peace come over me.

President Monson concludes his message by saying,

"There will be times when you will be frightened and discouraged. You may feel that you are defeated. The odds of obtaining victory may appear overwhelming. At times you may feel like David trying to fight Goliath. But remember—David did win!"

I was already feeling that burden of despair leave my body. I put the Ensign down and thought I would rest for a minute and ponder on what had just happened. It was then I felt a sudden push or urge to pick the Ensign back up and that there was more. I flipped it open to Recognizing God's Hand in Our Daily Blessings by Elder D. Todd Christofferson. The subtitle read, Asking for and receiving daily bread at God's hand plays a vital part in learning to trust Him and in enduring life's challenges. Again that warm wave of love came over me.

These three paragraphs spoke right to me,

"Some time before I was called as a General Authority, I faced a personal economic challenge that persisted for several years. It ebbed and flowed in seriousness and urgency, but it never went away. At times this challenge threatened the welfare of my family, and I thought we might be facing financial ruin. I prayed for some miraculous intervention to deliver us. Although I offered that prayer many times with great sincerity and earnest desire, the answer in the end was no. Finally, I learned to pray as the Savior did: “Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). I sought the Lord’s help with each tiny step along the way to a final resolution.

There were times when I had exhausted all my resources, when I had nowhere and no one to turn to for help to meet the exigency before me. With no other recourse, more than once I fell down before my Heavenly Father, begging in tears for His help. And He did help. Sometimes it was nothing more than a sense of peace, a feeling of assurance that things would work out. I might not see how or what the path would be, but He gave me to know that, directly or indirectly, He would open a way. Circumstances might change, a new and helpful idea might come to mind, some unanticipated income or other resource might appear at just the right time. Somehow there was a resolution.

Though I suffered then, I am grateful now that there was not a quick solution to my problem. The fact that I was forced to turn to God for help almost daily over an extended period of years taught me how to truly pray and get answers to prayer and taught me in a practical way to have faith in God. I came to know my Savior and my Heavenly Father in a way and to a degree that might not have happened otherwise or that might have taken me much longer. I learned that daily bread is a precious commodity. I learned that manna today could be as real as the physical manna of biblical history. I learned to trust in the Lord with all my heart. I learned to walk with Him day by day."

Could I be grateful for slow solutions to achieving my goal? Yes, I could! God was aware of my situation and he would not let me fall into a circumstance that I couldn't handle. I needed to trust that He had an answer and that it had been slow in coming for a good reason. He wanted me to know that He hears me and wants to bless me. With His tender mercy he extended two magnificent blessings right away just to let me know He is there and to build up my faith.

My phone received a text. I looked down and read the glorious message. A new neighbor that I had been trying to befriend over the last couple of months had finally said, "Yes" to an invite I had extended to her. Not only had she said she wanted to attend a church activity with me, she let me know how much she was looking forward to it! This was the boost I needed to lift me up off the couch and get me back to my old self. I turned on the music and began to clean the house and cook a delicious dinner. I was so happy!!

I went down to the basement to gather some things and something told me, "Take your phone with you". I thought to myself, "Why?" I'll only be gone a few minutes. Then the voice said, "You are going to get an important phone call while you are in the basement, take the phone with you or you will miss this opportunity." So, I headed back up the stairs and grabbed my phone.

I was looking for 6 specific items in a pile of packed up boxes. To my surprise I found them much quicker than expected and right as I picked up the last item, I thought "This would be perfect timing if that call came now." And of course - my phone rang. I answered the call and yes, it was an opportunity of a life time. A lady in a position of great influence had came across one of my blogs and had tracked me down to propose an opportunity of a life time. We talked for a little while and she said she would get back to me if it her proposal was going to be possible. I was so happy! Realizing that yes, this opportunity might lead to nothing at all, I recognized that it was Heavenly Father's way of showing me that he cares about me and the things that I work hard on are making a difference. He knew this would make my day!

I ended up having a wonderful night and a wonderful weekend. Changing my attitude made all the difference. If I hadn't decided to reach out to the Lord, listen for the Spirit's guidance and then act, I wouldn't have had such an amazing experience. My testimony grew in leaps and bounds that day and I felt so much closer to the Lord. I still didn't have an answer to my 2 year long prayer however I could see that God was blessing me in so many other ways and that he had a plan, I just needed to trust Him.

I love that God is so forgiving and loving. I can tell you from my own experiences that I know if you let Him, He will show you How much He loves you. You just have to ask for it and then look for it. We may be waiting for an answer to a prayer that we are losing patience on. As soon as we lose our patience, we lose our trust. We then lose out on daily blessings He freely extends to us, because we choose not to see them.

Next time you are in a moment of despair, ask to feel the Lord's hand and ask for the Spirit to guide you. Then put yourself in a position to feel the Spirit. Read your scriptures, your Ensign, listen to hymns whatever it takes for you to be able to hear or read the words that God has sent for you. Be in tune and you will receive the daily blessings He knows you need to help you out of your despair. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Waiting Upon the Lord

2012-01-22T12:30:00.000-08:00

I spoke today at church in Relief Society and was asked to cover Robert D. Hales' talk Waiting upon the Lord: Thy Will Be Done from October 2011 conference. It is such a great talk that I recommend you read.

I have reflected on this topic over the last 6 months as it's the basis of my new book. There is so much to consider when thinking about patience and faith in the Lord. It's astounding. There's just not enough time to cover it all in a Sunday lesson, so I was excited to come home and write about it here.

Elder Hales says, "I have often pondered, Why is it that the Son of God and His holy prophets and all the faithful Saints have trials and tribulations, even when they are trying to do Heavenly Father’s will? Why is it so hard, especially for them? ....I think of our pioneer forebears, driven from Nauvoo and crossing the plains, exercising their agency to follow a prophet even as they suffered sickness, privation, and some even death. Why such terrible tribulation? To what end? For what purpose?"

I searched for thoughts on this from my Great, Great, Great, Grandmother Elizabeth Oakden Whitaker who was a pioneer and crossed the plains. In her biography (speaking about the prophet Brigham Young during the winter of 1854 in Utah) she said, "There was much sickness among the people that winter, including Brigham and his family. Some thought this strange, that he should be ill, being their leader and appointed by God as it were. But he responded: 'All our sufferings in this life are for our good, that we may learn the contrast between good and evil. Jesus descended below all things that He might rise above all things. All men who receive the same glory must abide the same law. Some are alarmed because so many of my family are sick. I have as good a right to be sick as anybody. I do not wish to escape affliction, sickness, pain or sorrow, any more than others wish to escape them; for if we make a right use of them, they will return to us in blessings.'"

How true is that? Great men of God, prophets and leaders from history and the scriptures all suffered pains and afflictions. Moses, Job, Abinadi, Joseph Smith, (to name a few) and the Savior Jesus Christ Himself. In fact, Christ suffered all the sins of the world. So much was His pain and suffering that God sent an angel to help strengthen Him (Luke 22:43). We are told to try our best to be like the Savior from modern day prophets and from the Savior (3 Nephi 27:27). If we want to be like Him then we must experience trials and tribulations, pain and suffering.

So, why do bad things happen to good people? Elder Hales states, "These mortal challenges allow us and our Heavenly Father to see whether we will exercise our agency to follow His Son."

I often think back to a time I don't remember yet the Spirit confirms to me. A time before I came to this earth. I know that we were shown many of the trials and challenges we would have when we came to this world. How could we use our agency to accept this earthly experience if we did understand what it would entail for us? We knew it would not be easy but we understood that it was necessary in order to return to live with our Father and Heaven and to become like Him. In fact, we agreed to many of the trials we would have because we understood how those specific trials would strengthen us in ways that we needed. We did not know how it would feel to experience our challenges with the veil covering our spiritual memory while in mortal bodies but we were anxious to come here nonetheless.

Now that we are here experiencing life's challenges, we have forgotten what we once knew before we came here. It becomes much easier to slip away into despair and hopelessness. Much easier to think, "Why has God abandoned me?" "Why doesn't He answer my prayers?" "Why does He allow me to suffer such pains?" When we search out and ponder through scripture and prayer the eternal perspective of all things, then and only then, it becomes much easier to think, "God has helped me endure this trial - He loves me." "Yes, this is hard, but I feel God's love for me." "These trials are only temporary, as this life is temporary - I will endure."

When I leave this life and am greeted by loved ones on the other side, and the veil is lifted..I know my memory will come back and I will remember accepting those trials and challenges before I came to Earth. I will then understand much better how those trials were supposed to benefit me. I will be sad if there were trials that caused me to give up or lose hope. I will rejoice if I endured them and held onto my faith. I will see and learn how my trials helped others around me that I may not have realized at the time (it gave others opportunities to serve me) and understand how great God truly is. I will also see how angels from Heaven came and helped me in hours when I may have felt alone or overwhelmed. I will see how my prayers were answered - each and every one, even if in this life I may have felt that some were not. My eyes will be opened and I will understand. Because I experienced those challenges in the spirit and the flesh, my understanding will be perfected and my knowledge increased. Thus, becoming more like my Father.

As a parent, I allow my children to experience certain trials and challenges for their good. Though I feel sorrow for them when they suffer, I rejoice when they endure and are strengthened. My children want to be like me and I want them to experience the joys and challenges of parenthood someday. I know in order for them to be great parents and great leaders they must experience trials and challenges to prepare them and strengthen them. As it is with out Father in Heaven. He has been there and he understands. He allows us to experience adversity so that we might understand and appreciate joy. That we may really understand the difference between right and wrong, good and evil. That we are given opportunities to exercise our agency to follow the Savior or Satan. He must stand back and allow us to utilize our free agency even when it pains Him at the choices we make. He loves us enough to let us choose for ourselves. Do we choose to hold onto faith and endure or to give up? No matter what we choose He will always love us - that's how great He is.

That is what gives me hope and helps me through difficult times in my life. Remembering this eternal perspective. Not only do our trials and sufferings benefit us in the end, they also benefit many around us. How could we be a shoulder to lean on for others if we have not been in their shoes at times and understand what they are going through? Trails help us to reach out to others who are experiencing similar trials and love them and lift them up.

I have to say I must be grateful for adversity in my life because I wouldn't be who I am today without it. If life was free of challenges or trials we would not learn and grow. Heaven will be free of pain and suffering and life will be eternal. When we return to our real home, our Heavenly home, this life will have seemed just like a day at school. We will return home from school greeted by those we love.

Now we must remember that God does not require us to understand the purpose of our trials or His will. This makes sense for greater trials such as the death and suffering of a loved one or the abuse of an innocent child. We might think, "Why did God allow this to happen?" Remember that God would cease to be God if he did not allow all men free agency. Thus, if a man chooses evil, often God will allow those actions to take place so that this man might be held accountable for his actions and evil desires of his heart. He will be judged accordingly by God and all things will be made fair. God's justice is true justice. Sometimes God intervenes and spares a life or a terribly incident from happening. Again, we are not required to understand God's will just to trust it. In the end all things will be made fair and we will understand. If we were abused, our pain will be taken away and we will be perfected in the Savior. Remember, Jesus Christ experienced all of our pain. We can find peace and healing in Him.

I truly believe that when we pass away we are given the opportunity to accept dying. If we truly feel we are not ready to die I don't believe God would force that upon us. However, if it is God's will and once on the other side we have that spiritual ability to understand God's will and how we might be needed by Him on the other side we might choose to accept our passing. It might be that we are able to help our loved ones on Earth better from the other side as we have a better understanding and ability to help them. It also might be that we agreed to a certain task or mission before we came to earth that needed to be fulfilled at that time on the other side.

I also believe that those who do not survive horrific tragedies, are relieved from having to experience the pains of death. I believe that the spirit leaves the body before the pain is felt. Thus, that spirit is greeted by loved ones and feels the warmth of the Savior's love. Their understanding is increased and they are happy where they are. They are home and wait to greet us when it's our turn.

As we go through this life and encounter struggles (as we all will) remember that we are not humans having a spiritual experience we are spirits having a human experience. We must learn patience, humility, love and charity. That is why we are here. We must learn to be like our Savior. It will not be easy but it will be worth it. Again, it may not make sense to us now and sometimes that lack of understanding creates anger and resentment. Don't allow yourself to be angry at God. Trust Him, pray to Him and never cease. He will send angels to help you whether they be earthly angels or from Heaven. If we go to Him, talk to Him, plead unto Him and wait upon Him - we will find peace. We may not get the answer we want or when we want them, but we will find peace.

In the meantime remember that trials bring us to our knees which means they help us become closer to our Father in Heaven.

In regards to things that we have been praying for, for quite some time Elder Hales says, "In my life I have learned that sometimes I do not receive an answer to a prayer because the Lord knows I am not ready. When He does answer, it is often “here a little and there a little" because that is all that I can bear or all I am willing to do...Too often we pray to have patience, but we want it right now!

Our children wait upon us to show patience, love, and understanding toward them. Our parents wait upon us to show gratitude and compassion. Our brothers and sisters wait upon us to be tolerant, merciful, and forgiving. Our spouses wait upon us to love them as the Savior has loved each one of us."

I'd like to add that even our Father in Heaven waits upon us. When we become distant from Him or we fall of the straight and narrow path, He still loves us and He patiently waits. We may not always choose things that are pleasing to Him but He never gives up on us. Let's not give up on Him.

To help us be patient, it's always good to take our minds off our own problems and focus on others. By serving others our burdens can be lightened. In addition to that, good music, uplifting books, and positive activities can help us find the strength to keep going and allow opportunities for the Spirit to speak to us and give us answers that we need. Sometimes we pray for answers and then forget to listen for them.

It is my prayer that we will all strive to wait upon the Lord as best we can. That we may never lose hope or faith. I know that by doing so, we will be blessed! I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Shielded from Danger- (An Experience I Won't Forget)

2012-01-07T13:22:00.000-08:00

It had been a long hard week for my sister. After facing some difficult decisions about her marriage right before her birthday, I decided to take her out. She hadn't been to the temple in a long time and asked if we could do that. So, dinner and the temple it was. She was really looking forward to it as was I.

My Mom had called me that morning and said, "Why are you taking your sister to downtown Salt Lake at night? There are crazy people out at night and it's not safe. Take her to a different temple."

I laughed it off and said, "Mom, we'll be fine. We are going to the temple."She repeated herself a few more times.

After a delicious dinner with my sister we went on our way to go find parking for the temple. My sister was following me in her car. I noticed the underground parking West of the Conference Center. I also noticed next to that was a spacious and empty public parking lot. So that was my destination. We pulled in and parked. On our way out of the parking lot we noticed some new pay machines with blue tape on them that said "Coming Soon". We weren't sure if we were supposed to pay or not? After analyzing it with some other confused people we all concluded that they were not yet functioning properly so parking was free.On our way we went.

As we approached the temple my sister looked up at the full moon and said, "Do you think it's true that more people are killed during full moons than any other time of month?" I said, "Yeah, I've heard that crime is always at an all time high whenever there is a full moon." she replied, "That's true at my job. On days when the moon is full all the crazy people call in". We laughed.

Having a wonderful experience in the temple, my sister and I had some great conversations about the gospel, the work we were performing, and life in the spirit world. We noticed that everyone we encountered that night was very friendly. On the way out to the car my sister pointed out how tonight had been unusual for her. She wasn't used to random people walking up to her and striking up a conversation. When we reached the parking lot, a confused woman began to ask us about how to use the paying machines. We then told her they didn't work and she was relieved.

We made our way to the car and started talking about my sister's marital situation. She said that she had gone to the temple for an answer but felt that the answer would not come quickly. I told her that sometimes the Holy Ghost can speak to us in our dreams. It was then I was reminded of the terrible dream I had the night before. I began to tell her about it.

I was with all of my family including her and her husband. We had just checked into a large hotel. The room had several hallways and rooms inside of it. As we all checked into our large room, I noticed that the room was dirty. It hadn't been cleaned. So my sister and I made our way to the lobby to go speak with management. The ladies working at the desk said they couldn't help. So, we asked for the manager. Their looks changed and they told us that the manager does not like unhappy customers. He REALLY didn't like them. Right then, a tall white man (the manager) came charging out of the office and began to chase us towards our room. We knew that we were in danger and that he was going to hurt us and possibly kill us. Once inside our room, we warned everyone to run to the window. We opened the window (2 stories up) and realized we were going to have to jump. One by one each of us jumped.

As each person fell, their fall was softened almost cushioned as they bounced off of ledges and landed in the bush below. We all knew that angels were their helping us and softening our fall but we couldn't see them. It was then we knew we would be safe. My baby girl had been forgotten and she was the last at the window. I was frightened. She knew what to do and she threw herself forward and the angels caught her. As we all began to run away I woke up.

I asked my sister what that dream could mean. She laughed and said, "I have no idea." Right then I told her I had some things to give her and I opened up the back of my car and we put them in the car. My sister then said, "What are your honest thoughts _______." Then suddenly I said, "There is something I need to tell you." I had a personal experience that had to do with exactly what she was asking about. I thought to myself, "Why am I sharing this story with her? It's very personal." I paused for a moment and said, "Would you like to come sit in my car?" she replied "Yeah. Okay."

We got inside the car and I began to tell her my personal story. Very quickly I came to the part in the story where the Holy Ghost had loudly whispered something to me in my dream. He whispered it 3 times. It was a very specific question I was supposed to ask someone that would give me the answer I needed to solve my problem. At this point in the story my sister caught me off guard and said, "Lindsey duck!" So I did. She ducked as well and said "There is a man walking towards your window!" I thought to myself that it was probably just another confused person not sure how to use the pay machine. I wondered why we were ducking.

I looked over to see who was coming. It was then I saw him. A young, thin, white man about 6 feet tall with a large black hoodie on and white sweat pants. The hood was pulled tight around his face and he had black gloves on his hands. I looked closer at his face and noticed acne scars and sores all over his cheeks. He had a blank stare on his face. As he came right up near my side mirror on my door, my sister shouted, "Oh my gosh, he's holding a gun!" I looked, and there it was. A gun! We were shocked. "Look!" she shouted. "He's got a gun in the other hand too!" I looked at the other black glove which certainly was holding another black hand gun. I had never been in this situation before and could not believe what I was seeing.

The parking lot was well lit and we were very visible inside the car. The parking lot was quite empty and we were the only people there at that time. I quickly realized the doors were unlocked and the car was turned off. "My door is unlocked!" I shouted. "Should I lock it?" I then received a strong feeling that locking it and turning the car on would draw attention to us. We were to sit still and he would not notice us. As he slowly made his way across the front of my car to other headlight my sister said, "What should we do?" I said "We call 911!"

I pulled out my phone and realized it was turned off because we had been in the temple. It would take forever to turn back on. To my surprise, I turned it on and instantly it was on. I dialed 911 and had the dispatcher on the phone by the time he had just walked past the second headlight and was just a couple of feet away. As quick as I could I began to spit out all the facts. "Hello! I am located in the parking lot just west of the Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City. There is a man walking away from my car with a gun in each hand. He's thin, tall, white, has acne scars, and a black hoddie on with white pants!"

"Okay." said the young, male dispatcher, "I am sending officers there right away." He continued to ask me questions about where the man was headed. I began to pull my car out so we could see where he was going. He turned North up the sidewalk. Right then I noticed a groud of young couples walking right behind him. "Hurry!" I yelled to my sister. "Go warn them! Tell them to turn around or they'll be in danger!" She jumped out of the car at lightening speed and ran over to warn the couples. As the look of fright grew on their faces, they thanked her and quickly turned around.

"Let's follow him!" my sister said. "He's getting away".

"No!" said the dispatcher, as he could hear her. "Do not EVER follow someone who is armed with a weapon. Besides, you need to stay put so the officers can find you."

Three minutes later, the officers arrived. One car, two cars, three cars...They all came filing in and surrounded our car. It was just a few days ago that an Ogden, UT police offer was shot and killed by a crazy man with a machine gun. Several police officers were in the hospital from their injuries. Law enforcement was mourning and they were not going to take this situation lightly.

They all began questioning us and asked for our ID. A K9 unit arrived and was on the pursuit. I got out of the car and mimicked exactly what the suspect had done. "Did he point the guns at you?" one officer asked. "No." I replied. "He held them out to the side but wanted the world to see that he had them."

I decided to call my husband and tell him why I was running late. It was almost 10:30 pm. While on the phone, I broke down in tears as I realized what had just happened. The Holy Ghost had told us what to do and the Lord had shielded us from this dangerous man. The Spirit had prompted me to ask my sister if she wanted to get in my car. Strangely, I did not turn my car on for heat and it's winter. My sister had felt prompted to tell us to duck before she saw the guns or realized we were in danger. We were just talking about the Holy Ghost and His promptings when that happened. I was prompted to not lock my door or turn on the car but to wait for him to walk away and call 911. My sister had observed that he had looked at her and began to walk towards my window. When he came up to the car it must have looked empty to him. He could not see us. Were we shielded so that he could not see us? Just moments before we were outside next to the car. What if I hadn't suggested getting in the car? He would have walked right up to us. We could have been in real danger. I felt the Lord with us. We had surely been protected.

As I told my husband this in tears, one of the officers was listening. I told him the rest of the details and then suddenly noticed that all of the police officers were gone. We were again alone in the parking lot. I said to my husband. "Where did they go? They left us alone."

"They said to wait here and they'll be back." my sister said. I wasn't worried, the Lord was protecting us.

Soon, they all came back and I let my husband go. "Well, we circled the block 4-5 times and there is no sign of him. We talked to people who are out and no one reported seeing anything. You are free to go, we'll let you know if we find him."

Did they not believe us? What if he was only visible to us? Why didn't anyone else see him? Oh wait! The group of couples had seen him.

"Officer, there was a group of couples that saw him and they turned the other way." I said.

"In these situations most people are afraid to do anything or report what they see. It's too crazy to seem real to them. You guys did the right thing by reporting it and steering others away." the officer said.

A taller officer stepped forward and said, "I'm not going to ask what religion you are but this could have been a really bad thing. This is the heart of Salt Lake City and Utah, right here. This is where the predominant religion congregates often. A possible target for an angry, armed, unstable person. If a gunman were to go on shooting spree in this area, that would not be okay with us."

"My sister and I just came from the temple." I said, letting him know I was a member of the predominant religion. "We weren't expecting this."

"Where are you headed home?" he asked me. "North." I replied.

"Well, if I could make a suggestion - do not go North. Not only is it not safe, there is big car accident that just happened and traffic is blocked. That's why we were all in the area already. You should go South until you get to 4th south and then get on the freeway to go North." The other officer nodded his head in agreement.

I said goodbye and they walked my sister to her car. As I headed south the next 4 blocks I noticed police cars everywhere. Lined up and down the streets on every corner. They had taken this seriously.

I called the rest of family to tell them what had happened. My mom chastised me for not heeding her warning. I began to wonder if this experience had been good for my sister spiritually. She had realized how fragile life is. We can be gone in the blink of an eye at the mercy of another. The Lord really watches over us. She had just received a personal witness of the power of the Holy Ghost. God wanted her to know that He is there and His power is real. She will get the answers she needs.

I called my sister to see if she was okay and we talked about our experience. The dream I had the night before about being in danger and angels protecting us. The quick promptings we received and heeded. I then finished my story about the Holy Ghost helping me in a time of need. There was doubting that the Holy Ghost is real and had shielded us from danger that night.

Simple thoughts to do what may seem like menial things may actually indeed be promptings of the Spirit and if we heed them it may be a matter of saving our lives. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Your Personal Happiness

2012-01-05T11:52:00.000-08:00

I have recently been praying for certain people in my life, asking the Lord to help them with their struggles and all. Often times the Lord works through us to help others. Sometimes I forget that. Amazingly this last week, a lot of good books, literature, quotes and messages have been mysteriously finding a way into my life. These messages have all been in perfect line with the struggles that some of my loved ones have been going through.

There is a book I will talk about later, but a couple of days ago I found my three year old daughter watching this BYU devotional on TV. So I listened to it as I cleaned the kitchen. I can't tell you how many times I got chills up and down my spine. I love this message! It's by Jeffry Larson. A lot of it falls in line with the topic of my newest book and I think it's a message everyone should hear. I posted 3/4 of the talk below. If you are able to watch it, I recommend that you do. His introduction is quite hilarious and gives a great beginning to his message. I posted a video link below.

Jeffry Larson 7/14/2009
What Do You Expect? A Key to Personal Happiness

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“What do you expect of yourself and of life?” and “How are your expectations influencing how happy you are day to day?”

I want to start with two kinds of thoughts or expectations we sometimes have of ourselves and of life that can get us into trouble. They can lead to depression, anxiety, and a sense of failure. Avoiding these expectations or thoughts we carry around in our heads can change our way of looking at the world and, ultimately, how we feel emotionally. They directly affect whether or not we are happy.

The two popular thinking errors we humans seem destined to make and that can cause us much misery in life were first scientifically identified by world-renowned psychologists Aaron Beck and David Burns, both cognitive-behavioral psychotherapists. They discovered 10 thinking errors or cognitive distortions that cause us emotional pain. These distortions are at the root of depression, anxiety, and poor self-esteem. I will focus on two especially common ones and on the related problem of perfectionism.

They are:

• All-or-nothing thinking
• Overgeneralization

Theory and research over the last 50 years show that emotions or feelings are based not on the event or the world we perceive but rather on how we interpret events and the world. This is referred to as the cognitive therapy approach in psychology. Burns’ important book is called Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy. It is from that source that I will quote.

Let me refer to a figure in Burns’ book that shows the theory in a simplified manner. It shows “the relationship between the world and the way you feel.” First, “world” is labeled as “a series of positive,neutral, and negative events.” Second, the label on “thoughts” says, “You interpret the events with a series of thoughts that continually flow through your mind. This is called your ‘internal dialog’” (or self-talk).

The third and last label, found on “mood,” says, “Your feelings are created by your thoughts and not the actual events. All experiences must be processed through your brain and given a conscious meaning before you experience any emotional response.” This model emphasizes that we don’t usually just feel an emotion spontaneously; rather, we create our feelings from our thought processes. Depending on our thoughts, we experience certain feelings. This model has been widely supported by empirical research in the field of psychology, and Burns’ approach is generally recognized as one of the most potent treatments in all of psychotherapy for the treatment of a wide variety of emotional disorders. Lest you think (or, shall we say, expect) that problems like depression and anxiety are uncommon, it is predicted that more than one in four of you will have one of these problems sometime during your life. Or you may know someone with these problems and be in a position to help.

Scriptural support for Beck and Burns’ theory can be found in the following:

Proverbs 23:7:

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

President Ezra Taft Benson emphasized: “Daily, constantly, we choose by our desires, our thoughts, and our actions whether we want to be blessed or cursed, happy or miserable.”

Norman Vincent Peale exclaimed: “Change your thoughts and you will change your world.”

Now let me demonstrate how these cognitive distortions, or unrealistic expectations of ourselves and of life, can harm our mental and relationship health. Let’s first look at the problem of all-or-nothing thinking. This is also called “black-and-white thinking.” When we do this, we think of life’s events and people in extreme categories: black or white, righteous or unrighteous, good or bad. You may think, “Since I flunked that quiz, that means I’m a failure.” Or, “ Since she turned me down for a date, that proves I’m a loser.” (This is also referred to as “catastrophizing.”) These cognitions or thoughts will cause you to be depressed.

What if, instead, you got off the phone after being turned down for a date and said to yourself, “Wow! Too bad for her! She missed a chance to go out with the best-looking guy in Provo. That’s her loss, not mine!” You would then feel less depressed. Of course you may also be exaggerating your own personal qualities!

The fact is, most of what happens to us cannot be thought of in black-and-white or all-or-nothing terms. No one is absolutely brilliant or totally stupid. People are not absolutely righteous or unrighteous. We are all just more or less so! The fact is, much of life is gray, not black or white.

Related to all-or-nothing thinking is the cognitive habit of overgeneralization. This happens when you arbitrarily conclude that something that happened to you once will occur over and over again. It is analogous to dropping a drop of black ink into a container of clear water; soon the whole container turns gray or black. It is exemplified in the earlier example of the young man who after being turned down by a prospective date decided he was the world’s biggest loser.

We use all-or-nothing thinking and overgeneralization in the service of another toxic habit called perfectionism. Perfectionism is defined as the obsessive and rigid desire or expectation that we must do things perfectly or life is not good. Sometimes we apply it to even trivial things like mopping a floor or straightening up our desk. (By the way, a clean desk is the sign of a sick mind!) If something is not done just right, perfectly, we consider ourselves failures. It is directly related to all-or-nothing thinking: Either I am a success or a failure. Either I’m perfect or imperfect. And I cannot stand not to be perfect! Average is not for me!

Perfectionism, or having unrealistic or irrational expectations about ourselves or about our relationships, is a chief cause of depression, anxiety, and obsessive-complusive disorders, as well as relationship problems. Perfectionism leads to procrastination, which leads eventually to paralysis. We call these the three Ps. A college student who was a client of mine several years ago related this story about his perfectionism:

I set such high standards for the projects I did for class that when I thought about even starting a project I would feel anxious and nauseated. That would lead me to procrastinate beginning the project or doing even one section of it. Eventually it led to me feeling paralyzed. I remember staring at the instructions from the professor, getting anxious, then waiting until the last minute to quickly do the project and turn it in the next day. My perfectionism led to me getting less-than-perfect grades on projects. When I asked this young man to make a list of the advantages and disadvantages of his perfectionism, he came up with four advantages

(e.g., he thought he did a better job when he was perfectionistic, although his grades did not show it). He then listed 17 disadvantages to perfectionism, some of them just discussed. He then started reconsidering the value of perfectionism in his life!

Even God does not expect us to be perfect in this life. It simply cannot be done. Norma Ashton, speaking to the BYU women, said:

Know that you don’t have to be perfect. We aren’t even expected to achieve perfection in this life, but rather to make steady progress toward it. We are masochists, sometimes, and I think we allow ourselves to succumb to the failed-diet syndrome—you overeat one time and think, “That’s it. I’ve blown it. No reason to stay on the diet now.” When we fall short of the mark we feel we’ve blown it, that we’ll never be able to measure up to everything we’re told to do. So, in effect, we give up. This thought pattern is a very clever and successful tool of the adversary. We must keep trying, but we must be able to forgive ourselves when we can’t do it all. We can make do with our present and look forward.

This suggests a more rational and productive way to think about life: Just do your best—like my mom said!

I like these quotes from other wise people:

Happy people do their part, do their best, then let go and let God do the rest. They do what they can within their circle of influence.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. (This prayer has been successfully used in Alcoholics Anonymous for the past 70 years.)

These ideas suggest that process is more important than outcome. Burns suggests developing a process orientation to life: “This means you focus on processes rather than outcomes as a basis for evaluating things.”
This more rational way of thinking emphasizes:

“The journey is the destination.”

“Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.”

Let’s apply this process idea to a common problem today: looking for a job. When you are applying for work, do not make it your aim to get the perfect job; instead, make it your aim to do your best to develop a great résumé, contact employers, and interview well. Most people who get a decent job do so after first receiving an average of 10 to 15 rejections. This is because the outcome of job hunting depends on many more factors than just you. The outcome depends on many factors outside your control. For example: How many other applicants are there? What are their qualifications? Who knows the boss’ daughter? So, instead, focus on what you can control, and that’s your effort. If you make a great effort each day, you should feel proud and satisfied. You will feel less depressed and discouraged than if you expect that landing a great job equals success. And you will eventually land a job. Maybe even a great one!

What should we do when we make mistakes? What should our expectations be then? Burns quotes a student, Jennifer, as saying: “It’s good to make mistakes because then we learn—in fact, we won’t learn unless we make mistakes. No one can avoid making mistakes—and since it’s going to happen in any case, we may as well accept it and learn from it.”

Jennifer also said: “We don’t die if we make mistakes!” Focus instead on what you can learn from your mistakes. An example of this for me happened when I was in the U.S. Coast Guard being trained as an officer and a gentleman at Officer Candidate School in August 1974. The platoon leaders lined us up each day at 6 a.m. to inspect for dirt on our uniforms, wrinkles in our shirts, unshined shoes, and even lint on our black uniforms (white lint really showed up!). I got “gigged”—or punished—every time they found anything out of order, even something very minor. When you were gigged, you lost points on a chart, and if you lost enough points, they kicked you out of the program. During the first two weeks I lost 20 points and was getting discouraged. Then it occurred to me that instead of beating myself up over my mistakes, I should use them as learning experiences.

After that, each time I got gigged, I wrote down a note to myself of what not to do the next time. Eventually I was passing inspection every week and not losing any points. Looking back, I know now that the platoon leaders were purposely finding any little mistake to nail us for just to see how we would react. There was no such thing as a perfect uniform after all. If we catastrophized and got angry or discouraged when we got gigged, their conclusion was that we certainly would not be able to handle stress well enough at sea to be leaders in the U.S. Coast Guard. And they were right.

In reality, the secret to happiness is to set modest, realistic goals and then accomplish them. Climbing mountains is important, but each of us has our own mountain to climb. And we decide what a successful climb is!

A good example of using this principle in my own life occurred in September 2008. My oldest son, Geoffrey; his wife, Kerstin; and their son, Cameron, invited me to hike to the top of Mount Timpanogos. Since coming to BYU 22 years ago, I have always wanted to do that—every time I looked up at that most beautiful mountain north of our campus. I agreed to go, but then discovered the hike was almost 12 miles round trip. And of course the first six miles were all uphill! And this was in the heat of the summer.

I was close to 60 years old at the time and not in very good physical shape. But I figured if I took it easy and drank a lot of water, I could make it. And Geoff and Kerstin were experienced backpackers, so I felt safe with them. Plus my other son Dillon agreed to take my 40-pound backpack most of the way up the trail for me.
We hiked for a whole day, and by the time we arrived about one mile from the summit and pitched camp, I found myself exhausted. I had been stopping for a breath about every 75 yards for the last hour. I saw the top of that beautiful mountain and thanked God that I was there! But I also realized that I did not have the physical stamina to go to the very top the next day, plus hike down six miles with a full backpack, most likely in the middle of a rainstorm that was forecast for the next day.

At that moment I changed my expectations! I wisely decided, “I have climbed my mountain! I have seen the top! I have survived a hike I was not sure I would survive!” I was joyous, but I had to fight off the normal protests from my son that I was only one mile from the summit and I might someday regret not going to the very top. I told him, “That’s okay. You guys summit tomorrow. I have climbed my mountain!”

Now some of you may be thinking that I wimped out by changing my expectations in the middle of the hike. That’s understandable. However, had I gone on, I might not have been here today making this speech. Little did I know at that time that the breathing problem I was suffering was due to two clogged arteries
in my heart that were 95 percent closed—a problem that was not diagnosed and treated until just two months ago. Had I continued to the top of Timp that day, I might still be there—buried with a great view!

A funny thing happened later: my cardiologist, who did not know this story, told me after surgery in May: “You can pretty much exercise the way you were before, but don’t go climbing Timp this weekend!” But how does God feel about our lack of perfection? I like this quote: “God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.” What about the times when our expectations (even realistic ones) are not met? How do we best respond? My mom, the fountain of all knowledge, would say, “Count your blessings, it could be worse!” Perhaps she got this counsel from one of my favorite hymns.

Let’s look at the first verse:

“When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost.” All is lost? That is overgeneralization combined with catastrophizing! Help! All is lost! “Count your many blessings; name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”11 This is the strategy I try to use when trouble or discouragement shows up in my life. The message here is to take perspective with all your problems. If we compare our blessings to our misfortunes, my guess is most of us would have many of the former and fewer of the latter.

It has been said, “Happy people count their blessings, while the miserable complain about theirs.”12 That’s like complaining that you missed a call on your miniature computer attached to your ear, which is connected to a multimillion-dollar satellite circling the earth hundreds of miles away, thanks to the work of many talented scientists. This device is also referred to as your cell phone. It will even take pictures you can send instantly to your mom! What would the pioneers say if they heard this? By the way, how many of you are texting right now?

As President Monson said, “Everyone can be discontented if he ignores his blessings and looks only at his burdens.”

What about unrealistic expectations about relationships? Here are a few that will get you into trouble. They are from my book for singles called Should We Stay Together? For those looking
to get married here are a few:

“There is one and only one right person in the world for you to marry.”14 This is, of course, an example of all-or-nothing thinking. Fortunately for most of us there are several people in the world we could be happy with. Otherwise, why would people remarry after the death of a beloved spouse and be just as happy with the second spouse?

Another irrational belief or expectation is “Choosing someone to marry is a ‘decision of the heart.’”15 The fact is, if more people used their heads in the mate-selection process, the divorce rate might not be nearly so high.

Next, how about this myth: “Preparing for marriage ‘just comes naturally.’”16 This is called “the myth of naturalism”17—that it’s just natural to know what it takes to be happily married.
You don’t need to take a class! Why

spend your tuition money on that? Everyone knows how to be happily married! We simply learn it naturally from our parents and TV! This is scary when you consider half of the parents
in the United States and most on TV are divorced!

For the marrieds in the audience, here are a couple of marriage myths for you to consider from my second book, The Great Marriage Tune-Up Book:

“If my spouse loves me, he [or she] should instinctively know what I want and need to be happy.”18 This is the ESP, or extra-sensory perception, myth—expecting our partner to be able to read our mind.
Another myth is “Marriage can fulfill all of my needs.”19 No, you still need a close relationship
with God, good friends, family members, hobbies, and a golf or tennis game to be happy, even if you are married!

I hope you don’t believe the myth that “couples should keep their problems to themselves and solve them alone.”20 Too many couples keep their problems to themselves until it is too late and the relationship is so dysfunctionalthat it is nearly impossible to repair, even in therapy. Most couples who divorce say they never went to marriage counseling or they waited too long to go. If they could speak to us now, their message to us would be “Reach out for help before it is too late!”

In conclusion, today I have made a case for carefully considering your expectations and thoughts about life in order to be happier. I want to end my talk with two quotes related to expectations about life from two of my favorite people: President Gordon B. Hinckley and his wife, Sister Marjorie Pay Hinckley.

President Hinckley once quoted Jenkin Lloyd Jones, who said:

Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed.

Most putts don’t drop. Most beef is tough. . . . Life is like an old-time rail journey—delays, sidetracks,
smoke, dust, cinder and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed.
The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.

My mom not only made great fudge, she also had a great sense of humor. Sister Hinckley, like my mom, also had a sense of humor. She said this: “The only way to get through life is to laugh your way through it. You either have to laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a headache.”

It is my prayer that this message has not given you a headache but rather some ideas to consider in improving your own personal happiness.

By being more aware and then more realistic in our expectations and thoughts about life and other people, we can become happier than we would otherwise by expecting life or others to change for us. I testify that my mom was right and that these principles are true, as I have tried to live them all my life. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Help Me Launch My New Book!

2011-12-30T11:24:00.001-08:00

It's finally time! I told you a while ago that I was working on a new book. Well, I wrote it a few months ago and for some reason felt that I needed to wait on the last chapter for something that hadn't happened yet. I wasn't sure where I would come up with the money to publish it but I felt that it would all work out and come together by spring. I realized that if God was working through me to share this important message with even just one or two people, He would help find a way to make it possible. Well, the last chapter has finally come together and I can see God's hand in guiding this book to be published by spring.

To give a recap of the story, I received divine inspiration one day last summer about a message that I felt I was to share publicly. I was to write a book about my experiences with some very important successes and failures that have happened in the last few years in my life. I was to write about recognizing God's hand in all things and finding the successes in our failures. You see, God has taught me a lot about this in the past few years and there is a very important message relating to all of this that I have felt prompted to share. Even if this message only reaches a few people or changes the life of one, it will be worth the effort.

Click on this link to learn more about the book and how you can pre-order your copy and spread the word to help launch this Divine message! Thanks!!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1301308256/help-launch-successful-failures-and-change-lives

Meeting the Savior - Part 2

2011-12-20T12:14:00.000-08:00

I told you that I would share with you what I am giving Christ this holiday season.

In my last post I shared with you some personal experiences and accounts from a few people who had died and met the Savior before being brought back to life in the hospital. Their experiences were miraculous and glorious! Something I have found to be quite common in just about every NDE when someone meets the Savior, He asks them "What have you done for your fellow man?" They are then shown a review of their life.

Almost every time, the person feels like they could have done more to help others during their life. They then learn on the other side how important service is and that it's really what we should be occupying ourselves with daily. The natural man is quick to build up his empire on Earth with riches, fame and worldly status. However, on the other side, none of that matters. Your mansion in heaven is built for you based on your good deeds, service and love you rendered to others.

Ether 12:34
And now I know that this love which thou hast had for the children of men is charity; wherefore, except men shall have charity they cannot inherit that place which thou hast prepared in the mansions of thy Father.

Christ is the very best example of service. He healed the sick, the blind and afflicted, raised the dead and was a friend to all. He expected nothing in return but asked that man might follow Him.

We can follow Him by trying to be like Him. If everyone tried to be like the Savior this world would transform itself into heaven on Earth. What a beautiful thought!

I know that if the Savior knocked on my door, I would jump for joy in humble reverence at the opportunity to welcome Him into my home and make Him feel comfortable. I would meet any request asked of me and it would be a blessing. The Savior probably will never show up at my doorstep however that doesn't mean that I will not have the opportunity to serve Him personally. After all, we know that when we are serving others, we are serving the Lord.

Matthew 25:40

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Every time I hear someone testify that Jesus Christ is the Lord, whether it be a prophet, an account of a near death experience, a child, or just a neighbor down the street, I always feel the Spirit confirm that truth upon me.

In the Song "Oh Holy Night" (especially the Celine Dion and Josh Groban versions) there is a strong witness of our Savior. I am always filled with the Holy Spirit like massive waves of warm water rolling down from my head to my toes. I can't get enough of this song and it is my favorite Christmas song by all means.

Even without the music, the lyrics alone are very powerful.

Oh Holy Night

O Holy night, the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Til He appeared and the soul felt it's worth

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn

Fall on your knees
O hear the angel voices
O night divine!
O night when Christ was born
O night divine!
O night, O night divine!

And in His Name, all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us praise his holy name
Christ is the Lord!
Their name forever praise we

Noel, Noel
O night, O night Divine
Noel, Noel
O night, O night Divine
Noel, Noel
O night, O holy Divine

If you know Jesus is the Christ, the Lord, the Savior of the Earth, then share that with the world. I challenge you to look for opportunities each day where you can lift someone's burden and help them feel Christ's love for them. Whether it be a smile, a helping hand, a kind word, a kind gesture, or giving someone your time. Before your head hits the pillow each night, ask yourself, "What have I done to help my fellow man today?"

The gift I am giving my Savior this year and every year is charity through service and love. I know that is how we can best serve our Lord and Savior. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Here is a link to some short videos that best represent that sacred and special night when Christ was born. I hope you have a Merry Christmas!!

http://lds.org/bible-videos?lang=eng

Meeting the Savior

2011-12-15T13:20:00.000-08:00

It's nearing Christmas. Each day as we get a little closer to this special and sacred holiday, I can't help but think about Christ. What He did for us, his purpose in our lives and the Plan of Salvation. The more I ponder about Him, the more I want to be like Him and the closer I feel to Him.

As you know, I love to read books about Near Death Experiences. I own so many and refer to them a lot. What I love about these experiences is that they confirm eternal truths that I have always known to be true (three degrees of glory, a Heavenly Mother, children who pass away before the age of accountability etc.). Often times what people experience as "a new truth" that they had not known on the earth, I have known based on the doctrine and gospel principals taught in my LDS faith. It's exciting to see what I already know to be true confirmed through the testimony of someone learning it for the first time while briefly passing through the veil into the spirit world.

I love the messages that are always shared as loved ones from the other side and many times the Savior Himself, deliver special messages to the individual who has passed through the veil for a brief time. I believe each person who remembers their NDE is allowed to so that they may share what they learned with others. The spirit that I feel each time I read these messages and experiences is overwhelming. I tear up, get goose bumps, and I feel a warm rush from head to toe. I enjoy the confirmations of the Spirit and feeling the love of Christ especially during this time of year.

Though I love to read these experiences to feel the Spirit and strengthen my testimony , my favorite part without question is reading the description of being in the Savior's presence. I'd like to share a couple of excerpts from a couple of my favorite books, about what it's like to meet the Savior.

"As I got closer to the light I heard a voice - but again as in the beautiful meadow, not with my ears alone. It was as if every thing that I was, every particle of my being, was absorbing what I heard. I not only heard the voice, but I felt it as He spoke to me, saying, 'Through me you have Eternal Life.' .... Suddenly I knew these things! I mean I really knew them! Through Christ I would have eternal life, and only through Him would I have it. Jesus Christ was my Savior, my Lord, my Redeemer! He was the Way of my Salvation, the Perfector of my soul. He was the very eternal Son of the Most High God. He had shed His sinless blood in the Garden and again on the cross for me. And because of that He had power to say to me, emphatically and with divine confidence, "Through me you have eternal life.".... In awe I drew nearer, almost riding upon the rays that spread out from the halos that surrounded this light, until I saw in the light's core the outline of a man - a glorious being apparently made of light that seemed more golden than in color than the radiance that shown all about him. And though I thought of Him as light, He certainly had all the physical aspects and substance of a man. I saw His hands, His arms, His body, His neck, His head - I even noted His facial characteristics though I am at a loss to describe them now. Yet withall He was a being of power and glorious light so incredible that I could not really comprehend Him. But I do remember His eyes! They were so clear and bright - yet there was color to them - a beautiful blue color outlined in deeper blue that made me think of the color of the distant ocean on a clear day. But it wasn't so much the color of His eyes as it was the power in them, that awed me. Those fathomless eyes penetrated my very soul. They knew me beyond anything I was capable of knowing about myself - and to my absolute and dumbfounded amazement, still He loved me. In fact, the love I had felt from the moment of seeing the light had grown steadily stronger, and now it somehow reached out and literally began to encircle me and draw me closer. I knew that I had been with Him before, for I absolutely recognized Him. I knew that I had dwelt, with my same exact identity in an eternal life or existence prior to my mortal life, and in that existence I had come to know this glorious being thoroughly and even intimately. That is both why and how I knew that the voice I heard and felt, as well as the being I was now gazing upon, was my eternal Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ." - Elane Durham: I Stand All Amazed

"Being so concerned with what I had left behind, I hadn't even thought to glance upward. My single goal was my body lying beneath me, but before I could reach it, I was stopped by a hand encircling my arm.

Startled, I looked down at the hand. It was a man's hand, large and strong, but the most striking thing about it was the puncture wound centered in the back. Before I even raised my eyes to look at the person it belonged to, I knew that I was staring at the hand of Jesus Christ.

Filled with a sudden sense of awe, I looked up to see His blue eyes fixed on me, an expression of delight mixed with intense love emanating from their depths....

Although my heart quickened in the presence of my Savior, I tore my gaze away from Him, an unreasoning sense of panic seizing my heart. If Christ had come to get me personally, then my number must surely be up. I still didn't want to go. I couldn't. My children needed me.

I tried to pull away, struggling to break Christ's hold on my arm. anxious to get back to my body before the love and peace I felt from Him overwhelmed me and changed my mind. Because I had not been nurtured as a child, I couldn't bear to leave my children motherless.

Christ put His other hand around my waist to restrain me. With all the love in the world poured into a few simple words, He said, 'There are people who want to see you.'

'Then you'll have to bring them here, because I'm not going," I said.

I didn't dare glance up at His face again for fear I wouldn't be able to stick to my resolve.

After a moment of silence, a hearty laugh rang out, startling me from my single-minded purpose. Christ was laughing! His laughter was like blending light with love, creating a sound of musical delight. His laughter was also filled with a sense of infinite reassurance that instantly calmed my fears and stopped me from trying to reach my wounded mortal shell.

'I promise I'll bring you back,' Christ said, with remnants of His wonderful laughter threaded through His words.

I believed Him.

When I looked up at Him again, I was surrounded by love so complete that it was like nothing I'd ever felt anywhere on earth. Of course I would go with Him. I would follow Him anywhere." Suzanne Freeman - Through the Window of Life

"Upon completing my life's review, which took only seconds, I felt sickened and was left extremely shaken. It was then that I noticed something going on in the distant city that caught my attention. An extremely bright light had entered the city and was gradually moving down one of the streets. This moving light was so brilliant that it outshone the light of the city and was blinding beyond our sun or any other light source that I am familiar with. It was so much brighter than anything or anyone else around it. It was then that I realized the source of this moving light was a man in it's center. He was walking with a crowd of people all around Him. The light came from Him, from His body and His clothing. It was like He and His clothing were made of brilliant light. Immediately around His person there was a golden glow with beams of sparkling light pouring from His body and reaching considerable distance. As I looked closer at this sparkling golden light, it appeared like fragmented gold dust was actually a part of the beams.

The man was incredibly beautiful, and then in an instant I knew this was Jesus Christ making a visit to the city....His eyes were a piercing blue. But, like most things in the spirit world, it wasn't His appearance that was so overpowering ; it was the feelings of love and complete acceptance transmitted to me as I gazed upon Him. The feelings were glorious beyond description and filled my whole being so that it felt as if it would burst.

As Jesus walked down the streets, people gathered around Him in a huge crowd of hundreds and yet there was no pushing as they reverently and courteously came as close to the savior as they could. Those in positions closest to Him touched His clothes or His person and some embraced Him.

While observing the people, I knew that they were feeling His great love for them as I was feeling it. Those who could not get close enough to touch Jesus could feel His love through the golden beams of light emanating from Him. I thought to myself that these beams of light must spread throughout the universe and to us on earth as well, so that all people everywhere could feel this tremendous love if they wanted to. It was as if love was emanating from Him, permeating time and space, even in His physical absence." Sarah Menet - There is No Death

These descriptions are so vivid that I can feel the Lord's warmth, light and love when I read them. We have lived with Christ before. I believe that when reading these accounts it's as if our Spirits are familiar with these descriptions. They burn true and feel so familiar. The Holy Ghost then burns from within confirming that the Savior is real and He does love us endlessly.

I love my Savior Jesus Christ and while pondering on what I can give Him this Christmas season some humbling thoughts cam to mind. Stay tuned for part 2 of this post when I'll share what I am giving Christ this season and share some very spiritually uplifting thoughts about our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I know He lives and loves as all more than we can imagine. I know that we can live with Him again if we choose to. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Zion on Earth

2011-12-04T19:29:00.000-08:00

This week I had the exciting opportunity to take a road trip with my husband and kids to Disney Land. I’ve been trying to plan this for the last three years and it finally happened. For the most part the kids were pretty good and the drive was very enjoyable. What I love most about road trips is all the time I have in the car to talk with my husband. The kids watch movies and fall asleep and we get to have some really good conversations.

I brought along three new books that I bought (all about near death experiences) and was able to read two of them in the car to my husband. The first being The Message by Lance Richardson, which a couple posts ago I had mentioned kept coming into my life and I felt I was supposed to read it. The other, I Saw Heaven by Larry Tooley which I liked even more than The Message.

Wow! I love books that talk about life in the Spirit World. I have so many and they are all very similar in their description. I Saw Heaven was very enlightening on the topics of our Heavenly Mother, premortal life and the three degrees of glory.The events were very detailed and the descriptions very vivid. It was so uplifting and it made me love and appreciate my family even more.

The Message, was all about service and how that is what is most important in this earthly life – serving others. These books inspired me to look for the good in all people all around me. It wasn’t hard at Disney Land. Everyone there was so happy and nice. In fact, even in Las Vegas (where we started)regular tourists smiled, waved hello, opened doors for us and offered to take pictures for us with our camera. As I began to notice and appreciate the good in all the world around me, I saw that is was everywhere. It was contagious. I passed the kindness right along everywhere I went. I thought about each and every person that came my way and saw them as a child of God. I felt equal to everyone and truly felt a small glimpse of a Zion society all around me.

At Newport beach, we stopped in at Subway for lunch. The man making our sandwiches looked about 50 years old with bleached blond surfer hair and tattoos all over. He was the friendliest man ever and was passionate about making our sandwiches delicious for us. He loved his job, he loved his life, he was so happy and kind. I thought to myself, “If everyone were as friendly as him, this would be heaven on earth”.

Another thought that came to my mind this week was about angels. The books I have read talk about our close friends, family members and ancestors who are usually our protective angels on the other side. I began to think that I might have been someone’s angel in the premortal life. As I thought about this, I also realized that everyone around me also had that opportunity in the premortal life and that again in the next life, they may again assist in helping others on Earth. Wow, I was truly walking amongst angels, children of God. And how many times does the Lord use people in our everyday lives to help answer our prayers and bless us. I didn’t need to anticipate what heaven will be like but rather bask in the beauty and joy of life on this earth. I had waited so many years in the preexistence to come here, receive a body and have an earthly experience. I was now having this experience.

I realized that I could no longer take this earthly opportunity for granted and that I needed to really enjoy it and make the best of it. As we continued on our vacation, I took every moment with my family and soaked it in. It was the happiest week of my life and I plan to continue making my days and weeks happy ones!

I know that this life really is just a twinkling of a second in the span of an eternal perspective. It goes by so quickly. What matters here doesn’t matter at all in the next life. Families and relationships are what matter most. If we can master that here then our transition into the spirit world will be much easier. I know that families are key to the plan of salvation and happiness. Families are everything and they are eternal. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Time for a Time Out

2011-11-30T21:57:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to share that I have been invited to be a featured blogger on TOFW.com

Time Out For Women is a division of Deseret Book Company and is an event and website where amazing, every day women share their stories and blogs. It's very inspirational!

You can visit this link to see my post and visit the website! You'll find details there of when the 2012 tour will be in your area. Should be great!

Don't Give Up - Give Thanks!

2011-11-23T14:15:00.000-08:00

Do you ever feel like you are headed in a million directions and you wish you were super woman? Well, that’s been me this week. Ever since we moved, for some reason I can’t seem to manage my priorities very well – but I’m getting there.

My to-do list is getting so long and dusty that’s it’s starting to look like one of the Dead Sea scrolls. I don’t know where you keep yours, but mine hangs smack dead in the center of our fridge (next to the accumulating mass amount of Jesus and temple pocket sized pictures). Every time I look at it I think of something to add to it and so it grows.

This week, I finally decided to tackle it. I want to make a slide show DVD of my children through the years from birth until 2011 as a Christmas gift for the grandparents. My in-laws are German and live in Germany and so I felt they would really appreciate something like this. I started it a couple of days ago and then remembered why I have avoided scrap booking for the last several months (another item on my to do list). My pictures are very unorganized and hard to find. Since my 5 year old was born we have gone through 4 computers. I have pictures on old hard drives, back up hard drives, slide show websites that don’t exist anymore, old phones and in addition to floating out in cyber space, I wouldn’t be surprised if some were actually floating out in outer space.

It’s been quite the adventure trying to get this finished before our family trip this weekend along with so many other things that must be done this week. At times I feel like I’m chasing my life and I just can’t keep up. Sometimes all you can do is say a prayer and just keep going.

Before going to bed last night, I pondered on the many different ways I could get a good grip on the reigns again. The first thought that came to mind was to ask my husband for a blessing (which I plan to do this evening). Isn’t it funny how we often forget the amazing power of the priesthood especially when it is right at our fingertips? I’m glad that the Lord is patient with me and helps me find direction.

Next, I thought about my family. They need to feel that they are at the top of my list always. I realized that the moments when I felt stressed, overwhelmed or frustrated were only happening when I put my family aside to take care of something less important. That needed to change.

Then I realized “HELLO” Thanksgiving is a day away. I needed to really be thinking about all of the things that I am thankful for rather than all the things I feel frustrated about or need to check off my list. Changing my attitude and priorities was the best solution to help get a grip on my life and slow things down a bit.

That night, I had a dream about my crazy, busy life. It started out happy and pleasant. I was enjoying friendships and service. Then I was on an airplane with my family headed to Sweden (airplane symbolizing my life's journey). I remember marveling that we were headed to Sweden because I have Swedish heritage (symbolizing my genealogy that I've been wanting to do). When we got there, because of the stress and chaos, we lost the baby (my feeling that I was losing time with my kids because of my busyness). She had wandered off at the airport and had disappeared. I was so sad and sick about it. When I woke up I knew what I needed to do.

So, this morning after taking my daughter to preschool I came home and surprised my other two kids. Without taking the time to look cute, put makeup on or check my email – I decided to take them on a walk. I realized that the baby and I hadn’t enjoyed sunlight in quite a while. The kids were so excited. As we ventured along through a neighborhood we never visit it felt so good to be walking in the warmth of the sun. It reminded me of the Savior and his love and light. It’s always there for us - we just need to take the time to feel it.

After I had that thought, we stumbled across a cute little playground we had never been to before. My kids were so excited and we stayed there for a while to play. Yes, I needed to get back to ship something to UPS, pick up some much needed groceries, bake pies for Thanksgiving, clean the house and…..(the list goes on), but for that moment in time all I thought about was playing with my kids.

Taking a time out and reflecting on what I am most thankful for has helped me remember that there will always be a “to-do list” and life will always seem busy, so if we are always waiting to “catch up” before we take a break then we will never get that break and we’ll miss out on the things that matter most.

When I got back to the house there were so many things awaiting me but I had a rejuvenated spirit. I decided that “time outs” were now going to be a part of my daily to do list. Sometimes we need to just breathe and enjoy life. If we take the time to do this each day – we will get so much more out of our lives, our relationships and most importantly – be able to feel the Spirit.

I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and I hope that you too will take the time to slow down and find the little joys. Reflect on what you are thankful for and what you have been blessed with. All the other less important stuff really doesn’t matter. By doing this you will feel the Lord’s love for you and everything will work out. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

A Beacon of Light (on an icy road)

2011-11-19T08:44:00.000-08:00

I decided I was going to go the temple this weekend but couldn't decide if I should go Friday night or Saturday morning. The closer temple (the Odgen temple) is closed for renovation/construction for the next 2 years and so the Bountiful temple gets pretty busy. Last time my husband and I went to the Bountiful temple, we prepaid a babysitter for 4 hours - that was our date night. From the driving, and waiting an hour and 15 minutes for a session, that was all we were able to do. No dinner. We made it back just in time with empty stomachs. Remembering how packed the temple was that Friday night, really made Saturday morning seem more appealing.

Yesterday afternoon, I just had the feeling I should go that night rather than in the morning. So I made the decision. A couple hours later I found a steal of a deal on a collection of Disney Princess dresses that my daughter really wants for Christmas. The whole set (accessories included) was just $7.00. I called the lady selling it, and she happened to live in Bountiful. An extra reason to go to Bountiful that night. I didn't want someone else to come along and buy the dresses.

After dinner, about 6:00 pm, I headed off to Bountiful. As I backed out of the garage, I noticed the wet, white flakes coming down in the darkness. It was snowing! Of course, I had heard on the radio that morning that a snow storm would roll in that night. Should I still go? Yes, I didn't want snow to stop me. It seemed like every time I planned to go to the temple, an obstacle always got in the way. Last time there was a misunderstanding with our babysitter, and though it would have been easier to stay home, I scrambled to find someone at the last minute.

I pressed forward in the snowfall. As I got on the freeway, the snowfall began to increase and I could not see the lines on the road. It was difficult to see what lane I was in as the water on the ground reflected the lights above. As large trucks flew passed me splashing slush across my window, I gripped the wheel tightly and pressed forward. There were blinding spots where I couldn't read the signs and relied on my GPS to lead me to my exit. Trying to focus on what lane to be in (especially when the freeway curved) meant my eyes needed to focus on the road only.

The voice from the GPS system was very comforting and gave me the assurance and direction I needed that night. As I exited off the freeway, the blinding snow made it difficult to see where to turn when the voice told me to turn. If I couldn't see the road to turn on, I didn't feel comfortable turning. So I would continue driving straight ahead. I ended up going 10 miles out of my way on a frightening adventure that led me on some back deserted roads and over two sets of train tracks. I had no idea where I was going - but the GPS did.

I continued to grip the wheel tight and prayed out loud over and over that God could keep me safe and get me to my destination. Finally I made it to the lady's house and bought the dresses from her. She was very kind and threw in some extra free things for my daughter. I thought that was very kind of her considering her financial circumstances. With the bag of princess clothing in hand my motivation was renewed and I was happy to now be on my way to the temple. I didn't need the GPS for the temple - I knew where it was.

As I ventured east up the road and then south towards the next main road that would lead me to the temple, I noticed the blinding snow once again trying to defeat me. As I made my way to where I thought I needed to be, I went on a long journey up the mountain and soon, nothing looked familiar. After 10 minutes of driving east, I thought for sure I should have arrived at the road that leads to the temple by now. What direction was I really going? Where was I?

I pulled over to call my husband and he did not answer. I waited a few minutes and called again. I tried to look up the temple on my GPS but every key word I tried, led to no results found. I called my husband again. It was then I noticed that my gas light was on. How long had it been on? I was so focused on the terrible roads, I had completely ignored the warnings in my car. If I continued to drive up the mountain I would run out of gas quick. I had not seen a gas station in quite a while, just homes. I looked at the clock - 20 minutes until the temple would close. Again I prayed out loud that all would be okay and I could make it to the temple before it closed.

I decided to call my sister. She answered! I explained to her my predicament and asked if should give me the address for the temple so I could put it into my GPS. After reprehending me for even being out at night, in a snow storm, by myself, she looked up the address for me. I told her I could get there now and I would call her if I got stranded.

With no time to go back down the mountain looking for a gas station I head upward. I was 2 and a half miles away from the temple and the GPS told me where to go. Watching the needle drop below the empty line was tense but I told God that I needed His help so I could make it to the temple and do His work. After all I had been through I needed the temple more than ever.

Then that comforting feeling came as I glanced through the snow, through the trees and above the homes at the piercing white light that shined through the bleak snowstorm. Amongst all that darkness and snow was the most beautiful white light I had ever seen. The temple was near, I could see it!

As that warm peaceful feeling came over me that all would be okay, several quotes and scriptures flooded into my mind.

In April 2011 General Conference, President Monson said;

"Today most of us do not have to suffer great hardships in order to attend the temple. Eighty-five percent of the membership of the Church now live within 200 miles (320 km) of a temple, and for a great many of us, that distance is much shorter."

I laughed as I pondered this. Sure I lived fairly close, but I had experienced great hardships to get here. How could I feel so defeated when so many other saints live a day's travel or more away from a temple. I needed to feel blessed and grateful.

Nephi 12:2

And it shall come to pass in the last days, when the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it.

Matthew 5:14

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

There was this beautiful temple prophesied in ancient scripture. A light unto the world, a house of God on the mountain top. No matter how dark or treacherous the storm, the light from the temple on the hill could not be hid. God's work was shining forth for all to see. I was touched at this thought.

Once I parked at the temple I carefully made my way in 5 inch heels across a blanket of ice and snow, as the snow fell fiercely onto my face. Once inside, safe and warm - it had all been worth it. I did the work I came to do and enjoyed every peaceful moment of it. When it was time to leave, I took a deep breath and walked towards what faced me ahead. There were now inches of snow on the ground and more falling. "Wow!" I said as I looked at a sweet older lady standing by the door. "I know." she said, "Isn't it beautiful!" Once again a profound learning moment (which is what I love about going to the temple). I was seeing the snowfall as frightening, terrible, dangerous annoyance and she was standing there peacefully smiling at what she viewed to be absolutely beautiful. That changed my perspective as I walked out into the pure white blanket that awaited me.

I pondered on what I had learned that night. Sometimes life gets dark and we are blinded by so many distractions and dangers. If we listen to the voice of the Holy Ghost (our spiritual GPS) He will guide us safely to our destination. Having faith that God hears our prayers and guides us, will bring that comfort that we need when standing in the face of fear. If we trust in Him, we will not be afraid. I couldn't help but wonder if angels were following me out to my car, as I didn't slip once on the icy ground. I was serving God and I felt that He would protect me on my journey home. Again I said a prayer that He would keep me safe.

On the way home, Christmas music was playing on the radio and it suddenly made the the snowfall seem so perfect. I began to think about the names of the people I had officiated in temple work for. They had been waiting hundreds of years to have these ordinances performed for them, and I felt that they appreciated the sacrifices I made that night and were a part of helping me get to the temple safely to do their work. All was well in the spirit world and here on Earth. I now trusted in the Lord to get me home safe ... and He did.

I know that when we are in the service of the Lord He watches over us. When we pray He hears us. Also, the temple truly is a house of God and I feel His spirit so strong there. I love this work and this gospel and am grateful as it continues to bless my life. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ - amen.

Life After Life

2011-11-15T12:11:00.000-08:00

My sister called me today and we began to talk about the mother and her two children that were killed over the weekend from crashing into a river. My sister knew the family and she shed some details about the story that made it even more heart breaking.

Here is a copy of the story from the Deseret News

EAGLE MOUNTAIN — Thomas Powell wasn't sure how to break the news to his 7-year-old son that the boy's mother and two younger brothers won't be home when he's released from the hospital.

"I haven't told him," he said Sunday afternoon. "I don't know how to tell him."

Since Wednesday night, Anthony Powell has been at University Hospital's burn center, recovering from third-degree burns to his right foot. The boy had been playing with a lighter at the family's Eagle Mountain home, and his pant leg caught fire.

Thomas Powell was at the burn center with Anthony on Saturday afternoon when a Utah Highway Patrol trooper broke the news to him that his wife, Inndia, and their other two boys, 3-year-old Alexander and 1-year-old Ashton, were killed in an auto accident.

"She was a great mother, a hard worker and a good friend," Thomas Powell said from his home in Eagle Mountain. "She was my best friend. She was loved by everybody. Everybody who knew her loved her."

Inndia Cherie Powell, 26, was on her way to visit a friend in Evanston, Wyo., when the Dodge Caravan she was driving slid off a slick, snow-covered freeway and into a river. The woman was caught in a snowstorm, with limited visibility, police said.

Inndia Powell was traveling east on I-80 about 10 miles northeast of Coalville about 2:30 p.m. when she lost control of the minivan. The vehicle slid off the east side of the freeway, hit a fence, rolled down an embankment and ended up upside-down in the river.

Police said the tread on the minivan's rear tires was worn, and that contributed to the accident. Inndia Powell and the two boys all were wearing safety restraints.

Alexander and Ashton were flown to a Wyoming hospital but were not able to be resuscitated.

The boys, their father said, "liked to be rowdy and wrestle." Alexander was a fan of Star Wars and Transformers, and both he and Ashton loved trucks and airplanes.

Thomas and Inndia Powell would have been married eight years on New Year's Day. The couple hugged and kissed for the final time Saturday morning at the burn center. Inndia had planned to return to the hospital Saturday evening and spend the night with Anthony.

Thomas Powell said Anthony got out of bed late Wednesday night when he couldn't sleep and had gone downstairs to eat some of his Halloween candy. Alexander later joined his older brother, who had found a barbecue igniter and was burning candy wrappers.

At some point, Anthony's pants caught on fire, Thomas Powell said. The fire spread up the boy's right pant leg and to his shirt, though he was only injured on his right foot.

"Alex … ran upstairs and told Inndia, 'Anthony's on fire.' She sprang out of bed, came (downstairs) and found him just sitting here burning," he said.

Anthony is recovering from a skin-graft surgery and is expected to be released from the hospital this week, by Wednesday at the latest, Thomas Powell said. The boy will have to undergo physical therapy and relearn how to walk.

And together, father and son will have to learn to adjust to life without Inndia, Alexander and Ashton. But they won't have to do it alone.

"We have a lot of support in our family," Thomas Powell said. Friends and neighbors also have been very supportive, he said.

People can donate to the Inndia Powell Famly Memorial at any America First Credit Union.

When my sister talked about this story with me, she said, "Lindsey this is why I called you today. I felt that I really needed to tell you this." The hairs on my arm stood up. I also felt that what she was about to tell me , I needed to hear and that I needed to write about it on my blog.

My sister has been reading a book called The Message by Lance Richardson. We love books about Near Death Experiences and I own so many. Earlier this year a friend had messaged me on facebook and told me to read the book The Message by Lance Richardson. I was very excited to do so, and then from the busyness of life, put it out of mind. After talking with my sister today, I again feel the need to get that book and read it. I don't think anything is ever a coincidence in this life. Someone wants me to read this book.

My sister and I began to talk about families and the after life. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I know the importance of families and the role they play in the plan of salvation. I know why we are here at this time and what our purpose is. I know where we are going after we die and the plan laid out before us when that time comes. What I love about NDE books is that they confirm this knowledge that I already have. It's so divine to hear about real experiences from the other side that confirm what I already know to be true. In addition to that, they add a little extra food for thought. Pleasant and exciting aspects about the afterlife that we just can't comprehend with our mortal minds, yet they are so intriguing that they somehow make complete sense.

In the book The Message (I am going to read this book and share more later), Lance Richardson experiences several out of body experiences while in a medical induced coma for three weeks. During this time he learns many things about his mission on Earth and the greater picture in the grand scheme of things. One of the truths that he learns is that we agree and are apart of the decision making process of when our life will come to an end on this earth before we are ever born. We see the trails and challenges that wait for us in our earthly life before we even experience them. We plan with our families how we will help each other so that we can make it through those challenges and make it back to each other on the other side. Whether we help each other together here in mortality or we pass on and help from the other side, it is all a part of a great plan that we agreed to before we came here. We understood then what we can't understand now. It just doesn't make sense now to think that a mother would choose to leave her family here on Earth under such circumstances. However we just don't know what trials lie ahead for her husband and son. Maybe she and her other children are going to be a part of a great mission to help her family on Earth through what lies ahead. What love would fill my heart to know that my loved ones loved me enough to choose to leave this life before me so that they could better help me make it back to them. It's a selfless act and very Christlike indeed.

It is comforting for me to know that families are forever. It is not by chance that we end up as families on earth. Whether through adoption, or being married in, we were divinely selected and agreed to be family units here on this earth. Our ancestors whom we have never met, our best friends, neighbors, and distant cousins are all meant to be a part of our life in one way or another for special reasons. It is all a part of a greater design that we cannot fully comprehend. If we understood it all, we would not feel as much pain in this life because we would know the joy that awaits us.

Though we may not understand everything in this life we can continue to learn and grow in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Line upon line, precept upon precept. God is in control of all things. He knows when, where and how to help us we just have to ask. If there is something we desire to understand, God can shed some light on it for us when we ask. I am on a continuous journey of seeking personal revelation in my daily life. Because I know and understand the simple concepts of the gospel, it's easier for me to make sense of the more difficult aspects. I love learning and growing my testimony. No matter how tough this life gets, I am glad to have this experience and the opportunity to try to be more like my Savior amongst daily challenges and trials.

I pray for the family above and I know that it may not be easy but they will get through this. Their loved ones may have been taken from this earthly life but they live and are busy at work right now helping their family on earth and preparing for the Savior's return. What an amazing day that will be when we get to reunite with our loved ones. I know that families are a part of the plan of happiness that God has for us, and I say this in the name of Jesus Christ - amen.

He Hears and Answers (Even in a Shoe Closet)

2011-11-13T12:58:00.000-08:00

I've had a few people reach out to me recently through my blog and tell me how it has been inspiring to them. I've been told more than once that it's refreshing to hear about topics other than craft making, decorating, and all the usual. I have to admit I do have a food blog that I share my most favorite recipes on weekly, and I have a private blog where I share fun photos and family activities. I have always wanted to blog about all the creative crafts and projects I seldom have the time to do but nonetheless always have the itch to talk about. Though I love to write and I love to create, if I spent my time blogging about all of those fun yet less important things then I would never find the time to share what's most important to me. My testimony.

Every week my testimony is strengthened through small means but in leaps and bounds. By sharing with you, the things that Heavenly Father puts in my heart every day - my testimony is strengthened and I feel I am more productive with my time. I feel good about spending 30 minutes of my time each week to testify of the Lord and His hand in my life. This blog has been a great blessing for me and I hope for you as well.

When I first started this blog a couple years ago, I wanted to remain as private as possible. Because of all things that I do on the side, I didn't want people to think that I had created another blog to spotlight those other areas in my life. My goal was just to be an anonymous woman sharing her testimony. However over the past few months I have had a strong impression that I need not be so private about my identity. As I struggled with this thought, more and more of you began reaching out to me and asking who I am, if I have a facebook page, an email address or a way that you can learn more about me and contact me. It's been very clear that the Lord is trying to tell me to not hide under a bushel any longer. I believe that the combination of what I do along with what I believe together can be a force for good. The Lord has made this very clear and I want everyone to know that any way that I can be an example and a voice for good I am willing to heed the call.

With that said, I'd like to share with you another way that the Lord has answered my prayers this week. I love that He works in mysterious ways because for me, it's the things that I least expect that have the biggest impact on my testimony. It's the unusual answers and impressions that are always the most profound and they help me recognize that God is always 100% involved.

Now, it's time to reveal something that I don't think my own husband even knows about me - that would be my "prayer closet". Do you have a place in your home where you feel the most in tune to the Spirit? For me that is the "prayer closet" (that's what I call it), or in other words my shoe closet. When I really need to plead with the Lord, receive revelation and feel His spirit I go to my prayer closet. Believe it or not but amongst those rows and rows of colorful shoes and the ever content sweaters hanging above, I feel the closest to the Lord in my home. Just between me and the shoes, I think the Lord would agree that He can communicate best with me when I am on my knees in the shoe closet.

Earlier this week I had a "prayer closet" type of plea that I needed answers to right away. I know that the Lord wants us to think for ourselves and exercise our accountability and agency in decision making. However when a big, risky decision is at hand I don't feel comfortable making it without direction from the Lord.

I have a product that I invented a couple years back and it has taken me on quite the adventure. So much to say, that I am writing a book about it and hope to release it in the spring. I will share more about that in the coming months. Anyway, I have come to a crossroads where I have to decide whether or not to take on a big financial risk/investment in order to take my business to the next level. Because I am a big advocate of zero debt it was tough for me to consider taking on debt as a means to support my current business growth. I knew that without this financial step my business would be on downward spiral as I could not continue keeping up with the demands on my own.

With that weighing heavy on my mind while trying to be a great mom and excellent wife, it was more than I could bear. I knew that there must be a way that I could achieve what I needed to without so much money involved. Every place that I contacted seemed to say otherwise, but I was determined. So, I went to the Lord and told him my dilemma. I told Him that I know that He knows all things and that He would know of a better direction for me to go with what I was trying to accomplish. A direction that I could feel good about that did not involve so much risk. I felt the Spirit confirm that God did know a way and that with my faith He would reveal it.

After I went to bed a thought came to my mind about a baby product I had ordered a year ago. The next thought that followed was that I needed to contact the owner of that business. Not sure how this would all unfold, I did know that the Lord was helping carry by burden and that He was watching out for me. That was all I needed to know to enjoy a good night sleep.

The next morning I remembered my thought. It was then I realized that I did not remember the name of the company I had ordered this product through. Not to mention that this baby product had nothing to do with my product. Still, I felt that by contacting this company I would get the answer I needed.

Rather than taking the time to track down this company,it seemed much easier just to contact similar companies. I quickly found this not to be effective and not what the Lord had prompted me to do. Finally, I sat down at my computer. The only thing I could think to do was to Google certain key words, "baby sling", "Utah company" etc. Maybe if I was lucky and after much time I would find it. To my surprise the very first link that came up in my search was the one! It was a mommy blog and the blogger had blogged about a baby sling she had bought from a Utah company and there was the link to their contact information. It was a picture of the same product I had purchased. I couldn't believe it! I then remembered that the Lord always provides the way, we just have to do what He asks and trust Him.

Just as we are told in 1 Nephi 3:7

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

It is no different with the promptings of the Spirit. When we are prompted to do something and it doesn't make any sense or even seem possible, we should remember that the Lord would never ask or prompt us to do something and then leave us completely on our own to do it. He will always provide a way.

I called the phone number and long story short, the owner of this company spoke to me for 45 minutes on the phone and gave me the solution I was looking for. I was so excited, it felt like Christmas morning! I called my husband and shared with him the great news. I now felt that I could continue to focus on being a great mom and excellent wife and the Lord would help me take care of my business. My priorities were in order and all would fall into place.

Yes, the Lord hears and answers our prayers - even in a shoe closet. It doesn't matter where we pray, the Lord will always hear us. What's important to us is important to Him and He knows the best solutions for all of our problems. I know that He heard my prayer this week and He answered it. I am always grateful for all the ways he blesses me and let's me know that He is there watching over me.

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

My Bout with Doubt

2011-10-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

Since we moved into our transitional house, my youngest (the baby) has been coughing up a storm every night in the middle of the night. She has been getting over a cold and for some reason in the middle of the night it manifests itself.

Well, a couple of nights ago I was tired and exhausted from the move, her birthday party, Fall festivities and her coughing every night. When I heard her cough I was too tired to get up out of the bed and try all my experimental remedies that help her through the cough attacks. More than anything I just wanted to sleep. I had an idea.

I prayed a silent prayer to Heavenly Father that He would stop her coughing and allow her a restful sleep as well as myself. I told Him why I needed rest as did she and how much this would mean to the both of us. At the end of my prayer she stopped coughing - I was so grateful for the silence and was then able to fall asleep.

About 3:00 am I woke up and realized that she had been continuously silent and had no other coughing attacks. I couldn't believe it. Instead of attributing that to the Lord I began to wonder if something had happened to her. Maybe she had died and that's why she was silent. I would feel so bad if she had died and it was my fault because I was too tired to get up with her when she was coughing. Realizing that I was doubting the Lord I began to struggle with my thoughts. Getting out of bed to check on her would mean that I doubted the Lord, yet trying to fall back asleep left me feeling guilty - what if something had happened to her?

After struggling with these thoughts and the agonizing fatigue I was experiencing, the Lord sent me a tender mercy as well as a wake up call. My baby began to cough. I was so happy to hear it. Then as she coughed, and coughed, and coughed, I sheepishly said to the Heavenly Father, "Lord, I get it. I'm sorry I doubted. Thank you for your hand in all things. Please allow her coughing to stop....again." And just like that, her coughing stopped. It was silent the rest of the night.

And so it is with so many things in our lives. The Lord answers our prayers and blesses us and then we later question the choices we made on the confirmations we received. Were they really from Him? Was it our our thoughts and desires overpowering the Spirit?

Doctrine and Covenants 6:36

Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.

Mathew 14:31
And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

Mormon 9:21

Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth.

Bottom line. When you ask the Lord for something recognizing and accepting His will, and you get it - He answered your prayer. Do not doubt but rejoice!

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ - amen.

Faith, Prayer and a Camera

2011-10-20T12:52:00.000-07:00

It's amazing to see how traffic is rapidly increasing on this blog. When I first started it a couple of years ago I did not expect it to reach so many people! Thank you for all of your comments - I love to read them! For some reason blogger is having technical difficulties and it won't let me respond to your comments lately. Leave your emails and I'd be happy to write you personally anytime.

I just moved and so the last couple of weeks have been crazy. I had quite the spiritual experience this morning and I promised God that I would write about it right away on the blog today!

Last night I was taking pictures of some recipes I had made for my food blog and afterward had set my camera on the kitchen counter. 30 minutes later I went to grab it so I could take pictures of our amazing Halloween decorations in the front yard and....it was nowhere to found!

I did a quick search through the house and then had to leave for an appointment. While I was gone my husband and sweet children turned the house upside down looking for the camera. I really needed it because today I was going to catch up on all my blog posts and I had taken the cutest Halloween pictures of my family this week - also my youngest has a birthday party on Saturday and I needed my camera!

After the appointment I came home and for the next hour my husband and I searched every heater vent, window sill and pillow case for the camera. No spot was to be overlooked. We all knew I had set the camera on the kitchen counter and I hadn't left the kitchen at all. It was sure a mystery. I was certain it had been swallowed up by a black hole.

That night I prayed that the Lord would help me find it. I had the impression that this was to be a spiritual learning experience for my children about prayer. In the morning I had my children kneel with me and we prayed to God to help us find the camera. I then said my own personal prayer explaining to God why I needed to find my camera and that I know that he knows all things. He knew where my camera was and I had the faith that He would guide me to it. I asked Him to reveal to me where to look.

After my prayer I had the feeling to go back to the kitchen. We all began looking together. I then felt drawn to the pantry. We had looked there so many time already, but I knew I had to look again. As I combed the shelves I was reminded that after I had taken pictures the night before, I had cleaned up the kitchen. It was possible that I had put the camera in the pantry with something else. Trying to remember the things I had put away, I saw my cookbook. Just then I had the best feeling ever. I grabbed the cookbook and felt something heavy inside. I opened it up and the camera fell out - right in front of my kids!

Right then and there I told them that we needed to kneel down again and thank God for answering our prayers. So we did. My kids were beaming with joy as was I. I taught them that God answers prayers based on your faith. We asked, we had the faith and He answered.

As parents especially mothers, we need to teach these truths to are children. Even better - they need to witness it in action. This will give them the faith and testimony they need when life's challenges come their way.

So many scriptures come to mind about this very subject. My favorites are:

Doctrine and Covenants 29:6

And, as it is written—Whatsoever ye shall ask in faith, being united in prayer according to my command, ye shall receive.
JST Mark 9:45

Seek unto my Father, and it shall be done in that very moment what ye shall ask, if ye ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive.

3 Nephi 18:20

20 And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.

Alma 7:23

23 And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.

It is so true. The Lord knows all and if we have faith with no room for doubt He can tell us, show us and provide for us whatever we need at the time we need it!

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ - amen.

God is Great

2011-09-20T12:16:00.000-07:00

We began the challenge of selling our home in a tough market about 40 days ago. When my husband first mentioned that he felt we should look into building 45 days ago, I strongly protested. Our son had just started Kindergarten and our daughter just began preschool around the corner. Everything was functioning perfectly and I didn't see a need to throw a stick in the wheel. Not to mention that we had tried selling a couple of years ago and after 6 months on the market it didn't sell. I didn't want to go through that again. Each time my husband would bring it up, I would tune him out and refuse to talk about it. So he quietly went about looking into some options anyway.

One day he came home and said he made an appointment to meet with a builder. He invited me to come with and of course I said he'd have to go alone. I then went to the store to pick up some things I needed. While there I happened to walk past a really cute hand painted shelf. As I looked at this shelf the strangest thing happened. I felt something come over me and almost like a heavy blanket (of doubt) was lifted off of me, my mind and body became light. I felt that we were supposed to build - it was right. I smiled.

When I got home, I told my husband that I would go with him to the appointment. He couldn't believe it. He ended up making a second appointment with another builder. When we drove out to the first appointment - as soon as we pulled into the neighborhood I felt really good about it. Last time when we went through this process, none of the homes we looked at felt right and we never sold our house. This time we fell in love with the first model home we saw. I felt that this was the floor plan we were supposed to have and this was the neighborhood we were supposed to live in. My husband felt the same. In fact we didn't think we should meet with the second builder which is not like us. We did anyways and it felt very wrong.

We both agreed we felt good about the first builder, so we would fast and pray about it. Since we felt so good, we prayed that if it was not the Lord's will for us to build, we would get a bad feeling about it. The next day was fast Sunday and we fasted. The next day we both felt very good about it still. So, we went back to the first builder that day and signed the paper work to build. I went from not wanting to sell at all, to the following Monday signing on a home to build. Strange? Now came the faith part. We had to sell our home. The contract was contingent upon us selling our home, so we were safe, however I did not want to go though all the hassle and pains of trying to sell and build for nothing. It needed to work this time. It felt to right.

We had always said that if we ever built or moved the house would need to face west this time. My husband and I wanted to have a shady backyard. There were a lot of lots available however only one lot was left in this subdivision that faced west - I knew that we were being directed to the exact spot where we were supposed to be.

I picked up the phone, to call our the Realtor we had used last time. Something told me that he was going to tell me that he does not work in realty anymore - but I felt I should call him anyways. We promised him that we would use him again if we ever were to sell. So, I called him and of course he told me that he doesn't work in realty anymore but he did keep his license. He referred me to an agent that he helps out now and then. He then told me that a family I absolutely adore who used to live on my street had built a home where we were building. When I mentioned their names to the builder's agent she smiled and showed me where they were building. Just a couple streets away. We would now have a friend to welcome us to the neighborhood! The next day we had the sign in our lawn. The Realtor said it was average for a home to sit 45 days on the market before an offer and at least 10 showings. I hoped he was right.

The first week came and we had a few showings. Things were looking good - but no offers. Then three weeks went by without any showings. I was getting worried. I kept telling myself that if this was meant to be it would happen. It felt right - I just needed to exercise faith in God. When the timing was right the home would sell. Over the next couple of weeks we lowered the price a little bit to generate more showings. It seemed to work - but no offers. The feedback was always great about our home. The only concern was that our backyard faced west - something we couldn't change.

One day while wondering when our home would sell, our builder called and said that they wouldn't dig the hole for our house until we sold our house or lowered it to $189,000. We had initially listed it at $199,900. We did not want to lower it that much, especially in the first 30 days. As I began to notice all the other homes like ours (that weren't short sales) not having any progress either I just kept telling myself that it would happen. I needed to have faith.

It was a sunny afternoon when inspiration came. I was writing a chapter in a book I'm working on when I happened to come across a talk from Elder Bednar titled Ask in Faith I was reminded in his talk about the importance of being specific when praying and then exercising faith. All this time I had been praying that our house would sell if it was the Lord's will but that was it. After reading this talk I knew what I needed to do. I took Elder Ballard's council to heart and that night I prayed for at least 2 showings to come through that weekend and for one of the showings to make an offer. This was specific.

I prayed each night throughout the week for this very thing. Thursday my agent called and said that morning two calls came through at the exact same time. The first call scheduled for a showing Thursday night and the other for Friday morning. I was very happy. Right after the second showing ended on Friday morning my agent called and said that the Thursday night showing had put in an offer. After 35 days and about 10 showings it happened. I was so happy and humbled. God had answered my specific prayer. That Saturday they accepted our counter offer and that night my husband and I were scheduled to go to the temple. I was so happy to thank the Lord by serving Him. As we dropped our kids off at Parent Date Night at my daughter's preschool, there had been a mix up. They did not have our kids on the list and there was not an infant teacher there to watch our baby. They offered to watch the older two but not the baby. My heart sank. Then I remembered how I had watched a friend's kids earlier that day. Maybe she would be willing to return the favor at the last minute on a Friday night. I called and she was happy to help. Again, I felt the Lord's love.

After the weekend ended and our celebrations died down, we quickly realized we would need to find a place to rent very soon. I thought this would be pretty easy. We would be excellent renters with good references. Who could say no to that? How wrong was I? The first available 15 homes I called on (in the vicinity of where I live) told me that they only do year leases - no exceptions. I needed a 4-5 month. I called on apartments, condos you name it. No one was willing to work with me. I had wanted to stay in my neighborhood so that my son could keep going to his school and I could continue to serve in my Primary calling in our ward. I wanted things to remain familiar for the kids. It would be hard to move twice with unfamiliar surroundings. I prayed to the Lord that He could help.

That day a friend in the ward told me that her backyard neighbor (who lived a couple homes north west of me) had moved out and might be renting. She gave me this lady's cell phone number. This would be perfect. We could move right across the street. We wouldn't even need a moving truck! A house was most ideal so that we wouldn't need to continue renting a storage unit. I said a prayer in my heart and then called. The lady listened to my request and my assurance that we would be her best renters ever. She was very kind and laughed at my silly yet desperate ways of convincing her to rent to us. She said she'd talk to her husband about it and call back later that night.

Later that night we were outside playing with the kids in the front yard. I saw the lady and her husband at the house moving things out. Should I go talk to them? No...she promised to call back, I would just wait. About 9:30 pm I wondered if she had decided not rent to us and didn't know how to tell me. Then something assured me that she was busy with moving and cleaning and realized it may be too late to call me. I prayed again that night.

The next morning about 9:30 am I decided to call her again. I needed to secure something soon to avoid getting an ulcer from all the stress of not knowing. Another woman had called and offered to work with us. Her home was very tiny (built in 1944) and no garage. The neighborhood looked very iffy and I wouldn't feel safe living there. It didn't feel right. I prayed that God would answer my prayer with my neighbor. Ater a couple of rings she answered. "I was just going to call you." she happily said. "I talked with my husband and he'd be happy to rent to you on a month to month basis." The hairs on my arm stood up. I had never asked or even suggested a month to month and here she was willing to offer it to us. Rather than us as renters trying to accommodate her, she was going to accommodate us. I couldn't believe it. I was so happy I almost cried.

I can't help but tell the world how great God is. He is there to work out all the kinks in the intricate design of our wonderful lives. He wants to bless us with what we desire all we have to do is ask. We also need to recognize His will. If you pray about it and you feel good, then you need to have faith that your prayers will be answered. It wasn't His will for us to move two years ago. We were looking down in Herriman last time to be closer to Manuel's job and my family. We never did get that assurance that we were looking in the right place and our house never sold. This summer Manuel got a job in Ogden - we can now see why our house never sold. He would be commuting again. Now he gets to work in under 20 minutes. We were supposed to stay up here. Manuel needed to get a job up here so that we would be led to where we were supposed to live. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

In addition to asking the Lord for blessings and answers we have to be specific with what we ask for. I believe it's because He wants us to clearly recognize His hand in our blessings - not to confuse them as a coincidence or "good luck". He then requires that we exercise our best faith in Him. This is the best part but not always easy. When you try it however, it's the best most euphoric and humbling feeling! Nothing compares to receiving a blessing or answer to a prayer that you know came from the Lord. It feels absolutely amazing to know that He hears your prayers and He speaks back. It feels absolutely amazing to see faith in action and to witness miracles. What a testimony builder!

Lastly, I have been making an effort to thank God by telling Him what I can do for Him rather than always asking what He can do for me. I ask Him to place service opportunities before me and for opportunities to share the gospel and my testimony. Let me just tell you - God always takes you up on your offers. I am grateful for the opportunities he has placed in my path because it confirms that He loves me, He hears me and He is communicating with me. Also, it feels great to serve the Lord!

I challenge you to look for ways to exercise your faith and to improve your prayers with God. I know if you do, He will show you His love, mercy and grace. You will be blessed. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ - amen.

The Contact Lens

2011-08-21T14:46:00.000-07:00

I love this story. I first read it in an email a month ago and have enjoyed sharing it since. It's the perfect example of how faith and prayer go hand in hand. Enjoy!

Brenda was almost halfway to the top of the tremendous granite cliff.. She was standing on a ledge where she was taking a breather during this, her first rock climb. As she rested there, the safety rope snapped against her eye and knocked out her contact lens.

'Great', she thought. 'Here I am on a rock ledge, hundreds of feet from the bottom and hundreds of feet to the top of this cliff, and now my sight is blurry.' She looked and looked, hoping that somehow it had landed on the ledge. But it just wasn't there.

She felt the panic rising in her, so she began praying. She prayed for calm, and she prayed that she might find her contact lens. When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but it was not to be found. Although she was calm now that she was at the top, she was saddened because she could not clearly see across the range of mountains. She thought of the bible verse 'The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth.'

She thought, 'Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me.'

Later, when they had hiked down the trail to the bottom of the cliff they met another party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, 'Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?'

Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across a twig on the face of the rock, carrying it!

The story doesn't end there. Brenda's father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a cartoon of an ant lugging that contact lens with the caption, 'Lord, I don't know why you want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and it's awfully heavy. But if this is what you want me to do; I'll carry it for you.'

God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called

Pioneer Day Tribute

2011-07-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

Today I gave the sharing time lesson in Primary and it was on the sacrifices that the pioneers made for the temples. The lessons are only 15 minutes but it seemed longer and turned out better than I imagined.

I want to share with you some of the special thoughts and messages that I shared with the beautiful primary children today in tribute of Pioneer Day next week!

A millennia ago, the prophet Micah predicted the following:

Micah 4:1-2

“But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.

“And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”

Micah saw the Salt Lake temple and temple square - the place where saints from all over the world gather twice a year. It is also a temple that visitors from all over the world come to see all year long.

When the prophet

Joseph Smith was commanded to build a temple, he had never seen one before and did not know how it should look. There were no temples in his time. The Lord needed a place where his sacred ordinances could be carried out just as in the days of Moses and Solomon, Joseph wanted it to be pleasing unto the Lord. He and the first presidency prayed together and they were shown a vision of the Kirtland temple and how it should be built.

Prior to the temple's dedication the prophet Joseph Smith, his counselors and many other witnesses experienced marvelous visions inside the temple. One vision in particular, when Joseph received revelation about those who die before hearing about the gospel is as follows:

After all the men had been anointed, Joseph Smith testified that “the heavens were opened upon us” and he “beheld the celestial kingdom of God, and the glory thereof”( D&C 137:1-10) He saw “the blazing throne of God, whereon was seated the Father and the Son.” He “saw the beautiful streets of that kingdom, which had the appearance of being paved with gold.” He saw “Fathers Adam and Abraham” and others who were then living, including his father (who was with him in the room), his mother (who was home in Kirtland), and his deceased brother, Alvin. He saw the twelve Apostles, who had been called the year before, and he saw Jesus standing in their midst. He also saw in the celestial kingdom all of the presidency and many others. Upon asking the Lord how Alvin, who had died before the Church was restored, could inherit the celestial kingdom, he received the remarkable assurance that “All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God

According to the Prophet Joseph Smith, during this vision angels not only ministered to him but to others who had received their anointings. “The power of the Highest rested upon us,” he said, and “the house was filled with the glory of God.” His scribe, Warren Parrish, recorded his own experience at the Prophet’s dictation: “My scribe … saw in a vision the armies of heaven protecting the Saints in their return to Zion, and many [of the same] things which I [Joseph Smith] saw.”

Following this ordinance, says the Prophet Joseph Smith, “The visions of heaven were opened to them also. Some of them saw the face of the Savior, and others were ministered unto by holy angels.” He further testified that “we all communed with the heavenly host. … The spirit of prophecy and revelation,” he added, “was poured out in mighty power.”

The early saints (pioneers) had such a powerful testimony of temples that after the mobs drove them out of Kirtland, Ohio, to abandon the temple (that all their sacrifice of blood, sweat and tears went into), they would go on to Nauvoo, Illinois where they would again sacrifice to build a House of the Lord. The prophet Joseph Smith was martyred half way through the construction of the Nauvoo temple. Shortly after the temple was dedicated the mobs came and drove the saints out of Nauvoo and destroyed the temple. The pioneers watched their hard work and sacrifice burn to the ground. You would think that most people would say, "Hey, I've had enough. I give up - this just isn't worth it." No, not the pioneers. They made the long trek across the plains to the Salt Lake Valley in Utah, many giving their very lives for the sake of what they held so dear. It was there they again sacrificed blood, sweat and tears to build the Salt Lake temple.

The Salt Lake temple is my favorite temple. It was where I was married and sealed for time and all eternity to my husband. Whenever I visit, I feel the testimony of those early pioneers. From the gold Angel Moroni mounted on top to the "Holiness to the Lord" engraved on the east side. They all are a visible testimony of those early saints.

The prophet Brigham Young had a vision of the Salt Lake temple years before it was built. Though he never lived to see it completed he was in attendance that day. On the morning of 6 April 1893, the prophet Wilford Woodruff entered the Salt Lake Temple through the southwest doors and proceeded to the fourth floor. At 10:00 A.M., with twenty-five hundred people in attendance, the first of a series of forty-one dedication services began. The dedication was the final step in a forty-year saga of sacrifice and labor surrounding the construction of the Salt Lake Temple.

“The Heavenly Host were in attendance at the [first] dedication [service],” President Woodruff told the congregation in a subsequent dedicatory service. “If the eyes of the congregation could be opened they would [have] seen Joseph and Hyrum [Smith], Brigham Young, John Taylor and all the good men who had lived in this dispensation assembled with us, as also Esaias, Jeremiah, and all the Holy Prophets and Apostles who had prophesied of the latter day work. … They were rejoicing with us in this building which had been accepted of the Lord and [when] the [Hosanna] shout had reached the throne of the Almighty,” they too had joined in the joyous shout." My great, great, great grandmother, Elizabeth Mills Oakden Whitaker was a little girl when she came with her family from Ireland to Nauvoo. She saw the Nauvoo temple built and later destroyed. She also witnessed the building of the Salt Lake temple. Her accounts from her biography are as follows: "Well, if you're going to write a book about me, I suppose I should go back to when i was just a little girl in Nauvoo, and they were building the Nauvoo Temple. I used to take my father's lunch to him every day and there I would see the prophet Joseph. My mother was an excellent cook, and she'd sometimes put in an extra piece of chocolate cake, or other dessert, and father would share it with the Prophet. Sometimes, that wonderful man would take me on my knee, there on the steps of the temple and stroke my hair and tell me how beautiful it was, and that I must always strive to be as beautiful on the inside as I was on the outside. "For," said he, "Jesus loves little children and he wants them to grow up pure and clean so they can come back to Heaven and dwell with him, forever. Did I tell you that my father was a professional tin-smith and that he made and mounted the hoofs, horns and bars of the oxen in the basement of the temple, that held up the baptismal fonts? I wasn't old enough then when the temple was finished to be baptized in it, but I remember that glorious building and how hard everyone worked and skimped and saved, to get it finished. It never was completely finished. My parents were permitted to go through it for their own endowments and sealing, December 13, 1845. It was opened only one day for living sealings, when the city was mobbed and that glorious Temple was destroyed by them. It was burned to the ground and as foretold in prophecy, 'not one stone was left on top of another'. This was after the martyrdom. " Account of the Salt Lake Temple "I remember when the Salt Lake Temple was finished and decorated. They opened it up and let everyone, outsiders and all, who wanted to go through it and see it for one whole week before they dedicated it. Oh, it was the most beautiful building west of the Mississippi." My great, great, great grandmother made great sacrifices. When traveling across the plains she was kidnapped by Indians. Her father later risked his life to go save her. I have other great, great grandparents who helped build the Manti, Utah temple. They too sacrificed much for the work. Many of the pioneers sold all they had to earn money to build the temples. They risked their lives, sold their belongings, and endured great trials to come to Utah. Here in Utah, would be a permanent refuge for the saints, where they could live in peace. "We are here! Thank the Almighty God of Israel!” exclaimed Brigham Young. The exodus to the west was very similar to that of Moses and the children of Israel. Instead of crossing the parted sea and wandering in the desert for 40 years, the saints crossed the plains and made their home in the desert of what is now Utah. I will forever be grateful for what my pioneer ancestors gave and sacrificed for they believed. It is because of them that I enjoy this beautiful valley, the gospel and the blessings of the temple. I strive each day of my life to live a legacy that would be pleasing to my pioneer ancestors and the Lord. I don't want their sacrifices to have been in vein. I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true. I know that temples are a House of the Lord and allow families to be together forever. This is my testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

The Still Small Voice

2011-06-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

My sister and I were talking on the phone the other day and we began to talk about dealing with our children and patience.

"Lately I have really tried to make an effort to speak calmly to my children." she said. "It has really made all the difference."

She then told me about an experience the day before when her son was going to be late for baseball practice because he couldn't find his cleats. Normally she would have been chastising him for not being more organized with his personal things. This time she decided to take the calm approach. She saw that he was already not happy with himself for misplacing them and she did not need to add to his personal agony.

As she quietly followed him around the house, helping him turn over every piece of furniture and blanket the thought came to her to go out in the garage and back out her van. So without hesitation that's what she did. As she backed the van out into the driveway - there were her son's cleats. They had been under the van.

She told me that she realized had she not been calm and patient with her son, her anger and rage would have overpowered the Spirit and she would have not have been able to hear the promptings. I thought this was a great message for everyone.

Doctrine and Covenants 105:40

40 And make proposals for peace unto those who have smitten you, according to the voice of the Spirit which is in you, and all things shall work together for your good.

1 Peter 3:4

4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

“The Holy Ghost is a revelator,” said Joseph Smith, and “no man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelations” (HC 6:58). According to the Bible Dictionary, without revelation, all would be guesswork, darkness, and confusion.

We live in such a noisy world as it is. With all that surrounds us, we should strive to be forgiving, peaceful and patient - and to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost with us always. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Touched by a Real Angel

2011-06-05T13:48:00.000-07:00

My younger sister has allowed me to share this recent personal experience - so I thank her.

My sister had planned a fun Saturday afternoon outing with our mom. It had been a while since they had spent some time together because my sister was going through some small personal trials. Because of her trials she was easily irritated by my mom and had found it best to just avoid her rather than hurt her feelings or get in a spat. Because of this she did not answer her phone when my mom called or return any of her messages for weeks at a time.

So, when my mom was able to finally schedule a visit with her she was ecstatic. My sister however was very hesitant and apprehensive. They started by having lunch at a quaint and popular soup eatery not too far from my sister's home. Already uneasy about spending time with our mom, my sister had her guard up. When it came time to order at the counter my sister knew what she wanted but my mom didn't have a clue. My sister noticed a gentleman who just walked in the door and was waiting behind them. She told him that if he knew what he wanted he could go ahead of them because they weren't ready. My mom however turned to him and said, "No, we are almost ready just give us another minute." So the man waited.

My sister feeling embarrassed but trying to hide it told our mom that there was no need to make this man wait when he knew what he wanted. My mom blew it off and told her that the man could wait as she was almost ready to decide. A few minutes later she made her decision and they ordered.

As they sat and ate, my mom began to tell my sister about all of her weekly frustrations. My sister asked her to tone down her voice as it was very loud and people were looking over. The man who was in line behind them came and sat one table over and quietly ate his meal and read his newspaper. He faced my sister but never once seemed to look at her. My sister was becoming a bit annoyed by my mom's conversation but kept quiet and let my mom do all the talking. She began to wonder if she should cut their visit short.

When they were finished, my mom went to go use the restroom and my sister waited by the door. Just then the man sitting by them approached her. This is her account of what happened next;

"He was a very tall man. He surprised me by taking my hands in his. His hands were very large and encompassed both of my hands. Normally I would have pulled away feeling socially violated however something about this man felt good and right. His eyes were very piercing and he looked right into mine as he began to speak. It's not normal for me to engage in full eye contact without occasionally looking away but for some reason it felt natural to just look at him the entire time he spoke. Our eyes never looked away.

As he spoke he began to tell me that he was a very wealthy man. However upon obtaining his wealth he learned a great lesson. He learned that the things of this world are not why we are here. He told me that this life is all about family. We are here to love, support and help our family. He then began to lovingly tell me that I need to love mom and appreciate her more. That we are put on this earth in our families for a certain reason and we need to embrace that reason. He said that mom needed my love and that she is a very special and amazing person. Then he told me that I shouldn't be embarrassed by her at all.

He said other amazing and wonderful things that for some reason I can't remember. In fact, he used such high vocabulary that some of things he was talking about seemed to be on a plane not of my understanding. Regardless, what he said pierced right through my soul and warmed my heart. I could feel a warm power coming through his hands into mine and it softened my soul. I suddenly had a greater understanding of things and I wanted to love my mom."

She went on to tell me that when he was done he walked away and cleared off his table. My mom came out and she and my sister went out to the car. They sat in the car and talked for quite a while and the man never came out. My sister's eyes had been opened and she wanted to spend the rest of the day with my mom. They went to a little antique shop and had the best time together. Instead of being embarrassed by our mom's silliness she joined in and soon the store manager was laughing with them and having a great time. They all broke out in song and dance right there in the sore and had a fun time.

Afterward my sister planned to take my mom back to her place and give her a pedicure but my mom got a phone call and was summoned to babysit her grand kids. My sister found herself feeling very sad that my mom had to leave.

That next weekend was Mother's Day and my sister did not want to miss this opportunity to show her love for our mom. Before meeting the man at the soup eatery she had decided that she was not going to see my mom on Mother's Day. She would send her a card instead. Now, she couldn't wait to get to my mom's house and see her again. She left hours early to help my mom clean her home and prepare the dinner. She also stayed hours after everyone had left and helped clean up and visit with my mom, who lives alone. This was a big step for my sister and our mom had a wonderful Mother's Day.

After hearing about this experience I told my sister that the weeks leading up to their experience at the soup eatery, my mom was heartbroken about not seeing my sister. She was praying each day and going to the temple pleading with the Lord to help soften my sister's heart so that they could have a better relationship and spend more time together. My mom had cried herself to sleep many nights over it. My sister had no idea.

When my sister realized how intriguing it was that this stranger knew the thoughts and feelings of her heart as well as our mom's she knew he couldn't have been just anyone. Based on her description of him, and how loving and powerful his words were and the fact that he broke social norms and boundaries yet it did not bother my sister one bit, we concluded he was an angel sent from God. Whether living on the Earth at this time and inspired by the Lord or sent from heaven above - it was clear that this was a work of God. It was an answer to my mom's prayer.

In a talk written by Bruce C. Hafen in the April 1992 Ensign he stated;

"When do the angels come? If we seek to be worthy, they are near us when we need them most. The mountain might even be full with the horsemen of Israel and their chariots of fire."

My mom had faithfully pleaded with the Lord and exercised her righteous faith through continuous temple service. When we ask something of the Lord and exercise faith while doing our part in return, He will bless us. The powers of heaven are easily conjured through righteous prayer and faith.

I know that the Lord is aware of us all and that we are a part of a greater plan. The Lord's kingdom is in heaven and being built on Earth. Angels administer in this great work, daily. The Lord hears our prayers and desires to bless us. By the powers of Heaven all things are possible, even softening the hearts of men.

I testify this is true, in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Are Mormons Christians?

2011-05-23T13:37:00.001-07:00

With all the hype in political news lately with the GOP candidates it has been interesting for me to notice the rising question of Mormons being Christians. I think this assumption may come into factor due to the nickname "Mormon" given to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by the world. People assume we worship Mormon or even Joseph Smith.

It always helps to educate oneself before making an assumption. Which I hope my response below will do just that. It's funny to me how many people who believe that LDS members are not Christian are a bit hostile in doing so. Over the last days I have read several mean and spiteful comments coming from these people towards members of the Mormon faith. The Savior Jesus, Christ was very loving towards all people during his ministry on Earth regardless of their beliefs. Those who are true followers of Christ today do the same.

My response about Mormons not being Christians:

The definition of the term Christian is "a follower of Christ". The LDS (aka- Mormon) church is the "Church of Jesus Christ" of Latter Day Saints. With Christ in the name and recognized as the head of the church it is very clearly stated that we are 100% Christian.

All people, of all faiths who believe in Christ and follow him are Christian. The Articles of Faith, which sum up best what Latter Day Saints believe state,

" 1-We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.

3-We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

4- We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost

........and my favorite......

13 -We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."

In the Book of Mormon , 101 names/titles of Christ are collectively presented 3,925 times in 6,607 Book of Mormon verses (see * below). Which averages the mentioning of Christ once every 1.7 verses. The Old Testament, New Testament and Additional Testament of Christ visiting the American Continent (aka Book of Mormon) is what we believe to be true and the core of our beliefs.

With that being said Jesus Christ is who we serve daily and the core of our beliefs and testimony.

It is important that during these interesting political times we don't lose sight of what's really important. It's easy to get caught up in defending who is right and wrong and why, however that is not the way to bring people unto Christ. Be a light to the world by your example and compassionate love towards others. The key to entering the kingdom is charity (compassion for all).

"Gentiles … show unto them that faith, hope and charity", Ether 12:28

"Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth", 1 Corinthians. 8:1

"Whoso is found possessed of charity at last day, it shall be well with him", Moroni. 7:47

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ - Amen.

References:

*http://www.schoolofabraham.com/findingchrist.htm

Heavenly Mother

2011-05-10T21:06:00.000-07:00

In lieu of Mother's Day I wanted to post this thought about mothers. For those individuals who have not known a mother in this lifetime this is a message of hope and love.

There is an LDS hymn written by Eliza R. Snow who felt inspired to write it after the prophet Joseph Smith had taught her the principle of heavenly parents.

Oh My Father

O my Father, thou that dwellest
In the high and glorious place;
When shall I regain thy presence,
And again behold thy face?

In thy holy habitation
Did my spirit once reside?
In my first primeval childhood
Was I nurtur'd near thy side?

For a wise and glorious purpose
Thou hast plac'd me here on earth,
And withheld the recollection
Of my former friends and birth:

Yet oft times a secret something
Whispered you re a stranger here;
And I felt that I had wandered
From a more exalted sphere.

I had learn'd to call thee father
Through thy spirit from on high;
But until the key of knowledge
Was restor'd, I knew not why.

In the heav'ns are parents single? No, the thought makes reason stare; Truth is reason—truth eternal Tells me I've a mother there.

When I leave this frail existence—
When I lay this mortal by,
Father, mother, may I meet you
In your royal court on high?

Then, at length, when I've completed
All you sent me forth to do,
With your mutual approbation
Let me come and dwell with you.

I believe that we do have a Heavenly Mother and that she loves us very much. We are taught in The Family:A Proclamation to the World, that each person is a "spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents". Because we respect the sacredness of her existence, she is not mentioned in doctrine and we do not speak of her. Though we do not learn about her on Earth I believe someday we will. Knowing this helps me be the best mother I can be as to try and model the characteristics I feel that she has.

We are loved dearly by a merciful Heavenly Father and Mother who we will again see someday. It is my prayer that we always remember who we are, where we came from as well as our potential of what we may become. Knowing this will sustain us though our trials and help us as greatly influence our parenting skills. May we continue to pray to our Father in Heaven and always thank him for all we have. This I say in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

The Only Begotten

2011-05-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

Last night I was doing final preparations of my primary lesson and I started on one of those fun scripture chains. It began with the topic of the Restoration of the Church. From there it led to a talk given by Niel A Maxwell in the April 2003 Ensign in which he talks about what the restoration of the church really means. (http://lds.org/ensign/2003/04/the-wondrous-restoration?lang=eng&query=restoration)He broke it down into the exciting truths that were restored that really make the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints a precious gem. One of the truths he mentions is the plurality of worlds.

Our planet, we know from the revelations, is but one among “worlds without number” (Moses 1:33), which “worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God” (D&C 76:24).

It was these scriptures that reminded me how vast God's creations are. I was reminded that God is not just the God of our planet - His love extends to worlds without end. I love deep doctrine and I noticed how Elder Maxwell pointed out the scripture that the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters of God. Though one might be enticed to begin searching out more knowledge on these seemingly endless numbers of God's children and that we are not alone in what expands beyond our universe - I could only focus on one word - "Begotten". I decided to ponder on the topic of Christ being the "only begotten" which had nothing to do with my lesson but I couldn't resist gaining some more knowledge and testimony.

The answer I posted below can be found at http://jesus.christ.org/

The scriptures teach that Jesus Christ was the only begotten son of God in the flesh. This means He was the only one of God’s children to have God as His earthly Father, and not just the father of his spirit. His spirit was created first, making Jesus Christ very literally our elder brother, since his spirit was born before any others.

Each of us is a child of God because He created our spirits. Our physical bodies result from our earthly parents. Jesus, however, had only one earthly parent. The Bible clearly explains the parentage of Jesus Christ. Mary, a mortal woman, is his mother, and God is His father. His Spirit, like everyone’s spirit, was created by God, but his physical, mortal body contained the DNA of both God and Mary. There is ample evidence of Jesus’ heritage as God’s own Son.

When Jesus Christ was baptized, God spoke from Heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” This was God’s personal and public testimony that Jesus was exactly who He claimed to be-God’s Son. Later in history, Jesus and God appeared together to Joseph Smith, the first prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in modern times. Again, God introduced Jesus to Joseph as His Son.

His duel heritage made possible many of the things Jesus did during his mortal ministry, most notably the atonement. He, like everyone else, inherited qualities from both His parents, and this gave Him both the ability to experience, and therefore understand, mortal challenges, as well as to be tested, but also to overcome death and live again.

Jesus, like other people who lived on earth, had His memories of His life before His birth, taken from Him. He had to regain it. Because He then had greater knowledge and ability in the gospel, he was tested and tried at a higher level than most. He passed each test, resisted every temptation, and endured every mortal trial placed before Him, dying as perfect as He was when He was born. As a result, He was worthy to take on our sins and atone for them.

In April 2004 General Conference, Keith B. McMullin beautifully reminded us:

'From cover to cover, the Holy Bible teaches and testifies of Christ. He is Jehovah of the Old Testament, Messiah of the New.The Book of Mormon, another testament of Him, was compiled, preserved, and brought forth for the express purpose of “convincing … Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting himself unto all nations.”The Lord’s life did not begin in Bethlehem, and ours did not begin at birth. In the premortal world, He stood as the stalwart, unwavering advocate of God’s eternal plan for His children,and we were there. In the great War in Heaven, it was by the power of the Firstborn that Lucifer was cast out,and we helped champion the cause. Through God’s Only Begotten Son “the worlds are and were created,”and we can therefore achieve our divine potential. As President J. Reuben Clark has said:

“It was not a novice, not an amateur, not a Being making a first trial, that came down in the beginning … and … made this world. …

“And if you think of this galaxy of ours having within it from the beginning perhaps … one million worlds, and multiply that by the number of millions of galaxies … that surround us, you will then get some view of who [Jesus Christ] is.”

As the world could not overcome Him in the meridian of time, so the world cannot do without Him in our time, and neither can we. His purpose is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”Hence, He came to the Prophet Joseph Smith, restored the priesthood, reestablished His Church, and again proclaimed the plan of redemption. Joseph saw Him, conversed with Him, and has left us this transcendent, poetic account of Him:

               I beheld round the throne holy angels and hosts,             
               And sanctified beings from worlds that have been,             
               In holiness worshipping God and the Lamb,             
               For ever and ever. Amen and amen.             

               And now after all of the proofs made of him,             
               By witnesses truly, by whom he was known,             
               This is mine, last of all, that he lives; yea, he lives!             
               And sits at the right hand of God on his throne.             

               And I heard a great voice bearing record from heav’n,             
               He’s the Saviour and only begotten of God;             
               By him, of him, and through him, the worlds were all made,             
               Even all that [careen] in the heavens so broad.             

               Whose inhabitants, too, from the first to the last,             
               Are sav’d by the very same Saviour of ours;             
               And, of course, are begotten God’s daughters and sons             
               By the very same truths and the very same powers.                      

We have with us today the Lord’s duly ordained Apostles. True to their sacred commission as “special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world,”they declare:

“Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son.”'

I joyfully testify with all my heart that this is true. And I do so in the sacred name of Jesus Christ amen.

The Real Face of Christ

2011-04-10T18:29:00.000-07:00

I have recently been drawn to various depictions of the Savior Jesus Christ especially those claimed to be the most accurate images of his face. It's been spiritually uplifting for me to compare the similarities of these images and learn the stories behind the artists and their artwork. Here are the four I found to be most fascinating. At the bottom of this blog post I share with you my thoughts and feelings about the real face of Christ.

"Christ in Red Robe" by Del Parson
This image of the Savior, Jesus Christ, wearing a red robe as prophesied he will at the Second Coming.

According to the artist Del Parson, the painting was commissioned by the Church, but he worked with the curriculum department to create a painting suitable for their needs. There were several revisions in the process to develop a picture suitable for their needs. This portrait is widely used in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints. This was also his first portrait of Jesus.

After the death of his wife Joycel and youngest daughter in a 1978 car accident, Parson felt inspired to begin painting primarily religious subjects.The LDS Church has commissioned Parson to paint over 240 works.

"Prince of Peace" by Akiane Kramarik

Akiane Kramarik is primarily a self-taught painter. She began displaying her gift with art at the age of four and painted this portrait of Jesus Christ at the young age of eight. She states that God has given her the visions and abilities to create her artwork, which is unusual for her family, considering both her parents were atheist at the time (they later converted to Christianity on account of Kramarik's paintings and visions). According to Kramarik, her art is inspired by her visions of heaven, and her personal connection with God.

Scientific Rendering "the Real Face of Jesus Christ" (as featured on the History Channel) by Ray Downing

The artists worked to pull impressions from the Shroud of Turin, the famed blood-stained linen that many believe was the burial cloth of the crucified Christ. The ancient shroud contains a faint impression of the front and back of a human body, along with blood, dirt and water stains from its age.

Ray Downing, president of Studio Macbeth who oversaw this project says "Jesus was more than just a spiritual event. Studying the Shroud to produce the 3D face of Jesus, we encountered scientific evidence that the resurrection was a real physical event that happened in a moment of time 2,000 years ago. The Shroud of Turin provides actual scientific proof that Jesus rose from the dead".

It was scientifically proven that that the image impressed upon the Shroud of Turin was done so by a powerful amount of light that pierced through the fabric, imprinting a permanent image of Jesus' face.

Cutting-edge modern skills were required to pull an accurate flesh and blood face from a piece of fabric so old. The year-long project culminated with a team of graphic artists using the newest technology to create a computer-generated image.

One of the main problems -- the condition of the shroud -- provided key clues. The team realized there were distortions in the image on the shroud because the fabric had been wrapped around the body.

"The solution was to realize that the shroud wasn't hanging on the wall – it was wrapping a corpse. That's the crux of the problem -- the face is hidden in there," said Downing, who has also used computers to create images of Abraham Lincoln.

"By imitating those distortions we could take the image and put it back into that shape and figure out what the face looked like … it gave us a blueprint," he added.

One the blueprint was formed, the computer artists started the recreation. Of course, there were limitations to what they could do with what they had.

"Inevitably, you do run out of information," Downing said. "You can't see the pores in a linen fabric. There are no eyebrows. It doesn't take a lot of guesswork to assign pores and skin texture to a model, to know that the man did have eyebrows and to provide them. At some point, you do have to leave the realm of actual information and use experience."

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/is_this_christ_v5CFHmU9RIPuItcWzHfcEM
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/real-face-jesus-christ/story?id=10235129&page=2
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2485588/posts

"Christ's Image" by Heinrich Hofmann

Heinrich Hofmann (March 19, 1824-June 23, 1911) was a German painter and the uncle of the German painter Ludwig von Hofmann.

Heinrich Hofmann was one of the pre-eminent painters of his time. The Sunday Strand – at that time a very popular British magazine– describes him as the most influential contemporary German painter. In the beginning of 1854, his beloved mother died. He was deeply moved by her death and it inspired him to paint his first large religious work: Burial of Christ.

More and more he devoted himself to the genre of religious paintings. The religious body of Hofmann’s work has gained in importance in the past years. One of the reasons for the increasing popularity of his artwork is the publication of his paintings and pencil drawings depicting the life of Jesus Christ in The Second Coming of Christ, the interpretation of the Bible by Paramhansa Yogananda, the teacher of Yoga.

President Monson who presides as over the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has a portrait of the Savior as painted by Heinrich Hofmann hanging in his office.

My Thoughts

From the glorified images of the resurrected Christ to his last moments in pain and suffering while in mortality - these images all portray the unwavering love our Savior has for us. I have concluded that to know his real face isn't to know him at all. If we want to know the Savior then we must learn of him and try to be like him. When we feel charity and compassion for others then we know the Savior. To know that he loved us enough to freely sacrifice himself so that we could have eternal life and that he suffered our pain and sins so that we could be forgiven through him is a testimony of his unconditional love for us as well our Father in Heavens'.

In the most recent General Conference I loved the words of Elder Kent F. Richards of the Seventy. In his talk about the atonement he said,

"Late one night lying in a hospital bed, this time as a patient and not as a physician, I read those verses over and over again. I pondered: “How is it done? For whom? What is required to qualify? Is it like forgiveness of sin? Do we have to earn His love and help?” As I pondered, I came to understand that during His mortal life Christ chose to experience pains and afflictions in order to understand us. Perhaps we also need to experience the depths of mortality in order to understand Him and our eternal purposes."

It is my prayer and testimony that all who come unto him will be perfected through him. To feel his love and live with him again is worth all the trials, pain, suffering and hard work that we encounter in this life. Let us show our love for him by trying to be more like him and standing as a witness of him at all times and in all things and in all places. That is the greatest gift we can give him. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Keeping the Sabbath Holy

2011-02-06T18:20:00.000-08:00

Keeping the Sabbath day holy is one of the ten commandments given to Moses directly from God as recorded in the Old Testament of the Bible. The Ten Commandments are recognized as a moral foundation in Judaism and Christianity since the time of Moses. Growing up, I was always taught by my leaders that to keep the Sabbath day holy was to treat it truly as a holy day. Setting it a part as a different day of the week which would mean not doing the activities you would normally do throughout the week. It's a day of rest and a day to give to the Lord. We should be serving him, thinking about him and spending quality time with our family helping them do the same. This is not easy to do when our minds our occupied with other things. With that said, it seems to becoming more of the norm to treat it like any other day of the week. For me, I never like to be part of the norm.

I have come to realize that I may be one of the very few people in the U.S who does not watch the Super Bowl on Sunday. My mom and my Dad were each having Super Bowl parties this weekend and invited me and my family. I kindly turned them down. My mom told me that half of her ward leaves church to watch it and the bishopbric watches as well. I remember when I was a youth and my leaders challenging us not to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday. For me it seemed easy because I never was into football. I admired those leaders, (some who were high school coaches) who made it priority to keep the Sabbath Day holy. I wanted to emulate their example.

My mom was surprised this year when I told her I don't watch the Super Bowl. She said, "Well, I just watch it for the commercials. You're kids are missing out on some funny commercials." I responded that Super Bowl commercials are not for kids anyways. Beer, car commercials and pop star performances are not something I feel will invite the Spirit in my home. It's important for me to have the spirit in my home, especially on Sunday as it is a day for me to recharge spiritually. My mom said, "Well - I prayed this week, served some people and went to church so I think it's okay for me to watch the Super Bowl." I responded, "If I pray, serve and attend church throughout the week would it be okay for me to be dishonest for a day?" I think it is difficult for some to say, "Yes, I do my best to choose the right but I could do better".

I have taught my children that we should not watch sports games on Sundays as they take away from the Spirit and take the holiness from the Sabbath. If I were to make an exception for the Super Bowl what message would that send to my children? They would learn that it is okay to make exceptions in the gospel to make living it more convenient. Sometimes choosing the right isn't always the funnest, most convenient or popular thing to do. By doing so we show our Father in Heaven that we can sacrifice the things of this world for Him. Sacrifice is a God like quality that teaches us to be more like the Savior and our Father in Heaven. This is something we should strive to understand and practice.

Children are smart and they pick up on the errors of their parents. What they are taught now will shape who they become as adults and how they view the gospel - if they live it casually or faithfully. My husband still watches sports on Sundays and the Super Bowl. He has learned to watch it alone in another room and when he does this he misses out on family time. My children make note of this and always point out to him that he shouldn't watch his games. They have chosen to watch scripture cartoons and Jesus videos instead. They never complain. Sundays don't have to be boring. We play games, have hot chocolate tea parties, talk about the gospel and scrapbook family photos. We bond much better with each other and the Lord doing this vs. starring at a TV screen and being entertained. Being overcome by the Spirit never feels boring.

Breaking the Sabbath or not keeping it Holy does not make one evil or bad and it's wrong to judge others as such. To simply put it, choosing to sacrifice in the name of the Lord only makes us that much stronger and closer to Him. In the long run we are happier and blessed because of it.

As these end days we are living in become more chaotic and difficult to endure, let us be strong and not sit on the fence. If we are going to stand for something let's stand for it all the way or not stand for it at all. The Savior was the best example of this and offered up the greatest sacrifice known to man - himself. We are commanded to be more like the Savior. Let us try each day to show our love for him by trying to be like him. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

The Savior

2010-12-26T10:25:00.000-08:00

I can't imagine what it must have felt like for Mary to hold, nurture and raise the Savior of the world. I can imagine Him being the most perfect baby - so gentle and mild.

I love the Savior and all He has done for me. I feel Him around me every day. I see Him in the kind man who opens the door for me at the post office. I see Him in in the patient woman who lets me in front of her in the grocery store line. I feel Him when I reach out to others in love and kindness. I feel His perfect love when I look at others as He would. When I overlook their flaws and weaknesses and notice the wonderful things about them. When I appreciate their beauty and differences. I want to do all I can to help others feel His love for them. After all He did for me, it's the least I can do each and every day for Him. Really, when we are doing something kind for others we are doing them for the Savior.

Matthew 25: 35-36

35For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

I testify this in His holy name - Jesus Christ amen.

Freedom and Protection

2010-10-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

I have written about this subject before, and since it is always on my mind I'd like to touch on it again. This time I'd like to talk about agency and how it relates to protection.

I have heard many times from others, "I don't believe in organized religion because it's not right to have so many rules. There is no freedom in that, and we are here to experience freedom. If I am following someone else's rules then I am not free." Eventually I observe many of these people are not "free". Bound by sin, chained to addiction (pornography, drugs, alcohol) caught in the grip of lies and deceit and a prisoner of their own choices. I have found that when people shun from the commandments of God because they want to "feel free" they end up losing their precious freedoms and are far from happy.

In His great wisdom God set up a clear path for us to follow trusting that we would use our free agency to choose His path where we can find safety, happiness, peace and freedom. At the same time Satan has set up a path of destruction, that if we follow, leads to misery, pain, suffering, and imprisonment. We are no longer free.

I have seen several people in my life make poor choices that change the entire course of their life. We are always exercising our agency and that is why we are here. This test that we endure is truly a test of not only our faith and works but also our choices. In this past General Conference Elder Mervyn Arnold said it best when he said, "We are free to choose, but we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions."

When we choose to not follow the commandments of God or the words of the prophets we lose vital protection. Without spiritual protection we are left vulnerable to the enticements and influence of the adversary. Again, that is a consequence of our choices and actions. When we invite Satan into our lives, our bodies and our homes we are giving him permission to have power over us. We are giving up our freedom. That great deceiver will have us believe that this is not true. We are in denial that we are following Satan. That is how he works.

Remember - the smallest, quickest choices and actions can invite him in and change our lives forever. A sip of alcohol invites him in, a pornographic image invites him in, a vulgar and offensive movie invites him in, vulgar and offensive music invites him in, distancing yourself from the Lord invites him in. Once he is "in" he makes himself at home. It is subtle at first and you may not even notice for quite a while. Eventually you'll feel something lacking, you will feel depression or sadness or even anger. The only way he can be cast out is by the power of the Lord. Exercising your agency to call on the Lord and committing to follow him again is the only way. As this happens Satan will fight hard to keep his place in your body, mind and home. How hard you are willing to fight will determine the outcome.

How we exercise our free agency grants us certain rights, freedoms and privileges. When we choose the right we are blessed, protected, happy and free. Angels have dominion over us and keep us safe from Satan and his grip. If we have never followed commandments or the words of the prophets or we have abandoned the Lord on His holy day we may not even know how much we are lacking. We may feel that things are just fine and we are happy. Trust me - if you follow the straight and narrow path and commit to following all the commandments you will feel what true freedom is. You be blessed far beyond what you can imagine. This I know to be true - and I say in the name of Jesus Christ amen.