Some Call it Karma - The Amazing Effect of the Laws of Heaven and Charity

This is what Hallmark movies are made of!

My older sister called me the other day to share with me an amazing experience she had. Before I tell you what happened, let me just set the story up by telling you that I went to the temple twice last week. The first day, I had the feeling to put her name on the temple prayer roll - so I did. I remember thinking, "She's not sick, or suffering from any afflictions that I'm aware of...but it can't hurt, only help." I put her and her husband's name on there and many others.

Saturday was a great day! Not only was I celebrating my 12th anniversary with my husband, it was the day we were shooting my infomercial for hydroheel. What's even funnier is that Mitt Romney happened to be across the street from us the entire day visiting his son, and we didn't even know it.

The home we filmed the infomercial in

Me and my husband Dec 1st 2012

The shoot began early and lasted until 7:00pm. We filmed at a beautiful home in Salt Lake and had 16 testimonials coming and going throughout the day. My sister being one of them, arrived shortly after I did. She later told me that it was the best day of her life -second to her wedding. She had never been pampered like that before with a makeup artist, nor been on camera, or on a production set. It was very exciting for her and the house was full amazing people and lot's of food!

Apparently that week she had promised her husband that she would pay him back some money that she owed him, but she didn't know how. The only money she had left was her tithing money and since she doesn't work, she seldom gets to pay tithing. Though it was tempting to pay her husband back or to use that money for some things she really needed, she decided to pay her tithing. The very next day, I called her to ask her if she'd like to share her testimonial about hydroheel in our infomercial She would get paid $100 for her time and travel. Little did I know this was an answer to her prayer. She had given to God what was His, and by law He was bound to bless her. She was humbled.
 

Me giving my testimonial on camera

She then went on to tell me that her husband surprised her with her favorite candy bar and she was so happy! They live so far away from the city and grocery stores that he does all the grocery shopping when he is coming back from work. My sister said that he usually surprises her once a year with a candy bar. So to her this was a big deal.

A little later, her friend called her with a question. My sister just started selling Doterra oils and her friend wanted to buy the essential oil dictionary which is about $40.00 or free with a $200 purchase. Her friend also being low on money expressed that she really wished she could somehow get that book. My sister jokingly told her that she could get it by putting in a $200 order. Later when she got off the phone she felt guilty about it. It was then she felt prompted to give her friend the book for free.

She said that she had been reading my new book Successful Failures and it really changed her perspective on life and her relationships. She felt that she hadn't been the friend or sister that she would have liked to have been all these years. She hadn't talked to her friend in about 7 years until last month when she called her up to sell her some oils. My book helped to open her eyes and soften her heart and she knew what she needed to do. She called her friend back and asked if she could take her out to lunch for her birthday that Saturday. Her friend agreed.

My sister said that up until now, she had always looked at everything in life as "What's in it for me?" For once she was giving with nothing in it for her. She was going to buy her friend lunch with the money she had just been given from the shoot. She also used that money to pay for the expensive book her friend couldn't afford. Realizing that she now wouldn't have any extra money for Christmas because she was also having to pay her husband back, she decided that was okay.

She showed up at the restaurant and saw that they were running a special that day. Free deserts with all meals. She was so happy! Then they told her they were having a drawing. Every 20 minutes they were giving away prizes. She had the feeling right then that if she entered the drawing she would win. She and her friend entered and minutes later in the crowded restaurant they called her name! She won $25 towards her $18 meal. This meant she had money left over. She would now have money for Christmas shopping! She felt so blessed she wanted to cry. Not to mention the employees told her that she was so pretty. She hadn't heard that in a long time and attributes it to the makeup artists from earlier.

During lunch she and her friend got on the topic of angels and how they bless us. Her friend was not having a good day and seemed very down. She then surprised her friend with the gift. My sister had taken the time to wrap it in pretty paper, with a fancy bow. She also had decided to make it extra nice by sacrificing that chocolate bar she wanted to eat so bad, and putting it on top of the gift. Her friend was very surprised. She opened it up and began to cry. My sister said, "Why is the book so important to you? Someone on the other side really wanted you to have it because I have never had such a strong prompting before as I have to give you this book."

Her friend replied, "There is a little girl on our street that my daughter plays with and she has severe bi-polar. This book will help me know how I can help her."

In awe my sister couldn't believe that she wanted this book, not for herself but to help someone else. It was very unselfish and very touching. She felt the Spirit very strong.

Later that day when she got home, to her surprise there was a King size candy bar waiting for her. It was the same chocolate bar she had sacrificed but even bigger. Her husband had bought it for her.



To sum it all up she said, "You know Lindsey, I learned a big lesson that day. When you give all you have out of love, expecting nothing in return, you always get back more. I had never done this before. I have never sacrificed so much out of love expecting nothing in return. After I gave all my money, I got back more, I gave up my chocolate, I got back more. The Lord blessed me for giving to others."

She then went on to say that the next day at church her husband got up to bear his testimony which he seldom does. He became very emotional and said that he had really felt the Lord that week blessing he and his family's life. It was a testimony to me that when you call on heaven, heaven responds. I believe I was inspired to put their names on the temple prayer roll for a reason. Someone on the other side wanted permission to evoke some amazing powers and once that request was made, it had the most profound effect on so many people. 

After hearing this story, all of these scriptures below popped into my mind. How they ring true!

Doctrine and Covenants 84:3, 10 


For of him unto whom much is given much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation.

I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.

Mark 12:42-44

And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

  

And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

  

For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

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.

Malachi 3:8-10

Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

The Lord wants us to learn true charity in this life. Once we learn it and experience it for ourselves, we are forever changed. In fact Mormon tells us in the book of Moroni what I think is some of the most powerful scripture in existence:

Moroni 7:42-47

42 Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope.

 43 And again, behold I say unto you that he cannot have faith and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart.

 44 If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confess by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity.

 45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

 46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

 47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

We are in that last day, and I have felt charity more in these last couple of months than during any other time in my life. I know that we are all having these experiences and changes of heart for a reason. I can tell you, that nothing seems to scare me anymore. I have so much faith and hope in God that I can't find any reasons to not be happy and rejoice. Life feels so wonderful!

Joseph B. Wirthlin once said;

"Nothing you do makes much of a difference if you do not have charity. You can speak with tongues, have the gift of prophecy, understand all mysteries, and possess all knowledge; even if you have the faith to move mountains, without charity it won't profit you at all....

"Without charity—or the pure love of Christ—whatever else we accomplish matters little. With it, all else becomes vibrant and alive.

"When we inspire and teach others to fill their hearts with love, obedience flows from the inside out in voluntary acts of self-sacrifice and service" (Ensign, Nov 2007, 28–31). 

Life is so sweet and enjoyable when we finally fill our hearts with the pure love of Christ. I have prayed these last few months to be able to love everyone the way Christ does, by being able to see them the way He does. My prayer was answered and it has been the sweetest joy to my soul! I know that if you pray for this very thing, and give it some time, the Lord will answer your prayer. He wants us to know this feeling and if we ask for it He will be more than willing to fulfill our desire. Remember that we must do our part. When we keep the commandments and our covenants we make with Him, He is bound to keep His end of the bargain.

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