Eve: The Mother of All Living

Note: This post was originally published on July 12, 2010. I'm still on vacation, but we'll be home today and I'll be back blogging tomorrow, hopefully. If I'm not too worn out from our vacation - you know you usually need a vacation from your vacation. I hope you've enjoyed reading and discussing some of my older posts. Make sure you stick around - we'll be having another giveaway soon!

I have felt inspired to study the mothers of the scriptures. I feel a sacred responsibility to be a good mother, and especially to be a mother to more than just my own biologically borne children. I don’t want to be just a half-rate mother, though – I want to be a great mother who has great compassion and charity and patience for children (and people in general) and who can teach with kindness and gentleness.

The first mother I want to study (and how appropriate) is Eve.

I want to name one of my daughters Eve. I love the name, and I especially love the symbolism – our first parents were Adam and Eve, and Adam called her Eve because she was the “mother of all living.”

In the Garden, when the Lord created Eve, he said, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be on flesh.” (Gen. 2:24) I think Eve was a great example of a mother’s first priority – her husband. The relationship between husband and wife is always a greater priority than the relationship between mother and children. I’m not trying to put down the relationship and role of mother, but I feel that if a woman is being a good wife, she will probably end up being a good mother. Not only does she have to practice patience and humility with her husband, but by cultivating the relationship with her spouse, she will also have a champion and helper when it comes to teaching and having patience with those children.

I know in my own life when I feel more like “one flesh” with my husband, and I am a better mother. When we are “one flesh,” our parenting styles do not clash – our methods actually compliment one another.

Our children are very young (3 and under), and we are only barely forming our parenting styles. Sometimes it is difficult, because we both were raised differently. But then when we’re talking about it, we realize that we both want the same things for our kids. The only place we differ is in how to get our kids there. But when we really think about it, and pray and fast about it, we realize that if we have the gospel of Jesus Christ at the heart of our parenting – if we parent with the atonement and the doctrine of salvation in our hearts – we end up parenting much the same way.

We do what feels right – we parent the way that feels confirmed by the Holy Spirit. And there is no way to feel that Holy Spirit – in any aspect of our family life – without being “one flesh.”

Being unified with my husband is the first step in becoming a good mother.

 

Eve Part II

In the Pearl of Great Price, it says “And Adam and Eve blessed the name of God, and they made all things known unto their sons and daughters.” (Moses 5:12)

Eve taught her children everything. I think she focused on the principles of the gospel. She taught them everything she knew about God and Heaven and angels and the Savior. And I like that “she made all things known” unto them. It doesn’t say she sat over them while they read book after book after book and did worksheet after worksheet after worksheet. She simply “made all things known unto them.” I like to think that while they were out working in their gardens, tilling the earth, she talked with her children about how faith is like a little seed, and how when we study the words of the Lord and we pray, our faith can grow until it becomes a beautiful tree and bears fruit. That fruit is the works of our spirit, because faith without works is dead.

I like to imagine the conversations Eve had with her children while they were washing their clothes in the stream, when she told them about the Savior that would come and redeem mankind. She probably mentioned how the river washing their clothes was like repentance washing away their sins.

When they sacrificed the first born of their flocks at the alter, I imagine her gently whispering to her children how this was symbolic of the sacrifice the Savior would make to save us from our sins, and further symbolic of the sacrifice we would have of a broken heart and a contrite spirit for our sins.

I imagine that when Eve held her little ones in her lap as she rocked them to sleep, she told them about our Father in Heaven who loves them, and knows them by name, and is watching over them. I imagine that after she rocked them, she knelt with them in prayer, guiding their words to help them speak to our Father in Heaven.

I am going to study more about Eve this week, but I think I am going to focus on making “all things known unto [my] sons and [my] daughters.” I will tell them all about the gospel of Jesus Christ, because I want them to know what I know.

What things about being a mother have you learned from Eve? How to you make things known to your children (about the gospel, every day life, etc)? How do you and your husband deal with conflicting parenting styles?

Follow the Prophet

Note: This blog post was originally posted on our private family blog on October 18, 2010. I first reposted it on this blog on March 23, 2011 so that I could refer to it in another post. I am reposting it today because I want to get some more feedback on these thoughts. How do you sustain our prophets when others seem to attack them from every side - and sometimes might even seem to have rational arguments for doing so?

On Sunday, October 3, 2010, President Boyd K. Packer, whom members of the church sustain to be a “prophet, seer and revelator” gave this talk.

As a prophet, President Packer’s responsibility is to call the world to repentance – much like Noah did in his day as he built the ark, like Lehi in Jerusalem, and like many other prophets in the past.

Unfortunately, as they did with Noah and Lehi, the world has rejected the words of the prophets, and have even gone so far as to petition him to withdraw his statements. This is not a new thing. It has happened again and again throughout history, and God’s word has always remained unchanged. As President Packer so bluntly put it:

...there are those today who not only tolerate but advocate voting to change laws that would legalize immorality, as if a vote would somehow alter the designs of God’s laws and nature...There are both moral and physical laws “irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world” that cannot be changed...To legalize that which is basically wrong or evil will not prevent the pain and penalties that will follow as surely as night follows day.

I respect everyone’s right to an opinion. But I also believe in God’s word, and I firmly believe in God’s prophets who deliver His word to us – especially in these latter days.

Satan is stirring up the hearts of men. A war is waging. “Who’s on the Lord’s side, who? Now is the time to show...” This particular battle hits really close to home for me. I have had to make some really difficult decisions about some people who are very dear to me. All I can think about is how to “love one another” while still being devoted to righteousness, and not “look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.” This article, a Q&A with Elder Oaks and a member of the 70, has been particularly helpful. I also read something Joseph Smith said in one of the first Relief Society meetings. He said, "God does not look on sin with allowance, but when men have sin'd there must be allowance made for them." We still need to be caring and compassionate - no matter the circumstance.

In response to the petition I mentioned earlier, the brethren had this to say:

Much of this was not new, but there were a lot of really great things said. A few of my favorites:

“As a church, our doctrinal position is clear: any sexual activity outside of marriage is wrong, and we define marriage as between a man and a woman.”

“None of us is limited by our feelings or inclinations. Ultimately, we are free to act for ourselves.”

“The Church distinguishes between feelings or inclinations on the one hand and behavior on the other. It’s not a sin to have feelings, only in yielding to temptation.”

I believe that people have same-gender, or homosexual, attractions, and that they can sometimes be very strong. But those people are still just children of God to me. I believe that there is nothing fundamentally different between someone who struggles with same-gender attraction, and the rest of God’s children who struggle with something else. We are all children of God experiencing trials and struggles on this earth with Satan tempting us and trying us. We inhabit imperfect bodies with imperfect emotions and chemical make ups. We all face trials. (read more about that here)

God made man and woman. He created them specifically different – to fulfill different purposes. From The Family: A Proclamation to the World, “Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.”

As I write this, I realize that I am not writing it to an audience of people who don’t believe in Christ and the atonement. I am writing it in hopes that someone who feels unsure about the word of God on this issue can maybe read my testimony and perhaps feel the spirit and have a little better understanding of God’s word.

It is not easy to stay true to the Savior. Especially in today’s social and political climate. There is so much of the Adversary’s influence in our societies that we can be easily confused by the arguments out there.

Sometimes I get very discouraged because the world is getting more and more wicked – good is called evil, and evil is called good. But I know that there is hope and happiness available to those who live the gospel – for those who earnestly call on God in the name of His Savior, Jesus Christ and ask for a confirmation of that which is true. The Spirit will guide us. I know that because I beg the Lord for His Spirit to be with me as I raise my children - often I feel like I don’t know anything.

If there is one thing I know is absolutely true, it is that God lives and loves us and has given us living prophets on the earth to help guide us when we become confused about how to live in the world and not be of the world.

And I hope and pray that you will try to get that testimony for yourself.

Recommended reading:

Cleansing the Inner Vessel by President Boyd K. Packer
The Q&A with Elder Oaks and Elder Wickman
The Response to the HRC Petition
Many of These Articles
This Proclamation
Another Good Article by Elder Oaks

The Title of Liberty and the Anti-Nephi-Lehis

Note: This post was originally published on November 18, 2010. I was reminded of some thoughts I had in this post when Paul at A Latter-day Voice wrote about the Anti-Nephi-Lehis. I forgot that I had written about it on this blog until I was looking through some of my first posts on this blog and I found this one. I think the story of the ANL's is one worth discussing in depth, and I enjoyed Paul's insights. If you're itching to read something after you read this, head over and check out his post. It was very good.

I was reading in the Book of Mormon last night (and honestly I’ve been in the same chapter for about 5 nights, because I’ve been so tired it’s been all I could do to read just one verse). I’ve been reading about the Anti-Nephi-Lehies(ANLs) and last night I got to the part where the Lamanites came against the ANLs in war, and the ANLs “prostrated themselves before [the Lamanites] to the earth, and began to call on the name of the Lord...” A few verses later we read that “the people of God were joined that day by more than the number who had been slain; and those who had been slain were righteous people ... there was not a wicked man slain among them; but there were more than a thousand brought to the knowledge of the truth; thus we see that the Lord worketh in many ways to the salvation of his people.” We also learn that the people who were converted were “actual descendents of Laman and Lemuel” and not other “mixed breeds” of Lamanites (Amalekites or Amulonites or those after the order of the Nehors).

This time reading the story of the ANLs, I was impressed with the statement that more people joined the ranks of God than were slain, and the only people that were slain were righteous people.

Should we all just lay down our weapons of war and let the wicked kill us?

The first thing I thought of when that question popped into my mind was of Captain Moroni raising the title of liberty.

In the Book of Mormon, Moroni is described this way: “Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.”

He is the one who “rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.”

So obviously, Moroni was a righteous man. So righteous that if every man was like Moroni, Satan would have no power over our hearts. Now there’s righteousness if I ever saw it.

But I had just thought the same thing about the Anti-Nephi-Lehies! So how can both laying down your weapons of war and taking up your weapons of war be righteous actions? Doesn’t that seem contradictory? We should either lay down our weapons of war to be righteous or take them up to be righteous.

How do we decide whether to fight, or whether to lay down our lives?

My next thought was that perhaps it isn’t the fighting for your lives that is bad, but just that the ANLs had chosen their weapons of war, and bloodshed, to be their chosen sign for their covenant of conversion with Heavenly Father. What if instead they had chosen to never take the Lords name in vain again, or if they had covenanted that they would always pray two times a day? What if they hadn’t covenanted to lay down their weapons of war? Well, think of all the thousand people who were converted because the ANLs did lay down their weapons of war. Those people probably would have been killed in their wickedness (because the ANLs were pretty fierce warriors, it seems like). That makes me never want any LDS member of the military anywhere to fight and kill.

But didn’t Captain Moroni and his fellow captains and soldier kill many wicked men in their wickedness?

I guess I just want to know that the ANLs were doing what was right, letting the Lamanites attack and kill them, but also that Captain Moroni was right in fighting for his family and children. And what about Nephi killing Laban? Sometimes wicked people are spared, and sometimes they are killed.

In my search for truth I found a neat article about this subject by Eugene England, a Mormon scholar and former professor at BYU.

He says this: “Like Moroni, Mormon refused to let the long, desperate fighting lead him to bloodthirstiness; instead, as the Lord directed him, he resigned his command to stand by ‘as an idle witness’ when their wickedness led them to fight in a spirit of vengeance.”

Perhaps because the ANLs had been so bloodthirsty before their conversion (killing just for the sake of killing), they chose their weapons of war and bloodshed for the sign of their covenant with Heavenly Father. Kind of like a recovering alcoholic who never takes another drink – even a sip – for fear it will turn them back to their alcoholic ways.

This probably speaks about the righteousness of captain Moroni – that he didn’t let all the warfare and bloodshed make him bloodthirsty, and when his soldiers became wicked and fought for vengeance instead of for freedom,  he stood idly by instead of fighting with them. Perhaps the ANLs were worried that if they ever fought again for their own lives and the lives of their families, once that righteous desire was obtained, they would want to avenge the deaths of their brethren.

My husband and I talk about the seeming paradox between the commandment “Thou shalt not kill” and Nephi killing Laban, and captain Moroni leading his men into battle. However, there is no paradox. Commandments (especially Mosaic law) are God’s way of keeping us out of trouble. Because we should not kill people, but God may use us as instruments to save others, or in the case of Nephi, to save a nation. Even when God gave the commandment “thou shalt not kill,” he still later led His people into battle, or instructed them to wipe out entire peoples. I think God also wants us to understand the grave responsibility of taking another person’s life. Two of the three most abominable sins have to do with life – wrongfully using our power to create life, and wrongfully using our power to take life. Human life is so important to Heavenly Father.

So I think that as long as we have not made a covenant with God not to take up arms, and as long as we are not bloodthirsty, and are not killing for revenge (for “vengeance is mine, Saith the Lord”), it is absolutely righteous for us to take up arms and go to war “In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children”.

What do you think about the Anti-Nephi-Lehies and captain Moroni and other righteous people who waged war in defense of their families, freedoms, and religion? Do you think there is a hard and fast rule to when we should lay down our weapons and when we should take them up?

But why?

Note: This post was originally published on April 16, 2010. I'm reposting it this week because I am on vacation! And because it was an awesome post from the very beginning days of this blog, and deserves to be republished!

Little children love to ask questions.

Why? What is that? What are you doing?

A constant stream of inquiry comes from their precious lips, and behind that is a genuine interest and need to know.

My freshman year of college, my religion teacher taught us to ask questions as we read the scriptures. Each day before class we were supposed to write a one page paper on our reading assignment for that day. Our teacher never gave us guidelines on margins or font sizes. It was simply to be one page. There was one requirement though – that we ask, and answer, a question about the reading.

That semester was probably some of the most productive scripture study of my life. I felt myself digging into the scriptures, asking questions, wanting to know more – and most important were the answers that I received to those questions.

“Ask and ye shall receive; knock and it shall be opened unto you…”

I haven’t been asking questions lately in my reading, but tonight, as I was studying Alma chapter 7, where Alma is teaching of the prophesies of Christ, and the events that will be His life, I found myself in a dialogue with the scriptures.

“And he will take upon him death…”

Why? My three year old knows this simple truth – that Jesus died for us. What does it meant that He died “for us”?

“…that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people;…”

Jesus died so that we can live again. His death was so significant because He had to die to be resurrected. He had to die so that He could live, and if He can live again, so can we. Thus, the bands of death are loosed.

“…he will take upon him their infirmities…”

Why? Why would He, in His glorious perfection, take up our burdens, our feelings of grief and pain and guilt because of our weaknesses?

“…that his bowels may be filled with mercy…that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.” (Alma 7:12)

So Jesus suffered for us so that He could know how to LOVE us better! Do I think of suffering for others in this way? When I take upon myself the burdens of others (as I covenanted to do at baptism) do I learn “how to succor” those people? Is that what I am learning? Do I complain about the pain, or do I rejoice in my increased ability to LOVE others?

I feel increased in my gospel understanding. I feel renewed in my commitment to live the gospel and be more Christ-like.

When I engage in dialogue with the scriptures, instead of simply reading, I feel as if God’s word has distilled “upon [my] soul as the dews from heaven.” (D&C 121:45)

Do you ask questions when you read the scriptures? Do you feel like you find the answers? Have you ever felt like you had a dialogue with the words in the scriptures?

Race and the Book of Mormon

me and my best friend since childhood

First off, let me say that I know this verse is not talking about African Americans. How do I know this? Because this verse is talking about he descendants of Laman and Lemuel (i.e. Native Americans). So this isn't a post about blacks and the Priesthood or anything like that. This is just one woman's struggle with words in the scriptures and how to understand them. After all, my soul delights in the scriptures, and I would like to be able to delight in all the scriptures, not just the "comfortable" ones.





The part that bothered me was not the fact that the people had been cursed with a "skin of blackness" (and who really knows what that means anyway? If you know any Native Americans you know that they are not really "black", but this post is not about discussing varying shades of skin color, either). Rather, the part that bothered me (bothered - that is, made me stop uncomfortably and think) was the Lord's reasoning, "that they might not be enticing unto my people."

Was God just using human weakness (racism, specifically) to curse Laman and Lemuel and their descendants? Perhaps in the same way the Lord allowed the Lamanites to subject the Nephites to slavery when they (the Nephites) were being wicked. I am sure that God is not racist, but I am sure that He knew that human beings would be racist.

I had to think, also, of those Lamanites who converted and joined themselves with the Nephites (I am sure there were some, even before the mass conversions due to the efforts of Ammon and his brethren). Surely those Nephites who married and had children with converted Lamanites were not sinning or going against what God wanted to happen. But can't you see those interracial couples being judged by other Nephites? I imagine it was a lot like the racism prevalent in the restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - oh, we love you because you are a child of God, but we shouldn't marry you because you are cursed. Sorry. This is not the racism of the world "You aren't worth as much as me." but I think in some ways it was even more convoluted thinking than that of the world.

But, I digress. This is not really a post about the racial climate of the Church today, but rather about a more basic, fundamental question.

This question - are human beings "naturally" racist?

That is - does racism stem from nurture (being taught to be racist) or from nature (perhaps some part of our biological makeup causes us to seek out a mate that resembles us?)? Obviously racism is wrong - but is it wrong because it is part of the "natural man" - like anger? Or is it wrong because it is a "false tradition" that is handed down from our fathers? Or perhaps a combination of the two?

What do you think?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Exactly One Line

(find the talk here – The Book of Mormon – A Book from God)

You may not know this about me, but a few years ago I finished my bachelors degree in Mathematics with a minor in Physics from Brigham Young University. I love math. I even love geometry. I didn’t at first, but the more I studied physics, the more I realized I loved geometry.

One of the basic postulates of geometry is that through any two points there is exactly one line. When I heard this postulate spoken of in General Conference by Elder Tad R. Callister I almost cheered! I love when the General Authorities talk about math and science concepts in Conference. I feel that there is something really divine about math and science.

But I digress.

The Book of Mormon. Elder Callister says that with it there is no middle ground, “It is either the word of God as professed, or it is a total fraud.” From a logical viewpoint, this makes sense. It can’t just be a “good book,” since it talks about the atonement of Jesus Christ and professes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God it either has to be from the devil or from God – because you can’t just write an untrue book about Jesus Christ without it being false. So either Joseph Smith received gold plates from an angel and translated them by the power of God as he said he did, or he was possessed by the devil and conjured up this book.

Elder Callister compared it to C. S. Lewis’ argument of why a person must either accept or reject the divinity of Jesus Christ – not merely think of him as a “good person” or a “prophet.” Said C. S. Lewis,

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. …You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God:or else a madman or something worse. … But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

I love C. S. Lewis. I enjoy a little bit of logic when it comes to the gospel – even though the ultimate test of truth comes through the Holy Ghost.

Back to the geometry lesson -  Elder Callister described why we need both the Bible and the Book of Mormon.

The principles of geometry state that there are an infinite number of lines that can be draw through one point. In every direction – not just the lines we can think of on a plane, but an entire space. Lines going everywhere! Who wouldn’t be confused with all those possibilities?

But add just one more point, and suddenly you have only one possibility – through any two points there is exactly one line. There are absolutely no other possibilities.

When you think of it that way, it is easy to see why there is only one true Church of Jesus Christ, and why that Church is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. The doctrine of the Church is based on the Bible and the Book of Mormon, together as testaments of Jesus Christ. As Elder Callister puts it, “Only one interpretation of Christ’s doctrines survives the testimony of these two witnesses.”

In his talk, Elder Callister described several instances where the Book of Mormon clarifies doctrine put forth in the Bible, but says, “none is more powerful nor poignant than the Book of Mormon’s discourses on the Atonement of Jesus Christ.” I love reading about the Savior, both in the gospels, and in the epistles of Paul in which he teaches people about the Savior. I love reading the words of Isaiah, which are rich in prophesies of the Savior. But by far my favorite place to read about the Savior and His mission is in the Book of Mormon. Some of my favorite passages are Mosiah chapter 4 and Alma chapter 42 – although nearly every page is full of testimonies of the Savior and His mission and atonement. There is something about reading the Book of Mormon that seems to pull me toward the Savior. My thoughts are turned to the Savior more often, my life is more in line with the teachings of the Savior, and my testimony of His divinity and atonement is strengthened.

In the Book of Mormon, Moroni teaches, “For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.” Which is exactly what the Savior taught when He said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every … house divided against itself shall not stand. And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?” So, the Savior himself taught that if anything persuades people to believe in Him, it must be of God – because Satan cannot persuade people to believe in Christ, otherwise he would be divided against himself.

The Book of Mormon draws me closer to Christ almost involuntarily – without even trying, it pulls me to the Savior with an indescribable force. Then, as the Savior himself taught, it must be of God.

To any who have not read the Book of Mormon and think they know whether the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true Church of Christ, I tell you that you cannot know if it is true if you do not know whether or not the Book of Mormon is true. Elder Callister testified, “An honest, unbiased reading of the Book of Mormon will bring someone to the same conclusion as my great-great-grandfather, namely: ‘The devil could not have written it—it must be from God.’”

And as the 14 year old girl testified, “I have read every page of the Book of Mormon and I know it’s true.”

I, too, have read every page of the Book of Mormon, and I know it is of God. Every page draws me close to the Savior and testifies of Him. How grateful I am for its power and its truths.

How do you know the Book of Mormon is true? Have you experienced “an honest, unbiased reading of the Book of Mormon”? Do you judge the truthfulness of the Church without having read that book?

Find more insight on this talk over at
Diapers and Divinity’s General Conference Book Club

The Power of Scripture

(find the talk here)

I love the scriptures. Just last night my husband and I were talking and reading to each other from the scriptures and I got excited over them! It felt like when I was in college and I would understand a new physics or math concept and I just got all warm and fuzzy inside, knowing that I had just learned something amazing. The feeling I get from reading the Book of Mormon is usually more like an old friend, hearing the plan of salvation explained the way it is over and over again in the Book of Mormon makes my heart leap for joy. But in the same moment, I get the excitement of learning something new, as I did in college when I was learning so many new things.

Elder Richard G. Scott’s talk at October General Conference resonated deeply with me. As you can tell from the title of this blog, My Soul Delighteth, I love the scriptures. I always have. My favorite part about Seminary as a youth was memorizing the scripture mastery verses. Unfortunately, as I graduated and moved on from Seminary, I didn’t keep all of those scriptures memorized – I didn’t refer to them as I should have, and I didn’t add to my “collection” of memorized scriptures. They have faded away, like an old friend we loose touch with.

Elder Scott’s talk inspired me to re-memorize those scripture mastery verses, as well as add new scriptures to my arsenal of memorized scriptures - “packets of light.”

The scriptures are incredibly important in our lives. They are one of the tools Heavenly Father has provided for us to “be successful in our mortal probation.” The scriptures are “a type of handbook.” If you wish God had written a handbook about life, He did – it is the scriptures. If you wish God had written a handbook for parenting, He did – it is the scriptures. The scriptures can enlighten our minds and help us find solutions to all of life’s difficult challenges. Elder Scott said that scriptures “can become the key to open the channel to communion with our Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.” If you are wondering how to communicate with Heavenly Father, the answer is to read the scriptures. Through the scriptures you can find answers to your problems, and they will open the door to personal revelation and inspiration from Heavenly Father.

“Learning, pondering, searching, and memorizing scriptures is like filling a filing cabinet with friends, values, and truths that can be called upon anytime, anywhere in the world.” Over and over again as Elder Scott spoke of the scriptures, I felt inspired to memorize scriptures. Scriptures that I have memorized have come to my mind at important times in my life, and have been those “friends” that I have needed. I was intrigued by Elder Scott’s declaration that “Scriptures can calm an agitated soul, giving peace, hope, and a restoration of confidence in one’s ability to overcome the challenges of life. They have potent power to heal emotional challenges when there is faith in the Savior. They can accelerate physical healing.” I knew the first part, sure – that scriptures can help us overcome the challenges of life. However, when he spoke of the scriptures healing emotional challenges and accelerating physical healing, my curiosity was piqued. Really? I have been enduring so many emotional challenges lately, and I desperately need healing. Perhaps as I immerse myself in the scriptures I will receive a more powerful healing.

The interesting thing about life is that our perspective changes every day – nearly every minute. The more we live, the more our perspective changes, just because we are having more experiences. “A scripture that we may have read many times can take on nuances of meaning that are refreshing and insightful when we face a new challenge in life.” Just last night I experienced this as I read the story of Amalickiah and the Lamanites in the Book of Mormon. I was reminded of Governor Bogg’s extermination order in Missouri. I was reminded of Hitler’s attempted extermination of the Jews in Europe, and the brave people who helped Jews hide and escape. And then I gained new insight about the way Satan works to carefully lead us down to @#!*% . I have read this story before, but as I have grown in the gospel, my perspective has changed and my understanding has increased.

One of the scriptures that Elder Scott quoted struck me today. He quoted Samuel who said, “Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel  15:22) Last night my husband and I were talking about how interesting it was the the descendents of Lehi and Ishamael had the fullness of the gospel on the American continents (even though they still obeyed the Law of Moses) while in the middle east, the children of Israel could barely even keep the Law of Moses. We compared Laman and Lemuel to the children of Israel who saw miracles, and yet continued to harden their hearts. And then, I read the scripture in Samuel which Elder Scott quoted. “To obey is better than sacrifice.” That is part of the fulfillment of the Mosaic law – the sacrifices that the Jews performed under the Mosaic law were symbols of obedience and of the atonement of the Savior. But the actual obedience was the most important part – and that was the part the children of Israel had a hard time with. But it wasn’t a completely unknown truth. I imagine the prophets tried to get the Israelites to live God’s law more fully, and I wonder how heartbroken they were when they realized that the children of Israel were often not even willing to keep the Law of Moses.

Elder Scott said, “the Book of Mormon teaches truth with unique clarity and power.” I also believe that to be true. There is a feeling that I get when I read the Book of Mormon that I don’t really get anywhere else. However, I am realizing that I need to expand my study of the scriptures and search out truth in all of the Standard works. Elder Scott asked, “Do you use all of the standard works, including the Old Testament?” To be honest, I use mostly the Book of Mormon in my study of the scriptures. One of the goals I took away from Elder Scott’s talk was to read all of the standard works. I am going to try to complete the entire standard works before next General Conference. That might be a little ambitious, and I won’t be completely sad if I don’t make it, but I want to make the effort, and I want to read all of the scriptures. I am going to make sure I pick out some verses to memorize from the Old Testament. There is a lot of really good truth in the Old Testament, and I want to make it a bigger part of my life.

My final goal came from listening to Elder Scott talk about his wife, Jeanene. I have a feeling he will probably mention her at least once in every conference talk he gives from now on. How he loved his wife. I admire her a lot, just from the way Elder Scott speaks about her. This talk was no different. “My precious wife, Jeanene, loved the Book of Mormon. In her youth, as a teenager, it became the foundation of her life.” I am not a teenager any more, although the Book of Mormon was a large part of my life when I was a teenager – but it is not too late to make the Book of Mormon the foundation of my life. “For I don’t know how many years, as the end of the year approached, I would see her sitting quietly, carefully finishing the entire Book of Mormon yet another time before year’s end.” This was my final goal from Elder Scott’s talk. To read the Book of Mormon at least once all the way through each year.

I purchase an economy copy of the Book of Mormon each time I read it, so that it is a fresh slate and I can mark it up new again and write in the margins. I put the start date and the finish date. So far in the past several years I have only used two copies (I am almost finished with copy #2). At the end of this year, though, when I finish the Book of Mormon again, I am going to read the Book of Mormon once each year. If I start new in January with a new economy copy, I will be able to judge my progress as the year goes by. I am really excited to start reading the Book of Mormon each year. My husband, who speaks several languages, is going to read the Book of Mormon in a new language each year and I get to surprise him with the language.

In summary, the goals I came away with from Elder Scott’s talk are:
1.) Memorize the scripture mastery verses from Seminary, and add other scriptures, including scriptures from the Old Testament
2.) Read the entire Standard Works (including the Old Testament)
3.) Read the Book of Mormon once every year

How do you study the scriptures? How do you memorize scriptures? Do you keep your memorized scriptures around like an old friend? How often do you read the Book of Mormon? Do you read the Old Testament and the other standard works? What goals have you made concerning the scriptures?

Find more insight on this talk over at
Diapers and Divinity’s General Conference Book Club

How Great Shall Be Your Joy

Last night I had a dream about a friend of mine who was recently baptized into another church. In the dream, he came to me and was very concerned that he was missing something. He kept telling me “But what if I am missing something?”

He is missing something, and I need to have the courage to show him what he is missing.

So this morning I went to LDS.org and chose “Study by Topic” and clicked on Missionary Work. Listed among the extra resources was an article by President Monson from back in the 90s. He told a story about sitting next to a woman on a plan, and that eventually he “mustered up [his] courage” to talk to her about the Church. If President Monson, who has been an apostle since he was 36, and has been the President of the Church for the last several years, once upon a time had to muster up courage to talk to people about the gospel, I suddenly don’t feel quite as bad for needing to do the same!

I love the scripture above from Doctrine & Covenants section 18. It has long been one of my favorites. For a long time I felt bad that I didn’t serve a mission, but as I have grown in motherhood, I realize that mothering is one of the most divine missions. I have the opportunity to bring souls into this world and bring them unto Christ. Children are born innocent, but they are not born with all of the saving ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As they grow, they need to be prepared to learn about the gospel, gain their own testimony, and receive those ordinances – and that is my job, as their mother. I am comforted that the Lord sees my work of raising and nuturing my own children as significant.

However, that does not mean that I get to rest from the labors of sharing the gospel with others. Paul taught us that we should “be … an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” And Elder Stapley (a Latter-Day Apostle) quoted Paul, who said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation.” To which Elder Stapley added, “If we are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, then we should not be ashamed to live it. And if we are not ashamed to live it, then we should not be ashamed to share it.”

And the Lord himself has said, “But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths … because of the fear of man. Wo unto such, for mine anger is kindled against them.” So I do have a responsibility to share the gospel with everyone, really. And especially with those who seek it. I know that I can find those who seek the gospel by praying for guidance from the Lord through His Holy Spirit. He will guide me to those who are seeking the truth, and I believe He does just that.

“And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.”
Doctrine & Covenants 84:88

I know that the Lord will help me share His gospel. Why wouldn’t He? He has said, “For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are kept from the truth because they know not where to find it” (emphasis added). I know that this is true. I think that many people who would find converts to their church are not being completely deceptive – they truly believe that the members of their congregations and churches are saved. I think that many join other Churches because it feels better than nothing, but that righteous seekers of truth will indeed feel the truthfulness of the fullness of Christ’s gospel when they find it – and it is our job to bring it to them, or bring them to the gospel.

How do you share the gospel? Are you an “example of the believers”? Do you open your mouth? Are you ashamed of the gospel of Christ? Or do you share your testimony freely with those around you?

The Instruction I heard at General Conference

These are the things that I heard at General Conference. Like I said, sometimes they are not the same as what the speakers actually said, but they are what I heard through the Spirit of the Lord.

Why do we worship on Sunday? Our attitudes and actions follow our dress. If we dress in our Sunday best on the Sabbath day, we will be on our Sunday best behavior.

Let us act on the Sabbath in a manner that would call down the blessings of heaven.

Children are the greatest example.

When little children come to us, they are thirsty for the gospel, eager to learn, and willing to be righteous.

Children are untarnished by the world.

“Behold your little ones.”

Followers of Christ are loving. Followers of Christ make and keep covenants. Following Christ may mean forsaking many things of the world. The Lord Jesus Christ made covenants with Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ needed baptism because He needed to make covenants with Heavenly Father that he would always remember Him and follow Him.

The power of our covenants is greater than any worldly trial or temptation.

Pain brings you an opportunity to ponder. Pain is everywhere in this mortal experience – sometimes it is simply because this is a temporal experience, sometimes because of the actions of others, sometimes because of our own actions.

There is relief for ANY and ALL pain – through Jesus Christ our Savior from our Father in Heaven.

Jesus Christ suffered ALL things so that He could understand us.

He could have known how to succor us by Revelation, but He chose to suffer all things so that He could understand us.

The United order = the Church’s welfare program.

When we work together, we build spiritual bonds.

Don’t miss out on collecting the little flecks because you are waiting for large nuggets.

The Spirit speaks to us in diverse ways.

God does notice us, and is mindful of us, but it is often through other people that He meets our needs.

The Lord sometimes reveals things to us that are for us only, but He entrusts us with a testimony of truth that we are to share with those around us.

The most effective way to share the gospel is through example.

“Preach the gospel at all times; if necessary, use words.”

This earth life is the perfect setting to experience and pass trials. Sometimes it seems that our trials are focused on the part of our lives in which we have the least ability to cope.

Being good is not enough. We want to be like the Savior.

It is our job as ward members to seek out those in our ward who are poor and needy.

Men and women work in a joint effort to serve the poor and needy.

The widow’s mite.

No man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelation.

Light from a light switch vs. light from a sunrise. The sunrise pattern of revelation is more common in our lives.

As we honor our covenants and keep the commandments, we will gain confidence in the presence of the Lord.

The temple should fill us with the Spirit and with the covenants we have made there.

As we remember the covenants we have made in the temple, we will be better able to withstand the trials of this life.

A good marriage makes good children.

Heavenly Father is a God of high expectations. “Be ye therefore perfect.”

Divine chastening, repentance, and redirect our course. Divine chastening should give us cause to rejoice because it means we are worth correcting. The experience of chastening gives us more opportunity to help us put on the divine nature.

Parents and can must chasten their children.

Doctrine & Covenants – “when moved upon by the Holy Ghost”

One who does not chasten when he is in a position to do so is thinking only of himself.

Will a man rob God? In tithes and offerings.

The Lord’s richest blessings are spiritual – family, friends, and the gospel.

To be or not to be? What manner of me ought ye to be? Even as I am. To do without being is hypocrisy, to be without doing is void. Faith without works is dead.

Being is more important than doing. You can’t put a check mark on the “being.”

The name of the Church was not chosen by man, but was given by God. We are not “Mormons” – we are “Latter Day Saints”

The way is narrow and the path is laid strait.

God not only lives but HE SPEAKS!

General Conference is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.

The summit of gospel discipleship is be ye therefore perfect.

One way or another, the Lord will have His voice heard.

181st Annual LDS General Conference

The 181st Annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints will begin on April 2, 2011 at 10:00 am in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, UT.

I can’t even begin to express how excited I am for General Conference. I think I am even more excited about Conference this April because of the depth of study I have undertaken of the October General Conference. I think consistently, carefully, and deeply studying the words of October’s General Conference has really prepared me to be anxious for these upcoming sessions. I have really eaten up the words of the prophets, and I am anxious to hear the “new” word. I was telling my husband that I know that the General Authorities will not say anything particularly new at this General Conference – but I know that their words will be direct inspiration from our Heavenly Father, and I am excited to listen and learn from Him through the mouths of His holy Prophets.

I have a lot on my mind right now, so I think that General Conference is coming at just the right moment (or it’s my worries and stress that are coming at the right moment – but either way, this weekend is promising to be pretty awesome).

I like to have questions that I am praying about that Heavenly Father will help me answer at General Conference. Right now I have quite a few.

I would like to finish all the talks from October General Conference on this blog, but I think I may just have to do a few of the Apostle’s talks, and then begin with April General Conference next week.

Also, I am going to start studying the Church’s Handbook of Instructions (book number 2), along with studying some other topics that I may feel particularly drawn to. This intensive study of the General Conference talks has been great for me, though. I think that I will review one talk a week, and I will start with the talks from only the Apostles. I will try to include the other talks in my study of other topics (and maybe in my study of the Church Handbook), but I don’t think I will continue to study the other talks in such depth on my blog, unless, of course, I feel inspired to.

There are several ways to experience General Conference these days, so no one has an excuse for not listening to, reading, or watching this Conference. Go here for more information.

Cleansing the Inner Vessel

(find the talk here)

Well.

I don’t want to say much about President Boyd K. Packer’s talk, because a lot of what I would say, I said back in October.

Sometimes, I am worried about the world and how wicked things seem to be getting. But then I see good people, repentant people, righteous people, and I remember that in the last days, the wicked will become wicked, and the righteous will become more righteous. I can definitely see that happening. And I hope that I am becoming more righteous.

Recently, I have been hearing this quote from President Packer’s talk constantly in my mind:

“And the Gods said: We will bless them. And … we will cause them to be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it.”

This commandment has never been rescinded.

We are still commanded to be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth. I thought this was interesting, especially in today’s world of having 2.5 children.

Even more interesting was when I found this policy from the Church’s Handbook 2: Administering the Church:

21.4.15 Surgical Sterilization (Including Vasectomy)

The Church strongly discourages surgical sterilization as an elective form of birth control. Surgical sterilization should be considered only if (1) medical conditions seriously jeopardize life or health or (2) birth defects or serious trauma have rendered a person mentally incompetent and not responsible for his or her actions. Such conditions must be determined by competent medical judgment and in accordance with law. Even then, the persons responsible for this decision should consult with each other and with their bishop and should receive divine confirmation of their decision through prayer.

Definitely if the commandment to multiply and replenish the earth still stands, then surgical sterilization would be strongly discouraged. Of course, as President Packer points out in his talk, “Lehi taught that men are free and must be ‘free … to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day.’ … our agency is more powerful than the adversary’s will. Agency is precious. We can foolishly, blindly give it away, but it cannot be forcible taken from us.” So, of course, it is given us to choose what we will do. But it behooves us to choose the path that follows the Lord’s will for us. “There is something very liberating when an individual determines of his or her own free will to be obedient to our Father and our God and expresses that willingness to Him in prayer.” My mind always goes back to the example of a kite being held by a kite string. When the kite is being held taught by the string, it can soar. If the string were to be cut, the kite would fall to the ground.

What can obedience do for us? It can help us break the chains of addiction and bad habits. “If one is obedient, the priesthood can show how to break a habit and even erase an addiction.” I have bad habits in my life – maybe not particularly heinous sins, but there are parts of my parenting, and parts of my actions towards others in general that have become habits, and I would like to change them. President Packer’s message is one of hope:

Every soul confined in a prison of sin, guilt, or perversion has a key to the gate. The key is labeled “repentance.” If you know how to use this key, the adversary cannot hold you. … If you are bound by a habit or an addiction that is unworthy, you must stop conduct that is harmful. Angels will coach you, and priesthood leaders will guide you through those difficult times.

I am so grateful for the power of the atonement, and the power of the priesthood to heal my life, and the lives of those around me. As a mother, I worry that some of my bad parenting will have a lasting a permanent effect on my children. But just when I feel that way, President Packer offers even more encouragement. “The priesthood has the power to unlock the influence of our habits …  however tight the grip. It can heal over the scars of past mistakes.” If I can change how I parent – if I can become more patience, more humble, and more charitable toward my children – then my past mistakes of impatience, scolding, and punishment will be healed by the Savior, and I will still be able to raise healthy, well-adjusted, righteous children.

What scars would you have Christ heal? Are you willing to be obedient to the laws of God? Are you willing to submit to our Father and be obedient so that He might heal you and your family?

Our Very Survival

(find the talk here)

Elder Kevin R. Duncan’s talk is one of the other talks that I mentioned in this post about the prophets. It came as no surprise to me that two separate General Authorities spoke of President Ezra Taft Benson’s Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet. It is interesting to me that these two brethren spoke of following and trusting in the prophets, and shortly after the prophets spoke, President Boyd K. Packer was publicly attacked for his words in General Conference – even by some members of the Church. People who just one day before he spoke rose their hands in a sustaining vote – sustaining President Packer as a “prophet, seer, and revelator.” I imagine that Heavenly Father knew that there would be those who would struggle with the words of the prophets that weekend, and prepared us with inspired words from both Elder Costa and Elder Duncan to remind us why we attend General Conference, and what the role really is of the men who speak to us.

Elder Duncan testifies that “the only sure and secure road to protection in this life comes through trusting in and obeying the counsel from the prophets of God.” He speak of the early Saints settling in the Salt Lake Valley – some did not want to heed the words of the prophet, Brigham Young. Some wanted to move on to California or other areas in the west. But Brigham Young’s instruction was clear - “This is the right place.” He said, “We have been kicked out of the frying-pan into the fire, out of the fire into the middle of the floor, and here we are and here we will stay.” Brigham Young proceeded to tell the Saints that the Lord would bless the land for their sakes. And He did.

The Fourteen Fundamentals deserve repeating, so I will:

1. “The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything...”

2. “The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works.”

3. “The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet.”

4. “The prophet will never lead the Church astray.”

5. “The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time.”

6. “The prophet does not have to say ‘Thus saith the Lord’ to give us scripture...”

7. “The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know.”

8. “The prophet is not limited by men’s reasoning, ...”

9. “The prophet can receive revelation on any matter – temporal or spiritual.”

10. “The prophet may be involved in civic matters.”

11. “The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich.”

12. “The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly.”

13. “The prophet and his counselors make up the First Presidency – the highest quorum in the Church.”

14. “The prophet and the presidency – the living prophet and the first presidency – follow them and be blessed; reject them and suffer.”

“What the prophets teach may to some seem outdated, unpopular, or even impossible.” These are inspired words, as President Packer would go on the next day to talk about things that are very “unpopular” with the world. And then, a petition with hundreds of thousands of signatures would be delivered to Church Headquarters, protesting the words of the prophets. There were even members of the Church who found President Packer’s words to be “unpopular.” But, “‘our [very] salvation hangs on’ following the prophet.” Fundamental number thirteen speaks directly to this dilemma - “The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly.” It cannot get more true than that.

I’ll end with one last quote from the talk:

This world is full of so many self-help books, so many self-proclaimed experts, so many theorists, educators, and philosophers who have advice and counsel to give on any and all subjects... It is easy to get caught in the trap of looking to the “arm of flesh” for advice on everything from how to raise children to how to find happiness... we have access to the source of pure truth, even God himself. We would do well to search out answers to our problems and questions by investigating what the Lord has revealed through His prophets... [W]e have at our fingertips access to the words of the prophets on nearly any subject.

You can find the words of the prophets on nearly any subject by searching at LDS.org, or by simply reading the words of General Conference, the words of the First Presidency Messages, and other messages by the prophets that are published monthly in the Ensign magazine. There is no excuse for not searching out the words of the prophets. Technological tools provide us nearly instant access to their words 24/7. Not to mention the ability we have to pray and receive confirmation of their words on our own.

I testify with Elder Duncan that “there is no safer way to approach life, find answers to our problems, gain peace and happiness in this world, and protect our very salvation than by obeying their words.

What is the first place you turn to for advice and for instruction? Do you look for the words of the prophets? Or do you head directly to the “arm of flesh”? How can you increase your faith in the prophets and search out their instruction?

Of Things That Matter Most

(find the talk here)

I loved this talk the first time I heard it, which was probably when I was running or cleaning or taking care of some other mundane task. I wasn’t able to listen to the Saturday session of General Conference, so I made it a point to listen to those talks first when the audio was available (which was practically the day of conference).

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf often uses analogies about planes in his talks, which is why his comments about trees and what they had to do with planes was so amusing.

I am often guilty of doing too much – over scheduling my life – and especially determining my self-worth by how frantic my pace is. President Uchtdorf says “Some might even think that their self-worth depends on the length of their to-do list.” This becomes my problem occasionally – and I frequently am dealing with the consequences: “Because they unnecessarily complicate their lives, they often feel increased frustration, diminished joy, and too little sense of meaning in their lives.”

Last week, my husband taught the “Teachings for our Times” lesson (the lesson on the 4th Sunday of the month in Priesthood and Relief Society meetings usually comes from the most recent General Conference addresses). The talk assigned was this talk. While reading the talk before Church, my husband mentioned to me “You need to read this talk.” At first I was offended, since I had been listening to the General Conference talks consistently for a while, and I knew that I had heard the talk probably two or three times, if not more. I knew that I had enjoyed the talk, and had been enlightened and felt its meaning for me personally. However, I did, indeed, need to read the talk.

Listening to the talks is a lot different for me than reading them. For instance, with President Uchtdorf’s talk, when I was listening to the talk, I got stuck on the introduction to his talk, when he speaks of slowing down and steadying the course in times of trial and tribulation. But as I actually read the talk, I realized that he was telling us that this life itself is a time of stress – meaning we need to be simplifying our lives and steadying the course because that is what will help us in this life. So instead of narrowly applying this talk to times of extra stress and tribulation in my life, I am now able to apply it to my life even in times of calm weather, such as now. I feel like our life is pretty calm, and I feel like I can put on the gas a little more. But President Uchtdorf’s words hold me steady. “There is a beauty and clarity that comes from simplicity that we sometimes do not appreciate in our thirst for intricate solutions.”

I have been reading a lot of minimalist and simple living blogs lately, trying to grasp this concept and apply it in my life. But all those blogs and writings, good as they are, pale in comparison to the inspiration of the Latter Day prophets, and the Spirit I feel when reading their words.

While President Uchtdorf does mention at one point that we should “proceed at the optimum speed for our circumstances,” I think that we often overestimate the optimum speed for our circumstances, much like inexperienced pilots. We should do all “
things ... in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that [we] should run faster than [we have] strength. [But] it is expedient that [we] should be diligent, [and] thereby ... win the prize.” “That is why ‘we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, ... that [we] may know to what source [we] may look for a remission of [our] sins.’ In the complexity, confusion, and rush of modern living, this is the ‘more excellent way.’”

President Uchtdorf has a great heading for the next part of his talk, “So What Are the Basics?” – I love headings, and I especially  love ones that feel like they just asked my own question for me.

President Uchtdorf speaks of “the importance of four key relationships: with our God, with our families, with our fellowman, and with ourselves.”

“We improve our relationship with our Heavenly Father by learning of Him, communing with Him, by repenting of our sins, and by actively following Jesus Christ, for ‘no man cometh unto the Father, but by [Christ].’” He then speaks of spending quality time alone with Heavenly Father. We need to be having daily personal prayer and scripture study and strive to be worthy of a temple recommend. I struggle in communing with Heavenly Father, and I really always have, as I confided once long ago to my sweet sister in law. She spoke of the difficulty being because we often talk and preach and rejoice in Christ, so it is somewhat easier to have a relationship with Christ – but because we only pray to Heavenly Father, and do not speak and preach of Him as often, that relationship often takes a back seat to our relationship with Christ. But if we can realize what our relationship with Christ is really all about – He is our advocate with the Father – then perhaps that will help us develop a more meaningful relationship with Heavenly Father.

“We build deep and loving family relationships by doing simple things together, like family dinner and family home evening and by just having fun together.” I struggle with this one, because my husband and I define “fun” in different ways. For example, a lot of hard work, and some mundane tasks, even, become “fun” for me when the whole family is involved, when we’re spending time together doing them, and when we are all enjoying the process together. My husband finds mundane tasks distasteful, and enjoys being alone while doing them so he can simply get done with the task. He enjoys watching movies, playing out doors, and doing other less mundane activities. Occasionally I find myself viewing those things as a waste of time – after all, there are dishes to be done and clothes to be washed. This probably feeds into the “simplicity” thing – if we had less clothes, less dishes, less “things”, we would have fewer “mundane” tasks to accomplish. But, like I said, I actually enjoy the mundane tasks – when I am doing them with family. Perhaps we will address that in our family and see what kind of compromise we can come up with.

“We establish a divine bond with each other as we approach God together through family prayer, gospel study, and Sunday worship.” Here we do pretty well. Our children are very young, so our “gospel study” together consists of lessons from the nursery manual - “I will share.” “I will be reverent.” “Heavenly Father loves me.” – you get the picture. But isn’t it ironic that even that goes back to President Uchtdorf’s counsel to focus on the basics? What is more basic than the doctrine taught in the nursery?

The one of of the key relationships that I feel I have a pretty good grasp on is that with my fellowman. “We build this relationship... by being sensitive to the needs of others, serving them, and giving of our time and talents.” In fact, I think that often the other three relationships suffer because I am too wrapped up in my relationship with my fellowmen, and not enough concerned with my relationship with Heavenly Father, my family, and myself.

President Uchtdorf says, “As we evaluate our own lives with a willing mind, we will see where we have drifted from the more excellent way.”

President Uchtdorf’s fourth relationship is with ourselves. He says some of us “criticize and belittle themselves all day long until they begin to hate themselves.” I don’t think I have progressed to “hating myself” – but I am very guilty of criticizing and belittling myself. He says to “take a little extra time to get to know yourself better. Walk in nature, watch a sunrise, enjoy God’s creations, ponder the truths of the restored gospel, and find out what they mean for you personally.” When the weather warms up a little, I will enjoy going for early morning runs (not so fun to run in 10 degree weather), and I am covetous of my early morning time by myself to study the gospel, as I am doing now. If one of the children wakes up before I have completed my gospel study, I often find myself becoming annoyed and frustrated. But if I truly want more time to myself, I’ll have to wake up earlier, which means retiring to bed earlier... which honestly never sounded better.

I’ll end with these three quotes:

“Let us joyfully partake of [the pure doctrinal waters of the restored gospel] in their simplicity and plainness.”

“Strength comes not from frantic activity by from being settled on a firm foundation of truth and light.”

“Let us simplify our lives a little.”

What things do you focus on to “simplify your life” a little? How do you focus on the four key relationships that President Uchtdorf mentioned? Do you sometimes feel too frantic and rushed? How do you come back to peace and simplicity?

Obedience to the Prophets

(find the talk here)

I have such a testimony of obeying the prophets. I know that the prophets of God are called by God to testify of the Savior, and to receive revelation for the church and all mankind.

It would be unjust for God to give revelation only for members of His Church – for all mankind are children of Him. Every man, woman, and child born on this earth chose to follow Christ in the preexistence, and Heavenly Father will lead and guide all of them who hearken unto His voice.

Because I so strongly agree with the 14 points about prophets that Elder Claudio R. M. Costa talked about in his talk (and which several other general authorities mentioned in their talk as well) I will simply list them here. These 14 points were originally given by President Ezra Taft Benson.

1. “The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything...”

2. “The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works.”

3. “The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet.”

4. “The prophet will never lead the Church astray.”

5. “The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time.”

6. “The prophet does not have to say ‘Thus saith the Lord’ to give us scripture...”

7. “The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know.”

8. “The prophet is not limited by men’s reasoning, ...”

9. “The prophet can receive revelation on any matter – temporal or spiritual.”

10. “The prophet may be involved in civic matters.”

11. “The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich.”

12. “The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly.”

13. “The prophet and his counselors make up the First Presidency – the highest quorum in the Church.”

14. “The prophet and the presidency – the living prophet and the first presidency – follow them and be blessed; reject them and suffer.”

To me, this talk (and the others which mentioned these same 14 principles) were inspired, especially in light of the current political climate, and the uncertainty of many members of the Church over the prophets’ involvement in fighting for the sanctity of marriage.

In this same General Conference, but the next day in another session, President Boyd K. Packer spoke out about same-gender attraction, voiced a strong testimony of the reality of the temptation, and gave what I perceive to be encouraging words for those who struggle with same-gender attraction. His words were rejected by the world, with a petition being delivered to the Church headquarters petitioning him to retract his words.

Ask a prophet of God to take back his words? The Lord will NEVER take back His words, spoken through the mouth of His holy servants.

“...follow them and be blessed; reject them and suffer.”

“What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken,
and I excuse not myself...”
(Doctrine & Covenants 1:38)

I know that the Lord’s servants speak to us in these latter days, that they give us scripture, that their word is more significant and important to us than dead prophets, and that they receive revelation on any matter and that we should listen and follow them. They are true messengers of our Father in Heaven, and if we follow them, we will be blessed.

What is your testimony of the prophets? Do you listen to their words and follow them? What blessings have you received in your life by following the prophet?

Stay on the Path

(find the talk here)

Sister Wixom, the Primary General President, gave a talk that hits close to home for me, with young children of my own. I am always concerned with how I am going to teach my children about the gospel. How will I teach them of Heavenly Father’s love for them? How can I teach them about the plan of Salvation? How can I help them learn about our Savior, Jesus Christ, and His love for us?

How will they know,
the ones for whom we care,
That God is Love,
and with us everywhere.
That life is good,
with blessings all can share?
How will they know
unless we teach them so?

How will they learn
that, though they go astray,
God will forgive
and help them find the way?
How will they feel
the Spirit day by day?
How will they know
unless we teach them so?

How will they grow
in wisdom and delight?
How will they choose
to follow what is right?
How can they trust
the future will be bright?
How will they know
unless we show them?

How will they live
when they at last are gown?
What will they give
to children of their own?
Will they reflect
the values we have shown?
How will they know
as on through life they go?
How will they know
unless we strive to teach them so?

That song has always been very poignant for me. I cry every time I hear it – if not the whole way through, then especially when I hear the words “How will they live when they at last are grown? What will they give to children of their own?” More than anything, I want to my children to be able to give their children a testimony of the gospel and a safe and happy home. It is so much harder for them to give those things to their children if I have not given it to them.

Perhaps that is one of the reasons I am so devoted to being a foster parent. I hope that maybe by caring for those children, I can teach them that “God is Love” and that “life is good” and that “God will forgive.”

A few quotes from Sister Wixom’s talk that stuck out to me:

“For children all over the world, we say, ‘Take my hand. Hold on tight. we will stay on the path together back to our Heavenly Father.’”

I add my voice to Sister Wixom’s and have made it my goal to say to every child I know who may need a hand to hold, “Take my hand, hold on tight, I will help you.” As members of Christ’s church, we have a responsibility to take care of all of God’s children. We can’t raise other people’s children, but we can be a good example. We can show other people’s children what a good family looks like, what standards look like, what faith in God looks like. We can open our home to our children’s friends, we can invite other families over, we can spend time with other families with children and set an example. We have a sacred responsibility to do so.

“We can stop, kneel down, and look into their eyes and feel of their innate desire to follow the Savior. Take hold of their hands. Walk with them. It is our chance to anchor them on the path of faith.”

I feel this way every time I see a child, and especially when I see adults “judging” children or assigning ulterior motives to their young children’s actions. I want to scream, “Those children want to follow the Savior!” and then kneel down next to those sweet, innocent children, take their face in my hands and tell them of their Heavenly Father’s plan for them.

“No child needs to walk the path alone so long as we speak freely to our children of the plan of salvation.”

This reminds me of Elder Bednar’s talk in April General Conference where he spoke about sharing “testimony spontaneously with their children...” I have tried to increase this in my own life with my own children, and it seems to have amazing results. Just last night, after we sang Jesus Num Presépio (Away in a Manger), our three year old, V, hopped down to the floor and said “We’ve got to say a prayer now!” He knew that it was time for family prayer, and he is so excited to pray and talk to Heavenly Father, and be a good example to his little sister. We talk about prayer all the time, and I try to bear testimony spontaneously of being kind to his sister, being a good example, being obedient, and choosing the right. It is working.

“We begin to make the plan known to our children when we hold tight to the iron rod ourselves.”

Obviously we cannot lift others any higher than we are ourselves. And we cannot lead our children along a path that we ourselves do not follow.

“They will follow our cadence when they feel secure in our actions. We do not need to be perfect – just honest and sincere.”

That could not be more true. Children can feel our sincerity. They know if we believe what we are saying. I also love that she reminds us that we do not need to be perfect. Sometimes we feel like we cannot teach our children the gospel effectively because we are not perfect – but isn’t that such a great thing to teach our children? That we can be imperfect, but God loves us anyway? I think the same logic holds true with any parenting issues – we don’t always have to be perfect, but if we let our children know that we care about them and that we are trying to learn how to be the best parents we can be, the response will be wonderful.

And I’ll just leave you with this quote and my testimony:

“The world will teach our children if we do not, and children are capable of learning all the world will teach them at a very young age. What we want them to know five years from now needs to be part of our conversation with them today. Teach them in every circumstance; let every dilemma, every consequence, every trial that they may face provide an opportunity to teach them how to hold on to gospel truths.”

I know that as we try to be sincere we can raise our children to stay on the path. As we try to live the gospel and show our children the way to walk – as we testify to them of their divinity and of the Savior’s love for them, they will walk with us.

Do you take hold of your children’s hands daily and walk with them on the path of righteousness? What things do you do with your children to keep them on the straight and narrow path?

As We Meet Together Again

(find the talk here)

 

Twice a year, on the first weekend in April and then again the first weekend of October, the prophets of God speak to us in a worldwide General Conference. The president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints speaks, as do his counselors, and all the members of the quorum of the twelve apostles.

I love General Conference. I look forward every six months to the time when I get to soak in the words of the prophets. Rarely do they say anything new – it’s all been said before by the prophets since Adam. But there is always a new way to apply it to my life, or a new way to talk about it that strikes me in a certain way. And always I am left with a renewed sense of desire to follow the prophet, keep the commandments, and believe in Christ.

I make it a goal to read and re-read and listen and re-listen to the General Conference talks each year. So far I’ve listened to all of General Conference twice. You can download MP3’s of the General Conference addresses here.

I put the MP3’s on my iPhone and listen to them on long car rides, when I go for a run, or any other time I have more than 15 minutes of relative silence (the long car rides are anything but silent with two small children...).

Reading and listening to the most recent General Conference talks is as important (to me) as reading the canonized scripture (the Standard Works – the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price). The words of the living prophets are more applicable to us than the words of dead prophets. The testimony of dead prophets is equally as significant as the testimonies of our living prophets, for all prophets testify of Christ and of his divine mission. But as far as what we should be doing right now – those words are found in the General Conference talks.

So I think for the next little while, I will focus my morning scripture study on the General Conference talks. We didn’t receive the General Conference issue of the Ensign due to our move and our subscription being on hold, but I will probably end up buying one at the Church distribution center, and I can always read them online, as well.

I read the Book of Mormon at night before bed – as many verses as I feel able to stay awake, or digest effectively. In the morning is when I do some more in depth scripture study. So for my morning scripture study for the next several weeks, I will be studying the talks from General Conference. I haven’t read any of them yet (except President Monson’s opening address, which I linked to at the top of this post – and titled this post after).

President Monson’s opening remarks were exciting, as always – he announced five new temples in Lisbon, Portugal; Indianapolis, Indiana; Urdaneta, Philippines; Hartford, Connecticut; and Tijuana, Mexico.

He also spoke about preparing for missionary service. What especially stuck out to me was that he encouraged young men not only to prepare spiritually, but also to “maintain [their] health and strength.” It makes sense, as young men with health problems are generally not able to serve as full time missionaries. We should be maintaining our health and strength whether or not we are preparing to serve a full time mission, because we are always preparing to serve the Lord in some capacity. Even those with physical disabilities and other limitations can maintain what physical strength they have, and possibly even increase their health and strength. Too often we become discouraged because we have some “health problem” and we think that is the end – we have a health problem and will never be fully functioning/healthy like “normal” people. I know lots of “normal” people and all of them have to do something unique to keep themselves “normal” and healthy. My mother in law has a gluten intolerance, but she runs half marathons, marathons, and relay races. And makes good time, at that. She teaches pump classes and aerobics glasses at a gym, and is the epitome of health and strength – even though she suffers from a gluten intolerance (which has actually led to other allergies and intolerances as well – there are more things she can’t eat than that she can).

The Lord needs us to serve. If we struggle with our health, our emotional or mental capacity, or with our physical strength, we can overcome it. I know that we can. Our Father in Heaven provided a Savior for us to overcome all of our infirmities – not just our sins. If we will do our part and maintain our health and strength, the Lord will make up for our gluten intolerances, for our iron deficiencies, for our ADD, for our physical infirmities, for whatever ails us – if we do our part and try our best, we will find ourselves able to “run and not be weary” and “walk and not faint.” (D&C 89:20)

Have you found yourself able to overcome physical, mental, or emotional infirmities through maintaining your health and strength and relying on the Savior’s atonement? What do you do to maintain your health and strength so that you will be able to serve the Lord when the calls come?

Why the words of Isaiah?

1 Nephi 21

When I read this chapter my first thought was “why Isaiah?” Of all the prophets, why did the Nephi quote Isaiah? Many people find Isaiah’s words hard to understand. His words definitely require a little more thought to get through. They are filled with imagery and allegory. Honestly I find Isaiah very satisfying to read. It’s not cut and dry, it’s interesting, alive, and changing, since the meaning will come from the Spirit’s testimony.

When Christ appears to the Nephites in 3 Nephi, he says

“And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye outght to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah. For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles. And all things that he spake have been and shall be, even according to the words which he spake.” (3 Nephi 23:1-3)

Isaiah’s words are the words of Christ – and they are very important and significant, because they are timeless and true.

I have a desire to understand the scriptures better. I want to know the word of God, and the word of God is spoken by the prophets.