Asking Questions

If you are my teacher, and you tell me,

"Because that's the way it is!"

Let's just say I won't be particularly fond of you.

If you are my teacher and you tell me,

"I honestly don't know."

Then you just earned my respect BIG TIME!

I love asking questions. It is one of my spiritual gifts, the desire to learn. I believe that asking questions is the key to receiving personal answer to prayers and revelation. The Lord is not just going to hand us knowledge on a silver platter!

Along with asking questions, I love to interrogate people about their beliefs. No, not because I want to try and force my religion down their throat. I love to connect their belief system to my own, and see where God is in their life. I also like to see my old self in other people. I remember having this thought all the time, "If God would just TELL ME, I would believe anything in a heart beat!". I remember being confused, and wanting to know. I know that God reached out to me many times, and I was not ready to hear it.

Complete hypocrisy!

(Lexee) "God, please tell me what's true!"

*Gods sends Lexee to Utah*

"God, these Mormons are crazy! Who are you? Where are you? What is true???!!!!" (Now picture a very flustered Lexee banging her head against the wall)

(Please forgive me for using "God" in a very untactful way. I wrote the dialog that way to honestly share the way I thought and "prayed". I was also was not taught growing up that using "God", and "Jesus" was to be done VERY carefully, and with respect. I have friends who nearly faint when I say God or Jesus in a way that seems incorrect. I also believe that the way we show respect can be a cultural thing. To us Americans, it is considered rude to burp. In France, it shows that they liked the food. When I say these things in a way that seems incorrect, I actually mean that these are names I love and am comfortable with. I have a relationship with God, and Jesus Christ. Anyone can try to tell me I am wrong, and that is alright. We all show reverence differently.)

Back to the original subject, our Father in Heaven will often reach out to us, but we are not listening. We often ask, but don't really want the answer. I believe when we feel our prayers are being ignored, we sometimes aren't asking the right question. Our questions are too vague.

We can't ask,

"Heavenly Father, is ALL dis Mormonism stuff, like fo real?"

And expect Him to reveal "ALL dis Mormonism stuff" at once.

I believe the more direct question my question is, the more direct my answer will be. Baby steps.

"Heavenly Father, is the Book of Mormon true?" (after reading the Book of Mormon)

I believe that we need to take our conversions one step at a time. When I converted, I believed that I had a loving Heavenly Father. That was all I had. I began to pray, and learn that this simple fact was true. I then learned that Jesus Christ was my Savior, who died on Calvary for my sins. Learning these two things taught me that the Holy Ghost confirms truth.  Sometimes I would gain a testimony on things that were intertwined. I learned that Joseph Smith was a true prophet when I learned the Book of Mormon was true.

It is our job to seek knowledge. Be the so called Molly Mormon or Peter Priesthood who asks questions in Sunday School, even if the question seems to have completely obvious answer. When I first started going to church, I asked what the Law of Chastity was. Everyone "knew", but when I asked, we had to really think about it.

Whenever I get the chance, I love to pester my teachers with my questions. Normally, my question(s) follows an awkward silence, and then people saying, "I never thought of that" or "I've always been too afraid to ask that!" and sometimes a really good discussion will come out of a simple question. I really hope one day I have a student that loves to ask questions. I hope I have the chance to teacher Sunday School or any church class and I will have someone who loves to learn as much as I do. I realize all this sounds a little Molly Mormonish (OKAY! Maybe a lot!), but I love it! I love teaching and learning.

I believe that we will have very personal experiences and strengthened testimonies by desiring to learn of God, and all he had to teach us. I believe that there is more knowledge in store for then we can comprehend. I testify that He will give the answers you ask for, even if it isn't in the way you imagined or expected.

Speak Your Silence

CLICK THIS LINK!

http://speakyoursilence.org/

My Brother in Law, Matt runs the Speak Your Silence non-profit. Its cause is for children who have been sexually abused. Its cause to is help those who have been affected break their silence, in order to heal.

This a subject no one really wants to talk about.

However, talking about it can help others find release from their experience, and learn how to protect their children from it. I believe talking about it can be the first step to healing.

I have been fortunate to have never experienced this personally (see? We don't like to say, "I have never been sexually abused". I instead used the word this). But I know that people I am close with have been abused in this way, so actually, I have been affected by it. Therefore, I want to be a part in healing their hurt.

I believe that it is awkward to talk about sex (gasp I said sex) in general, but it is so important! Most of us have "heard" about something pertaining to human sexuality from "other kids". A lot of times, they don't explain it in the proper light. I know I have learned about things that my parents didn't cover from kids at school. I wish I had heard it from my parents first.

How are parents supposed to know that kids at school will tell their child things first? My parents taught me many things, but they couldn't anticipate how much/when to tell me. What can I do ?The only way to solve this problem is by talking about it. By it I mean sex, abuse, and the scary things of the world.

 

Why is this so important to me?

I have regrets. I have things I wish I could back. I wish that there were things I could have talked about, before the situation actually happened. I also recognize that sometimes I have to experience them personally to learn, I can't just hear word of mouth. My mom and I have had many of these circumstances, she teaches me, but I don't listen.

All these things don't necessarily pertain to sexuality, but life in general. I hope that I can take my regrets and suffering, and talk about them with my future children, to teach them rather then have them go through the same pain. I do have to let my kids make their own mistakes.

I plan to have children, and the world is a sick place. I can't put a leash on my children, and follow them around. What I can do, is tell them about the world. Rather them keep them in the dark, I want to shine light on the subject. Tell them what our bodies are created for and how to probably use them and respect them. Tell them that there are sadly people who don't respect the bodies of others, and it is up to us to say no. Tell that if it does happen to them that they are not at fault, and that their parents and Heavenly Father. Tell them things that other kids might try to tell them, but tell them in the proper light.

My prayer is that those who have been affected by abuse, have had very devastating events take place in their life, or even have made mistakes in their life that need to be released, may have the opportunity to heal. I pray that I can be an instrument in the Lord's hand to help those who need me. The first step I can make it by speaking up rather keeping myself in the dark, believing that child sexual abuse won't ever happen to someone I love.

My Librarian

I would like to write about a very special experience I had today.

I had the opportunity to meet with my childhood librarian. I went to Chaparral K-8 School in Gilbert for my 6th and 7th grade year, and Ms. McKenrick was the school's librarian. I had a closeness with her while I attended that school. She is happy, she loves to read, and I adore her. I was very sad to leave Chaparral for Utah, and she was (and still is) a very special person to me.

We met at Wendy's. My friend Mae (she arranged our little meeting) and I are broke, so this was the perfect spot. I got the sweetest hug from her, and it felt like old times. It is a little different, we are older! We talk about boys and college and the new things of life.

Ms. McKenrick is moving to the Cayman Island to live with her sweetheart. She gave us the full scoop of how they met, what he is like, and showed us cute pictures. She was glowing! She was a like a girl who had just received her first kiss, and now was telling me girlfriends.

I was taught some very important things today, that are very relevant to my life. She is leaving many things behind in Arizona. She is giving away many possessions, and her life is taking a new direction. Something so beautiful about her is her perspective. "A new chapter in my life" is what she told us this was. She was grateful for all her life experiences, and was ready to begin "a new chapter".

I felt inspired by that because my move to Utah was my new chapter. My new found faith was a new chapter. My future has so many new chapters, I look forward to my new chapters. I also see how important it is to fully appreciate the chapter I am living in, and loving look back at the history I have made.

She gave me a picture and framed note that I had given four years ago, and told me her that note had sat on her office window (I believe that's where she said) everyday since I had given it to her. She also gave me a little green-gray heart. It was given to her as a gift, and says Isabel Bloom (I believe that was the creator of the sculpture) on the back. My librarian wanted to give me these things to remember her, and to have a little piece of her.

I wear little CTR rings which symbolize that I am Mormon, and she noticed them. I was hesitant to share my story. I have not been supported by many that I have told, and I can be little afraid. It took me a moment, but I shared that my experiences had lead me to my Mormon Faith. I told her I loved it. I was happy with it. My quest for spiritual knowledge had finally been taken in the correct direction. She was overjoyed for me that I had found something that fills me. She told me that she had been raised Methodist, and had converted to Catholicism (and then back to Methodist). In her life, there were trials that were very hard on her. She told us (not necessarily in these exact words) that she had been brought to Christ through her trials. I can't explain it, because the way she worded it was so beautiful. Her light reflects her faith.

I thought how my move to Utah, and trials of change in my life had broken me down almost to point where I couldn't find happines. I reflected that I had become humble enough through my pains to come to Christ, and learn of him. I desperate for comfort, that I seeked it. I found God. I found my Savior.

I feel very inspired. I want to shout to her, "Look how happy you have chosen to be! I want will to my best ability instill that as permanently in my life as possible!" I love to see her light, because it shows me that what Christ has done for me, he has done for many others precious souls. I love how she has made such a full life for herself, regardless of her struggles. I look up to her.

We will stay in touch. Our paths will cross again, especially if they are meant to. I don't feel sad, I feel happy. I feel very inspired to reflect on my personal happiness. My struggles are not forever. Christ is how I will charge through my trials, even in my weakness. I am not my weakness. I am who God has created me to be, and I am strengthened through my faith in Christ.

Ms. McKenrick, if you read this, I love you. Thank you for being instrument in the Lord's hand, and teaching me.

Through the Son, We Get to the Father

I read a blog called, Walking in Freedom and the writer is named Amy. I felt inspirted to post this, and comment on it.

Do You Really Know Him?

 

For many years, I never understood the difference between knowing about Jesus and actually knowing Him. If someone would have asked me if I was a Christian years ago, I would have certainly told them, “Yes”. I grew up going to church. What I didn’t realize for so long, is there is a difference between knowing someone and knowing about them. For instance, I know who the president is, but I do not have any kind of relationship with him. Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven”.

When I lived in the Philadelphia area, I attended a bible college for a year. I distinctly remember a dream that I had when I was going to school there, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. I had a dream that I had a final exam for one of my classes, and the room was very quiet. All of a sudden, a man walked into the room and broke my concentration. I noticed that many of the people in my class were really excited and immediately got up to speak to this man, even though they had not finished their exams. In my dream, I was thinking, “Why is this guy here? He’s totally distracting me, and I need to finish my test!” I sat there trying to finish, as more and more people got up from their seats to speak to this man. I couldn’t figure out who could be so important for everyone to stop taking their finals. After sitting there getting more and more angry, I finally decided to go over and see what was so interesting. Then I realized who He was…

That man was Jesus!

John 17:3 “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent”.

Here I was, in my dream, taking a test on “spiritual” things, and I didn’t even recognize Jesus when He walked in the room! I knew a lot about Him, but I didn’t even recognize Him when I saw Him. I believe that God used that dream to wake me up into realizing that I was doing a lot of good things for Him, but I wasn’t spending any time with Him, which is what He really wants.

At that time of my life, I was so busy doing “good” things. I was involved in my church, went to bible school, involved in church groups, etc. That did NOT make me a Christian, though! What makes someone a Christian is trusting Jesus as his/her Lord and Savior and having a relationship with Him. It was after this dream that I realized I was doing a lot of things that seemed “good”, but I was not spending any quality time in prayer. I was not spending any time getting to know Jesus better. This reminds me of my son, Joshua. He likes when I do things for him, but what he really wants is for me to spend quality time with him. I continually have to “check” myself in this area, because it’s so easy to be busy doing things that seem “good” and forget to spend personal time in prayer with Him, also.

I’m sure almost everyone who reads this knows who Jesus is. Even someone who’s never been to church could probably name where He was born, what His mother’s name was, among many other facts. Maybe you haven’t been to church since you were a child. Maybe you’ve never been to church. Maybe you’ve gone to church every Sunday since you can remember. Perhaps you have a Master’s Degree in Divinity or Theology.

You could be a bible scholar, though, and not even really know Jesus.
You’ve probably done a lot of “good” things in your life. That’s what makes God happy with us, right? Sure, God likes it when we do “good” things, but that doesn’t get us into Heaven. Trusting Him as our Lord and Savior and turning away from our sins are the only things that will make you right with Him. Leaning on, trusting in and relying on Him is what makes us right with Him. We can only know what this new way of living is all about if we read His Word. It cannot be about what we “think” He is like or what He “should” be like. We learn who He is from the bible, not our traditions or intuition.

For years I thought Christianity was stuffy and boring. I thought it was all about being fake and trying to follow impossible rules. Real Christianity is anything but that. If you’ve never read my testimony of when I finally gave my life to Jesus (after years of going to church), you can read it here: My First Love

Do you have a personal relationship with Him?
If you don’t, you need to. He loves you, no matter what you’ve done in your life. He wants to have a relationship with you!

Your eternity depends on it!
Maybe you DO have a relationship with Jesus. I challenge you to examine your life to make sure that you are not mistakenly confusing your “good works” with spending time with Him. They are two very different things.

Romans 10:9-10, 13 “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved; for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Thank You, Jesus, that You desire each of us to spend eternity with You. You are not a cold and distant God. You want so much to have a relationship with us, and that shows how much of a personal God You really are. Thank You, Jesus, for extending Yourself and wanting to have such a personal relationship with each of us. I love You!

My thoughts:

First off, don't be distracted by the scripture version. I was for a second, because I am used to the King James version. The Bible is good, in any version, as long as we allow the spirit to teach us.

For a long time I wanted to know why I needed a relationship with Jesus Christ AND Heavenly Father. I was not opposed to it, I just didn't understand why I needed both. I felt confused why using Christ's name was so important. I didn't understand why I needed Christ to get to the Father.

Over time, I learned that the only way to the Father is through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Through Jesus Christ and His atonement, I am able to progress. When I am looking to progress and I draw near to Jesus Christ, I can then reach the Father. Our Father is perfect and His son is perfect. We are not perfect. Christ's sacrifice, example, and grace allows us to approach Him, even though we are imperfect.

I don't completely understand this concept. It feels right in my heart, but it is very hard to really reach that far down and verbally express it. But I believe it. My faith will ALWAYS make up for what I don't know.

I also realize that I can only partake of the atonement, and experience forgiveness when I have faith in Christ. Then, my faith leads me to a personal relationship with him. I need the comfort of knowing that Christ loves me, and died for me. I can only recieve that comfort through having a personal relationship with Him. I truly love My Savior. I know that he loved me first. I know He died for my progressive, and that I want to become like Him. I know that because of Him, I have a relationship with my Heavenly Father.

Jesus Christ: My Foundation

This is another blog I follow. I felt inspired to share it: (I underlined what especially spoke to me)
 

Humble Followers of Christ

June 25, 2013 by John Pontius

2 Nephi 28 is a blistering commentary on the latter days. Reading it with the Holy Spirit convicts the humble soul that it is speaking of our times, of our day, of our situation. We live in a wicked world, one ruled by those who are corrupt (v 19) in the most vile ways. They have killed the innocent (v 10) become fully lifted up in pride such that they rob the poor to building fine buildings and to array themselves in fine clothing. They persecute the meek and poor in heart. (V 13) by outlawing that which is good, making war on religious freedom, mocking moral values and making it politically incorrect to be a Christian.

They are swilling in pride, wickedness, abominations and whoredoms. According to the holy word, they have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the “humble followers of Christ”. (v14)
It is tempting to step into the self-adulation of pride ourselves and point out that “they” whose crimes are listed above, is everybody else, and “we” are the humble followers of Christ. To think such a simplistic thing is surely part of what the divine word means when it accuses: “Others he will pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.” (v21).

I believe there are three great indicators of someone who is a “humble follower of Christ”.
First, Jesus Christ is their shepherd. He leads them. They follow Him. They hear His voice and are counted among His sheep. (Mosiah 26:21, Alma 5:37-38, Alma 5:57, Helaman 7:18). They have taken Him and His voice as their guide and have dedicated themselves to obedience. They will do anything for Him – anything.

Secondarily, they have received the truth. “And at that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins. For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide . . . shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day.” (D&C 45:56-57)

Lest we prematurely pat ourselves on the back, one must continually remind ourselves that truth is eternal, and the Lord reveals truth to mankind as He deems necessary to the completion of their life’s work. The truth the Founding Fathers knew was different from you and I, but it was ordained to their mission, and they received it and gave their lives for it, and accomplished their mortal journey. Many people, millions of people, live in the light they are given. Many more live in darkness. The point isn’t that they have received “the whole truth and nothing but the truth” but that they have received (embraced, loved and lived) that which they have been given.

Third, they have not been deceived. The full quote of D&C 45:56-57 is: “And at that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins. For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived—verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day.”

Since we are speaking of humble followers of Christ both in and outside of the church, it is probable that the range of possible deceptions is vast. But, they can be summarized into a single sentence. A deception is when you persist in believing something after the Holy Spirit has taught you otherwise.
A common deception outside of the church is that Mormons are not Christians. When our Christian brethren take the Holy Spirit to be their guide, and they do, many of them are marvelously dedicated to Christ, and their discipleship exceeds our own in many cases. But, when the Holy Spirit whispers to them the truth about Mormon Christianity, they will either embrace and believe that truth, or they will endure in a deception.

A common deception inside the church is that being an active member alone will save and exalt you. Why will it not? Because the formula is: Take Christ as your shepherd, Take the Holy Spirit as your guide, receive the truth, and do not be deceived.

Membership alone doesn’t make you a disciple of Christ, nor does it compel us to take Him as our shepherd. Discipleship is a personal quest and personal relationship with Jesus Christ developed through desire, obedience and hungering and thirsting after Him. Membership surrounds us with truths, but doesn’t make us receive them, or even believe every truth we possess. To “receive the truth” we must seek out the truth through study, prayer and obedience.

Membership doesn’t mean we have not been deceived as well. The greatest evidence of this is the verse noted above: “Others he will pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.” (v21).

But, membership does spread all these things as a banquet before us. It gives us the greatest opportunity the world has ever known to become a “humble follower of Christ”. We have the fullness of the gospel, living prophets, the priesthood, temples and the privilege of seeking and building Zion. All of these things empower us, but they also have the potential to condemn us if we fail to live up to our privileges.

Brother John


My thoughts:

I used to think that the parable of the Ten Virgins was about members of the church vs. non members of the church.

No. It is about those who are preparing to see Jesus Christ who are recognizing the signs of His coming and those who simply are not preparing . Being "ready" is not about going through the motions, checking off our list: prayers, scriptures, fasting, temple, etc. Those who are progressing in order to see Jesus Christ will understand what they need to do to "make his paths straight". What we do must ALWAYS be in accordance to the spirit. Through yielding, we will have knowledge revealed unto us.

Something I have learned being a convert to the Church is that if my testimony is not based on Jesus Christ, my testimony will shake. I won't be ready to meet my Savior, unless my testimony is based on Jesus Christ.

3 Nephi 14:

24 Therefore, whoso heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a ^arock—

25 And the ^arain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it ^bfell not, for it was founded upon a rock.

26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not shall be likened unto a ^afoolish man, who built his house upon the ^bsand—

27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it.

I have allowed the precepts of men to shake my testimony. I have had times where I did not want to presue my faith. I was frustrated with men, and blamed God for their imperfection. The spirit withdrew and I eventually began to miss God. I had to refind my testimony, and I had to give my testimony a strong foundation. Jesus Christ is my Savior, and that is what I come back to when my I find myself unsure of ANYTHING. I testify that Jesus Christ lives, and that He is the only begotten son of my Father in Heaven.

I also used to think that one day that Jesus would just be here. I thought I might be at my house or at work.

No. I do NOT want to be at my house. I want to be building the New Jerusalem.  I have to keep establishing my relationship with Jesus Christ if I want to be among the elect. I need to know to Him, and know the spirit so it can take me where I need to go.

 

Corrected by the Spirit

I have had several experiences where I hear the spirit gently but directly whisper, "That is not correct." or "Those are precepts of men." or "That's their understanding."

I have hear these whisperings in Sunday school, sacrament meetings, and when we are asked to share our insights. For awhile, I wondered why they had been allowed to say and teach what they did.

I realizied that not all teachers are teaching for their students' sake. Many teachers who are called are called for their sake. For their progression. One of the best ways to learn something to is try teaching it. God has a plan for each of us, and their call to teach, regardless if they are "good" or "bad"is part of their plan. Who are we to criticize?

I also realized:

I have done this. I do this. I will do this. I will fall short when I am teaching, (I plan on teaching as often as I am allowed) and teach precepts of men. I won't be speaking by the spirit, and that is okay.

What isn't okay is for me to continue to teach in ignorance, and be let pride prevent me from correcting my mistakes. I also need to allow my students, and other teachers to share their honest thoughts. In the end, it must be the spirit who confirms truth. I have had teachers tell me things that I knew in my heart were incorrect. Non-members AND members. I don't have to worry because the spirit will always lead me correctly.

The only way I can continually teach by the spirit is by living and heeding to the spirit in my day to day life.

If I can live by the spirit, I can most certainly be given the power to teach by the spirit.

He will give us power that we did not realize we could have. He wants to give and give and give. What we need to do is ask, live obediently, use what he gives us according to his will, and show gratitude.

All this comes down to serving, and bowing down to THE LORD. Not man, not ourselves, not the adversary, but God. He is who the foundation of our testimony must be built upon. The men of the Church are wonderful, and do many good things. But, they are men. They are imperfect.

Elder Holland said,

"Brothers and sisters, this is a divine work in process, with the manifestations and blessings of it abounding in every direction, so please don’t hyperventilate if from time to time issues arise that need to be examined, understood, and resolved. They do and they will. In this Church, what we know will always trump what we do not know. And remember, in this world, everyone is to walk by faith.

So be kind regarding human frailty—your own as well as that of those who serve with you in a Church led by volunteer, mortal men and women. Except in the case of His only perfect Begotten Son, imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to Him, but He deals with it. So should we. And when you see imperfection, remember that the limitation is not in the divinity of the work. As one gifted writer has suggested, when the infinite fullness is poured forth, it is not the oil’s fault if there is some loss because finite vessels can’t quite contain it all.¹⁰ Those finite vessels include you and me, so be patient and kind and forgiving."

I am proud to be part of a church run by imperfect men. I don't care if the church history is wobbly, or if church leaders have done wrong to its members. I love it. I forgive men, and I forgive myself for .

Following the Spirit

Those who love to bash the Bible often bring up that God has commanded, "Thou shalt not kill", and He commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son. Those who also love to bash Joseph Smith bring up, "Thou shalt not commit adultery" and he was commanded to practice polygamy.

What they have not understood is that we must follow "every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God".

No matter what.

 

Matt 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

 

I had a very interesting insight when I read this scripture. (I recognize this is what Jesus said to Satan when Satan was tempting Jesus to eat while he was fasting.) I realized the bread can represent the commandments of God. We need the commandments to live. Like we would die without food, we will suffer spiritual death in result to rebelling against the commandments of God. However, in order to correctly live the commandments, we must obey them according to the spirit. The spirit will direct us, if we allow.  We need to realize that God knows what we don't know. He knows what needs to happen, and if that means He commands us to do something that seems contradictory, we need to do it.

 

This takes a great amount of faith. Some are not able to put everything into the hands of the Lord. It is not easy. We listen to the precepts of men, and tend to doubt God. No! We can't afford to be unfaithful! Our faith is what allows us to progress, and draw nearer to God! We can't explain all of the whys and whats of God, but we can follow Him. As a result of following Him, we will see light and direction in our lives. We will not be blinded by the adversary.

 

What if mom and dad want to go to the movies as a family on a Sunday? Do I obey thy mother and father, or do I keep the Sabbath day Holy? Easy. I ask God. I allow Him to direct me. I do what feels right. Sometimes, I need to be at Church that Sunday. Other days, I need to give my family my time.

 

I have faith that my Father in Heaven will lead me correctly. I know He will NEVER read my astray. How do I know this? Faith. Experience. Confirmation. Then more faith. In time, I believe all will be revealed to me.

Being a Mom is HARD

This week, I am getting a teeny tiny taste of the life of a mom. I am in Arizona visiting my dad, and he is good at dad things. Not the best at mom things. I am having the chance to learn mommy things.

I can make a nice ham sandwich, but:

The rice I cooked had too much water...

The mashed potatoes were a little too...mashed...

I was very grossed out when I had to cut the meat off the bones of rotisserie chicken...

I freaked out when my dad forgot to keep the receipt...

I nearly had an aneurysm when we bought something spontaneously...(NOT ON MY LIST!)

I forget that Brooke and Liam can't read my mind to know that if they don't clean up their mess...

I struggle with patience.

 

But, I can be patient with my 2 year cousin (Did I mention she is 2?!!). I can be kind to the psycho moms that come in my work and demand me to use their expired coupon.

 

Yet, I find it VERY hard to love my own siblings.

 

They are exactly same. They are young. They don't understand my struggles, and why I get frustrated. They are blissfully ignorant, and that is okay. They are kids. I am at fault for thinking that they are purposely frustrating me. I am the one sinning.

 

Rather than get frustrated when they don't say thankful for everything, I need to look at this differently. I am learning through all this that I am the lucky one. I am blessed to have the privilege to serve two of God's wonderful children. I feel happy when I get to make them food. I feel happy when they have fun at the swimming pool. I feel happy when I watch a movie with them that I don't necessarily want to watch.

 

In reality, these are not sacrifices.  I just am not to be used to doing kind things for Brooke and Liam, so it feels like a sacrifice. Whatever I give the Lord ALWAYS comes right back to me. I am receiving knowledge, patience, and memories. The Lord wants me to protect His children, but in reality I am the one who is being given the privilege to fulfill my divine potential.

 

A person with different beliefs could think, "She should love and serve her siblings. Period. It should not be based on if God says to or not."

 

That should be true, but we are still slaves to the natural man inside us. We are selfish and prideful. We don't do the right thing. When we learn to stop yielding to the natural man and instead yield to the will of God, that is when we begin to do the right thing. Why? Because we love God. We learn that we are truly happy following God, and that we are willing to do anything for Him. We learn that God wants the best for us, and that His way is the best.

The Iron Rod

Chapter 8

 

Lehi sees a vision of the tree of life—He partakes of its fruit and desires his family to do likewise—He sees a rod of iron, a strait and narrow path, and the mists of darkness that enshroud men—Sariah, Nephi, and Sam partake of the fruit, but Laman and Lemuel refuse. About 600–592 B.C.

 

1 And it came to pass that we had gathered together all manner of ^aseeds of every kind, both of grain of every kind, and also of the seeds of fruit of every kind.

 

 

2 And it came to pass that while my father tarried in the wilderness he spake unto us, saying: Behold, I have ^adreamed a dream; or, in other words, I have ^bseen a ^cvision.

 

3 And behold, because of the thing which I have seen, I have reason to rejoice in the Lord because of ^aNephi and also of Sam; for I have reason to suppose that they, and also many of their seed, will be saved.

 

4 But behold, ^aLaman and Lemuel, I fear exceedingly because of you; for behold, methought I saw in my dream, a dark and dreary wilderness.

 

5 And it came to pass that I saw a ^aman, and he was dressed in a white ^brobe; and he came and stood before me.

 

6 And it came to pass that he spake unto me, and bade me follow him.


Jesus Christ has created a future for us. He died so that we could live. We are literally nothing without His grace. We must follow Him. He is the light and the way, because the only way we can speak to the Father is through Him. He is the mediator between us and the Father.

 

7 And it came to pass that as I followed him I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste.

 

 

This dark and dreary waste is where I would be without Jesus Christ. He has given me this light that is visable

 

 

8 And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have ^amercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies.

9 And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious ^afield.

 

10 And it came to pass that I beheld a ^atree, whose ^bfruit was desirable to make one ^chappy.

 

 

11 And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the ^afruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the ^bwhiteness that I had ever seen.

 

12 And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great ^ajoy; wherefore, I began to be ^bdesirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was ^cdesirable above all other fruit.

 

 

13 And as I cast my eyes round about, that perhaps I might discover my family also, I beheld a ^ariver of water; and it ran along, and it was near the tree of which I was partaking the fruit.

 

14 And I looked to behold from whence it came; and I saw the head thereof a little way off; and at the head thereof I beheld your mother Sariah, and Sam, and ^aNephi; and they stood as if they knew not whither they should go.

 

 

15 And it came to pass that I beckoned unto them; and I also did say unto them with a loud voice that they should come unto me, and partake of the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit.

 

16 And it came to pass that they did come unto me and partake of the fruit also.

 

 

17 And it came to pass that I was desirous that Laman and Lemuel should come and partake of the fruit also; wherefore, I cast mine eyes towards the head of the river, that perhaps I might see them.

 

18 And it came to pass that I saw them, but they would ^anot come unto me and partake of the fruit.

 

 

19 And I beheld a ^arod of iron, and it extended along the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I stood.

 

20 And I also beheld a ^astrait and narrow path, which came along by the rod of iron, even to the tree by which I stood; and it also led by the head of the fountain, unto a large and spacious field, as if it had been a ^bworld.

 

21 And I saw numberless concourses of people, many of whom were ^apressing forward, that they might obtain the ^bpath which led unto the tree by which I stood.
 

22 And it came to pass that they did come forth, and commence in the path which led to the tree.

 

 

23 And it came to pass that there arose a ^amist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were ^blost.

 

24 And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, ^aclinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the ^bfruit of the tree.
 

I had a vision of a person holding onto a ledge, nearly about to fall. Then, a rope is thrown, and grasped just in time. He barely made it. He is clinging for dear life, until he is safe. Not all of us have
always been on a straight path. I believe we often become so weak, desperate, and in the dark, that we are willing to reach for that flicker of light that Christ offers. We grab whatever we can, if it was a rope, it would be the end of the rope, barely before completely falling.


 

25 And after they had partaken of the fruit of the tree they did cast their eyes about as if they were ^aashamed.

 

26 And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the ^aother side of the river of water, a great and ^bspacious building; and it stood as it were in the ^cair, high above the earth.

 

27 And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the ^aattitude of ^bmocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit.

 

 

28 And after they had ^atasted of the fruit they were ^bashamed, because of those that were ^cscoffing at them; and they ^dfell away into forbidden paths and were lost.


 

29 And now I, Nephi, do not speak ^aall the words of my father.

 

30 But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the ^arod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree.

 

This is beautiful. They fell down. I used to think once I had grip of the iron rod, the rest would be easy. I thought I just need to find God, and then I will have Him forever. No. Satan does everything in his power to lead you astray. In Lehi's vision, I imagine the faithful literally grasping the rod with all their strength. I imagine them feeling as thought there was some unexplainable force attempting to rip them off. But, as they held tight, they were guided. They were strengthened, and were able to keep going. They were exhausted. Once they finally found their destination they collapsed. They made it. They didn't take their eyes off of Christ.  

 

 

31 And he also saw other ^amultitudes feeling their way towards that great and spacious building.

 

 

32 And it came to pass that many were drowned in the ^adepths of the ^bfountain; and many were lost from his view, wandering in strange roads.

 

 

33 And great was the multitude that did enter into that strange building. And after they did enter into that building they did point the finger of ^ascorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit also; but we heeded them not.

 

34 These are the words of my father:

 

For as many as heeded them, had fallen away.


He called each and everyone one of them. He reached out to so many, only to be rejected. I imagine that our Heavenly Father grieves when His little children, us, fall and are lead astray. He has literally felt like He has lost them, and wants desperately for them come back to Him. If he feels this devastated when His children leave, I can only imagine what he feels like when they return. I picture the little kid who "ran away", but missed home so much they ran back into mommy and daddy's arms. I believe each of us having this longing to be to home. I feel it daily. I miss my Father in Heaven. I miss my big brother, Jesus Christ. I am learning that this is unnecessary, because as I strive to progress, the veil becomes less and less foggy.  

 

 

35 And ^aLaman and Lemuel partook not of the fruit, said my father.

 

 

36 And it came to pass after my father had spoken all the words of his dream or vision, which were many, he said unto us, because of these things which he saw in a vision, he exceedingly feared for Laman and Lemuel; yea, he feared lest they should be cast off from the presence of the Lord.

 

 

37 And he did ^aexhort them then with all the feeling of a tender parent, that they would hearken to his words, that perhaps the Lord would be merciful to them, and not cast them off; yea, my father did preach unto them.
 

 

When the day of judgement arrives, I believe we will be shocked at how merciful the Lord is. The more we understand this, the most accountable we will be held. We must not willing go against Him, and take advantage of the fact that His arms are wide open. 3 Nephi 10: 5 And again, ^ahow oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, who have fallen; yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, ye that dwell at Jerusalem, as ye that have fallen; yea, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens, and ye would not.

38 And after he had preached unto them, and also prophesied unto them of many things, he bade them to keep the commandments of the Lord; and he did cease speaking unto them.

Whether the children of men have fallen away from the Lord for a week or for years, we are always welcomed back. Eternal progression, however, means we have to cling to God for our dear lives. The great and spacious building cannot offer you what our Heavenly Father can. He is the light of life.

Mormon Mommy in Training

I am not normal...

I wear capris...

I am learning how to coupon...

I enjoy making shopping lists...

(As long as it is a child I am tending) I don't care if I get spit up on, or slobbered on or have to change a diaper with a nuclear bomb inside...

I think about having children more than anything...

I am a Mormon Mommy in Training.

I find it hard to believe when women do not want this role. Being a mother is one of the most beautiful ways to serve God. Bearing His children. Creating a new life. Being a mother teaches us to love and exercise patience. Even the thought of being the mother and creator of one of God's precious soul is enough to make me tear up, and feel pure joy. Don't tell me "how hard it will". I recognize this. I don't CARE. There is nothing anyone could tell me that is going to stop me from fulfilling the most sacred roles in the Kingdom of God. I want to nurture and cradle my children throughout all their life. Raising God's children, and teaching them of Jesus Christ is MORE than worth the hard work.

I could daydream all day of my future role as a Mormon Housewife. Cleaning, cooking, and caring for little ones is what I want. I don't want to be famous and successful in a worldly sense. I don't care if my house is small, and if I don't have the designer brand of jeans. I don't want it. I want to raise my family with love.

Part of my progression will be struggling as a mom. There are times where as a mom I will fail. I won't be perfect. I will get angry, or do something wrong. I feel distressed, tired, and like I am not good enough. This is where the Lord comes in. Struggles will bring me to my knees. I will have to ask and sacrifice to have my burdens lifted. I will be weakened and through the Lord being strengthened.  That is beautiful. I want the hardship, and I want the progression.

What do I think About?

There is a blog I love. It is called The Beggars Daughter. This woman has come out to the world that she struggled with pornography, and blogs her learning and overcoming. She has a very close relationship to the Savior, and a very real knowledge of His forgiveness.

I read this post, and I love it.

What Your Thought Life Reveals About Your Heart

It was another lazy afternoon, and while most people snuggle down with a good book, I just like to snuggle down and think.  Call me weird, but thinking is how I de-stress.  It is how I process life.  Everything gets a thorough think-through and then filed away where it belongs.  This particular afternoon, I started thinking, and I started thinking about my wedding.

An hour later, I was still thinking about my wedding- not the wedding night, the wedding.  No sex, nothing impure, just daydreaming about my dress, the decor, and the food.  After I snapped myself out of my little fairy tale I started to think about how I had even gotten to that place (told you, I think alot).  It wasn’t necessarily a bad place, a waste of time maybe, but no sin in imagining what my wedding might be like.  Still, I realized that my thought life was giving me key insight into me.

My thought life was revealing the desires of my heart.

Sometimes, we don’t get lost in a world of sexual lust, we just get lost in a world of desire.  Desire is not wrong.  I can desire chocolate cake.  I can desire justice.  I can desire mercy.  I can desire love.  I can desire sex.  The act of desiring is not wrong.  What we need to be mindful of is what we desire, how, and why we desire it (and perhaps how often we get lost in our desire for it).

Is it OK to imagine something?  My answer is yes.  Our imagination is part of God-given creativity.  Again, the question to ask is what, how and why we are desiring it.  Sometimes we desire a particular thing (for instance, sex) or we desire to get away from something else (anything but homework).  Unpacking the motivation behind our desires can be complicated, but I think it is an important window into our healing.

What Do I Desire?

There really aren’t many bad things for us to desire.  Sex isn’t even a bad thing for us to desire.  There is nothing wrong with having sexual desires, and nothing wrong with being a woman who has sexual desires.  So, aside from illegal activities, or obvious “bad things” – like doing drugs, having sex with a married man, desiring to hurt someone, or kill something, there really aren’t many things that are bad to desire in and of themselves.  The trouble comes when we dwell on those desires, act on some of those desires, or in our motivation of those desires.

How Deeply Do I Desire It?

If I can spend an hour daydreaming about my wedding, I might need to rethink my heart priorities. It is not wrong for me to desire marriage.  Marriage is a good and honorable thing.  If, however, it is a consuming thought in my life, then it drifts into idol territory.

Sex can be an idol.  Marriage can be an idol.  Fame can be an idol.  Success can be an idol.  Power can be an idol.  Love can be an idol.  Money can be an idol.  People can be idols.  

Are any of those things bad in and of themselves?  No.  What makes them dangerous and idolatrous is how deeply I desire them.  

If I repeatedly come back to the same theme over and over again in my thought life, that would be a good indication of an idol.  Here’s a good question to ask yourself in that moment when you are thinking of your heart’s desire.

If God never gave you {________} would you still love Him?

If the answer is yes, then do you truly trust Him with it?  That brings us to why.

Why Do You Desire It?

In most cases our desires can be good and God-given.  It is good to desire marriage.  It is good to desire justice.  There is nothing wrong with desiring chocolate cake.  This question is all about motives.  What draws you into that desire?

What happens in your life that causes you to retreat to your thought life.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with thinking, planning, or even daydreaming, but do you a notice a pattern in what makes you go there?

I find so often, in my life, my moments of wandering mind come from being discontent.  It comes from a lack of trust in His will and in His timing.  I believe He is good, sovereign, and just, but I question His judgment when it comes to certain things.  That’s not a good place to be, and that is a heart issue that needs to be remedied.

I have found that I can say “Yes, I would still love God even if He never gave me {____}” but when it comes to trusting Him with that choice, the answer is no.

Be willing to be honest with yourself in those moments.  Is this thing you desire good?  Is your desire under His control?  Do you trust Him?  The answers will give you great insight into your heart and how much you have grown in your journey of freedom.

My Thoughts: This is beautiful. My relationship with God must be my number one priority. Establishing that relationship will teach me that to have the attitude: I will love God no matter what he does or doesn't give me. I believe when we draw near to God, other things cease to be important. Celestial marriage is important, but will cease to be important if I my testimony and love is not based on the Lord. Thy will be done.

I believe we all have idols that don't seem like idols. For us girls, it definitely can be the thought of getting married. It can be pinterest, or couponing. It can be buying clothing. Whatever thing that we think about more than we think about our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ is idol. I think about boys and coupons and my future children A LOT. I know that I need to work on redirecting my focus. We all do. And it is a process. The Lord is more patient than we know and can currently comprehend.

Feed My Sheep

Last night, I had a very special experience. I was frustrated with my family over little, silly things.

I came across this ensign article:

Feasting at the Lord’s Table

M. Russell Ballard
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

---

Brothers and sisters, this has been another glorious conference. I pray for the Spirit of the Lord to be with me as I now have the privilege to speak to you.

In February Sister Ballard and I attended a multistake conference in Johannesburg, South Africa. We were impressed with the faith and the special spirit of the members.

Visiting the African continent brought back memories of my earlier assignments to East and West Africa. I thought once again of the special fast by Church members worldwide in 1985. It provided approximately six million dollars to relieve suffering and hunger primarily in drought-stricken Ethiopia. Brother Glenn L. Pace and I witnessed firsthand the fruits of generous contributions by Church members when the First Presidency assigned us to go to Africa, assess the needs of the people, and recommend how to make the best use of these special funds.

We visited refugee camps in that arid country. The land was as barren as any I had ever seen. We visited Red Cross centers and field hospitals where the desperately ill were being cared for. Such dreadful, pitiful suffering broke our hearts. We saw sick mothers lying on cots trying to feed and comfort their children, many of whom had the sunken eyes and pencil-thin arms and legs of those in the advanced stages of starvation. This was one of the most heart-wrenching experiences of my life. I had never seen anything that touched my heart so deeply as the anxious yearning for food and nourishment that I saw there.

Brothers and sisters, even as people in Ethiopia were starving physically because of the lack of food, far too many people in the world are starving spiritually. Sadly, most of them have no idea where to find real spiritual nourishment. They wander to and fro—another form of pathetic refugees. Those who yearn for true spiritual light and knowledge can only find it through the power of the Holy Ghost. The Spirit enlightens and gives understanding of the eternal purposes of life. By the Spirit, Church members know the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is true. We should, therefore, feel compelled to share our spiritual knowledge with all of our Father’s children by inviting them to pull a chair up to the Lord’s table and feast on the words of Christ.

“Come unto the Holy One of Israel,” wrote the great Book of Mormon prophet Jacob, “and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness.” ¹ Later Nephi urged his followers to “feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.” ²

God’s chosen prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley, recently said:

“Every member of this church is an individual man or woman, boy or girl. Our great responsibility is to see that each is ‘remembered and nourished by the good word of God’ (Moro. 6:4), that each has opportunity for growth and expression and training in the work and ways of the Lord. …

“This work is concerned with people, each a son or daughter of God. In describing its achievements we speak in terms of numbers, but all of our efforts must be dedicated to the development of the individual.” ³

For The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to fulfill its divine mission to assist in bringing “to pass the immortality and eternal life of man,” ⁴ all members need to generate an appetite for gospel sustenance. We must “hunger and thirst after righteousness” ⁵ before we can be filled. We need to cultivate spiritual strength within ourselves before we can ever hope to engender it in others. Individual, personal testimony of gospel truth, particularly the divine life and mission of the Lord Jesus Christ, is essential to our eternal life. 

“And this is life eternal,” said the Savior, “that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent.” ⁶ In other words, life eternal is predicated upon our own individual, personal knowledge of our Father in Heaven and His Holy Son. Simply knowing about them is not enough. We must have personal, spiritual experiences to anchor us. These come through seeking them in the same intense, single-minded way that a hungry person seeks food.

Once again quoting President Hinckley:

“The gaining of a strong and secure testimony is the privilege and opportunity of every individual member of the Church. The Master said, ‘If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself’ (John 7:17).

“Service in behalf of others, study, and prayer lead to faith in this work and then to knowledge of its truth. 

This has always been a personal pursuit, as it must always be in the future.” ⁷

We must fortify ourselves before we can ever hope to offer spiritual nourishment to others. Once we have nourished ourselves with the good word of Christ and feasted personally at His table so that our testimony is strong and vibrant, we are obligated to join with the missionaries in a balanced effort to invite others—beginning with our families—to the spiritual banquet. As the Lord said to His beloved Apostle Peter, “When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” ⁸ And again speaking to Peter, the Savior asked: “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.” ⁹

If we are obedient to the Savior’s command given to Peter, we will focus our attention on the spiritual growth and development of those for whom we are responsible. Feeding the Lord’s sheep requires each of us to awaken our interest in others. The duty to invite others to partake of the gospel feast does not rest only on the shoulders of the missionaries. That sober and significant duty belongs to each member of the Church, for “it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.” ¹⁰

Today our prophet is calling for enthusiastic and dynamic love for our Heavenly Father’s children. He asks us to see the spiritual hunger around us and to respond by willingly sharing our abundance. No power on earth can accomplish as much as one righteous man or woman or boy or girl.

The home and family have vital roles in cultivating and developing personal faith and testimony. The family is the basic unit of society; the best place for individuals to build faith and strong testimonies is in righteous homes filled with love. Love for our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ is greatly enhanced when the gospel is taught and lived in the home. True principles of eternal life are embedded in the hearts and souls of young and old alike when scriptures are read and discussed, when prayers are offered morning and night, and where reverence for God and obedience to Him are modeled in everyday conduct. Just as the best meals are home cooked, the most nourishing gospel instruction takes place at home. Strong, faithful families have the best opportunity to produce strong, faithful members of the Church. The recent proclamation to the world on the family issued by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles makes very clear that the family is ordained of God. The proclamation warns that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

The family is where the foundation of personal, spiritual growth is built and nurtured; the Church, then, is the scaffolding that helps support and strengthen the family. While the Church is secondary to the family in teaching gospel principles, much spiritual learning and growth come through the Church. For example, carefully planned sacrament meetings should be a spiritual feast in which we worship and learn of our 

Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Bishops, if your sacrament meetings are less than a banquet of spiritual nourishment, I urge you to invite suggestions from your ward council, especially the sisters, on ways to make every sacrament meeting a more reverent, spiritual experience. Let the council also help teach our members that the chapel is a special place in our buildings where we come in a spirit of respect for God and reverence for His holy Son. Let the quiet, peaceful promptings of the Holy Spirit abide in our worship services, causing spiritual enlightenment and nourishment to flow into our lives.

Whether we are teaching in the home or in the Church, we must keep a clear vision of the gospel’s eternal purpose. Not long ago I experienced the kind of faith and spiritual strength the gospel provides when an 18-year-old sister, who was fighting for her life in a battle with cancer, asked me for a blessing. She said: “Brother Ballard, I am not afraid to die. I would like to live. There are things I would still like to accomplish in this life, but I know that Jesus is my Savior and my Redeemer. During these past few years He has become my best friend. I trust Him, and I trust you as His representative. Whatever He wants for me, I am prepared.”

We pled for a miracle but at her request left the matter with Heavenly Father. She died shortly thereafter with the peace of the Lord attending her and her faithful family.

Brothers and sisters, we should teach revealed principles and inspired doctrine in our homes and in our Church meetings. Every parent and class instructor should be well prepared to teach the gospel by the power of the Spirit to ensure that testimonies are renewed and understanding of life and life eternal is fortified.

The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles ask leaders to emphasize constantly, in priesthood quorums, auxiliaries, and stake and ward councils, the preeminence of the home and family. That is where scriptures are studied and prayers are offered regularly so all family members will strive to follow the Savior in all things.

Leaders also need to emphasize that all adult members of the Church should strive to become worthy to receive the ordinances of the temple. They should identify their ancestors and perform the sacred temple ordinances for them.

Parents and leaders need to do everything possible to prepare each young man to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and the ordinances of the temple and to serve a full-time mission. Likewise, young women need to prepare to make and keep sacred covenants and receive temple ordinances. Making and keeping sacred covenants in the house of the Lord is the most delicious course at the Lord’s table. It is the ultimate, satisfying spiritual feast of the gospel of Jesus Christ in mortality; it has eternal consequences. Our living prophet has expressed his great vision of those who qualify for temple ordinances, keep temple covenants, and serve regularly in the house of the Lord:

“We would be a better people,” President Hinckley said. “There would be little or no infidelity among us. Divorce would almost entirely disappear. So much of heartache and heartbreak would be avoided. There would be a greater measure of peace and love and happiness in our homes. There would be fewer weeping wives and weeping children. There would be a greater measure of appreciation and of mutual respect among us. And I am confident the Lord would smile with greater favor upon us.” ¹¹

Through His prophet, God has promised to replace the spiritual hunger that plagues mankind with untold bounty from His own table. All He asks is that we come unto Christ and then do all we can through our families and with the support of the Church to help all of our Father’s children succeed spiritually in this critical journey of mortality.

“

Behold,” said the Lord, “I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” ¹²

I testify to you that Jesus is the Christ. He lives and invites everyone to partake of the joyful feast of the gospel. Joseph Smith is the prophet of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in these latter days. May we all be blessed, my beloved brothers and sisters, with an increased desire to seek after and feast on the things of the Spirit I pray humbly in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

My Thoughts: No, I did not think, "Oh! Time to convert my family." No, I realized that my family are the sheep Jesus Christ has asked me to feed. I must be as kind, as loving, as patient, and as forgiving as I can possibly be. This I can do through the example of Jesus Christ, and by praying to the Lord, "I can't feed your sheep on my own. I need you. I will do what you ask me to do, but I need your help." 

Don't wait to be served and taken care of, but rather look for those who need you. I believe there Christ directs us individually to those that need to be feed, whether it be with food, kindness, love, or the words of Jesus Christ.

Making EVERYTHING Spiritual

Simple day to day things like cleaning, shopping, and eating can be spiritual in experience. When I say spiritual, I mean the spirit can guide you to do these things efficiently and enable you to better feel the Holy Spirit's presence. Many do not believe that God find these little things important. I am finding the more often I ask Him to help me, the more help I receive.

I believe when the space we dwell in is messy and chaotic we can start to become and feel that way. The room isn't calm, and I believe the spirit has a harder time dwelling there. Each person needs a place of refuge, that feels safe.

I felt a very overwhelming, I need to clean my room!!! I cleaned out my closet. And my dresser. And organized my journals and scriptures. I found a way to hang my Jesus pictures. My parents will eventually help me rehang my painting. You can even see the floor.

I found several things I needed to donate/recycle/trash. I believe the material things we have in our rooms and homes can invite or offend the spirit. Simple things. I found several things, and I follow the spirit according to what I keep/don't keep. It can be hard. It is easy to attach ourselves to materials. A thought I have been having lately is, "Will this be important when the Second Coming nears?" When destruction is happening everywhere, will I care about 17 Magazine? (Don't worry, I don't subscribe to that!!!) My iPod, and fashion purses and hair flowers will be of no importance. My most prized physical possession are my scriptures, journals, and pictures. Those have a lasting beauty and happiness. Experiences come from God, and my records remind me of the things I have learned. You can't get that anywhere else.

I was pondering whether or not my Buddha pictures and statues were idol. I used to consider myself Buddhist. I thought, "Do I think about Buddha more than I think about Jesus?" and "What kind of spirit do those pictures and statues invite?" and "Who do I think Buddha is?" I do not think about Buddha more than Jesus. Buddha was a good man, and taught good things. Goodness invites the spirit. I believe that Buddha was Jesus Christ. I have read many of their stories, and they are very close. I believe every religion that teaches good stemmed from Christianity, but it was very easy for men to alter it. Because Buddha represents Jesus Christ to me, I feel that they are appropriate to have in my room.

One Hundred Things I Love About My Mom

1. Gave birth to me.
2. Taught me to be accepting of others.
3. Says weird things like, "Hidey Tidey Tootie" (She meant to say High and Mighty)
4. Will only "taste" things. Rather than eat the whole darn thing.
5. Is girlishly ticklish.
6. Loves chubby babies.
7. Constantly is comparing baby's head sizes.
8. Thinks Liam had the most perfect head shape and size.
9. Has twenty friends named Lisa.
10. Eats nasty things like cottage cheese.
11. Looks like Sandra Bullock.
12. Gets hit on EVERYWHERE.
13. Looks 25.
14. Can't just say "No" because she is a gentle person.
15. Her version of yelling is my way of whispering.
16. Was patient with my picky eating. (And still is!)
17. Lets me whine about work and my boss.
18. Watches trash TV and talks about how dumb it is.
19. Randomly will tell me, "Lexee your a beauty queen"
20. Dresses more modern than me. The teenager.
21. Sows me long skirts.
22. Will fight about wearing each others clothes.
23. Gives me jeans she no longer wants.
24. Sucks at math.
25. Gave me her air head qualities.
26. Took us swimming everyday when we lived in Arizona.
27. Takes care of me when I get sick.
28. Cleaned me up when I fell off my bike and got HORRIBLE road rash.
29. Taught me to ride a bike.
30. Taught me to tie my shoe.
31. Was very patient. It took me until I was about 10-11before I could do these things.
32. Accepts me being different.
33. Makes amazing cookies.
34. Helps me coupon.
35. Makes sure I am not spending all my money couponing.
36. Drives me places.
37. Is teaching me how to drive.
38. Teases me relentlessly on my driving.
39. Has adjusted to my weird friendships.
40.Thinks I look exactly the same as I did when I was five, except now I am in a women's body.
41. Tells everyone that I should name my car Joseph Smith.
42. Makes weird smoothies.
43. Can't get her hair wet.
44. Can be such a princess ;)
45. Counts with her fingers.
46. Can drive a four-wheeler.
47. Squeals when Dustin drives the four wheelers ;)
48. Thinks every guy that is even a particle feminine is gay.
49. Uses double double words.
50. Thinks I overuse double double words.
51. Tells me to go and watch My Little Pony while I critcize their violent movies.
52. Once referred to the General Authorities as "booming white men"
53. Looks like a temple worker in her cheesecake factory outfit.
54. Brooke now says weird things too because of her. "I know two more than you!"
55. "We love each other equal" is what she says to my little brother at night.
56. This song is about her: "You don't know your beautifuuulllllll!!! That what makes you beautifullllllll!!! "
57. Loves 30 Seconds to Mars.
58. Makes me use a foam cup when we are at Rib City. (I can't handle real glass. Or plastic.)
59. Will order me Dinosaur chicken nuggets at Rib City.
60. Would make us chocolate pancakes all the time in AZ.
61. Taught me how to make the pancakes.
62. Wants to go live in on a island.
63. Won't take me to the island. >:(
64. Made me watch a movie on tsunamis, and now I won't go to any islands.
65. Recommends movies for me that I end up crying over for two days.
66. Would drive me to South Jordan to go to this church I liked back in Junior High.
69. Allowed me to go through all these CRAZY phases.
70. Supported many church trips I have attended.
71. Has never been awkward about all the half and step family.
72. Treats people kindly even when they need to get hit by a train.
73. Works an annoying serving job to help support us.
74. Teaches me to work for what I want.
75. Doesn't spoil me.
76. Has taught me if I want to go somewhere I can walk, run, bike or bus.
77. Uses the word conservative, even though I hate that word.
78. Makes it so we can go camping.
79. Plans fun things for us to do.
80. Thinks I am pretty :)
81. Comments randomly on my leg muscles :)
82. Compliments my running achievements.
83. Cheered me on at my races.
84. Sympathizes my injuries or soreness.
85. Sets a great example of being healthy.
86. Was very comforting to me when I hit puberty.
87. Was very good at explaining life things to me.
88. Isn't crazy ;)
89. Separates herself from any bad moods, and treats us well.
90. Thinks I should be the president of her fan club.
91. Somehow took care of us crazy children.
92. Has made changes for the better.
93. Has worked through many hard things.
94. Hasn't let her trials affect her love for her children.
95. Is very nurturing.
96. Lets us tease her. :)
97. Arranged play groups for us when we were little.
98. Didn't give me back to the hospital ;)
99. Is MY mom :)
100. Loves me more than anyone else could ever love a child!!!!