And It Did

I've been thinking this week that surely of all times, now, during this Christmas season, it would be good to post a new message of Jesus, but I was also trying to figure out some eloquent message to share of Christ and I was struggling with that. Plus, this month has been kind of hard, for a few reasons. However, this morning, things sort of came together in my head, and I found the message I want to share, although it's a little jumbled, so I'm still not sure it will be eloquent. Nevertheless, here is the message of Christ that I want to share this Christmas.

As I said, this month has been kind of hard. As some of you might already know, my sweet Adam and I would very much like to be parents, but we haven't been able to get pregnant. It has been quite a struggle for us, with lots (and lots, and lots) of tears and frustration and sadness and disappointment as month after month after month, we've found that yet again, we weren't able to get pregnant. I was really hoping, even more than I've hoped every month, that this month would be the one. At the same time, the medicine I have to take to try to help us get pregnant has really been messing with my hormones and makes me depressed, and that only got worse when I realized that yet again, there still would be no baby for us, at least not yet.

However, I can confidently say that I have not been left alone in this struggle. There have been several times this month that I have felt and heard the Lord's messages to me, reminding me of scriptures and such to lift me and help me.

Earlier in the month, a five-year-old boy in our ward, Simeon, was assigned to give a talk in Primary. He spoke about the prophecies and signs that would help people to recognize the birth of the Savior of the world. After he told about the prophecies, Simeon also talked about their fulfillment and how they did happen. For example, Simeon spoke of Samuel the Lamanite's prophecy to the Nephites that new star would arise to herald the Savior's birth, and then said in his sweet little voice, "And it did!" That sweet little "And it did" is something that the Lord has been reminding me of this month--that just as Simeon said in his talk, each of the promises regarding Christ's birth truly did happen. Another thought that has popped into my head is a line from the not-often-sung fourth verse of I Am a Child of God: "I am a child of God. His promises are sure." Through these messages, and other that I've received this month as well, I have felt the assurance of the Savior that the promises made to me (which, through Priesthood blessings and such do indeed include children) will all come to pass and there will be a point in my life where I can say regarding parenthood, "And it did!"

While that blessing hasn't yet happened for us, I can look back at my life and see some many areas where I can say "And it did!" The Lord has kept His promises to me, and He has led me and guided me in so many ways to find the opportunities and path that bring happiness into my life. He has been with me, helping me, supporting me, loving me. And this Christmas season, as I reflect on how all of the prophecies of Him and His birth and then His life, atonement, death and resurrection were fulfilled every single whit, I know that in my life I will say "And it did"--because He did. He did every single thing He promised He would do; He didn't forget a single detail. He has overcome the world in all things, and because He did, all of us can rejoice in knowing that we will be able to say "And it did" in our lives.

And so, on this Christmas Eve, as I think of my Savior's birth and His life and atonement and death, I want to say, as did Jon Menzies Macfarlane,
"Lord, with the angels we too would rejoice,
Help us to sing with the heart and voice:
Glory to God, Glory to God,
Glory to God in the highest:
Peace on earth, goodwill to men;
Peace on earth, goodwill to men!"

I know that Christ's birth and the sweet reminders I've had this month are each a "message of mercy from heaven above" (Far, Far Away on Judea's Plains; click here for an audio version). And so I say, glory to God; praise be to Him who has kept every promise, who "shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Revelation 21:4). God is merciful and we can have hope that He will keep each promise to us, just as each promise regarding the birth of the Savior was kept.

On Relief Society

When the Relief Society Presidency first passed out our copies of Daughters in My Kingdom, the new book about the history of Relief Society, I thought it was nice that they remembered to pass them out the Primary teachers, but then I took it home and set it aside. I was busy with Primary lessons, my personal scripture study, rereading General Conference talks, and trying to keep up with the Sunday School and Relief Society lessons. I had plenty of other Church materials to keep me busy, and for me, Relief Society has always been the place I have to go when I can’t get the bishopric to give me a calling in Primary. So, I wasn’t really that interested. However, once I finally cracked the cover, I found that this slim blue book is a treasure trove of inspiration and it offered me a connection to Relief Society that I’ve never quite found before. I wanted to devour it in one sitting, but I also wanted to stretch it out day after day because I loved the feelings I got as I was reading it and wanted to be able to experience them each day. There have been so many lessons that the Spirit taught me as I read through the book, and I just want to share a few.

We Can All Be Extraordinary and Change the World
Daughters in My Kingdom begins, “In the first meeting of the Relief Society, Sister Emma Smith said, ‘We are going to do something extraordinary.’ She was right. The history of Relief Society is filled with examples of ordinary women who have accomplished extraordinary things as they have exercised faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ” (xi). This stood out to me, because I always want to be special in some way; I’m always longing for some sort of recognition that will show me that my efforts matter—that I matter. Reading this just helped me realize that I don’t have to try to prove that I’m special; I can be ordinary but as I have faith in Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father and use the talents endowed in me as a daughter of God, They will provide the “extraordinary.”
Later in the book, Elaine S. Jack tells about how in 1992, the 150th celebration of the Relief Society was an opportunity for service and all over the world, Relief Society groups went out and served. The R.S. presidency in one ward went to the city council and asked what they could do to help. Sister Jack recalled,

And the men said, ‘You mean 20,000 groups throughout this world are going to be doing this same thing?’ And she said yes. And [one of the council members] said, ‘You’ll change the world.’ And I think we did … for the better… [Sisters] made lap rugs in South Africa for those elderly in the home. … They planted flowers around [a] clock tower in Samoa. And they did so many things with homeless shelters or providing books for children or painting homes for unwed mothers, that sort of thing. We felt that throughout the world these community service projects were a great thing, both for the sisters and for the community (p. 95-96).

Being somewhat cynical, as I looked through that list of projects, I thought, But they didn’t change the world—because lap rugs and flowers don’t seem world-changing to me. However, the Spirit quickly corrected me to say that they did change the world. Did they solve world hunger? End warfare? Eliminate crime? No. Not on a large scale anyway. But they made people’s lives better, and that does change the world.

We All Have Something to Offer
In Nauvoo, the women of Relief Society decided to help the men who were building the temple; in the minutes from one of their meetings, they recorded what each woman volunteered to do or to give in order to help. Some said they’d solicit donations, or donate material for clothing, or give soup or milk, etc. (p.22). This list of their different offerings taught me that all of us have something that we can offer to meet the needs around us. It might not be the same as what someone else offers—and maybe we’re even a little embarrassed that we don’t have more to offer—but we can all contribute.

Be Obedient, Even If You Can’t See Why It Matters
I’ve long known the story of how the Relief Society sisters back in the late 1800 and early 1900s had stored lots of wheat and then sold it to the U.S. government during World War I. But Emmeline B. Wells’s comment on that experience was an eye-opening one for me; she said, “In all these years we have not had much need to use the grain stored away for the purpose it was designed, but with the dark cloud hovering over the world as it now does, we can see the prophetic wisdom of President Young in calling upon the sisters to save grain against a time of need” (p. 56)
Brigham Young gave the instructions and decades later—and four prophets later, since Joseph F. Smith was the prophet during WWI—they finally could see why the instruction was given, at least on a large scale. That means many of the sisters who had helped with the storage never even saw why it was needed, because they died before WWI. And many women weren’t alive when President Young gave the initial instructions. And yet, they were faithful to the words of the prophet, and the Lord was able to use them to bless countless lives. This story is a good reminder that even if we can’t see why the Lord has asked us to do something, He can—and we need to do it even if we never see why.

Developing a Positive Attitude Is a Skill of Self-Reliance
In the 1930s, the First Presidency, comprised of Heber J. Grant, Anthony W. Ivins, and J. Reuben Clark, Jr. offered this counsel: “We…urge, earnestly and always upon the people, the paramount necessity of living righteously; of avoiding extravagance; of cultivating the habits of thrift, economy, and industry; of living strictly within their incomes; and of laying aside something, however small the amount may be, for the times of greater stress that may come to us.” (p. 71). The words “habits of thrift, economy and industry” stood out to me; I thought living within our means and having savings were the habits of economy and thrift. So I started thinking of other habits we can develop, like learning to garden, preserve food, sew, knit, do car maintenance, and anything that allows us to help ourselves and others.
Then I read about Louise Y. Robison, the seventh Relief Society General President, and how she had “grown up in a humble log home in rural Scipio, Utah, where she had learned to farm, garden, sew, work hard, live on little, and be of good cheer.” (p.70-71). I didn’t think of being of good cheer as a habit of thrift, economy, and industry, but I came to realize that might actually be the best habit we can acquire in these areas. Earlier in the book, there was a sidebar about becoming self-reliant and the second item on the list is “acquire a spirit of self-sacrifice.” While we should be acquiring whatever skills we can, we need to remember that our attitude toward self-reliance is just as important as any other skill.

Relief Society Is Energizing
There were several instances as I was reading this book that I felt very inadequate. After reading President Spencer W. Kimball’s quotation, “The cultivation of Christlike qualities is a demanding and relentless task—it is not for the seasonal worker or for those who will not stretch themselves again and again” (p. 5), I was left worrying that I’m only a “seasonal worker” who gets “weary in well-doing” (D&C 64:33) because it seems like there’s always so much to do.
When I read that President Boyd K. Packer had taught, “It is as obligatory upon a woman to draw into her life the virtues that are fostered by the Relief Society as it is an obligation for the men to build into their lives the patterns of character fostered by the Priesthood” (p. 16), I was very worried because I’ve never taken Relief Society as seriously as the Priesthood.
Reading about visiting teaching was another hard area for me: “Through this system of watchcare [visiting teaching], each Latter-day Saint woman has the opportunity to be an instrument in the Lord’s hands” (p. 110). Visiting teaching has always been hard for me; I always feel inadequate to teach anyone. And I wondered how get to the point where I really, truly want to be an instrument in the Lord’s hands—to want Him to be involved in other people’s lives through me? That is one of the invitations of Relief Society, but I feel like I’m not a very good instrument.
So, I felt discouraged, but at the same time, I really wanted to become more than I am through Relief Society. I’ve been inviting the Spirit into my life more, and I’ve tried to act more like a Relief Society sister should. And I found that it’s not in the doing that I become weary. If I think about all the things a daughter of God should do (service, personal and family scripture study, visiting teaching, fulfill callings, temple and family history work, and on, and on, and on), that’s wearying. But as I actually get to work doing these things, I’m energized. I’m excited to be involved in the Gospel. And instead of feeling drained or overwhelmed or even sad about my inadequacies (which are still there and unfortunately didn’t magically disappear), I’ve found that the increased measure of the Spirit that came as I elevate my life really makes a difference. I’ve found that, “The Holy Ghost ‘satisfies and fills up every longing of the human heart and fills up every vacuum. When I am filled with that Spirit […] my soul is satisfied, and I can say in good earnest, that the trifling things of the day do not seem to stand in my way at all” (Eliza R. Snow, p. 46). I still get tired, of course, but I’m not weary in well-doing.

Relief Society Is about Getting Just As Much As It Is about Giving
Elder John A. Widstoe discussed the different areas of relief to be found in Relief Society: “Relief of poverty; relief of illness; relief of doubt, relief of ignorance—relief of all that hinders the joy and progress of woman” (p. 25). I realized that we all need relief from something. I’ve always thought of Relief Society in terms of what we’re supposed to do for other people, but I’ve never really thought about what it should be for me. I’m not very poor, or ill, or doubtful, and I hope I’m not very ignorant. But there will always been things that can hinder our joy and progress, and each of us needs to know that Relief Society is not only a place where we give but also where we get relief from whatever is hindering our joy and progress.
President Packer said of Relief Society, “This great circle of sisters will be a protection for each of you and for your families. The Relief Society might be likened to a refuge—the place of safety and protection—the sanctuary of ancient times. You will be safe within it. It encircles each sister like a protecting wall (p. 81). What protection can we find in Relief Society—or could if we would let ourselves find it—and what protection we can help others find? A few of the things I thought of were:

• Protection against loneliness, in the form of friends
• Protection against spiritual danger, as we’re strengthened by the women around us and the doctrines taught.
• Protection against the economy, as we learn habits of thrift, economy, and industry
• Protection against ignorance and Satan’s temptations and lies as we learn knowledge.
I’m sure there are many more as well, but just this brief list helped me see that Relief Society has protected me and provided relief in ways that I overlooked before.

It’s Time to Step Up and Stand Out
President Spencer W. Kimball prophesied: “Much of the major growth that is coming to the Church in the last days will come because many of the good women of the world (in whom there is often such an inner sense of spirituality) will be drawn to the Church in large numbers. This will happen to the degree that the women of the Church reflect righteousness and articulateness in their lives and to the degree that the women of the Church are seen as distinct and different—in happy ways—from the women of the world.” (p. 95)
I’m not really one for standing out; I’d rather blend in. I don’t want to attract very much attention, but here is a call from a prophet to be seen and to be heard—to be viewed doing good and being happy and to be articulate. God didn’t send me here to be a mouse hiding in a corner; He sent me here to be a woman who will point others to Him. It reminds me of a line from the Young Women anthem for 2011, Guardians of Virtue: “We are beacons of His love, pointing others to His light.” I think that this is what God is calling us to do. The world needs Relief Society, but the world won’t even know that we exist or what we are really here to do unless we are willing to stand up and show them.
President Kimball also said, “There is a power in this organization [of Relief Society] that has not yet been fully exercised to strengthen the homes of Zion and build the Kingdom of God—nor will it until both the sisters and the priesthood catch the vision of Relief Society.” (p. 142). I still have a long way to go before I fully catch the vision of Relief Society, but Daughters in My Kingdom has greatly expanded what I think about Relief Society. It’s time for me to stop thinking of Relief Society as that class I have to go to when I can’t go to Primary and instead, realize that it is the Lord’s institution for women and that I have a responsibility to Him and my sisters both in the Church and out to do my part, to really be a member of Relief Society and do the Lord’s work.

Relief Society Is for Me
In the last chapter of the book, there’s a story about a woman whose stepfather passed away as a teenager and the Relief Society sisters really helped her and her mother. She wanted to repay them but couldn’t really; years later, she “repaid” them by taking her “turn” to serve. This legacy of service was something that really mattered to her—she said, “That’s how I feel about Relief Society way down deep. And why” (p. 177-178). That stood out to me because I didn’t know what I felt about Relief Society deep down, probably because it didn’t go deep down for me. But through reading Daughters in My Kingdom, it has started to mean something to me—and for the first time in my life, I actually miss Relief Society, even though I love my calling in Primary. I do believe it was given by the Lord, through His prophets, to His daughters, and I want to give it a chance to mean more to me, way deep down. I want to learn to really belong to Relief Society and I want to be able to pass that onto my children as well. I’m grateful that the Lord cares about His daughters, that He gave us Relief Society, and that He inspired this beautiful book, which has helped me better understand both Relief Society and what it means to be His daughter.

The Book of Mormon: Keystone of Our Religion

In October 1986, the Prophet and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ezra Taft Benson, delivered a General Conference talk, The Book of Mormon: Keystone of Our Religion, that has become a classic in Church literature. In the October 2011 Ensign, they reprinted that talk, and reading through it again was such a powerful experience. I won't share the entire thing, since it's pretty lengthy, but I particularly enjoyed reading President Benson's second and third reasons for why we need to value the Book of Mormon and read it daily:


The second great reason why we must make the Book of Mormon a center focus of study is that it was written for our day. The Nephites never had the book; neither did the Lamanites of ancient times. It was meant for us. Mormon wrote near the end of the Nephite civilization. Under the inspiration of God, who sees all things from the beginning, he abridged centuries of records, choosing the stories, speeches, and events that would be most helpful to us.

Each of the major writers of the Book of Mormon testified that he wrote for future generations. Nephi said: “The Lord God promised unto me that these things which I write shall be kept and preserved, and handed down unto my seed, from generation to generation” (2 Nephi 25:21). His brother Jacob, who succeeded him, wrote similar words: “For [Nephi] said that the history of his people should be engraven upon his other plates, and that I should preserve these plates and hand them down unto my seed, from generation to generation” (Jacob 1:3). Enos and Jarom both indicated that they too were writing not for their own peoples but for future generations (see Enos 1:15–16; Jarom 1:2).

Mormon himself said, “Yea, I speak unto you, ye remnant of the house of Israel” (Mormon 7:1). And Moroni, the last of the inspired writers, actually saw our day and time. “Behold,” he said, “the Lord hath shown unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come, at that day when these things shall come forth among you.

“Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing” (Mormon 8:34–35).

If they saw our day and chose those things which would be of greatest worth to us, is not that how we should study the Book of Mormon? We should constantly ask ourselves, “Why did the Lord inspire Mormon (or Moroni or Alma) to include that in his record? What lesson can I learn from that to help me live in this day and age?”

And there is example after example of how that question will be answered. For example, in the Book of Mormon we find a pattern for preparing for the Second Coming. A major portion of the book centers on the few decades just prior to Christ’s coming to America. By careful study of that time period, we can determine why some were destroyed in the terrible judgments that preceded His coming and what brought others to stand at the temple in the land of Bountiful and thrust their hands into the wounds of His hands and feet.

From the Book of Mormon we learn how disciples of Christ live in times of war. From the Book of Mormon we see the evils of secret combinations portrayed in graphic and chilling reality. In the Book of Mormon we find lessons for dealing with persecution and apostasy. We learn much about how to do missionary work. And more than anywhere else, we see in the Book of Mormon the dangers of materialism and setting our hearts on the things of the world. Can anyone doubt that this book was meant for us and that in it we find great power, great comfort, and great protection?

The third reason why the Book of Mormon is of such value to Latter-day Saints is given in the same statement by the Prophet Joseph Smith cited previously. He said, “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” That is the third reason for studying the book. It helps us draw nearer to God. Is there not something deep in our hearts that longs to draw nearer to God, to be more like Him in our daily walk, to feel His presence with us constantly? If so, then the Book of Mormon will help us do so more than any other book.

It is not just that the Book of Mormon teaches us truth, though it indeed does that. It is not just that the Book of Mormon bears testimony of Christ, though it indeed does that, too. But there is something more. There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called “the words of life” (see D&C 84:85), and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon. When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance.

Our beloved brother, President Marion G. Romney … testified of the blessings that can come into the lives of those who will read and study the Book of Mormon. He said:

“I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity—the pure love of Christ—will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness.”

These promises—increased love and harmony in the home, greater respect between parent and child, increased spirituality and righteousness—are not idle promises, but exactly what the Prophet Joseph Smith meant when he said the Book of Mormon will help us draw nearer to God.

Brethren and sisters, I implore you with all my heart that you consider with great solemnity the importance of the Book of Mormon to you personally and to the Church collectively.

Over 10 years ago I made the following statement regarding the Book of Mormon:

“Do eternal consequences rest upon our response to this book? Yes, either to our blessing or our condemnation.

“Every Latter-day Saint should make the study of this book a lifetime pursuit. Otherwise he is placing his soul in jeopardy and neglecting that which could give spiritual and intellectual unity to his whole life. There is a difference between a convert who is built on the rock of Christ through the Book of Mormon and stays hold of that iron rod, and one who is not.”

I reaffirm those words to you this day. Let us not remain under condemnation, with its scourge and judgment, by treating lightly this great and marvelous gift the Lord has given to us. Rather, let us win the promises associated with treasuring it up in our hearts.




President Benson's words are just so powerful, and reading this talk was a great reminder about what a blessing The Book of Mormon is in my life. It's so reassuring to know where to find Jesus--to be able to pick that book up and find Him on every page and to read His words and testimonies of the prophets as they teach of Him.

Forgiveness in Advance

There's an article in the Sept. 2011 Ensign called Anticipating the Need to Forgive by A. Dean Byrd that has pretty much blown my mind over the past couple days as I've been pondering it. The article talks about deciding in advance that you're going to forgive people. A couple snippets:

"We will be on the receiving end of hurtful remarks or actions countless times throughout our lives. Deciding ahead of time to forgive those who intentionally or unintentionally hurt us empowers us to move forward without bitterness or pain." (p. 61)

"The following hypothetical example helps show how important it can be to make decisions in advance. A man is bitten by a rattlesnake. He must quickly make a choice: should he chase down the snake and kill it to avenge the offense, or should he immediately tend to his wound? If he kills the snake, he will get his revenge on the creature that has caused him pain. However, this rash act would neither dull the pain nor delay the onset of the poison. If he chooses instead to address the problem and tend to the wound, he will not have his revenge—but he may save his life in the process. Choosing this course of action ahead of time helps him take lifesaving steps as quickly as possible and avoid prolonged suffering.

We can apply the same pattern when others hurt us with their remarks or actions. We can decide to forgive them in advance. While it is not likely that a rattlesnake will bite us, it is likely that we will be on the receiving end of intentional or unintentional negative remarks or actions from others many times in our lives. Anticipating that and forgiving ahead of time keeps the “poison” out of our system and spares us from unnecessary pain and suffering." (p. 61)

"'It’s like putting on sunblock before going into the sun. The healing balm of forgiveness takes the sting out of the conflict and the hurt, and even soothes the pain.'" (p.65)

This probably isn't the most mind-blowing article ever written, but it's so different from how I normally am. Normally, I anticipate problems and think about the cutting remark I'll make in response or what retribution I'll get (which is usually about as severe as unfriending someone on Facebook--something I haven't actually done.) I'll think about the things I should have said when someone wronged me, and think about how I'm going to speak my piece the next time (although 99% of the time I don't say it the next time either.) So, this forgiveness-in-advance thing is totally a foreign language to me. And yet, I can't deny that this is a language of the Spirit. This is how Christ deals with us--He doesn't sit there waiting for us mess up again so He can give us our just rewards; He's focusing on forgiveness, on how He can show us a better way and how He can draw us closer to Him. His whole life and death and Atonement and pretty much His whole existence is about forgiveness--and forgiveness is what will bring us closer to Him and give us the peace that we need in our lives, something that even the most cutting, intelligent, and even accurate comeback is never going to do for us.

We Thank Thee, O God

Perhaps because I have to speak in church on Sunday and my topic is gratitude, the hymn, "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet," has been running through my head this week. I really like this hymn, but I'm a little embarrassed to say that for many years, I thought it was about the Prophet, particularly the third verse where it talks about praising "him"...I just thought the "him" referred to was the prophet. (In my defense, we sing this a LOT around General Conference time, when the living prophets and the Apostles speak to us, so maybe it's not that weird that I misunderstood the song.) Anyway, it did take me years to realize that this song isn't so much about the prophet as it is about God and it lists several of the blessings that we have received from Him: a prophet, the Gospel, and hope and deliverance through the Lord, and is an opportunity to praise the Lord for His goodness, His mercy, His protection, and more. So, it took me a long time to understand the song, but I am grateful for the blessings I've received from the Lord, and I offer this brief blog post as a small bit of praise to Him. The Lord is the source of all of our blessings, and I thank Him.

We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet
(words by William Fowler, music by Caroline Sheridan)

We thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet,
To guide us in these latter days;
We thank Thee for sending the Gospel
To lighten our minds with its rays;
We thank Thee for every blessing
Bestowed by Thy bounteous hand;
We feel it a pleasure to serve Thee,
And love to obey Thy command.

When dark clouds of trouble hang o’er us
And threaten our peace to destroy,
There is hope smiling brightly before us,
And we know that deliv’rance is nigh;
We doubt not the Lord, nor His goodness,
We’ve proved Him in days that are past;
The wicked who fight against Zion,
Will surely be smitten at last.

We’ll sing of His goodness and mercy,
We’ll praise Him by day and by night,
Rejoice in His glorious Gospel,
And bask in its lifegiving light;
Thus on to eternal perfection
The honest and faithful will go,
While they who reject this glad message,
Shall never such happiness know.

(To listen to the song, go here.)

O Remember, Remember

Adam and I have to speak in church on Sunday, and our topic is the story of the 10 lepers. So, I'm focusing on the obvious topic--gratitude. In preparation for the talk, I've been doing lots of reading and stuff, and one General Conference talk that I've been looking at is President Eyring's talk, "O Remember, Remember." Here's an excerpt:

“I came home late from a Church assignment. It was after dark. My father-in-law, who lived near us, surprised me as I walked toward the front door of my house. He was carrying a load of pipes over his shoulder, walking very fast and dressed in his work clothes. I knew that he had been building a system to pump water from a stream below us up to our property.

He smiled, spoke softly, and then rushed past me into the darkness to go on with his work. I took a few steps toward the house, thinking of what he was doing for us, and just as I got to the door, I heard in my mind—not in my own voice—these words: ‘I’m not giving you these experiences for yourself. Write them down.’

I went inside. I didn’t go to bed. Although I was tired, I took out some paper and began to write. And as I did, I understood the message I had heard in my mind. I was supposed to record for my children to read, someday in the future, how I had seen the hand of God blessing our family. Grandpa didn’t have to do what he was doing for us. He could have had someone else do it or not have done it at all. But he was serving us, his family, in the way covenant disciples of Jesus Christ always do. I knew that was true. And so I wrote it down, so that my children could have the memory someday when they would need it.

I wrote down a few lines every day for years. I never missed a day no matter how tired I was or how early I would have to start the next day. Before I would write, I would ponder this question: ‘Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?’ As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done.

More than gratitude began to grow in my heart. Testimony grew. I became ever more certain that our Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers […]

My point is to urge you to find ways to recognize and remember God’s kindness. It will build our testimonies. You may not keep a journal. You may not share whatever record you keep with those you love and serve. But you and they will be blessed as you remember what the Lord has done.”


So, I've been trying to pay attention to the blessings in my life, the little ways (as well as the big ways) that the Lord shows me that He loves me and is an ever-present friend. Recently as part of my prayers, I've been asking for help in paying back my student loans. My payments are manageable; Adam and I are certainly financially stable. Still, I'd really like to be able to pay them off sooner rather than later and only have to worry about our house payment. Well, the other day, my boss emailed a few of us to say she needed someone to work an extra shift, and my initial reaction was, "Oh, maybe if no one else can take it, I'll tell her I can." (I don't have conflicting plans, but Adam has the day off, too, and I always like to spend time with him.) After a little while,though, it hit me that I've been praying for ways to pay off my debt--and here the Lord was offering me an opportunity and I didn't even recognize it! I did email my boss to say I could do it, and then she also told me she needed me for ANOTHER extra shift--so, even more money. Yay! By then, since I did recognize it as the blessing and opportunity that it was, accepted it, and did remember to offer a prayer of gratitude. After I'd taken the time to express gratitude and was reflecting on how the Lord was providing for me, then it also occurred to me that three or four times this summer, Adam has come home with zucchini, yellow squash, potatoes, and/or corn from his boss--yet another way the Lord is answering my prayer because that means I can have a smaller grocery bill. And Adam's parents keep us stocked with eggs and onions and whatever produce they can get from their garden.
So, I was able to see for myself how, as President Eyring said, as we start looking, then the Lord will help us recognize the blessings that we overlooked before. I have been grateful each time we've received food from Randy (Adam's boss) or my in-laws, but somehow, I never connected it to being an answer to my prayers. (DUH, Adrienne!) So, I'm grateful for the Lord's patience and His willingness to help open my eyes to the blessings around me, and I'm grateful that He does hear and answer prayers.

Temples

This month, the theme for the visiting teaching message is claiming our temple blessings. As I was reading through the lesson and the suggested scriptures a couple weeks ago, I was thinking about what exactly those blessings are and reflecting on my experiences at the temple and such, and I realized that for me, probably one of the greatest blessings of the temple is that when I'm there, I know that the Lord is aware of me. There are so many little moments that I've had in the temple, small promptings and inspirations and experiences, that have just let me know that the Lord knows exactly who I am and what I need. I'm grateful for that blessing, along with the other blessings I receive at the temple, and I'm grateful that the Lord invites us to His house to receive exactly the help, guidance, and inspiration that we need.

He Is the Way

I'm a little embarrassed that I haven't posted anything here for nearly two months...it's certainly not because there aren't more messages of Jesus I'd like to share. I think it mainly comes down to me feeling like I need to be extra eloquent when talking about Christ, and with my super busy schedule lately, I haven't exactly felt eloquent. Anyway...

I just read "Created for Greater Things," which is a collection of quotes from of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, and while the whole book was touching, I just wanted to share one thought:

"There is not a single loophole or curveball or open trench to fall into for the man or woman who walks the path that Christ walks. When He says, 'Come, follow me,' (Luke 18:22), He means that He knows where the quicksand is and where the thorns are and the best way to handle the slippery slope near the summit of our personal mountains. He knows it all, and He knows the way. He is the way."

I just like the reminder that the perils in life aren't a surprise to the Lord; even if they aren't exactly part of OUR plans, they are part of His plan, and He already knew the way through those trials before we even began to realize that we were approaching (or stuck in) the quicksand.

Easter!

As Easter approaches, I just wanted to share this message from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.


I'm not sure if it's entirely appropriately to be so giddy about Easter, but I'm finding that this year that I'm extraordinarily happy as Easter approaches...which on the one hand feels a little disrespectful. But on the other hand, I am rejoicing in the fact that Jesus did what He said He'd do and that He opened the way for all of us. We do have a lot to be happy about!

He Is Risen
Words by Cecil Frances Alexander

He is risen, he is risen!
Tell it out with joyful voice:
he has burst his three days' prison;
let the whole wide earth rejoice:
death is conquered, man is free,
Christ has won the victory.

Come, with high and holy hymning,
hail our Lord's triumphant day;
not one darksome cloud is dimming
yonder glorious morning ray,
breaking o'er the purple east,
symbol of our Easter feast.

He is risen, he is risen!
He hath opened heaven's gate:
we are free from sin's dark prison,
risen to a holier state;
and a brighter Easter beam
on our longing eyes shall stream.

Gratitude

On Sunday, Adam and I had to speak about safety in following the prophets, and while I won't post my entire 18 minute talk, there are some thoughts I'd like to share.

Wikipedia defines this way:
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected against physical, social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional, occupational, psychological, educational or other types or consequences of failure, damage, error, accidents, harm or any other event which could be considered non-desirable.

Something I’ve noticed about President Monson is that he is also very much concerned with how we THINK—or, our psychological and emotional safety.

I looked through all of the General Conference talks President Monson has given since becoming the president of the Church. We’ve had a total of 6 Conferences, and he has given 24 talks. And I noticed at least four of those talks have been directly related to our emotional and psychological well-being.

One, given at a Priesthood session, titled “School Thy Feelings,” was about not getting angry and being peacemakers, which certainly is good for our emotional and psychological safety. The other three were about finding joy in the journey and developing an attitude of gratitude in our lives.

In his October 2008 talk “Finding Joy in the Journey,” President Monson encouraged us to find joy now and to show love to others by recognizing what is truly important in life and what we have to be grateful for. He said, “Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family.” He also quoted, an author, saying, “Both abundance and lack [of abundance] exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend … when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present—love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us [happiness]—the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth.”

Then in April 2009, he gave a talk called “Be of Good Cheer.” He mentioned some of the struggles going on in the world and then said, “It would be easy to become discouraged and cynical about the future—or even fearful of what might come—if we allowed ourselves to dwell only on that which is wrong in the world and in our lives. Today, however, I’d like us to turn our thoughts and our attitudes away from the troubles around us and to focus instead on our blessings as members of the Church.”

He shared three stories of people with serious struggles—a family immigrating to Zion who had a child die along the way, a man who went blind and desired to have his sight restored, and a young widow who lost all four of her children as she was forced to walk across Germany following WWII. Each faced dark and dreary days, but each pressed forward trusting in God, and President Monson encouraged us to the do the same, saying: “I testify to you that our promised blessings are beyond measure. Though the storm clouds may gather, though the rains may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments. There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us. My beloved brothers and sisters, fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith.”

This past General Conference, President Monson gave a talk titled, “The Divine Gift of Gratitude.”
Here are some of the thoughts he shared in that talk:
“My brothers and sisters, do we remember to give thanks for the blessings we receive? Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love. My beloved friend President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “When you walk with gratitude, you do not walk with arrogance and conceit and egotism, you walk with a spirit of thanksgiving that is becoming to you and will bless your lives.”

He also said, “We can lift ourselves and others as well when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude.”

President Monson reminded us, “Regardless of our circumstances, each of us has much for which to be grateful if we will but pause and contemplate our blessings. This is a wonderful time to be on earth. While there is much that is wrong in the world today, there are many things that are right and good. There are marriages that make it, parents who love their children and sacrifice for them, friends who care about us and help us, teachers who teach. Our lives are blessed in countless ways.”

So, over these past few General Conferences, President Monson has repeatedly tried to lead us to psychological and emotional safety by helping us change our perspectives, to focus on the blessings. This is something that our Savior wants for us. He doesn’t want us to be lonely and miserable and unhappy. He has always wanted our happiness—enough that He atoned for it and died for it. As we listen to President Monson and try to be happy, we become safe psychologically and emotionally. We become less susceptible to Satan’s murmurings of doubt and his attempts to drag us into despair. And we have the opportunity to lift those around us as well so that they can be safe from the darkness and misery Satan tries to spread.

We live in a world that can be pretty dark and scary and dangerous. We are fighting a terrible adversary. It’s not a coincidence that Satan is called the Destroyer. He seeks to destroy us, to keep us from anything and everything that will make us happy and especially to keep us from being safe. But we have a Savior who loves us, and His Atonement provides the way for us, and President Monson has especially talked about having gratitude for our Savior. Surely as we do this, we become safe—because we realize just Who is on our side and what He has done for us. As we look at our lives and express gratitude, we can see the Savior’s hand in our lives and how He has blessed us and cared for us in the past. We see how those unbearable situations have been borne and how the Savior’s Atonement really works in every situation. Does the Savior’s atonement cover speaking in church, even if we pass out or say something wrong? Yes. Does the atonement cover failing a class or being out of work or a death of a loved one? Yes. We always have a reason to be grateful, because we always have our Savior. We don’t need to be caught in Satan’s pit of misery and endless wo.

As we follow our prophet, President Monson, and express gratitude to our Savior, our perspectives change, and we allow ourselves to be gathered into the arms of the One who loved us enough to bleed at every pore and die on the cross for our happiness and our salvation. A savior, by definition, is a person who saves, or keeps safe. There is safety in following the prophets because they will ALWAYS lead us to our Savior.

The Lord loves us and because He loves us, He speaks to us through prophets. We have a great opportunity coming up this week to watch General Conference and learn from the prophets. As I mentioned before, we’ve had six Conferences since President Monson became the president of the Church. Well, in those six Conferences, I found SEVEN instances when he instructed us to listen to, study and learn from the General Conference talks—and to apply the teachings in our lives, and I know that as we do this, we will be protected from Satan, who seeks to destroy our happiness, our homes, and our futures.

In the October 2010 General Conference, President Eyring promised, “If you trust God enough to listen for His message in every sermon, song, and prayer in this Conference, you will find it.” I want to add my testimony to that. I know God wants to speak us to us and that He calls prophets to teach us His words, to give us His messages and guidance. I testify that the Lord knows our needs, that He loves us and wants us to be safe and happy, and that as we listen to the Lord’s chosen prophets, they will lead us to Him. President Monson and the other members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are prophets, seers, and revelators, and while they have never promised that following them will mean we never have adversity, we have been promised that following the prophets will keep us safe. They are not merely grandfatherly figures, up there giving us some good advice. They are direct lines to our Savior, speaking for Him and providing the way for us to overcome the Destroyer. I am so grateful for them and for our Savior.

Psalms

These are some of my favorite verses from the book of Psalms.

Psalm 27:1 "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

Psalm 46:1 " God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

Psalm 107:9 "For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness."

Psalm 142:8-9 "The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and full of great mercy. The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works."

I like the Psalms because I think they tell so much about the characteristics of the Lord, and these few verses provide a couple snippets that I really like; the Lord is our strength, He is loving and compassionate, and through Him, we are filled. He is also a "very present help," which is reassuring because I think I tend to forget sometimes how close He is.

The Truth of God Shall Go Forth

In the October 2008 General Conference, Elder M. Russell Ballard gave a talk titled, The Truth of God Shall Go Forth. He recounted the persecution of the Church, along with the growth is has experienced, from the beginning of Joseph Smith's ministry to the present day, with the intention of reminding us that:

'“The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught.
“For God doth not walk in crooked paths, … neither doth he vary from that which he hath said, therefore his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round.
“Remember … that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men” (D&C 3:1–3).
God has spoken through His prophet and announced to the world that “the Standard of Truth has been erected” and that “no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing.” That is undeniably and indisputably true. We have seen it for ourselves, in decade after decade, from the time of the Prophet Joseph Smith to the time of President Thomas S. Monson. Persecutions have raged. Calumny and lies and misrepresentation have attempted to defame. But in every decade from the time of the Restoration forward, the truth of God has gone “forth boldly, nobly, and independent.” The little Church that started in 1830 with just a handful of members has now grown to more than 13 million Latter-day Saints in many different nations around the world, and we are well on our way to penetrating every continent, visiting every clime, sweeping every country, and sounding in every ear.
This is God’s work, and God’s work will not be frustrated. But there is still much to be done before the Great Jehovah can announce that the work is done. While we praise and honor those faithful Saints who have brought us to this point of public prominence, we cannot afford, my brothers and sisters, to be comfortable or content.
We are all needed to finish the work that was begun by those pioneering Saints over 175 years ago and carried out through the subsequent decades by faithful Saints of every generation. We need to believe as they believed. We need to work as they worked. We need to serve as they served. And we need to overcome as they overcame.
Of course, our challenges are different today, but they are no less demanding. Instead of angry mobs, we face those who constantly try to defame. Instead of extreme exposure and hardship, we face alcohol and drug abuse, pornography, all kinds of filth, sleaze, greed, dishonesty, and spiritual apathy. Instead of families being uprooted and torn from their homes, we see the institution of the family, including the divine institution of marriage, under attack as groups and individuals seek to define away the prominent and divine role of the family in society.
This is not to suggest that our challenges today are more severe than the challenges faced by those who have gone before us. They are just different. The Lord isn’t asking us to load up a handcart; He’s asking us to fortify our faith. He isn’t asking us to walk across a continent; He’s asking us to walk across the street to visit our neighbor. He isn’t asking us to give all of our worldly possessions to build a temple; He’s asking us to give of our means and our time despite the pressures of modern living to continue to build temples and then to attend regularly the temples already built. He isn’t asking us to die a martyr’s death; He’s asking us to live a disciple’s life.
This is a great time to live, brothers and sisters, and it is up to us to carry on the rich tradition of devoted commitment that has been the hallmark of previous generations of Latter-day Saints. This is not a time for the spiritually faint of heart. We cannot afford to be superficially righteous. Our testimonies must run deep, with spiritual roots firmly embedded in the rock of revelation. And we must continue to move the work forward as a covenanted, consecrated people, with faith in every footstep, “till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.”'

On the one hand, it doesn't feel that reassuring to think about the continual persecution Church members have faced; it doesn't bode well for looking forward, because it doesn't seem likely that it's going to stop anytime soon. However, when we consider that those who have endured the persecution have been able to do their part in the Lord's work, that all the forces of the adversary cannot overcome the Lord's work and the Lord's people, that is reassuring. So, I think we can safely assume the things we're asked to do will be hard, but we can also remember that the Lord will not allow His work to be frustrated, despite the opposition that will arise.

Broken Things to Mend II

I've already quoted Elder Holland's great talk, "Broken Things to Mend," but I was listening to it again this morning, as I was stressing about some things, and I was struck again by how powerful his message is. and wanted to share another portion of his talk.

"Brothers and sisters, whatever your distress, please don’t give up and please don’t yield to fear. I have always been touched that as his son was departing for his mission to England, Brother Bryant S. Hinckley gave young Gordon a farewell embrace and then slipped him a handwritten note with just five words taken from the fifth chapter of Mark: “Be not afraid, only believe.” I think also of that night when Christ rushed to the aid of His frightened disciples, walking as He did on the water to get to them, calling out, “It is I; be not afraid.” Peter exclaimed, “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.” Christ’s answer to him was as it always is every time: “Come,” He said. Instantly, as was his nature, Peter sprang over the vessel’s side and into the troubled waters. While his eyes were fixed upon the Lord, the wind could toss his hair and the spray could drench his robes, but all was well—he was coming to Christ. It was only when his faith wavered and fear took control, only when he removed his glance from the Master to look at the furious waves and the ominous black gulf beneath, only then did he begin to sink into the sea. In newer terror he cried out, 'Lord, save me.'

"Undoubtedly with some sadness, the Master over every problem and fear, He who is the solution to every discouragement and disappointment, stretched out His hand and grasped the drowning disciple with the gentle rebuke, 'O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?'"

I'm trying to remind myself that no matter what happens in life, we don't need to doubt. The Atonement and our Savior's love and help are more than enough to solve every problem, calm every fear, and heal any hurt. So, I'm trying to ask myself, What's the worst thing that could happen?, followed by, "Can the Atonement cover that?" And the answer is YES. The Atonement does cover it, whatever it may be.

Trust in God

For a long time, Alma 36:3 was one of my favorite scriptures: "And now, O my son Helaman, behold, thou art in thy youth, and therefore, I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me; for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day."
The prophet Alma speaks to each of his sons individually, and I love his reassurance to his eldest son Helaman that God will be with His people during their trials. For some reason, it wasn't until a few years later that I paid attention to what Alma says to his second son, Shiblon, in Alma 38:5: "And now my son, Shiblon, I would that ye should remember, that as much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials, and your troubles, and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up at the last day." Not only will God support us in our trials, He will also deliver us from them. Sometimes it doesn't come when or how we expected, but God didn't send us here to be miserable, and if we will trust in Him, He will deliver us, in His own time and in His own way. And even if it takes longer than we'd like, He will support us and help us to endure them and to grow and learn from them if we will let Him.

O How Great!

One of my favorite chapters in the scriptures is 2 Nephi 9, in which the prophet Jacob speaks to the Nephites about the plan of salvation. Here are some of my favorite verses:

"Behold, my beloved brethren, I speak unto you these things that ye may rejoice, and lift up your heads forever, because of the blessings which the Lord God shall bestow upon your children.

For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall; and the fall came by reason of transgression; and because man became fallen they were cut off from the presence of the Lord.

Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement—save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more.

O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace! For behold, if the flesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more.

And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness.

O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit.

O how great the plan of our God! For on the other hand, the paradise of God must deliver up the spirits of the righteous, and the grave deliver up the body of the righteous; and the spirit and the body is restored to itself again, and all men become incorruptible, and immortal, and they are living souls, having a perfect knowledge like unto us in the flesh, save it be that our knowledge shall be perfect.

O the greatness and the justice of our God! For he executeth all his words, and they have gone forth out of his mouth, and his law must be fulfilled.

O the greatness of the mercy of our God, the Holy One of Israel! For he delivereth his saints from that awful monster the devil, and death, and hell, and that lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment.

O how great the holiness of our God! For he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it.

And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.

And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day.

Behold, my beloved brethren, remember the words of your God; pray unto him continually by day, and give thanks unto his holy name by night. Let your hearts rejoice."
(2 Nephi 3, 6-10, 13, 17, 19-22, 52)

I just love this reminder about who God is, what He does for us, and how much we need Him. In his book The Infinite Atonement, Tad R. Callister talks about how without Christ we would suffered a sort of negative atonement--rather than becoming one with our Savior, we would all become one with Satan instead. (I think that's what he said; my copy of the book is currently packed in a box somewhere in my new apartment.) Jacob discusses that as well--without the Savior, we would be subject to the devil. There is no other option without the Savior. It is truly wonderful that He did what He did, that He atoned for us and was resurrected so that He can give us the grace and mercy that we need to be able to overcome the effects of the fall and to be redeemed from death and hell. Truly, as Jacob says, O how great the goodness of our God! Truly, we have reason to rejoice.

Broken Things to Mend

In the April 2006 General Conference, Jeffrey R. Holland gave a fabulous address, Broken Things to Mend. This has become one of my all-time favorite talks, and when I get discouraged, it's definitely one I fall back on to remind me that no problem is too big for the Savior to solve--and no problem is too small for Him to care about. Here are two of my favorite snippets from the talk:

"I testify that the Savior’s Atonement lifts from us not only the burden of our sins but also the burden of our disappointments and sorrows, our heartaches and our despair.(14) …There can and will be plenty of difficulties in life. Nevertheless, the soul that comes unto Christ, who knows His voice and strives to do as He did, finds a strength, as the hymn says, “beyond [his] own.”(15) The Savior reminds us that He has “graven [us] upon the palms of [His] hands.”(16) Considering the incomprehensible cost of the Crucifixion and Atonement, I promise you He is not going to turn His back on us now. When He says to the poor in spirit, “Come unto me,” He means He knows the way out and He knows the way up. He knows it because He has walked it. He knows the way because He is the way…"

"If you are lonely, please know you can find comfort. If you are discouraged, please know you can find hope. If you are poor in spirit, please know you can be strengthened. If you feel you are broken, please know you can be mended.

'In Nazareth, the narrow road,
That tires the feet and steals the breath,
Passes the place where once abode
The Carpenter of Nazareth.

And up and down the dusty way
The village folk would often wend;
And on the bench, beside Him, lay
Their broken things for Him to mend.

The maiden with the doll she broke,
The woman with the broken chair,
The man with broken plough, or yoke,
Said, “Can you mend it, Carpenter?”

And each received the thing he sought,
In yoke, or plough, or chair, or doll;
The broken thing which each had brought
Returned again a perfect whole.

So, up the hill the long years through,
With heavy step and wistful eye,
The burdened souls their way pursue,
Uttering each the plaintive cry:
“O Carpenter of Nazareth,
This heart, that’s broken past repair,
This life, that’s shattered nigh to death,
Oh, can You mend them, Carpenter?”

And by His kind and ready hand,
His own sweet life is woven through
Our broken lives, until they stand
A New Creation—“all things new.”

“The shattered [substance] of [the] heart,
Desire, ambition, hope, and faith,
Mould Thou into the perfect part,
O, Carpenter of Nazareth!”'(19)

14. See Alma 7:11–12.
15. “Lord, I Would Follow Thee,” Hymns, no. 220.
16. 1 Ne. 21:16.
19. George Blair, “The Carpenter of Nazareth,” in Obert C. Tanner, Christ’s Ideals for Living (Sunday School manual, 1955), 22.

Sunday Will Come

In October 2006, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave a talk in General Conference that I really enjoyed, called Sunday Will Come. In it he talked about the Friday of the Savior's atonement and death and how dark and bleak that day was and how evil men rejoiced at the Savior's suffering and death and those who loved Him despaired.
He says, " I think that of all the days since the beginning of this world’s history, that Friday was the darkest." However, he continues, "But the doom of that day did not endure. The despair did not linger because on Sunday, the resurrected Lord burst the bonds of death. He ascended from the grave and appeared gloriously triumphant as the Savior of all mankind."

And then he relates this to our own lives, and this is the part that I like the best, "Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come. No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come."

I can't say it any more eloquently than Elder Wirthlin did, but I'd like to add my own voice in saying that there is always hope of a glorious Sunday, of an end to the bleakness and darkness and despair that the world tries to engulf us in, because we do have a Savior who brings light into the world and into our individual lives, and I am grateful to Him for that.

(And you can check out a brief video clip here.)

It Will All Work Out

"It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. don't worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers." --Gordon B. Hinckley

This is one of my favorite quotations, and I usually refer to it when I'm discouraged or going through a trial or something, but for some reason, even though I'm pretty happy right now, it popped into my head. And even in good times, it's a great message to remember--we're never going to be forsaken. The Lord isn't going to give up on us or be too busy for us or whatever. His whole purpose is to help us be happy, and I just really love the reassurance that He is always there for us and because of that, it does all work out.

Tender Mercies

In April 2005, Elder David A. Bednar, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, delivered a General Conference talk ("The Tender Mercies of the Lord") which I think will end up being one of the classic talks of the Church and also a classic talk in the lives and hearts of many of the Church members. That talk popped into my head last night, so I just wanted to share my thoughts in relation to it.

Elder Bednar defines the tender mercies of the Lord as "the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ." Throughout his talk, he mentions some tender mercies that he has experienced himself or seen in the lives of others:

• Just before he had to deliver his first Conference talk, the intermediate hymn, although selected weeks before he was called to be an Apostle and therefore assigned to speak in General Conference, was his favorite hymn
• A family whose father/husband had been killed in the military received a tender Christmas card from him, mailed prior to his death and given extra meaning by its timely delivery after he had died
• A priesthood leader who had a dream about a young man in his stake; through the dream the young man was able to know that the Lord knew who he was

Throughout his talk, Elder Bednar emphasizes, "the Lord’s tender mercies do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence. Faithfulness and obedience enable us to receive these important gifts and, frequently, the Lord’s timing helps us to recognize them." He also adds, "We should not underestimate or overlook the power of the Lord’s tender mercies."

Many years ago, I read a quotation that said, "Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous." I thought it was an interesting quotation, but years later, I realized, it's not exactly right. Coincidence is man's way of making God anonymous. God never intended to be anonymous. He wants us to recognize the tender mercies in our lives and know exactly Who has given them to us.

Why, we might ask, does God not want to be anonymous? He commands His people to do their alms in secret, so why does He want His to be done openly?

As with all else that He does for us, God wants us to know that the blessings in our lives are not merely coincidences but are the tender mercies of a kind and loving Father not because it benefits Him but because it benefits us. God does not cease to be God if we don't recognize Him; He's not any less important or any less perfect if we dismiss His tender mercies as coincidences. However, if we recognize that God is bestowing His tender mercies upon us, that helps us recognize that we have a Father who loves us, who wants to help us, and who is very aware of us. He wants us to know that we can turn to and rely on Him. He wants us to know that we aren't alone, that His whole purpose is our salvation and our happiness, and that He is aware of the needs of every individual--including you and me!

Don't make God anonymous in your life. Recognize the tender mercies as gifts from your Father in Heaven who loves you beyond your comprehension. As Elder Bednar noted, the timing of these tender mercies is designed to help us recognize them as being tender mercies, so pay attention and witness the Lord's love in your life.

(Check out this brief video with snippets from Elder Bednar's talk, because he says it way better than I do.)

The Rock

"And now my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." (Helaman 5:12)

That was one of my favorite scriptures when I was growing up. I really like how it shows the strength of the Savior--He cannot be beaten by anything that the devil throws at Him, and when we build our lives on the Savior, then we tap into that strength. I especially like this verse when paired with the words of Ammon:

"Yea, they shall not be beaten down by the storm at the last day; yea, neither shall they be harrowed up by the whirlwinds; but when the storm cometh they shall be gathered together in their place, that the storm cannot penetrate to them; yea, neither shall they be driven with fierce winds whithersoever the enemy listeth to carry them. But behold, they are in the hands of the Lord of the harvest, and they are his; and he will raise them up at the last day." (Alma 26:6-7).

I get this image in my head of a rock with hands emerging from it, wrapping around and protecting and whoever is standing on the rock. And maybe a rock with hands is a strange image, but when you switch out the rock for Christ, and you picture His arms wrapped around you, supporting you and protecting you, that's a beautiful picture. And the true beauty is that it isn't just a picture--it's reality for anyone who will come unto Him and build on the Rock.