Spiritual and physical preparations for General Conference are well underway in many home including ours. I spend time cleaning and baking and cooking and such so I can enjoy a relaxing weekend. My heart is prepared and I am spiritually hungry and thirsty for the bread of life and living water.
My gratitude for living prophets knows no bounds. How do persons who do not know the truth live from day to day. All areas of my life are guided by gospel knowledge. I know these are true prophets who lead and guide us toward the Tree of Life. Hold fast to the rod! And may you enjoy a feast during conference.
05 April 2013
01 April 2013
Mishamarries!
That is what our children called the missionaries and it has stuck. Our little branch just got a pair of missionaries after not having any for a long while. We had them over for dinner tonight.
When they introduced themselves at church and bore their testimonies the one announced that he is one of the first of the eighteen year olds. Tonight we heard the rest of the story. His family had moved from Twin Falls, Idaho to Helena, Montana last summer just before his senior year of high school. He could have stayed in Twin Falls with extended family to finish out high school, but when he prayed about it he was impressed to move with his family to Helena. There he found he could graduate mid-year and then be free to go back to Idaho to school before serving a mission. He was surprised by the announcement of the age change last October at General Conference, prayed about it and decided to graduate mid-year as planned and then immediately go on a mission. WOW! He really is young.
What a blessing to our sons, age 16 and 14, to have him as an example and friend. We enjoyed visiting with him at dinner and found him to be articulate, personable, and valiant. Pretty impressive.
When they introduced themselves at church and bore their testimonies the one announced that he is one of the first of the eighteen year olds. Tonight we heard the rest of the story. His family had moved from Twin Falls, Idaho to Helena, Montana last summer just before his senior year of high school. He could have stayed in Twin Falls with extended family to finish out high school, but when he prayed about it he was impressed to move with his family to Helena. There he found he could graduate mid-year and then be free to go back to Idaho to school before serving a mission. He was surprised by the announcement of the age change last October at General Conference, prayed about it and decided to graduate mid-year as planned and then immediately go on a mission. WOW! He really is young.
What a blessing to our sons, age 16 and 14, to have him as an example and friend. We enjoyed visiting with him at dinner and found him to be articulate, personable, and valiant. Pretty impressive.
27 March 2013
We hold these truths to be self-evident
Walter Williams has written another brilliant article this week about equality, and as there is much in the blogosphere about gender equality in the church I think it is good reading.
When the founders wrote the Declaration of Independence with the phrase We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, they were responding to the fact of their life that the King and Parliament held themselves above the law (much like Congress today) in that they would enact laws for the rest of the subjects but exempt themselves from obeying the laws. Our founding document declared that all men are created equal under the law, no one is above obeying the law.
How appropriate for our day. We are all under the law of God given through his prophets. No one is above or beneath the law, all equal. Now when we talk about assignments, responsibilities and authority, also understanding of which is given to us through the prophets, that is a different matter. Who am I to tell God what to do to fulfill His plan for His children? Who am I to whine and beg (something I taught my children was fruitless) when my will doesn't match up with His?
I heard a member of the Relief Society General Board tell a story about her family that has instructed me to this day about accepting no for an answer from God. Her married daughter desperately wanted children. She and her husband did everything they could to conceive but to no avail. Eventually they asked the family to join in a special fast for them. They plead with the Lord to grant them this righteous desire of their hearts. They were so excited to have their prayers answered with pregnancy and to discover it was twins. Until the babies were born prematurely and with such enormous genetic physical defects that the medical costs have beggared the family and shattered their dreams of having beautiful, healthy children. The sister telling the story (forgive me for not writing down her name at the time) tearfully counseled her audience to trust in the Lord's will, to know that His perspective is greater than ours and that He knows what is best for us.
What does this have to do with women wanting to be ordained to the priesthood so they can be equal to men? Everything! It is God's priesthood, He has a plan, He knows what He is doing and we can trust Him. The prophet is not an old, out-of-touch male who needs to get with the times. President Monson, just as all the other prophets before him, knows better than any of us God's plans for His church and kingdom. Those who whine and beg, complain and murmur, and worse, throw a negative light on the church show their lack of faith and trust in God and His Plan.
I've always believed that the feminists lost their way and clamored for the wrong things. Instead of lowering themselves to the level of the natural man, they should have demanded that men rise to the level of spiritual women, in chastity, compassion, peacemaking, and such. How much better the world would be if that had been the case. "Clean-up your act guys!" "Keep your pants zipped!" "Instead of using your strength in gladiator sports, let's build something useful!" "Can we spend more time with our children, rather than so many hours at work?" "Can we keep an Eternal Perspective?"
I've been told that I am handicapped at understanding others because I come from a good family. My parents and grandparents were good examples of righteous partnerships. It never entered my mind to want to be ordained to the priesthood because of their examples of equality. Sadly that is not the case in many homes, but we must continue to look to the ideal and change ourselves to fit it, not attempt to change the ideal to fit our dysfunction, or the isolated problems encountered in individual wards. As our family reads the Doctrine and Covenants this year I'm reminded that the most oft repeated commandment is to repent. Perfect counsel for today.
When the founders wrote the Declaration of Independence with the phrase We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, they were responding to the fact of their life that the King and Parliament held themselves above the law (much like Congress today) in that they would enact laws for the rest of the subjects but exempt themselves from obeying the laws. Our founding document declared that all men are created equal under the law, no one is above obeying the law.
How appropriate for our day. We are all under the law of God given through his prophets. No one is above or beneath the law, all equal. Now when we talk about assignments, responsibilities and authority, also understanding of which is given to us through the prophets, that is a different matter. Who am I to tell God what to do to fulfill His plan for His children? Who am I to whine and beg (something I taught my children was fruitless) when my will doesn't match up with His?
I heard a member of the Relief Society General Board tell a story about her family that has instructed me to this day about accepting no for an answer from God. Her married daughter desperately wanted children. She and her husband did everything they could to conceive but to no avail. Eventually they asked the family to join in a special fast for them. They plead with the Lord to grant them this righteous desire of their hearts. They were so excited to have their prayers answered with pregnancy and to discover it was twins. Until the babies were born prematurely and with such enormous genetic physical defects that the medical costs have beggared the family and shattered their dreams of having beautiful, healthy children. The sister telling the story (forgive me for not writing down her name at the time) tearfully counseled her audience to trust in the Lord's will, to know that His perspective is greater than ours and that He knows what is best for us.
What does this have to do with women wanting to be ordained to the priesthood so they can be equal to men? Everything! It is God's priesthood, He has a plan, He knows what He is doing and we can trust Him. The prophet is not an old, out-of-touch male who needs to get with the times. President Monson, just as all the other prophets before him, knows better than any of us God's plans for His church and kingdom. Those who whine and beg, complain and murmur, and worse, throw a negative light on the church show their lack of faith and trust in God and His Plan.
I've always believed that the feminists lost their way and clamored for the wrong things. Instead of lowering themselves to the level of the natural man, they should have demanded that men rise to the level of spiritual women, in chastity, compassion, peacemaking, and such. How much better the world would be if that had been the case. "Clean-up your act guys!" "Keep your pants zipped!" "Instead of using your strength in gladiator sports, let's build something useful!" "Can we spend more time with our children, rather than so many hours at work?" "Can we keep an Eternal Perspective?"
I've been told that I am handicapped at understanding others because I come from a good family. My parents and grandparents were good examples of righteous partnerships. It never entered my mind to want to be ordained to the priesthood because of their examples of equality. Sadly that is not the case in many homes, but we must continue to look to the ideal and change ourselves to fit it, not attempt to change the ideal to fit our dysfunction, or the isolated problems encountered in individual wards. As our family reads the Doctrine and Covenants this year I'm reminded that the most oft repeated commandment is to repent. Perfect counsel for today.
25 March 2013
Bytheway, John . . .
After a rotten Sunday, I listened to John Bytheway all day. Talk about uplifting! He speaks to the youth but it goes right to my heart. He's funny, encouraging, serious, spiritual, knowledgeable, and just downright wonderful. I feel better for having listened. Most days when I'm down I listen to good music, such as Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Bach's Brandenberg Concertos, Yo Yo Ma playing Ennio Morricone, Vivaldi, Hymns, etc. Lots of good music out there (do you want me to list all of my cd's?). But today I wanted to hear uplifting words, something that was totally missing from church yesterday.
27 February 2013
Here's An Example . . .
Here's an example of why the illiterate can't understand the scriptures.
Last year in our Book of Mormon Gospel Doctrine class a sister read this verse of scripture:
Well, this is what the verse actually says: "And it came to pass that the army of the king returned, having searched in vain for the people of the Lord."
Big difference!! Can I rant for a moment? These good hearted brothers and sisters butcher every verse they read. They drop words, add words, mispronounce words, change words, and just generally make the scriptures unintelligible. And these are the same people who, suppossedly, would be offended at the offer of a literacy class. So we protect their feelings and offend mine!
The Gospel Doctrine class is taught at an elementary level. It is painfully boring for me to sit through it. I learn more on my own than in that class. I have never been to the Gospel Essentials class, nor would I want to as it is taught by another illiterate whose gospel understanding is based on her protestant upbringing. I feel for the newly baptized members in that class.
I enjoy many things about living in Iowa. The church is not one of them. I long to go back to a ward full of literate, educated brothers and sisters.
If the Glory of God is intelligence, in other words light and truth, why can't we have some of it out here in the Heartland? It is no wonder to me that the Branch here has been shrinking for many years. My friend, the YW's President tells that when they moved here about 18 years ago the branch was flourishing with a huge (40 children) Primary and they routinely took 10 or 11 girls to summer camp, the largest group in the Stake. What happened? A combination of factors, but I have to ask, how can a unit grow without literate members and a climate of excellence rather than one of mediocrity?
Last year in our Book of Mormon Gospel Doctrine class a sister read this verse of scripture:
Mosiah 19:1 And it came to pass that the army of the king returned after searching in the veins of the people of the Lord. (Were they looking for heroin or what?)Bless her heart, she's one who constantly says she reads the scriptures but doesn't understand them and marvels at my knowledge and grasp of them.
Well, this is what the verse actually says: "And it came to pass that the army of the king returned, having searched in vain for the people of the Lord."
Big difference!! Can I rant for a moment? These good hearted brothers and sisters butcher every verse they read. They drop words, add words, mispronounce words, change words, and just generally make the scriptures unintelligible. And these are the same people who, suppossedly, would be offended at the offer of a literacy class. So we protect their feelings and offend mine!
The Gospel Doctrine class is taught at an elementary level. It is painfully boring for me to sit through it. I learn more on my own than in that class. I have never been to the Gospel Essentials class, nor would I want to as it is taught by another illiterate whose gospel understanding is based on her protestant upbringing. I feel for the newly baptized members in that class.
I enjoy many things about living in Iowa. The church is not one of them. I long to go back to a ward full of literate, educated brothers and sisters.
If the Glory of God is intelligence, in other words light and truth, why can't we have some of it out here in the Heartland? It is no wonder to me that the Branch here has been shrinking for many years. My friend, the YW's President tells that when they moved here about 18 years ago the branch was flourishing with a huge (40 children) Primary and they routinely took 10 or 11 girls to summer camp, the largest group in the Stake. What happened? A combination of factors, but I have to ask, how can a unit grow without literate members and a climate of excellence rather than one of mediocrity?
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