A Time For Truth

Count Your Blessings - Day Twenty-Four

We had the privilege of attending a Presidential candidate forum last Friday in Des Moines. After the forum we attended a meet and greet with Senator Ted Cruz. I had read his book A Time for Truth in early July and was eager to have him sign my copy, which he did graciously. We got to shake his hand (I was first!) and hear him present his vision for America. We support him!

I'm grateful for honest, patriotic leaders who stand for principles no matter what.

Who Are You?

Religion vs. Truth

An excellent article over at Stubborn Things by Selwyn Duke concisely explains the difference and what it means. Stubborn Things is one of the places I visit daily on my lap around the news and commentary world.

Prayers of Gratitude

Right around Thanksgiving I read a blog (sorry I don't remember where or which one) with a comment from a reader who said that his family was offering prayers of expressions of gratitude only for the week of Thanksgiving; and what a difference it made in both their prayers and their family. We have occasionally had family prayers of gratitude, where we kneel together and beginning at the oldest express gratitude for whatever we are thankful for, then the next oldest, and so on, until the youngest finishes the prayer. It does bring a special spirit into our home when we do that. But now I wanted to experiment with all my prayers consisting of only thanksgiving or gratitude.

For the past two weeks I've been doing this and can say that it has changed my prayers completely. First, I have to think harder about all that I'm grateful for; second, I have to pause to let the spirit assist me in remembering things; third, I have become more aware of how pervasive the Lord is in my life and feel His love so strongly; and fourth, I have learned to be creative about thanking Him for future blessings, sort of gratitude in advance. I have felt closer to my Heavenly Father through this experiment and want to continue. The other thing I've noticed is that I feel more able to humbly ask for something that I truly need when I know I have expressed gratitude for all that I've already been given.

My prayers are less vain repetition and more heartfelt these days. I recommend giving it a try in your life.

UPDATE: I re-found the blog on gratitude prayers and want to share it for future readers.

Parental Lessons

Our son JET has begun to attend church again after several years of "vacation". I was wondering, out loud, to my husband about why this change in attitude. What actually came out of my mouth was a profound lesson to me. I said something like "I think that my showing interest in the things that are important to him, like going to the car show and getting excited about cars in general helped him know that I love him for who he is; and when he felt safe in my love he decided that he could return to church." JET has long felt that he didn't measure up to the spiritual stature of his older brother, and that I loved him less because of that. NOT TRUE! But maybe now he really does feel I love him for himself, which is totally true, and therefore he can return to church. Whatever the reason, I'm pleased, but I don't love him more, because I never loved him less.

It gives me a glimpse into the heart of Heavenly Father and the Savior.

There is only one race

The November Ensign came in the mail yesterday. It sure is impressive how fast it is produced after General Conference. Even more impressive is the photography. I love seeing my brothers and sisters from around the world. We are all so beautiful!

I do not understand why many believe that there are difference races on earth, white, black, yellow, red, brown, etc. My dictionary defines Homo sapiens as "the human race." Are we not all humans? We certainly come in an astonishing variety of colors, shapes and sizes, but we are, underneath it all, the same race, children of an Eternal Father.

My Easter Talk

(This is the talk I gave in Sacrament Meeting on Easter Sunday. Caveat: I didn't take time to put in all the scripture references. Most of it comes from the books of Moses and Abraham, as well as the gospels in the New Testament, with a little bit of Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants thrown in too.)

Before we came to earth we lived with our Father in Heaven. We were taught and nurtured there by Heavenly parents who prepared us to come to this earth to live. Before this earth was created we met in a grand council. Heavenly Father presented his plan which involved creating an earth for us so we could be tested and prove our faithfulness to Him. He knew we would not be perfect and by sinning we would be cut off from His presence and unable to return. We would need a Savior to pay the debt of our sins so we could be clean and worthy to return to our Father. At the council He asked “Whom shall I send [to be the Savior]?” (Abraham 3:27) Lucifer spoke up “Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.” (Moses 4:1) Jesus, whom the Father calls My Beloved Son, answered “Here am I, send me Father; thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.” (Abraham 3:27 and Moses 4:2) Heavenly Father chose His Beloved Son, Jesus, known as Christ, the Anointed One, to send to earth at the appointed time to be our Savior. Lucifer became known as Satan and was cast out of Father’s presence for rebellion.

The earth was created and Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden. They were married by God, and given commandments, first, to be fruitful and multiply, and second, to not partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. While in the garden they walked and talked with God, innocent as children. We do not know how long they were in this state. But we do know that they couldn’t progress any further. Satan came along with the idea that he could really mess things up. He didn’t realize that he was part of the plan. Our Father in Heaven cannot force anyone. He gives us the most precious gift of agency, the power to choose for ourselves. Heavenly Father knew we needed to come to earth and experience mortal life to be tested away from His presence. He allowed Satan to tempt our first parents, giving Adam and Eve the chance to choose for themselves whether or not they would be obedient. Eve, in a great act of courage and faith, partook of the forbidden fruit, so that Father’s plan could come to pass and we all would have the chance to be born into mortality.

Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden for transgressing the commandment and now were mortal, subject to death. Spiritual separation from God and physical death were the results of the fall.

Now, we are in a predicament from which we cannot remove ourselves. We are no longer with God in heaven, we are here on earth; subject to all sorts of horrible things like pain, hunger, disease, death, sorrow, evil, war. And what happens after death? Is that the end of our existence? If so, what is the meaning and point of all our suffering on earth? It is a bleak outlook.

After being cast out of the garden, Adam and Eve became farmers, the scriptures say “they began to till the earth, and to have dominion over all the beasts of the field, and to eat [their] bread by the sweat of [their] brow.” They began to have children, and their children grew up and paired off and began to multiply.

Adam and Eve continued faithful and prayed together, and in time heard the voice of the Lord from over by the garden, giving them commandments to worship the Lord their God, and offer the firstlings of their flocks for an offering unto the Lord. The scriptures record that Adam was obedient to the commandments of the Lord.

After some time, the scriptures say “many days”, an angel of the Lord appeared to Adam and asked “Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord?” Adam said “I know not, save the Lord commanded me.” Adam obeyed the commandments without fully understanding what they meant. The angel then explained, “This thing [meaning the sacrifice of the firstling of the flock] is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth. Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the son forevermore.”

The scriptures record that “. . . in that day the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam, which beareth record of the Father and the Son saying: I am the Only Begotten of the Father from the beginning; henceforth and forever, that as thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed, and all mankind, even as many as will.”  Adam responded to this, “Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.” Eve said, “Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.” (Moses 5:10-11)

What is this joy of our redemption? It is what the Holy Ghost witnessed to them; the knowledge of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

Those two titles, Savior and Redeemer, indicate what he has done for us. He saves us from our fallen state, separated from God and subject to physical death. He redeems us by paying the price for our sins that we can be in a state worthy to return to the presence of God, Our Heavenly Father.

Born of Mary in Bethlehem, Jesus lived a sinless life. He obeyed with exactness all that the father asked of him. He marked the path and showed the way for us to follow him to return to live with our Father in Heaven.

When he taught his disciples to pray he included the phrase “Thy will be done.” In every recorded prayer he repeats that phrase. He taught “I can of mine own self do nothing . . . because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” (John 5:30)  “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. . . . And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:38-29)  “My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. 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)

The Lord told Moses, “This is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39) Through Joseph Smith the Lord instructed, “This is your work, to keep my commandments, yea, with all your might, mind and strength. (D&C 11:20)

Remember the pre-mortal council? The Lord said, “We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell. And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;” (Abraham 3:24-25)

Unfortunately, we are not always perfectly obedient. We are mortal, sinful creatures. We know what is right, but are weak and don’t always choose to do what is right. We need to be saved. We need a Savior. And in His infinite love and mercy, God, Our Heavenly Father, provided one for us.

I do not understand exactly how it works, but I know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real and has the power to cleanse and heal and succor us. Alma taught, “And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.” (Alma 7:11-12)

I testify that this is real. At a time in my life when I felt betrayed and abandoned by those I loved, in pain with heartache and anger, He wrapped His arms around me and took away that anger and pain replacing it with comfort and peace. When I have felt far away from God because of sin, I have felt the cleansing power of the Atonement take away my sins and make me whole and clean.

The account in the Gospel of Luke tells of Jesus going to the Mount of Olives with his disciples. He withdrew from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, saying “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me;” (I can imagine that he was nervous and afraid of what was to come), “nevertheless,” he continued, “not my will, but thine, be done.” And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. (Luke 22:39-44)

Always obedient, always faithful to the Father’s will, to the very end of his life. I don’t think I can be grateful enough for what he has done for me.

But it was not over yet. The cruelty had just begun. He endured arrest, an illegal trial, mocking, scourging, a grueling march to the hill called Golgotha and then the horror of crucifixtion. At the very end, just before he gave his life for us, he said “Father, it is finished, thy will is done.” (Matthew 27:50, a) He was victorious. He had done the Father’s will, completely, to the end. How grateful we should be for our Savior.

Can you imagine the sorrow of those he left behind? We know what happened, but they were still in the present and didn’t know. Jesus had tried to prepare them, teaching them, but they didn’t quite understand.

Now it is the morning of the first day of the week and the women have brought spices which they had prepared. When they reached the tomb, they found the large stone rolled away from the opening. They went in but the body of Jesus wasn’t there. There were perplexed, and as they turned around, they found two men standing there in shining garments who said “Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying “The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”  The women ran back to tell the Apostles the news. Simon Peter, the chief Apostle, along with John came to see, but all they found were the burial clothes. They left to tell the others. Mary Magdalene stood outside the sepulcher weeping.  When she turned around she saw Jesus standing there but didn’t recognize him. He said “Woman, why weepest thou?” She thought he was the gardener and asked him where the body had been taken. Jesus, in what I imagine to be the tenderest of voice, called her by name, “Mary.” She recognized that tone and responded Rabboni; which is to say Master, and reached out to embrace him. But he said “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God and your God.” Can there be any doubt of the value of women in the eyes of God? A woman was the first to see the resurrected Savior and Redeemer. She was the one to tell the apostles the good news! That HE LIVES! That death is not the end.

I add my witness that Jesus Christ lives. He is our Savior and Redeemer. He willingly lived and died for us. He makes it possible for us to return to our Father in Heaven, clean and worthy. He paid our debt so we can be free. This truly is good news! May we remember our Savior and live worthy to be called his sons and daughters.

In his sacred and holy name, Jesus Christ, Amen. 

My thoughts (Which I hope are in line with His Thoughts)

My husband came home from General Priesthood Meeting relaxed and in a good mood; he shared with me some of the stories and themes from the talks they'd heard. He got on the computer while I rustled up some dessert for the men (they're all taller than me so I think of them as men now!). He has the ability to stay calm when reading things that make my blood boil. He found an article about the Ordain Women protesters and told me about an interview with a sixteen year old who said she wanted to be ordained because she had skills and talents that she wanted to be useful in the church. (Or something to that effect.)

Herewith are my thoughts about ordaining women to the priesthood.

First: In all of the scriptures I have read, Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price, God is absolutely consistent in following the Great Plan of Happiness. At different times and in different places his covenant people have had more or less of the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, but never a different gospel. And in all of the scriptures The Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God has been given to men and men only. This is one of those instances where God our Father in Heaven could say "Because I said so," without any other explanation, like good parents can and do, and we should obey without question. At the time we are mature enough and ready we will understand the why.
(I will state right here that I have never questioned and have always "just known" that this was the correct order of things.)

Second: I doubt very much that the sixteen year old girl is currently fully using her talents and skills to build the kingdom of God. Does she hold a calling such as Laurel President? Are all of the Laurels under her stewardship active, temple worthy girls? Is she sharing the gospel with others to the point that they come to church, are taking lessons with missionaries and preparing for baptism? How many generations of family history has she completed? Is her own personal history up to date? Does she reach out to serve others without being assigned or asked? Does she have all the skills and talents she will need to raise and teach children, keep a home, and prepare children to serve missions? Are her prayers effective? She can do all of this and much more without being ordained to the priesthood. When women are perfect in their own sphere, then it might be understandable for them to look at another's sphere, but not until then.

Third: What do those women want to do? Conduct meetings? All presidencies of all the organizations and auxiliaries conduct meetings. Go Home Teaching? What's wrong with Visiting Teaching? (I once thought about having MiaMaids and Laurels serve with visiting teachers, but realized that perhaps it would be inappropriate because of confidentiality issues to have young sisters assisting.) Give blessings? My mother's prayers were heard and answered, sometimes instantly. When she prayed for something it happened. I suppose it was because of her purity, her virtue, her exceeding great faith, whatever it was, it worked! My father's priesthood blessings were no more efficacious than my mother's prayers of faith. I think what the priesthood has done for my father was give him reason to be virtuous and pure so that his blessings would be effective. Mom was that way already. Do those women want to prepare, bless and pass the Sacrament? They remind me of immature children who can't be content seeing what another has until they've taken it away, and once gotten, find it's not so fun after all. Why can't the men and boys have something that civilizes and ennobles them without some female getting in a snit because she can't have it too? Do they want to "run" things? Being a leader is not telling others what to do, believe me, I've learned the hard way. We set an example, encourage, teach and love, but cannot force or punish anyone. 

Fourth: The roles and stewardships of men and women are different yet complementary, they complete each other. One cannot be exalted without the other because it takes the two different halves to make a whole. Perhaps men would be more effective and efficient in church callings if more wives were taking responsibility for their homes and allowing their husbands time to study the gospel and leadership principles, serve in callings and spend time fulfilling their duties without having to work to support the family and then come home and be responsible for fixing dinner, doing dishes, cleaning up after the children and taking care of the children "so the wife can have a break." From personal experience of the opposite I would gladly never have a break if my husband was out doing the work of the Lord. 

Fifth: This is the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times. Through Joseph Smith the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was restored and re-established. Many radically different doctrines were revealed and put into practice. Don't you think that if women were to be ordained to the priesthood it would have been so from the beginning? That it has not must say something about the order of things as they are now. I know that this is the true church of God and His Son on the earth today. We are led by a prophet, Thomas S. Monson, with other prophets and apostles to assist him. The priesthood is God's power and authority to give to whom he chooses after the order set in heaven. One day when all is revealed we will fully understand His order and realize how truly perfect it is.

Thoughts on "The Next Life"

After all the trials of the summer, and the continuing challenges of our little branch, I've been thinking of what the next life will be like.

I don't know about you, but I'm aiming for the Celestial Kingdom, the highest, the top! Got a long way to go, but I'm keeping my eyes on the goal and doing all I can to get there, including (especially) daily repentance.

What I was thinking about was the fact that we won't have to deal with "in-active", "less-active", non-committed saints once we get there. Only the valiant in their testimony of Jesus will be there. Hallelujah. What a restful place; what a lot of work we'll be able to accomplish, like creating worlds, without having to track down, work with, and try to persuade to come back all those poor souls who for whatever reason, don't want to come back to church, or can't decide to come back to church. Do you realize how much time and effort is spent, how many meetings are held to get people to come back? Why did they leave in the first place? Boggles my mind.

Won't it be wonderful to be with like-minded brothers and sisters? Truly of one heart and one mind. No contention, no discord, just love and encouragement, joy and rejoicing. And the gaining of knowledge! Oh, how wonderful that will be, to learn with no constraints (money, time, fatigue) and to be able to fully understand everything.

In this life I've learned that I'm happiest when I'm creating, whether it is clothing, food, a beautiful room, a story, music, a garden, whatever. While I'm creating I feel happiness. Think of creating worlds! And children to fill them! I know I'll be happy! Once, during a temple session I had a glimpse of Eternity, (I can't really explain how it happened) I fully, for a brief moment, understood the joy of eternal increase and knew that the required obedience and sacrifice would be so worth the reward. I have remembered those feelings many times when I am discouraged.

I'm not ready to graduate, as I want to finish raising my children and get to have some grandchildren too. I just think about the future and the blessings it holds.

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.

Thank Goodness Someone Understands

In a wonderful article over at CNS News Ashley McGuire explains something too many today don't understand. Truth, in whatever sphere it is found, is eternal. Facts may change, but truth doesn't.

For myself, I'm so thankful we (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) are led by a living prophet.  I saw in a comment somewhere "beware of false prophets" and wanted to ask the commenter if because he believed there are false prophets if he knew who the true prophet is. Why would the ancient apostles warn of false prophets if there were to be no true ones?

The world does have a true living prophet. He is Thomas Spencer Monson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ is Latter-day Saints. And he doesn't get to retire until he is called home to God.

Truth and Consequences

Truth will stand, eternal and unchanging. As I read bloggers and comments all over the internet spout opinions about my religion I remember Galileo. He was arrested, tried and convicted of heresy because he taught that the sun is the center of the solar system, not the earth. He was not the first to teach this truth, and of course he was not the last, but in his day the truths he espoused were not accepted. The truth did not change because of this non-acceptance, it stood the test of time and with the proper instruments to view to solar system the truth is now universally accepted.

The truth that members of The Church of Jesus Christ is Latter-day Saints are in fact, word and deed Christians followers of Jesus Christ, is not universally accepted. But that doesn't change the truth and someday with the "proper instruments" to view the beliefs and practices of the church it will be an accepted truth.

I've always wondered why seekers of facts or truth don't go directly to the source. It would be like a person wanting to know about Subaru automobiles going to the Ford dealer. Would you get the straight scoop? Would anyone wanting to know about the Massachusetts Institute of Technology go to University of Nevada, Las Vegas for information. If I want to know about the Baptists I sure wouldn't go to the Lutherans.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not lie about it's theology, practices or customs. We do not brainwash individuals or force anyone to do anything against their will. All are welcome to attend our meetings and speak with members and missionaries. Look around the walls of our buildings and listen to the hymns we sing, the prayers over the Sacrament and then tell me that you believe we are not followers of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

One commenter said that the Book of Mormon was simply the rantings of a deranged mind (wonder where he heard that) and I wondered if he/she had ever read the book.

I do know that human beings are generally afraid of what they don't know and that fear tends to show itself as dislike. I can tell you about that from my own experience. As I was preparing to serve a mission I so hoped I would not get called to an Asian mission. I didn't like the food or the music or costumes or the strangeness of it all. I hadn't been introduced to the Asian cultures and found them to be odd at first glance. I wasn't sent there, I went to the deep South and learned to love the people of the Bible Belt, along with speaking Southern. After my mission I had experiences that opened my eyes a little bit and I could see that the Orient had wonderful things to offer. But it wasn't until many years later when our daughter Noble introduced me to all things Korean that I let go of my prejudices and opened my heart to learn of a people and culture rather different from mine.

Followers of Jesus Christ in other churches saying that Mormons aren't Christian are like me saying that Asians aren't human beings because they have customs and habits that are different than mine. We don't have to have the same customs, habits and tastes to value and appreciate each other as human beings; nor do we have to be the same in beliefs and customs to value and appreciate each other as followers of Jesus Christ. We have more in common than we are different. I can learn from you and you can learn from me. We can help each other and our communities if we unite in our commonalities and strengths rather than emphasizing our differences.

The Family - A Proclamation to the World

I've long wanted to share this talk with a wider audience. I know God hears and answers our prayers, even before we pray them.

THE FAMILY

A Proclamation to the World

11 August 1996

When I set out to sew myself a new outfit, two important tools I use are a pattern and a tape measure.  I measure myself and then make adjustments in the pattern so the finished garment will fit my body; longer, shorter, wider, more narrow.  I make adjustments until I feel confident of a perfect fit.

This is similar to the process we should employ to fit ourselves to the standard our Heavenly Father has set for us.  He has given us the measurements for entrance into his kingdom.  We adjust ourselves to fit his pattern.  We stretch, shrink, cut off, or add to, as needed so our spirit’s control of our bodies’ measures up to his specifications.  It is neither fast nor easy, but a process that takes a lifetime of constant attention to gospel doctrines and commandments and our compliance to them.

Several years ago in another stake, a panel of knowledgeable Gospel enthusiasts were brought together for a fireside to discuss and debate gospel issues, in much the same format as a weekly panel discussion of current events shown on PBS.  I did not attend because I don’t believe it’s appropriate to debate gospel doctrines, issues or principles in that manner.  There are no compromises or concessions to be made so living the gospel is easier.  The Lord told Joseph Smith “What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.”  (D&C 1:38) We do not need to discuss doctrines that have not been fully revealed to us either.  When we lack understanding of gospel principles, personal study and prayer will reveal the mysteries of God to us.  “If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things - that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal.” (D&C 42:61).

We have the word of the Lord through prophets, ancient and modern.  The only compromises in the gospel we should be making are on our side, wherein we change ourselves to fit the Lord’s standard through obedience to the commandments and the counsel of the prophet.  The Lord makes it clear what will happen to those who don’t follow the prophet.  “And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people;” (D&C 1:14)

We have been told that of all the prophets that have ever lived the most important one to us is the one who is living now, speaking for the Lord now.  We are so blessed to live in the dispensation of the fullness of times, when we are led by a prophet though this “dark and dreary waste.” (1Ne.8:7)

One year ago [now 17 years ago] as preparations were made and reported on for the World’s Conference on Women in Beijing, China, we heard many voices clamoring for recognition, spouting slogans and demanding rights.  Listening to radio reports and reading the newspapers, I longed to hear what the prophet had to say about all this, knowing he would speak the truth as revealed from the Lord.

As the days went by and no statements were forthcoming I had a heavy heart and a thirst for the word of the Lord.  I kept a prayer in my heart that the Lord would make his will clearly known concerning these troubling issues.

Imagine then my feelings as I sat in the chapel for the General Relief Society Broadcast and listened to President Hinckley read The Family - A Proclamation to the World.  Tears of gratitude streamed down my face and I knew the Lord had answered the unexpressed longings of my heart.  Here was the bread of life for a world in the midst of a famine of the word of God; Living Water for a drought stricken people; a sword of truth to cut through the war of words.

We are truly blessed to have immediate access to this proclamation.  So far as I know the press in this area [Northern VA] did not report on it or publish it.  You’ll notice that it is to the World, not just the church.  President Hinckley is the Prophet to the entire population on the world.  His responsibility, like Noah’s of old, is to proclaim truth to all of Heavenly Father’s children, however unpopular or politically incorrect that truth is. We who have taken upon ourselves gospel covenants are required to listen to the word of the Lord through his prophet and follow his instruction, counsel and guidance, molding our spirits and bodies to the standard pattern of the Lord.  “For of him unto whom much is given much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation.” (D&C 82:3)

There is so much talk in the world about rights and so little about responsibilities.  But the world has things backwards, and that is one reason there are so many seemingly unsolvable problems.  When we take on duties and responsibilities first, the rights and privileges naturally follow.

We have received the greater light.  No longer are we in the dark about matters of gender, proper roles, or responsibilities. The prophets and apostles have spoken “And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation.”  (D&C 68:4)  Now we have the opportunity to grow and change our lives to conform to this revealed truth.  One of the greatest stumbling blocks for us members of the church is that we like to think of ourselves as exceptions to the rule.  We rationalize and maneuver trying to fit the standards and commandments to us, when we should be using our energy to fit ourselves to the standards and commandments.  We will never be let into the Celestial Kingdom as an exception.  We will be let in only when we fully conform to the standards set for admittance by our Father in Heaven.  He said, “For if you will that I give unto you a place in the celestial world, you must prepare yourselves by doing the things which I have commanded you and required of you.” (D&C 78:7)

I urge you to read and study the Proclamation.  Prayerfully judge yourself against it.  See where you can improve.  Rejoice where you are in compliance.  The Proclamation was published in the November 1995 Ensign along with all the Relief Society Broadcast and October General Conference talks.  Do you receive the Ensign in your home?  If not, why not?  I’ve heard lots of excuses over the years.  The worst excuse is that we can’t afford it right now.  How much do we spend each month on magazines, newspapers and cable television to bring the words and deeds of everyone else into our homes?  Isn’t it worth it to spend the equivalent of about 84¢ each month to have access to the message from the First Presidency, as well as articles by apostles and prophets?  I hope that we can examine our lives and find that it is well worth it and take action to bring the words of truth and light into our homes for ourselves and our families.

As I listened to President Hinckley read the solemn proclamation as part of the General Relief Society Broadcast last fall my heart was filled with gratitude until I felt I would burst if I didn’t stand and sing at the top of my voice “We Thank Thee, O God, for A Prophet! To guide us in these latter days.”  (Hymns #19)

All that evening and the next day I had a prayer in my heart that I could find the words to express my gratitude to my Heavenly Father for the blessings of the Truth.  Late Sunday evening as I was getting ready for bed, words began to take shape in my mind and I hurried to write them down.  (I keep a notebook and pencil on my bedside stand for that very purpose.)  I dedicated them to President Hinckley in gratitude for his leadership as our living prophet, seer, and revelator.

How blessed we are to have a guide,

A prophet of the Lord;

To lead us in these latter-days

Of famine, drought and sword.

With strident voices on all sides

He speaks a calming word,

To cheer us and encourage us.

The Lord, our prayers, has heard.

He calls to us “Repent from sin.”

And asks us to do more

To live the gospel in our homes,

Rich blessings are in store.

We pray that he will lead us in 

The path of righteousness.

He has not faltered, nor yet will.

Let’s follow and be blessed.

Brothers and sisters, I testify to you that God lives, he hears and answers our prayers.  We are led by a Prophet and will be greatly blessed for following him.  Jesus Christ is our Savior.  He should be our hero and his life of obedience our guide.  I love the gospel and my family.  I’m grateful to live at this time.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Not after the manner of men

One day my daughter said something to me that most teens say to their parents. "You're old and don't understand what it's like to be a teen." I hauled out my journal and read a few lines to her, then said "Believe me, I was a teen and I remember well all those teenage emotions and hormones and physical changes."

Human emotion has never changed. Since Adam and Eve had teenagers, human emotions have not changed. Technology changes, and maybe some other things, such as foods and fashions, change, but feelings human beings have don't change.

I was talking to a neighbor seated next to me at a Veteran's Day program at our high school. He made a disparaging comment about teens as we watched them mill about and take their seats waiting for the program to begin. I responded that I love teens! They have vigor and enthusiasm and high hopes and dreams. I said that if we could just channel their energy and enthusiasm into the right things we could change the world.

Heavenly Father loves teens too. He has used them through out history to change the world. Joseph, Samuel, David, and Daniel for just a few that come to mind from the Old Testament. Mary was probably a teen when she gave birth to the Savior of the World. Joseph Smith was certainly a teen when he was blessed with a vision that forever changed the world. One of my favorites, though, is Nephi.

At the beginning of their adventure leaving Jerusalem, he describes himself as "being exceedingly young".  After about eight years they are at the seashore and he has married, had children and just completed the ship in which they will cross the waters to their promised land.

He says, "Now I, Nephi, did not work the timbers after the manner which was learned by men, neither did I build the ship after the manner of men; but I did build it after the manner which the Lord had shown unto me; wherefore, it was not after the manner of men." (1 Nephi 18:2)

That is one of my favorite scriptures! Let me share why. When we began homeschooling our oldest child, Noble, in 1994, my parents were not very supportive. They criticized us and worried about our children and all that they would lack being deprived of the public school experience. Fortunately for us we lived across the country from them and we didn't have to deal with any interference, just the fears and criticisms in letters and phone calls.

One day, after a few years had passed, as I was studying the Book of Mormon I read that particular verse in First Nephi and it was one of those Joseph Smith moments. You know, where he says, "Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart." (JSH 1:12) That's how I felt!

I realized that we were building an education for our children "not after the manner of men," but after the manner to which we had been led by the Lord. And just as he blessed Nephi with instructions "from time to time" (1 Nephi 18:1) we were shown and led to the resources we needed to accomplish our task.

You should hear my parents praise our efforts and our children now! They are so proud of the way we have raised them, taught them and the way our adult children have turned out. But I don't think it is so much because of me. I just followed the instructions from the Lord, and He had sent me some pretty good spirits. I give all the credit to Him. He knew what our children would need, and He provided the way for them to get it.

I've often thought about how many other things we are building in this life that are not after the manner of men. Here is my list:
1. Healthy bodies - we believe in the Word of Wisdom
2. Wardrobe - we believe in modesty and setting our own style
3. Finances - we pay tithes and offerings first, and live on what's left, saving for a rainy day and preparing for future needs.
4. Missionary Service - Thousands of our young men (and some young women) and hundreds of senior couples interrupt their live and pay their own way to give unselfish service building the kingdom.
5. Education - The Glory of God is Intelligence; and as it says on the sign at BYU: Enter to learn, Go forth to serve.
6. Taking care of the poor - See Provident Living
7. Entertainment and Recreation - "If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report of praiseworthy, we seek after these things."
8. Dating - We follow the counsel given in For the Strength of Youth
9. Marriage - We still believe in it! See The Family: A Proclamation to the World
10. Family - We believe in having children, and lots of them! We believe that families can be together forever. We believe that our family on earth is preparation for life in the Celestial Kingdom.

I'm sure there are more ways we are building something not after the manner of men, but after the manner which the Lord has shown us. In just another month we'll gather to hear the living prophets and apostles give us counsel, instruction and encouragement at General Conference. This will be the "from time to time" instructions from the Lord. I'm looking forward to hearing it.

How Do You Know That?

That is the question my husband asked me once when we were having one of our rare discussions about the gospel. I didn't even know how to answer him, except that I knew. 


Now I have a better answer. I was born into a family with a father who studies the scriptures and used them to teach his children. We rarely had a "normal" family home evening with lessons and such, at least I don't remember those. What I do remember is reading the scriptures as a family once a week for an hour. We read the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, the New Testament, and in lieu of the Old Testament we read Cleon Skousen's books The First Two Thousand Years, The Third Thousand Years, and The Fourth Thousand Years. They were easier reading for children and teens than the real thing. 


As a teen I loved Seminary and took second place in our Stake Scripture Chase, this when there were 40 scripture mastery verses (today there are only 25 per year). I studied diligently and read the church magazines voraciously. I loved learning the gospel, still do.


When I was a missionary in the MTC (Missionary Training Center) I would smile to myself every time I heard an Elder say "I wish I'd paid more attention in Seminary and studied harder." 


In 2000 I had a burning desire to read the Old Testament from Genesis to Malachi for myself so on January 1 I began and I managed to finish on schedule December 31. The Sunday School course for 2001 was the Old Testament and I was prepared to make significant contributions to the class discussions. 


Part of our homeschool education for our children was reading the scriptures, learning the Articles of Faith and establishing the habits of righteousness (prayer, scripture study, Family Home Evening, and attending church). When they were very young we read the Scripture Story books and The Friend. In 2005 when they ranged in age from 16 down to 7 we answered the call of President Hinckley to read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year. I knew that a straight reading would take longer than that so I decided to have us listen to the book on tape, following along in our books. I thought it was a great success. We had some good discussions about what we were reading and the children got a good overview of the message of the book. Plus we were obedient to the prophet. We finished early enough that I was able to read the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price before the end of the year. It was a great year for reading scriptures!


I'm getting to the point here, be patient.


Our stake president here in Iowa asked us to read the Book of Mormon in the six months between conferences (September to March) so we looked for a way we could accomplish this. We decided that we would read right after breakfast each day before the guys left for school. We got up a few minutes earlier and faithfully read. We finished and felt a great sense of accomplishment. 


I didn't want to let the habit die so I suggested to TopDad that we continue the habit and read the New Testament, which was the subject of the Sunday School Gospel Doctrine class. We completed that in December and after a couple weeks off during the holidays we began our next book which is The Pearl of Great Price on January 2. 


Now here is point. While reading the Pearl of Great Price I realized (or remembered) how I know certain things. The revelations of Moses and the writings of Abraham are where we learn profound truths. My father advised us to read the Pearl in preparation for going to the temple for the first time. I advise it too, and advise reading it from time to time to refresh our minds with the truths therein. It is RICH!


Daily scripture reading has been an important habit to add to our lives. Reading after breakfast, followed by family prayer is such a good way to start the day. I highly recommend it.