A Brief Testimony

"Learn to express a brief, heartfelt testimony of our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, and the truths of the restored gospel."

First Presidency Letter, 14 Feb 2013

I know that the priesthood is real. I've seen it's power working. I know that the full gospel was restored through Joseph Smith. I know that Heavenly Father hears our sincere prayers. I know that the Savior stands ready to help us whenever we need Him (which is always). I know that He leads this Church, and that all of our leaders are called by Him. I'm thankful for our prophet and apostles. I know that listening to their counsel will help us prosper. I know that they love us, too. I know that Heavenly Father sends people to us - families, ward members and leaders, missionaries. I know that He is in the details of our lives. I know that He cares about us. I know that He wants us home, and that He will help us on our way home. He is so good. His ways are just. His Son shows us the Way. His Atonement makes all things possible.

In His name, Jesus Christ, amen.

You've got the Savior of the world helping you out; how can you fall?

Building a Celestial Family: Part 4

Invite the Holy Ghost

We owe our families the kind of relationship we can take into the presence of God. . . . We can determine to forgive quickly and fully. We can try to seek the happiness of others above our own. We can be kind in our speech. As we try to do all these things, we will invite the Holy Ghost into our families and into our lives.

Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency (source)

One thing that's really great about commandments and counsel is that they are always accompanied by blessings. In this case, President Eyring testified that as we try to forgive, seek the hapiness of our family members, and be kind, we invite the Holy Ghost. That's beautiful! I'd like to break this promise into two parts and examine it a little more.

First, I'd like to talk about the actual blessing: the Holy Ghost will come into our families. That's pretty great. Don't we all want the Holy Ghost in our families and homes? The peace it brings, the understanding, the love? Our homes are to be a sacred and safe place. They can't be that unless we have the Holy Ghost in them. We need the Holy Ghost in our lives and in our homes. The Lord promises, through President Eyring, that He will send the Holy Ghost as we follow this counsel. If we knew that the Holy Ghost would come as a result our our forgiveness, our sacrifice, and our kind words, how much more eager would we be to do these things? Can we forgive more? Can we sacrifice for our family members? Can we be more kind in our speech? (Hint: Yes.) So let's make that a goal, me and you. To be more kind and forgiving. Today.

The other part: "As we try to do these things." The Lord doesn't expect perfection. And that is a beautiful thing. He's not saying, once you're perfectly forgiving, perfectly sacrificing, perfectly kind, then I'll send the Holy Ghost. No. He says, "Just try, and I'll send my Spirit to help you. Just try." When we try, when we put forth any effort into this, He send the Holy Ghost and multiplies what we can do. And isn't that great! We need the Holy Ghost to be perfectly forgiving. We try, and He helps. We try seek the happiness of our family members above our own, and He helps. We try to be kind, and He helps. He sends that Holy Ghost as we try to do these things. And, oh, it is wonderful.


So, as I finally conclude this series, I challenge you to try take President Eyring's counsel to heart. Try to be a little more forgiving, try to seek the happiness of your family members, try to speak kind words. And I, next to President Eyring, testify that the Holy Ghost will come into your heart and your home.



This post is part of a series entitled "Building a Celestial Family." Missed the beginning? Find them here: Intro, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. 

The Lord Will Provide

"And God will generously provide all you need."

2 Corinthians 9:8, NLT

photo source lds.org

"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." (1 Nephi 3:7)

The Lord will provide a way. 

"And God said unto Noah . . . Make thee an ark of gopher wood . . . And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of . . . Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he." 

(Genesis 6:13-15, 22)

The Lord will provide a way. 

"[God] said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. . . . And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father . . . Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering . . . Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham . . . And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son." 

(Genesis 22:2-13)

The Lord will provide a way. 

"And the children of Israel said unto them . . . ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you." (Exodus 16:35)

The Lord will provide a way. 

"David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine." (1 Samuel 17:37)

The Lord will provide a way. 

"Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages . . . But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. [Jesus] said, Bring them hither to me. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full."

 (Matthew 14:14-20, see also Luke 9:12-17, Mark 8:1-9)

The Lord will provide a way. 

"Give us this day our daily bread." (Mathew 6:11)

The Lord will provide a way. 

"He doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness." (1 Nephi 17:3)

The Lord will provide a way. 

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." (Matthew 7:7-8)

The Lord will provide a way. 

"And I said: Lord, whither shall I go . . . And it came to pass that the Lord told me whither I should go." (1 Nephi 17:9-10)

The Lord will provide a way. 

Thick darkness gathered around me . . . exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction . . . I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun . . ." (Joseph Smith History 1:15-16)

The Lord will provide a way. 

~ ~ ~

"Behold, canst thou read this without rejoicing and lifting up thy heart for gladness?" (D&C 19:39)

The Lord will provide a way!

"Thou shalt declare glad tidings, yea, publish it upon the mountains, and upon every high place, and among every people that thou shalt be permitted to see" (D&C 19:29) -- The Lord will provide a way!

Building a Celestial Family: Part 3

Be kind in our speech. 

We owe our families the kind of relationship we can take into the presence of God. . . . We can determine to forgive quickly and fully. We can try to seek the happiness of others above our own. We can be kind in our speech. As we try to do all these things, we will invite the Holy Ghost into our families and into our lives.

Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency (source)

I often tell my brother and sister "Use soft words." Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "Love is patient, love is kind" (1 Cor 13:4-9). The Lord taught us this again through another prophet in the Book of Mormon, Moroni. Words can be hurtful. Yelling, shouting, and insulting our family members does not build loving relationships and invite the spirit.

We should make a devoted effort to be kind when speaking to each other, especially when children are in our homes. Children learn what "love" means by the actions of those who tell them "I love you." Do we want to teach our children or brothers and sisters that "I love you" means yelling and shouting, insulting each other, and never acknowledging strengths?

This is something that I still am working to overcome. Almost every day, my patience runs short and I have to say, "I'm sorry for using hard words. Can you forgive me? Can you give me another chance?" We are not perfect. I am not perfect. We should strive to be kind in our speech. We should ask forgiveness, and keep trying. As President Eyring said, we invite the Holy Ghost into our families as we strive to be kind to our parents and siblings.



This post is part of a series entitled "Building a Celestial Family." Missed the beginning? Find it here: Intro, Part 1, and Part 2. Read the final post here: Part 4. 

Building a Celestial Family: Part 2

Seek the happiness of others above our own. 

We owe our families the kind of relationship we can take into the presence of God. . . . We can determine to forgive quickly and fully. We can try to seek the happiness of others above our own. We can be kind in our speech. As we try to do all these things, we will invite the Holy Ghost into our families and into our lives.

Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency (source)

"Testifying of God's 'eternal purposes,' the prophet Lehi taught, 'Men are, that they might have joy' (2 Nephi 2:15, 25). Many people try to find happiness and fulfillment in activities that are contrary to the Lord's commandments. Ignoring God's plan for them, they reject the only source of real happiness. They give in to the devil, who 'seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself' (2 Nephi 2:27). Eventually they learn the truth of Alma's warning to his son Corianton: 'Wickedness never was happiness' (Alma 41:10). . . . We will find peaceful, eternal happiness as we strive to keep the commandments, pray for strength, repent of our sins, participate in wholesome activities, and give meaningful service."

President Eyring counsels us to seek the happiness of others. The way to find lasting happiness is through the gospel. In mixed-member families, some parents or siblings don't know the gospel. Even in most whole-member families, there's probably one or two parents or siblings who aren't living gospel standards. We are called to be a "city on a hill," a lighthouse (Matthew 5:14, 3 Nephi 12:14). Lighthouses direct sailors when the waters are rough. We, too, can lead our families through rough waters, knowing that we have the true path to happiness. The Lord desires that every member of the human family return to Him, sealed in smaller family units. He wants our family sealed and living a celestial level of life. People can't live celestial if they don't know celestial. We need to teach our families, in their head and in the heart, what the gospel is and what it means. We can do this by being an example, and also talking about the gospel. We can be the one to bring our families home to Heavenly Father. 

The second part of the above quote describes how we can find "peaceful, eternal happiness." Two in the list are wholesome activities and service. We can have wholesome fun with our families and serve others together. Watching movies, playing board games, going for mini golf or to the park are all ways families can bind and have fun together. Families can serve by visiting those in need, baking cookies to deliver to others, or teaching a child's friend about Jesus Christ. All of these can be done in whole- or part-member families. As families grow close together, trust is built, and we move toward a celestial level of family life. 

Familiy life requires sacrifice, and the gospel requires sacrifice. Families will not be happy if everyone demands on getting what they want right away. The psalmist wrote: "I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O Lord; for it is good" (Psalm 54:6). We must be willing to sacrifice and compromise. If my brother wants to play Mouse Trap but I want to play Clue, I must be willing to sacrifice sometimes. If I want meatloaf for dinner, but the rest of my family really wants spaghetti, I might have to sacrifice. By the same token, there will be days when a brother or sister has to sacrifice - they don't get to play their game or have their preferred dinner. When that happens we should be kind and loving towards them, and appreciative of their sacrifice.

Achieving happiness in family life is a family effort, but it starts with just one person.


This post is part of a series entitled "Building a Celestial Family." Missed the first posts? Find them here: Intro, Part 1. Then read the rest: Part 3, Part 4. 

Reader Report: Standing for Something

Title:
Standing for Something: 10 Neglected Virtues That Will Heal Our Hearts and Homes

Author:
Gordon B. Hinckley

Publishing Info:

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Honestly, I didn't love this book. It was written much likea General Conference talk, but nearly 300 pages. Long talk, right? President Hinckley said amazing inspirational things, it was just long for something with a short attention span like me.

Instead of doing a summary/thoughts/quotes report like I usually do, I'm going to talk about my life and how this book fit into it. 

To start off, the layout of this book is simple: our world is great but in trouble, here are individual virtues that can remedy our situation, and here are ways to safeguard and grow those virtues. The first nine virtues are: love, honesty, morality, civility, learning, forgiveness and mercy, thrift and industry, gratitude, and optimism. This book had some great sections and one-liners, but there are just too many to share with you guys (these reports have been pretty long and boring lately). 

Here's my experience with the book: I checked it out from my hometown library in May. I wanted to read books written by prophets and apostles, so I found the Religion/Christian section, then the Mormon shelf. This was the only written by a General Authority, and I'm glad it was Hinckley because he's my favorite (I can't wait for his Teachings of Presidents of the Church book to come out!) 

If you've read personal posts on here, you might know that I'm the only member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in my family, and that my parents aren't too happy with my decision. Well, since I've moved back home from my college town, I've been going to church happily, but alone. Last Sunday, my parents asked me to go to church with them. This was hard for me, because I really want to go to sacrament meeting (and I know that Heavenly Father wants me to, also), but I also wanted to strengthen my family relationships (because I know that families are important to Heavenly Father). I prayed about it a lot. A lot. 

On Thursday, I watched a video. I won't go into detail because it's not uplifting. Basically, it was an interview about faith. And though it was meant to strengthen faith, it made me question. I wondered if I'd made the right choice in being baptized. Then, I opened my journal. I saw the bright colors and bulletins from church. The Holy Ghost reminded me of what I'd learned in these meetings, what I'd taken notes on in my personal studies, and what I'd cried to God about in these pages. In my journals, I learn that God loves me. I know that He's here, I know that He's listening to us. 

That night, my missionary, Sister A called. I didn't answer so she left a message, telling me to call back because she had a favor to ask. Oh my, I thought. The next day, I called her back. She said she wanted me to skype in for a lesson with a girl in her area who wants to be baptized but is experiencing opposition from her family. She thought I could help. I was very hesitant, considering what I'd been thinking and feeling regarding my own faith, but I agreed. 

On Saturday, I asked my parents if we could talked about going to church on Sunday. We ended up talking for hours about my joining the church and how they thought I'd made a wrong choice. And it got to me. What if I had made a wrong choice? Do I even know what I believe? I had been so sure, but then I'm wasn't. What was I supposed to do? How do I know what's right? And Sister A wants me to help this young girl keep the faith. How can I help her when I can't even keep it myself?

Then I looked at my journal. "First and forever fan the flame of your faith, because all things are possible to them that believe" (Elder Jeffery R. Holland). Keep going, I thought. And then, "Rescued by the Gospel." I remembered where I was before I found this. I remembered that this gospel had in fact, rescued me. I didn't want to go back to that life without this. I may not be able to explain that, but I know it. I thought, The Book of Mormon is true, and I need it in my life.

Then I picked up my book to read. The next chapter, the tenth virtue, was entitled: "Faith: Our Only Hope." I thought, how perfect to read about faith from a prophet of God, when I have so little of it. He said faith is real and strong and powerful. He said that we have no greater motivation than the knowledge that we are children of the Almighty and that He will help us achieve. He said, "Vibrant testimony comes of anxious seeking" (p 110). He said, "I know that He is intensely interested in our lives, that I can speak with Him in prayer, and that He will hear and listen" (p 110). I thought, I need to know that. That I am loved and heard.

Before bed that night, I sat writing in my journal.

I know the gospel is true. I know the Plan of Salvation is true. I know that the Savior walked the lonely path so I don't have to. I know that His love and mercy are stronger than my weaknesses. I know that I belong in this Church. I know that this is where God wants me. I know that this is where I will find peace, hope, and guidance, in the Book of Mormon and this Church, I know that Heavenly Father "doesn't intend to save just a few of His children" (movie, The Restoration, Intellectual Reserve, 2006), and that He didn't drop us here to grope in darkness. I know that we have a prophet today, who teaches the whole world about God and Jesus Christ. I know that he stands at the head of this, Christ's Church, which contains the fulness of ordinances, and all truth pertinent to salvation. 

This book renewed my faith exactly when I needed it. I encourage you to record your testimony periodically, so that when you are in times of doubt, you can go back and look at what you said. It's one things to have someone else tell you they believe, it's another thing entirely to have yourself tell you that you believe.

Keep the faith, and carry on.

"I believe that God will always make a way, even when there appears to be no way."

My Very First Pioneer Day!

"Our journey in life is unique to each of us. As we press forward with faith, we leave a legacy of hope for future generations to follow."

In 1846, the saints were forced to abandon their Nauvoo home and move westward. They sought peace and the freedom to practice their restored God-given religion. In the east, the saints had faced much persecution, starting from the time of Joseph Smith's First Vision, and continuing until even today (though the persecution is not nearly as intense). They left homes, jobs, possessions, and sometimes family to seek Zion, a place where they would be of one mind and one heart, a righteous city unto the Lord. 

Thankfully, the saints today worship and practice their religion free from legal action or mob brutality. 

Today, we celebrate the courage and faith of those early saints, and remember those difficulties. We thank the Lord for these people who protected the truths of the Restoration, that they can be available to us still today. We revere their patience and enduring spirits. 

~ ~ ~

Familysearch.org has a lovely page celebrating our pioneer ancestors. Here are some graphics from that page:

As far as I'm aware, I did not have any pioneer ancestors on the grueling "Mormon Trail." But I am so grateful for the courage and valor of these early saints. No one (that I know of) in my family is a member of this Church. Every morning when I wake, I remember the covenant I made at baptism, to take upon me the name of Jesus Christ. I must take His name upon me and be an example to my family. 

Because I am the first, I am a pioneer. I am a pioneer for my family - those who passed before me without the gospel, those here now, and those yet to come. I hope and pray each day that I will be able to bring my family home with me. 

The pioneers of the 1846 exodus trekked across the American prairies for eighteen months. I trekked across the fields of misunderstandings, broken hearts, and valleys separating points of view for six months. I am a pioneer because I never gave up.

My steps will be followed, no mater what they are. I pray that I will make the right steps, so that those following me will also be on the right path. I pray that I will be an example. I pray that I will find a righteous man and raise my children in light and truth, training them up in the way they should go. I pray that when we find our eternal homes, ours will be in the mansions of the Father.