Wow! Wow! Wow!

Can I just say that today's sessions of General Conference were all I had hoped and prayed for and SO MUCH MORE! I am finding that "all and so much more" is a reoccurring theme where our Heavenly Father and His blessings are concerned.

Every talk held a message that I needed to hear, but this quote struck be as the most profound.

All Things Bright and Beautiful

Why am I often so quick to have doubts and so slow to exercise faith? Elder Uchtdorf  just has a way of making things seem so simple - Why wouldn't I, or anyone else, want to belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

Jeffrey R. Holland's talk was definitely a family favorite.  The oldest son posted on face book "I could listen to Jeffrey R. Holland for all 10 hours of conference!!" The youngest son commented "like a million times".  I agree wholeheartedly, but I would need a jumbo sized Kleenex box if that were the case. I love Elder Holland's compassion, sensitivity, and rock solid testimony.  

from All Things Bright and Beautiful

I can't wait to see what General Conference will bring tomorrow!

Today I am grateful for

Heavenly Father's infinite love and goodness. 

a living prophet and apostles on the earth today.

the Holy Ghost.

my boys, in white shirts and ties, headed to the priesthood session of conference.

  

Missed Opportunities

Today I went to the library to pick up some books I had on hold.  As I approached the check out counter  my attention was drawn to one of the machines there.  What probably got my attention first was the LOUD wailing of a small baby.  I couldn't see the upset infant who was curled up in a stroller but what I did see made my heart happy.  The mother was standing there with 2 other children, a little boy about 3 was balancing on the step stool very seriously placing each book, from a tall stack, on the white square and waiting to hear the ding.  He couldn't work very quickly because his younger sister was also vying for space on the stool and was determined to move him out of the way.  The mom was being so patient, while trying to encourage the entire process along at a little faster pace.  Any attempt she made to assist was met with immediate complaints of "I'm doing it" and she would
step back and let her son do it.  I was proud of her control.

I quickly checked out, glanced again at the entertaining family while thinking "I'm glad I'm past that stage of my life" and walked out the door.

As I unlocked my car I had a strong desire to cry and I wasn't sure why.

I gave it some thought as I drove down the road to my next destination and I began to realize that I should have offered to help that young mother.  She was handling herself just fine and she might have declined my offer, but I stil should have made the attempt.

But even more than that I should have told that mom that I was glad she had chosen to be a mother.

That  I was happy she had made the effort to bring her children to the library.

That I appreciated her patience with her little ones when it would have been so much easier to move them aside and just check the books out herself.

I should have given her a pat on the back,

because mothers don't seem to get those very often.

I should have told her GOOD JOB!

and I didn't

and then I regretted it.

One of my favorite talks in the October General Conference was by Elder M. Russell Ballard and was entitled "Be Anxiously Engaged".

In this talk he encourages every man, woman and child to begin a simple practice.

"In your morning prayer each new day, ask Heavenly Father to guide you to recognize an opportunity to serve one of His precious children.  Then go throughout the day with your heart full of faith and love, looking for someone to help ... If you do this, your spiritual sensitivities will be enlarged and you will discover opportunities to serve that you never before realized were possible." 

I have been trying to remember to do this every day and have had some sweet experiences, but today I lost focus and missed an opportunity.

And I want to say I'm sorry.

I can't go back and change what happened today, but I can look forward with a desire to improve.

Hopefully next time my spiritual sensitivities will kick into gear just a little bit faster and I can feel that I have done my best to serve God's children that I cross paths with.

Today I am thankful for

parents who treat their children with patience and love.

a women who looked for an opportunity to serve and was prompted to organize a monthly family home evening group for the "empty nesters" in our ward.  Tonight was our first activity and it was so fun and uplifting to get together and eat, visit, laugh, talk of Christ and enjoy the Christmas spirit.

homemade orange rolls.  YUMMY!

Happily Ever After

One of the living room walls in the oldest daughter's house is decorated with a "fairy tale" theme.  There is a family photo in the top corner and underneath that is a collage frame with some pictures taken outside the Mesa Arizona temple on the daughter and son-in-law's wedding day.  The top right space is filled with a Thomas Kincaid print of Cinderella and her prince standing on a bridge in front of their castle. Beneath the print, in large rub-on letters, is written, "And they lived happily ever after".

I have always liked this wall.  To me it speaks of love and commitment and lots of joy.

When we received word of the grandson's initial cancer diagnosis, for some reason a picture came into my mind of the oldest daughter returning to their home from the hospital, opening the door and being confronted by that wall.

I considered the impact it would have on her.

When she walked into her house and read those words what would she think?

Would she feel that they were a mockery? an unfulfilled wish?  a blatant lie? the end of a dream?

Would they fill her with more pain and sorrow?  My mother's heart broke at the very thought.

When we arrived in California and I took my first look at this wall, I will admit that many of those thoughts passed through my mind.

I can honestly say that I spent some time considering how difficult it would be to remove the writing from the wall before the daughter ever had to read it again.

Then we went to the hospital and I saw the grandson and the daughter and the son-in-law.

I saw the love and the commitment of two struggling, but faithful parents.

I saw the sweet little boy who has brought, and will always bring, a special joy to our family.

I still questioned the "happily ever after" ending to their story, but the urgency to permanently remove those words from their home lessened immensely.  I was willing to let them stay right where they were for the time being.

Each day, as I came down the stairs, or entered the house,  I looked at that wall and each day I tried to make peace with the thoughts the words evoked.

At times they spoke of hope and seemed to hold a promise that there would still be a fairy tale ending to this tale.

At other times they seemed to laugh in my face  and question my grasp on reality,

but more and more I knew that I wouldn't be the one to decide if they stayed or not.

The words would greet my daughter when she returned home.

Their fate would be her decision, not mine.

Today I went to the daughter's blog to see if she had updated and once again saw those words. This time emblazoned across the top of her post - Happily Ever After.  As I read what she had written, and then the talk by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf that she referred to,  I realized the decision had been made.

The peace came.

The words will stay, right where they have always belonged.

There are times in my life when I feel foolish.

When I realize that my children will teach me much more in my lifetime than I can ever hope to teach them.

When I remember what I already knew, but managed to forget for a short time.

The day the oldest daughter and the son-in-law became a family was not the end of the story, but an exciting and promising chapter in the book. What is taking place in their lives right now is also just another segment of that story, albeit a more heart wrenching and tear jerking section.  And most likely there will be a lot more happy and harrowing, sad and silly, tender and tedious chapters to follow.

Life is meant to be like that and the "happily ever after" ending comes right where it belongs - at the END,

which I wholeheartedly believe is where the next book will begin.

The sequel, filled with "happily ever after" moments and eternal life, the culmination of the trilogy.

"The Father's plan of happiness for His children includes not only a premortal and mortal life but also an eternal life as well, including a great and glorious reunion with those we have lost.  All wrongs will be righted, and we will see with perfect clarity and faultless perspective and understanding."

"From the limited perspective of those who do not have knowledge, understanding or faith in the Father's plan - who look at the world only through the lens of mortality with its wars, violence, disease, and evil - this life can seem depressing, chaotic, unfair, and meaningless.  Church leaders have compared this perspective with someone walking into the middle of a three-act play.  Those without knowledge of the Father's plan do not understand what happened in the first act, or the premortal existence, and the purposes established there; nor do they understand the clarification and resolution that come in the third act, which is the glorious fulfillment of the Father's plan."   Elder Quentin L. Cook, "The Songs They Could Not Sing".

"'And they all lived happily ever after' is never written into the second act.  That line belongs in the third act when the mysteries are solved and everything is put right." Elder Boyd K. Packer.

This mortal life, like any fairy tale, will be filled with its share of happy moments - feasts and balls, love and learning, singing and selfless service, but it will also include adversity, trials and temptations - wicked witches,  poisoned apples, thorns and thistles, debilitating "curses" and even death.

It has to be that way. That's how we learn.

It is all part of a loving author's plan for each of our lives and how we get to our "Happily Ever After" ending.

Grab on to a friend's hand and the Savior's hand and lets go live our story the best we can, so its culmination will bring the ending we are hoping for, the ending which our Heavenly Father has prepared for us - never ending happiness and eternal life.

Today I am thankful for

my knowledge of God's plan of happiness.

a visit to the skin and cancer center.  It is wonderful to, once a year, be praised for and congratulated on my perfect, pale, pasty white skin.

a visiting teaching companion that makes the appointments, prepares the lesson and brings the treat.

the odd junk items I have lying around the house. They entertain the cats and I don't have to waste my money on cat toys.

a daughter, who chose to fulfill her church calling despite her own trials, and learned something that she then decided to share so I could be reminded of something I needed to remember.  Amazing how that all works.

Faith

Since Shad went into the hospital and his tumors were discovered a week ago I have been blessed with an overwhelming sense of peace that this is God's plan for him and our family and that all will be well.  That doesn't mean that I know the details of His plan or understand how this part of the story will turn out. I am not really sure  what WELL actually means.  

I am a realist and I know that Shad is a very sick little boy and that he may not get better or that if he does get better he may have some continuing problems for his entire life, but I am also a woman of faith and I know that our loving Heavenly Father has the power and the ability to heal anyone, in any circumstance.  

Sometimes these two sides of me get into an internal battle for power. 

There are times when I have all the faith in the universe that Shad will come through this whole and completely healthy.  There are other times that I realized how naive that idea sounds and then war ensues. 

I have thought fervently and often of the scripture found in Mark 9: 24

"... Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief."

On Wednesday I carried my General Conference issue of the Ensign magazine into the surgical waiting room to read while we waited during Shad's surgery.  I opened the cover and began to peruse the titles of the talks.  

Now, I am a very emotional person.  I can cry at the drop of a hat.  I cry when I'm happy.  I cry when I'm sad.  I cry when I feel the spirit. I excel in crying. The waiting room was almost entirely full and I didn't particularly want to cry in front of all those strangers, so I was having a little difficulty choosing a talk. When the title alone made me tear up I decided to move on to the next one.  Finally I reached a talk given in the Sunday Afternoon session by Marcus B Nash. The title was "By Faith all Things Are Fulfilled"  I waited. No tears.  This seemed like the one.  

I loved everything about this talk and I would recommend it to anyone, but there was one paragraph that spoke loudly and clearly to me.

Elder Nash said,

"Bearing in mind that faith and reason are necessary companions, consider the following analogy: faith and reason are like the two wings of an aircraft.  Both are essential to maintain flight.  If, from your perspective, reason seems to contradict faith, pause and remember that our perspective is extremely limited compared to the Lord's.  Do not discard faith any more than you would detach a wing from an aircraft in flight.  Instead, nurture a particle of faith and permit the hope it produces to be an anchor to your soul - and to your reason.  That is why we are commanded to 'seek learning ... by study and also by faith.'  Remember, faith precedes and produces miracles for which we have no immediate explanation within our experience."  

Since I read that paragraph I have found myself frequently visualizing "my plane" when I feel a battle beginning in my head or in my heart.

Are both my wings functioning properly?  

Am I flying straight and strong or am I listing to one side?  

Is one wing getting too large and the other withering away?   

As I analyze my thinking and picture my plane, it seems easier to bring everything back into balance.

In a world where reason reigns supreme, there is room and a need for faith. I am striving to have enough of both.

Today I am thankful 

for modern technology.  It is wonderful to be able to send out a mass e-mail or text and know that my friends and family have been updated without having to call or write each one individually.

that the oldest daughter was able to go to the temple with the youth in her ward tonight.  She deserved a break from the hospital and the temple is a wonderful place to go during a trial.

for extra, extra pickles - and 2 that looked like Mickey Mouse - on the grandson's hamburger.  They made him smile. 

There were a lot more pickles before I took the picture!

So Worth It

At the start of the summer a new sister moved into our ward.  She is youngish and she is vocal and she has been a breath of fresh air in our classroom discussions.  She openly shares the fact that she hasn't always been a practicing member of the church and that she has made some bad decisions in her life, but her past is overshadowed by the testimony she shares at every opportunity. She has come so far. She makes me want to be less judgmental; more loving and willing to embrace and encourage those who are struggling with their testimonies.  She brings hope to my heart when it starts to feel hopeless.

A couple of weeks ago she attended our visiting teaching interviews and then asked for directions to the bishop's house.  She is getting married the start of September and had an appointment to get her temple recommend so she could go to the temple for the first time.  She was so excited!  She shared how she had almost gone to the temple a few years before, but her divorce got in the way and it didn't happen.  How hard it had been to wait, when she wanted to go so badly. When she left she told us she would be back in a while for her interview with a member of the Stake Presidency.

I was in the hall when she returned with tears running down her face. I was worried that something hadn't turned out the way she had planned.  As I walked toward her she raised her signed recommend for me to see and said, "He signed it.  I signed it.  I am going to the temple."  We embraced and joyfully cried together.  So very, very happy.  She couldn't contain her excitement as she bounced around sharing the news with everyone that would listen.

Tonight I had the opportunity of being in attendance at her temple endowment session and as we embraced again in the celestial room we shed a few more happy tears and rejoiced in her accomplishment.  She did it! and it seems that all the struggles just made the final outcome that much sweeter.  She was so happy and thankful to be there.

As I sat in the celestial room, watching her and those who had come to support her, I reflected on some of the things she has experienced in her life, the choices she has made, and  how she was finally able to worthily stand in the temple.  I pondered on why the road to the temple seems so simple for some individuals and so difficult for others. Entering the temple for the first time was pretty easy for me. Luckily my choices had helped to make it that way, but I probably looked on the event as more of a rite of passage than an accomplishment or a privilege, just one more thing I needed to do before I left on my mission.   I was happy to be there, but I think my joy at that moment was minuscule compared to hers, and to the joy I felt for her tonight.

 There were 2 other people going through the temple for the first time tonight.  A young man who looked like he was getting ready to go on a mission and another girl who was soon to be married.  I wondered if they were as amazed and appreciative of this great blessing in their lives as my friend was. Had their choices in life led to a fairly smooth path to the temple or had they too struggled to get there? What had they done and gone through to make this opportunity a reality? Did they see their temple covenants as the marvelous blessing that they are?

As most of the patrons left the celestial room the young man and his father sat talking quietly in one corner while the unknown bride-to-be sat on a couch next to her future husband, her brother and mother nestled by her side as her father stood protectively near them.  It was such a sweet experience as the spirit of the temple sunk deep into my soul.  I hope they felt that spirit too.  I hope they realize what a great blessing it is to be temple worthy.  I hope they continue to visit the temple often and come to appreciate more and more each time they come how truly blessed they are to have the temple, and all it represents, in their lives.

As I have.

Whether the climb to the temple seems fairly simple or wrought with difficulty I testify it is So Worth It!

Do what you need to do to get there and then make it a priority to go often.  It will be worth any effort it takes!

But you don't have to just take my word for it.  Here is what the living prophet, President Thomas S. Monson has to say on this topic:

"Those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple know that no sacrifice is too great, no price too heavy, no struggle too difficult in order to receive those blessings."  

This quote comes from a conference talk Pres. Monson gave in April 2011 and you can read his entire message here.

Today I am thankful for

the new converts or re-converted members of my ward who help me see the gospel of Jesus Christ and the blessings that are mine through fresh eyes.  I learn so much from them.
temple promises.
the spirit that I feel in the temple.  Nothing in this world can compare to it.

General Conference

I just want to tell each one of you

who tuned into General Conference today

hoping to receive answers to your questions and concerns

that I am sorry.

Apparently, Heavenly Father inspired all of the speakers

to focus on my list today.

However, you can tune in again tomorrow.

Perhaps those will be your sessions.

I sincerely believe that what was shared today

by prophets and apostles of God

was intended to humble, teach, strengthen and uplift me personally.

I hope those of you who listened

to any or all of Conference today

feel the same way.

Isn't it wonderful?!!

Today I am thankful for

a son that cares if his shirt needs ironed or not and irons it himself if it does.

my crockpot.

spiritual food.

Distractions

I am a person that is easily distracted from accomplishing what I set out to do. Sometimes my Blog is my distraction and sometimes other people's Blogs distract me from mine and sometimes just turning on the computer distracts me from everything.

I have become very distracted this past week by the aftermath of the vote on Proposition 8 in California - Protests outside Mormon temples, church member's jobs, homes, and businesses being threatened, white powder being mailed to several different religious buildings... I was caught off guard by all that has been happening. It is hard for me to comprehend what has been taking place following a decision made in a democratic election. A statement issued by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says "People of faith have been intimidated for simply exercising their democratic rights. These are not actions that are worthy of the democratic ideals of our nation. The end of a free and fair election should not be the beginning of a hostile response in America." I don't understand why political officials in California aren't willing to stand up for the majority of the people they represent and acknowledge that this decision is the will of the people and affirm that they will uphold it. I try to picture the individuals in favor of Prop 8 behaving in a similar fashion if the final tally had gone the other direction and not in our favor. I can't even imagine it.

I think because I find some of these events so incomprehensible, I keep being drawn to more and more information about them hoping in someway to make sense of the whole thing. I have wasted a lot of time reading articles and news reports about all that is transpiring and still I simply don't understand. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I am sure that part of the issue is that I don't like to see the Church that I belong to and believe in reflected in a negative light, especially when I don't feel that we are the ones that have done anything negative. Also, in the back of my mind I keep feeling grateful that California is where this issue has come to a head and not Arizona (following the passing of Proposition 102) and then being disappointed in myself because of those feelings. I worry, "when will it be my turn to have to stand in the face of dangerous and demoralizing opposition and courageously maintain my position?" I am frightened by the visibility of Satan and his plan going forward in today's America.

Since this issue has been foremost in my mind recently, I thought it was appropriate when I opened to Elder Robert D. Hales conference talk to read in the Ensign today. It is entitled Christian Courage: The Price of Discipleship. It amazes me over and over again how inspired our leaders are in the messages they prepare and share with us. I may have been surprised by what happened in California following the election there, but obviously the leaders of the church, both here on earth and in the heavens above, were not surprised at all. This talk brought me the peace and understanding that I have been searching for in so many ways. God knows what is going on. "The opposition which may seem hard to bear will be a blessing to the Kingdom of God upon the earth." "When we do not retaliate - when we turn the other cheek and resist feelings of anger - we stand with the Savior. We show forth His love, which is the only power that can subdue the adversary and answer our accusers without accusing them in return." However, the message that struck me with the most power was this, "We have a great work to do, which will not be accomplished if we allow ourselves to stop and argue and be distracted. Instead we should muster Christian courage and move on. As we read in Psalms 37:1 'Fret not thyself because of evildoers'."

There is Heavenly Father's message to me. Don't let this distract you. Move away from the computer and go and do what needs to be done.

With that said I guess I better sign out.

I find it ironic that since November, the month to be thankful, started I have been very remiss in writing down what I am grateful for every day. Writing these things down is a very important part of my life and makes a big difference in my daily attitude. I need to step it up again.

Today I am thankful for

Inspired leaders who receive revelation concerning topics to speak on in General Conference and pass that inspiration on to me.
Family Time.
Times when things just seem to work out right. Today the youngest son and I both got to be happy with a trip to the church.

Hope Wins!

Less, you all think I'm sitting at home
paralyzed by my bad feeling
I feel compelled to share
some more of my thoughts and feelings.

I don't think that it was totally by chance
that the November issue
of the Ensign Magazine
arrived in my mailbox yesterday.
I was definitely ready to revisit
some of the amazing and comforting talks
that were given by our leaders
in the recent General Conference
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints.

One of my favorite talks,
and the one that I quickly turned to this morning,
is entitled The Infinite Power of Hope
and was given by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf.
I loved this talk the first time I heard it
and I loved it even more as I read it today.
I need to have hope.
I want to have hope.
Our nation needs to have hope.

I think hope is what a lot of Americans
voted for in yesterday's election.
Hope for a better life.
Hope for peace.
Hope for a united country.
Hope for a stronger economy.
Hope that the promises
made by our newly elected leader
will actually come to pass.
Hope.

I was home alone tonight
and started flipping through the TV channels
looking for something to provide a little noise
in my empty house.
There was Oprah,
full of smiles and shouts,
sporting a "Hope Won" t-shirt.
I'm pretty sure that Oprah
thinks that Barack Obama
is going to save our nation
and us along with it
and now she can actually say that
on her syndicated television show.

I began to mentally compare
who and what Oprah has placed her hope in
with who and what Elder Uchtdorf counsels
us to place our hope in.
I quote,
"We hope in Jesus the Christ,
in the goodness of God,
in the manifestations of the Holy Spirit,
in the knowledge that prayers are heard and answered."
Then Elder Uchtdorf goes on to promise,
"This type of hope in God,
His goodness, and His power
refreshes us with courage
during difficult challenges
and gives strength
to those who feel threatened
by enclosing walls of fear, doubt and despair."

I am glad that so many people
have cast their vote for hope this week.
I think that it is a positive sign
that a lot of Americans realize that
our country has some major problems.
However, I question if their hope
is perhaps in the wrong person.

I strongly believe that "Hope Wins"
in this world every day
when it is placed in our Heavenly Father
and His son, Jesus Christ,
our only true source of hope.

That is the message I think
will really save our nation.

The Day Dawn is Breaking

I have decided that I need a laptop computer that can hang around my neck so I can take it with me on my morning walks and blog while I walk. This is definitely when I have my most profound and blog worthy thoughts but by the time I get home, eat breakfast, bid farewell to the remaining family members, shower, get dressed and try to be productive for awhile those ideas have simply disappeared.

The past two mornings it has been absolutely beautiful when I have gone walking. As the days get shorter the sun rise comes a little later every day and when I walk at about 6:30 the sky is lightening with a golden glow but the sun has not quite made it over the mountains yet. There have been scattered clouds both mornings that start out so dark and forboding but become much friendlier as they slowly turn pink, purple and yellow.

There is something so hopeful about a sunrise.

No matter how dark things may appear one moment a few minutes pass and everything becomes brighter.

This morning as I watched this change occur a song popped into my head.

"The day dawn is breaking,
the world is awaking,
the clouds of night's darkness
are fleeing away.
The worldwide commotion,
from ocean to ocean,
Now heralds the time
of the beautiful day."

As I thought about this hymn I was reminded how truly blessed I am to live in a day when the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth. I saw a movie in Sunday School a few years ago that depicted the following story:

An elderly gentleman, Robert Mason, had a strange vision. “I was carried away in a vision and found myself in the midst of a vast orchard of fruit trees. I became hungry and wandered through this vast orchard searching for fruit to eat, but I found none. While I stood in amazement finding no fruit in the midst of so many trees, they began to fall to the ground as if torn up by a whirlwind. They continued to fall until there was not a tree standing in the whole orchard. I immediately saw thereafter shoots springing up from the roots and forming themselves into young and beautiful trees. These budded, blossomed, and brought forth fruit which ripened and was the most beautiful to look upon of anything my eyes had ever beheld. I stretched forth my hand and plucked some of the fruit. I gazed upon it with delight; but when I was about to eat of it, the vision closed and I did not taste the fruit.”
At the conclusion of the vision, Mr. Mason had prayed that the Lord would give him the interpretation. “Then the voice of the Lord came to me saying: This is to show you that my Church is not organized among men in the generation to which you belong; but in the days of your children the Church and Kingdom of God shall be made manifest with all the gifts and the blessings enjoyed by the Saints in past ages. You shall live to be made acquainted with it, but shall not partake of its blessings before you depart this life. You will be blest of the Lord after death because you have followed the dictation of my Spirit in this life.’ ”

I still remember had sad I felt for this man as I watched this movie. He was searching so dilligently for the truth and yet was told that he could never enjoy its blessing during his lifetime. At that moment I realized how lucky I was to have the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life.

When I got home I looked up the hymn "The Day Dawn is Breaking". The rest of the words
gave me such a feeling of peace and hope.

"In many a temple
the Saints will assemble
And labor as saviors
of dear ones away.
Then happy reunion
and sweetest communion
We’ll have with our friends
in the beautiful day."

It so happened tht the man from the above story, Robert Mason, was a good friend and mentor of Wilford Woodruff, who became a president of the church. “The vision was given to him [Father Mason] about the year 1800,” Elder Woodruff wrote. “He related it to me in 1830, the spring in which the Church was organized. Three years later when I was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, almost the first person I thought of was this prophet, Robert Mason. Upon my arrival in Missouri with Zion’s Camp, I wrote him a long letter in which I informed him that I had found the true gospel with all its blessings; that the authority of the Church of Christ had been restored to the earth as he had told me it would be; that I had received the ordinances of baptism and the laying on of hands; that I knew for myself that God had established through Joseph Smith, the Prophet, the Church of Christ upon the earth. He received my letter with great joy and had it read over to him many times. He handled it as he had handled the fruit in the vision. He was very aged and soon died without having the privilege of receiving the ordinances of the gospel at the hands of an elder of the Church. The first opportunity I had after the truth of baptism for the dead was revealed, I went forth and was baptized for him in the temple font of Nauvoo.”
Can't you just picture the sweet reunion of Wilford Woodruff and Robert Mason ? I wonder if Joseph Townsend, the author of this hymn, had any idea when he wrote these words how many temples he was actually refering to?

The song continues -
"Still let us be doing,
our lessons reviewing,
Which God has revealed
for our walk in his way;
And then, wondrous story,
the Lord in his glory
Will come in his pow’r
in the beautiful day."

These words from the 3rd verse describe exactly what I feel the general authorites were trying to share with me during our recent general conference.

Do what the Lord asks you to do, keep the commandments, follow the path that he has laid forth and no matter how unsure the future appears you will know how the story will end. The clouds may be dark and worrisome around me but if I just have faith and hope things will become brighter until Jesus returns and brings with him a truly beautiful day.

Beautiful day of peace and rest,
bright be thy dawn from east to west.
Hail to thine earliest welcome ray,
Beautiful bright millennial day."

Today I am grateful for

the gospel of Jesus Christ to guide my life.
reminders of what I need to focus on.
all the temples throughout the world and the saving ordinances that are performed there for those who died before they were able to partake of the truth and blessings of the restored church of Jesus Christ.

The Son's Talk

Today my youngest son gave a talk in church. He was asked to speak on his favorite address from the recent General Conference. As an unbiased mother I thought he did an amazing job. I was impressed that he took the points that Elder Wirthlin talked about and personalized them with his own experiences. Here is what he said.

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin gave a talk I really enjoyed entitled come what may and love it. In his talk he shared a story of losing a particularly tough football game in which his team ultimately met its demise. He went home feeling very discouraged. When he arrived home his mother listened to his sad story and replied. “Joseph, come what may and love it.”
He goes on to say I think she may have meant that every life has peaks and shadows and times when it seems the birds don’t sing and the bells don’t ring. Yet in spite of discouragement and adversity, those who are happiest seem to have a way of learning from difficult times, becoming stronger, wiser, and happier as a result.
He gives four things that can help us through times of testing and trial. I would now like to share them with you. The first is to learn to laugh. Have you ever seen an angry driver who, when someone else makes a mistake, reacts as though the person has insulted his honor, his family, his dog, and his ancestors all the way back to Adam? There is an antidote for this: learn to laugh. Not too long ago my mom’s cell phone fell out of her pocket when we were changing places so I could drive home from school. I unknowingly destroyed it with the front tire of the van. She didn’t realize what had happened until we got to our house. My mom could have gotten mad at me for running over her phone or at herself for putting the phone in a pocket that she knew it had a tendency of falling out of. Instead she turned the experience into a humorous story about my hit and run accident that she was an accomplice to.
The second is to seek for the eternal. We may feel singled out when adversity enters our lives. We may shake our heads and wonder, “why me?” But the dial on the wheel eventually points to each of us. At one time or another, everyone must experience sorrow. No one is exempt. Learning to endure times of disappointment, suffering, and sorrow is part of our on-the-job training. These experiences, while often difficult to bear at the time, are precisely the kinds of experiences that stretch our understanding, build our character, and increase our compassion for others. Remember the words of the savior to the prophet Joseph Smith when he suffered with his companions in liberty jail. “My son, peace be unto thy soul: thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment. And then, if you endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high: thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.” With that eternal perspective, Joseph took comfort from these words, and so can we.
The third is the principle of compensation. The lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the lord will be added unto them in his own way. When I was 9 my dad lost his job. As the Christmas season rolled around my parents were very worried about how they would be able to buy any presents for us. They knew the importance of paying tithing but needed all the money we had to pay the bills and there would be none left over to buy us kids presents. They decided to pay their tithing regardless. A few days later my mom went outside and on our van was an envelope with a target gift card worth $200. They were rewarded for their commitment to keep the commandments and were able to buy us presents. Despite the fact that my dad didn’t have a permanent job for over a year our family always seemed to have money to meet our needs.
And the fourth and final thing is to trust in the father and the son. Last week at the Bishop’s youth discussion we watched a video about President Thomas S. Monson’s life. I would like to share a story from it with you. It is about a young girl named Crystal Methvin. Crystal had cancer and her parents wanted her to receive a blessing from a general authority. They showed Crystal a picture of Thomas S. Monson. She said “he looks like a nice man. I think he is the one.” They planned to take a trip to Salt Lake to receive the blessing but because of Crystal’s condition they were unable to. When Crystal’s parents told her that they couldn’t make the trip her response was “well if I can’t go to elder Monson then surely he can come to me.” President Monson did in fact make it to her stake for a stake conference but because of time would be unable to travel the 80 miles to the Methvin home. As President Monson was preparing his notes to speak a voice spoke to his spirit. “Suffer the little children to come to me, and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of god.” President Monson asked a bishop close by him to call and inform the Methvin’s that he would be in their home the next morning. When president Monson arrived at their home he knelt down by Crystal’s side and said “Crystal I’m here.” To which Crystal replied “Elder Monson I just knew you would come.” I do believe that this little girl’s faith in Heavenly Father granted her the last wish of her young life.
In closing he say’s "as we look for humor, seek for the eternal perspective, understand the principle of compensation, and draw near to our heavenly father, we can endure hardship and trials. We can say as my mother did “come what may, and love it.”

Now if he could just learn to walk the walk as well as he talks the talk. Someone told me today that they could tell he was my son. I'm sorry that I've passed on some of my negative traits along with the positive ones, but I'm even more glad there were some positive ones to pass on.

Tonight the roommate/girlfriend spoke in the 3rd Sunday Mission President's fireside for investigators of the church. Our family all went to listen and support her. She did a wonderful job sharing her testimony about how she came to know the church was true. Her mom also came to listen to her which was really nice. She has come a long way from wanting to crash the baptism to supporting her daughter's religious choices at least to some degree. I hope her heart continues to be softened.

Today I am thankful for

a church that gives young men and women the opportunity to speak in front of large audiences.
soft hearts.
beautiful music that brings the spirit with it.