FAITH. LIKE THE GRAIN OF A MUSTARD SEED

Today I was watching a General Conference talk given by Jeffrey R. Holland.  He was talking about facing challenges in life when we feel we may not have  a complete testimony or answer regarding a particular principle or issue in our lives. He spoke of a man who came to Jesus in desperation when he son was dying.  Jesus asked the father if he had the faith to have his child healed.  The man indicated that he did believe, but needed help to have enough faith.

Brother Holland goes on to talk about the importance of us standing firm with whatever amount of faith we have and then moving forward as we work to increase that faith.  God's only tools to accomplish His work upon the earth are mortal men and women who make mistakes and are far from perfect.  We cannot allow ourselves to be sidetracked due to the mistakes that other believers and even church leaders will make.

A young man came to Brother Holland and told him that he cannot say with total conviction that "I KNOW the Church is true", but he said that he believes the Church is true and that the Gospel is true.  Brother Holland wrapped this boy in his arms and hugged him for a long time.  He reminded him that belief is a great thing.  He reminded him that the 13 Articles of Faith do NOT start with "We KNOW that......."  Those Articles of Faith begin with " We BELIEVE that....."  Firm knowledge of the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ come to us line upon line and precept upon precept.  This is the pursuit of our lifetime here upon the earth and beyond.  We are all on a continuum of learning whilst on our individual paths through eternity.  When there is something we don't fully comprehend then we stand firm on the faith and knowledge we have, regardless of the degree of our faith, and we commit ourselves to continue in study and prayer until our faith is made full.  

WALK IN THE LIGHT

SHARING SOME SPIRITUAL THOUGHTS FROM PRESIDENT HENRY B. EYRING

I have been reading a book by Henry B. Eyring, called "Choose Higher Ground".
This afternoon I was reading from the chapter titled, "Walk in The Light", and for one reason or another,  it sure hit me hard and rang true for me in many ways.  So, I thought I would share some of it with you.

Although we all have unique and differing experiences during our time here on earth, we all started out together in Heaven before we were born into this world.  We were all taught at the knee of our Father there.  He told us plainly what it would require for us to have the joy of returning to Him.  We would have to receive a physical body, with all of the trials that it would bring. WE KNEW THAT and we accepted that.  We would be subject to illness and have within our bodies the processes which would finally lead to physical death. And our bodies would have in them powerful cravings for physical satisfaction.  We knew that and we accepted that.

He told us that we could not overcome the effects of either death or sin by OURSELVES- we would need a Savior who would break the bands of death and provide a way for us to be washed clean from the sin which we would surely commit. We know from scripture and teachings of our prophets, that there was a rebellion in the spirit world when the plan for our journey was offered to us.  We were among the 2/3s of the spirits who chose the Savior's plan and rejected Satan's plan.  You were among the brave, the faithful, and the true in that conflict. You are remarkable! And among the billions of Heaven'y Father's children who are living on the earth right this minute, you were privileged to find the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His church. You have CHOSEN to make the journey of life walking in the light.

You have received the Gift of The Holy Ghost and it is a powerful source of light to recognize truth, to follow and love the Lord, and to find your way back to God after this life.  This last sentence jumped out at me in the following way:  I can't just go bumpity-bump along the road of life each day -  I HAVE TO FIND MY WAY BACK each and every day, following the light and making the right choices.

But the spirit who led the rebellion in the world before, still opposes the plan and WANTS YOU TO BE MISERABLE. He knows that if he can turn you away from walking in the light, he can both capture you AND stop you from helping others along the journey.  Do we get that- we are not the only ones affected if Satan turns us from the light. Our families are affected and all those people whom we could have lifted and brought to the joy of the Gospel will be affected.

We need to look at the long term effects of what we base our desires on. We want to be selected for athletic teams when we are young, we want to do well in school, we want to find fun friends, etc.  Are the choices we are making in achieving our goals leading us closer to the light or taking us farther away.  The prophet, Moroni gives us some advice in making wise choices:
"For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night.. ... for behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for ever thing which inviteth you to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God".  The prophet Mormon also teaches us to search diligently in the light of Christ that we may know the good from the evil.

It is by faith that we can lay hold upon every good thing.  We must have faith to pray.  We must have faith to ponder the word of God.  We must have faith to do those things and go to those places which INVITE the Spirit of Christ and the Holy Ghost.  When we walk in the light, we will feel some of that warmth and the happiness that will finally be ours someday when we are welcomed Home again with the hundreds and perhaps thousands of others whom you will bring with you, who have walked in the light BECAUSE YOU DID.

So let's do as President Eyring encourages us to do. Let's seek for the light in our lives, let's look for those things which persuade us to believe in Christ, then let's share, share, share.

DEMOCRAT AND LATTER-DAY SAINT?

With the advent of the recent political season I have been doing a LOT of pondering about my membership in theDemocratic party and my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Sure, it has always been a challenge to live in Utah as a Democrat, but I felt o.k. about it, especially when I spend time with my fellow saints who have similar political views.  I observe them and see their solid testimonies, their obedience to and devotion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  One is even a former Bishop of mine.  This election season, however, has been different for me, and left me feeling alienated from many members of the LDS church and statements by some even made me feel as if in their eyes I could not be a devoted member of the LDS church and vote for a Democrat.  I felt slapped in the face and started questioning who I was.  I recently attended a Sacrament meeting away from home in a conservative LDS community.  It was all I could do to sit there and not scream.  I did  not feel as though I was listening to a spiritual talk relating to general prinicples and doctrines of our faith.  I felt like I was in the middle of a National Republican Convention which alluded to our country now being lead into evil and the downfall of all of our Constitutional rights and freedoms because Mitt Romney was not elected.  The speakers lead you to believe that if Mitt Romney had just been elected then our country would be on the path to perfection, all problems solved, and they said if he had been elected we "would now be benefiting from trickle down love and humility throughout our country." Besides the fact that I disagree that President Obama and his party are trying to ruin our country, and that Mitt Romney would have provided some magic "love and humility" potion which would have automatically solved all the problems in this country - I did not feel inspired by the Spirit in this church meeting at all - I didn't even feel the Spirit.  I feel that we come to Sacrament Meeting to partake of the holy sacrament, and to share uplifting ideas of faith, obedience, service, prayer, etc. To me our church meetings are meant to bring us together as saints, not divide us or make certain members feel like they are apostates.  Having said all of this, I don't blame these feelings on the Church or its doctrine, I think some members just don't think before they speak sometimes, and don't think about the ramifications of their remarks.

So I got online and started looking for articles about Latter-day Saints and politics to see if maybe I was being ridiculous. Below I will share parts of an article I read from 2005 about this subject.

The author of this article came across another article from the Salt Lake Tribune from May 3, 1998.  HEADLINE: GOP Dominance Troubles Church; It hurts Utah, says general authority. LDS OFFICIAL CALLS FOR MORE POLITICAL DIVERSITY.
(following are statements made in the article by Elder Marlin Jensen, a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy)
"There is sort of a division along Mormon/non-Mormon, Republican/Democratic lines.  We regret that more than anything--that there would become a church party and a non-church party.  That would be the last thing that we would want to have happen."  Jensen was careful in his comments not to suggest an official LDS preference for any political party, but to maintain the church's traditional stand of partisan neutrality. Jensen was a member of the church's Public Affairs Committee.  In an hour long interview at the church's worldwide headquarters, Jensen discussed leaders' views about the seeming demise of two-party politics amount members.  Among the concerns he aired:-- The LDS Church's reputation as a one-party monolith is damaging in the long run because of the seesaw fortunes of the national political parties.-- The overwhelming Republican bent of LDS members in Utah and the Intermountain West undermines the checks-and-balances principle of democratic government.--Any notion that it is impossible to be a Democrat and a good Mormon is wrongheaded and should be obliterated said Jensen. "There have been some awfully good men and women who have been both and are both today."  "Also bothersome is that the uncontested dominance of the Republican Party in Utah deprives residents of the debate and competition of ideas that underlie good government. There is a feeling that even nationally as a church, it is not in our best interest to be known as a one-party church; the national fortunes of the parties ebb and flow.  Whereas the Republican may clearly have the upper hand today, in another 10 years they may not."

This is just part of the article, but it gave me hope.  It echoed the feelings I have had all along.  I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who strives with all of her heart to follow the example of my Savior, Jesus Christ, and to serve both Him and my fellow man in love.  I seek to be worthy of the great influence of the Holy Spirit who will teach me 'the truth of all things..." The Spirit will teach me how to reach out to others, how to lift others, how to bring a smile to those who are hurting.  These things I do as a Latter-day Saint, not as a Republican or a Democrat.  Members of both political parties want the best for our country, seek to protect our freedom and liberties, and hope to help other countries throughout the world to improve their quality of life.  

OUR HOUSE, NOT THE WHITE HOUSE

YOUR SUCCESS AS A FAMILY,
OUR SUCCESS AS A SOCIETY,
DEPENDS NOT ON WHAT HAPENS IN THE WHITE HOUSE,
BUT ON WHAT HAPPENS IN YOUR HOUSE.
       James E. Faust

We have the tools to teach our children righteousness.
We have the tools to teach our children to serve and help others.
We have the tools to teach our children to love others as the Saviour does.
Lets put a smile on our face and a song in our heart and start building a better country
   from the inside out, beginning with each of us. We may not have control over the
   world, but we certainly have agency to choose the right for us, choose happiness for ourselves,        and lead others through a spirit of optimism and hope.
   "Our future is only as bright as our faith." - T.S. Monson

THOMAS JEFFERSON, QUITE A GUY

After recently visiting Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, as well as Washington D.C., I have been reading Jefferson's two inaugural addresses.  He was a wonderful speaker, but it takes some careful reading and re-reading to fully understand what he meant.  For those of you who may be LDS, it's kind of like reading an address by Neal A. Maxwell; not light reading, but worth the effort.

I want to share a few passages from his first address.  "To you, then, gentlemen, who are charged with the sovereign functions of legislation, and to those associated with you, I look with encouragement for that guidance and support which may enable us to steer with safety the vessel in which we are all embarked amidst the conflicting elements of a troubled world."  I liked the symbolism of steering a boat amidst the storms of life, as well as the fact that apparently the world always seems troubled- back then as well as now.

During the elections in 1800 there was a tie in the electoral college between Jefferson and Aaron Burr.  As per the Constitutional rules at that time, the House of Representatives had to meet and one would be chosen as President and the other would become Vice President.  After meeting for 30 hours of deliberation, the House awarded the Presidency to Jefferson. Referring to that, he made the following quote in his address; "announced according to the rules of the Constitution, all will, of course, arrange themselves under the will of the law, and unite in common efforts for the common good.  All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression.  Let us, then, fellow-citizens, unite with one heart and one mind.  Let us restore to social intercourse that harmony and affection without which liberty and even life itself are but dreary things.....But every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle.  We have called by different names brethren of the same principle.  We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists..." I think he would be worried to see how divided our country has become as the political parties have become so unwilling to unite under compromise for the good of all.  I particularly liked his idea that ' every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle.'

At the end of his address he concludes with this passage.
"I repair, then, fellow-citizens, to the post you have assigned me.  With experience enough in subordinate offices to have seen the difficulties of this the greatest of all (the presidency), I have learned to expect that it will rarely fall to the lot of imperfect man to retire from this station with the reputation and the favor which bring him into it. (the reputation of the president as he finishes his term or terms is seldom as positive as when he first sought office) Without pretensions to that high confidence you reposed in our first and greatest revolutionary character( G. Washington), whose preeminent services had entitled him to the first place in his country's love and destined for him the fairest page in the volume of faithful history, I ask so much confidence only as may give firmness and effect to the legal administration of your affairs.  I shall often go wrong through defect of judgment.  When right, I shall often be thought wrong by those whose positions will not command a view of the whole ground.  I ask you indulgence for my own errors, which will never be intentional, and your support against the errors of others, who may condemn what they would not if seen in all its parts.  The approbation implied by your suffrage is a great consolation to me for the past, and my future solicitude will be to retain the good opinion of those who have bestowed it in advance, to conciliate that of others by doing them all the good in my power, and to be instrumental to the happiness and freedom of all."
Jefferson has such vision of how it would be for future presidents of our country.  They seldom leave office with an untarnished reputation in some form or fashion.  It also made me realize that these men are only human, and for the greatest part, I believe they serve as President because they are dedicated to the cause of helping our country be the best that it can be.  Even those past presidents whom I have not liked or agreed with on many points, I believe were following the dictates of their hearts and seeking to do that which was right in their minds.  For this reason it frustrates me when I hear people (and I have been guilty of this with past presidencies) say that the President doesn't really care about America and is out to ruin our land.

As I read Jefferson's second inaugural address I realized that there are some notions which he had that I did not agree with.  One of those concerns  his views on how to deal with the Native Americans during the early years of our country, following the Revolutionary War.  I would like to challenge you to look up and read this address (You can easily find it on Bartleby.com) and then tell me what you think about Jefferson's ideas relating to this issue.  It could make for some great discussions on Facebook.

WHAT A GLORIOUS DAY

This Sunday has been a glorious day for me.  It all started with our Sacrament Meeting (worship service) when Mackenzie Halliday, a teenaged girl in our congregation, got up and shared her experiences in going to EFY (Especially For Youth) this summer in Palmyra, New York.  She shared her gratefulness for being able to spend several days in the Sacred Grove, where Joseph Smith had his vision of God and Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ.  She studied the scriptures there and prayed mightily for a testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ as well as a testimony of the restoration of the gospel through the prophet, Joseph, and the Book of Mormon.  She grew in faith and testimony and you could feel the Spirit through her.

Next Brother Paul Dickamore and Sister Ilene Dickamore shared their experiences while serving in the Bishopric of the Young Single Adult ward for the past 3 years.  The focus of their comments were on service to God and magnifying our church callings.  I cannot remember the last time I was blessed to listen to two more spiritual, insightful, and well articulated testimonies of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Next I got to listen as my sweet husband, Gary, taught our Sunday School lesson.  The long and the short of his lesson was how we can prepare spiritually to fight against Satan and the temptations we encounter in this world, and how we can fortify ourselves spiritually to make it through the challenges we all face.  He works so very hard on all of his lessons and I am so proud of him.  I was uplifted by his message.

Last, but not least, my dear friend and sister, Cori Connors, gave our lesson in Relief Society.  It can be a challenge to teach doctrines which we have all been taught over and over again, and today was no different, as she was teaching about the Word of Wisdom ( a health code our church members ascribe to). As always, Cori brought a breath of fresh air as we discussed the ideas in our lesson.

By the time I left church I felt as though my very spirit was near to bursting.  I had been abundantly blessed by the testimonies shared and the expansion of my knowledge and personal testimony.  I sort of floated back home when our meetings were over.  How lucky I am to live in a place where I can worship what and how I choose.  How lucky to live in a neighborhood surrounded by such grounded, giving, and loving people.  I am so greatly blessed.

WASHINGTON DC IN OCTOBER

Gary and I just returned from seven days in beautiful Washington D.C.  Gary had medical meetings for most of the time so I got to spend my days walking all over our nation's capitol.  Skies were blue, leaves beginning to turn, cool nights and days into high 60s or low 70s, couldn't ask for more. I have been to Washington DC before, but this trip really impacted me for some reason, and I fell in love with this place.  Everywhere I walked I could just feel the history and the electricity of the people who fill the streets there.

We arrived Thursday afternoon and Gary didn't have any meetings on Friday so we walked down to Union Station and rented a car for the day.  We googled up the directions for how to drive to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and off we went.  After being on the freeways for a short time we were directed to drive along the back roads of Virginia and they were wonderful.  We felt like we were back in Civil War time as we passed sign after sign for places like Mannasah, Fredricksberg, etc. Sometimes we felt like we were in a scene from Gone With The Wind.  It took us 3 hours to get there, but it was well worth it.  We gained a new appreciation for Thomas Jefferson, his intellect, his vision, his architectural prowess, and much more.

I had scene and visited many of the Smithsonian Museums before, visited monuments on the Mall, walked by the White House, etc.  I went to the D.A.R. Museum, American History Museum, and American Art Museum this time, looking in particular for some quilt displays.  I was very disappointed as out of all of those places I only saw about 8 quilts total.  

I made arrangements for a tour of the Capital Building this time as I had not been through it before.  I very much enjoyed that and learning so much about it's history.  While waiting in line I met a nice couple from Iowa and they suggested visiting the Supreme Court Building.  By the time I had completed my tour of the Capitol, Gary was free so he jumped in a cab and met me outside the Capitol.

Next stop was the Supreme Court. The front of the building is being cleaned and spiffed up so there is a huge screen covering it, but it has a picture of what the building front looks like hanging so you get a feel for the building's appearance.  We learned all about the history of the court and how it didn't get it's own building until 1925 I think.  The best part was the fact that since Congress is out of session and the Court didn't have any hearings going on, we were able to actually go and sit and hear a lecture about the Supreme Court in the very room where the justices sit and hold court.  There was a real sense of history in that room.  We were asked, "How old do you have to be to sit on the S.court, do you have to be a lawyer?, and do you have to be an American citizen to qualify?"  We were surprised to discover that the answer is : No age requirement, no educational requirements, and you do not have to be an American citizen!  Just have to be nominated by the President and be approved by a majority of the Senate. The photo above is a circular staircase inside the court building.

Since we were next door to the Library of Congress, Gary talked me into heading there next, although my feet were killing me. Boy am I glad he convinced me to go.  I won't go into the details of all we learned about the LOC, and there is lots to discover, but the building itself inside is absolutely breath-taking!! It is a must if you go to Washington. The frescos on the walls, the sculptures, etc. are extraordinary.  After the books in the original L.O.C. were burned during the War of 1812, Thomas Jefferson sold his personal library of approximately 6,0000 books to the Library and they are now on display there and if you are doing research you can actually sit down and read his books!!! There are many more things besides books kept there, such as movies and instruments.  This is the largest library in all the world. The two photos above are taken inside the library.  The top photo is a tile mosaic.  The colors in the painting on the walls are still deep and vivid and have never had to be repainted.

We visited the relatively new WWII Memorial at night and it was powerful with the lights and water fountains.  Gary really wanted to go see the Lincoln Memorial at night and I will admit, it is cool seeing it lit up at night, but my feet, legs, and back were so tired by the time we got there that I wasn't much into it.  While Gary spent time inside the memorial I sat on the steps and watched the military helicopters fly right over the trees of the reflecting pool on the Mall and go toward the White House.

The last day we had some time before our flight, Gary took me to see the Holocaust Museum.  Well that is a whole other blog all itself.  Needless to say, I was moved to tears.  It brought forth many ruminations regarding the evil in the world, man's inhumanity to man, how the world could be so fooled and ignorant of what was going on under Hitler's rule, including many German citizens, and much much more.  I am still thinking about it. Our country may not be perfect, but at least we have the freedom to disagree with those in political power and vote for those whom we feel could do a better job. I must say, it worried me to see that some of the ideas Hitler were so against were some of the ideals I currently hold. For example, he was against the power of trade unions, he was against war pacifists, and people with liberal political views. Many conservative citizens in our country are against these same things, but thank God I won't be murdered for my support of these ideals.

All in all it was such a fabulous trip, and left me with a desire to study more.  I was inspired by Thomas Jefferson and his unsatiable desire to learn, learn, learn.  Books are the keys to the world and with modern technology we can go anywhere and learn anything while reading a book or sitting in front of a computer.  Although there are evils which can come to us via the internet, on this trip I found myself constantly saying to Gary, "Well, I'm not sure about this or that, let's Google it up!"  Our access to information today is astounding.