Mothers Who Know

God is Sometimes a Fourth-Watch God

2017-07-08T23:54:00.000-05:00

Christ walking on the sea, by Amédée Varin

Someone approached me one day while I was going through my heaviest trial, and said, "God is sometimes a 4th watch God".

It made me deeply ponder and wonder and then research what she meant that.

In the New Testament there is that beautiful story of the Savior appearing in the night, walking on water, after his disciples "toiled in rowing" for most of the night. We can all relate to that exhausting symbolism of moments and times in our own lives of toiling in rowing. Here are some insights I 've learned from this story.

The Hebrew nights were roughly divided into 4 watches:

6:00 PM-9:00PM = 1st watch
9:00 PM- Midnight= 2nd watch
Midnight-3:00 AM= 3rd watch
3:00 AM-Sunrise= 4th watch

The idea of God sometimes being a 4th watch God comes from the concept that God does deliver His people. It is in our times of trial, toiling, exhausting every idea, and turning over every rock that He comes to deliver us. It's the 4th watch when we think the time is past, and delivery is a vanished, that He comes.

In the days of Abraham and Sarah of the Old Testament, God watched Abraham and Sarah very carefully thru their faith-filled lives. Abraham was 99 years old, and Sarah 89 years old, when God made the Abrahamic Covenant with them that they would have an increase of seed without end. Sarah was 90 when she gave birth to Isaac, a time in a woman's life when it is way past the child bearing years. Sarah delivered her first-born child and became a mother. Isaac was later also saved from death when Abraham was commanded to sacrifice Isaac in what would appear to us to be the last minute, and the fourth watch. (Genesis 21)

2. In another time on the Sea of Galilee we see the disciples on the water.

The term "fourth watch" comes from an account in Mark in the New Testament when the Savior came to them in what was the literal "fourth watch" of the night. After the Savior fed the 5,000 he sent His Apostles away down to the Sea of Galilee. During the night, a storm comes up. It was a vicious storm in John's account and the Apostles row for the equivalent of approximately 75 football fields against the wind. They are exhausted, weary, broken down and their hope is starting to grow thin. Sound familiar?

Mark 6:48

And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.

This is such a perfect phrase, the wind was contrary to them, and that they toiled in rowing. There they were over-fatigued, fighting and pushing against the demanding waves and storm. We've all been there. We want it to be over, but it's not yet, so we have to keep enduring until relief comes.

John 6:19

So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.

Thirty furlongs is the equivalent of 75 football field in length against the wind. That literally exhausts me thinking of that, but we've all been there before in that type of struggle through a trial or hardship.

The Savior saw them in their struggle on the sea and He sees us. He's watching us toil in our rowing in contrary winds, and He's waiting only for the time to come for His delivery.

3. Then in the 4th watch of the night, He came unto them walking on the water.

Oh I How I wish God was a first watch God. Sometimes He is! I have countless experiences, as I'm sure you all do, of God hearing and answering a prayer or a pleading immediately. He is there constant and straight-way. But sometimes, that is not His will. Sometimes the Lord's will is for us to experience some struggle and for things NOT to go the way we expect. If the Lord was there to answer our prayer RIGHT when we wanted, and exactly how we wanted, there would be no growth. Our roots would not dig down deep, and when storms came, we would not have the faith to with stand the winds. I know it is in the 2nd and 3rd watch that I am really tested and really grow to become who God needs me to be. He comes in the 4th watch when it really matters, and He. does. come.

Understanding Christ's "Unconditional Love" For Us

2017-03-18T08:19:00.000-05:00

lds.org media images

Interesting fact: the term "unconditional love" appears no where in scripture. Did you know that? It's not even an actual scriptural term.

Instead, you will find words like great, wonderful, perfect, redeeming, and everlasting to describe the kind of love that Christ has for us.

The word unconditional is an adjective meaning; not subject to any conditions. That does not coincide with what I understand about God, His laws, principles. His love is everlasting and great, and He will always love us, but God does not tolerate any and all behavior. No good parent does.

There is a mistaken impression in the world today that God tolerates and excuses anything we do because His love is "unconditional" or that God makes no demands upon us because His love is "unconditional" or we are ALL saved because His love is "unconditional".

Loving Christ, coming unto Him, and letting our will be swallowed up in His enables us to reach our full potential as children of God, to eventually, become as He is.

This means we have to accept needed correction at times,
Submit to His will
Love and serve others
Ask "What Lack I Yet?"
Know that just being a good person, isn't enough. We have to be willing to make needed changes in ourselves.
Faith plus action is key

Christ's love for us is such a redeeming love, meaning He wants to make us BETTER, higher, stronger, and greater than even we see ourselves as being.

See Elder D. Todd Christofferson's talk Abide in My Love

Mothering Teenage Daughters

2016-02-25T14:55:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite motherhood quotes is :

"Life doesn't come with manual, it comes with a Mother".

Another one is, "When we mother, we are mothering generations."

When I started having all girls, I received a lot of comments about how terrible the teenage years were going to be for me. Our first four daughters are 3 years apart due to having our first two 15 months apart, and then twins. I had so many sympathy blessings given to me in dread of what was to be the worst and most painful part of my whole mothering career: the teenage years.

I am embarrassed to admit, when my children were little, I lived in fear of those years. How was I going to safely steer that time with my sanity in tact??

I am happy to report that after successfully navigating the waters of 8 teenage daughters so far, that it has been a pretty good experience. I have been pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed my teenage daughters, and their friends. In fact, I can honestly say, I feel it is one of my favorite stages of motherhood.

The teenage daughter years can be great!! Here are some ways we found to make it successful:

1. Begin early to have a positive open relationship with your daughters:

A primary goal we should have as parents, is to have the type of relationship with our children, that they want to be with us, talk to us, and share their many feelings, thoughts, and experiences. This creates a rich, close family bond. It is really the ideal family experience that will only grow with time.

Don't you want your children to talk to you? Don't you want to have a relationship with them, where they will come to you for needed advice, counsel, or the best- maybe just to talk for fun?

You can't wait until your children are teenagers for that kind of relationship. If they talk to you, it is because that is a relationship skill you have developed long before the teenage years. It starts early, so that the flow into the teenage era goes naturally with out a hitch.

Keep in mind that, girls like to talk. Make time for it. It is usually after school, when you are busy doing something, bedtime, and anytime! That is one way they deal with their day to day experiences. They are complex, and sometimes they are seeking for answers, but mostly they just want to be understood.

My daughters all want to talk and discuss with me (and their dad) their problems. We know a lot about them when it comes to their personal lives, because they tell us almost everything. They want to talk to us! Now, I am not naive enough to think they tell us EVERY-THING. I know they don't. I do know, however, that they feel we are a safe zone if they need us.

What does a safe zone look like?

A safe zone is a place where your children can come and talk and you :

1-Listen more than you speak. This creates a feeling of safety that they are not going to be attacked with words or punishment before they get their story out .

2- You won't rush to judge or condemn unnecessarily

3- Love them through the conversation with body language, facial expression, and an attitude they will feel that they are loved no matter what, and

4- When the conversation ends, they somehow feel in charge, and ready to handle their own problems with tools and advice you have given. Sometimes just listening, helps them discover this on their own.

2. How to keep your children from NOT talking to you:

Before writing this post, I asked my adult daughters, what keeps kids from wanting to talk to their parents? Their answer surprised me a little, but then it made total and complete sense. Keep in mind this is geared to the teenager-adult children spectrum, but it's good advice for anyone. When parents start controlling their children's decisions, kids withdraw, emotionally and physically. It could be a sub-conscious instinct.

We all seek to be able to exercise our own free will to choose. It's a super tricky parenting skill, and relationship skill in general. Tell your children what to think, control what they do, cut them off as they are talking to tell them what you are thinking instead, rush to judgement on their ideas, or make them feel stupid for an idea they have. They will make a note to themselves: "Don't tell mom or dad ____(fill in the blank) " and they will start withholding information from you. These are tricky waters to navigate, and it is our human nature to want to control (help) our children.

When they are young, we do need to govern their lives, but this needs to change when they get older. When our children marry our role changes up a bit again. We sit back more, letting them figure things out with their spouse, but being ready for advice when they come asking for it. Invite but don't control. Definitely don't control, scold, or put them in their place. At this point, you are building on the friendship side of your relationship you built and invested in earlier in life.

There are of coarse, tough parenting situations, which I don't feel qualified to speak about. We have been blessed more or less, with not too hard of kids.

3. Have fun and lighten up a bit

Don't forget to enjoy the ride of parenting. If you are too overloaded with too many activities....no one is having any fun! Believe me! Focus on the most important things and enjoy the journey a bit.

4. Have expectations and have your own family rules: :

It is a proven fact, that a person will rise as far as he is expected to rise. We have always had high expectations for our children, and boundaries they needed to stay within. There is safety in that concept. Don't worry about what all the other parents are doing or not doing. Do what is right for you, your child, and your family.

Have chores, cooking, and family responsibilities for your family.

Remember! Your children are always watching to see if you are practicing what you preach! Live the rules you are asking them to live.

Come up with rules of living, to be a strong happy family. Don't give in to the pressure to follow society or neighborhood trends. Good parenting comes in having good relationships.

An example of having your own family rules for us would be friend, weekend, sleep overs. This is our personal choice. We used to be a huge sleepover family when our four oldest were younger. I never really loved them to be honest. I liked knowing my children were safe in their beds at night, and I wasn't a big fan of sleepovers at my house. Many times, the kids coming over were hoping for a rule-less night of fun, and that always clashed with our family dynamic. I found sleep-overs stressful for me on both ends.
Look at your family and make sure you know why you are doing what you are doing, and you aren't just following a trend.

5) Be Prepared for the Hormones

All jokes aside, its a real part of life with teenage daughters. Once a month the hormones will hit. Usually it is not the emotional aches, but the body aches. Be prepared with the obvious supplies, plus medication if needed. We always have a quart jar for really severe tummy aches. The weight and heat of the jar- together -soothe when nothing else will. (fill a quart jar with water, microwave for 3 minutes, add lid and ring and put on lower tummy area) Rice hot packs also work great. We have had cysts, and surgeries for cysts, etc. It's a real thing! Watch over your daughter's health in this regard.

6) Love your girls!!

We love our girls more than words can say!! We have built our lives and house around raising them. Not every part of the journey is fun, but they are memorable. When they leave the house, it doesn't stop! Family is a wonderful investment! It is what we are here for.

The Miracle of Birth

2015-10-11T21:22:00.002-05:00

Birth is truly such an amazing experience!! I participated in it 7 times bringing our 8 children into this world! However, it was a totally different experience when our daughter gave birth, than when I did. Not participating in the pain and laboring through child-birth gave me a whole new perspective.

Our daughter Aubrey had a pretty healthy pregnancy, but then developed pre-clampsia during her 37th week. Her blood pressure, as well as protein in the urine was so high, they induced her at 37 weeks and 5 days (to be exact) .

We knew from ultra-sounds that they baby was fully developed and already weighing 7.5 lbs.

After 25 hours of labor, I watched our first grand-daughter come into this world. It was so beautiful and so special!!

Have you ever been apart of a birth? (besides your own)

Do you remember the very special spirit and feeling you felt in the birthing room?

I remember feeling this with all my children, but noticed it especially when my daughter was giving birth and I wasn't wrapped up in the drama of pain.

Moments before the baby was born, the doctor walked in the room like a steam roller. I don't mean that in a negative way, but he came in with a job to do, and the business of child-birth went to a serious level that wasn't there before he came. He put on plastic type shoe coverings, his hospital covering, layed plastic down, put drapes around my daughters legs, had nurses handing him tools, goop, all within a matter of 60 seconds. It was amazing how fast they prepped themselves, my daughter, and the room for the delivery of a baby.

With him, came a spirit that he must feel at each birth.

If I could describe it? It almost feels like you are hovering in between two realms. Let's call it the birth realm. It seems to be a realm that hovers somewhere between heaven or our pre-earth life, and earth.

The mood in the room was serious, mixed with high-emotion, and a spirit you could reach out and touch. I don't know if I have ever felt that kind of spirit in a room except for the time when my husband's grandma passed away. It is a tangible spirit as you approach the veil that separates this life and the next.

If we had spiritual eyes to see, we would see heavenly beings there assisting and watching, very interested in the moment.

I was amazed at the doctors tactics to get our daughter to focus and bring forth her first child. It was only a few pushes and our little grand-daughter was born. The doctor said, "welcome to planet earth!" Tears immediately started flowing from everyone in the room! The emotion and spirit was hard to contain!! It was just priceless!

The family is ordained of God and birth is ordained of God! It truly is!!There is no other explanation!! How we are each conceived is miraculous. Our prenatal development is the most beautiful miracle imaginable.

We are all children of God. He created us in the womb, and brings us forth into this earth life through the miracle of child-birth. He is our Father in heaven.

Birth, family and life is no accident. Instead, it has a high, beautiful, powerful purpose!! We are each a part of an earthly family, but also a heavenly family.

Having children is such a heavenly gift.

I am forever changed by this experience.

The Proclamation: A Clarion Call

2015-09-18T10:28:00.002-05:00

What is a clarion? ?

Definition: The clarion was an instrument, the predecessor to the trumpet, used between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries. It was quite typically used during wars to signal. As a result, a clarion call refers to a summons of sorts: one that should not/cannot be ignored, as it would have been during a medieval war

A clarion call is a powerful request for action or an irresistible mandate. It derives from the cloud of a clarion, a medieval trumpet.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World remains a clarion call to protect and strengthen families.

What a great time we live in! There is so much excitement in the air! We have The Family: A Proclamation to the World to guide us and keep us focused and grounded on what is most important: our families and our marriages.

On September 21, 1823 another clarion call was made to the world. Moroni, the last prophet of the Book of Mormon, came to Joseph Smith, as if with a trumpet in his hand with a message for the world. What was Moroni's message?

Among many things, he quoted Doctrine and Covenants 2:1–3:

“Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

“And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers.

“If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.”

Sister Julie B. Beck from Teaching the Doctrine of the Family said, This scripture is talking about temple blessings—ordinances and covenants without which “the whole earth [is] utterly wasted.”

How important was this message?

If someone had a message for you and repeated it four times word for word, would you feel it was an important ? Moroni came three times in the same night and once more the next morning with the exact same message.
If the same scripture was found in all four standard works, would that tell of it's importance? "Turning the hearts to the fathers" is the only scripture quoted in all four standard works. (Malachi 4:5-6, Luke 1:17, Matthew 17:11, 3 Nephi 25:5-6, Joseph Smith-History 1:38-39 Doctrine and Covenants 2)
The doctrine and destiny of the family was of such importance, it was revealed to Joseph Smith before he received the plates, before he translated the Book of Mormon, before he received the priesthood, and before the Church was restored.
The message was of such necessity it was repeated again 172 years later as The Family: A Proclamation to the World.

President Henry B. Eyring shares the significance of the title of the Proclamation,

“Three things about the title are worth our careful reflection. First, the subject: the family. Second, the audience, which is the whole world. And third, those proclaiming it are those we sustain as prophets, seers, and revelators,” he says. “All this means that the family must be of tremendous importance to us, that whatever the proclamation says could help anyone in the world, and that the proclamation fits the Lord’s promise when he said, ‘Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same’ (D&C 1:38).”

I feel great strength from the power of The Family: A Proclamation to the World and Moroni's visit to Joseph. For me, these two clarion messages fill me with urgency and purpose in my role as a daughter of God, a mother, and a wife.

Our prophets have encouraged us to have a copy of the family proclamation in our homes, and to read the clear, simple prophetic language and compare it to the messages and voices of today.

"... because parents will be held accountable for rearing their children in love and righteousness. Parents have the responsibility to provide for the physical and spiritual needs of their children while they teach them to love, serve, and obey the commandments and the laws of the land."

“Fulfilling these obligations is the key to protecting our families in these last days,” Elder Robert D. Hales

About 5 years after the Proclamation was given, my parents called all of their adult children and challenged us to memorize the Proclamation. They had just finished memorizing it themselves after being challenged by their Stake President in Stake Conference. To the inspiration of hundreds, a thirteen-year old girl stood and quoted it in front of their whole stake.

I accepted my parents challenge and set off to memorize this inspired scripture. I already knew it was true and powerful, but I didn't know it, like I came to know it through this memorizing journey.

And it was a journey...of the Proclamation becoming apart of me... one paragraph at a time....

I carried a copy of the proclamation around with me while I took care of my home and family.

As I washed breakfast dishes, the Proclamation sat in the window sill and I quoted,

"We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children."

"All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose. "

While vacuuming, I recited,

"In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally."

...repeating the lines out loud over and over again

trying to instill them into my brain.

While running errands around town, I went through the Proclamation...again and again and again. Instilling the principles and phrases into my mind and heart.

"The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan."

While rocking babies to sleep, I had the Proclamation in my hand reading and memorizing important phrases of family doctrine...making them apart of me.

"Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations."

"The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children..."

Within a week or two, I had memorized one of the most important scriptures of all time, the clarion call of our day

The Family: a Proclamation to the World

Are You Like a Lighthouse?

2015-05-07T11:59:00.000-05:00

Heceta Head lighthouse before sunset in all her beauty!!

My husband and I went on an anniversary trip to the Oregon Coast. See my previous post My Heceta Vacation.

I was mesmerized by the deep symbolism and parallel that lighthouses have to motherhood. So much, that I couldn't stop thinking about it! Here are a few thoughts from inside my head....

Heceta Head Lighthouse

Lighthouses stand on the shores and coasts of our world, and their purpose is timeless and constant. They know who they are there and why they are on this planet.

They are on the shores as leaders, who lead with strength, not uncertainty, and they are a guide to ships out at sea, trying to get to shore safely.

Their light shines 24/7 consistently through calm still waters, or through turbulent storms.

Heceta Head Lighthouse

See the symbolism?!

In my lighthouse touring...(if you want to call it that)...I learned a lot! I was like a sponge soaking up all the history, work, and duties of the lighthouses and the light house keepers. and busy applying it to my role as mother.

The ocean is so powerful in itself. I compare that to the world around us. The lighthouse keepers have no control over what the sea does. We have no control over what the world does. or other people do for that matter. We have to stand strong in who we are and what our purpose is. We just have to be ready to weather the storms that come. We can never leave our post as mother.

Every lighthouse emits light from lamps and lenses that are prism like, and used as an aid for navigation. Do you see the symbolism to motherhood? The lighthouse keepers main job is to make sure that lighthouse light NEVER goes out. In the early 1900s and before, that meant carrying a container of oil (usually whale oil) up the spiral staircase to the very top.

During a storm, the wind can blow as high as 100 mph and rocks sometimes fly up and break the glass of the lighthouse light and windows.

It was the job of the lighthouse worker to climb up, during the storm and repair the glass immediately. The lighthouse light had to be working at all times so as to be a navigational aid, especially during storms. The lighthouse keepers sacrificed a lot to keep the light going 24/7.
Lighthouses come in all heights. The reason that some are tall and some are shorter has everything to do with their purpose and nothing to do with the designer. Every lighthouse light must be at the height of the horizon as each one spans the distance of 21 miles (at least where we were in Oregon). The 21 miles in the distance where the earth bends and that is as far as each lighthouse light will shine. Interesting information. A lot of technology and math equations have gone into making each lighthouse an effective guide and light to those trying to navigate the ocean. Sometimes a lot of thinking and prayer need to go into making sure our efforts as mothers has the farthest reaching effects upon our children.
Along the coasts of the world, there is a network of lighthouses that work together. Each lighthouse has its own Morris code of blinking lights that is specific to that lighthouse. The ships know where they are, when they see the different patterns of light. I really loved this information and once again made me think of a network of mothers we all have in our lives from our own mothers, to mother-in-laws, to even strong wise women who in our network of friends in our lives. All these women make a strong united front in strengthening those around us.

Are YOU like a lighthouse?

My Heceta Vacation

2015-04-25T09:32:00.001-05:00

Taken near the Heceta Head Lighthouse, Newport, Oregon

taken near the Heceta Head Lighthouse

Sometime in early April, my husband and I took a trip up to the Oregon Coast. It was an early 25th Anniversary trip. We had been there once before and completely fell in love with the Heceta Head Lighthouse and coast. When we arrived there, we had this great reassuring sense of relief that our dream location was indeed still as beautiful and dreamy as it was last time we came.

taken near the Heceta Head Lighthouse

We had these moments of.....complete bliss, joy, and laughter as we walked along the rocky shore, listened to the waves crashing and splashing and spurting against all the rocks as well as watched each wave come cascading onto the shore. It was mesmerizing to say the least!

taken near the Heceta Head Lighthouse

I stood there for a while just watching it all happen. . It was a nice get-away from my normal life, and to just get lost in this part of the earth that I never get to seThe beauty of it all overwhelmed me and I felt so close to God and could feel His presence and power in the whole scenee.

The even better news? We got to spend the night there!! Not on the beach, but in the cute little bed and breakfast perched on an elevated hill just above the crashing ocean and cascading waves. The mere SOUND of the ocean in action is enough to completely hypnotize me.

We sat on the wrap-around porches, wrapped up in blankets until way past our bedtime, just listening and watching the ocean.

The Bed and Breakfast was the old assistant lighthouse keeper's home. The light keeper's home which used to sit to the side of this one, has been destroyed. The houses looked almost identical.

So this home has 6 bedrooms, and you feel you are back in time when you stay here. It was a Wednesday night in April, and it was completely booked. We shared it with 5 other couples from all parts of the country and all different professions and walks of life.

In the morning at 8:30 am sharp we gathered in the dining room for a very elegant and formal 7 coarse breakfast. We sat around the dining room table as the server would bring out one coarse at a time and describe to us what we were eating. Each coarse was rather small, so although it was a 7 coarse meal, we were not stuffed, but were comfortable.

The fun part was getting to know all the other guests. It was very interesting as all the couples came from stalwart marriages of many years. Our 25 years of marriage was nothing on some of them. It was great to be around other great people and stalwart strong marriages from all other religions.

As we sat ,the conversation eventually turned to important principles for strong families. Another couple began talking about how important it is as families to gather around each day and eat family dinner together. We talked about how this is a tradition that is going away because families are so busy now, and how simply eating meals together, at a table does so much for the unity and strength of a family. I loved this in so many ways!

My husband and I joined in the conversation of coarse, and left this experience feeling so much hope that there are so many strong marriages and strong families across this country who believe in the same things we believe in to preserve and keep our families strong.

There are so many symbols of God and motherhood, in the ocean and lighthouses.

If you have never taken a vacation to the Oregon Coast...it is worth the trip!!

Heceta Head Lighthouse in all her beauty!

My Stroke Story

2014-12-03T10:57:00.001-06:00

On Thanksgiving Night (2014) about 8:00 p.m. Completely unexpected, and definitely unplanned, I had a dense and rather severe Ishemic Stroke.

I am here to tell you of the power of prayer. We believe it was the faithful and heartfelt prayers of MANY that helped me to survive this stroke. Miracles do exist.

I was 47 years old and in my opinion...way too young to be having a stroke! Many people agree with me. I am way way too young. How did it happen?

The doctors are still trying to figure that out. They told me I was a complex, complicated patient in that my symptoms did not match what they usually see. Because my recovery was so quick, they originally believed it was a migraine cluster headache, that can mimic a stroke many times. They no longer believe that was the case. I have never had a migraine head-ache in my life and don't suffer from a lot of bad headaches. My original stroke symptoms were very severe but it wasn't until the first MRI came back that they saw that I did indeed have a dense severe Ishemic stroke.

The confusion for the doctors and for us is that I have zero risk factors that we know of yet. I have very low blood pressure, low cholesterol, I am not diabetic, do not smoke, and exercise fairly regularly.

Not quite a full week later, I am doing good for the most part. I can tell my brain is still healing and not 100% back to normal, but hoping I will make a full recovery.

It is very therapeutic for me to write what happened to me, and many people including family members are still asking questions of what my stroke was like. Since Thanksgiving, I have been reading other stroke stories, and I haven't found any stroke stories that were just like mine.

My Story

It still seems very surreal to me, as if I am writing this about someone else. Since having the stroke, I am just now beginning to realize it actually happened to me. Yet, I am still not in full acceptance. It still feels like a weird dream I had.

I am going into full detail as I tell this as you will see all the moments that my stroke could have hit, but didn't. Skim past the details if it is too long for you.

Thanksgiving Day (2014) was as normal as Thanksgiving Days can be. I started the morning running a 5K with my daughter Aubrey and sister-in-law Amber for a dear friend who was recovering from breast cancer. I am definitely not an avid runner, but I do run once or twice a week on the treadmill, and run about 2 5Ks a year. I probably exerted myself a little more than I should have, but after the race was over, I felt great and my recovery was really easy. What I am trying to say is, I have had harder 5Ks. We all kind of want to attribute the stroke to the 5K, but at this point that is not a cause for my stroke. The doctors said, I would have had my stroke during the race, during the exertion period if that was the cause, not later that night.

After the race we went home and prepared our portion of the Thanksgiving Dinner. About 1:00 pm, we went down to my in-laws house for the big feast. I remember eating normal serving sizes and not over-eating like I can do at Thanksgiving. After that we hung out, played games, and I was feeling a little weird from the run, just kind of exhausted. My lungs felt kind of stripped from the cold air we ran in and I had this deep urge, to just go to sleep. I tried sleeping sitting up on the couch, but I was super uncomfortable, and in pain. My whole body just felt uncomfortable. I kind of withdrew from the family activities, as I felt so worn out and so exhausted. I couldn't seem to recover from it. I remember telling my husband, I just need to sleep. Which I did. I went and found a quiet room in the house and layed on the floor and had a great cat-nap.

About 4:00pm, I had this weird desire to just go back home and take out my contacts and put my glasses on. I look at this as a little prep that was going on for what was about to happen later.

About 6:00 pm that night we went Black Friday shopping with some family members. I have been Black Friday shopping many times, and this was the one year I absolutely did not want to go. I just didn't care ! Out of tradition, kinda, we went. This is one of those annoying sales when one sale starts at 6:00pm , and the other at 8:00pm. At one point we were planning on staying for the 8:00pm sale, but the things we wanted were already taken by having to have a special ticket which we didn't have. Like I said earlier, we just weren't into it, and decided to just go home. (blessings and miracles!!)

We got home about 7:45 pm. As soon as I walk in the door at my in-laws house, my two youngest girls 9 and 11 years old wanted me to drive them home to get their pajamas so they could sleep over at Grandmas. Normally I would procrastinate since I just got home....but I thought...let's go now! So I drove 3 little girls to our house and was back home at the in-laws in 10 minutes.

As soon as I walked in the door this time, Amber, my oldest daughter started telling me the shirts she just barely bought at a Black Friday sale did not fit good and she wanted to return them. She planned on just going the next day, but I told her, no...go now! (I have no idea why I said that, in reality the next day would have been a much better idea to avoid the crowds. It turned out that her going shopping and returning at a crucial moment, was a part of my story) So she took her sister Rebekah to the store to return her shirts.

Everyone started eating left-overs and pie and we were getting ready for a improve skit game downstairs. I ate a little bit, then decided I would go to the bathroom. I took my tablet in there so I could read my emails. (TMI?)

The Stroke Hits

The entire family went downstairs to do skits, while I was upstairs in the bathroom. My stroke hit while I was in the bathroom. I remember standing up to button my pants, and then the next thing I remember is being in a different far away place mentally, and not remembering HOW to zip up my pants. I stood there, frozen physically, and mentally.... in a DAZE. I could not remember how to zip, and I was going in and out of sub-consciousness.

While I was going in and out of consciousness, I remember I had a goofy grin on my face. Now I know, that goofy grin was in reality my paralyzed right side of my face. I also could not get my ride side of my body to do anything it was supposed to do. Anything that it does automatically (zip...) no longer was responding. I think I eventually zipped my pants with my left hand, after a very long time of standing there zoning out.

I did not have any pain, I didnt' fall over and collapse, nor was I was aware I was having a stroke. I remember feeling dizzy, confused, some double-vision, couldn't talk, and my face drooping.

My stroke hit the left side of my brain, and so my whole right side was effected. I think my brain was trying to send messages for my right side, but it couldn't respond. .

After the momentous task of zipping my pants was over, I made my way to the bathroom door, (which is about 2 steps away) and once again was completely stuck in my subconscious state. I was far, far, far, away, and getting father every second. Everything was very foggy and not really there. It was like being in a deep deep sleep and someone is trying to wake you, and you just can't wake up, although your eyes are still open. I stood there trying to figure out how to open the bathroom door. I kept bumping the door knob but didn't' know how to turn the knob. I was in this place for a while, going in and out of awareness and kept coming back to the door knob. My left side of my brain was saying open the door, and my right side was completely not there.

My nephew (10 years old) came upstairs and was on the other side of the door as I was messing with the lock and the door knob. I don't know still, if I got myself out, or if I just loosened the lock enough and he was on the other side and pushed the door open. Somehow he was in the right place at the right time and helped me get out.

I miraculously made it out of the bathroom with a locked door. I was now sinking deeper and deeper into a place where I couldn't communicate with the outside world. I made my way to the front room couch. That was the last place I could go on my own during my stroke. I remember walking lopsided and loopy. I slumped down on a cushion, and I was completely unaware of really anything at all. No one knew I was there, and I just sat there, slumped over, going farther and farther into my stroke.

My new problem was that my tablet was on my lap I was trying to figure out how to get it off my lap and into my bag. This took an enormous amount of time and effort as I tried to lift it a few times, but my brain couldn't figure out how to get it off my lap. I tried lifting one corner-end of my tablet, and I just couldn't do it. I would look at the bag where I wanted it to go, look at my tablet, try to lift it, but couldn't get it off my lap. I then, officially, went into a far away foggy place where I could no longer connect with the outside world. I could sometimes hear, and see in a loopy foggy way, but I couldn't speak or move my body. All sounds and visuals were coming from the end of a tunnel, that came in and out of reality.

Sometime later....( maybe 5 minutes?) my daughters Amber and Rebekah came home from shopping. Amber saw me on the couch and in her bubbly personality says excitedly, "Hi MOM!!" She wanted to show me what she just bought at the store. I was vaguely aware of her sitting next to me. I felt like I should acknowledge her and respond, but I couldn't connect at all. I heard her say my name, and knew she was next to me, but I couldn't speak, move, or connect to her. She told me later how she could tell I was trying to tell her something, and a few times I tried to stand up, but couldn't. She also told me how I kept showing her my tablet, but she didn't know what I was trying to do. I don't remember any of this.

She tried a few times to talk to me, and when she figured out something was wrong with me, she told Rebekah to go get Dad and tell him that Mom is not responding. Beckah went downstairs, and in that time Amber noticed my face was drooping, and she knew I was not alright.

She then ran downstairs and said, " Dad! Mom is not OK! Her face is drooping and we keep trying to talk to her and she is not responding." This was a private conversation that no one else heard in the room. Than my husband, Richard, ran up the stairs and as soon as he saw me, he knew I was having a stroke. I vaguely remember him kneeling down in front of me. Pleading with me, he said, "Susan, Susan!" "You are having a stroke!" "I am going to take care of you!!" "We are taking you to the hospital!" Then he instructed Amber to go and get Kyle (future son-in-law). So Amber ran back to the stairs and yelled for Kyle and no one listened. They responded with, why are you yelling? Then Amber said, "My mom is not OK. I think she is having a stroke! " Then Kyle first, then all the uncles sprint up the stairs to get me into the car.

Richard and Kyle carried me out to the car. I have a very vague recollection of this. I was thinking how silly it was that they were fussing over me, I could vaguely sense the sheer panic and heavy seriousness of the moment. I was like a baby, not understanding why they were so concerned. I thought if I just stopped acting like this, they would know I was OK. I felt no pain whatsoever, and was not afraid of anything. The place of my sub-conscious I was in, was a peaceful, place of no worries. Kyle sat behind my seat in our suburban, holding on to my shoulders as I could not hold myself up, and my husband whipped around corners and down the 3 streets to the hospital. My sweet future son-in-law, told me during this, "Mom it is going to be OK. God knows that we still need you"

We get inside the hospital and they literally get me into a wheel chair and zoom me back into the ER room. I barely remember any of this. I was going in and out of consciousness. I have bits and pieces of seeing events, people, etc. I could sense the panic in everyone: my husband, son-in-law, mother-in-law, and all the doctors. I was literally just losing it....peacefully, but very fast.

I layed on the ER table, the doctors and nurses began ripping my shirt off as fast as they could and connecting things to my chest. They threw a hospital gown on me. Still had my pants on the whole time. After doing a few tests like, "grip my fingers, Susan!Susan!.. talk to me!!... they got me on a table and ran me down to get a CT scan." My daughter Aubrey said they went right past her, and I stared straight through her, not seeing her. She said I had a glazed look and just kept staring straight through everyone. I wasn't there even though my eyes were open, I wasn't really seeing anything.

Prayers going UP

While all of this was happening, my family began calling and texting everyone they thought should know. Social media was alive and well. Prayers began going up to heaven really fast. At home, at my in-laws house, they all knelt down and had a family prayers when they whisked me off the to ER. Richard called my parents, who in turn called my 6 brothers, who in turn called all of their children. Everyone stopped what they were doing and had a family prayers. Some of them who are in a different time zone had already gone to bed, woke up and joined the family prayers. One of my brothers was skyping with children, and they stopped the skpe and prayed. Amber texted her best friends at college and they stopped what they were doing and knelt and had prayer, and we are still hearing experiences like this of prayer from family, friends, acquaintances, and people who don't know me at all, but know members of my family. Thank-you to ALL of you. I believe it was the sincere heartfelt prayers that helped me to recover in a miraculous way.

Prayer is real!! God is real! He hears and answers our prayers!!!!

A lot of things happened in the ER that I am totally unaware of. For an hour and a half I was in this peaceful place in my subconscious where every once in a while I would get a glimpse of what was happening around me, but I had no power whatsoever to connect or speak. And, everything was in a far far away foggy place and not real. I think I moved my eyes from side to side, and maybe my head.

Glimpses

While I was unconscious or where ever I was, I had glimpses of my surroundings, but then would go quickly back to be unconscious state.

I remember once, coming to, and seeing my husband kneeling down next to my hospital bed stroking my hand and telling me I had the most beautiful hands he had ever seen. He turned to his mom who was standing in the corner of the room, and said, "Mom, don't you think she has the most beautiful hands you have ever seen!!

Another time I remember seeing him gripping his head in a desperate way, pacing the room, and crying into his hands. He was imagining the worst possible moment of his life come to fruition, and he was beside himself with desperate feelings he couldn't control.

Another time, I remember seeing my beautiful caring sister-in-law Amber sitting in the corner of my room in a chair. I saw her sitting there, then I was gone again.

These are glimpses I will never forget.

The place of my brain I was in as so peaceful, so free of worries, or cares, a part of me was completely fine staying there. I didn't know if I wanted to leave that state of mind.

I was somewhat aware that there was panic and worry in the room, but I had no connection to it whatsoever. It was like "oh that's too bad" in a really non-chalant, unfeeling way. It was not an out of body experience, but it was in a way too. I felt bad that they were suffering, but didn't feel I had anything to do with controlling it, nor did I feel responsible for it. This is NOT my personality at all. I am a people -pleaser to a fault, and don't like to see others hurt, embarrassed, or suffering and not try to help. It was kind of a nice vacation from that part of my life.

The Miracle happened at precisely the right moment

I was in this condition for an hour and a half. At this point, the doctors were ready to take it to the next level. They had medicine they were ready to inject into me, Salt Lake was ready to receive me, and the life-flight helicopter was ready to go. The doctors had the paperwork drawn up for it, and were ready to send me to Salt Lake.

Then I turned to my husband and wanted to talk, and then I was able to speak and ask him what was happening.

Richard shouted...."she talked! she talked!!" Then everyone rushed to my side of the bed. Although everything was very sluggish, I was talking and that made everyone extremely happy. The first thing I noticed was an IV in my right arm. I have zero memory of that being inserted. I talked to the doctor, my husband, mother-in-law, father-in-law, Amber, Aubrey, and Kyle. All one at a time as only two people could be in the room. I called my mom, called my daughters who were at home, and had this miraculous amazing turn around recovery. Everyone was thrilled to hear my voice.

I then was talking via satellite to a University of Utah Stroke specialist, or neurologist. She was asking me questions about what I had experienced and how I was feeling. Twice they had me read first grade words on a paper, and identify simple pictures, and tell them what was happening in each picture.

Our neurologist came next and began talking with me as he was trying to understand how I had a stroke and what might have caused it. During this conversation, I felt my right side of my face, mainly my mouth droop and I could not control it or stop it. This concerned everyone all over again, and I had another CT scan injecting different fluids in me to see other things.

I spent the rest of the night in the hospital in ICU and had an MRI scheduled the next morning. Richard slept by me on a fold-down chair, holding my hand all night. Sleeping in the ICU is an experience that neither me or my husband have ever experienced. (not a lot of quality sleep) They have an important job to do there, and I am grateful for all the care I received.

The MRI test results came back and confirmed I did have a dense Ischemic stroke. I have learned that WHERE a stroke hits determines the damage and disability. If our brain and all the veins were like a tree with all of its branches, my stroke hit in the tips of the branches. That made my recovery so much better than most. If it hits in the trunk or father down the tree, than the results are not as kind.

Thank-you all for your prayers and thoughts and concerns. I just pray that the doctors will find out what caused it. I have wonderful doctors who are trying to figure out why a person with no stroke risk factors, no family history of it, still had a stroke. I am recovering really well, and my only symptoms now that I am aware of, are dizziness and some memory lapses. I am positive I will have a complete recovery as my brain heals.

THANK-YOU ALL for your prayers!!! Even if they were just silent prayers of worry or concern from your heart. They were heard and I have been blessed because of it!!!

(9 months later)

I would say, at this point, I am 80-90% fully recovered, although the past 9 months have been a roller-coaster ride of healing and health issues. Why I had the stroke remains a mystery, as all my tests come back perfect. At this point the theory is possibly a blood clot that got loose during my run and traveled through my heart and up to my brain.

The hardest time came of my stroke recovery came 6 weeks later. I had acute exhaustion, developed shingles, and have had cognitive issues. But I am alive!! I survived !! I have recovered in a miraculous way from something that takes lives or leaves its victims unable to function normally. For the most part, life has gone on the same!

Acute exhaustion has been my biggest enemy! Most stroke survivors can relate to this one!! There is no medicine for it, no help for it, but time and rest. This type of exhaustion is nothing like being sleepy, tired, or had-a-hard day. You can't sleep it off. This is acute fatigue!! If I get stressed or over-do it, I am in bed for 3 days recovering. From January-May I worked in the 4th grade all day as a teachers instructional aide. It was a 30 hour a week job, that I loved, but about killed me having to go everyday. I do not know how I got through it all except I loved being there!

My short term memory became very unreliable! Every short term memory problem I already had from being myself, was now acute!! I would lose something, and there was no recalling or retracing my memories to find it again. That information was gone, and not coming back! I would leave the store, and have NO memory of where I parked, and no way of pulling up the memory of parking. I had to always rely on my kids to know where we parked. This aspect has greatly improved, but I have my moments still!

I have had cognitive issues with math. When going to the store (I always use cash) I could not count money. It completely overwhelmed my brain to count money. I would look in my wallet, and didn't know how to add the money up on the spot for the cashier. It overwhelmed me cognitively. I would just hand the cashier some money and she would always hand me back what I didnt' need. I was like a baby and small child in many ways cognitively!! In school where I worked with the 4th graders in a math group, I would always do the problems wrong. I would flip numbers. If we were multiplying 9 X 9, I would write down 18, instead of 81. And the kids would let me know I got it wrong!! The math part of my brain has healed and I am able to count money now and feel back to normal again.

I have been an automatic speller my whole life! I don't have to even think of how to spell things, my brain just does it!! Because of that I trust my spelling instincts, and if something is spelled wrong, I know it. One day while correcting spelling tests in the 4th grade, all the words were spelled wrong and funny to me. They were all words that ended in "le" like bottle, able, buckle, candle...In my brain these were all spelled wrong and pronounced " bottlee, ablee, bucklee, candlee...and the le should be switched. In fact I looked at those words, and it was as if someone had scrambled all the letters up. It didn't make sense at all. I went up to the teacher and told her the answer key was not right. She was pretty sure they were right and even looked it up for me....It was my brain, flipping and switching things. That has only happened one time with spelling, but as my brain has healed, I have had moments like this more times than I want to admit. That has almost one away completely since then.

I am so grateful to be alive and that this stroke did not take my life!! Every few weeks I hear stories of other stroke victims of my age, who did not survive, or who did not fair as well as I have. I am blessed and know that prayers were answered on my behalf!!

We found a cause for my stroke!

The doctors were finally able to find a cause for my stroke almost a year later! I would encourage anyone who has had a stroke for no apparent reason, like I did, to look into getting this procedure!! It is an echo-cardiogram with a bubble study test. I had two echo-cardiograms which only showed how strong my heart is with all four chambers functioning properly and with regular rhythmic beats. It is a pretty amazing organ...the heart! When I had the bubble study test done with the echo-cardiogram, it showed that I have a Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO for short) or another term is Atrial Septum Defect. It is a hole in your heart that didn't close properly at birth. In is fairly common (25% of all births). I am close to 50 years old and I never knew I had this septum defect.

Closing the hole is fairly controversial. Does the procedure out weigh the risks involved? Does keeping a patient on blood thinner do the trick the same as closing the hole with a device? Does the fact that a patient has had a stroke at a young age (under 50) for no apparent reason (remember I had *low blood pressure*low cholesterol*don't smoke*don't drink*and exercise regularly*no family history of stroke) give reason to close the septum?

These are all questions the cardiologists and neurologists were trying to determine. They decided it wasn't worth the risk involved, and decided to keep me on blood thinners.

I have to say, I am thrilled with that decision. I know it is routine, but it was a procedure that involved my heart, so that is high risk in my opinion. I am happy to be done with this!!!!

Day of Grace

2014-06-25T10:30:00.001-05:00

lds.org media library

Mormon was the great ancient American military general, a Nephite prophet of his people, and record keeper of
their history (311-385 A.D.)

Mormon was instructed to prepare himself to take charge of the records and record keeping. At the time Mormon was 10 years old. Ammaron, the one who was keeping the records and preserving the records at that time, noticed that Mormon was" a sober, and quick to observe" child. He told him that when he reached the age of 24, he was to go to the specific hill that he had hid all the records, and go there and engrave the things he observes with the people. After recording the history of his own lifetime, Mormon abridged the large plates of Nephi on the plates of Mormon. He later turned this sacred record over to his son Moroni. These plates were part of the record from which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon (See also: Introduction to the Book of Mormon) )

Mormon lived during a very violent, corrupt, and evil stricken time of Book of Mormon history. Horrible scenes were their everyday life, and can only be placed at the end of a civilization . (Mormon 1)

But wickedness did prevail upon the face of the whole land, insomuch that the Lord did take away his beloved disciples, and the work of miracles and of healing did cease because of the iniquity of the people.

And there were no gifts from the Lord, and the Holy Ghost did not come upon any, because of their wickedness and unbelief.

And I, being fifteen years of age and being somewhat of a sober mind, therefore I was visited of the Lord, and tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus.

And I did endeavor to preach unto this people, but my mouth was shut, and I was forbidden that I should preach unto them;

At what we would consider now a days, a very young age, Mormon was called to lead the Nephite army. He was 15. The people looked to Mormon as a savior. To save them. They looked to him as if he were their last and only hope of survival. Yet, it was without hope because they would not listen to Mormon, and would not repent of their sins and come unto Christ so that HE could save them.

Mormon went to great lengths and personal sorrow, to teach them to repent and come unto Christ. At times, he was hopeful that their sorrows would turn them to Christ. But it was not to be.

Their Day of Grace had passed.

"And they did not come unto Jesus with broken hearts and contrite spirits, but they did curse God, and wish to die. Nevertheless they would struggle with the sword for their lives" Mormon 2:14

"And it came to pass that my sorrow did return unto me again, and I saw that the day of grace was passed with them, both temporally and spiritually; for I saw thousands of them hewn down in open rebellion against their God, and heaped up as dung upon the face of the land. And thus three hundred and forty and four years had passed away" Mormon 2:15

Their day of grace had passed. Their day of grace had passed both temporally and spiritually. I found that to be a powerful statement.

Did you know that there was a grace period with the Lord?

We have grace periods in our temporal everyday lives when it comes to the law.

This definition of grace period can be thought of in a spiritual way with the Lord in mind.

Definition: A grace period is a time past the deadline for an obligation during which a late penalty that would have been imposed is waived. Grace periods, which can range from a number of minutes to a number of days or longer, depending on the context, can apply in various situations, including arrival at a job, paying a bill, for meeting a government or legal requirement, or in many other situations.

So with that definition, I learn that the Lord's Day of Grace is FILLED with mercy. He has forgiven, He has given and shown mercy when mercy wasn't expected or deserved. He has gone on- and -on with waiting, showing mercy, forgiving, when the time was WAY past for change and repentance. Yet He still forgave and gave mercy. It sounds to me as if HE the Lord, determines the time period of our day of grace and when it is passed. Each specific and extremely personal to each one of His children.

The Bible Dictionary explanation of GRACE:

The main idea of the word is divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ.

It is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, made possible by His atoning sacrifice, that mankind will be raised in immortality, every person receiving his body from the grave in a condition of everlasting life. It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts.

Divine grace is needed by every soul in consequence of the Fall of Adam and also because of man’s weaknesses and shortcomings. However, grace cannot suffice without total effort on the part of the recipient. Hence the explanation, “It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (2 Ne. 25:23). It is truly the grace of Jesus Christ that makes salvation possible.

The Day of Grace passed for the Nephite people because they did not put forth any works of righteousness. Grace applies AFTER we have "expended our own best efforts" "total effort on the part of the recipient" "after all we can do"

If we give up, don't care, quit trying, and live a life of wickedness-grace cannot be applied towards us. At least that is how I understand it.

It is a gift given to us as we do our part.

Church History Tour- The Red Brick Store

2014-04-02T11:00:00.000-05:00

On this morning, we woke up early and were scheduled to be in the Red Brick Store at 7:00 AM. Now, some of you may be wondering what was so amazing about the Red Brick Store. It wasn't the store, but upstairs from the store that was the sacred site. That was the location where the Relief Society was organized under the authority of the Priesthood and Joseph Smith the prophet!

The Relief Society was organized by Joseph Smith and his wife Emma was "elected" as President of that society, or group of women. There was an actual vote, and she was voted in. Each woman who wanted to join the Relief Society had to apply to be apart, then they may be voted in. The instructor who was teaching this class mentioned that his ancestor applied to join, and actually did not make it in the first time she applied. She was voted in at a later time.

So this of coarse is different than how we each become a part of Relief Society today. We are each apart of this organization as we become members of the church and are 18 years and older.

Interesting that Emma was "elected" as in the Doctrine and Covenants 25: 3 she is actually called an "Elect Lady".

" Behold, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou art an elect lady, whom I have called."

Elect means: called and chosen or elected by assignment.

This organization of women service and leadership is not a new group or club that is something to be apart of. This institution is of ANCIENT ORIGEN. The restoration of the true gospel of Jesus Christ, required a full restoration of ALL things. The Relief Society organization was needed to complete that restoration

Just some facts:

"The Relief Society is the oldest and largest women's organization in the world. Relief Society was established in 1842 for women 18 years of age and older. Its purpose is to build faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and help those in need."

"Caring for the homeless, the hungry and the destitute is one of our missions. We work together to offer immediate relief and hope for a better life. "

The Red Brick Store is owned and operated by the Community of Christ, the reorganized church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They were very accommodating as we used the upper floor for a special meeting. Then later we went down stairs and bought things from their store.

5 Steps to Greater Spirituality

2013-09-11T09:38:00.001-05:00

Over the summer my husband and I had a great opportunity to go to some workshops on a husband/wife retreat with his work. In one of our workshops we were blessed to hear from Elder Yoshihiku Kicuchi. He is such a spiritual holy man that was a great joy and pleasure to be in his company. He has had a remarkable life: Being a convert to the Church in Japan to begin with, then going on to serve a 30 month mission, Mission President in Hawaii, Temple President of the Tokyo Temple, and member of the First Quorum of the Seventy.

He shared with us some experiences he had while serving as Mission President, as well as some very important principles he taught the missionaries. These have had a profound impact in my life, and I hope they can help you as well

He told how when he arrived in Hawaii as a new Mission President there were many missionaries not living the missionary rules. He told us of surprise visits to their apartments in the middle of the day to find missionaries still in bed sleeping, surf boards in their living rooms, and so forth. Because of this, not surprisingly, their baptisms per mission were extremely low. They needed a new commitment to their mission and to life. He began to implement a program that was so powerful that their baptisms per month went from 24 to 154 in a matter of a few months time. More than that, it changed the spiritual lives of many of the young missionaries.

This formula taught to Elder Kicuchi by President David O McKay can change OUR lives and increase OUR spirituality if we implement this into our daily routine. You can think of this as 5 Steps to Greater Spirituality, a Personal Devotional, OR...

How to have your OWN Sacred Grove Experience

The Sacred Grove
(taken by Susan Rust)

and get closer to the Lord

Now I am not talking about replicating the First Vision when Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ in this grove of trees.

I am talking about beginning each day in a daily devotional of sorts that is sacred and holy time just for you.

By small and simple things....great things are brought to pass.

This is one of those small and simple things...which can bring great blessings into your life.

Here is the formula taught by Elder Kicuchi spoken in a cute Japanese accent:

Arise Early...determined by you. Arising early shows your willingness. Follow this with some exercise which can be but doesn't have to be longer than 15 minutes.
Wash Your Body...even if you have never been a shower every single day kind of person following this step has great benefits. Besides feeling clean and being clean, there is something ritualistic to the physical cleansing of your body that is actually very spiritual.
Get dressed for the day in clean linen...this goes without saying, but get dressed and ready for the day
Subdue your Spirit... which is the time for meaningful personal prayer. Come to know the Savior Jesus Christ and commune with the Father.
Wait for Inspiration of the Holy Father... immerse yourself in daily scripture and gospel study. This is where answers will come.

What a powerful yet simple way to start the day. I have been living this and I love it. If you feel your spirituality and life needs a new jump start....try this out. It can change your life.

Church History Tour- Which Plate Am I ?

2013-08-31T22:00:00.000-05:00

Church History Tour: Brigham Young's Home

The Kitchen table in the Brigham Young home in Nauvoo
(Photo taken by Richard Rust, with permission)

B-A-C-K to the Church History Tour! One of my favorite places of the whole tour was of coarse, Nauvoo. I love that city and love visiting there. It had been about 13 years since I was there last, so it was exciting to be back again.

While we were there we heard from various people and missionaries, "go see the Brigham Young house!"

We went inside and it was quaint and cute like all the other restored homes, smelling a little dusty, testifying to me that yes this place is old, and very authentic.

[Update: The Atonement plates are in the Brigham Young home, but no longer used as a lesson for visitors coming in. They stopped teaching it because these plates were found on site before renovations, but they can’t prove they were Brigham Young’s. I decided to keep my post because the lesson remains powerful regardless of the ownership of the plates.]

At first I didn't quite see how it was "the best house in Nauvoo" or was any different than the other homes. I loved them all as there is some lesson or principle to learn in each house.

In the Brigham Young home the principle that they taught was the Atonement. Just thinking about it now, I am taken back to the moment we stood in front of this table and were taught about plates and the Atonement.

The story: As they were beginning to restore the Brigham Young home, they found out by the cellar/or maybe in the cellar, a dishes set, that was badly broken. A Senior missionary serving in Nauvoo on a mission, knew about restoring plates like this and went about making these plates look as if they were new and had never been broken. The process is interesting and remarkable how they can make something that is so badly broken and unusable, new again without even a mark or scar to be seen.

The missionaries compared these plates to the Atonement of Jesus Christ. They explained how our Savior takes each one of us in a broken plate state, and through His mercy, grace, and the great power of His Atonement, redeems us, and makes us new again.

I loved this lesson, and contemplated for days... Where am I at in the cleansing process of the Atonement? Am I letting the Savior change me and redeem me? Which plate am I?

*All photos of the plates were taken in the in the Brigham Young home in Nauvoo
by Richard Rust, with permission

Church History Tour: Liberty Jail Experience

2013-08-19T14:20:00.000-05:00

As we visited Liberty Jail and saw with our eyes and felt so much of what Joseph Smith and the other prisoners went through, I really felt grateful for how he endured that trial and what he learned from it, and how I have grown from this experience as well as my own Liberty Jail trials.

Liberty Jail: A small jail in which the Prophet Joseph Smith and others were unjustly imprisoned from November 1838 to April 1839. While in these difficult conditions, Joseph received certain revelations, gave prophecies, and was inspired to write an important letter to the Saints, excerpts of which are contained in Doctrine and Covenants 121–123.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland gave an astoundingly great talk on this very subject called

"Lessons From Liberty Jail"

It is a must read, and I hope you will take the time to study that talk.

"In the Prophet Joseph’s letters, he spoke of the jail being a “hell, surrounded with demons … where we are compelled to hear nothing but blasphemous oaths, and witness a scene of blasphemy, and drunkenness and hypocrisy, and debaucheries of every description.”“We have … not blankets sufficient to keep us warm; and when we have a fire, we are obliged to have almost a constant smoke,” he said. “Our souls have been bowed down”and “my nerve trembles from long confinement,” Joseph wrote. “Pen, or tongue, or angels,” could not adequately describe “the malice of hell” that he suffered there.All of this occurred during what, by some accounts, was considered the coldest winter on record in the state of Missouri." (Lessons from Liberty Jail)

The jail walls were 4 feet thick, 2 feet of wood and 2 feet of rock making escape impossible. This was a horrible, terrible, lonely, and forsaken time in Joseph's life. It was the hardest experience he had until the martyrdom, 5 years later.

Several of our present and past Church leaders have referred to Liberty Jail and a prison-temple. Very interesting metaphor don't you think!

"Certainly this prison-temple lacked the purity, beauty, comfort, and cleanliness of our modern temples. The speech and behavior of the guards and criminals who came there were anything but temple-like. In fact, the restricting brutality and injustice of this experience at Liberty would make it seem the very antithesis of the liberating, merciful spirit of our temples and the ordinances performed in them." (Lessons from Liberty Jail)

"So in what sense could Liberty Jail be called a “temple,” and what does such a title tell us about God’s love and teachings, including where and when that love and those teachings are made manifest? In precisely this sense: that you can have sacred, revelatory, profoundly instructive experiences with the Lord in any situation you are in. Indeed, you can have sacred, revelatory, profoundly instructive experiences with the Lord in the most miserable experiences of your life—in the worst settings, while enduring the most painful injustices, when facing the most insurmountable odds and opposition you have ever faced" (Lessons from Liberty Jail)

What Truths Strengthen YOU from the Liberty Jail Experience ?

So many truths can be pulled out of this experience that Joseph had specifically. Liberty Jail was a totally refining trial in his life. It was said, that after Liberty, Joseph was a different prophet in that he knew who he was more, he spoke with more power and more confidence and more direction. Trials do that for us. They refine us and make us stronger and better.

Revelation was given for everyone! The Liberty Jail time was a refining time for ALL the Saints. and continues to be so even today! Think about how other's trials also strengthen us! Reading Doctrine and Covenants 121-123 that was FOR Joseph, was really FOR all of us. This scripture passage strengthens me like no other scripture passage does during hard refining trials.
Trials of Liberty sustained them in future trials and cemented their faith.
The Lord has His timing. Although we have to wait for a time period during trials, He has not left us, forgotten about us or forsaken us. Joseph asked the Lord HOW LONG, and WHERE ART THOU? This time was extremely refining and sanctifying for Joseph.
Even the worthy will suffer great trials. Trust that the Lord delivers! Things don't always work out the way we think they will. Our righteous desires aren't always fulfilled when we expect them to be. However, the Lord is still guiding us!

Homework assignment:

Elder Holland's talk Lessons from Liberty Jail

Doctrine and Covenants 121–123.

Church History Tour: Independence, Missouri

2013-08-06T19:47:00.000-05:00

These shoes served me well and stood in many sacred holy places
that were "temple-like" in their sacredness and spirit...
from Independence, Missouri...to Liberty Jail...to Parley Street in
Nauvoo...to Winter Quarters in Omaha, Nebraska.

Hi everyone! Just got back from a whirlwind Church History Workshop with my husband and am excited to share some of the awesome, insights we learned along the way. This was SUCH a great opportunity that I wish all of you could experience. I know we may be boring people or boring parents, but I would MUCH rather spend my money and time on a Church History Tour than a trip to Disney Land. It is so worth it and such a testimony building experience.

You can't go to these sacred places without coming away moved, that yes indeed, something sacred happened here. You feel it. However, let me interject and say that you don't have to be in these places to know it is real, or to feel the power of testimony of these people and experiences.

Someone once said, " In great deeds and great sacrifices
something resides."

That is a very true statement. When you are standing in the same air, or on the same floor boards, or the same dirt that these people once did...where they sacrificed, did great deeds, or died for a cause....you FEEL of their spirit and their purpose.

Ready to go on a short Church History Tour? Let's begin....

We'll start with Independence, Missouri.

the promises and prophecies...

An important thing to remember is that Independence, Jackson County, Missouri was the location of the Garden of Eden.

"It is a pleasant thing to think of and to know where the garden of Eden was...In Jackson County was the garden of Eden, Joseph has declared this and I am as much bound to believe that as to believe Joseph was a prophet of God" (Brigham Young, Journal History of the Church, March 15, 1857)

"In accord with the revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith, we teach that the Garden of Eden was on the American continent located where the City of Zion or the New Jerusalem will be built. When Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden, they eventually dwelt at a place called Adam-ondi-Ahman, situated in Daviess County, Missouri" (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation)

Independence is also the location of a future temple site and the New Jerusalem. Right now it is a large area of grass where a cornerstone is layed.

" Joseph Smith dedicated the temple site for the city of New Jerusalem on August 3, 1831. He laid the northeast cornerstone and delivered the dedicatory prayer."

the persecutions and misery...

Independence is a place of promise and prophecy. However, when the early Saints lived there, it was anything but pleasant or promising. This is kind of a tough time of LDS Church History that we remember as being a place of persecutions and misery for the Church leaders and the Saints. The leaders of the Church were tarred and feathered, businesses and homes burned, and the Saints were driven out. Like you, I have wondered WHY it was so bad or had to be so bad? Where was the law? Where was the civility? Where was God?

In the 1830's Missouri was the far west border of the country. It was where the lawless criminals were hiding out. The Saints were, of coarse, not the lawless, uncivilized, uneducated type. They were a people who were following their God, their prophet, and their faith. This was the Independence, Missouri that the Saints found:

"It seemed good and pleasant for brethren to meet together in unity. But our reflections were many, coming as we had from a highly cultivated state of society in the east, and standing now upon the confines or western limits of the United States...; how natural t was to observe the degradation, leanness of intellect, ferocity, and jealousy of a people that were nearly a century behind the times.

As we could not associate with our neighbors (who were, many of them, of the basest of m en, and had fled from the face of civilized society, to the frontier country to escape the hand of justice) in their midnight revels, their Sabbath breaking, horse racing, and gambling; they commenced at first to ridicule, then to persecute." (History of the Church)

Some may struggle with WHY the Saints had to suffer so much or HOW they endured all the persecutions they did. Some may wonder where God was for them at that time. One principle to keep in mind is that the the Lord was refining His Saints. The refining process can't happen through easy times of no trial. Although the early Saints went through severe trials and suffered incredible losses, they were never alone. When we go through hard times of trial and wonder where the Lord is we are never alone. I'll cover that topic a little more when we talk about the Liberty Jail experience.

Understanding Lehi's Dream

2013-06-23T09:49:00.000-05:00

In 2007 something kind of awesome happened. There were 3 Devotional/Fireside talks given back to back one month after another....on Lehi's Dream. Coincidental?? I think not!

Lehi's Dream and You - President Boyd K. Packer, BYU Devotional given January 16, 2007
Reservoir of Living Water-Elder David A. Bednar CES Fireside, given February 4, 2007
Hold Fast to the Words of the Prophets - Elder Neil L.Anderson CES Fireside given March 4 2007

Interesting don't you think that all three randomly inspired, chose to speak on the same topic? Here is what Elder Anderson said prior to giving his CES Fireside talk.

"I want to tell you of the Lord’s guiding hand in our meeting tonight. During the early days of January I worked to organize and outline what I would present to you. Knowing that Elder David A. Bednar was scheduled to speak to you in February, I asked him if he had finalized the subject he would address.

I was taken aback when he responded that his talk was about holding fast to the iron rod. It was the exact title I had chosen for my talk. The choir was already practicing this beautiful number that they have just shared with us.

As Elder Bednar and I discussed the messages we had prepared, it was evident that we had approached the subject differently. Elder Bednar thought for a moment and said: “The Lord loves the young adults of the Church. There is purpose in this. This is a message the Lord wants delivered.” I determined to proceed.

Then, just a week later and before Elder Bednar’s talk, President Boyd K. Packer, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, gave a BYU devotional address he entitled Lehi’s Dream and You. He too included in his talk what it means to hold fast to the iron rod.

My brothers and sisters, this is a subject the Lord wants you to think about."-Elder Anderson

That was six years ago, and I can't stop thinking about these talks. Here are some significant highlights :

"You may think that Lehi’s dream or vision has no special meaning for you, but it does. You are in it; all of us are in it." -President Packer

"At your baptism and confirmation, you took hold of the iron rod. But you are never safe. It is after you have partaken of that fruit that your test will come. " -President Packer

(Lehi's dream refers to members of the Church)

"The mist of darkness will cover you at times so much that you will not be able to see your way even a short distance ahead. You will not be able to see clearly. But you can feel your way. With the gift of the Holy Ghost, you can feel your way ahead through life. Grasp the iron rod, and do not let go. Through the power of the Holy Ghost, you can feel your way through life"-President Packer

"Largely because of television, instead of looking over into that spacious building, we are, in effect, living inside of it. That is your fate in this generation. You are living in that great and spacious building." -President Packer

____________________________________________________________________

"Father Lehi saw several groups of people pressing forward along the strait and narrow path, seeking to obtain the tree and its fruit.
The members of each group had entered onto the path through the gate of repentance and baptism by water and had received the gift of the Holy Ghost (see 2 Nephi 31:17–20)
The tree of life is the central feature in the dream and is identified in 1 Nephi 11 as a representation of Jesus Christ.
The fruit on the tree is a symbol for the blessings of the Savior’s Atonement.

Interestingly, the major theme of the Book of Mormon, inviting all to come unto Christ, is central in Lehi’s vision. Of particular interest is the rod of iron that led to the tree (see 1 Nephi 8:19). The rod of iron is the word of God.

Group 1: Baptized members of the Church, as soon as the "mists of darkness" came they were gone. No mention of the rod of iron. 1 Nephi 8:21-23

"Those who ignore or treat lightly the word of God do not have access to that divine compass which points the way to the Savior. "-Elder Bednar

Group 2: "Clingers" This group pressed forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree. When they were mocked by the members of the great and spacious building, they were ashamed and fell away into forbidden paths and were lost. Please notice that this group is described as clinging to the rod of iron. 1 Nephi 8: 24-28

"Clinging to the rod of iron suggests to me only occasional “bursts” of study or irregular dipping rather than consistent, ongoing immersion in the word of God." -Elder Bednar

Group 3 "Held Fast": Members of the Church who "held fast" to the rod of iron continually pressing forward until they reached the tree.we read about a third group of people who pressed forward continually holding fast to the rod of iron until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree. The key phrase in this verse is “continually holding fast” to the rod of iron. 1 Nephi 8: 30 No mention of them wandering off or getting lost.

"Perhaps this third group of people consistently read and studied and searched the words of Christ. Perhaps it was the constant flow of living water that saved the third group from perishing. This is the group you and I should strive to join." -Elder Bednar

Group 4 : Probably not members of the Church-people who did not even come to the path but went straight for the great and spacious building

"Are you and I daily reading, studying, and searching the scriptures in a way that enables us to hold fast to the rod of iron—or are you and I merely clinging? Are you and I pressing forward toward the fountain of living waters—relying upon the word of God? These are important questions for each of us to ponder prayerfully."

______________________________________________

"The iron rod is the word of God. I like to think of it in this way:

The word of God contains three very strong elements that intertwine and sustain one another to form an immovable rod.

These three elements include, first, the scriptures, or the words of the ancient prophets."

The second element of the word of God is the personal revelation and inspiration that comes to us through the Holy Ghost

... the third element, a critical addition intertwining with the other two...the words of the living prophets. We must also hold fast to the word of God as delivered by the living prophets." -Elder Anderson

These are all must read talks that I will include in my LDS Talks tab for quick reference. These are significant talks given by living prophets and apostles, each inspired to teach in a three month period..back to back on the principles of Lehi's Dream. Just as President Packer taught, it applies to you and me.

Next post will be a more in-depth study of the groups spoken of by Elder Bednar. Stay tuned!!

The Order of Obedience

2013-05-15T09:08:00.000-05:00

We had our first four children in three years. It was a feat that few can accomplish. We had twins which doubled things up pretty fast. I remember waiting for the birth of our twins, and realizing how out numbered my husband and I would be with our little family and knowing that above all, we needed to have order.

Prior to their births, I prayed many times that the Lord would show me how to have a family with order. I knew my sanity and happiness depended on it. I started training myself to be more orderly, and started teaching my children some basic principles.

My first realization from the Lord was to teach obedience. Obedience comes in steps or layers, especially when they are very young. They can't be expected to do step 3 if they haven't mastered step 1. If they do, and you allow it, the order is lost, and no principles are taught.

For example, one of our first steps when they were little bitty, was to stay in our own yard to play. This was very important to me, that they learn to obey this first instruction. I felt if they can't obey the first rule to stay in our own yard to play, then they can't go to a friends house to play. That was one of the first obedience steps that we had in our home.

Another obedience step as they got older was that they have to contribute to the family. They are expected to keep their room clean and do other house jobs. If those things aren't done, then they can't enjoy other privileges like going and playing with friends. It has just become a basic order of obedience in our family.

Obedience may seem or feel redundant to some. It is following the little things. It is about not excusing ourselves from the rules no matter who they come from. There is a measure of sacrifice that goes with it. Both from the parents to stand by it and to teach it, and for the youth or children to follow it.

We have learned as a family, that obedience is the first law of heaven, and with it brings great happiness, peace, and blessings.

There were two great talks this past General Conference on obedience. One was from Elder L. Tom Perry Obedience to Law is Liberty and the other from President Monson Obedience Brings Blessings. I would encourage you to read these two talks. They are excellent.

Obedience is an eternal principle of God. With it comes strength and great blessings.

“The happiness of the Latter-day Saints, the peace of the Latter-day Saints, the progress of the Latter-day Saints, the prosperity of the Latter-day Saints, and the eternal salvation and exaltation of this people lie in walking in obedience to the counsels of … God.”

"Obedience is a hallmark of prophets; it has provided strength and knowledge to them throughout the ages. It is essential for us to realize that we, as well, are entitled to this source of strength and knowledge. It is readily available to each of us today as we obey God’s commandments"

"...the great test of this life is obedience. “We will prove them herewith,” said the Lord, “to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.”-Obedience Brings Blessings.

I especially love the middle quote that we can have what the prophets have--- through obedience. Obedience is the hallmark of their lives and we are also entitled to that same strength and that same knowledge. We are all God's children, and He wants us to be obedient. I really love that.

"In Doctrine and Covenants 130 we read:

“There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—

“And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated” (D&C 130:20–21).

Surely there could not be any doctrine more strongly expressed in the scriptures than the Lord’s unchanging commandments and their connection to our happiness and well-being as individuals, as families, and as a society. There are moral absolutes. Disobedience to the Lord’s commandments will always deprive us of His blessings. These things do not change.

In a world where the moral compass of society is faltering, the restored gospel of Jesus Christ never wavers, nor should its stakes and wards, its families, or its individual members. We must not pick and choose which commandments we think are important to keep but acknowledge all of God’s commandments. We must stand firm and steadfast, having perfect confidence in the Lord’s consistency and perfect trust in His promises.

May we ever be a light on the hill, an example in keeping the commandments, which have never changed and will never change.- Obedience to Law is Liberty

Have a great day!

Making Conference Journals

2013-04-02T13:44:00.001-05:00

How are YOU preparing for General Conference?

One way to prepare is to create a Conference Journal.

A conference journal is a journal where you will write down the special messages from the Lord that are just for you. You will hear these at General Conference. They will come as personal messages, or impressions from the Spirit, or answers to your prayers. Write them down as they come so that you will be able to remember them, and implement them.

Elder Richard G. Scott mentioned an experience he had in a church meeting he attended, while listening to a lesson, inspiration came to him...

"As each impression came, I carefully wrote it down. In the process, I was given precious truths that I greatly needed in order to be a more effective servant of the Lord. The details of the communication are sacred and, like a patriarchal blessing, were for my individual benefit. I was given specific directions, instructions, and conditioned promises that have beneficially altered the course of my life."

"What I have described is not an isolated experience. It embodies several true principles regarding communication from the Lord to His children here on earth. I believe that you can leave the most precious, personal direction of the Spirit unheard because you do not respond to, record, and apply the first promptings that come to you."

(To Acquire Spiritual Guidance)

We will not remember everything we hear this weekend at conference. When the May Ensign comes out we will be able to read and remember the talks that we heard. We will remember however, how we FELT when we hear a certain talk or a certain counsel. If we write down these impressions and specific counsel for us personally, we are getting out of conference what the Lord wants us to hear and understand for our lives.

You dedicate these words of personal revelation to a special Conference Journal. My daughters who are 12 and older take a special journal with them whenever they go to Stake Conference, General Conference, or special meetings or broadcasts. Keeping and writing in a journal during conference gives them a personal purpose to being there. They have an invested interest. They are going there to learn something and to receive personal revelation for their lives. The Conference Journal becomes a valuable keepsake for them.

My daughters spent a few hours on Sunday making Conference Journals. I thought they turned out really cute and wanted to share them with you. You have probably all made something like these before. They are so easy to do. Just buy a cheap composition notebook and some scrap paper.

And with some creative juices you can come up with something perfect for you.

Here is the back...which is also cute

Have a great Conference experience!

Teaching the Atonement Using Comparisons

2013-03-16T22:35:00.000-05:00

In preparing to teach my Sunday School class of energetic 13 year old boys, I asked them what they already knew about the Atonement. I got a lot of blank stares. They knew it had to do with this picture above, and faith, but in all reality, the whole topic was a little blurry to them.

I have been struggling with WHAT and WHERE to teach. So I decided this week to approach the teaching and learning through comparisons.

Comparisons is using a story or visual with symbolism to teach a principle.

"A man walking along a road fell into a pit so deep he could not climb out.

No matter what he did, he could not get out by himself.

"The man called for help and rejoiced when a kind passerby heard him and lowered a ladder down into the pit. This allowed him to climb out of the pit and regain him freedom."

"We are like the man in the pit. Sinning is like falling into the pit, and we can’t get out by ourselves. Just as the kind passerby heard the man's cry for help, Heavenly Father sent his Only Begotten Son to provide the means of escape. Jesus Christ’s atonement could be compared to lowering a ladder into the pit; it gives us the means to climb out.

But the Savior does more than lower the ladder, He comes down into the pit and makes it possible for us to use the ladder to escape.

Just as the man in the pit had to climb up the ladder, we must repent of our sins and obey the gospel principles and ordinances to climb out of our pit and make the Atonement work in our lives. Thus, after all we can do, the Atonement makes it possible for us to become worthy to return to Heavenly Father’s presence."

see Is faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ written in our hearts?

by Linda K. Burton

Do you know what I love about this particular comparison to the Atonement?
The principle that

1) the Savior literally comes down into the pit where we are to help us out

AND

2) that He redeems us, making Him just what He says He is: our REDEEMER.
He doesn't just put us back where we were before we fell into the pit.

He puts us in a higher place. Making us better than we were.

The illustrated story above of the pit and the Savior was from the October 2012 conference issue. It was perfect for this lesson so I decided to add it with this teaching section.

You can see how simple it is, while teaching a great principle. You can use it in FHE, Primary, or any environment where you are teaching someone else about the Atonement.

Power in FAITH

2013-03-05T08:56:00.001-06:00

I attended a Women's Conference about POWER in FAITH and POWER in COURAGE.

Our speakers, taught an important concept that I needed, and that is that having faith doesn't mean we have faith in a specific OUTCOME necessarily, but our faith is in the the Lord REGARDLESS of the outcome. That is so vital because if that outcome doesn't come to play, if our faith is centered in Christ and not the outcome, we don't lose our testimonies over it. I really liked that thought.

A great scripture insight was taught: The parable of the bread and the stone in Matthew 7. The principle is that the Lord wants to give us everything--the best blessings and the best gifts, but that we also need to ask for it. The bread symbolized the BEST gift or the BEST blessing. If we ask for what we want the most (bread) He is not going to give us a stone. We need to trust in the Lord to know that HE WANTS to give us bread. He is not going to give us a stone if we ask for bread.

Find out what is the RIGHT thing and pray for what you need and what you want. She commented that the tragedy isn't in not getting it, the tragedy is when we stop praying for it, or when we stop wanting the righteous desires of our hearts.

I love this scripture illustrating this principle:

Hebrews 4:16 "Come BOLDLY unto the throne of grace and ASK in time of need"

It is not only OK to ask for what we really really want, but to trust that the Lord WANTS to bless us with it. But we have to ask. She called this intentionally praying.

We need to have intentional prayers.

Following of coarse this counsel given:

Doctrine and Covenants 9:7-8: "But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.

But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong."

Praying for the "RIGHT" things is a great concept. But how do we know what is right when we want something so badly? For me when I am in a situation when I really need a blessing, or want something very badly, I have to go back and really evaluate:

What I have FELT from the spirit? What has the spirit tried to TELL me? What PROMISES of the Lord have I felt? What are the righteous DESIRES of my heart? What feels right to pray about?

Then go forward in intentional faith praying for what we should pray about. When we pray for the right blessings, it can change our life..and we will realize that prayer when accompanied with faith has a true POWER.

"The fervent prayer of a righteous woman availeth much"

It reminds me of a time in my life when my husband and I wanted something very badly. It felt right. And we recieved that promise from the Lord through the spirit, that it was going to happen, it was only a matter of time. During this time we exercised great faith in prayer as we prayed for what seemed the "right thing" and waiting on the Lord for it to happen.

It wasn't immediate, and although it did happen just as the Lord promised us it would, it wasn't easy. But we learned how to pray for the "right thing" and instead of thinking I don't deserve this, or I am asking for "too much", we prayed knowing the Lord heard us and knowing He wanted it for us as much as we wanted it for ourselves.

Although we wanted a specific outcome, our faith was in the Lord, that He knew the right timing and His will be done regardless of the outcome. That is a very hard thing to exercise faith in, but it is really our only choice because the Lord is ultimately in charge.

He knows all and sees all and stands at the door ready to give if we will just let Him in.

And remember, He comes bearing bread, not stones.

What is The Book of Mormon?

2013-02-14T11:17:00.001-06:00

A question from a friend not of my religion, "what is The Book of Mormon"?

"I haven`t understood why the prophecies of LDS are considered by critics to be more fake than those of any other religion in the world and I like the part in the Book of Mormon that says that there can still be new prophecies as opposed to general view in many religions that the prophecies ended forever with their favorite prophet.

But if it is clear that the Book of Mormon has been assembled in different times according to current political views of the leaders and made to look like a whole, then it would be understandable why some people don`t take it seriously. Personally I find all central books of religions are influenced by the writer`s views and it is known that the Bible was assembled over a long period. It would just be honest to admit that parts of the book have been added or rewritten later and are thus fictional illustration to held beliefs."

I wrote a blog post a while ago called: The Bible and The Book of Mormon are Both Good Fruit which clarifies our belief in both the Bible and The Book of Mormon. I would encourage you to read that post.

What is The Book of Mormon?

On the front cover of The Book of Mormon is says: "Another Testament of Jesus Christ"

The Book of Mormon is literally another testament of Jesus Christ along with the Holy Bible, which we use the King James Version. The same version used by most Christian religions.

On the Introduction page of The Book of Mormon it explains where this book came from and what it is about.

The Book of Mormon is holy scripture written by prophets who lived on the American continent anciently from 600 B. C. to 421 A.D. It was written by prophecy and revelation and contains the fullness of the gospel.
The record was written on plates of gold and passed down from prophet to prophet, each writing God's dealings with their people during their specific life-time. They were commanded of God to write down these things for a future people [us]. Because it was inscribed on metal plates, it was not destroyed. A prophet-historian named Mormon abridged all the records into what is called The Book of Mormon. Moroni, Mormon's son was the last prophet of The Book of Mormon. He was commanded to hide up the plates, to preserve them for a future generation. He put the plates with other special artifacts in a stone box and hid them in a hill covered with a large stone. There it stayed hidden, and preserved until the Lord wanted them to be found.
Joseph Smith, commanded of God, was led to Hill Cumorah where the plates were hidden in the stone box in the hill.. He translated the plates. I wrote about it here. You can also read Joseph Smith's own account of that experience here.
The record gives an account of two great civilizations. One came from Jerusalem in 600 B.C., and afterward separated into two nations, known as the Nephites and the Lamanites. The other came much earlier when the Lord confounded the tongues at the Tower of Babel. This group is known as the Jaredites. After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are among the ancestors of the American Indians.

One thing to keep in mind while reading The Book of Mormon: it is not necessarily in chronological order. If you look on the very bottom of the page you are going to see dates. This will tell you the general time period on that specific page.

For example in Omni we read about Mosiah, father of King Benjamin. The book of Omni occurred between 279 B. C. and 130 B. C. See photo below:

In our natural minds we assume that this happened WAY before the events written later in the book about King Noah and Alma. This actually occurred during the same time period. You have events happening in one area, events happening in another area, but happening at the same time. This makes it even more exciting to me.

See the photo below of Mosiah 17 when Abinidi was martyred. You will notice this happens during the same time period as the book of Omni, 37 pages earlier.

I wrote a Mosiah time line a few years ago for myself. You can view it here if you are interested.

What else about The Book of Mormon?

'The crowning event recorded in the Book of Mormon is the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ among the Nephites soon after his resurrection. It puts forth the doctrines of the gospel, outlines the plan of salvation, and tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come." [ Introduction page]

"The Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” -Joseph Smith

"We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3–5.)

Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is his revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah." [Introduction page]

It is TRUE. It is of GOD. You don't have to take anyone elses word for it. You can find out for yourself!

"And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." [Moroni 10:4-5]

The Name of our Church

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The official name of our church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "The Mormons" is actually a nickname given to us because of our belief in The Book of Mormon, Mormon was a prophet-historian and was the one who abridged all the ancient records into the book called The Book of Mormon. I'll talk more about that later.

What makes us different than almost any other religion

is our belief in God.

Most people believe in some sort of a Supreme Being although they may call him by different names. We know that God lives and I am excited to share with you my feelings about Him.

"We believe in God the Eternal Father, and in His Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." [Article of Faith 1]

We believe in what is referred to as the Godhead.

The Godhead consists of three separate beings who are all Gods: God-our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ-His Son, and the Holy Ghost. You have most likely heard of each and everyone of these. Most Christain religions believe in God-Jesus-Christ-and the Holy Ghost as ONE person or one being without a form, who fill the immense of space.

We believe as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that they are three separate beings, but are one in purpose. God, our Heavenly Father, and His Son Jesus Christ both have perfected immortal bodies of flesh and bone that resemble our own bodies. The Holy Ghost is a personage of Spirit.

A great example of this from the scriptures is at the baptism of Jesus Christ:

When John the Baptist baptized Jesus, God the Father's voice was heard from heaven, and the Holy Ghost descended like a dove. In this example, all three members of the Godhead were present at one moment. They were not one God, but three separate Beings.

God is our Heavenly Father.

We are His children. We believe we lived with Him before we came to this earth as spirits. He knew us then as His children. We knew Him as our Father. He presented a plan to us that would enable us to come to earth and grow, learn and be tested and eventually return back to His presence and become like Him.

God had a great purpose and plan for each of our lives. We also believe that family is central to the God's plan for us and we each have an eternal destiny as families.

He loves us. He cares about us and knows us by name. He wants to communicate with us, and we can communicate with Him through prayer. I know that He hears and answers prayers.

God is an all-wise, and all-powerful being. He is merciful, kind, and just. I have personally felt His mercy and His love. I know He is real and that He lives. We can have faith in Him. One of my favorite scriptures from The Book of Mormon is:

Mosiah 4:9: "Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend."

Jesus Christ is our Savior

We believe in Jesus Christ as the beloved Son of God. We believe He came down to earth was born of Mary, lived a perfect life without any sin, and showed us the way in all things as written in the Bible. Central to the plan of our Heavenly Father is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The Atonement included His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane as well as His suffering and death on the cross. Through the Atonement we can be freed from the burden of our sins and develop faith and strength to face our trials.

The Holy Ghost

Unlike God the Father, and Jesus Christ His Son who have tangible bodies of flesh and bone, the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit. He is also a member of the Godhead andhis role is to testify of Jesus Christ, and to testify truth. He communicates with us through feelings that come into our hearts and mind. We can recognize and feel when something is true and right by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Two Book of Mormon missionaries, Ammon and Aaron, taught people who did not have a Christian background about God and how to pray. You can read their experience in Alma 18:24-40 and Alma 22:4-23

Other quick references to what we believe:

Best Marriage Advice Ever

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Before I was married, my wise mother sat me down and gave me the best advice

I have ever received about marriage:

4 Ways to Have a Happy Husband

Happy Husband #1: Keep the Cave Clean

We wives really underestimate how important this is to our husbands. They may not say it, but oh, how they love a home that has order. When they come home from work and the house is a place of chaos both physically and spiritually...they feel that stress and it adds an extra burden to their shoulders.

This does not mean that our homes have to be perfect, or that we have to do all the work ourselves. Keeping the house clean is kind of family project. For the most part, this is something we can all strive to make run smoothly, and to not give up after a few bad experiences.

I realize that some women are offended at this suggestion, and I don't mean to offend anyone. But, you must know, a husband is a happy husband who comes home to order not chaos.

I worked at our local temple for about a year in the housekeeping department. Basically we cleaned the temple before it got dirty. A little different concept than our homes. There were nights when we were super busy and could only get done the bare minimum of cleaning. That happens at home too...a lot. On those busy days at the temple, if we got nothing else done, we would empty garbages, do bathrooms, and vacuum. That covered it for that night.

I have implemented that into my home as well, although I have added a few others.

Beds made
Dishes done
Laundry
garbages
vacuuming
bathrooms
de-clutter

That may sound like a lot still, but they are the basics.

First off, have you ever gone into a home that smells badly? This is embarrassing for both the homeowner and the visitor. You want to eliminate those sources that can cause odor in your homes. Many times, we get very used to the smells in our home, and don't realize our home may stink!

Dirty dishes, dirty laundry, un-flushed toilets, and dirty garbages can make a home smell. So if you don't have time for anything else, take care of the smelly things first!

Next, there are just a few tricks that make a house look cleaner than it may be. A made bed does wonders to make a bedroom look cleaner. I always tell my kids to make their beds FIRST when they are cleaning. This makes them feel like great progress is being made because their room looks clean with just the bed made. A vacuumed floor also is another trick, that makes the room look 5 times cleaner just because it is vacuumed.

At the end of the night if we can just go through and de-clutter a little, it helps keep the house looking and feeling cleaner. Plus you will wake up in the morning and not feel like you are already behind. Going to bed with at least a semi-organized house is the best!

A clean house radiates a spirit all on it's own. Have you ever noticed how your children love to play in a clean area? Cleanliness really is next to Godliness and you can feel that when you take the time to keep your house in order.

Striving to have a basically clean home, and a sense of order in your home will do wonders for your marriage, the spirit in you home, and peace in yours and your husband's hearts.

Happy Husband #2: Love Him

When it comes to loving our husbands the most important point to remember is that they need to be loved.

Love them when you wake up, love them when they come home, be grateful when they call you, be grateful for all the ways they take care of you, notice all the hard work they do for you and the family, let them know how wonderful they are, and love them frequently.

We don't read minds well, and so you have to tell them who awesome they are, and be specific. You know what you love about your spouse and the many small thoughtful things they do for you all day--tell them! Then sit back and watch them glow with pride and want to do anything and everything for you. It will happen. Make them feel like they are worth a million bucks-because they are!

When they come home after work, let coming home be pleasant for them. When they walk in the door, don't shove the kids at them and tell them"I have had it,.... now it is your turn!" I am sure they are more than willing to help out and take any burdens off of your shoulders, but it is all in the approach. Greet them with a hug, a kiss, and a smile. We have a tradition in our marriage, that when my husband comes home we get 5 minutes interrupted in our room with the door shut to talk about the day. Our kids know this is part of the routine when my husband comes home, and they expect it to happen.

Don't keep score. "I got up the last three nights..." etc. Care for you husband. Be nice to him. He'll return the favor. It will make your marriage sweet if you don't keep score.

Nurture your husbands. They can do our job and can do everything for themselves. That is not the point. It brings love into your relationship when you nurture your husbands. Another word might be-serve. This doesn't take away from you, it makes you more whole. It is a loving thing to do...take care of them. Make them feel wanted, needed, and nurtured.

Happy Husband # 3 Feed Him

Our husbands like food, and want to eat good tasting food on a regular basis. All of our husbands are different in what they like to eat..but they all want to eat. So feed them!

Happy Husband #4 Stay Attractive

I have seen this happen: Women get married and stop dressing nicely, stop doing their hair, stop wearing make-up (if they wore it when they dated) and let themselves go. They pretty much stop doing all the things they did to attract their husbands to them to start with.

A husband wants to show you off, and wants to feel good about himself. This has a lot to do with our appearance. He wants YOU to look good. I know it may not seem fair, but it is true.

Men are visual, and staying attractive effects how they feel about us [and how they feel about themselves.] Some of it, we can't help. Hormones, diseases, genetics can do cruel things to our bodies. A caring loving husband will love us in spite of our imperfections and vice versa. But it is still good advice to make every effort to stay attractive to our husbands.

Smile. Be positive. Don't be high maintenance. Strive to better yourselves. Be someone interesting to talk to. Make his happiness your top priority. And just watch, he'll do the same.

These time-less truths may sound old-fashioned , but if you follow them, you will have a happy husband who will look to you as his greatest strength, and the love of his life.

Moving Forward With Faith

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Mark 16

1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

2 And very early in the morning the ^afirst day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the ^brising of the sun.

3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?

I imagine these women on their walk to toward the tomb, with the spices in their hands and arms, preparing themselves for the task ahead, anointing the body of Christ.

Maybe they started talking amongst themselves about the stone they knew was there, guarding the tomb. How were they going to move the stone out of the way?

I am impressed by their faith as they moved forward with faith towards their goal not knowing really how it was all going to work out.

They didn't turn let their fears, or lack of knowledge in what was ahead of them, or their obvious inability to move such a large stone stop them from moving forward with faith.

They trusted. They believed. They had faith.

When they reached the tomb, they realized the stone had already been moved out of the way.

4 ^aAnd when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

They were blessed for their faith, as they became the first women to see the Savior after His resurrection.

Moving forward with faith blessed their lives,

and it can bless ours.

Seeking Jesus

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lds.org

For many years before Christ’s birth man anxiously awaited the prophecies that He would come. Then came that night of nights when the angel of the Lord came upon shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock, and the pronouncement, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).

The shepherd were personally invited to search for Jesus. Did they wait or procrastinate their search for Jesus? The record affirms that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem. … And they came with haste” (Luke 2:15–16).

Wise men also seeking Jesus journeyed from the East to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. …

lds.org

“And when … they saw the young child with Mary his mother, [they] fell down, and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh” (Matt. 2:2, 10–11).

Moroni said,

“And … I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written” (Ether 12:38, 41).

The message from the Savior has always been the same “Come Follow me”

President Monson has said,

“How do we follow Jesus if first, we don’t find him?

And how shall we find him if first we don’t seek him?

Where and how should we begin this search for Jesus?"

"The formula for finding Jesus has always been and ever will be the same—the earnest and sincere prayer of a humble and pure heart. The prophet Jeremiah counseled, “Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13)."

"Before we can successfully undertake a personal search for Jesus, we must first prepare time for him in our lives and room for him in our hearts. In these busy days there are many who have time for golf, time for shopping, time for work, time for play—but no time for Christ."

"Many a lovely home provides rooms for eating, rooms for sleeping, rooms for family gatherings and activities, but no room for Christ."

Is our conscience pricked as we recall his own words: “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (Matt. 8:20). Or does it cause us embarrassment to remember, “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7). No room. No room. No room. Ever has it been."

"As we undertake our personal search for Jesus, aided and guided by the principle of prayer, it is fundamental that we have a clear concept of him whom we seek. The shepherds of old sought Jesus the child. But we seek Jesus the Christ, our older brother, our mediator with the Father, our Redeemer, the Author of our salvation; he who was in the beginning with the Father; he who took upon himself the sins of the world and so willingly died that we might forever live. This is the Jesus whom we seek."

lds.org

Excerpts from an article The Search for Jesus, [President Monson, Liahona June 1991]

Church History Tour-Kirtland A Sacred Place

2012-12-03T20:59:00.001-06:00

Kirtland - was one of the most spiritual times and places since the resurrection of Christ and the early days of the ancient Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Not only was it a place a hardship for the early saints, but it was a time and place for great spiritual manifestations which included several visitations of the Father and the Son as well as many other heavenly messengers.

Many "felt the power and felt the glory" of our Savior's visitations, [knew He was in the room with them], but did not see Him.

One of the principles that separates the beliefs of the restored Church of Jesus Christ from other religions is the belief in a living God.

"We believe in God the Eternal Father and in His Son Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost" [Article of Faith 1]

"These three beings make up the Godhead. They preside over this world and all other creations of our Father in Heaven.

The true doctrine of the Godhead was lost during the apostasy that followed the Savior's mortal ministry and the death of His Apostles. This doctrine began to be restored when 14-year-old Joseph Smith received his First Vision (see Joseph Smith—History 1:17). From the Prophet's account of the First Vision and from his other teachings, we know that the members of the Godhead are three separate beings. The Father and the Son have tangible bodies of flesh and bones, and the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit (see D and C 130:22). [ True to the Faith ]

Zebedee Coltrin related that while in the school of the Prophets, he saw the Savior, following which he saw God the Father:

"He was surrounded as with a flame of fire, which was so brilliant that I could not discover anything else but his person. I saw His hands, His legs, His feet, His eyes, nose, mouth, head and body in the shape and form of a perfect man...This appearance was so grand and overwhelming that is seemed I should melt down in His presence, and the sensation was so powerful that it thrilled through my whole system and I felt it in the marrow of my bones." [Salt Lake School of the Prophets, pg. 54]

This was really not an isolated event. During the Kirtland era, the heavens were very open much like they were open to the early Apostles after the resurrection of the Savior. The Kirtland Saints:

Saw visions
The gift of tongues fell on many
Saw the angels of heaven
Were blessed with visitations from angelic beings
Saw a heavenly messenger who Joseph Smith identified as the Apostle Peter
Heard heavenly music coming from the roof of the temple at the dedication
Saw angels hovering over the temple at night, others saw them in broad daylight
The Savior, Moses, Elias, Elijah accepting the temple
And much much more

On our tour we were able to spend 2 wonderful hours in the Kirtland Temple in the early morning hours. Although this temple is owned by another religion, it is still a holy hallowed place, one of the most sacred places on earth. We really felt that while we were there.

Our whole Church History Tour was....the best, and most amazing, and most spiritual week I have felt. I can't adequately put into words what was felt and experienced. I came away with a strong witness that it is true. All of it.

[sources: History of Joseph Smith, Who's Who in the Doctrine and Covenants by Susan Easton Black, Karl Anderson books: Joseph Smith's Kirtland, and The Savior in Kirtland - Personal Accounts of Divine Manifestation] Karl Anderson was our tour guide in Kirtland and spoke to us for 2 days while we were there.