In the Temple

Saturday I went to the temple.  While in there the thought came to me that instead of praying that my trials will be solved or go away I need to pray that I will be strengthened through them.  They aren't going to go away.  Then I thought again about the children of Israel and how God delivered them from Egypt, but first he strengthened them to bear their burdens until the time was right for them to be delivered.   By reading my patriarchal blessing I am reminded that I truly am part of the House of Israel and those same blessings and promises are effective for me too.  And so now I will pray for strength and have confidence that the Lord will work out all things for my good.

For Relief

I found this post in draft mode. I hadn't finished it and forgotten to post it.  I think I wrote this over the summer.
The theme in our stake this year is to Invite. Four times this year we should Invite a family over for dinner or dessert in our homes.  It should be casual and comfortable and friendly.  All of stake conference was about this subject until the very end, when in his closing remarks, the stake president said one sentence   "For some of us, things in our homes are not as they should be."  He mentioned that this needs to be corrected before we invite people into our homes.  That sentence had been nagging me for a couple of weeks until I finally was lead in what I should do.  I have known for awhile that there has been too much arguing in our home.  That I get too frustrated and feel out of control. My responses to the  kids are snappy and I further recognize it when I hear my kids repeating the things I have said and the tone of voice I have used, which made me even more frustrated.  I had tried to be better. Recognizing that I need to be going to bed earlier and exercising more so that I have the rest and the outlet I needed to be more calm.  I had tried to also be better at reading my scriptures daily and saying prayers.  Those were all good things but I still felt like I was loosing the battle daily.

The thought came to me one day as I was thinking about how I could change things, that "These things go not out but by fasting and prayer."  Then I had to prepare and deliver a lesson in Relief Society in Spanish.  I didn't have a topic at first, but after talking to my husband it became clear that I needed to speak on fasting.  He mentioned that our stake president had mentioned that the people in our stake were not utilizing fasting as often and as completely as they should be.  I knew that I also needed to fast for patience with my children.

Now I know that we are not supposed to advertise that we are fasting but we should do it privately unto the Lord.  But as I have talked with my neighbors, friends, family and other moms I meet at the park I know that I'm not the only one that has been feeling frazzled, tired, well exhausted, impatient, and totally overwhelmed with raising children.  So if my experience helps someone else, I'm good with that.

So the day I taught Relief Society, I fasted.  I didn't just go without food for 2 meals, but I prayed hard and frequently and I also realized that I also needed to repent of my behavior towards my children.  That Sunday, for the first time in a long time I was able to not react to my children's crying and whining, but just remain calm and listen and then move on.   It was such a blessing and I felt such strength from the Lord.  I felt strength and peace.  I also recognized that I couldn't/shouldn't just fast once and it's fixed, but that I needed to change completely. I needed a change of heart as is spoken about in the scriptures.  I knew that that change only comes by the atonement and I needed to continue in fasting and praying. I continued praying and studying my scriptures that week and then the next Sunday I fasted again for patience with my children.  During Sacrament meeting the high council speaker (which are my favorite by the way--they speak in English  spoke about his experience going backpacking and packing way too many things in his pack, causing him to not be able to keep up with the rest of the leaders and scouts. He fell behind and then one little boy who had reached camp first put down his pack and hiked back to help him. The High Councilman said that the little boy offered to carry his pack for him and finish the hike with him.   The High Councilman saw the symbolism: we may not go out and make great sins, but may fail to repent of all the little ones that we commit each day thus causing our "spiritual backpacks" to become laden with many heavy burdens that pull us away from the Spirit of the Lord.  He likened the innocent little boy to our Savior who offers repentance to us to take those burdens or sins from us and walk with us to the end.  

As I heard this talk from out in the hall bouncing my 1 year old to sleep on my shoulder.  I was thankful that I was able to hear this message.  I have been feeling weighted down for so long, not realizing that repentance was the key I was missing.  I had not been repenting and I was in great need of it.   I felt like I had been putting small rocks and pebbles in my backpack for years and trying to keep going, trying to keep up and failing. 

I also heard the quote somewhere that with my kids I should "Shower them with positives."      I started trying to do this and their behavior improved.  This talk below was also very pertinent to my life right now.

The Power of  Deliverance by L Tom Perry 

There are two stories in the Book of Mormon which are very similar and teach an important lesson. The first is from the book of Mosiah, starting with the 19th chapter. Here we learn of King Limhi living in the land of Nephi. The Lamanites had waged war against the people of Limhi. The result of the war was that the Lamanites would allow King Limhi to rule over his own people, but they would be in bondage to them. It was a very uneasy peace. (See Mosiah 19–20.)

When Limhi’s people had their fill of Lamanite abuses, they convinced their king to go against the Lamanites in battle. Three times Limhi’s people were defeated. Heavy burdens were laid upon them. Finally they humbled themselves and cried mightily unto the Lord that He would deliver them. (See Mosiah 21:1–14.) Verse 15 of chapter 21 tells us of the Lord’s response: “And now the Lord was slow to hear their cry because of their iniquities; nevertheless the Lord did hear their cries, and began to soften the hearts of the Lamanites that they began to ease their burdens; yet the Lord did not see fit to deliver them out of bondage.”

Soon after, Ammon and a small band of men from Zarahemla arrived, and with Gideon—one of the leaders of Limhi’s people—they worked out a plan which was successful, and they escaped from the Lamanite abuses. The Lord was slow to hear their cries. Why? Because of their iniquities.

The second story is similar in many respects but also different. The account is recorded in Mosiah 24.

Alma and his people had settled in the land of Helam, when an army of the Lamanites came into the borders of the land. They met and worked out a peaceful solution. (See Mosiah 23:25–29.) Soon the leaders of the Lamanites began to impose their will on the people of Alma and placed heavy burdens on them to bear (see Mosiah 24:8). In verse 13 we read, “And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.”

The people of Alma were delivered from the hands of the Lamanites and safely made their way back to be united with the people of Zarahemla.

What was the difference between the people of Alma and the people of King Limhi? Obviously, there were several differences: the people of Alma were peaceful and more righteous; they had already been baptized and entered into a covenant with the Lord; they humbled themselves before the Lord even before their tribulations started. All these differences made it appropriate and fair that the Lord would deliver them quickly in a miraculous way from the hand which kept them in bondage. These scriptures teach us of the Lord’s power of deliverance.

Quote

 In today’s world, there are a multitude of activities, subjects, and interests vying for every minute of our attention. With so many distractions, do we have the strength, discipline, and commitment to remain focused on what matters most? 

Apostasy

I'm preparing to teach Sociodad de Soccoro on Sunday and here are some of my notes.  Most quotes come from the Gospel Principles manual.

la restauración y la apostasía

Throughout history, evil people have tried to destroy the work of God. This happened while the Apostles were still alive and supervising the young, growing Church. Some members taught ideas from their old pagan or Jewish beliefs instead of the simple truths taught by Jesus. Some rebelled openly. In addition, there was persecution from outside the Church. Church members were tortured and killed for their beliefs. One by one, the Apostles were killed or otherwise taken from the earth. Because of wickedness and apostasy, the apostolic authority and priesthood keys were also taken from the earth. The organization that Jesus Christ had established no longer existed, and confusion resulted. More and more error crept into Church doctrine, and soon the dissolution of the Church was complete. The period of time when the true Church no longer existed on earth is called the Great Apostasy.

Soon pagan beliefs dominated the thinking of those called Christians. The Roman emperor adopted this false Christianity as the state religion. This church was very different from the church Jesus organized. It taught that God was a being without form or substance.

The Lord had foreseen these conditions of apostasy, saying there would be “a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. … They shall … seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it” (Amos 8:11–12).

A lo largo de la historia, ha habido gente inicua que ha tratado de destruir la obra de Dios. Eso fue lo que sucedió mientras los apóstoles se encontraban aún con vida y supervisaban la nueva y floreciente Iglesia. Algunos miembros enseñaban ideas relacionadas con sus antiguas creencias paganas o judías en lugar de las sencillas verdades que había enseñado Jesús y algunos de ellos se rebelaron abiertamente. Además, hubo persecución de fuera de la Iglesia y los miembros de la Iglesia fueron torturados y asesinados debido a sus creencias. Uno por uno los apóstoles fueron muertos o de otra manera quitados de la tierra. Debido a la iniquidad y a la apostasía, la autoridad apostólica y las llaves del sacerdocio también fueron quitadas de la tierra. La organización que Jesucristo había establecido dejó de existir y, como resultado, hubo confusión. Cada vez se introducían más conceptos equivocados en la doctrina de la Iglesia y, poco tiempo después, la disolución de la Iglesia fue total. Al período que abarca la época durante el cual la Iglesia verdadera no estuvo en la tierra se le llama la Gran Apostasía.

Pronto las creencias paganas dominaron la forma de pensar de los llamados cristianos. El emperador romano adoptó ese cristianismo falso como la religión del estado. Esa iglesia era muy diferente de la Iglesia que Jesús había organizado; enseñaba que Dios era un ser sin forma ni substancia.

El Señor había previsto esas condiciones de apostasía y dijo que enviaría “…hambre a la tierra, no hambre de pan ni sed de agua, sino de oír la palabra de Jehová. E irán… buscando la palabra de Jehová y no la hallarán” (Amós 8:11–12).

Then came the First Vision. In the spring of 1820, one of the most important events in the history of the world occurred. The time had come for the marvelous work and wonder of which the Lord had spoken.

An unschooled boy, seeking knowledge fromthe ultimate source, saw two personages of indescribable brightness andglory and heard one of them say, while pointing to the other, “This is MyBeloved Son. Hear Him!” (JS—H 1:17.) The divine teaching in that visionbegan the restoration of the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Godthe Son told the boy prophet that all the “creeds” of the churches of thatday “were an abomination in his sight” (JS—H 1:19). We affirm that thisdivine declaration was a condemnation of the creeds, not of the faithfulseekers who believed in them. Joseph Smith’s first vision showed that theprevailing concepts of the nature of God and the Godhead were untrueand could not lead their adherents to the destiny God desired for them.

After a subsequent outpouring of modern scripture and revelation, thismodern prophet declared, “The Father has a body of flesh and bones astangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body offlesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit” (D&C 130:22).

Luego vino la Primera Visión. En la primavera del año 1820, ocurrió uno de los acontecimientos más importantes en la historia del mundo. Había llegado el momento para la obra maravillosa y un prodigio, del cual había hablado el Señor. Un joven sin educación básica, en busca del conocimiento de la fuente suprema, vio a dos Personajes de un fulgor y gloria indescriptibles, y oyó a uno de ellos decir, mientras señalaba al otro: “Este es mi Hijo Amado. ¡Escúchalo!” (José Smith-Historia 1:17.) La enseñanza divina de esa visión dio comienzo a la restauración de la plenitud del Evangelio de Jesucristo. Dios el Hijo dijo al joven Profeta que todos los “credos” de las iglesias de ese día “eran una abominación a su vista” (v. l9). Afirmamos que esta declaración divina fue una condena de los credos, no de los fieles seguidores que creían en ellos. La Primera Visión de José Smith demostró que los conceptos que prevalecían con respecto a la naturaleza de Dios y de la Trinidad no eran verdaderos y que no podrían conducir a sus adherentes al destino que Dios deseaba para ellos. Después de recibir Escrituras y revelaciones modernas, este Profeta contemporáneo declaró:

“El Padre tiene un cuerpo de carne y huesos, tangible como el del hombre; así también el Hijo; pero el Espíritu Santo no tiene un cuerpo de carne y huesos, sino es un personaje de Espíritu …” (D. y C. 130:22).

Every key or power necessary for the salvation of man which has ever been on the earth has been restored in our time. In addition to the keys of former dispensations, the dispensation of the fulness of times includes additional knowledge and keys that are necessary to our time in preparing all things for the coming of the Savior (see D&C 101:32-35;121:26-32; 124:41; 128:18).

Read Doctrine and Covenants 66:2.

 2 Verily I say unto you, blessed are you for receiving mine^aeverlasting covenant, even the fulness of my gospel, sent forth unto the children of men, that they might have ^blife and be made^cpartakers of the ^dglories which are to be revealed in the last days, as it was written by the prophets and apostles in days of old.

The gospel is the new and everlasting covenant—new because it has been restored, everlasting because it is always the same gospel message. That which would save a man from death and sin in former days will save a man from sin and death today.

After all the apostles of Christ's time had died or been killed the apostasy began.  "For many years people lived in spiritual darkness."  They did not have prophets or apostles on the earth. They didn't have any authority from Jesus Christ to perform priesthood ordinances. They didn't have revelation.

Now the greater question is WHY  do we choose to live in spiritual darkness when we have the light and fullness of the gospel around us?  With prophets, apostles, authority, and continuing revelation through the prophet and personally through the Holy Ghost.  Why do we choose spiritual darkness? It is all available to us.  Do we read our scriptures everyday?  Do we make time and watch General Conference on Saturday and Sunday and then study their words after?  Do we share it with people we meet.  We truly live in a glorious time.  The work of the Lord is hastening, we see evidence with the increase in missionaries that is taking place.

NO REGRETS:

Steve M. When I began working for the county I was out on a home visit with one of my new co-workers he asked me a question.  His teenage son had just passed away and he asked me what the best book I had read on grief was.  The first thing that came to my mind was the Book of Mormon.  Then I thought about a book by CS Lewis that he wrote after his wife's death.  Both books discussed grief.  I'm ashamed to say that I told him about CS Lewis book and I didn't share the Book of Mormon with him.  And I have regretted it ever since.  

A sister on my mission went running after a person on the street to offer them a Book of Mormon. As we yelled to her, "where are you going?" She called back "No Regrets." We all have regrets in life.  How can those experiences help us to change the future so that we can live with No Regrets.  Although I will always regret not telling him about the Book of Mormon during his time of greatest grief.  I remembered this experience again recently and it gave me the courage I needed to give my good friend a Book of Mormon.  

Our Stake Presidency has been inspired to ask each family in the stake to "Invite" four families into our homes for a meal or games or dessert.   Are we following their counsel?   Will we have regrets if we don't?  We have been told that if we don’t find people for the missionaries to teach we will lose our missionaries in this branch.  I think our inspired Stake Presidency has already given us the solution to the problem.  Have we invited nonmembers into our homes? Not to share the gospel but to talk and build friendships.  We have 2 months left.  I invited over my friend and her family and because of it conversations led me to be able to give her a Book of Mormon.   Let us experiment upon the good word and see what good can come of it.  As we do what our Stake Presidency has asked, God will work the miracles.