We have a lot of tomorrows

So I'm struggling sharing tonight's post for two reasons, one because it feels like a repeat (I think I'm at a point in my growth where I am once again relearning old lessons in new ways) and second because I'm a bit embarrassed.

Just like at a job when you won't be there you have to make sure there will be adequate coverage, so at the temple you start calling looking for subs. Unlike at other regular, during the day jobs, when I call someone to sub for me at the temple I am cold calling them asking them to get up at 4:30 on a Saturday morning and give up their regular plans until 11 am. I really struggle doing that to someone, I try to be there for my shift because I agreed to the shift and it is an honor to serve, at the same time life just happens. Life happening meant that I was on a trip in California when I woke up to realize I needed a sub in two weeks (it is generally much easier to find subs if you ask well in advance before someone else asks them). So I started praying that I could find the right one, and got home to compile my sub lists and start phone calls. Well as I prayed for help in finding one who could do it, and was ready, I had a name come to mind. Well feeling that this sister was often over-utilized and feeling that I needed to do my part, I called and texted everyone else on my list instead of her and of course I had no success. In my efforts to "do the work necessary for a blessing" I missed the most important work, following the spirit. I had prayed for help, but didn't follow it when it came.

Fast forward past six names on my list and lots of sisters who wanted to help, but had either been asked already or were out of town. I spent a lot of time telling myself not to panic because the Lord was preparing a way, panic shouldn't overshadow my faith. That however required obedience. So with this sister's name ringing in my ear I finally called her, only to hear she might have other plans, but that she would love to do it and would let me know in a day or two for sure. So I finished my day a little concerned, but finally feeling peace that I had followed the Spirit, even if it was delayed.

Fast forward to today in sacrament meeting, I was feeling bad about some poor perspective I was dealing with in other aspects of my life, feeling a bit overwhelmed and uncertain. As I am in the thick of trying to process all this and not feeling that I had done what I could have this week my phone buzzes. I take a peek and see a text from the sister I asked to help me and she said she would be traveling that weekend. She then told me she had asked her sister who happened to also work at the temple to sub for her instead. She gave me her info and said everything was taken care of. In that moment I realized it didn't matter that I had fallen short, it didn't matter that I didn't think I had lived up to the blessing, it mattered that Heavenly Father wanted to bless me and I did obey and I am trying. As I pondered on His perfect timing, sending me to a sister that though she couldn't do it, she found someone for me and even asked me to ask her again in the future. This dear sister went out of her way to help me do my responsibility. The Lord placed in my path someone who He knew would go the extra mile.

As I pondered on that during the talks the Spirit whispered to me that I had once again underestimated how much the Lord wants to bless me. Even knowing I wouldn't listen originally He still answered my prayer, and helped me through the process to get who He needs to be in the temple that day.

Another quick example, as I mentioned last week I was struggling with balance, balance with money. Having grown up in an atmosphere of being economical I can typically talk myself out of spending money, even if it is something completely worth while and something I have saved for. Well last week Heavenly Father reminded me it isn't bad to do something for me, something that I would enjoy. So in my adventures at Disneyland I threw self denial to the wind and I did all those things I wanted to do when I was a kid. I got ice cream, had a delightful churro, bought two lunches in one day, and a dole whip, it was So Much Fun!!! At first I wondered how I could spend so much on something that would be gone tomorrow and then Christopher said we couldn't leave the park until I bought a souvenir for myself. I guess my point is, this life is about having joy and being kind to yourself. On top of that with all my worries last week Heavenly Father arranged it that I have the money I need for all my obligations and reminded me that I need to be kind to myself for He is even kinder to me than I often give Him credit for.

This life is about learning, growing and experiencing new things. Heavenly Father knows that we will fall short, He better than any of us realizes the difficulties of mortal life and through the Atonement of Jesus Christ He extends mercy and kindness. He knows when we feel halted and burdened down by our falling short and less thans, that doesn't mean He stands in judgement, that means He stands in kindness, it is time to allow ourselves to feel that kindness, to embrace His mercy. Our Savior stands at the door and knocks, not to yell at us or nag, but to hold us in His arms, to extend His empathy and to help us find the strength to try again tomorrow. Sometimes we will feel frustration, sometimes we won't listen as quickly as we should, sometimes our perspectives can become skewed and sometimes we need to rest in the Lord and know He has patience in us as we try again tomorrow. We have a lot of tomorrows for our progression.

To find balance

My post tonight will be short, typing this in a huge hotel in California. I promised myself years ago I wouldn't miss a Sunday, so here is what I have learned this week. The world teaches us to spend, spend, spend, masking the true cost of that spending. Yet being tight fisted takes the strength of thriftiness to inappropriate levels. We are in this life to learn balance for Heavenly Father also desires us to enjoy life.
 Here is learning to find balance, to not get caught up in the world, while still allowing ourselves joy in what this mortal life has to offer. To be good and wise stewards for ourselves and others.

A Whisper is All We Need

After the amazing power and spiritual strength of last week, this week has felt hurried, harried, stressed, overwhelming and discouraging. I blinked and it was already Wednesday and even though I knew I wanted to be in the temple I spent my entire time there feeling like I was short-changing the Lord because I could only do two names and was late getting there. Then I spent most of my time during the week feeling frustrated by the distractions and work, then I felt bad for feeling frustrated. Needless to say, I needed the reminder from Elder Holland's talk a few conferences ago. I picked out those things that rang the most true for me, and I'll leave the link to the rest of the talk down below.

"My apologies to all the children who are now hiding under the sofa, but the fact of the matter is none of us want tomorrow, or the day after that, to destroy the wonderful feelings we have had this weekend. We want to hold fast to the spiritual impressions we have had and the inspired teachings we have heard. But it is inevitable that after heavenly moments in our lives, we, of necessity, return to earth, so to speak, where sometimes less-than-ideal circumstances again face us.

The author of Hebrews warned us of this when he wrote, “Call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions.”1 That post-illumination affliction can come in many ways, and it can come to all of us. Surely every missionary who has ever served soon realized that life in the field wasn’t going to be quite like the rarefied atmosphere of the missionary training center. So too for all of us upon leaving a sweet session in the temple or concluding a particularly spiritual sacrament meeting.

Remember that when Moses came down from his singular experience on Mount Sinai, he found that his people had “corrupted themselves” and had “turned aside quickly.”2 There they were at the foot of the mountain, busily fashioning a golden calf to worship, in the very hour that Jehovah, at the summit of the mountain, had been telling Moses, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” and “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.”3Moses was not happy with his flock of wandering Israelites that day!

During His earthly ministry, Jesus took Peter, James, and John to the Mount of Transfiguration, where, the scriptures say, “his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.”4 The heavens opened, ancient prophets came, and God the Father spoke.

After such a celestial experience, what does Jesus come down the mountain to find? Well, first He found an argument between His disciples and their antagonists over a failed blessing administered to a young boy. Then He tried to convince the Twelve—unsuccessfully, it turns out—that He would soon be delivered up to local rulers who would kill Him. Then someone mentioned that a tax was due, which was forthrightly paid. Then He had to rebuke some of the brethren because they were arguing about who would be the greatest in His kingdom. All of this led Him at one point to say, “O faithless generation, … how long shall I suffer you?”5 He had occasion to ask that question more than once during His ministry. No wonder He longed for the prayerful solitude of mountaintops!

Realizing that we all have to come down from peak experiences to deal with the regular vicissitudes of life, may I offer this encouragement as general conference concludes.

My brothers and sisters, the first great commandment of all eternity is to love God with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength—that’s the first great commandment. But the first great truth of all eternity is that God loves us with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength. That love is the foundation stone of eternity, and it should be the foundation stone of our daily life. Indeed it is only with that reassurance burning in our soul that we can have the confidence to keep trying to improve, keep seeking forgiveness for our sins, and keep extending that grace to our neighbor." (https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04/tomorrow-the-lord-will-do-wonders-among-you?lang=eng)

And I would like to add, if at times as you keep working and keep trying and you begin feeling the stirrings of the Spirit once more in your life (after the incredible spiritual feeling and then the "fight of afflictions"). Don't spend your time in mourning that the spiritual high is gone and you haven't returned to it, instead find joy in that spirit and keep asking, seeking and knocking. It doesn't matter whether the spirit comes as a hint or a tidal wave, it is simply a matter of what we do with it once we have it and maybe we need to discover what we will do even when the spirit is a whisper and perhaps in some circumstances a whisper is all we need. After all the hurry, bustle and stress of the last week, how sweet it was to sit in temple prep and have the sweet, quiet impressions of the Spirit enlighten my mind and illuminate to me scriptures in a way I had never thought of them before. It wasn't the excitement and thrill from two weeks ago, but it was a sweet spirit full of healing and hope.

Hastening Ourselves

 There has been such an air of excitement since the announcements in conference last week. It just feels like the earth itself is welling up with excitement with the hastening of the work that will bring her creator back to her. I think a part of the excitement also comes from the concourses of angels helping us preparing for the coming of the Savior as they feel we are another step closer to speeding His return. He stands at the door and knocks and He is coming speedily. This confirmation has me feeling both joyous and overwhelmed as I realize just how far I have to go before I will feel prepared to see my Savior once more.
   Last week many spoke about the need of taking the Holy Spirit as our guide so that he could prepare our hearts to recognize the Savior when He is in our midst. Some believe that Zion is something only built after the coming of Christ, but I wonder if Zion being built is the very thing that initiates the Second Coming, if learning to love and forgive in the Savior's way is the very thing required for Christ to come to His Saints in power and glory. What did the announcements of last week mean? Well they brought the priesthood together so they could minister as part of a unified group, they retired the aspects of visiting and home teaching that felt much like the Law of Moses, where numbers were counted now we have moved past the preparatory and move to the higher law. Ministering invites us to follow the steps of the Savior, to come to know someone, to learn of their heart and see how we can help and lift and lighten, it isn't about numbers, it is about the heart. Zion is the pure and unified in heart, we are building Zion.


   At this conference we were invited to increase our capacity to hear the Spirit and to act. I wonder if we realize just how many prayers we are positioned to answer, if only we will heed the call.
   I realize I haven't really said anything new or earth shattering tonight, in fact I'm quite sure that I've said all of these things at one time or another in previous blog posts. It's just this feeling in my heart tonight that I can't quite get over. It just feels like our Heavenly Father is inviting us to come to know Him through coming to know His Son. He is inviting us to draw nearer to Him, to invite Him into our lives because as Pres Eyring said the members of the Godhead will not force themselves into our lives. It is up to us to invite them and they want us to so badly. We cannot wait until Christ comes in the clouds to learn to recognize His voice, we cannot wait until the earthquakes and typhoons scream so loudly that we realize the earth is in upheaval and not know the voice that will call us to safety. There really weren't a lot of warnings this conference, there wasn't discussions about the Proclamation nor warnings to follow the prophet. But there were a lot of invitations to invite the Spirit into our lives, to forgive, to unify, to allow the love of our Savior to change our hearts. This conference marks a beginning, the time to be called to repentance is past, the time to know we ourselves need to repent is here. The time to be commanded in all things over the pulpit is past, the time to do the small and simple things as directed by the Spirit is here.
    All week the phrase of Oliver Cowdery after being baptized and receiving the Aaronic Priesthood has been on my mind "These are days never to be forgotten..." The following article expresses these feelings to well, it speaks of preparing young women, I would add it is time for all of us to prepare.

There is a beautiful footnote found in the Pearl of Great Price. It is in Joseph Smith—History 1:71. Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery had just received the Aaronic Priesthood and been instructed to baptize each other. Oliver Cowdery was the first person to be baptized by the proper authority in the dispensation of the fulness of times. The footnote of that verse reads: “Oliver Cowdery describes these events thus: ‘These were days never to be forgotten . . . and I shall ever look upon [the] expression of the Savior’s goodness with wonder and thanksgiving.’” Since that day in 1829, the work of the Church has rolled forward with majesty and grace. Theirs was a day of establishing, learning, and discovering. Ours is a day of hastening and gathering.

In the book of Moses, the Lord teaches Enoch that “righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem” (Moses 7:62). 

These are the latter days, and the “flood” has begun. Look at the Book of Mormon. It has been translated into 82 languages, and over 150 million copies have been printed. The Book of Mormon is flooding the earth. It is an exciting time to be trusted by the Lord and to engage in His holy work.

As the Book of Mormon floods the earth, we need missionaries to assist in teaching its truths. When I heard the announcement of the change in missionary age during the October 2012 general conference, I was thrilled. I felt a sense that we must be ready whenever a prophet speaks. We must be worthy and respond to the promptings of the Holy Ghost. Many youth expressed to me that they had felt stirrings within their hearts even before this announcement was made that they should increase their preparation. That is called “hastening.” The youth are feeling it. They are being called to serve in so many ways. I believe that President Thomas S. Monson is saying to the youth, “We trust you! We know who you are! You have a great work to do!”

Parents, your homes can be missionary training centers. Your homes can be family history centers. Your homes can be a refuge from the storms in the world. This places a wonderful opportunity directly on our shoulders to strengthen the rising generation. The Church can assist, but parents do it best and most effectively. 

We too must hasten our preparation of our children to serve the Lord.  We must put the exclamation mark on the simple things we have been asked to do in our homes—daily scripture study, personal prayer, family prayer, family home evening, wholesome recreation, and preparing our children by teaching them the skills they will need to be successful away from home.

When I was first called as the Young Women general president, I felt the hand of the Lord guiding me with urgency to hasten my work in an effort to help Him hasten His. Our vision as a newly called presidency was to assist parents and priesthood leaders to help every young woman be worthy to make and keep covenants and receive the ordinances of the temple. This was very, very clear when we were called. That is why Sister Mary N. Cook, Sister Ann M. Dibb, and I climbed Ensign Peak for our first presidency meeting. From there, the only thing we saw that day was the Salt Lake Temple. It glistened! It gave us a goal and vision of the work. Our first focus was to add the value of virtue to Personal Progress so that young women could develop a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards including chastity and purity. It also required young women to read the Book of Mormon. This was the first step in our role in “hastening” the work. Next we worked with our priesthood leaders, the Young Men general presidency and others to make the standards clear and updated to current circumstances, thus the new “For the Strength of Youth” booklet. Again, we worked together on the capstone “Come Follow Me," the new teaching and learning model we now have for youth.

As the work is hastened, there is a great need for gathering. I am impressed by the young women’s response to serve full-time missions. I don’t think they will be swept away by peer pressure. Their main focus is on the temple. They wear their Young Womanhood Recognition medallions with pride. They understand that a mission is a wonderful opportunity for them and the timing is right for many of them. But all young women will not serve missions. And that is a righteous choice as well. After all, someone has to be here to date those young elders when they return home in two years! I am confident in the young women because I know how spiritually sensitive they are, and they know how to receive answers to their prayers. They will do what is right for them.

The young women know who they are. They know that they have a glorious purpose. They are converted! No matter what choice a young woman makes regarding missionary service, there are four things that will help her prepare for her future roles and responsibilities:  

1.     Obtain a temple recommend and seek out family names and take them to the temple to perform baptisms.

2.     Read the Book of Mormon.

3.     Receive, recognize, respond to, and rely on the Holy Ghost.

4.     Be pure enough to hear the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

Parents, buckle your seat belts! The youth of the Church are hastening their work. The young women seem to feel an innate yearning to be involved in a great cause.  They are ready and willing to serve. The 2013 Mutual theme is from Doctrine and Covenants 87:8: “Stand ye in holy places, and be not moved.” It is imperative that we make our homes holy places where our youth can prepare themselves to serve the Lord and ultimately return to Him. Our homes must be sanctuaries where the Spirit can dwell. The Lord through His prophets seems to be saying, “Prepare yourself, your home, and your family—then serve.”

The Lord is hastening His work and gathering His children. He has a plan, and we are all part of it. May I add my voice to Oliver Cowdery’s and declare that truly “These [are] days never to be forgotten . . . and I shall ever look upon [the] expression of the Savior’s goodness with wonder and thanksgiving.’” (https://www.lds.org/church/news/days-never-to-be-forgotten?lang=eng&_r=1)

May we prepare ourselves to hasten ourselves to be ready to hasten the work.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/04/am-i-a-child-of-god?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/04/take-the-holy-spirit-as-your-guide?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/04/his-spirit-to-be-with-you?lang=eng

At the tomb

I have long enjoyed when Easter and Conference land on the same day. There is something about hearing the 15 men called as special witnesses of Jesus Christ testify of His life and resurrection on the day we celebrate His defeat over death and the promise of redemption and immortality for us all.

That being said I was quite surprised when there wasn’t more talks about the events that led to the Christian world celebrating Easter. Elder Uchtdorf’s talk was really the only talk that discussed Christ’s journey from Gethsemane to the empty tomb, he invited us to Behold the Man, our Savior and Redeemer. There was much mention that today is Easter and that Christ lives and Pres Eyring gave an account of visualizing Christ and Mary in the Garden (which was so very powerful). Yet with all the surprises of the weekend at times it felt to meet that Easter got lost under changing priesthood quorums, retiring home and visiting teaching for ministering and the knowledge that seven new temples will soon be under construction from Layton, Utah to India, to Russia.

In the midst of me sort of feeling that the Easter meetings I was hoping for and expecting were hi-jacked (don’t get me wrong, I am very excited for these changes) the Spirit came knocking at my heart to open up and see a bigger picture. The picture I then saw helped me see that the talks and changes that came today are an invitation to not only remember Christ, but to become like Him and do His work and serve His children. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then doing the work our Savior did is our way to show that His sacrifice for us has changed our lives and we are grateful enough to change ourselves to become more.

As I think back to the talks that stood out to me the most (Elder Robbins, Elder Bednar, Pres Eyring, Pres Oaks, Elder Holland, and Pres Nelson) I see invitations to learn to be okay with failure, to keep growing and trying again with enthusiasm, to take the Spirit as my guide. As Pres Eyring spoke that a witness to the Spirit is more powerful and lasting than seeing with our mortal eyes I felt the Spirit telling me to develop my spiritual eyes, to allow myself to be put in places where I can be taught and tutored by the Spirit so that my nature can be changed and the Spirit can one day introduce my heart to my Savior for that is a witness that can never be taken away. I was taught to be submissive and meek, to allow my life to be directed daily by the Spirit and to pursue the Spirit and things of the divine with my whole heart. I was taught to minister in the Savior’s way. With billions on the earth needing love and comfort the Lord needs each of us to help His children, to learn charity and to simply love without counting the cost or hoping for a return on my investment of time.

We live in an era of the world when remembering isn’t enough anymore. No longer can we take holidays as the time to remember the Savior and His work, then return to our work a day world. We live in a world that needs that remembering to change hearts and lives and to give us the desire to do as He did.

I feel like I am not doing this post justice, today as I listened to the messages from our seers and revelators my heart burned within me to take the messages and do something more, to take the Spirit as my guide, to seek charity and to love as I haven’t loved before. How do we honor the Savior and the work He did in gardens and on the cross, how do we show Heavenly Father we have taken it to heart? We live like His Son. I hope we see that all that has happened the last two days is another step closer to Zion, they are inviting us to change and unify the heart, they are asking us to access the powers of heaven before the typhoon is upon, there is a typhoon coming, if we follow the counsel we heard this weekend and if we take it to heart in the months to come we will make it through the typhoon and bless many in the process, if we do not, then a day of reckoning is coming.

I hope this Easter day we remember the work of our Savior in gardens, to suffer for us, then to live again for us, and that we share that light and life with the world, oh how it needs it now and what a joy to help in this holy work.

My challenge to you as the print versions of the talk come available to count how many times the words “holy” and “unity” were used, I think there is a message there for the latter day saints and the world at large. May we go forth ever ready for a harder right and light to shine forth in the world.