Power of Examples and The Power of God in Our Lives

Last night we went to a piano recital for my kids. One of the students performing was a young man in our Stake who has Down syndrome. He was placed in the front of the room with the other students. His mother sat directly behind him, so that she could remind him to be quiet through the performances. Every so often he would turn around, wave at his dad, and loudly whisper—“I love you dad, I love you dad.” His turn to perform finally arrived, and he was ecstatic. I could tell that music connected with his soul. When he was finished with his piece, he clasps his hands together, and threw them up in the air, shaking them from side to side as he seemed to be shouting, “hooray, and hooray.” Again, I was touched by his enthusiasm, and his genuine love. The last number of the evening was played by his sister, and much to her embarrassment—he insisted on her bowing more than once, because of his pure joy at how well she had done.

As I watched this young man express love to those around him, I thought of his example of pure love. I looked at my family, and I was reminded of the precious gift they truly are. I found myself moved to tears as I recommitted to speak of my love more often, to express it in action as well as word. Sometimes I get so busy with the day to day tasks that I neglect to stop and enjoy the moment. I don’t want the “moments” to pass me by.  

The other day as I was working with my son on his reading, I found myself getting frustrated. Jacob struggles with reading, but he is extremely capable. As we work, he gets better day by day. Sometimes he has a desire to persevere and to work, but other times—it’s just too hard. It was one of those “it’s just too hard” kind of days, and I found myself losing my patience at his lack of effort. I’m not sure what the “best” parenting technique would have been in this scenario, but I know that being impatient wasn't the technique I should have been using. Last night’s recital reminded me of the sanctity of our families, of the things that matter most, of the importance of patience even when it is so hard to be patient. I’m grateful to my Savior for his patience with me. Because of Him, I get to have a “redo” today. The atonement is a beautiful gift. I cannot adequately express through words my gratitude to my Savior—He loved me enough that He gave His life, so that I might continually work at becoming more like Him. Today I will start again. I will pray to be guided, and as I seek Him, I know that day by day I can overcome. I can express the love that is in my heart, and I can be the mom I want to become.

I'm so proud of the hard work and effort my kid's put into their piano this year. Both Hailey and Amber received an award that takes at least three years of near perfect performances at the spring festival. Here's my description from my journal, of what they did to prepare, and the miracles that have transpired through prayer:

My girl’s have been in piano for quite some time. Every spring they play in what is called “Spring Festival”—they don’t necessarily perform for an audience, but rather a judge. The judge holds their music in hand, while they perform. She critiques everything about what they are playing—their dynamics, quarter notes, eighth notes, tempo, crescendos, memory, timing…essentially the song has to be perfect in order to receive a superior. Once a superior is earned for three years, then the pianist is presented with a trophy of achievement. It is something my girls have worked extremely hard to obtain. This year happens to be the third year for both Hailey and Amber, and they have been anticipating the Spring Festival for quite some time. When they received their music, all was well for a time; however, it soon became apparent that the music Amber was being asked to perform was outside of her ability. With only a few weeks left to her big performance, Amber approached her dad for a Father’s blessing. In the blessing, Amber was promised that if she continued to work, the Lord would bless her with the ability to perform. At Amber’s next lesson, her piano teacher was amazed at her progress. At the following lesson, her teacher admitted that she had been worried, and explained that Amber’s progress was a miracle. Amber told her teacher of her Father’s blessing, and her teacher—with tears in her eyes—bore testimony that the blessing had been pronounced upon Amber’s head. That Sunday, Amber stood during Fast and Testimony Meeting, and bore her testimony of the Priesthood power. She explained how she wasn't prepared for the festival even though she had worked extremely hard to be prepared. She bore testimony of the power of Heavenly Father in our lives' when we turn to Him for help. She testified that her progress was through Him. After Sacrament Meeting, while in Relief Society, someone commented on Amber’s testimony. One of the women touched by Amber’s testimony was a visitor to our ward. After the meeting, she asked me to inform her mother (who was in our ward) of Amber’s results as she would be praying for Amber throughout the week.  I was touched by her kind thoughts and her willingness to pray. The following week Amber performed her songs for the judges with very little mishap, and received a Superior on both of her songs. The hard work and dedication had definitely paid off.  With a great deal of relief, I silently put the whole experience behind us; however, the following Monday I received a phone call from the mother of the woman who said she would be praying for us. It had slipped my mind to contact her, so when I received her call, I felt terrible that I had neglected to report. I think I secretly wondered if she was truly interested in the results, or if she was simply being kind. The mother explained to me that her daughter had been praying for my daughter’s success, and needed to know how the piano festival had gone. I was touched that the woman who had said she would pray—truly did pray. I was also touched that she remembered Amber, and I could feel the Spirit whisper a tender mercy we had been given. I was grateful to this woman for her generosity, and thanked her for following up with me. 

15 Years=Memories to Last a Lifetime
Here are 15 of My FAVORITE!
Happy Anniversary, Sweet Heart!

I love my memory of walking to the beach in Seattle, having a picnic lunch, and playing in the sand.

I love my memories of Texas. The wildflowers. Hamilton Pool. Houston Temple. Dallas Temple. San Antonia. The Outlet Malls. Texas Football.

I love my memory of each of our children’s births. Those days were definite highlights to my life. I loved watching you tenderly hold them. I loved seeing you as a daddy. Since the time you first held Hailey till now…you melt my heart with your affection towards our children. And although I have never admitted it previously, I love that they have you wrapped around their fingers.

I love my memories of Sun Valley getaways. It is always nice to be alone with the man of my dreams.

I love my memories of Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches under the windowsill of President Hinckley’s office. Do you remember how we use to call it the “Summer of the Prophets”? I loved that Elder Holland was in our ward. Somehow that felt like a claim to fame. That perspective seems somewhat silly now, and somehow endearing all at the same time.

I love my memory of grass fights in college as I realized I was falling for you.

I love my memory of when I told you I loved you for the first time. I loved how you had to come and see me immediately (even though I told you not to).

I love that you sent me to Paris for my birthday. I felt so loved that you had thought of doing something so special for me. It warms my heart when I think of how you took a week off of work to take care of our kids, and when I think of how surprised I was at my reality of taking such an amazing trip. That trip symbolizes a love that you have for me. I felt like a princess. Thank you.

I love my memories of college, of scraping by to make ends meet, of finding joy in simply being together.

I love my memories of baby blessings and baptisms.

I love my memories of your constant support. Whenever I am feeling less than who I am, you have always built me. You lift me, and remind me of who I am. When I am with you, I feel I can conquer any trial that comes my way.

Do you remember when we started squeezing each others’ hands three times to represent “I love you”? It was in a devotional at Ricks College. I love that we still do that tradition to this day.

I love my memories of your patience as we do another idea I have created for our family. You have never complained. You have only supported. Many times these traditions mean that our children are going to bed late, and yet—you smile and support. I love that! You have always done that, and you continue to do that!!

I love my memories of past and of now when you supported me in my callings. As you know, I do not know how to do anything “small”. You have never complained when my calling took me away. There were weeks when I attended three or four different activities for my young women, and you never once complained—you only helped me to make it possible…even when that meant cereal and milk for dinner.)

My favorite memory of us is the moments we have spent coming closer to God—reading our scriptures, and saying our prayers—as a couple, and as a family. You offer me strength when you put your highest priority in the things that matter most. I remember when we were newlyweds, I asked you if you loved me, or if you loved God more. I think I selfishly wanted the answer to be me. How foolish I was. You taught me a lesson that day about the importance of Heavenly Father in our lives, and I remember working hard, so that I could also say that I loved my Heavenly Father more. You have always put Heavenly Father as top priority, and as you have—you have taught me. Do you remember the time when you were working crazy hours in Seattle, and you had home teaching to do? Here is how I described it in my journal: Perspective is a funny thing. With each new experience in life, our perspectives change, and so do we. Each new experience expands our minds like the ray of the sun creeping across the floor. When Bryan and I were still in school, I remember feeling we never had time for one another. I couldn't wait until Bryan started working, and we would have—what I thought—all the time in the world. However, when Bryan landed his first job, it was with a big five firm in Seattle, and the hours required of him were not what I was expecting. The hours that he was required to put into his job were incredibly hard on me—we definitely did not have the "all the time in the world" as I was expecting. When Amber was a newborn baby, I remember pacing the floors with her, and watching the clock. There were times when I had to remind myself that he was working, so he could provide for our family. Sometimes I simply didn't understand why his work would require so much of his time. One evening after a particularly hard week, Bryan came home early, so he could go home teaching. I remember sitting on the stairs of our home, as he was preparing to leave, and begging him to stay. With his hand on the doorknob, Bryan slowly turned. He looked into my tear-stained face, and slowly walked up the stairs to where I sat. He crouched down beside me, and lifted my chin with his finger. We hugged for a moment, and then he said something I will never forget. He said, “What kind of man would you have me to be? I want to be with you too, but I know the Lord has called me elsewhere. You decide. What kind of man would you have me to be?” In that moment I knew what I wanted for him, and for our family. I knew I wanted him to serve the Lord, and I was grateful that I had married a man that would put the Lord first—even when I felt it was difficult. My perspective changed that day. I gained an understanding of putting the most important things first.

 I know that we are not perfect, but you make us a little bit better every day. 

SCRIPTURE POWER

I don't want to forget Jacob and bedtime. For a long time he was scared to go to bed for fear of having a nightmare. One night his sister turned on the scriptures while she was watching him, and ever since he hasn't been scared. He has said things like: "I feel the spirit with the scriptures", and he has admonished his friends on the way to school "to also listen...they'll make you happy". He truly is excited too! He pulls his scriptures out all of the time, and while he is playing, he wants to listen. The other night morning he woke up and announced, "I finished The Book of Mormon last night. I stayed up until I heard our favorite scripture about coming to Christ and then it was over". I thought that he might lose interest when he had read/listened to the entire book, but he hasn't. The other night he was so thrilled when he was going to bed, he excitedly told Amber that "Nephi was going to make it to the promised land". The biggest thing for me is that I know God answers prayers. It might not be in our timing, but He does answer. Both my prayers and Jake's prayers have been answered with this experience. Jacob has had a lot of fears, and I have prayed for help in helping him overcome--this is a tender mercy in our lives. In Jacob's nightly prayers, he use to pray to not have bad dreams, he use to beg me to stay by his side, he use cry before bed... I simply do not want to forget the blessing of answered prayers.... And also that he wears his Davy Crocket hat to bed (so funny).

Modesty Fireside

THE WHY of MODESTY

When my oldest daughter went to first grade, I remember feeling sad. All of a sudden my daughter’s greatest influence had changed from me—to her teacher. How could I possibly trust someone I had never met to take care of my little girl? I struggled with this transition—I struggled more than I would like to admit. Through many heart-felt prayers, I felt impressed to start a tradition with my precious daughter—a tradition that is still alive and well to this day. Every morning I ask her: “Who are you?” To which she answers: “I am a daughter of God.”

Each and every one of us is a precious daughter of our Heavenly Father. Every Sunday—you—young women stand and proclaim, “We are daughter’s of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love Him.” Elder Holland said, “You are literally a spirit daughter of heavenly parents with a divine nature and an eternal destiny.  That surpassing truth should be fixed deep in your soul and be fundamental to every decision you make as you grow into mature womanhood” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “To Young Women”, October 2005 General Conference).  

In our day it is difficult to remember our worth. We are “bombarded in movies, television, fashion magazines, and advertisements with the message that looks are everything! The pitch is, ‘If your looks are good enough, your life will be glamorous and you will be happy and popular” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “To Young Women”, October 2005 General Conference).  It can be easy to forget who we are. In the Book of Mormon there are numerous examples of prophets who understood their worth, and they knew for what they stood. I love the example of Moroni, when he said, “They put to death every Nephite that will not deny the Christ, and I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ” (Mor. 1:1), he knew his divinity and he had power to withstand. Nephi also knew of his worth when he proclaimed, “I, Nephi having been born of goodly parents” (1 Ne. 1:1), as well as Mormon when he said, “I am a disciple of Jesus Christ—the son of God” (3 Ne. 5:13). What about the Stripling Warriors when it was written that “they had been taught by their mother’s, if they did not doubt—God would deliver them?” (Alma 55:47). Can you imagine their strength of character—their resolve to do the Lord’s will no matter the cost? These examples demonstrate the power that comes from knowing and understanding our divinity. By understanding our worth, we can be given the power from on high to withstand the temptations of this world, and to rise above the messages of glamour bombarding us on every side.

Elder Holland reminds us of this truth when he spoke on the power of dressing modestly. He said, “I plead with you young women to please be more accepting of yourselves, including your body shape and style, with a little less longing to look like someone else. We are all different. Some are tall, and some are short. Some are round, and some are thin. And almost everyone at some time or other wants to be something they are not! But as one adviser to teenage girls said: “You can’t live your life worrying that the world is staring at you. When you let people’s opinions make you self-conscious you give away your power. … The key to feeling [confident] is to always listen to your inner self—[the real you.]”  And in the kingdom of God, the real you is “more precious than rubies” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “To Young Women”, October 2005 General Conference).  

When we seek the approval of others, we lose sight of our inner self. We all have an “inner self” that guides us and directs us. Recently, my daughter was practicing her piano, when she kept stopping to pull on her shirt. From my perspective, her shirt looked fine; however, it was obvious that my daughter was uncomfortable. She was so distracted by her shirt that she finally decided to change her shirt entirely. After my daughter changed, I was grateful she listened to her inner spirit. When we listen to that inner self—we are confident. If there is any questions as to whether or not something is modest—the easiest solution is to simply not wear it! When we dress modestly, what our Father in Heaven thinks becomes more important than what the world thinks. In the For Strength of Youth it states, “Through your dress and appearance, you can show that you know how precious your body is. You can show that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ and that you love Him”. It further states that “when you are well groomed and modestly dressed you, you invite the companionship of the Spirit and you can be a good influence on others. Your dress and grooming influence the way you and others act.”

When I was a young woman, I learned firsthand how my dress could influence others for good and invite the companionship of the Spirit. As a junior in High School, I competed in the Junior Miss Pageant. It was an expectation in my family that I would participate; however, in order to participate, a contestant needed to be able to perform a talent on stage. I felt that I was talented on the basketball court, but I wasn't sure how to demonstrate that talent in a pageant setting—I felt much like a fish out of water. After much consideration, a friend and I choreographed a clogging routine to the song “Great Balls of Fire”. My clogging experience was minimal, but due to a talented, patient friend—I was able to pull it off. Once my talent was underway, my mother and I went shopping to prepare for the evening gown competition. As we shopped, we gave only one criterion to each salesclerk—it had to be modest. It never occurred to me that this decision would make any sort of impact on someone else; however, after the pageant, I received a letter that said:

 “Dear Carrie, I just had to drop you a note to tell you how proud I was of you at the pageant last night. You were so beautiful and radiated that same spirit that you have inside you! You were truly an example of your young woman medallion. You chose to be modest in your dress when many other LDS girls didn't...thank you for being an example.”

When I chose my attire for that evening, I had no idea that anyone else would notice my dress. I had no idea that I was setting an example. I had no idea that I radiated the spirit through my dress.

President Harold B. Lee said, “Do not underestimate the important symbolic and actual effect of appearance. Persons who are well groomed and modestly dressed invite the companionship of the Spirit of our Father in Heaven and are able to exercise a wholesome influence upon those around them... Outward appearance is often a reflection of inward tendencies” (The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, ed. Clyde J. Williams [1996], 220).

We are daughters of our Heavenly Father. He does love us! He wants more than anything for us to return to Him someday. In order for us to be worthy of such a gift, we need to act the part. We need to take to heart the examples that are provided us in the scriptures, and do as they did—stand firm in our resolve to choose the right—to keep the commandments of God. We are promised in Mosiah 2:41 that when we keep the commandments of our Heavenly Father, “we are blessed in all things—both temporal and spiritual”.  Elder Holland said, “For you to fully claim Heavenly Father’s blessings and protection, we ask you to stay true to the standards of the gospel of Jesus Christ and not slavishly follow the whims of fads and fashions” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “To Young Women”, October 2005 General Conference).  Dearest Young Women, these promised blessings are yours to be had. I stand tonight and ask you the same question that I ask my daughter, “Who are you?” To which we can all answer, “We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love Him! Let us stand as witnesses of God. Let us demonstrate our love for our Heavenly Father through our modest attire, and by so doing gaining confidence in the presence of the Lord.

THE KEY TO SPIRITUAL PROTECTION

In our world today, I have often felt worried, and I have desired for a sure way to protect myself and my family from the adversary. Our ultimate goal in this life is to live worthy to receive eternal life.  I love in the Book of Mormon when King Lamoni’s father asked, “What shall I do that I may have this eternal life?” I have often wondered similarly, and questioned—am I doing enough? What more can I do? There have been times when I have lamented to my husband that I wished I had my own personal Liahona. In the Book of Mormon, the Liahona was used by Lehi and his family. It was a brass ball that gave both spiritual counsel and directional instruction. However, the Liahona worked only according to the faith and diligence of Lehi’s family (1 Nephi 16: 28-29). I have told my husband that if I could only look into a ball, and be told exactly what to do, I would then do it. I would follow it exactly. These wistful thoughts were hinged on my desire for protection against the adversary, and my ultimate goal of eternal life. As I have prepared for this talk, I have realized that I do have a Liahona—it is the word of God, or in other words—the scriptures.

Alma 37: 44-45  illustrates how the scriptures are our personal Liahona’s. It states,

44 For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the ^aword of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass (the Liahona), which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land.

45 And now I say, is there not a ^atype in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise.
[italicized added for explanation purposes]

This scripture promises us that if we study the words of Christ, and give heed to those words, we will be guided to eternal life. The prophets through the ages have offered us many promises by simply studying the words of God. I have been astounded at the blessings that the Lord is ready to offer us. By no means am I able to list all of the blessings that we might receive if we study the scriptures, but I would like to share a few to demonstrate just how the scriptures are our personal Liahona’s. Listen to these promises:

President Hinckley promised, “I promise you that as you read, your minds will be enlightened and your spirits will be lifted” (Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Light within You”, May 1995).

In a recent talk given by Elder Packer he said, “Happiness…depends upon living those standards established by the Savior and set forth in His scriptures.” He further stated that “Scriptures hold the keys to spiritual protection” (“The Key to Spiritual Protection”, Boyd K. Packer, General Conference).

President Ezra Taft Benson promised, “When individual families immerse themselves in the scriptures regularly and consistently, other areas of activity will automatically come. Testimonies will increase. Commitment will be strengthened. Families will be fortified. Personal Revelation will flow” (Ezra Taft Benson, “The Power of the Word,” Ensign, May 1986).

Bruce R McConkie promised “an increase of faith and desire to do what’s right…” (Bruce R. McConkie, in Church News, 24 Jan. 1976). Marvin J. Ashton said that the scriptures are “our bulwark of defense against a cunning adversary” (Marvin J. Ashton, in Conference Report, Oct. 1977). L. Tom Perry promised that scripture study will enrich our lives and prepare our families to meet the challenges of today… (L. Tom Perry, in Conference Report, April 1993).

And my personal favorite “promise” of scripture study is found in the Book of Mormon when Nephi said, “whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction” (1 Ne. 15:24).

I love that Nephi tells us that as we listen to the “word”, we cannot be overpowered by Satan’s temptations! With temptations surrounding us on every side, this is a huge promise!  This point is illustrated by Lehi’s vision of the tree of life. From that vision we learn that by holding to the rod, which is the word of God, we can traverse through Satan’s temptations, and partake of God’s love or in other words—eternal life. This vision is another example within the scriptures that the “word of God” or “the scriptures” are our personal Liahona’s for true happiness. Sister Cooke, in a recent general conference, spoke to parents’ in their role of holding to the rod. She said, “In today’s world, complete with temptations, holding fast can be challenging. As Satan, in his conniving ways, tries to pull us away from God’s ways—if we have one hand on the rod, and one hand in the world we put our children and youth in danger of losing their way on the path. If our example is confusing than in Jacob’s words—we lose the confidence of our children because of our bad examples. Our message must be clear; clarity can only result from having both hands on the rod, and from living by the truths found in the scriptures and taught by latter-day prophets.”

The scriptures have truly blessed my life, and the lives’ of my family. As we study the scriptures and apply the principles to our lives—we are partaking of the blessings we have been promised. Allow me illustrate by sharing two personal stories from my life.

My first experience is about how the scriptures can bring us peace in times of need.  About three years ago a friend of our family passed away. After his passing, Jacob began asking questions concerning death. After a while those questions turned inward, and he began asking questions concerning his death, and with his questions of death—fear became our companion. Jacob was afraid of dying. As his mother, I felt that we needed to help Jacob face his fears. One of those fears was riding his bike. I felt that the Lord guided me as I took off the training wheels from Jacob’s bike; however, as Jacob cried for his training wheels—I questioned my methods more than once. Slowly our work turned into progress, and Jake began riding his bike; however, he was still consumed by his fear. One morning as we were getting ready to ride bikes, I felt prompted to say a prayer with Jake. We talked about praying for help in riding his bike, and then we prayed for that help. After his prayer, I again felt prompted, and I asked Jake to tell me his favorite scripture. He slowly began reciting Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid…” as soon as Jacob said those words, I stopped him and asked him to repeat the last part again. As he slowly said the words, “be not afraid”, understanding seemed to change his countenance. I then asked him to tell me the rest of the scripture, to which we concluded that Heavenly Father would help us in our fears. We set out to ride bikes with a new determination. As we started to ride, Jacob lost his courage, and started to cry out in desperation. It was at this moment that I reminded Jacob of our scripture, “Jake—be not afraid.” Remembrance flickered on his face and he began chanting, “be not afraid, be not afraid, be not afraid” (Joshua 1:9).  Jake’s bike steadied, and ever since that moment, whenever he finds he is nervous—he chants, “be not afraid, be not afraid, be not afraid”. Through this scripture, Jacob became the boy I knew him to be. He believed with all of his heart that God would be with him, because the scripture said He would. Elder Scott said that “scriptures can calm an agitated soul, giving peace, hope and a restoration of confidence in one’s ability to overcome the challenges of life” (The Power of Scripture, Richard G. Scott, General Conference).

My second experience is about how scriptures can bring us closer to our Heavenly Father and His plan for us. I have an elder brother who until just recently has not been interested in many of the lasting joys that accompany membership in our church. However, slowly his disinterest turned to interest, and two years ago my dear brother and his beautiful wife were sealed in the temple with their two children. I can’t begin to express the feelings that accompanied this marvelous event. It truly was a sacred moment in our family. After the sealing, I asked my sister-in-law what it was that made the difference for her and her family. She said that it started with a simple goal—a baby step.  As a family they made a goal to read the Book of Mormon in a year. She said that at times it was difficult. She remembers many mornings when no one wanted to rise for early morning scripture study, but through perseverance day by day this baby step turned into something more than a simple goal. The seed planted by the word of God, began to enlarge their souls, and by the end of the year my brother received the priesthood, and he and his wife were sealed in the temple for time and all eternity. My sister-in-law said that without scripture study, they would not have made their covenants in the temple.

The scriptures are a part of my families’ everyday life. Sometimes they help in big ways like these stories mentioned, but most of the time it’s the fortification that they provide to me and my family on a daily basis. When I don’t read my scriptures, I can feel a difference. I am a better wife and mother when I take the time to read. My niece is serving a mission in Philadelphia when she called home for Christmas she testified of this truth. She said that she knew that as she studied her scriptures with real intent, she could feel the power of the Holy Ghost with her as she taught; however, when she simply read to just read—she could no longer feel that power.

I am amazed at the love of our Heavenly Father. He wants us to succeed. He has provided for us a manual—an instruction book, our own personal Liahona, and it is simply up to us to use it. Elder Eyring has said that, “the only way you can be sure that a busy schedule doesn’t crowd out scripture study is to establish a regular time to study the scriptures” (Eyring, A Discussion on Scripture Study, Ensign 2005). By making an effort to set aside a little of our day in the study of scriptures, we are promised great blessings. In Alma 37:6 it says that “by small and simple things, great things are brought to pass.” It’s a small portion of our time devoted to the Lord, and he rewards us greatly. As we start the New Year, it is my prayer that we will recommit ourselves to the studying of our scriptures, and as we do so—we will be on the pathway to eternal life.

Choosing to Stand

This last year has been a difficult one for Hailey. Hailey had always attended school in the Boise School District; however, we felt impressed this year that Hailey should attend school in her designated school district. Therefore, all of Hailey's closest friends went to West Junior High while she went to Lake Hazel Middle School. She has struggled throughout the year to find friends, and to feel as if she belonged. That is why it was so difficult for Hailey when she was faced with a moral dilemma. Making a choice to stand up for your beliefs in the midst of trying to feel included is always difficult. In Hailey's Life Skills class, her teacher wanted to teach the students about cyber-bullying via a dramatic movie depicting actual "bullying". Just as the teacher was preparing the students to watch the movie, someone leaned over to Hailey and said that she had seen the movie on Netflix, and that it was rated PG-13. In our home, we choose to wait until we are at least 13 to watch a PG-13 movie, and even when a child turns 13, we are still selective as to what they will watch as Bryan and I are also selective in our viewings. Hailey is only 12, so to watch a PG-13 movie would have been against our rules. And so, Hailey was faced with a choice—would she watch it, or not? With pounding heart, a bit of dread, and a silent prayer, Hailey shot her hand in the air determined to not watch the movie. She explained to her teacher her standards, and asked if there was something else that she could do. The teacher insisted that the movie wasn't rated on YouTube, and that it was completely appropriate for Hailey to view, and further stated that she wouldn't ask Hailey to watch something that was inappropriate. With determination, Hailey again asked if there was something else she could do? The teacher was a bit annoyed as she excused Hailey into a different classroom to read a book. When Hailey stood to leave, she noticed the looks on her classmates’ faces—some looked at her with disgust, others with surprise, and still others with a mixture of “weird and psycho”. A bit embarrassed Hailey excused herself, and then began counting the minutes until Life Skills would be over. That night Hailey came home to tell me of her courage. As she told her story, tears rolled down her cheeks—she so desperately wanted friends, but she also wanted to choose the right. As her mom, I was surprised to hear that a teacher at the school would be showing a PG-13 movie. My initial thought was that perhaps Hailey’s friend was wrong when she told Hailey the rating. After expressing gratitude to Hailey for choosing to stand, I began researching the movie online. On YouTube the movie was indeed not rated—for all movies on YouTube are not rated; however, on Commonsense Media, the movie was rated PG-13 with a suggested age of 14. It took a lot of courage for Hailey to choose to stand for her morals.

This experience reminds me of a talk given by President Monson entitled, “Dare to Stand Alone”. In that talk he said, “As we go about living from day to day, it is almost inevitable that our faith will be challenged. We may at times find ourselves surrounded by others and yet standing in the minority or even standing alone concerning what is acceptable and what is not. Do we have the moral courage to stand firm for our beliefs, even if by so doing we must stand alone?”  (Thomas S. Monson, “Dare to Stand Alone, October 2011).

In Primary we learn song that goes like this:
I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I know who I am.
I know God’s plan.
I’ll follow Him in faith.
As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we take Christ’s name upon us. At baptism, we covenant to enter into His Kingdom, and we choose to follow His path. As members, whatever we do—it reflects on His name. Will we have the courage to stand when it means will be standing alone? When we are in that moment of decision, what will we do with His name?

Each and every one of us have had those “moments” in our lives—those moments of decision.  In a world where holiness is mocked, I have often reflected on the “how” of standing. And as I have pondered, my thoughts keep returning to “obedience”. The “how” of standing happens when we choose to be obedient. When we choose to read our scriptures and apply them to our lives, when we choose to follow the FOR THE STRENGTH OF YOUTH…ultimately when we choose to keep the commandments despite the difficulties, and no matter the consequences. If I may I would like to illustrate with a personal experience from my own life. When I was in Junior High, I was asked to speak out against a young man who I had witnessed breaking the rules. I wasn’t alone in my decision to take a stand. Five of my girlfriends joined me as we met with the principal, and conveyed the experience. To our surprise, our testimonies against this young man were the cause of his expulsion from school. In an effort to protect us from social ridicule, our principal gave us an alibi. He placed us all in detention, and we were told to say that we had been caught sloughing, so as to hide from our peers our reason for not being in class. I remember feeling that I had made the right choice to speak out; however, I didn't feel at peace with the alibi given to me by the principal. In fact, as I started relaying the alibi to my peers—no one believed me. I had never sloughed before, and because of the way I conducted myself on a regular basis—no one seemed to believe our story. That night, with a heavy heart, I explained my situation to my father, and he counseled me to do a hard thing. He told me that it was right to take a stand, but just because I had done one right—didn't make it okay to cover it up with a wrong. Lying was still lying. He counseled me to pray about my decision, but he felt that I should be honest with my peers, and stand behind my original decision to take a stand. Telling the truth not only perjured myself, but all of the other girls who had also taken a stand—our alibi would no longer be an alibi. The next morning I apologized to each of them, and explained what I was about to do. Some of them begged me to change my mind, but I could not be swayed—I was resolute in my determination to do what was right. The months that followed were difficult ones for me. My family received phone calls in the middle of the night with threats, and profanity. I was talked about openly—even so I could hear the conversations in hallways and in the locker room. My peers would turn their back on me in the hall, and at times I felt as if I had some sort of disease. Ultimately, I felt very much alone. Even my best friend was angry with me. However, despite the challenges--the peace that I felt made it worth the trial. I knew that I had made the right choice, and I truly felt that Heavenly Father was with me. This experience solidified my heart and sealed my testimony of the power of obedience. I became something more. My classmates knew it—I knew it. After the anger and frustration had worn off, my peers treated me with a new level of respect. More important than their respect—however, was my new determination to be obedient—always—no matter the cost. Mosiah 2:41 states, “And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness” (Mosiah 2: 41). When we choose to keep the commandments, when we choose to stand on the Lord’s side, when we choose to stand in Holy Places—we are blessed and we set ourselves on the pathway of becoming all that our Father intended of us. We are molding and shaping our lives. Sister Dalton said, "Take a few minutes to envision where you want to be in one year or two or five. Then take action to prepare yourselves. People don't just run a marathon when they decide to do it. They must train daily, slowly building stamina and endurance to run the 26.2-mile distance. So it is with life. It is daily diligence…that will help you reach your goals. Your daily decisions will influence generations" (Elaine S. Dalton, "Press Forward and Be Steadfast," Ensign, May 2003, p.105).

As we choose daily to follow the Lord’s way, we choose to put His name upon us, we choose true happiness, and the pathway to eternal life.

Writing a Book

I keep thinking of Noah’s example when he was asked to build an ark—his example to “do” whatever the Lord asked. It took Noah 120 years to build an ark. In that time, he was mocked and ridiculed. I have wondered if he ever questioned his building the ark, if he ever thought: Who am I to build an ark?... Am I truly hearing the Lord? ...There is no water? However, the scriptures do not say that Noah questioned. The scriptures paint a different picture. The scriptures teach that Noah didn't doubt his faith, but followed the will of the Lord to the best of his ability. Not only that--but that he directly guided by the Lord on exactly how to accomplish his task of building an ark. I keep thinking of Noah, and I can't help but relate his experiences to our day. No matter our journey, there will be hardships along the way. I am sure Noah’s hardships felt insurmountable; however, it didn't deter him from doing what the Lord asked.

I have been feeling for quite some time that I need to be writing a book. I fight a constant battle within myself. Things like: Who am I to write a book?... What do I have to say that will be beneficial to other’s?... I don’t even know where to begin? …and it continues. However, I can’t deny that the impressions that have come over and over again. In an effort to be like Noah, I am beginning my journey of writing. And like Noah didn't know how to build an ark--I too, don't know how to write a book; however, I do have faith. I believe that if the Lord can teach Noah how to build an ark, then maybe he can teach me how to write a book.

I'm really not sure what my book will be about. Ever since I can remember I have yearned to “become” all that my Heavenly Father wants me to become. Perhaps, this is a process in that becoming. Perhaps, that will be theme of my book. I don’t see myself as “having arrived”. I haven’t. Nowhere close. However, I do seek Him with all of my heart, and perhaps that is what I need to be sharing—my experiences of “becoming” of “seeking my Father”. I have so much more to learn that I feel somewhat inadequate; however, I am praying to simply be an instrument. I will write what I am prompted.  Whatever I am meant to share, I hope it will help others’ in their journey of life.

The decision to write a book didn't happen in a moment. It was little promptings over a long period of time that finally brought me to my knees seeking to know if this was His direction for me. At one point in time, I was pondering and praying about the possibility of writing a book when my neighbor came over to tell me that she was moved by what I had written in my blog, and that she thought I should write a book. She had no idea that I had been praying about the possibility of writing a book—I hadn't told anyone. As she verbalized her thoughts to me, I felt it was an answer to my prayer that I couldn't deny. There were other things leading to this decision as well. Most of them small and simple—little promptings, or thoughts—conversations, and experiences—all of them leading to this end result of writing a book. My writings may not be connected in the beginning. For now…I’m just going to write what I feel.