(No, you didn't miss parts 3, 4 and 5. They are forthcoming.)
At the first meeting of the Relief Society, Emma Smith said,
“We are going to do something extraordinary, something really extraordinary.” Could she have known, could she possible have envisioned the destiny of this Society?
Could she have foreseen that this small gathering in an obscure town in a frontier region would spread to all four corners of the earth?
Could she have imagined this small group of twenty would grow to an organization of over five million sisters world-wide?
Could she have known of the increased opportunities for all women for education, political freedom, leadership and personal development that would come?
Who can gauge the effect Relief Society has had on the lives of millions of women whose knowledge has been increased, whose vision has been expanded, whose lives have been broadened and enriched?
Who can count the projects that have been undertaken, and the good that has been done by this society of sisters?
Who can fathom the acts of charity that have been performed, the faith that has been nurtured, the pains that have been eased, the food that has filled barren tables?
Who can measure the effect of this singular and divinely established institution?
Truly the Relief Society has done something extraordinary.
As women have been blessed, they in turn have blessed the lives of others.
A little thing here, a little thing there, as women all over the world
Warm the soup and the home and the heart;
Light a lamp and a mind and a life;
Change a bed and a soul and the world,
In small but important ways, making footprints in the sands of time, leaving a mark in the hearts and minds and lives of all of God’s children.
How vast is our purpose; how broad is our mission:
to cheer and to bless in humanity’s name.
For charity never faileth, and it endureth forever and ever—
Even in the Kingdom of our God, where we will all sit down together,
For we had charity, one for another.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
Relief Society Chapter 2 Seasons
My sophomore year in college I was called for the first time to be a Visiting Teacher. My companion was even quieter and more backward than I was.
We were called to teach Sis. Wilkinson. Sister Wilkinson was the wife of Ernest L. Wilkinson, the president of BYU. Sister Wilkinson was a member of the Relief Society General Board. Sister Wilkinson served on the committee that wrote the Visiting Teaching messages.
I learned more from Sis. Wilkinson than she learned from me.
All my life I’ve had friends of all ages, but I particularly appreciate the older, more mature friends that I’ve had, as they’ve taken me under their wings and let me learn from their wisdom and experience. As a young married, it made all the difference in my life. I'm so grateful for people like Karen, Gincy, Glenna, Rosie, Bobbye and others.
I recently visited a ward where I saw a young woman walk over to a very elderly woman. I could see the sparkle in her eyes and the light in her face from across the room. The love and connection between these two sisters was palpable, and you could tell they had spent some quality time together. I thought it was one of the sweetest things I’ve ever seen.
Marjorie Hinckley said,
“Oh, how we need each other. Those of us who are old need you who are young. And, hopefully, you who are young need some of us who are old. We need deep and satisfying and loyal friendships with each other. Women need women.”
Relief Society is truly for every season of our lives.
But season is not just a noun; it is also a verb.
We can be the seasoning for others, and they for us --
in all the ages and stages of our lives--
as we expand our circle of friendship.
Strangers are just friends waiting to happen.
We were called to teach Sis. Wilkinson. Sister Wilkinson was the wife of Ernest L. Wilkinson, the president of BYU. Sister Wilkinson was a member of the Relief Society General Board. Sister Wilkinson served on the committee that wrote the Visiting Teaching messages.
I learned more from Sis. Wilkinson than she learned from me.
All my life I’ve had friends of all ages, but I particularly appreciate the older, more mature friends that I’ve had, as they’ve taken me under their wings and let me learn from their wisdom and experience. As a young married, it made all the difference in my life. I'm so grateful for people like Karen, Gincy, Glenna, Rosie, Bobbye and others.
I recently visited a ward where I saw a young woman walk over to a very elderly woman. I could see the sparkle in her eyes and the light in her face from across the room. The love and connection between these two sisters was palpable, and you could tell they had spent some quality time together. I thought it was one of the sweetest things I’ve ever seen.
Marjorie Hinckley said,
“Oh, how we need each other. Those of us who are old need you who are young. And, hopefully, you who are young need some of us who are old. We need deep and satisfying and loyal friendships with each other. Women need women.”
Relief Society is truly for every season of our lives.
But season is not just a noun; it is also a verb.
We can be the seasoning for others, and they for us --
in all the ages and stages of our lives--
as we expand our circle of friendship.
Strangers are just friends waiting to happen.
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Relief Society Part 1 Beginnings
I became a member of Relief Society when I went off to college my freshman year.
Relief Society at that time was at 8:30 am on Sunday morning, a challenge for any college student, but especially for the night owl that I was. I was called to be the chorister, so I had to be there every week, and on time. Every Sunday morning I dragged myself out of bed and left my roommates snug in theirs, and went to Relief Society.
I remember our teacher, an elderly lady with kind eyes, who taught us from her fountain of wisdom and faith. I remember feeling that Relief Society was something special. I knew my roommates were really missing out.
I don’t think I felt well a single Sunday morning that year, but I was glad I "had" to go to Relief Society.
I don’t remember when I came across this quote for the first time, but it has always shaped my attitude about Relief Society:
"The program of the Church is the plan of salvation, and Relief Society is a part of that plan. Sisters, it is your duty to attend Relief Society just as it is the duty of the brethren to attend their Priesthood meetings."
"There is something pathetic about those of our sisters who sit at home waiting to be enticed to Relief Society. Some sisters seem to pour over the offering of Relief Society like a fussy diner searching a menu for something to excite the taste. If you are absenting yourself from Relief Society because 'you don't get anything out of it,' tell me, dear sister, what is it that you are putting into it?" (Boyd K. Packer)
Relief Society has changed over the years. I’m old enough to remember The Relief Society Magazine, putting $2 into a special envelope for annual dues, and Homemaking meetings in the middle of the week. We used to have Spring and Fall Socials, bazaars, and lessons on literature, mother education, and other cultures.
But some things don’t change. It is still a place where we find friendship, where we help one other, and where the lives of individuals and families are bettered.
It really is something special.
It is something you wouldn't want to miss.
"Relief Society is not optional! Attend it, contribute to it, devote yourself to it— great blessings await you, now, and forever."
(Boyd K. Packer)
Relief Society at that time was at 8:30 am on Sunday morning, a challenge for any college student, but especially for the night owl that I was. I was called to be the chorister, so I had to be there every week, and on time. Every Sunday morning I dragged myself out of bed and left my roommates snug in theirs, and went to Relief Society.
I remember our teacher, an elderly lady with kind eyes, who taught us from her fountain of wisdom and faith. I remember feeling that Relief Society was something special. I knew my roommates were really missing out.
I don’t think I felt well a single Sunday morning that year, but I was glad I "had" to go to Relief Society.
I don’t remember when I came across this quote for the first time, but it has always shaped my attitude about Relief Society:
"The program of the Church is the plan of salvation, and Relief Society is a part of that plan. Sisters, it is your duty to attend Relief Society just as it is the duty of the brethren to attend their Priesthood meetings."
"There is something pathetic about those of our sisters who sit at home waiting to be enticed to Relief Society. Some sisters seem to pour over the offering of Relief Society like a fussy diner searching a menu for something to excite the taste. If you are absenting yourself from Relief Society because 'you don't get anything out of it,' tell me, dear sister, what is it that you are putting into it?" (Boyd K. Packer)
Relief Society has changed over the years. I’m old enough to remember The Relief Society Magazine, putting $2 into a special envelope for annual dues, and Homemaking meetings in the middle of the week. We used to have Spring and Fall Socials, bazaars, and lessons on literature, mother education, and other cultures.
But some things don’t change. It is still a place where we find friendship, where we help one other, and where the lives of individuals and families are bettered.
It really is something special.
It is something you wouldn't want to miss.
"Relief Society is not optional! Attend it, contribute to it, devote yourself to it— great blessings await you, now, and forever."
(Boyd K. Packer)
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Moving Day
We’re moving!
Oh, not my family. The business where I work.
Last weekend we packed and the guys moved The Stuff.
Today was our first day at our new digs unpacking The Stuff.
Moves always involve change.
I used to work out in the country. We had our own building on privately owned property with cows just outside our windows.
Now we work in town, in a real office space, with Super Walmart right outside our windows.
Three doors down is a chiropractor. That’s very handy after days like today.
Two doors down is Cookies in Bloom, with scrumptious and beautiful cookies - thick sugar cookies with thick frosting. That almost makes it okay. The fact that they have a post office in their store makes it even better. It might even make up for looking at Walmart.
Before we moved in, the space was a design center where new home owners went to pick out their carpet, flooring, tile, etc. for their new house. It makes for a varied and interesting floor.
For the first time I actually have a desk, a large, real desk. Never mind that I have to share it with two other people. I don't sit much at my job anyway.
And we have space, lots and lots of space. Well, for everything but the actual store. We have space for multiple offices and desks, for a showroom and a classroom, for machine storage and repairs, for our big rolls of batting, and even for all the vehicles and trailers we drive. But not for the store. It's a puny little corner of this big, beautiful place. Oh, well. Who needs a store? or a kitchen? or cows out their window?
My drive to work is a little bit shorter, but instead of cruising down the rural freeway I get to sit through traffic lights.
I'll miss the country feel. I'll miss the homeliness of the boss next door. I'll miss leisurely lunches in the roomy kitchen. I'll miss the friendly mail people.
But I won't miss the bugs, or the clutter, or the long walk for batting.
Change always seems messy.
Changes on the outside seem to change you on the inside.
Some changes are for the better; some are not.
But change is good. It shakes things up, makes you re-evaluate, and redefines things. It can steer you to a better path.
With gratitude for what I had, I'll do my best to make the move.
Oh, not my family. The business where I work.
Last weekend we packed and the guys moved The Stuff.
Today was our first day at our new digs unpacking The Stuff.
Moves always involve change.
I used to work out in the country. We had our own building on privately owned property with cows just outside our windows.
Now we work in town, in a real office space, with Super Walmart right outside our windows.
Three doors down is a chiropractor. That’s very handy after days like today.
Two doors down is Cookies in Bloom, with scrumptious and beautiful cookies - thick sugar cookies with thick frosting. That almost makes it okay. The fact that they have a post office in their store makes it even better. It might even make up for looking at Walmart.
Before we moved in, the space was a design center where new home owners went to pick out their carpet, flooring, tile, etc. for their new house. It makes for a varied and interesting floor.
For the first time I actually have a desk, a large, real desk. Never mind that I have to share it with two other people. I don't sit much at my job anyway.
And we have space, lots and lots of space. Well, for everything but the actual store. We have space for multiple offices and desks, for a showroom and a classroom, for machine storage and repairs, for our big rolls of batting, and even for all the vehicles and trailers we drive. But not for the store. It's a puny little corner of this big, beautiful place. Oh, well. Who needs a store? or a kitchen? or cows out their window?
My drive to work is a little bit shorter, but instead of cruising down the rural freeway I get to sit through traffic lights.
I'll miss the country feel. I'll miss the homeliness of the boss next door. I'll miss leisurely lunches in the roomy kitchen. I'll miss the friendly mail people.
But I won't miss the bugs, or the clutter, or the long walk for batting.
Change always seems messy.
Changes on the outside seem to change you on the inside.
Some changes are for the better; some are not.
But change is good. It shakes things up, makes you re-evaluate, and redefines things. It can steer you to a better path.
With gratitude for what I had, I'll do my best to make the move.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Saturday Night Fever -- Not
Last night about this time I was sitting on the stand in our stake center. I sat by a bishop (who is also a CEO) and we were between the Dallas Temple president and his wife and the Dallas Mission president and his wife. Next to them sat our stake presidency, and not one but two General Authority Seventies. Not bad company for a nobody like me.
I was fulfilling an assignment to speak at the Saturday night adult session of our stake conference. On the morrow they will divide our stake, but for tonight there is a sea of faces that fill our large chapel, the overflow, the entire gym, and the stage. Just the “Amen” to the opening prayer is deafening.
You would think I would be scared to death. I would think I would be scared to death. All those people…..and those important people. But interestingly enough, I wasn’t.
I was worried about what to say, but once I figured that out, the people didn’t bother me at all.
You could chalk that up to my being tired, as I had stayed up half the night before.
I’m sure part of it was because I prayed for peace and calm.
But also, I am learning. This is the Lord’s church, and we are on His errand. It is not about us; it is about Him. And the Lord takes care of His business.
So I’m learning to relax more, to trust that help is near, and to have faith that all will be well.
I wasn’t disappointed.
And it's nice to pretend like I'm a grown-up once in a while.
"Say not, I am a child; for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee. Be not afraid of their faces; for I am with thee. Then the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth ..and said, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth." Jeremiah 1:7-9
I was fulfilling an assignment to speak at the Saturday night adult session of our stake conference. On the morrow they will divide our stake, but for tonight there is a sea of faces that fill our large chapel, the overflow, the entire gym, and the stage. Just the “Amen” to the opening prayer is deafening.
You would think I would be scared to death. I would think I would be scared to death. All those people…..and those important people. But interestingly enough, I wasn’t.
I was worried about what to say, but once I figured that out, the people didn’t bother me at all.
You could chalk that up to my being tired, as I had stayed up half the night before.
I’m sure part of it was because I prayed for peace and calm.
But also, I am learning. This is the Lord’s church, and we are on His errand. It is not about us; it is about Him. And the Lord takes care of His business.
So I’m learning to relax more, to trust that help is near, and to have faith that all will be well.
I wasn’t disappointed.
And it's nice to pretend like I'm a grown-up once in a while.
"Say not, I am a child; for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee. Be not afraid of their faces; for I am with thee. Then the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth ..and said, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth." Jeremiah 1:7-9
"Let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed. D&C 123:17
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Day of Rest
I've heard that Sunday should be a day of rest. I think it's a rumor.
Today I had a 7:30 am stake PEC meeting. At 8:30 I spoke in a Spanish ward sacrament meeting, then went straight to a ward conference where I taught Relief Society and conducted a 4th-hour training meeting.
Last Sunday I left the house at 8:15 am to visit three wards, one up in Oklahoma, had training meetings with them, and got home about 5:00. That night I went to bed hours earlier than usual and slept for a solid 11 hours.
Every Sunday isn't like that, but lately most of them have been.
I guess it depends on how you define rest. Were these Sundays physically, mentally or emotionally restful? No. Especially when sandwiched between two full work days.
Sometimes it's rest just to do something different than the norm. Believe me, my Sundays are different.
To "rest in the Lord" is to be free of worldly concerns, to be spiritually uplifted, to be rejuvenated by His Spirit, and to have peace.
In that sense, the Sabbath truly is a day of rest.
Even mine.
Today I had a 7:30 am stake PEC meeting. At 8:30 I spoke in a Spanish ward sacrament meeting, then went straight to a ward conference where I taught Relief Society and conducted a 4th-hour training meeting.
Last Sunday I left the house at 8:15 am to visit three wards, one up in Oklahoma, had training meetings with them, and got home about 5:00. That night I went to bed hours earlier than usual and slept for a solid 11 hours.
Every Sunday isn't like that, but lately most of them have been.
I guess it depends on how you define rest. Were these Sundays physically, mentally or emotionally restful? No. Especially when sandwiched between two full work days.
Sometimes it's rest just to do something different than the norm. Believe me, my Sundays are different.
To "rest in the Lord" is to be free of worldly concerns, to be spiritually uplifted, to be rejuvenated by His Spirit, and to have peace.
In that sense, the Sabbath truly is a day of rest.
Even mine.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Shape the Back to Bear the Burden
I was going through stuff today and found a list I made when I was called to be a ward Relief Society president the first time.
It’s "101 Reasons Why I Can’t Do This Job." (Actually there were only 33.)
There was another list of reasons why I didn’t want the job.
And a third: reasons why I needed to take the job.
A few weeks ago when I was called be to stake Relief Society president, I made similar lists. It’s just something I have to do.
So finding my old list today was interesting. The substance of the “Why I can’t” list hasn’t changed much. But some. Being a RS president changed me more than anything I've done in life. It changed my very personality. Obviously not enough.
The reasons why I don’t want such a job have increased.
I'm older. I'm tired.
But most significantly, the list of reasons why I am willing to take the job got bigger. It is because of the things I learned from the first and second go-around.
This is what I know:
I am so grateful I’m not alone.
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you; For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matt 11:28-30
It’s "101 Reasons Why I Can’t Do This Job." (Actually there were only 33.)
There was another list of reasons why I didn’t want the job.
And a third: reasons why I needed to take the job.
A few weeks ago when I was called be to stake Relief Society president, I made similar lists. It’s just something I have to do.
So finding my old list today was interesting. The substance of the “Why I can’t” list hasn’t changed much. But some. Being a RS president changed me more than anything I've done in life. It changed my very personality. Obviously not enough.
The reasons why I don’t want such a job have increased.
I'm older. I'm tired.
But most significantly, the list of reasons why I am willing to take the job got bigger. It is because of the things I learned from the first and second go-around.
This is what I know:
This is without doubt the Lord’s kingdom, and His work, and He is in it.
God lives, and reveals Himself, especially to worthy Priesthood holders.
This Church is run by revelation in every corner, even mine.
Whom the Lord calls, He qualifies. He “shapes the back to bear the burden placed upon it (TS Monson via sweet Jill).”
Perfection comes not in staying home and reading scriptures but in serving our fellow men.
I have been blessed too much and am too indebted to the Lord to refuse Him.
I love the Lord and know that to help His children is the most important and rewarding work of all.
I was set apart last week. It was a powerful and humbling experience.
I finally met today with the outgoing RS President. I felt again like a dumb little kid, and sick to my stomach all day. I felt before, but never more acutely than today, in dire need of help, and that, of myself, I am nothing.
The image that keeps coming to mind and that has gotten me through is that of a yoke.
I am so grateful I’m not alone.
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you; For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matt 11:28-30
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
The Party's Over, or We've Only Just Begun
This week I unpacked the last box from the quilt show and for me the "show season" is officially over. I thought life would be easier. Wrong again. I didn't even get to heave a sigh of relief.
Tomorrow night I will officially be set apart to be the stake Relief Society president. We've already had our first presidency meeting this week.
(My brother told me that his stake RS president is Anne Madsen, the wife of Truman G. Madsen. Was that supposed to make me feel better?? He said I was in good company.)
There seems to be a lot of changes happening in my life right now.
I went to church in a new ward last Sunday. They moved our neighborhood again into a different ward. From our little neighborhood my old ward lost their RS pres and counselor, the Primary president, and the ward clerk. That’s some neighbors I have, huh?
My new ward is small but includes the stake YW pres, now the stake RS president, the just-released stake Primary president, the stake YM Secretary, 2 high councilors, and several stake seminary teachers . Especially for a stake with 17 units, that’s a pretty high concentration. Some ward I’m in, huh?
Today I had a farewell lunch with the stake YW presidency that I've been serving with. I have loved them and learned so much. The president said the saddest thing she had to do all week was take my name off her YW e-mail list, but this last get-together was saddest for me.
For the first time in my married life I have someone coming in to clean house for me. I've always said I'll feel like I have it made when someone else cleans my house. Do I feel like I have it made? Not in the least. It's a limited cleaning, but it frees me up to have book club and study group and presidency meetings and do all I have to do with less stress, and it makes my husband happy.
We've been in a drought so long that torrential rains have caused severe flooding, destroying hundreds of homes and 5 lives; people are still missing. One county alone had 75% of the corn and wheat crops damaged, and $27 million in property damage. Part of that area is in our stake. Oh, wait, isn't the stake Relief Society president supposed to do something about that???
Guess I better go read my handbook, and my book club book, and my scriptures and my Ensign and the newspaper and my e-mail and 5 years of World-Wide Training books and -- yikes! what am I doing sitting here? I gotta go.....
Be of good cheer.
The kingdom is yours and the blessings there of, and the riches of eternity.
And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious.
And he that is a faithful and wise steward shall inherit all things. D&C 78
Tomorrow night I will officially be set apart to be the stake Relief Society president. We've already had our first presidency meeting this week.
(My brother told me that his stake RS president is Anne Madsen, the wife of Truman G. Madsen. Was that supposed to make me feel better?? He said I was in good company.)
There seems to be a lot of changes happening in my life right now.
I went to church in a new ward last Sunday. They moved our neighborhood again into a different ward. From our little neighborhood my old ward lost their RS pres and counselor, the Primary president, and the ward clerk. That’s some neighbors I have, huh?
My new ward is small but includes the stake YW pres, now the stake RS president, the just-released stake Primary president, the stake YM Secretary, 2 high councilors, and several stake seminary teachers . Especially for a stake with 17 units, that’s a pretty high concentration. Some ward I’m in, huh?
Today I had a farewell lunch with the stake YW presidency that I've been serving with. I have loved them and learned so much. The president said the saddest thing she had to do all week was take my name off her YW e-mail list, but this last get-together was saddest for me.
For the first time in my married life I have someone coming in to clean house for me. I've always said I'll feel like I have it made when someone else cleans my house. Do I feel like I have it made? Not in the least. It's a limited cleaning, but it frees me up to have book club and study group and presidency meetings and do all I have to do with less stress, and it makes my husband happy.
We've been in a drought so long that torrential rains have caused severe flooding, destroying hundreds of homes and 5 lives; people are still missing. One county alone had 75% of the corn and wheat crops damaged, and $27 million in property damage. Part of that area is in our stake. Oh, wait, isn't the stake Relief Society president supposed to do something about that???
Guess I better go read my handbook, and my book club book, and my scriptures and my Ensign and the newspaper and my e-mail and 5 years of World-Wide Training books and -- yikes! what am I doing sitting here? I gotta go.....
Be of good cheer.
The kingdom is yours and the blessings there of, and the riches of eternity.
And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious.
And he that is a faithful and wise steward shall inherit all things. D&C 78
Sunday, June 17, 2007
From the Frying Pan into the Fire
I was finally released from my calling in the stake YW.
I was happy about that---for about 2 seconds. Then I was called to be the Stake Relief Society President! I was so stunned I couldn’t even respond to the Stake President.
The fact that I had absolutely no premonition about this ought to be evidence that I’m not the one for this job.
I already have 10 pages of journal writings about my roller coaster ride of the past few weeks, most of it spent in abject mortification.
However, it didn’t take me long to realize, that though I may not want it, it is a great gift that is being given me:
Today I was sustained, and no one objected.
Recently I was led to these words that Jesus spoke:
I do nothing but what I see my Father do.
I do nothing but what my Father taught me.
I speak only that which my Father has told me to speak.
I do only those things which please my Father.
I am in Him and He is in Me; we are one.
I’m not like the Savior or have the same mission, but, like Him, I am a child of the same Heavenly Father, and have been given a mission to perform. Like my Older Brother, it’s not about me, but about the Father’s work. We are on His errand.
No one knows better than I, that I am nothing without Him.
I hope I can be a good errand boy, a pencil in his hand, an instrument through which he can work to accomplish his purposes.
I was happy about that---for about 2 seconds. Then I was called to be the Stake Relief Society President! I was so stunned I couldn’t even respond to the Stake President.
The fact that I had absolutely no premonition about this ought to be evidence that I’m not the one for this job.
I already have 10 pages of journal writings about my roller coaster ride of the past few weeks, most of it spent in abject mortification.
However, it didn’t take me long to realize, that though I may not want it, it is a great gift that is being given me:
- the gift to be better than I am,
- to get outside of myself and be useful,
- to make a lot of great new friends,
- to associate with the best people in our stake, and
- to open the door to the inspiration and blessings of God, for me and my family.
Today I was sustained, and no one objected.
Recently I was led to these words that Jesus spoke:
I do nothing but what I see my Father do.
I do nothing but what my Father taught me.
I speak only that which my Father has told me to speak.
I do only those things which please my Father.
I am in Him and He is in Me; we are one.
No one knows better than I, that I am nothing without Him.
But I know a little of what the Father can make of us.
I hope I can be a good errand boy, a pencil in his hand, an instrument through which he can work to accomplish his purposes.
I hope that as I come more fully unto Christ, that with his help I might be of some help to others.
I hope, as Marion G. Romney once said, that I don't do more harm than good.
Wish me luck.
All prayers accepted.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Stormy Weather
I came home from work early today because we're having yet another storm and we lost all power.
We've had three major storms in the past month. According to the newspaper:
April 13: at least 4 tornadoes and widespread hail caused $100 million in damages.
April 24: Widespread flooding and tornado caused almost $10 million in damages.
May 2: Straight-line winds caused an estimated $75 million in damages.
Luckily my neighborhood was spared any significant damage.
It has been forecasted that in the near future Texas will have conditions similar to the great Dust Bowl in Oklahoma, and that it will be a permanent situation.
We won't soon forget the hurricanes of the last few years, or fail to notice the proven increase of earthquakes.
It makes me wonder about The Last Days. Will we all go merrily along thinking that these things are just natural occurrences, or will we have spiritual eyes to see them as Signs of the Times?
I also wonder if these events really do bring people closer to God, or not?
I can't do anything about all those other people, but I can wonder about myself.
I wonder if I don't need a few more storms to really turn my heart.
We've had three major storms in the past month. According to the newspaper:
April 13: at least 4 tornadoes and widespread hail caused $100 million in damages.
April 24: Widespread flooding and tornado caused almost $10 million in damages.
May 2: Straight-line winds caused an estimated $75 million in damages.
Luckily my neighborhood was spared any significant damage.
It has been forecasted that in the near future Texas will have conditions similar to the great Dust Bowl in Oklahoma, and that it will be a permanent situation.
We won't soon forget the hurricanes of the last few years, or fail to notice the proven increase of earthquakes.
It makes me wonder about The Last Days. Will we all go merrily along thinking that these things are just natural occurrences, or will we have spiritual eyes to see them as Signs of the Times?
I also wonder if these events really do bring people closer to God, or not?
I can't do anything about all those other people, but I can wonder about myself.
I wonder if I don't need a few more storms to really turn my heart.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Over the Hump(s)
I'm finally over most of the humps of what has turned out to be the busiest spring of my life. Youth Conference is over, and the other stake events, and most of our quilting shows.
I'm not out of the woods yet, as our biggest quilting show is just a month away, my work hours and load will increase dramatically next week, and I've decided to head up our RS Enrichment study group. But for now I can take a breath. I don't know when my mind will clear enough to really blog again, but I wanted to check in.
I am always amazed at how utterly distracted we can get from eternal things as we bog down in daily demands. We so easily get caught in the thick of thin things. How quickly we forget.
Luckily for me, many of my activities were church-related, and in that process I had some great spiritual experiences, which do much to help me remember and stay on track. What a blessing that is.
So this week I will try to clear the clutter from my projects, watch a couple of movies to clear my mind, and get some rest. I'll be back, if not this week, then in another month.
I'm not out of the woods yet, as our biggest quilting show is just a month away, my work hours and load will increase dramatically next week, and I've decided to head up our RS Enrichment study group. But for now I can take a breath. I don't know when my mind will clear enough to really blog again, but I wanted to check in.
I am always amazed at how utterly distracted we can get from eternal things as we bog down in daily demands. We so easily get caught in the thick of thin things. How quickly we forget.
Luckily for me, many of my activities were church-related, and in that process I had some great spiritual experiences, which do much to help me remember and stay on track. What a blessing that is.
So this week I will try to clear the clutter from my projects, watch a couple of movies to clear my mind, and get some rest. I'll be back, if not this week, then in another month.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Easter and the Temple
There’s been a few Easter Sundays in my life when I wrote the Easter program or was the main speaker, so I was immersed for weeks in the Easter story. It is a glorious and enriching experience. This year I hardly remembered it was Easter.
Instead, I have been preparing to lead a discussion in our RS study group this week on understanding the temple. So on this Easter Sunday I thought about the connection between the temple and the Savior.
Today we ponder His atoning sacrifice, his suffering, and his triumph over death that bring us life. But it is his power and his priesthood, the blessings and glories of the temple, that bring us Life Eternal, back into the presence of God.
Instead, I have been preparing to lead a discussion in our RS study group this week on understanding the temple. So on this Easter Sunday I thought about the connection between the temple and the Savior.
When Jesus died, the veil of the temple was rent, signifying that the Holy of Holies, the hope of entering into God's presence, was now open and available to all men--because of Him.
That's why it is the temple and not the cross that is the symbol of our Church membership.Today we ponder His atoning sacrifice, his suffering, and his triumph over death that bring us life. But it is his power and his priesthood, the blessings and glories of the temple, that bring us Life Eternal, back into the presence of God.
I think that alone deserves a Hosannah shout!
Friday, April 06, 2007
From the Rooftop
“Their iniquities shall be spoken upon the housetops, and their secret acts shall be revealed.” D&C 1:3
I don’t understand why people willfully sin, because it seems like every time I make a mistake it gets shouted from the rooftops. Some little imp sees every little slip I make, grabs a megaphone, runs to the roof, and shouts it to the world.
That happened to me again. I had a normal, casual conversation with someone this week, and then this conversation turns up on an internet newsletter that goes to all the sisters in the biggest ward in our stake—not even my ward! It came across as an announcement from me, and quoted me several times.
I’ll admit I probably shouldn’t have been blabbing about this subject, but no one would consider it abnormal or inappropriate given the privacy of the situation. How does this happen?
It’s the little imp.
I don’t need the threat of jail, or of a fine, or even of ending up in the newspapers to keep me honest. Even Hell doesn’t scare me.
I know that whatever I do, however private or hidden I think a thing is, it never is. And even if it is hidden from the world for a time, Someone knows. And I know.
I’ll try harder to remember the proverb:
Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles. Prov. 21:23
Meanwhile, don’t kill the imp. He’s just the messenger.
I don’t understand why people willfully sin, because it seems like every time I make a mistake it gets shouted from the rooftops. Some little imp sees every little slip I make, grabs a megaphone, runs to the roof, and shouts it to the world.
That happened to me again. I had a normal, casual conversation with someone this week, and then this conversation turns up on an internet newsletter that goes to all the sisters in the biggest ward in our stake—not even my ward! It came across as an announcement from me, and quoted me several times.
I’ll admit I probably shouldn’t have been blabbing about this subject, but no one would consider it abnormal or inappropriate given the privacy of the situation. How does this happen?
It’s the little imp.
I don’t need the threat of jail, or of a fine, or even of ending up in the newspapers to keep me honest. Even Hell doesn’t scare me.
I know that whatever I do, however private or hidden I think a thing is, it never is. And even if it is hidden from the world for a time, Someone knows. And I know.
I’ll try harder to remember the proverb:
Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles. Prov. 21:23
Meanwhile, don’t kill the imp. He’s just the messenger.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Testimony
What a glorious General Conference! Manna from heaven, for sure.
I have other things I need to do, but by way of letting you know I am alive and well, I will leave you the brief testimony I bore last week, nothing extraordinary, but how I felt:
When I was younger my sisters and I used to talk about the fact that we knew God heard and answered prayers—for other people. We weren’t so sure about ours. The past couple of weeks I’ve had occasion to think about the times and the particular ways the Lord has answered my prayers. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life it’s that our prayers are heard and answered, even mine. And I love Heavenly Father so much for that—for being aware of our very thoughts and feelings, our desires and our needs, and for caring about them, and responding to them in very individual ways. I don’t know how to thank Him for that. I hope that by sharing my love and testimony today my gratitude to Him might be magnified.
I know that Jesus Christ is His Only Begotten Son, the Savior and Redeemer of mankind. I know that He is my Savior as He saves me from hopelessness and despair. I love Him for that, for all He has done and is doing and will do for my personal happiness, and yours.
I have tender feelings about Joseph Smith and the part he played in the restoration of the gospel. I have no doubt at all that this is the Lord’s Kingdom, that this is His work we are involved in. Every day of my life I am grateful to live in a time and place where we can enjoy the fullness of the blessings of the gospel and of the Church.
I have no words to express my gratitude for the Holy Spirit, that bears witness to the truth of these things, that guides and directs us and keeps us on the path that will lead us to our fondest dream, that of returning to that Heavenly Father who loves us so much and so well, of Whom I testify, in the name of Jesus Christ.
"To write the love of God ... would drain the ocean, though the sea was ink, and the earth paper and every stick a pen and every man a scribe. When I try to praise Him in beauty, honor and magnify the name of God, I find I have no language at my command that will do justice to the case, but when I lay aside this weak, frail body I expect to praise Him in beauty and holiness." --Sarah Studevant Leavitt
"...because of the love which he has to my testimony I, the Lord, love him."
Doctrine & Covenants 124:20
I have other things I need to do, but by way of letting you know I am alive and well, I will leave you the brief testimony I bore last week, nothing extraordinary, but how I felt:
When I was younger my sisters and I used to talk about the fact that we knew God heard and answered prayers—for other people. We weren’t so sure about ours. The past couple of weeks I’ve had occasion to think about the times and the particular ways the Lord has answered my prayers. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life it’s that our prayers are heard and answered, even mine. And I love Heavenly Father so much for that—for being aware of our very thoughts and feelings, our desires and our needs, and for caring about them, and responding to them in very individual ways. I don’t know how to thank Him for that. I hope that by sharing my love and testimony today my gratitude to Him might be magnified.
I know that Jesus Christ is His Only Begotten Son, the Savior and Redeemer of mankind. I know that He is my Savior as He saves me from hopelessness and despair. I love Him for that, for all He has done and is doing and will do for my personal happiness, and yours.
I have tender feelings about Joseph Smith and the part he played in the restoration of the gospel. I have no doubt at all that this is the Lord’s Kingdom, that this is His work we are involved in. Every day of my life I am grateful to live in a time and place where we can enjoy the fullness of the blessings of the gospel and of the Church.
I have no words to express my gratitude for the Holy Spirit, that bears witness to the truth of these things, that guides and directs us and keeps us on the path that will lead us to our fondest dream, that of returning to that Heavenly Father who loves us so much and so well, of Whom I testify, in the name of Jesus Christ.
"To write the love of God ... would drain the ocean, though the sea was ink, and the earth paper and every stick a pen and every man a scribe. When I try to praise Him in beauty, honor and magnify the name of God, I find I have no language at my command that will do justice to the case, but when I lay aside this weak, frail body I expect to praise Him in beauty and holiness." --Sarah Studevant Leavitt
"...because of the love which he has to my testimony I, the Lord, love him."
Doctrine & Covenants 124:20
Sunday, March 25, 2007
thanks..and thanks...and thanks
A couple of weeks ago I was sitting in church reflecting on the times and the very particular ways that the Lord has answered my prayers in my lifetime, and most especially lately. I also realized I have been in this ward for over a year now and have yet to bear my testimony. So I felt a desire to be given the words and the Spirit to acknowledge the Lord’s love and bear my testimony of Him on Fast Sunday.
This past week I worked about 60 hours instead of my usual 20, didn’t have a single day off, wasn’t home a single night, never had a regular dinner, and the milk in my fridge is sour it’s been so long since I’ve been to a grocery. I’m exhausted.
I dragged in late to sacrament meeting this morning, missed the sacrament, and plopped in my pew expecting to rest. As testimonies began, I realized that the theme that was developing was --could it be?--receiving answers to prayers. Hmm. and then I got that you-have-to-bear-your-testimony feeling from head to toe.
“No!” I thought. “Not today! I’m so tired. I'm just not ready. And I truly don’t deserve it."
But, wait, I asked for this, didn’t I? It couldn’t have been more clear to me that the Lord was directly and specifically answering that prayer uttered in my heart weeks before.
It was a very busy testimony day—no quiet times that needed to be filled; I had to fight for a place in line. But I couldn’t NOT bear my testimony now, could I? With heartfelt gratitude, I did.
A testimony was borne by a sister who just returned from Utah where her son got married. She was not at all happy about this girl or this marriage. When she went to pick up a rental car, the agent, in their casual conversation, delivered a message to her of forgiveness in a way that when she stood next to her son and his fiancé in that special circle in the temple, she was cleansed of all hard feelings. She bore testimony, as did I and others, of the lovingkindness of a Heavenly Father, and of the angels of mercy he sends to us.
I don't know how to thank Him, for what He does for me, and for you.
There are no words sufficient.
Just thanks, and thanks, and thanks, --
and more...
“Write [thy] blessed name, O Lord, upon my heart
there to remain so indelibly engraved
than no prosperity or adversity
shall ever move me from thy love.”
Thomas a Kempis 1500 A.D.
This past week I worked about 60 hours instead of my usual 20, didn’t have a single day off, wasn’t home a single night, never had a regular dinner, and the milk in my fridge is sour it’s been so long since I’ve been to a grocery. I’m exhausted.
I dragged in late to sacrament meeting this morning, missed the sacrament, and plopped in my pew expecting to rest. As testimonies began, I realized that the theme that was developing was --could it be?--receiving answers to prayers. Hmm. and then I got that you-have-to-bear-your-testimony feeling from head to toe.
“No!” I thought. “Not today! I’m so tired. I'm just not ready. And I truly don’t deserve it."
But, wait, I asked for this, didn’t I? It couldn’t have been more clear to me that the Lord was directly and specifically answering that prayer uttered in my heart weeks before.
It was a very busy testimony day—no quiet times that needed to be filled; I had to fight for a place in line. But I couldn’t NOT bear my testimony now, could I? With heartfelt gratitude, I did.
A testimony was borne by a sister who just returned from Utah where her son got married. She was not at all happy about this girl or this marriage. When she went to pick up a rental car, the agent, in their casual conversation, delivered a message to her of forgiveness in a way that when she stood next to her son and his fiancé in that special circle in the temple, she was cleansed of all hard feelings. She bore testimony, as did I and others, of the lovingkindness of a Heavenly Father, and of the angels of mercy he sends to us.
I don't know how to thank Him, for what He does for me, and for you.
There are no words sufficient.
Just thanks, and thanks, and thanks, --
and more...
“Write [thy] blessed name, O Lord, upon my heart
there to remain so indelibly engraved
than no prosperity or adversity
shall ever move me from thy love.”
Thomas a Kempis 1500 A.D.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
What, me worry?
I think I am officially stressed.
That may not sound unusual, but for me it is.
It is a rare event.
People ask me why I don’t stress, or how not to, and this is the speech I give them:
1. Stress doesn’t usually change the situation that is stressing you. Whether or not you are stressed, the situation is the same. So why do that to yourself? If stress will help the situation, then by all means stress your little heart out, but usually stress does not make it better; it makes it worse for you and those around you.
2. Stress is something we do to ourselves. It is what we tell ourselves. Instead of telling ourselves we’re stressed, what if we changed our self-talk? What if we said things like, I can do this, I can handle this, this is not that big of a deal? It would be so much kinder, more productive and easier on our adrenaline system.
3. You can only do what you can do right now. You cannot act in the future or for people you can't do anything about. You can only do what you can in the moment. With foresight for the future, deal only with present.
4. I believe God will give us strength, but not for unnecessary or excessive worry. I don’t personally have the energy to always be stressed, and it gives me a stomach ache.
5. This too shall pass, and probably some good will come of it. Have faith in God, in yourself, and in the process of life. It will be okay. If not, when the time comes, well, worry about it then.
So, why don’t I take my own advice?
1. The one thing that does stress me is to be asked to do something that I feel I don’t have the ability or talent to do, made worse when there's not enough time to work it out, and it has to be done in front of other people. I have several of those things on my plate right now.
2. Sometimes the demands of life and pressures of time really can be overwhelming. It's almost enough to turn me to chocolate.
But not to worry. I'm taking my own advice, doing what I can do, and having faith for the rest in its own due time. All is well.
Oh, one more thing:
There is a Helping Hand. Put your hand in His.
That is my best advice of all.
That may not sound unusual, but for me it is.
It is a rare event.
People ask me why I don’t stress, or how not to, and this is the speech I give them:
1. Stress doesn’t usually change the situation that is stressing you. Whether or not you are stressed, the situation is the same. So why do that to yourself? If stress will help the situation, then by all means stress your little heart out, but usually stress does not make it better; it makes it worse for you and those around you.
2. Stress is something we do to ourselves. It is what we tell ourselves. Instead of telling ourselves we’re stressed, what if we changed our self-talk? What if we said things like, I can do this, I can handle this, this is not that big of a deal? It would be so much kinder, more productive and easier on our adrenaline system.
3. You can only do what you can do right now. You cannot act in the future or for people you can't do anything about. You can only do what you can in the moment. With foresight for the future, deal only with present.
4. I believe God will give us strength, but not for unnecessary or excessive worry. I don’t personally have the energy to always be stressed, and it gives me a stomach ache.
5. This too shall pass, and probably some good will come of it. Have faith in God, in yourself, and in the process of life. It will be okay. If not, when the time comes, well, worry about it then.
So, why don’t I take my own advice?
1. The one thing that does stress me is to be asked to do something that I feel I don’t have the ability or talent to do, made worse when there's not enough time to work it out, and it has to be done in front of other people. I have several of those things on my plate right now.
2. Sometimes the demands of life and pressures of time really can be overwhelming. It's almost enough to turn me to chocolate.
But not to worry. I'm taking my own advice, doing what I can do, and having faith for the rest in its own due time. All is well.
Oh, one more thing:
There is a Helping Hand. Put your hand in His.
That is my best advice of all.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Passport to Perfection
I was asked on Saturday night to pinch-hit for the Relief Society teacher on Sunday. I didn't want to do it because I didn't have the usual 100 hours that I like to prepare, and it would be the first time teaching in my new ward. But I agreed, and for my small sacrifice of time and willingness, I was richly rewarded.
I was downright giddy when I got my first passport last year. For me it opened up whole new vistas of places I could go, things I could see, experiences I might have.
In dreaming of places you'd like to go, of things you want to see and experience, do you ever think of destinations that are not geographical, but spiritual? Are there places you would like to go spiritually, things you'd like to see and experience that you haven't yet?
The passport to those places, according to President Spencer W. Kimball, is prayer.
In addition to the glorious knowledge that God lives, that we can communicate with Him, and that He will respond to us, there are blessings that come to us through the very process of prayer:
When we thank God for our blessings, we become more grateful, more mindful of our need for Him.
When we pray for loved ones and friends, we become more charitable, more apt to help.
When we pray for forgiveness, we become more repentant, more changed.
When we pray "Thy will be done," we become more submissive, humble, patient.
When we pray for missionaries, our own desires to do the work increase.
When we pray often, asking for help, we are kept from sin.
Prayer is not an optional activity for saints.
The very process of prayer aids us on the road to perfection.
The Lord's help we seek will see us through.
I think I've always believed that God hears and answers prayers. There is surely ample evidence.
But I have not always believed that He would hear and answer mine.
Now, when I think of the times and particular ways He has answered me, I feel such overwhelming gratitude for the tender mercies of Him to whom we pray.
One of Spencer Kimball's mottos was, Lengthen Your Stride.
Even kneeling, it applies.
Whatever level you are at with your prayers, there is higher ground to go to. There are spiritual places to go, miracles yet to be seen, experiences yet to be had. The passport to these places is earnest and sincere prayer.
So, fellow sojourners, pilgrims on a journey far from home--but not left alone--I bid you, "Bon Voyage!"
Have a good journey.
Go with God.
I was downright giddy when I got my first passport last year. For me it opened up whole new vistas of places I could go, things I could see, experiences I might have.
In dreaming of places you'd like to go, of things you want to see and experience, do you ever think of destinations that are not geographical, but spiritual? Are there places you would like to go spiritually, things you'd like to see and experience that you haven't yet?
The passport to those places, according to President Spencer W. Kimball, is prayer.
In addition to the glorious knowledge that God lives, that we can communicate with Him, and that He will respond to us, there are blessings that come to us through the very process of prayer:
When we thank God for our blessings, we become more grateful, more mindful of our need for Him.
When we pray for loved ones and friends, we become more charitable, more apt to help.
When we pray for forgiveness, we become more repentant, more changed.
When we pray "Thy will be done," we become more submissive, humble, patient.
When we pray for missionaries, our own desires to do the work increase.
When we pray often, asking for help, we are kept from sin.
Prayer is not an optional activity for saints.
The very process of prayer aids us on the road to perfection.
The Lord's help we seek will see us through.
I think I've always believed that God hears and answers prayers. There is surely ample evidence.
But I have not always believed that He would hear and answer mine.
Now, when I think of the times and particular ways He has answered me, I feel such overwhelming gratitude for the tender mercies of Him to whom we pray.
One of Spencer Kimball's mottos was, Lengthen Your Stride.
Even kneeling, it applies.
Whatever level you are at with your prayers, there is higher ground to go to. There are spiritual places to go, miracles yet to be seen, experiences yet to be had. The passport to these places is earnest and sincere prayer.
So, fellow sojourners, pilgrims on a journey far from home--but not left alone--I bid you, "Bon Voyage!"
Have a good journey.
Go with God.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Seedlings
One Sunday when I was in high school, I was lying on the living room floor reading through a Christmas cantata the ward choir was singing that year. There began to form in my mind words for a narration for the cantata. I was surprised, but thought little of it and did nothing.
As a newlywed, some older women in my ward asked me to join them in writing and producing programs for the ward. Wherever would they get the idea that I could write or perform anything?
Years later I found a poem I wrote to my mother when I was 12 years old. I was surprised at my use of word play, even then.
I still do not think of myself as a writer, but over the years of my life I have written a few programs, speeches, silly word plays, and even poetry. I did not know it was in me; I simply did what I was asked to do.
It has made me wonder what seeds are in each of us that may go unrecognized, that with time, experience and opportunity, might blossom into something bigger and grander than we can imagine?
We might hold seeds of talents untouched. We might hold seeds of personality traits undeveloped. Who can know what a grand and glorious person we could become? or what possibilities lie within us?
C.S. Lewis wrote,
“There are no ordinary people.
You have never talked to a mere mortal.”
Do you ever wonder, who are you really?
And what might you become?
As a newlywed, some older women in my ward asked me to join them in writing and producing programs for the ward. Wherever would they get the idea that I could write or perform anything?
Years later I found a poem I wrote to my mother when I was 12 years old. I was surprised at my use of word play, even then.
I still do not think of myself as a writer, but over the years of my life I have written a few programs, speeches, silly word plays, and even poetry. I did not know it was in me; I simply did what I was asked to do.
It has made me wonder what seeds are in each of us that may go unrecognized, that with time, experience and opportunity, might blossom into something bigger and grander than we can imagine?
We might hold seeds of talents untouched. We might hold seeds of personality traits undeveloped. Who can know what a grand and glorious person we could become? or what possibilities lie within us?
C.S. Lewis wrote,
“There are no ordinary people.
You have never talked to a mere mortal.”
Do you ever wonder, who are you really?
And what might you become?
Change in Pressure
To Be Constant
When I was growing up, my father had a barometer hanging on his bedroom wall. A barometer measures the changes in external air pressure, predicting weather changes, and it helped Dad know if it was a good day to fly his small aircraft.
I was always fascinated with this instrument. I have since wondered if we aren't sometimes like a barometer, and change with the pressures outside ourselves. I hear a lot of talk about 'peer pressure' as if it's a given. I never felt slave to it, choosing instead to follow an internal compass, but know that we are affected a great deal by the climate around us.
I like to think about those for whom the external pressure changed drastically, and yet they were constant: Adam, Abraham, Job, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, Joseph Smith, Joseph F. Smith (“true blue, through and through”), and Sir Thomas More, to name a few.
Robert Bolt, in my favorite play A Man For All Seasons, describes the self as “an equivocal commodity.” His main character, Sir Thomas More, says: “We speak of being anchored to our principles. But if the weather turns nasty you up with an anchor, let it down where there’s less wind, and the fishing’s better. And ‘look,' we say, 'look, I’m anchored.'”
Sir Thomas More didn't move his anchor when the tides and winds changed, and was executed because of it when he refused to utter the words that would have saved his life but were contrary to his beliefs.
The moral climate of the world has changed a great deal in my lifetime. Sometimes it can change in a moment.
One virtue we seldom hear about any more is constancy, the quality of staying true to one's self and one's beliefs no matter the pressures outside.
I suspect it's a virtue the Lord values.
“We do not have to live, but we must be true to ourselves and God.”
When I was growing up, my father had a barometer hanging on his bedroom wall. A barometer measures the changes in external air pressure, predicting weather changes, and it helped Dad know if it was a good day to fly his small aircraft.
I was always fascinated with this instrument. I have since wondered if we aren't sometimes like a barometer, and change with the pressures outside ourselves. I hear a lot of talk about 'peer pressure' as if it's a given. I never felt slave to it, choosing instead to follow an internal compass, but know that we are affected a great deal by the climate around us.
I like to think about those for whom the external pressure changed drastically, and yet they were constant: Adam, Abraham, Job, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, Joseph Smith, Joseph F. Smith (“true blue, through and through”), and Sir Thomas More, to name a few.
Robert Bolt, in my favorite play A Man For All Seasons, describes the self as “an equivocal commodity.” His main character, Sir Thomas More, says: “We speak of being anchored to our principles. But if the weather turns nasty you up with an anchor, let it down where there’s less wind, and the fishing’s better. And ‘look,' we say, 'look, I’m anchored.'”
Sir Thomas More didn't move his anchor when the tides and winds changed, and was executed because of it when he refused to utter the words that would have saved his life but were contrary to his beliefs.
The moral climate of the world has changed a great deal in my lifetime. Sometimes it can change in a moment.
One virtue we seldom hear about any more is constancy, the quality of staying true to one's self and one's beliefs no matter the pressures outside.
I suspect it's a virtue the Lord values.
“We do not have to live, but we must be true to ourselves and God.”
Integrity, the Crowning Jewel
If I were to choose a favorite Young Women value, it would be integrity. And not just because I like the color purple.
Integrity. Integrate. Integral. Integer --to be whole or complete.
In all of us, there is a gap between what we know and what we do. The gap can be small or large, depending on the person or the issue. To me, that gap, or break in the wholeness, is a lack of integrity.
Have you ever found yourself saying, "I know I should do that, but...." ? That's a sure sign of a gap. Sometimes we feel guilty about that gap; sometimes we don't. Sometimes guilt leads us to do something about that gap; sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes we don't even recognize the gap.
Jesus came to earth to accomplish the Atonement, the at-one-ment, to help us bridge the gaps and become whole, or perfect. When we integrate the values, principles and attributes of perfection, when we do that which we know to do, then we come together in a whole and complete, or perfected being. We can’t do that completely on our own or in this life, but we can try.
When the Primary song, "I Am a Child of God" was first written, the chorus said, 'Teach me all that I must know to live with Him someday."
Spencer W. Kimball asked that it be changed to "Teach me all that I must do," as a reminder that it's not enough to know.
It has since been suggested that we change it again, to "Teach me all that I must be," to teach us that we must, on the inside and out, be, as Jesus taught, "Even as I Am."
To be honest with ourselves, with others, and with God --
to live as we know, --that is integrity.
To rephrase an old saying,
There are many tools of perfection,
but integrity is the handle of them all.
"Do not write a check with your tongue that your actions cannot cash." Neal A. Maxwell
Integrity. Integrate. Integral. Integer --to be whole or complete.
In all of us, there is a gap between what we know and what we do. The gap can be small or large, depending on the person or the issue. To me, that gap, or break in the wholeness, is a lack of integrity.
Have you ever found yourself saying, "I know I should do that, but...." ? That's a sure sign of a gap. Sometimes we feel guilty about that gap; sometimes we don't. Sometimes guilt leads us to do something about that gap; sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes we don't even recognize the gap.
Jesus came to earth to accomplish the Atonement, the at-one-ment, to help us bridge the gaps and become whole, or perfect. When we integrate the values, principles and attributes of perfection, when we do that which we know to do, then we come together in a whole and complete, or perfected being. We can’t do that completely on our own or in this life, but we can try.
When the Primary song, "I Am a Child of God" was first written, the chorus said, 'Teach me all that I must know to live with Him someday."
Spencer W. Kimball asked that it be changed to "Teach me all that I must do," as a reminder that it's not enough to know.
It has since been suggested that we change it again, to "Teach me all that I must be," to teach us that we must, on the inside and out, be, as Jesus taught, "Even as I Am."
To be honest with ourselves, with others, and with God --
to live as we know, --that is integrity.
To rephrase an old saying,
There are many tools of perfection,
but integrity is the handle of them all.
"Do not write a check with your tongue that your actions cannot cash." Neal A. Maxwell
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