Polly New Year's Dinner

Tonight we had a "Culture Night" over Zoom for our school.  There wasn't a big turnout which was too bad (though after spending 6 hours on zoom a day, I am sure many students/families don't want to get back on Zoom in the evening.)  But it was so neat to hear about several families' traditions.

I especially loved my librarian's tradition.  Polly has an annual New Year's Dinner for her family.  Each year a book is chosen to be the theme for the dinner and they wear costumes and have a fancy menu.  She adds photos to the menu to remember each year's theme.  For example, a couple of years ago they had a Lord of the Rings Dinner where they had breakfast, second breakfast or elevenses, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner and supper.   They have games or activities that tie in with the book and it sounds like a really fun way to ring in the New Year.

This sounds like a tradition I would like to start when I have grandkids.  It wouldn't necessarily have to be a New Year's Eve tradition, but I love the idea of an annual luncheon or dinner based around a beloved book.  Seriously, such a fun idea.

Lessons Learned:  I love hearing about traditions and this is such a fun tradition to combine books with food and fun and family.  I hope I refer back to this at some point and begin this tradition.

Mike's Grandma Shoes

 My dear stepdad Mike shared this story:

One day in my American Government class in my senior year of high school, my teacher Mr. Robert Smith asked me to stay after class. Oh man, what did I do now?

Alone in class he asked if I was Frances Graves' grandson. I told him that I was. He asked, "Did your grandmother ever say anything to you about me?" No sir, why?

His reply told me a great deal about my grandmother. Mr. Smith came from a very poor family. He and his siblings went to school either in their bare feet or in shoes that were worn out. He had several siblings. Anyhow, he told me that one day my grandmother showed up with shoes for all of the children, and he never forgot her kindness. This was in the 1930's-1040's and times were tough. Don't know how Grandma could afford it. I know Grandpa helped.

Grandma was a school teacher for close to 40 years, and Mr. Smith had been one of her students.

God Knows Service

 About a month ago I was at Seagull Book and they had a  bunch of books on clearance.  Several of them looked good so I picked a couple of them up.  And since I have been busy, they have just been sitting in that bag.  Laurel, Jackie, Sara and I are trying to serve every woman in our ward anonymously...just dropping off a treat or small bag of goodies for a couple of women each during each week.  I had been feeling like I should drop something off to Annie and another sister.  But then a prompting came to include another woman in the ward as well.  And I really only had stuff for 2 people not three.  Then I thought of those books I bought and went to see what I had purchased.  One of them sounded like it might be a good fit for Annie.  So I tossed it in a bag with a small candle and a little (typed) note and dropped it at her doorstep.  Later that day I saw this message on Annie's story on Instagram.

Heavenly Father is so amazing.  I bought the book a month ago.  I planned to keep it.  I planned to give Annie some treats.  But the Lord had other plans.  I think that reaching out in any way might have been a blessing for Annie. I think we can all use the reminder that we are loved and noticed and thought about.  But I think that this gift was more meaningful and much better than the plans I had.  I'm so glad that I had the prompting to give a gift to another sister which meant I had to think of something new to give Annie.  I'm so grateful for the thought (which didn't really feel like a prompting...but I'm sure now it was) to see if I could give her one of the books I had purchased.  The Lord orchestrated it all.  He is so good.

LESSONS LEARNED:  God is orchestrating the details of our lives.

He knows what those around us need if only we take time to listen and to act.

I'm grateful for authors who know how to articulate spiritual matters in a way that touches hearts and answers prayers.

Wright Nibley Letter

 Randal Wright shared this experience:

"During a time when I was struggling to know if the Book of Mormon was true, I came across a catalog from Brigham Young University. Looking at the names of the faculty in the religion department, I noticed that many of these professors had degrees from prestigious universities. For some reason, the idea popped into my mind to write to several of them at their BYU addresses.

In my letter, I told them I was trying to gain my own testimony of the Book of Mormon and wondered if they would share their feelings concerning it. Looking back, I’m embarrassed to say that my letter was handwritten and then duplicated it [poorly] several times with no name at the top or bottom. I wrote their names at the top and signed my name at the bottom of each letter.

All responded to a terribly written form letter from some unknown kid from Texas. But soon I had a file full of letters from respected scholars with advanced degrees sharing their testimonies of the Book of Mormon. I still treasure those letters. Truman Madsen who had a Ph.D. from Harvard even sent me a book.

Following is one of the letters I received from the well-known religious scholar, High Nibley. He had a Ph.D. from Cal Berkeley and had a brilliant mind. According to his colleagues, while doing research, he liked to read his primary and secondary sources in their original languages. It is reported that in addition to English, he could read Egyptian, Dutch, Arabic, French, Coptic, Greek, German, Old Norse, Italian, Hebrew, Russian, Latin, and other languages. Here is the letter I received:

Dear Brother Wright,

The Book of Mormon, the record of "a lonesome and a solemn people," is the story of a few lonely men who had good reason to despair of the human race in their generation but never stopped importuning the Lord to tell them what was best to do and to support them in it. Lehi, Nephi, the Brother of Jared, Abinadi, Moroni, Mormon, Ether, etc. – there is hardly a major character in the book who does not stand most of the time completely alone, as popular as a lone bicycle rider going the wrong way on the freeway during rush hour. That is the stock situation in the Book of Mormon, and if you look carefully you will find that it is also the normal order of things in every dispensation of the Gospel. Even being in the Church, as Alma found out, does not change things very much, since we are still a long way from Zion. From which we can conclude that no small part of our testing during this time of probation is to how we behave when we are completely on our own. An exhilarating and a frightening situation—but what else can we expect if this is to be a REAL test? It is reassuring to know in this age of desperate conformity that God has his people in unlikely places, so that “the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, “The Lord only knoweth them that are his” (2 Timothy 2:19). With all the evidences around us today as the prophecies rush into fulfillment, one is tempted to ask, “Who needs a testimony?” Answer: We all do, since without it the evidence though frightening, doesn’t make much sense; today I feel as if I were “all testimony”—no other thought occupies me at all. The time is very short. Thank you for your note, and don’t weaken!”

With much urgency and respect,

Hugh Nibley

At the time I received the letters, I was reading the Book of Mormon with real intent, and it was beginning to affect me in a powerful way. Those letters created within me an even stronger desire to know if it was really true. It made no sense to me that an uneducated boy could possibly write a book that could fool brilliant scholars like Truman Madsen, Hugh Nibley, and others. I have continued my careful reading of the Book of Mormon through all these years, and the more I read the more convinced I became that neither Joseph Smith alone nor with a co-conspirator’s help, could have possibly written it. I have a testimony that it is an inspired record of ancient America.

Lesson Learned: To be grateful for those who are willing to take time out of their busy schedules to help those who are struggling."

I love it so much.  I love that he reached out to scriptural scholars and learned from them.  I love the words of Hugh Nibley.  I love (and hate) that we'll likely have times where we must stand alone...and that there is an urgency to all of this.  I love that Randal Wright saved that letter and shared it.  I love that Hugh Nibley took time to respond to this young man.  So many lessons to learn from this experience.

Gratitude Israel Jackie

 My dear friend, Jackie, and I were chatting through text.  She is speaking in church on Sunday and was asking me some questions in preparation for her talk.  Then she shared this:  

"I did have a thought about President Nelson's message of gratitude. Obviously, the timing seems appropriate with Thanksgiving and all, but I specifically asked "Why else?" And I immediately heard "To prepare us". What an interesting thought! I have been thinking about it, and isn't it true that we are going to really NEED to rely on gratitude for our blessings as the world gets more and more wicked? We are going to have to SEE our blessings, and what a better way than to have them recorded?? As memories pop up on FB, we are taken back to the time that we were posting about. This probably doesn't make sense, as I am still processing those thoughts, but I think it may fit into my talk somewhere.

It reminds me of the prophets in the BOM exhorting their people to look to the experiences of their fathers to remember the blessings and promises of the Lord. Maybe our future generations will need to look back at our recording of how we were blessed during 2020..."

When I read these words, I literally got chills.  I'd immediately knelt to say a prayer of gratitude and to ask forgiveness when I heard President Nelson's words.  But I hadn't really taken time to reflect on WHY gratitude and why that was what would heal us and why right now?   (Aside from, of course, Thanksgiving.)  I HAD been really touched by his words that perhaps this was one fulfillment of the covenant promise that through Abraham's seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed.  Jackie's thoughts connected with some of the things I had been considering and so I shared this:  

"You know I think his invitation in conference was similar...to look for the blessings promised to covenant Israel, reflect on them and talk about them with friends and family.  I hadn't thought about it quite like this but first, it reminds us of all that God has already done...for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob...but also for the Nephites and Lamanites and other members of the house of Israel.  And it helps us see the promises that have been given but not yet fulfilled so we can watch for them.  AND as we read of these promises it can and should help us recognize that God is fulfilling many of these promises in OUR lives right now also.  I know that on weeks where I am really diligent about studying, watching for and writing about the promises I am happier and feel more peace and see God's hand more easily.  I think it's all connected."

God's people in the past have been richly blessed and protected by Him.  He has led them and delivered them and strengthened them and blessed them.  And the same is true for us.  And I think we are going to need that knowledge and going to need to see clearly all the good that God is doing in our lives to be able to survive spiritually through the hard things that are happening now and the hard things that are to come!  I don't love hard things.  But I do love God and I want so much to qualify for His blessings.  I LOVE studying the blessings of covenant Israel.  Truly, I love it.  It's been such a blessing for me.

LESSONS LEARNED:  Gratitude.  Gratitude.  Gratitude.

Recognize, record and remember the great things that the Lord has done.

The blessings of covenant Israel are for me.  And for you.  For each child of God if they will make and keep covenants with Him.

Susan Owen Leadership

 Susan Gustafson taught the YW (over Zoom) today.  She talked about being a Christlike leader.  She asked them to consider how they would feel if they went on an unfamiliar hike at night with only a flashlight...and needing to lead others.  Would they feel confident?  What if you had to go on this same hike at night but you followed a guide that had been on this trail hundreds of times?  What if you went on the trail with the guide numerous times, then would you feel confident to lead others?

She shared an experience from Stephen Owen, former General Young Men's president.  At age 12, he went hunting with his dad.  One morning, at 3 AM, they saddled their horses and went to the trail.  He felt nervous.  It was dark and he wasn't sure where they were going.  But his dad reassured him that everything would be okay.  And it was.  Years later, he brought his dad back to this area and they went to a spot called Windy Ridge.  He felt a little nervous, but again his dad led them safely there.  He recounts:  
"Finally we made it to the top of Windy. The view was exhilarating, and the overwhelming feeling I had was that I wanted to come back—not for me this time but for my wife and my children. I wanted them to experience what I had experienced.

Over the years, I’ve had many opportunities to lead my sons and other young men to mountaintops, just as my father led me. These experiences have prompted me to ponder what it means to lead—and what it means to follow."

Christ, of course, is both the greatest leader and the greatest follower.  Christ possesses every attribute of the best leaders.  

Susan had us read several verses of scripture that talk about attributes that good leaders have:  John 13:1-6, Jarom 1:7, D&C 121:34-46, D &C 101:42, 3 Nephi 18:16, and 3 Nephi 27:  21, 27.  She also read a quote from President Nelson about good leaders.

He said (paraphrased) that good leaders:

*Set an example

*are humble

*possess spiritual strength

*are loyal and expect loyalty

*delegate

*unify

*love

*possess knowledge

Listening to that list, I possess some of those attributes but I still need to work on some of them!  (Susan was very kind and said that these young women were blessed to be led by a wonderful leader, called to serve them at this time, and that one of the greatest attributes I possess is love.  And the love part is true.  I deeply love the young women.  I deeply love the Lord.  I have felt a lot lately that I'm not qualified, that I don't know how to handle the challenges we are all facing right now.  Despite my efforts, only about half of the young women attend at all.  It makes me so sad.  I'm not sure how to change it, but it makes me SO sad.  And looking through the list, I definitely have several areas of weakness.)

I am so grateful for great leaders.  President Nelson is an outstanding leader.  Bishop Carlson was an amazing leader.  Bishop Harding is a great leader.  Chris John and Shelly Estes were great YW leaders when I was a girl.  President Gilliland and President Stevens (in the stake presidency when I was a teenager) were great leaders.  Sheri Dew was a leader that I felt changed my life.  Elder Holland is a great leader--as are each of the apostles.   This church is full of dedicated, devoted men and women who are great leaders because they follow Christ.  I want to be the best leader I can be, and as Susan and Brother Owen pointed out, the best way to do that is to become ever more like Jesus Christ.

Healing Gratitude Nelson

 President Nelson gave a short message of hope and healing.  It focused on the power of gratitude.  I wept as I listened.  I wept because I was touched by his message but also because I recognized a need for repentance.  I have not been as grateful as I should have been.  I have so much, and I'm going to try to do better at recognizing, remembering and expressing thanks for all that I have.

Here are President Nelson's words so that I can always remember and can come back and reread.

"THE HEALING POWER OF GRATITUDE By President Russell M. Nelson President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints As a doctor I know the value of good therapy. So, dear friends, may I prescribe two activities to help us experience the healing power of gratitude. During my 96 years of life, I have seen a Great Depression, a world war, the rise of terrorism, hunger, and poverty throughout the world. I have also witnessed the advent of space travel, the internet, medical advancements galore, and countless other discoveries that delight me. Prior to my ministry, I was a cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon and spent many hours in operating rooms. As a surgical resident, I was one of the research team that developed the first heart-lung machine to be used in a human open-heart operation.1 Subsequently, I had the privilege of helping to save lives of hundreds of patients, and, sadly, I watched other patients die despite my best efforts. As a man of science and as a man of faith, the current worldwide pandemic has been of great concern to me. As a man of science, I appreciate the critical need to prevent the spread of infection. I also honor the devoted service of health care professionals and grieve for the many whose lives have been upended by COVID-19. As a man of faith, however, I view the current pandemic as only one of many ills that plague our world, including hate, civil unrest, racism, violence, dishonesty, and lack of civility. Skilled scientists and researchers are laboring diligently to develop and distribute a vaccine against the coronavirus. But there is no medication or operation that can fix the many spiritual woes and maladies that we face. There is, however, a remedy—one that may seem surprising—because it flies in the face of our natural intuitions. Nevertheless, its effects have been validated by scientists as well as men and women of faith. I am referring to the healing power of gratitude. The book of Psalms is filled with admonitions to express gratitude. Here are just three of them: “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord.”2 “O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good.”3 “Come before his presence with thanksgiving.”4 Jesus Christ frequently expressed gratitude. Before raising Lazarus from the dead, before miraculously multiplying loaves and fishes, and before passing the cup to His disciples at the Last Supper, the Savior prayed and gave thanks to God. No wonder the Apostle Paul later declared, “In every thing give thanks.”5 Over my nine and a half decades of life, I have concluded that counting our blessings is far better than recounting our problems. No matter our situation, showing gratitude for our privileges is a fast-acting and longlasting spiritual prescription. Does gratitude spare us from sorrow, sadness, grief, and pain? No, but it does soothe our feelings. It provides us with a greater perspective on the very purpose and joy of life. Nearly 16 years ago my wife Dantzel and I were sitting on the sofa holding hands while we watched television. Suddenly, she collapsed. Despite being well trained to treat the very thing that ended her life, I could not save my own wife. Dantzel and I were blessed with nine daughters and one son. Tragically, I have lost two of those daughters to cancer. No parent is prepared to lose a child. And yet, despite these and other difficult experiences, I am incredibly, eternally grateful for so very many things. I am grateful to God for the nearly 60 years Dantzel and I shared together, for a lifetime of love and joy and cherished memories. And I thank Him for my wife Wendy, whom I met after Dantzel’s passing. She now fills my life with joy. I am grateful to God for the years I had with my two departed daughters. This father’s heart melts when I see attributes of those girls in the precious faces of their children and grandchildren. We can all give thanks for the beauties of the earth and the majesty of the heavens that give us an inkling of the vastness of eternity. We can give thanks for the gift of life, for our amazing bodies and minds that allow us to grow and learn. We can give thanks for art, literature, and music that nurture our souls. We can give thanks for the opportunity to repent, start over, make amends, and build character. We can give thanks for our families, friends, and loved ones. We can give thanks for the opportunity to help, cherish, and serve one another, which makes life so much more meaningful. We can even give thanks for our trials, from which we learn things we would not know otherwise. Most of all, we can give thanks unto God, the Father of our spirits, which makes us all brothers and sisters—one great global family. As a doctor, I know the value of good therapy. So, dear friends, may I prescribe two activities to help us experience the healing power of gratitude. First, I invite you—just for the next seven days—to turn social media into your own personal gratitude journal. Post every day about what you are grateful for, whom you are grateful for, and why you are grateful. At the end of seven days, see if you feel happier and more at peace. Use the hashtag #GiveThanks. Working together, we can flood social media with a wave of gratitude that reaches the four corners of the earth. Perhaps this will fulfill, in part, the promise God gave to Father Abraham, that through his descendants “all families of the earth [shall] be blessed.”6 Second, let us unite in thanking God through daily prayer. Jesus Christ taught His disciples to pray by first expressing gratitude to God and then petitioning Him for the things we need. Prayer brings forth miracles. In that spirit, I would now like to offer a prayer for the world and everyone in it. As I pray, I hope you will feel inspired to do the same, pouring out your heart in gratitude for the countless blessings God has given you and petitioning Him to heal our hearts, our families, our societies, and the world at large. Our Father in Heaven, as fellow passengers on Thy planet earth, we humbly pray unto Thee. We thank Thee for life and all that sustains life. We thank Thee for the beauties of the earth, for order in the universe, the planets, stars, and all things of eternal significance. We thank Thee for Thy laws that protect and guide us. We thank Thee for Thy mercy and loving watchcare. We thank Thee for our families and loved ones who fill our lives with joy. We are grateful for all who are striving to combat the COVID pandemic. Please bless them with protection and inspiration. Wilt Thou help us end this virus that has plagued so many of Thy children. We thank Thee for the leaders of nations and others who strive to lift us. We pray for relief from political strife. Wilt Thou bless us with a healing spirit that unites us despite our differences. Wilt Thou also help us repent from selfishness, unkindness, pride, and prejudice of any kind so that we can better serve and love one another as brothers and sisters and as Thy grateful children. We love Thee, our dear Father, and pray for Thy blessings upon us in the name of Thy Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, amen. May God bless you and your loved ones."

LESSONS LEARNED:  Be grateful.  Express sincere gratitude in prayer, in social media, to those I love.

Repent of the sin of ingratitude.  

Follow the prophet.

Gratitude brings hope and healing.

Revelation is REAL!! 

Repentance Nelson Destruction

 I had a bit of an a-ha moment this week. It's a little bit embarrassing because I should have understood this better sooner. The scriptures often speak of prophets coming to cry repentance. It happens in several places in these chapters in Ether. For example, Ether 7:23: "And there came prophets among the people, who were sent from the Lord, prophesying that the wickedness and idolatry of the people was bringing a curse upon the land, and they should be destroyed if they did not repent." I'm not sure if it was from some old Bible movies or some of the paintings we have of scriptural events or what, but in these old times I picture the prophets as old, long-haired men shouting angrily at the people to repent or else! And I guess I always had a bit of a disconnect between my impression of ancient prophets and my love and respect for modern prophets though I have learned so many lessons from these ancient prophets and love them also. (And I don't know that I had ever really even recognized that this was the image in my mind or that there was a disparity between the two images.) So as this image of this old long haired man waving his fist in the air and shouting "repent or else" appeared in my mind, I suddenly wondered with all the wickedness of the world why President Nelson doesn't angrily tell us to repent or else. And it felt a bit ridiculous...but also I immediately recognized that he definitely DOES tell us to repent and explains the joy and blessings that come from repentance. And suddenly my image shifted. I don't know what these prophets looked like...maybe they were long-haired and wearing robes. BUT I expect that they taught in manners similar to President Nelson and President Monson and President Hinckley. I bet many of them had a twinkle in their eye and a huge smile and a chuckle. And they weren't threatening people so much as lovingly inviting and encouraging and pleading with them to make choices that would invite joy and peace and prosperity and protection in their lives. And while it is clear that at times the Lord sends storms or other challenges to humble us and teach us, most of the destruction that comes upon us when we refuse to repent comes because we destroy each other through murder and greed. I have found myself weeping as I read the Book of Mormon this year. There's so much heartache and death and destruction...and the vast majority of it was caused by people killing and destroying one another. And there is so much heartache and death and destruction today...and far too much of it is caused by people hurting and even killing one another. I know this is mostly not directly related to this challenge....but I feel certain that one of the covenant blessings of Israel is having prophets to guide, warn, love and teach. And I'm so thankful!!

Grigg Plane Crash

 Mrs. Linda Grigg was my first grade teacher.  I remember her reading aloud to us every day (and occasionally handing me the book and letting me read aloud to the class.)  I remember going on a field trip to the fire station and her daughter who was about our age came along.  I remember learning to tell time and really struggling with that.  I remember getting nearly every single word correct on spelling tests that year...missing only one...and being so proud when I got a sticker on my spelling test each week.  She was kind and she was a good teacher.  I was in first grade when I first decided I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up (along with a ballerina 😂.)

When I was about to start 6th grade, there was a terrible accident.  Mrs. Grigg and her husband had gone to Michigan.  They were flying back to Arizona on August 16, 1987, when the plane crashed shortly after takeoff.  148 of the 149 passengers were killed.  Mrs. Grigg was among them.  I was heartbroken.  I was so sad as I had loved her.  But mostly I was so sad because I knew her children and I had met her daughter.  I wondered who would care for her daughter.  From time to time, I think of her children and hope they are okay.  

LESSONS LEARNED:  Life is fragile and you never know how long you have...live life to the fullest.

Teachers can make a lifelong impact and be remembered for good or ill.  

CFM Chastening Growth

 It was a hard week.  It was parent teacher conferences which was good but tiring. But all 3 of my girls are struggling right now.  It's just a hard time.  The high school is shutting down for two weeks again due to Covid.  Covid cases are through the roof and so the governor has mandated masks throughout the whole state and no one is to have any gatherings outside of immediate household members for 2 weeks (though thankfully schools can stay open if they aren't above 15 cases and churches are exempt and can have up to 99 people attend...but all extra curricular activities have been cancelled for now--including dance at Shellie's). It looks very likely that prom and Senior Ball will be cancelled and the high school is already planning graduation and it sounds like they are leaning heavily toward a drive through graduation.  Michelle is heartbroken that so much of her senior year is being lost.   Anyway, I was feeling so disheartened.  Why does everything have to be so hard?

Then I read two Instagram posts that are helping me see things a bit differently.  Things are still hard and I still don't like it, but they gave me things to consider.

Come Follow Me with Bee wrote this:  

The Brother of Jared brings his offering of stones before the Lord. He had thought about what to do, he did his part and put in the work, and he’s now asking the Lord to bless and magnify His efforts—to do for him what he can’t do for himself.

What I find so interesting to ponder on, though, is this:
.
If the Brother of Jared 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 have the faith he had, if he 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 have the faith to pierce through the veil and physically see the finger of Christ touching the stones that he offered up, would that mean that Christ’s finger wasn’t still there, touching and magnifying his efforts?

Would it just have looked like God sending down His power and the stones miraculously lighting up before his eyes?

Reading Ether 3:6 really makes it seem this way.

And it got me thinking about my own life and about all of the times where I’m trying my best and can’t quite make it there, where I feel like I’m coming up short.

And then how, in God’s mercy and grace, I receive a little more “strength beyond mine own” or something else happens/falls into place that allows me to take another step forward. I think about the times I witnessed miracles or heard of miraculous stories.

If I had the faith to pierce the veil and the eyes to see the literal hand of God in my life, what sorts of miracles would I be seeing behind the curtain? How much is Christ (or His angels) 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 and 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 involved in my life?
——
I truly believe His hand is there, touching our stones, whether we have eyes to see it or not.

And as I think about the Brother of Jared seeing Christ thereafter, I can’t help but think about how much more is in store for us as we choose to have faith in Him and ask to see Him in our lives.
——
“And never has man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast; for were it not so ye could not have seen my finger. Sawest thou more than this?

And he answered: Nay; Lord, 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦.”
(Ether 3:9-10)

(SOOO good, right?   Am I seeing Him touching the stones?  Am I even noticing that the stones are now lit?)

*********************************

Come Follow Me Daily wrote this...which was a bit of a rebuke for me:

Furious winds.
Buried in the depths of the sea.
Tossed upon the waves.
Mountain waves broke upon them.
Terrible tempests.
Buried in the deep.
For 344 days.

So many descriptions—like they were trying to paint a picture of exactly how bad it was.

My heart goes out to those Jaredite moms trying to calm babies in the middle of the night so they don’t wake up the rest of the family. Those kids with no place to run for a year. Those fathers opening the hatch, wondering if this would finally be the day their family would stop suffering, only to see blue water...again.

It reminds me of a quote I love by Kimberly Henderson:
.
“I would have pulled Joseph out. Out of that pit. Out of that prison. Out of that pain. And I would have cheated nations out of the one God would use to deliver them from famine.

“I would have pulled David out. Out of Saul’s spear-throwing presence. Out of the caves he hid away in. Out of the pain of rejection. And I would have cheated Israel out of a God-hearted king.

“I would have pulled Esther out. Out of being snatched from her only family. Out of being placed in a position she never asked for. Out of the path of a vicious, power-hungry foe. And I would have cheated a people out of the woman God would use to save their very lives.”
.
Following Kimberly Henderson’s line of logic, I would have pulled the Jaredites out. Out of the darkness. Out of the tempests. Out of the winds. But I would have cheated them of the force that “did never cease to blow them towards the promised land.” (Ether 6:8)
.
And I would pull you out. Out of coronavirus. Out of worry. Out of heartbreak. Out of pain. But what would it cheat you of?

“Mountains do not rise without earthquakes.” (Katherine MacKenett)
.
Trust in the Lord.
Trust in His plan.
“No pain we suffer or trial we experience is wasted.” (Elder Whitney)

So never cease to praise God (Ether 6:9), knowing that the wind will drive you towards your Promised Land.

LESSONS LEARNED:  Trials and adversity tend to our education.  They drive us toward our promised land.

Have eyes to see.  

Trust.  You have a good, good Father.  Trust Him.

Slide Show Christ

 As I look back on my days in Young Women, I have some specific memories of girls camp and a couple of activities.  And I knew/know that I had leaders that loved me and they loved the Lord.  But most of the Sunday lessons have not stayed with me.  But I do remember when I was a senior in high school.  For some reason we had our lessons in the kitchen. I think that might have been during the time we had 5 wards meeting in our building and maybe that was the only place for us to meet.  It wasn't the most conducive learning environment though. But I remember one Sunday, our leaders turned off the lights.  They played a slide show of paintings of the Savior with beautiful songs about the Savior.  I remember that the Spirit was so strong.  I remember that I knew the Savior lived and that He loved me.  I think the slide show took the entire class period and our leader (Shelly Estes, I think but it might have been one of the advisors) bore her testimony of the Savior.  It was one of my favorite lessons ever.

LESSON LEARNED:  Music and art can invite the Spirit.  

Testify of Christ.

Service Dirt Floor

 This week we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the young women organization.  It's had me thinking about my young women leaders and how they blessed my life.  And about how much I love serving in YW.  

Honestly, I don't remember very many of the lessons or activities we did in Young Women's.  But there are a few I do remember.  I remember one Christmas we adopted a family as a young women's group.  We went shopping and wrapped presents and then for one of our activities we delivered the gifts to a family.  The family lived quite a few miles away...it's possible they were in our stake, but I don't think so.  We brought them a Christmas tree and a stack of gifts.  When we arrived, they were so grateful.  I will never forget going into their living room and seeing that they had a dirt floor.  And no Christmas tree or any decorations.  I suddenly realized how much I had that I took for granted.  I was so grateful to play a small part in making their Christmas a little better and a little brighter!  I had/have so much.  

LESSONS LEARNED:  There's always something to be grateful for! 

Even when we feel like we are poor, there are always those with less than us.

It feels so good to serve others, even if the role we play is tiny!

Camp Lo Mia

 Every year for girls camp, we went to Camp Lo Mia in Pine, Arizona.  It was a beautiful camp with cabins and a lodge.  I loved girls camp.  I loved nearly everything about it.  One thing I especially loved was all the singing.  

There was one song that we'd gather around the flag pole and link arms to sing.  It was a song about camp.  

Camp Lo Mia (each line would get echoed)

How we love you!

Nestled in the pines

Strengthening our minds.

Building women

Out of youthful girls so true.

Camp Lo Mia

We'll remember you.

And it's been over 25 years and I do remember her.  I remember sweet Patsy Fitzpatrick our stake girls camp director in Phoenix West stake (where I went to camp my first couple of years).  I remember challenging hikes.  I remember feeling the spirit so strongly at stake testimony meetings.  I remember learning not to put your elbows on the table and to tie knots and to make new friends from other wards.  I remember that one year our theme was "Be loyal to the royal within you for you are a daughter of  a King."  I know that Girls Camp and the young women's program did strengthen my mind and my spirit and did help build me into the woman I am today.  

LESSONS LEARNED:  Music is a powerful teacher.

Be loyal.  Know who you are.

Sunshine Bags Friends

 It just feels like things are hard for so many people right now.  I wish I could take all the sadness and pain away, but I can't.  But I felt prompted to start making little "sunshine" bags...bags with a few small gifts...to women in my ward.  I figured if I could drop something off to 2-3 women in the ward each week, then slowly I could bring a little cheer to each person.  I started last week and it made my day to drop a little bag of gifts off to a couple of people.  But I knew it would take forever for me to hit each person and I wished I could do more.  Then the thought kept coming that I should ask Laurel, Jackie and Sara if they wanted to do the same thing and together we could drop stuff off for way more people.  And they all said yes.  It's made me feel so good to know that between us we will bring cheer to 4-8 people each week.  I hope it will make a difference.  I know it won't solve everyone's problems but I hope it makes people feel loved and feel a bit lighter.

LESSONS LEARNED:  Service brings joy to the giver and receiver.

Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.

Have I Done Anything Good in the World Today?  (If not, I have failed in deed.)

Hair Vaccuum Consequences

 Elder Quentin L. Cook shared this on his social media pages yesterday:
 

The challenge for you young friends of mine is to find the time for spiritual growth while acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in a very competitive world. My counsel to you is to first prioritize your faith in Jesus Christ as you make important life choices.

Faith and acquiring skills and knowledge require equal effort and commitment. We cannot expect to have faith at the center of our lives if all of our efforts are expended on skills, knowledge, making money, sports, hobbies, or other pursuits.

My mission president, Elder Marion D. Hanks, taught me that it is the small, daily choices that are important. He introduced me to some wonderful advice by Harry Emerson Fosdick, the famous Protestant pastor of the Riverside Church in New York City.

He taught: “Ah, my soul, look to the road you are walking on! He who picks up one end of a stick picks up the other. He who chooses the beginning of a road chooses the place it leads to. It is the means that determines the end.”

The choices you will make are the key to your future and your happiness. Remember, you are the sum total of every decision you make. I want you to know, and I testify to you, that you will receive guidance from the Lord if you walk in His paths and live His commandments.

It was a perfect day to post it as the lesson for YW and Aaronic Priesthood was why do the choices I make matter.  And there are consequences for each choice we make.

It brought to mind a memory of when I was a child.  I remember that I had to vacuum.  It seems like several times when I was supposed to vacuum my sisters would be playing or would be in my way and wouldn't really cooperate with me to clean up their toys/move out of my way.  One day, I told my sister (I think it was Suzy, but I honestly can't remember for sure) to move or I would vacuum up her hair.  She was on the floor, lying down, and she wouldn't move.  I asked a couple of times and then got closer...really meaning to scare her and get her to move.  Except that I got too close and I really did catch the corner of her hair and it got sucked into the vacuum.  She cried.  I felt terrible.  I think we both learned a lesson that day.  

LESSONS LEARNED:   Our choices have consequences.  Even if we don't realize it, when we make a choice, we are choosing the connected consequence also.  She chose not to move off the floor and got the painful consequence of having some of her hair sucked into the vacuum.  I chose to get frustrated and angry and do something foolish and it led to hurting my sister and feeling guilty about what I had done.

Peace Election Division

 Tuesday was a presidential election and people's emotions were high.  There is so much division in our country right now.  And I felt sick about the election because I don't think either person is fit to run our country.   Last Sunday I felt so worried.  I still hadn't decided for sure who to vote for.  I felt physically ill about either candidate winning.  So I fasted.  And I had the most beautiful Sabbath.  Sara bore her testimony and talked about how there are lots of things she doesn't know but when she gets worried or overwhelmed she comes back to what she does know...that God is good, that He loves His children, that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, that we have a living prophet, that God hears and answers our prayers.  That brought a lot of peace.  And then I felt the spirit so strong during the sacrament and felt an overwhelming wave of gratitude that these priesthood holders serve me by performing the sacrament ordinance for me, for each of us.  And each week I choose a new name of the Savior to study and ponder.  Sometimes I feel really led to know which one to choose and other times I don't.  But last Sunday, Prince of Peace came forcefully.  And I knew both that I needed that name this week..but also that my Heavenly Father really wanted me to share peace.  And all week that is what I felt.  Peace.  Peace when I heard we wouldn't be going back to school until at least January even though I desperately wanted to go back now.  Peace as we waited days for the election results.  Peace as I looked at happy, sad, despairing and celebratory posts.  I told Jackie, Laurel and Sara that I was probably in the eye of a storm...and the other side of the storm would hit soon...but it was a feeling of complete calm even though I knew a storm was raging.  Biden won and I have genuine concerns...but I  still feel peace.  My life is in the hands of the Prince of Peace, our founder of peace (Mosiah 15:18) and I will be okay.

Also, I absolutely LOVE being able to attend Relief Society and Young Women's.  As much as I wish we could just be back at church like normal, one beautiful blessing of this time is that I can attend Relief Society via Zoom at 1:30 and then Young Women's via Zoom at 2:30.  We have such remarkable women in our ward and I'm so grateful to be able to learn from them and feel of our shared love for the Savior.

 It was a really good week.  A truly good week!  One of the best weeks I have had this school year.

Months ago I set a goal to index 150 records by Nov. 15 in celebration of the 150th anniversary of YW.  But I really wasn't sure once school started if that was going to happen.  But I officially met my goal today.  

Also, I am more than halfway through planning through November 18 and that's the farthest I've ever been on a Friday since remote teaching started. And it's a dumb little thing but I figured out how to embed a video on Canvas today. I've gotten to the point where I can do things pretty well on Canvas and on Zoom. Not perfectly but I am so pleased with how much I have learned and accomplished in the past 8 months. I'd still really, really rather be in my classroom with my students but I'm so happy and pleased that teaching is going okay even over Zoom and Canvas.

And I was observed by my principal today and his notes were all positive except one tiny suggestion. And one of my students' parents wrote an op ed piece for the Salt Lake Tribune about how well remote learning is working for their family and how much their daughter is learning. My principal shared the link in faculty meeting and said this family has called him to sing my praises which was embarrassing but also nice. I KNOW remote learning isn't working for all of my students and I know there are still a million things I could do better at.  But it's been a very satisfying day/week and so I am just going to rejoice in that for today.  

LESSONS LEARNED: I can learn to do hard things.

Reaching goals brings satisfaction and joy.

I love teaching even in virtual environments though I definitely don't want this online thing to be permanent.

Prison Fear YW

 I loved YW as a teenager.  Loved it.  I almost never missed an activity, despite having a busy school/extracurricular schedule.  YW was a priority for me.  Despite that, I don't remember most of the activities we did.  But there are a few that stand out.

One activity that I remember well was visiting the prison in Phoenix.  I'm not sure why we took a tour of the prison but at some point my friend and I must have been talking or something and got a bit behind the rest of the group.  We took a wrong turn and ended up maybe in an area we weren't supposed to go to.  I remember seeing a man, locked alone, who had tattoos all over his face and who scowled and growled at us.  He looked terrifying.  We hurried to find the rest of our group and felt relieved to catch up with them.

LESSONS LEARNED:

I think at the time the lesson I learned was that there are people in the world that are dangerous and scary.  And I never wanted to end up in prison.

Looking back, I see other lessons.  First, perhaps I should not have been so quick to judge.  Being strong and having tattoos doesn't necessarily make you scary or dangerous.  (Though the fact that he was in prison makes it more likely that he was, but even then it doesn't guarantee it.)

Second, be in the right places.  I was a bit careless and ended up in an area that I wasn't supervised and was not where I was meant to be.  

Third, choices have consequences.  When we make a choice (good or bad), we are also choosing the consequences (good or bad). 

Mike Always Winner

 My mom and Mike came for dinner today.  We had such a nice visit.  It had been over a month since we had seen them.  

We talked a bit about the virus and how much I wish I could go back to school and that I mostly don't dare share my opinion because it is such an unpopular opinion.  I explained that I am trying to be careful but I also can't just sit in my home and do nothing when I know so many people are lonely and struggling.  I just can't.  I know they are trying to be quite cautious but they also reassured me that they think that it's good for my kids to be back in school and that they don't think I'm being selfish or irresponsible.

Also, Mike shared that when he was younger he was very competitive.  He hated to lose.  He wasn't always pleasant to be around if he lost.  But when he married my mom, we liked to play games--especially Boggle.  He said that in 30 years of marriage, he has never won a game of Boggle.  And yet, he said, that he was a winner in every single game.  Because he decided his purpose/goal was to build relationships and have fun.  And so no matter how the game went, he could consider himself a winner if he was enjoying that time with those he loved.  Sometimes I can get competitive and even be a bit of a sore loser, so I appreciate this reminder.  It's more important to enjoy the game and build relationships than to win.

Lesson Learned:  It's more important to enjoy the game and build relationships than to win.

Change your purpose and you can change your feelings about the outcome.

Echo Hawk Marine BofM

 In a talk given in October 2012 entitled "Come Unto Me, O Ye House of Israel", Elder Larry Echo Hawk of the Seventy shared this story:

I volunteered for service in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. Soon after my arrival in Quantico, Virginia, for basic training, I found myself standing at attention in front of my barrack’s bunk along with 54 other Marine Corps recruits. I met my drill instructor, a battle-hardened veteran, when he kicked open the door to the barracks and entered while screaming words laced with profanity.

After this terrifying introduction, he started at one end of the barracks and confronted each recruit with questions. Without exception, the drill instructor methodically found something about each recruit to ridicule with loud, vulgar language. Down the row he came, with each marine shouting back his answer as commanded: “Yes” or “No, Sergeant Instructor.” I could not see exactly what he was doing, because we had been ordered to stand at attention with our eyes looking straight ahead. When it was my turn, I could tell he grabbed my duffel bag and emptied the contents onto my mattress behind me. He looked through my belongings, then walked back to face me. I braced myself for his attack. In his hand was my Book of Mormon. I expected that he would yell at me; instead, he moved close to me and whispered, “Are you a Mormon?”

As commanded, I yelled, “Yes, Sergeant Instructor.”

Again I expected the worst. Instead, he paused and raised his hand that held my Book of Mormon and in a very quiet voice said, “Do you believe in this book?”

Again I shouted, “Yes, Sergeant Instructor.”

At this point I was sure he would scream disparaging words about Mormons and the Book of Mormon, but he just stood there in silence. After a moment he walked back to my bunk and carefully laid down my Book of Mormon. He then proceeded to walk by me without stopping and went on to ridicule and disparage with profane language all remaining recruits.

I have often wondered why that tough Marine Corps sergeant spared me that day. But I am grateful I was able to say without hesitation, “Yes, I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” and “Yes, I know the Book of Mormon is true.”

I love that he had the courage to boldly proclaim that he was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (a "Mormon" as the sergeant called him) and that he believed the Book of Mormon was true.  That would take courage and faith but it's also so comforting and strengthening to have that testimony, regardless of how others react.

LESSONS LEARNED:  Boldly declare what I know to be true.

I, too, have a knowledge and testimony that the Book of Mormon is true.  I'm grateful every day to have that knowledge and to be a member of the Church.

Christian or Catholic?

 On Sunday (over Zoom) we had a beautiful lesson by Susan Gustafson about the correct name of the Church.  It truly was so beautiful.  While she was teaching, a memory from when I was a young child came to mind.  

I was probably in about 1st or 2nd grade.  A classmate was talking about church and asked me, "Are you a Christian or a Catholic?"  Honestly, I had never heard either of these words before...or at least I didn't think I had.  I said I didn't know, but that I was a Mormon.  I think my friend was unimpressed or even troubled that I wasn't Christian or Catholic (though I think my Catholic friends would be troubled that they were separated out from being Christian!)

I went home and told my parents about it.  I think they were a bit embarrassed that I hadn't known what it meant to be a Christian and explained that a Christian is someone who believes in and follows Christ.  We are Christian, they assured me.

Now I know that some Christians will differentiate members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and say that we aren't Christian, but I think that at least ONE important reason to refer to the Church by its full name is that it helps us to be more fully cognizant of the fact that we are Christian.  And hopefully it makes that more clear to those not of our faith.  

LESSONS LEARNED:  A name is important, including nicknames.  Our names for the church should reflect the fact that we are disciples of Christ.  We are Christian.