Hobbies Leisure Time

Personal history question for the week:

Question 42: What are some of the things you enjoy doing in your leisure time?

Here are some of mine: I love to read. I read quite a bit. I enjoy traveling. I love attending the temple. I love trying new food. I enjoy spending time with friends. I like going for walks. I enjoy participating in service. I like playing the piano even though I'm just a beginner. I love being around the youth of the church. I like hiking and camping. I like playing board games and card games. (Splendor is my favorite board game, but I enjoy Azul, Mexican Train, Cover Your Assets, Pit, Boggle, and many others.) I enjoy doing puzzles. I honestly love to learn new things and discuss things I'm learning with others.  I enjoy listening to LDS podcasts.  I enjoy writing notes to people and mailing them.

Thoughts on Zion

I SO want to understand and create Zion.  I want to be one who builds and lifts and inspires and improves and not any of the opposites.  Here are a few of the things that I read/studied/pondered as we read about Zion in Moses 7 this week.

Quote from Jeffrey R. Holland:  "I ask us to be peacemakers-to love peace, to seek peace, to create peace, to cherish peace."

Sisters in Zion :  Eyring 

“ We know that the Savior will come to a people who have been gathered and prepared to live as the people did in the city of Enoch. The people there were united in faith in Jesus Christ and had become so completely pure that they were taken up to heaven.”

“… my people will I preserve;

“And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem.

“And the Lord said unto Enoch: Then shalt thou and all thy city meet them there, and we will receive them into our bosom, and they shall see us; and we will fall upon their necks, and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other;

“And there shall be mine abode, and it shall be Zion, which shall come forth out of all the creations which I have made; and for the space of a thousand years the earth shall rest.”  (Moses 7:61-64)

“ You sisters, your daughters, your granddaughters, and the women you have nurtured will be at the heart of creating that society of people who will join in glorious association with the Savior. You will be an essential force in the gathering of Israel and in the creation of a Zion people who will dwell in peace in the New Jerusalem.”

“ In the early days of the Relief Society, the Prophet Joseph Smith said to the sisters, “If you live up to your privileges, the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates.”

That marvelous potential lies within you, and you are being prepared for it.”

“ If the past is prologue, at the time of the Savior’s coming, the daughters who are deeply committed to their covenants with God will be more than half of those who are prepared to welcome Him when He comes. But whatever the numbers, your contribution in creating unity among the people prepared for that Zion will be far greater than half….  My experience has taught me that Heavenly Father’s daughters have a gift to allay contention and to promote righteousness with their love of God and with the love of God they engender in those they serve.“

“ Sisters, you were given the blessing of being daughters of God with special gifts. You brought with you into mortal life a spiritual capacity to nurture others and to lift them higher toward the love and purity that will qualify them to live together in a Zion society. It is not by accident that the Relief Society, the first Church organization specifically for Heavenly Father’s daughters, has as its motto “Charity Never Faileth.”

Charity is the pure love of Christ. And it is faith in Him and the full effects of His infinite Atonement that will qualify you, and those you love and serve, for the supernal gift to live in that sociality of a long-looked-for and promised Zion. There you will be sisters in Zion, loved in person by the Lord and those you have blessed.”

Come To Zion by Elder Christofferson

Nephi foresaw that these “dominions” would be small but that the Lord’s power would descend “upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, … who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they [would be] armed with righteousness” (see 1 Nephi 14:12–14). The Lord calls upon us to be beacons of righteousness to guide those who seek the safety and blessings of Zion:

“Verily I say unto yo

Under the direction of the Prophet Joseph Smith, early members of the Church attempted to establish the center place of Zion in Missouri, but they did not qualify to build the holy city. The Lord explained one of the reasons for their failure:

“They have not learned to be obedient to the things which I required at their hands, but are full of all manner of evil, and do not impart of their substance, as becometh saints, to the poor and afflicted among them;

“And are not united according to the union required by the law of the celestial kingdom” (D&C 105:3–4).

u all: Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations;

...

"

Zion is Zion because of the character, attributes, and faithfulness of her citizens. Remember, “the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them” (Moses 7:18). If we would establish Zion in our homes, branches, wards, and stakes, we must rise to this standard. It will be necessary (1) to become unified in one heart and one mind; (2) to become, individually and collectively, a holy people; and (3) to care for the poor and needy with such effectiveness that we eliminate poverty among us. We cannot wait until Zion comes for these things to happen—Zion will come only as they happen.

"We will become of one heart and one mind as we individually place the Savior at the center of our lives and follow those He has commissioned to lead us."

"Much of the work to be done in establishing Zion consists in our individual efforts to become “the pure in heart” (D&C 97:21). “Zion cannot be built up unless it is by the principles of the law of the celestial kingdom,” said the Lord; “otherwise I cannot receive her unto myself” (D&C 105:5). The law of the celestial kingdom is, of course, the gospel law and covenants, which include our constant remembrance of the Savior and our pledge of obedience, sacrifice, consecration, and fidelity."

"We are to become not only good but holy men and women. Recalling Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s phrase, let us once and for all establish our residence in Zion and give up the summer cottage in Babylon."

The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object” (Teachings: Joseph Smith, 186).

From the Follow Him podcast:

From Enoch's vision we learn many things.  We learn that God loves to teach His children and answer our questions.  We learn that when we cry, we never cry alone.  The flood is symbolically caused by God weeping.  He cries because the workmanship of His hands does not keep either of the first two great commands...they don't love Him and they don't love one another.  The thing that God hates most is when His children hurt each other.  The Lord asks us to mourn with those who mourn and HE DOES THIS!

There are many similarities between Enoch's vision and Nephi's, including that they ask questions and are told to look.  Both see Christ's coming in vision. 

Presume that others around you are trying to build Zion.  That they are doing their part in the best way they know how.  Building Zion requires unity, holiness and no poor.  If we could figure those things out, we would have Zion.  But these goals can't be reached without Christ.  So how can I help?  It starts with MY heart.  Am I doing my part to help with the mission of the church:  1.  Live the gospel.  2.  Care for those in need.  (That's most people around us whether it's temporal or spiritual or emotional.) 3.  Invite all to receive the gospel.  4.  Unite families for eternity.  If we would ALL really do those things, we would build Zion.

God condescends into the trenches of our lives.  He weeps right along with us as we worry, ache, mourn, and experience sorrow. 

Don't Miss This podcast: 

God first helped Enoch see his own potential and understand the plan God had in store for him. Then he helped him see the plan for Enoch's people.  Then Enoch was able to go and teach the people and continue in prayer and continue in building them up so that they could all reach that potential together.

Come Follow Me Daily post on IG/Facebook:
She shares how female elephants surround a mother in labor.  They protect her from predators and give support and aid.  Jen Hatmaker, speaking about elephants but also women, writes, "This is what we do, girls. When our sisters are vulnerable, when they are giving birth to new life, new ideas, new ministeries, when they are under attack, when they need their people to surround them so they can create, deliver, heal, recover...we get into formation. We close ranks and literally have each other’s backs.

[...] And when delivery comes, when new life makes its entrance, when healing finally begins, when the night has passed and our sister is ready to rise back up, we sound our trumpets because we saw it through together. We celebrate! We cheer!"

Come Follow Me Daily says, "This is Zion. One heart. One mind. No poor among them. (Moses 7:18).

Observing, lifting, protecting, cheering.

This scripture isn’t some future advice for a future time.

Jeffrey R. Holland said to “build Zion where you are.”

.

Because “the work of Zion commences in the heart of each person.” Brigham Young.

It starts with your heart.

It starts with mine.

Form up, ladies. Zion is waiting for us."

Come Follow Me Study on IG:

Compassion literally means "to suffer together".

Why was Enoch able to create Zion. Moses 7 says he wept when he learned of the destruction that would happen. "But he didn't just cry and feel sad about these things: He always tried to do something about it. He saw Noah's flood. Enoch wept, and he also pled with the Lord to make a covenant to bless Noah's seed who would remain on earth....He saw the suffering of others, whether it was his fellow man, the Earth or the Savior. And he wept because of the pain they were enduring. And THEN, he did what he could to try to relieve their suffering, or to at least learn about what would relieve it."

"Compassion. Enoch showed it, the Lord shows it, and each member of a Zion community shows it, too."

Come Follow Me Study on IG:

Moses 7:62 "RIghteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood"

"WE are the flood!

Sharing righteousness and truth across the entire world in unprecedented ways. Covering literally every corner of the earth with the influence of goodness. Helping Christ to be known, loved and worshipped by anyone who desires it.... [This flood] is one I definitely want to be swept away in!"

Quentin L. Cook: "Love and kindness are at the center of having Zion in our hearts and homes."

Love up close and personally. Those who are hard to love. Those who are different. Those who annoy or hurt or bother. Pray for those you want to love but struggle to love. Love and kindness are the center of having Zion. I can do better. In pretty much all the things shared above, I can do better!

All Thirteen Meditation

 I mentioned in my last post how much I loved the book All Thirteen.  So much!

And there were so many great lessons in the book.

Soontornvat wrote in her author's note: "There are so many lessons to be learned from this rescue.  The lesson I wanted to share the most comes from Coach Ek and the boys, who-like their rescuers-defied impossible odds.  They taught me that 'impossible' exists only in your mind.  You are capable of so much more than you can even imagine." (page 222)

I walked away from this book with such gratitude for the sacrifices made by so many to rescue these boys.  But also with such admiration for these boys.  Also in the author's note, Soontornvat writes that she wondered how their fame would affect the boys.  The boys were invited to attend the Youth Olympic Games as guests of honor.  The team were to walk out into the crowded station.  They gathered in a huddle to decide how to enter.  Should they wave?  Should they wai (bow to the audience)?  The boys quickly agreed that heroes wave.  They were not the heroes--their rescuers were--and so they would they would walk out and wai to show their respect and humility and gratitude.  (page 225) 

The boys were in the cave with their coach for nearly 10 days before anyone found them.  10 days in the dark.  10 days with no food. (They did have fresh water dripping into the cave.)  10 days of not knowing if they would be found or if they would get out.  10 days of cold.  How did they do it?  I am sure I don't know all the answers, but the book explained that Coach Ek has always encouraged the boys to make decisions together on and off the field.  That has developed an ability to problem solve and a closeness with one another.  Coach Ek is determined to keep the boys calm and safe.  He is Buddhist, has spent time as a novice monk, and practices meditation.   The team typically begins each practice with meditation.  Coach Ek has them spend time meditating while in the cave.  About the only thing they can control while in the cave is their own mind.  They focus on their breathing and become aware of their body's discomfort and pain without letting these concerns overwhelm or control them.  This mental toughness and exercise in mindfulness allow them to stay calm and to be resilient despite the obvious difficulties.  

I am also impressed with the boys humility and gratitude.  I am impressed by the respect they show their teammates, their coach, and others.  When the rescue finally begins, only 4 boys can be rescued on the first day.  The coach again has the team make the decision together.  No one really wants to be first.  Coach Ek suggests that the boys who live farthest from the cave be evacuated first so they can go through town and tell people that the team is safe and coming out.  The team agrees.  I imagine this discussion going much differently if this had been American children, though perhaps I am wrong.

These boys and their coach are impressive.  They are normal children, and also very special and impressive children.

THINGS LEARNED:

1.  If I can master my mind, I can survive better in stressful situations and accomplish so much more than if I allow doubts, panic or other negative emotions to control me.

2.  Teamwork and group decision making often yields far better outcomes. It isn't easy to work together, to agree, to take one another's counsel and to consider others' needs but it is a much more powerful way to reach decisions.

3.  Gratitude and humility...these are characteristics that I need to master much better.  I'm so impressed by the gratitude and humility these boys displayed over and over.

4.  Mindfulness or meditation is powerful!

Magnify Callings Covenants

I spoke in church today.  Here is the talk I wrote out, though after I practiced at home I realized it was too long so I cut some out for church...and I never just read it word for word so there were definitely some differences in what I exactly said and what I wrote.  Nevertheless, these are my thoughts on Keeping our covenant by magnifying callings: 

 
When we are baptized, we make covenants to take upon us the name of Christ, always remember Him and keep His commandments as well as to mourn with those who mourn and comfort those who stand in need of comfort. In other words, we promise that we will love and help those around us...go to their rescue...and that we will try to act as Christ would...to live as disciples of Christ. 

 
When we enter the temple, we make additional covenants with our Father in Heaven.  Included in these covenants, we promise to sacrifice and to consecrate our time and talents and all that we have to build up the kingdom of God...to help bring others to Christ, to go to the rescue, to live as disciples of Christ. In the days of Joseph Smith, the Saints were often asked to leave their homes, give up connections with family and friends, even sacrifice their lives. Today our sacrifices and opportunities to consecrate are typically a bit different. We don’t have to walk for hours and cross a river to get to church or save for years to go to the temple once or leave our homes to cross the plains. We still sacrifice our money as we pay tithes and offerings but a lot of our opportunities to consecrate our time and talents comes as we serve in the church.  I believe a big part of our living our covenants made at baptism and in the temple is accepting and magnifying our callings. 

I’m going to take a quick detour...but I promise I will connect it back.   This week I read a wonderful nonfiction book called All Thirteen.  Many of you will remember that in June of 2018, 12 young boys and their coach were stranded in a cave in Thailand when the cave flooded.  It took a couple of weeks and many, many people to rescue these boys safely.  When people realized what had happened, volunteers came from all over the world to help rescue these boys.  There were world famous cave divers.  There were US Navy Seals and Thai SEALS.  There were experts on this particular cave.  There were people who came and cooked for the volunteers and set up stations with supplies, medical care, etc.  Hundreds of people were involved in the rescue, and as I read about it, I saw that each person played a vital role.  Some had medical knowledge that was put to use to help the boys when they were found and to give them anesthesia so they could sleep while divers rescued them so they wouldn’t panic.  Oil workers and others used pumps to pump water out of the cave.  Multiple people cooked so that workers would have nutrition and energy.  The cook couldn’t do the job that the anesthesiologist did; but their job was critical nonetheless.  I’m not certain that the rescue could have been successful without “all hands on deck”. 

What does this successful cave rescue have to do with our covenants or with serving in callings?  I believe it has EVERYTHING to do with it.  These men and women volunteered because they were needed, because they wanted to help and because the job couldn’t get done without their expertise.  They knew that they were needed for the rescue of these precious children who were in grave danger.   All around us, we have precious children of God who are also in grave danger.  Listen to the news for even a few minutes and I think you can see that there are many people who are hurting, lost, confused or at risk.  And we have made COVENANTS to rescue them.  They are our brothers and our sisters, and we’ve promised God that we will do our best to look out for them and to go to the rescue.  And I want to add that so much good is done by good people from all walks of life...not just by members of our church.  But we have a responsibility to do our part.  That is done as we develop friendships, minister to our neighbors, serve in the community, strengthen our families, serve missions, and do countless other acts to bless lives.  AND it is done every single day as we serve in callings.  We each have specific skills, talents, areas of expertise and gifts and as we work together, we are able to strengthen each member of our ward and stake and also do so much good in our wider communities.  Our ward and our stake cannot be successful in doing the Lord’s work without “all hands on deck”.  Each person’s gifts and talents and skills are needed!  Each person’s expertise and experience contributes to the mission of rescuing or gathering or loving. 

Elder Uchtdorf said, ““What is the most important calling in the Church? It is the one you currently have. No matter how humble or prominent it may seem to be, the calling you have right now is the one that will allow you not only to lift others but also to become the man [or woman] of God you were created to be.  My dear friends..., lift where you stand!” 

 

There are probably many reasons that may be given for not choosing to serve or for not serving faithfully.  We are all busy.  We have so many responsibilities.  We may be facing doubts or very real and difficult circumstances.  Often we feel inadequate.  I spoke with several friends about callings this week, and several expressed feelings of inadequacy in past or current callings.   We are not alone in those feelings.  Moses felt inadequate and in Exodus 4:10 we read:   

“And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of aspeech, and of a bslow tongue.” 

The Lord then gave him Aaron as a support and to be his spokesman. 

This week, in Come Follow Me, we read of Enoch. 

The Lord said to Enoch: 
“And he heard a avoice from heaven, saying: bEnoch, my son, cprophesy unto this people, and say unto them—Repent, for thus saith the Lord: I am dangry with this people, and my fierce anger is kindled against them; for their hearts have waxed ehard, and their fears are dull of hearing, and their eyes gcannot see afar off;”  (Moses 6: 27) 

In verse 31, we read Enoch’s response to this call:  “31 And when Enoch had heard these words, he abowed himself to the earth, before the Lord, and spake before the Lord, saying: bWhy is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people chate me; for I am dslow of speech; wherefore am I thy servant?” 

Can’t you imagine Enoch’s feelings? Probably you have had some similar feelings yourself!  I”m too young or too immature or don’t know enough.  I am not a good speaker.  I’m too shy.  I don’t have the right skills.  Someone else could do this so much better than I can.  I don’t have good people skills.  Surely there’s someone else that could do this better!   I know when I was called as RS President, I had many of these feelings!  But in Real Talk Come Follow Me this week, Ganel-lyn Condie and John Fossum say “Sometimes God consecrates and sometimes God compensates.”  He either sends an Aaron to help you with your call or he grants you the skills to serve in the way He needs you to at that time.  And  I think that is SUCH a great blessing and promise! 

When I was called as RS President, my kids were still pretty young.  And I was working full time and felt pretty overwhelmed.  In fact, in the 4 months prior to my call, I had been praying and praying to know what I could give up because I felt discouraged and overwhelmed by my responsibilities.  When I was extended the call, I not only felt inadequate, I genuinely didn’t know how I could fit it in with my other responsibilities.  But I quickly saw God magnify MY time and capabilities. None of my previous responsibilities went away.  But suddenly I had time and energy to do what I was being asked to do and the two years I served in that calling blessed my life in ways I can’t even begin to articulate.  I'm not the same person I was before I served in that calling.  

President Monson said, “It is the Lord’s work and when we are on the Lord’s errand, we are entitled to the Lord’s help.  Remember that whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies."  Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, "God does not begin by asking us about our ability, but only about our availability, and if we then prove our dependability, he will increase our capability."

I am so grateful for the experiences I have had where I have felt inadequate or unprepared--and I probably was!--but the Lord has strengthened me and enabled me to do more and be more than I was on my own.  I have had that experience over and over.

There are countless blessings that come from serving and magnifying our callings.  When I asked friends about their callings, a common response was to talk about the love that they developed for those they served with and those they served.  It is definitely one of my favorite things about serving in a calling.  Some of my dearest friendships have formed or been strengthened exponentially by serving together in callings.  One friend talked about what a blessing it was to serve as stake Primary president and how the love she felt for the children of the stake continues to bless her life.  Another spoke of how loving those she serves comes so easily to her and is a special part of any calling.  I can remember as I served in RS, there were days when I would look around at the women in our ward, and suddenly my eyes would be swimming with tears and my heart would be full...full of love.  For just a moment, I felt like I could see you women as God sees you and while I can’t adequately put that feeling into words, I know it is real and didn’t just come from me.  I had the same experience as a YW leader.  I would sometimes feel frustrated because I knew my words lacked the power to convey what I truly felt for the YW.  The depth of love I feel for them or the goodness I see in them.  They are incredible!  It’s a great blessing to feel a portion of the love that God has for another person and for a moment to have the veil lifted and see them more clearly.  To me, that is probably the greatest gift of serving in callings. 

Elder Uchtdorf (in a talk entitled The Greatest Among Us) said, ““In God’s kingdom, greatness and leadership means seeing others as they truly are—as God sees them—and then reaching out and ministering to them. It means rejoicing with those who are happy, weeping with those who grieve, lifting up those in distress, and loving our neighbor as Christ loves us.” 

 

*Teaching Sunday School…felt so nervous until a couple of minutes in and then looked around at faces and felt love and relaxed and just enjoyed the conversation. 

 

 

2.  Another great blessing is that serving in callings allows us to develop Christlike attributes.  We become more humble, patient, forgiving, less judgmental, kinder, more diligent, and so on.  It helps us become a little more like our Savior.  Our whole purpose for being here on Earth is to BECOME, and serving in callings is one of the ways the Lord provides us with opportunities to develop these Christlike attributes. 

Elder Uchtdorf said, “ If we approach our callings as opportunities to serve God and minister to others with faith and humility, every act of service will be a step on the path of discipleship. In this way, God not only builds up His Church but also builds up His servants. The Church is designed to help us become true and faithful disciples of Christ, good and noble sons and daughters of God. This happens not just when we go to meetings and listen to talks but also when we get outside ourselves and serve. This is how we become “great” in the kingdom of God.” 

 

I’ll share a humorous example of how one calling allowed me to work on being more humble and hopefully a tiny bit more like Christ.  It’s also an example of why we need “all hands on deck.”  I have a few talents, but singing and dancing aren’t among them.  A few months ago, Woodledge Ward hosted a “Masked Singer” event and I was asked to be one of the Masked Singers.  Now had it been for almost ANYTHING else, I would have politely declined.  No one really wants to hear me sing anyway—I promise!  But I love the youth and I would do VIRTUALLY ANYTHING for the youth of our stake.  So I said okay even though it filled me with dread.  I got a costume—the Grinch—and practiced and showed up, filled with nerves.  Now I think Heavenly Father has a sense of humor and maybe He realized that the simple act of standing on the stage was pretty humbling...but the mic/sound really didn’t work for me and so most of my singing couldn’t be heard...though it worked for everyone else.  Probably a big blessing in disguise for all of us.  All joking aside though, callings have given me opportunities to do things that are WAY outside of my comfort zone and while it’s not always a raging success, that process of doing hard things and feeling the Lord magnify my efforts and continually working to be a little bit better HAS helped me to become a little more like my Savior.  Even the Savior learned “grace by grace” and “grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man”.  As we serve in callings, we have a multitude of opportunities to follow in His footsteps. 

Elder Uchtdorf said, “Each time we give of ourselves to others, we take a step closer to becoming good and true disciples of the One who gave His all for us: our Savior.” 

 

 

And this also brings me back to the rescue of the boys in Thailand.  I DON’T sing well.  That’s not a gift that I was given, but I am so very grateful for those of you that do and that share that talent with the rest of us.  I can’t do everything—none of us can—and your unique talents and gifts bless my life immensely!  Your gifts are needed. 

 
 

3. Greater knowledge…we learn the most when we teach or speak 

One friend said that when she received a calling that felt overwhelming, she developed a better pattern of prayer, and scripture study became more of a priority.  She said, “I gained more knowledge about the fundamentals of the gospel and came to really realize the beautiful simplicity of the plan of happiness.  I gained a more powerful testimony of Jesus Christ, and HIs individual love for each of us.” 

I LOVE to teach or speak in church because I always gain even more from that experience than I am able to share.  Even just spending this past week reflecting on the blessings of serving in a calling has brought experiences to mind and helped me recognize more fully how grateful I am for opportunities to serve! 

 

4.  It has the potential to change lives.  Our own and those of the people we serve. 

Elder Uchtdorf said, “Our service—whether great or small—refines our spirits, opens the windows of heaven, and releases God’s blessings not only upon those we serve but upon us as well. When we reach out to others, we can know with humble confidence that God acknowledges our service with approval and approbation. He smiles upon us as we offer these heartfelt acts of compassion, especially acts that are unseen and unnoticed by others.” 

So much of the service we give really is unseen.  While people see the results of an activity that has been well planned or a lesson that is well delivered, they don’t see the time and effort put in in advance.  Much of the one on one service given in callings—as RS President or Bishop or as a Primary teacher or as a ministering brother or sister—is seen only by the individual being served.  The hours of prayer and fasting and so on are known only to God.  But they do refine us.  And often the service we render changes the lives of those we serve.  Sometimes we know of the impact we have had, but often we don’t know.  I have thought a lot in the past year or two about my seminary teacher and my young women leaders that I had as a teen and the impact that they had on my life.  I feel certain that without their influence (as well as the influence of my wonderful parents), I would have made very different decisions as a teen, decisions that may have led to a much different life.  I don’t know that all of my leaders know what a difference they made, but my gratitude is profound.  I can think of others along my journey that have blessed my life as they magnified their callings and reached out in love. 

 
 
 
 

5. Feel JOY. Always hoped if I was going to have a bad day that it would be Tuesday because I knew YW would bring joy.  I feel joy as I serve others.  I feel joy as I strengthen relationships.  I feel joy as I draw closer to Christ.  In fact, Christ is the source of our joy.   

 
 

7. Have experiences…speak. Participate in temple work, camps, and develop new talents.  Learn to better receive revelation. 

 
 

Become closer to Christ!!!!!!! 

 
 

I began by talking about the covenants we have made with God...to take His name upon us, to bear one another’s burdens, to sacrifice, to consecrate.  I want to end by reviewing what God has promised. 

President Eyring said, “The promise is that we may have all he has by our giving all we have. The almost unimaginable imbalance of that exchange, all we have for all he has, is a measure of his love for us.” 

 

Yes, it takes time and effort and sacrifice to magnify callings.  But in my experience the rewards ALWAYS outweigh the effort and sacrifice.  And ultimately, the reward will be SO great that it really will be completely one sided---Christ giving US EVERYTHING after we have given so little, practically nothing.  I am SO grateful that callings have allowed me to become a little bit more like Him and have allowed me to receive countless blessings, far beyond what I deserve.  I am forever indebted to Him and I’m so grateful. 
 

 
 

 A couple of additional thoughts that I didn't share but that have been on my mind.
 

Elder Uchtdorf: The Greatest Among You 

 
 

 

“To be effective Church leaders, we must learn this critical lesson: leadership in the Church is not so much about directing others as it is about our willingness to be directed by God. 
 

 I thought a lot about how serving in the church gives us opportunities to learn how God speaks to us and to

be directed by God. We need His help.

I have also been thinking a lot about these verses:

D&C 58:26-27. 

"For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. 

 
 

27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;"

 
 

I have had pretty demanding callings for the past 9 consecutive years. Now I am teaching gospel doctrine once

a month which is much less demanding. I've helped in Primary the past two weeks and I've let my Bishop know

that I'm happy with gospel doctrine but that if I'm needed in other ways, I can do more. I'm fine with the calling I have but

I'm willing to help in more ways if needed. I will serve as faithfully as I can in whatever calling I receive. But these verses

have been ringing in my head. Because I don't think the Lord wants me to only do the things I'm "commanded" or

compelled to do via an official calling. I think He wants me to seek for additional ways to serve. So I'm praying to

know how to help others around me. I started my little monthly study group at my home to discuss the gospel and the temple

and to strengthen our spiritual foundation. I continue to run a Facebook group that studies in response to President

Nelson's invitations in conference. For about 8 months, I have been posting a weekly Personal History Question for my

ward on social media, and when I was released, I asked if ward council wanted me to continue to do that and they said yes. But also

I am really trying to pay attention to what I see happening around me and try to find ways to be anxiously engaged in good causes. Writing

uplifting notes to ward members. Dropping off a treat or small gift when it seems like someone might need it. Taking treats to work

tomorrow because after a week of being online, I think all the teachers deserve a little pick-me-up. It's not much, but

I truly believe if we each do our part, we have "all hands on deck" then we have power to change the world with our united efforts.