Find Seek Sara

 My dearest friend Sara spoke in sacrament meeting today.  Her talk was on seeking the good.  

She shared an experience she had this summer.  In July, she and some of her family went to look at the apartment that Liv would be living in this year down at Snow College.  It was darling.  Then when they went to move Liv in a few weeks later, they were told to write down every little flaw...any scratches or nicks or holes or dents.  Sara went through the place very carefully (FAR more carefully than Michelle and I did when she moved in so hopefully Michelle doesn't have to pay a big fee at the end of the year)...and filled 4 pages with every tiny scratch and imperfection.  And by the time she was done, she felt like Liv's apartment was a terrible place.  And what had changed?  The second time she went specifically looking for the bad and the flawed...and she found it.  

She shared this quote by Elder Uchtdorf:  

Have you ever noticed that people can usually find whatever they are looking for? Look hard enough, and you can discover both good and bad in almost anyone and anything. People have done the same with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since its beginning. Those who look for the good will find a kind and compassionate people—a people who love the Lord and desire to serve Him and bless the lives of their fellowman. But it is also true that those who look for the bad will certainly find things that are not so ideal.

Unfortunately, at times this happens even within the Church. There is no end to the creativity, ingenuity, and tenacity of those who look for reasons to criticize. They cannot seem to release their grip on grudges. They gossip and find fault with others. They nurse wounds for decades, taking every opportunity to tear down and demean others. This is not pleasing to the Lord, “for where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work” (James 3:16).

She also shared the following sweet story about our dear ward member Susan Vincent.  A few years ago, Susan was experiencing health struggles (she still is) and she had just lost her mom. Life felt really hard, and she was discouraged and upset.  One day she saw a picture of Eeyore.  She thought about his gloomy attitude and suddenly wondered if she was having that effect on those she loved and those who spent time with her.  She vowed to complain less and get rid of the "Eeyore effect".  It took a lot of conscientious effort, but she has worked hard to try to see the blessings she has and to not complain about her problems.  

She shared a few other experiences and scriptures and testified that we can find the good in everyone and everything if only we will look for it.

LESSONS LEARNED:

*Avoid the "Eeyore" syndrome.

*Look for the good in others and in experiences.

*Even simple, every day experiences can be powerful teachers if we are consciously looking for the lessons.

 

Addie "Can't Get Any Better"

A week ago, I asked the YW to share a lesson they had learned this summer.

Sweet Addie told us that when her parents first moved to the neighborhood, her dad just wasn't sure this was the right place for them.  One evening he was outside and saw dragonflies and just felt so peaceful.  He felt like Heavenly Father was telling him, "It can't get any better than this."

There's a Geico commercial that shows a few guys fishing and they say it can't get any better than this.  When Addie's family went to Palisades recently, her brother caught a fish and her family was reminded of the commercial.  She said they talked about how their family is perfect together..that even though they have challenges, they can help one another and work together to be an eternal family and therefore, "It CAN'T get any better than this!"

Lessons learned:  There is peace in recognizing our blessings.

It can't get any better than having an eternal family!

Go Johnny signs

 Today as our "Welcome Back" by our district we had the U of U head gymnastics coach, Tom Farden (spelling?, speak to us about determination, creativity and engagement.  He told of running a 100 KM race (62 miles).  He was running near a man named Johnny.  The weekend before the race, Johnny had gone through the race path and put up signs along the race that said, "Go Johnny!"   As Johnny ran, he would see the signs and clap and call out, "Go Johnny!  You can do this!"  Soon Coach Farden was also cheering for Johnny as he ran.  He found that everyone needs those "Go Johnny" signs to encourage and build endurance and perseverance.  He asked what we are doing to inspire and build others.

LESSON:  Give others encouragement and inspiration to help them endure and persevere.  And give the same encouragement to yourself!

Worth Week: Day 5

Today's item was this note:  

Tonight Susan shared a message about what it means to be a daughter of God.  She pointed out that we hear that we are a daughter of God or a daughter of Heavenly Parents in many places...conference talks, the Family Proclamation, the YW theme.  It's no coincidence that we are taught this over and over.

Rosemary Wixom gave a beautiful talk about our divine nature, Discovering the Divinity Within.  She talks about how Heavenly Father generously shares a portion of His divinity with us.  It's a gift.  It is a deep love that only a parent can feel for their child.  We come here to Earth to nurture our gifts.  

Sister Wixom quotes Elaine Cannon who said that there are two important days in a woman's life...the day she is born and the day she finds out why.  We know why we are here...to build the kingdom of God, to prepare the world for the Second Coming.

Our divine nature has NOTHING to do with our accomplishments, our wealth, our popularity.  

In 2 Peter 1 we read:  

3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world...

Sister Wixom said that if we look out through a window--rather than into a mirror--we are better able to see ourselves as God sees us.   We need to turn to Him in prayer and study His words in scripture.  As we do this we can begin to take our validation vertically (from Him) and not horizontally (from others).  

Susan shared that she's had times when she didn't feel good enough or smart enough or talented enough...but when that happens it is because she was taking her validation horizontally.  When you begin to doubt who you are, pray and ask Heavenly Father how He feels about you.  Elder M. Russell Ballard said, “One of the sweetest messages the Spirit will relay is how the Lord feels about you.”  The spirit will testify the truth of who you are.

You need Heavenly Father...but also He needs you!  There are people around you that need your influence and example.  

Susan shared a story of a terrible drought in Ethiopia in the 1980's.  A many was walking many miles to get to a feeding station, set up to help people affected by the drought.  As he was walking, he heard a baby crying.  He found the baby, with its mother who had died.  He picked up the baby and carried it 25 miles to the feeding station.  When he arrived, his first concern was what could they do for the baby.  He recognized the baby's divine nature and worth and cared more that the baby received food and care than that he did.

When we feel down, serving others helps us.  Service helps those we serve and it helps us.  Susan shared that a few weeks ago, after a long day at work, she stopped to buy dinner.  When she went to pay, the person ahead of her in the drive through had already paid for her.  It made her feel so good and made her want to "pay it forward."

Several young women shared experiences of how good it feels to serve or to be served.  Susan reminded them of how good and kind and loving they are.  She also reminded them that if things ever go poorly with a friend or they lose a friendship, they still have family, leaders, and especially Heavenly Parents that love them.

When her daughter Katelyn was a few months old, a woman in their ward asked if Katelyn could be the baby Jesus in a nativity play.  Each night Susan would hand her baby to a cast member.  The first time she handed her precious baby over, she felt a little tug...her daughter was so precious and she had to entrust her to someone else.   Our Heavenly Parents must have felt that way when they sent YOU to Earth.  They want the best for you, and they really, really want you to come home.  

Susan encouraged us to watch the video Daughters of God.

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly--Part 2 (Covid 19)

Last week I finally got some of my thoughts and feelings about the past two months recorded.  And I intentionally tried to record some of the positive things about the past two months.  I needed that because if I'm being really honest, it has been a hard two months.  So many little heartbreaks and challenges.  And I DO know that I'm richly blessed and that I live a life of privilege and that I have far more to be grateful for than upset about.  And yet, I have genuinely struggled to maintain hope and a positive outlook.  I have genuinely struggled to choose joy.   In fact, I have gone in the bathroom and cried on a number of occasions.  I have texted Sara to see if I could call her and then cried my eyes out about a variety of things.  I have felt sad and worried and lonely and overwhelmed and even a bit crazy.  I get on social media (which is usually a positive thing in my life...I am careful who I follow/friend and have a lot of uplifting content) and often find myself frustrated...if a post is too upbeat and cheerful and "feel good", I feel frustrated...both that I can't seem to muster that same kind of enthusiasm and also I feel like telling the person, "Are you completely unaware that people are suffering right now?  This is not a super happy time period."   If I read a post that is more like my own thoughts--mourning a lost vacation or some other "small" thing, I feel like saying, "Don't you recognize how blessed you are?  Where is your gratitude?"   I've worked really hard over the past couple of years to change the way I speak to myself...but much of my inner frustration toward social media posts are my indirect way of criticizing my own instability lately.  I'm not nearly as strong or optimistic or hopeful as I thought.  I have seen my own weakness and complaining nature more than I would like.

And I have seen more clearly that I am a bit of a worrier.  I worry about other people and how this is affecting them.

I worry about my students that aren't doing much/any work.  It's my JOB to educate them and I feel far from successful at that over the past two months.  That isn't to say that I'm not trying.  I've learned a lot and done the best I knew how to do under the circumstances.  But my  class never took a single field trip.  I never got to teach them my favorite science unit (well--I sort of did through remote learning, but I guarantee it wasn't nearly as great as it would have been in person!)  I never got to hug them goodbye or create our art portfolio and writing portfolio that we usually create.   And one of them I have had NO contact with since school stopped.  Several others, the contact has been limited.  How can I truly do my job while sitting at a computer?

I worry about my young women.  I haven't seen some of them face to face since this began.  A couple of them have been really hard to be in contact with.  I have tried.  I text. I send group messages.  I mailed each girl a card.  I have dropped off treats.  I've done the best I could to stay in contact but not with as much success as I would like.  I love these young women.  So very much.  One  of the highlights of my week (both before and during Covid) is seeing them...and I do love our virtual activities.  But typically a little less than half join our virtual activities.  I don't feel like I am meeting their needs or loving them as well as I would like--despite my efforts.   As I was sharing some of my  thoughts and feelings about this period with  a couple of friends through text, one friend (La) wrote:
"It's hard because I feel like that picture, that one that suddenly was everywhere after the earthquake, of the storm raging outside, but within the walls of my home, I feel safe. I forget that there are so many suffering because their walls aren't holding up against that storm, or their windows are open and they're oblivious of the danger being let in. I'm so blessed and oftentimes forget those ones that aren't coming to the activities, or reaching out and responding to your efforts. It makes me so so sad.
Is it perhaps, Jenny, that you feel further distanced from your girls, your flock of young women, that it's hard to help them strengthen their walls, or close their windows from the storm?  I can see that and I can feel your mother heart ache because they are your little flock. You have a stewardship over them and it's hard almost to feel like we are useless in our aid. "

(The painting she refers to is by The Color Amber and shows a husband and wife holding up the walls of their home as the wife holds a baby.)

My reply to Laurel was this:   “Yes La!  You explained it so well.   As you sent that I was typing this, which is so similar:  Ok--this line from Brother Holmes' talk just might sum up a big part of why these past two months have been so hard:  "To get the gospel of Jesus Christ deep in our hearts, we need to engage in it-to give our time and talents to it, to sacrifice for it.  We all want to live a life of meaning..." I feel like much of my ability to engage and sacrifice and give time and talents--and to help my children do so as well--has been limited.  There are people sacrificing so much and I am sitting in my house.  There are students not getting an education and I am sitting at a computer.  I need to do more.  I have enjoyed having more time with my children but I would enjoy it more if there weren't so much sadness including for them.  And I have a hard class this year but I was seeing some miracles start to happen for some of them and now...who knows?  One boy that has struggled but come so far is really, really struggling now.  I hate that I didn't get to finish the year and finish my responsibilities with them.  And then I feel guilty that helping my own children isn't enough... I know that my greatest responsibility is in my home. but they are just as desperate as I am for this to end. ”

I worry about complete strangers.  Yes, I worry about this virus and its impact on lives. But I also really worry about the impact of all these closures.  Those who are most vulnerable are in even more possible danger now.  I worry about children who are home alone while their parents must still go to work.  I worry about children whose parents no longer work--and perhaps are struggling to have food and shelter.  And the results of those struggles.  I have read that divorce is on the rise.   Domestic violence is on the rise.  Fraudulent scams are on the rise.  Suicide is on the rise.  Real people are hurting.  Both from the disease but also as a result of the impact of closing schools and businesses, isolating people, removing the social supports that can often help those most vulnerable.  

And it has just been hard.  My sweet Gabby, who usually loves and does so well at school, cried nearly every school day.  She hated the online school work. She missed her friends.  She missed her teacher.  She was suddenly filled with all kinds of anxiety about school work and wanted everything to be perfect but also on a lot of days felt almost unable to pull it together to do her work.  She missed 6th grade awards ceremony, Lagoon day, 6th grade promotion, and all the fun end of year activities. She left Hunter Elementary without any of the normal things that bring a sense of closure and preparation to progress.

Michelle missed almost two months of work. Michelle and Ella missed school events...yearbook signing, sports events, etc.  Michelle didn't have a junior prom.  Three of my young women graduate and they had a "drive through" graduation and then a ceremony online.  Several teachers I know retired and there was no big retirement party to celebrate their 30-40 years of teaching.  Funerals have to be virtual with only a few family members present.  Young adults are having small weddings with only a few family members and for nearly two months weren't able to be sealed in the temple...even now that is only a possibility in a few temples.  Missionaries came home and  had to make difficult decisions about what to do--whether to go back out or not..and missionaries who were about to leave had to make difficult decisions about what to do.

I already wrote about the cancellation of trips and girls camp and trek.  I KNOW these things aren't as bad as losing someone you love to this horrible disease.  I know that in the eternal scheme of things, these are small losses.  But it was supposed to be Michelle's last year of camp and Gabby's first year...and we were ALL going to be there together.  It might work out for us to all be at camp together next year...but it might not.  I feel sad that we missed that experience.   We have been planning to go to El Salvador for years.  Alfredo and I will celebrate our 19th anniversary in August and I have never met his family face to face.   We were so excited to go meet them and make priceless memories as a family.  I'm heartbroken that this will have to wait for another year.  And I've felt so strongly that I need to begin gathering more family history information about Alfredo's family.  But we haven't really gotten any response when we've asked over technology.  I was hoping--at the very least--to get some family stories and maybe some names and dates while we were there visiting.   

The girls all set goals to go to the temple at least twice a month and I feel sad that they can't.  I miss the temple SO much.  I'm grateful for the covenants I have made and have clung to my knowledge and understanding of the power my covenants give me.  I long to be in the temple.  I planned to visit several more temples with my girls this summer and now that is unlikely to happen.  

And I miss church SO much.  The girls and I have done our best to make Sundays meaningful.  They help prepare lessons.  We dress in Sunday dress.  But here's the thing.   First, in the first 6 weeks of all of this, we were only able to have the sacrament once.  That was killing me.  I know people have endured worse...but I really, really missed it.  I know life isn't fair, but it felt incredibly unfair.  The sacrament, church, and the temple are where I draw so much of my strength.  And I lost all 3 in one weekend.  Thankfully, we are getting the sacrament now, and I truly am SO grateful.  But I cried almost every Sunday for the first month.  I'd have home church with my girls and it was good.  But before all of this happened, we would have two hours of church and then each Sunday afternoon, we would meet with the Bennetts and have a Come Follow Me lesson.  So we were doing our own version of "home church" and having actual church.  So despite our efforts to honor the Sabbath,  it doesn't feel as good (for any of us) as what we were doing before.  We miss having the Bennetts over.  We miss gathering with others.  I miss teaching the young women and learning from others and bearing witness of the truth in groups and learning and being edified together.   When 2 hour church was announced and Come Follow Me, I struggled with the announcement.  I was excited about Come Follow Me.  I embraced that immediately and have tried to be diligent in teaching my children and studying the lessons and studying scripture with my girls.  But I love church.  It fills my spirit in ways that I can't entirely replicate on my own.  I love Sunday School.  I love young womens.  I didn't want to have to switch off between the two.  Also, I remember talking with Sara and asking if she thought this meant that the day would come when we would have to do church at home and wouldn't be able to gather.  That thought made me so sad and worried.  But I figured that if that day came, it would be years in the future.  Now I have been very thankful that the Lord has prepared us with the Come Follow Me program and many other things such as ministering and online donations and indexing and so on.  I truly am.  But I want it all.  I want church AND Come Follow Me.  I want the temple AND indexing.  I want to be immersed completely in all that the church has to offer.  I want to gather with my fellow Saints and worship the Savior together.  Part of our baptismal covenant is to mourn with those who mourn and comfort those who stand in need of comfort...and right now that is probably every single person...but because I'm not seeing them, it feels harder to know who needs what and when.   And when I can't visit in people's homes and some people are nervous for me to even drop stuff off, it's harder to serve and strengthen.  In Real Talk Come Follow Me last week, they said that we promise to mourn with those that mourn and comfort those that stand in need of comfort...not necessarily to fix the problem...and that often the best way to do this is to DO something WITH that person.  Spend time with them.  But if we have to social distance, that is hard if not impossible.  

1 miss hugs.  

For the first month and a half, I didn't see my parents.  We went once and sat outside 8-10 feet apart and didn't get close.  But that was it.  Then the week before Mother's Day they asked us to come paint their garage and they invited us inside.  We also went to visit on Mother's Day and had dinner with them and hugged them goodbye. SO that is better.  But also I worry.  We are being pretty careful...but what if we somehow unknowingly expose them?

I am trying to find ways to serve meaningfully. 

As we played a game together today, I didn't feel the same thrill as normal.  We play games so often that it doesn't feel as special.  I do like having extra family time but I also need us to have structure and routine and purpose.  I am not great at providing those things when we don't have a school schedule.

Lots of hard.  I'm trying hard to look for the good and doing better each week at finding it.  But there has been LOTS of hard.

Go and Do

We had New Beginnings at the beginning of February.  I shared a few thoughts but afterward didn't feel like I had adequately expressed what I wanted to share with the young women.  So I wrote them a letter.  Here's most of what I shared:

Last week was New Beginnings.  I shared a few thoughts about 1 Nephi 3:7, "go and do"...but after coming home I just felt like I hadn't adequately expressed what was in my heart.  And I keep thinking about it.  So I'd like to share just a few thoughts with you about this year's youth theme...hopefully better expressing what is in my heart and what I think Heavenly Father wants you to know.  I know that my words will fall short of being able to fully express what is in my heart, but I hope that you'll be able to feel the truth in my words and feel the love I have for you and for the Savior.  I imagine you are all familiar with this verse.  Nephi and his brothers have been commanded to get the plates from Laban.  Their attempts have been unsuccessful and Laman and Lemuel think they should head back to their parents. But Nephi refuses to give up because he has faith that when God asks him to do something then God will help him to be able to do what he has asked.  And then Laban is delivered into his hands and he gets the plates.  I shared a few stories of several faithful women that were asked to do hard things and responded with faith that they would go and do.  One of my very favorite stories is of Esther.  Esther was a Jewish woman and was married to the king.  He didn't know she was a Jew and a law was passed to put all the Jews to death.  Esther's uncle Mordecai came to her and told her to go in to her husband and plead for him to save her people....at that time even entering the king's presence without being summoned could be a death sentence.  Her uncle said, "who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"  Esther fasted and prayed and went in to the king and her people were saved.  Like Esther, you were sent to Earth at this time because you have a role to play.  Your role isn't the same, but it is just as important.    

Another woman of great faith is the widow of Zarephath.  There was a famine in the land.  Elijah, the prophet, was told to go to Zarephath and there he would find someone to feed him.  He met the widow who was gathering two sticks to make a small fire with which to make her last meal for herself and her son and then they would die.  Elijah told her that if she would make him food first, then her cruse of oil and her flour would not fail...in other words she would continue to have food.  It must have taken such courage and faith to give her last food to Elijah when her son was starving!!  I can hardly imagine. But she trusted in the prophet and 1 Kings 17 tells us:  "And she awent and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days." 

During the pioneer era, the Martin and Willie Handcart companies started late and experienced great difficulties.  When Brigham Young heard of their plight, he spoke to the Saints in Salt Lake during General Conference and said that they must go and rescue those in the handcart companies.  Many women pulled off their stockings and shoes right in the conference and piled them up to be taken!  They hurried home and gathered blankets and other supplies.  They had already made the difficult journey and most of them probably didn't have much.  But they didn't refuse to share what little they had.  They immediately gave what they could to help in the rescue efforts. 

At New Beginnings I also shared a couple of personal experiences when I have been asked to do something that seemed hard for me at the time but I determined to go and do and received blessings from my obedience.   

Now I have recounted these stories and there are probably many lessons that could be learned from them.  The importance of obedience.  The need for courage.  The blessings that come when we "go and do".  But I worry that as I recounted these stories, my emphasis was too much on what these faithful women did.  And while there is much we can learn from and emulate in the lives of these women, I don't think I focused enough on what is perhaps the most important part.  Nephi didn't just say he would go and do and that he'd accomplish the task. He pointed out that if he chose to go and do what THE LORD COMMANDED, then he knew he would succeed because THE LORD would prepare a way.  Esther was courageous and the widow of Zarephath was full of faith and the pioneer women were selfless.  But the reason that each was successful in doing what the Lord had asked is because the Lord helped them.  A couple of years ago, I realized that I was holding on to some hurt and anger.  Someone else had hurt me and I wasn't forgiving that individual or choosing to act in loving ways toward that person.  And I knew...from direction given in conference talks as well as from inspiration from the Holy Ghost...that I needed to forgive and I needed to act in loving ways even if the other person didn't.  I will be honest.  It was hard.  I shed more than a few tears.  But I came to see ways in which I was not acting in loving ways and ways in which I had hurt the other person as well.  And with a lot of help from the Savior, I found healing and I learned to act more like He would.  I can absolutely tell you that it wasn't because of anything great in me.  I still struggle often to react in kind and patient ways when someone isn't being kind to me.  But when someone isn't being kind to me and I want to lash out (and far too often I do), if I will take a deep breath, and say a prayer asking for strength beyond my own, then I am able to be kinder and more loving than is in my nature. 

I haven't saved a nation or fed a starving prophet with my own last meal or built a ship or gotten the plates from Laban or been protected in a lion's den.  But I have been asked to do things that were hard for me...to forgive others who had hurt me.  To accept callings that were beyond what I thought I was capable of doing.  To go to church by myself with 3 young children when my husband wasn't very active in the church.  To study the scriptures daily when that seemed impossible to me as a 14 year old girl.  To do more than seemed possible with the time I had.  To act on promptings that didn't make sense.   And here is what I have learned.  There's an awful lot that I am not that good at or that I couldn't do on my own.  BUT Every. Single. Time. I trust in the Lord and I "go and do" the things the Lord asks me (whether that is through the scriptures, the words of the prophet, or through personal promptings/revelation), He helps me to be more and do more than I could on my own.  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me (Philippians 4:13)....and so can you!  

I have been studying and pondering the names of Christ.  Each name can help us learn something about Him.  I have a favorite name of Christ.  I mean I love many of his names....Savior, Redeemer, High Priest of Good Things to Come, Advocate, Holy One of Israel, the Good Shepherd, the Lamb of God, the Prince of Peace.   But my favorite name of Christ is Emmanuel which means God with Us.  Because I know He is.  Sometimes when I am going through a hard time, I can feel Him close.  I can feel Him comforting me. A couple of nights ago I was reading 2 Nephi 1 and I just absolutely love verse 15:  "But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love."   Can you imagine that/feel that?  Have you had times when you have felt like He was wrapping His arms around you and holding you tight?  I have.  And can you imagine what it will be like when we see Him again after we leave this life and He is able to encircle us in a giant hug?  Oh I just can't wait for that!   But you know what?  Sometimes when I am going through a hard time, I don't feel that.  I can remember a time about 8 years ago when I felt very overwhelmed and very tired and very alone.  And I just wasn't sure if I could keep doing what I was doing.  I began to wonder if maybe, possibly, things would be easier if I didn't go to church.  Maybe it would give me more time to complete the tasks on my to-do list.  Maybe he wasn't there...at the very least I couldn't seem to feel Him there.  And I kept praying and for several months no help seemed to come.  Where was God?  I was trying to do the right things but I felt tired and alone.  I can't adequately explain what happened but a couple of things happened that let me know that He was there and He was aware of me.  Elder Holland gave a talk that was shared in a 5th Sunday meeting that helped me see that I was needed, I was known and I had some areas I needed to improve in.  Explaining it like that truly doesn't adequately express how my heart changed that day.  But I committed to do my very best to always be the disciple of Christ He needed me to be.  And it has led to countless changes and blessings.   Even though I hadn't been able to see Him there, He was with me and He was orchestrating things so I would be ready to hear the message that my heart needed.   And I know He is there with you, beside you, as well.  And He always will be.  No matter what.  He loves you.  He desires to bless you.  Let me share one more verse of scripture with you that I love:  Jacob 6:5  "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm of mercy is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden not your hearts."   All of us need to repent...and all of us need to come unto Christ.  Repentance is such a beautiful gift.  But the part that I love so much is when it says to cleave unto God as he cleaves to you and that His arm of mercy is extended to you.   It's a lot like 2 Nephi 1:15.  He is holding on to you, loving you, leading you.  Are you holding on to Him, trusting Him, allowing Him to guide you?   He is trying to encircle you in His love...are you hugging Him back or pushing Him away?   He's still there...but you will find greater peace and joy and the ability to "go and do" so much more if you are cleaving to Him, trusting Him. 

Oh how I love you!   I can't ever truly tell you how I feel about you or about the Savior for I just don't have words. But I express gratitude daily for the blessing it is to be in young women's with you and I express gratitude daily for a Savior who is Emmanuel...God with us.  I know He is!