THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

AVOIDING BLISTERS

2010-10-17T12:01:00.000-07:00

A neighbor spoke in church today. She said she decided to go rollerblading the other day for her daily exercise. After a few blocks, a spot on her foot started to hurt. She thought about stopping to see what was causing the pain, but she didn’t want to interrupt her pace so she just kept going. By the time she made it all the way over to Freeman Park it was really beginning to cause some major discomfort. But she still kept going. About a mile from home, her foot was on fire and she knew a blister was forming. But she still kept going. When she got home and finally took off the rollerblades, she realized that the pain began from a fold in her sock. She also realized that if she had taken care of the pain when it first began it would have been easy to fix. And she could have easily avoided the unnecessary consequence of the painful blister.

President Uchtdorf says that “the longer we delay corrective action, the larger the needed changes become (like the small pain turning into a blister), and the longer it takes to get back on the correct course – even to the point where a disaster might be looming.”

We can avoid disaster and needless pain if we correct our actions now. If my neighbor had just stopped and smoothed out the fold, she could have avoided the blister.

If you already have the blister, is it too late? NO.

It may take more work, and there may be some suffering involved, but you can get to the point where the blister is completely gone and you no longer even remember the pain of it.

The point is – the consequences of our incorrect actions will not go away. They cannot be ignored. They will just continue to get worse until we finally take measures to correct them.

ROADBLOCKS AND DETOURS

2010-09-17T06:13:00.000-07:00

The straight and narrow path back to our Heavenly Father does not have any roadblocks, it does, however, have detours. I think the detours were Satan’s idea. He probably said something like this up in that great meeting in heaven, “If you’re going to provide a way for them to come back home then I’m going to make it as difficult as possible for them. I’ll provide detours along the way. My detours will be very inviting and everyone will want to take them. The cool part is, my detours will have the occasional roadblock that will cause them to take another detour and another detour and another detour. Before long they will be so lost they will never find their way back to that straight and narrow path.”

Satan also wants us to believe that the straight and narrow path does have roadblocks, because if we believe this then we are more likely to take one of his detours.

Road construction type detours here on earth take you on a more complicated and longer route, but eventually they do get you to your destination.

Satan’s detours take you on a more complicated and longer route also, but they will never lead you back to our Heavenly Father. The only way to get back is to retrace your steps and get back on that straight and narrow path.

Fortunately, God has provided a way out of all those detours even if we’ve taken so many detours that we are completely lost. The way back is called repentance.

Why do we waste so much time on those nasty detours?

SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR

2010-08-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

The following thoughts on self-destructive behavior come directly from online articles. The address is located at the end of each.

If someone told you that she had been strung out on cocaine six days last week, or that she has been binge eating and vomiting three times a day, you'd know she was caught in self destructive behavior.

Could you recognize your own self destructive behavior as easily?

We are self destructive when we spend beyond our means; when we are sexual in ways that cause us to lose self respect; when we keep ourselves in personal relationships that cause us to feel inferior, abused, or taken advantage of.

We are self destructive when we neglect our bodies and do not give them rest and exercise; we are self destructive when we drive ourselves, overworking or over exercising to please others or to make ourselves feel okay.

We are self destructive when we make others responsible for our lives,
o by blaming "them"
o by an attitude of helplessness
o by believing and behaving as if we have no capacity to change or to manage our own lives effectively and pleasurably.

As women we are especially vulnerable to self destructive behavior which has its roots in the sense of shame.

"Why try? " "I'm flawed." "I'm disgusting." "I'm worthless." I'm powerless."

Addictions, compulsions, all the forms of self destructive behavior have the perverse function to numb shame. When we are caught in self destructive tangles, we forget to feel badly about ourselves -- for the moment.

If you find yourself caught in the tangle of self destructive behavior there are many avenues to recovery and growth.

Quit blaming yourself

Begin by taking a clear-eyed look at your life, right now. What's working? What's making you happy? What's not?

Define what needs to change

Recognize that change takes time. Give yourself both emotional space and sufficient time to make the changes that will be useful to you.

Find help

(Thinking we should be able to do everything by ourselves is another self destructive behavior!) Choose friends, helpers, teachers, groups, mentors, therapists, who offer you honest feedback, new information, and useful support for becoming the best of your own kind of person.

Recognize

The process of recovery from addictive, compulsive, self destructive behaviors can be overwhelming. You may be confronted by new emotions and flooded by memories. You may find yourself replacing one set of self destructive behaviors with another.

Be aware
Women seeking recovery from self destructive behaviors frequently find their progress blocked by the previously unrecognized impact of psychological trauma, loss, childhood neglect, abuse, abandonment, sexual assault, and patterns of emotional or physical abuse as well as self neglect in adult relationships.

Too often the woman trying to recover from self destructive behavior finds herself in a revolving door of treatment / self-help / relapse because the core processes of her psychological and emotional development have not been attended to.

The key elements for moving beyond self destructive behavior are self awareness, self responsibility, and a well developed process of personal choice.

Remember

Self destructive behaviors are rigid, unhealthy patterns of responding to feelings of shame and powerlessness.

Change away from self destructive behavior proceeds by gathering the skills and self awareness to move in the world with self assurance and self determination.

http://www.oregoncounseling.org/ArticlesPapers/Documents/SelfDestructBehavMD.htm

Seven Weapons to Slay Self-Destruction

Weapon One: Realize that life is sacred and has ultimate meaning.
Weapon Two: Admit you are out of control and ask for help.
Weapon Three: Admit that being in control is the big issue.
Weapon Four: Set your sights on realistic goals.
Weapon Five: Clean up the messes in your life.
Weapon Six: Admit and face your abuse of yourself and others.
Weapon Seven: Admit and face the issue of abandonment.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/slay-self-destructiveness-7-steps.html

Reasons for Self Defeating Behavior:

People are more likely to behave in a self-defeating or destructive manner when either there are threats made to their ego or when they have low self-esteem.

When a person has a low self-esteem, they are more likely to be susceptible to having depression, anxiety and, emotional distress.

Highly distraught people are more likely than others to do self destructive things.

Three Models of Self-Destructive Behavior:

The first model is called, “primary self destruction.” This model includes those human beings who deliberately and intentionally hurt themselves.

A second model of self-defeating behavior is called, “tradeoff”. This behavior is done when a person literally and knowingly makes a trade-off in a situation. It is when a person chooses a certain option that has some benefit but also has the potential to cause harm to the person as well.

The third category of self-destructiveness includes “counterproductive strategies.” This type involves self defeating behaviors is one in which “the person neither desires nor foresees the harm to self. In this instance a person is pursuing a desirable outcome but chooses a strategy or approach that backfires and produces the opposite of the desired result.

The Impossible

2010-08-03T06:32:00.000-07:00

I am extremely embarrassed to admit this, but I struggled with a 5th grade math problem. It’s embarrassing because I love math and I’m pretty good at it – usually.

Here’s the problem: 2 = 140 ÷ 2 + 12 – 4 x 2. All I had to do was add parenthesis to make the statement true.

Seems easy enough, but for some reason I really struggled with it. I must have tried at least ten different combinations of parenthesis and I wasn’t getting anywhere close to the right answer.

The problem was that I was focused on the wrong thing. I kept thinking that I needed to get the last four numbers to equal 70 since 140 ÷ 70 = 2. It just wasn’t going to work.

I figured there must be a misprint, or maybe the creators wanted to include one that was impossible. I wrote “impossible” underneath the problem and turned the paper over.

In the split second that it took me to do that, the thought came to me, “Look again. It is not impossible.”

I turned the paper over again, and instantly, I saw the solution:
2 = 140 ÷ (2 + 12) – 4 x 2. It was so easy. Why didn’t I see that before? (Because I was too focused on the wrong thing).

Then another thought came to me:

Sometimes what seems impossible is really rather simple once the solution has been found. We just have to keep looking to find the solution and trust that it is there.

WEEDS

2010-06-18T06:26:00.001-07:00

Nobody wants to have weeds in their garden. Weeds are ugly, and if not taken care of and removed, they can overtake the beautiful flowers and other plants.

So what’s the best way to get rid of them?

My mom used to go out early every morning while the soil was still damp. The weeds barely even had a chance to poke their heads up before they were plucked from the ground and thrown away. It only took her a few minutes each day.

The other day I went outside to pull the weeds from the flower bed along our driveway. Some of the weeds were more than two feet tall. The tiny ones were easy to pull up, and if I pulled near the base, the entire root came too. I tried pulling some of the bigger weeds, but the roots were so tangled and deep that the tops of the weeds just broke off and the root stayed firm. I had to get out the shovel and loosen the soil around the root before I could pull it out. It took a lot more work and a lot more time.

When weeds are allowed to grow, they produce seeds that spread throughout the garden and more and more weeds grow.

It would be so much easier if I followed my mom’s example and went out there every morning to clear the weeds. It would look better too.

The thought came to me that weeds are like sins. They tend to creep up every day in our lives. If we get rid of them while they are still tiny, we can enjoy the beautiful garden – or in other words – we can more easily see and enjoy the beauty of life.

Just like with weeds, it is easy to repent of sins while they are small. When we let those sins take root in our lives, it takes a lot more work to get rid of them, and like with weeds, the sins seem to spread as they grow.

I don’t think any of us really want a life filled with sin anymore than we want a garden filled with weeds.

Now is the time to clear those nasty ugly weeds out of our gardens and make room for the beautiful flowers.

MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS

2010-04-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

My next few posts will be highlights from conference talks – mostly quotes.

This one is from the talk by Elder M. Russell Ballard about mothers and daughters.

“Mothers and daughters play a critical role in helping each other explore their infinite possibilities, despite the undermining influences of a world in which womanhood and motherhood are being corrupted and manipulated.”

“There is nothing in this world as personal, as nurturing, or as life changing as the influence of a righteous woman.”

Speaking to daughters:

“Everything you accomplish, every challenge you overcome brings (your mothers) pure joy. And likewise your worries and heartaches are their worries and heartaches.” (This is so true!)

“I urge you not to look to contemporary culture for your role models and mentors. Please look to your faithful mothers for a pattern to follow. (He also mentions earlier in his talk that if you do not have a faithful mother to follow that an aunt, sister, sister-in-law, etc. can fill that role. I suggest making a list of righteous women in your life.) Model yourselves after them, not after celebrities whose standards are not the Lord’s standards.”

“Look to your mother. Learn from her strengths, her courage, and her faithfulness. Listen to her. She may not be a whiz at texting; she may not even have a Facebook page. (I must not be the only one! I am completely texting illiterate!) But when it comes to matters of the heart and the things of the Lord, she has a wealth of knowledge.”

“No other person on earth loves you in the same way or is willing to sacrifice as much to encourage you and help you find happiness – in this life and forever.”
“Love your mother. Respect her. Listen to her. Trust her. She has your best interests at heart. She cares about your eternal safety and happiness. So be kind to her. Be patient with her imperfections, for she has them. We all do.”

Speaking to mothers:

“Mothers, your example is extremely important to your daughters – even if they don’t acknowledge it.”

“Today our society is bombarded with messages about womanhood and motherhood that are dangerously and wickedly wrong. Following these messages can put your daughters on the path to sin and self-destruction. Your daughters may not understand that unless you tell them.”

“Teach your daughters to find joy in nurturing children. This is where their love and talents can have the greatest eternal significance.”

“Mothers, teach your daughters that a faithful daughter of God avoids the temptation to gossip or judge one another.”

“Teach them how to repent and how to remain pure and worthy.”

“Learn from the past.”

“When you are willing to listen and learn, some of life’s most meaningful teachings come from those who have gone before you. . . How much better your life will be if you will follow the noble example of the faithful followers of Christ.”

“In these last days it is essential – even critical – that parents and children listen to and learn from one another.”

Speaking of learning from the past, my own mother was a great example. She often helped others far beyond the call of duty. Some told her that she was crazy – that these people were just taking advantage of her. Her reply was that the Lord expected her to help and she would do all she was able. It was not for her to judge. But she didn’t just give handouts; she tried to teach all those she helped to eventually be able to help themselves. She gave of her time, and she shared her skills.

She was a righteous woman who strongly desired that her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren would embrace the truths of the gospel. She loved each one so very much.

She also visited the local rest home every week for many years. My daughter Julisa is following this example. I think it takes a special kind of person to be able to do this.

I want my daughters, my granddaughters, and my daughters-in-law to know how much I love them and so much appreciate the righteous choices that they make. May we continue to always learn from each other.

Loving Ourselves and Our Neighbors

2010-03-28T13:44:00.000-07:00

Just as soon as I begin to think that I finally understand something, I learn about another perspective on the same subject and I find myself off balance again. I think the problem is that I’m always looking for black and white answers, and there are just so few of those in life.

The thing that caused some disequilibrium is the second great commandment – to love our neighbors as ourselves.

This morning the thought occurred to me that our love for ourselves is not necessarily a measuring stick for how much we need to love others. If I don’t love myself very much, it doesn’t excuse me from loving my neighbors. I can’t say, “I’m keeping that commandment, because I love my neighbors as much as I love myself. I just don’t love myself or my neighbors all that much, but at least it’s the same.”
Instead, I think the second commandment is a commandment to love ourselves, because when we truly love ourselves, love for others is a natural extension of that love. I’m not talking about the selfish kind of pride that is sometimes mistaken for self-love but rather a pure love that happens when we start to see ourselves the way God sees us.

When we learn who we really are in God’s eyes, it helps us to also see others from the same perspective.

I thought this was pretty good thinking, and then I read some C.S. Lewis. He had a different way of looking at the same commandment.

He says that we still love ourselves even when we do something wrong and we are quick to overlook our own shortcomings. By the same token, we should be quick at overlooking others’ faults and still love them.

But is it true that we still love ourselves when we sin?

According to Sterling W. Sill in his book The Miracle of Personality, when we sin against our own personality (“the inner man, the spirit or the real person”), it is difficult to love ourselves. We begin to feel inferior or unworthy. These feelings keep us from becoming who we really are.

Who we really are is the person God knows. Satan doesn’t want us to be that person and so he feeds us on feelings of inferiority and unworthiness. He would have us believe that all the terrible things we do are the sum total of our personalities, but it’s not true. In reality we are not any of those things. Sins we commit are just that – things we have done – they are not who we are. We can repent and we can be rid of them. Once we are rid of them, we can more clearly see our true selves.
I remember a poster that hung in my friend’s bedroom many years ago. It said, “God doesn’t make junk.” That includes all of us.

So maybe there is more than one way of looking at this commandment, and they can all be right. We can live our lives in such a way that we love ourselves and therefore love our neighbors as ourselves, and we can forgive our neighbors as easily as we forgive ourselves – remembering that we do need to forgive ourselves also. The following poem kind of sums up our need to live our lives so that we can do this.

Myself
Edgar Guest

I have to live with myself, and so,
I want to be fit for myself to know;
I want to be able as days go by,
Always to look myself straight in the eye;
I don't want to stand with the setting sun
And hate myself for the things I've done.

I don't want to keep on a closet shelf
A lot of secrets about myself,
And fool myself as I come and go
Into thinking that nobody else will know
The kind of man I really am;
I don't want to dress myself up in sham.

I want to go out with my head erect,
I want to deserve all men's respect;
But here in this struggle for fame and pelf,
I want to be able to like myself.
I don't want to think as I come and go
That I'm bluster and bluff and empty show.

I never can hide myself from me,
I see what others may never see,
I know what others may never know,
I never can fool myself- and so,
Whatever happens, I want to be
Self-respecting and conscience free.

LESSONS LEARNED FROM ALMA THE YOUNGER

2010-02-07T11:38:00.000-08:00

Even the vilest of sinners can repent and become clean.
Wickedness does not bring happiness.
Joy comes from living God's commandments.
God won't force anyone to choose Him and His ways.

For whatever reason, Alma had a rebellious spirit, but it wasn't enough that he alone rebelled. He convinced many others to follow in his wicked ways. The scriptures tell us that he and the four sons of Mosiah were "the very vilest of sinners."

This caused Alma (the dad) and King Mosiah (a righteous king) much sorrow, and they prayed continually for their sons.

Then one day an angel appeared to them and basically told them to stop their wickedness.

Alma was so overcome by this that he fell to the ground and could not move or speak. The sons of Mosiah carried him to his father, and he stayed like that for two days and nights.

During this time, his father prayed and fasted for him.

After this he regained his strength, and he told all those gathered around him, "...after wading through much tribulation, repenting nigh unto death, the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God. My soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now I behold the marvelous light of God. My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more."

I have often wondered what caused Alma to repent. It couldn't have just been the visit of the angel, or everyone who sees an angel would repent. Laman and Lemuel both saw an angel and yet they continued in their wickedness. It couldn't have just been that his father was praying and fasting for him, because Lehi did the same for his sons.

For those two days when he was unable to move or speak, he allowed himself to be taught by the Spirit. He learned that everyone must repent and be changed from a "fallen state to a state of righteousness".

Satan has a remarkable way of convincing people that once they have done something wrong and they feel terrible, that they should do something awful again. It's his way of proving to them that they are of no value, and before long they are in the "darkest abyss" drowning in misery.

Fortunately for Alma, he believed the Spirit when he was told that he could repent. It wasn't an easy thing for him to do. He says that he "waded through much tribulation". Some of the words in the index that describe tribulation are: adversity, affliction, anguish, despair, grief, misery, sorrow, and suffering.

He was "nigh unto death". I imagine that the anguish was so great that he thought he would die.

Then, when God saw that he was truly repentant, He "snatched" him out of his misery and filled him with the light of the Spirit.

When we repent, I think "light" has three meanings

the light that helps us to see clearly
the light that causes us to feel warmth and comfort
the light that is associated with weight, because we are no longer weighted down by sin

Alma completely changed his life. He became a great missionary and brought many people to the truth of the gospel.

One of his sons, Corianton, chose wickedness over righteousness. This must have really grieved his father. He spoke to his son and tried to convince him of the error of his ways.

He said, "And now, my son, all men that are in a state of nature, or I would say, in a carnal state, are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; they are without God in the world, and they have gone contrary to the nature of God; therefore, they are in a state contrary to the nature of happiness." (Alma 41:11)

He also told him, "Wickedness never was happiness." (Alma 41:10)

He would certainly know the truth of this statement from his own experience.

Now, compare this to the "exquisite joy" that was felt when Alma and the four sons of Mosiah met again and learned that they were all still living lives of righteousness.

One of the greatest gifts God gave us was our agency to choose whatever we want, but our agency doesn't allow us to choose the outcome.

"He granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction."

"He that knoweth not good from evil is blameless; but he that knoweth good and evil, to him it is given according to his desires, whether he desireth good or evil, life or death, joy or remorse of conscience."

Alma told his son, Corianton, that we cannot live a life of sin and then expect to live a life of eternal happiness.

God knew that we wouldn't always choose righteously and so He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to atone for our sins so that we could choose to repent and start clean and fresh again. If we repent, God will remember our sins no more. It will be as if we never did them, and when we see Him again, our consciences will be free of the guilt.

If Alma the Younger, "the vilest of sinners", could do is, so can we.

IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE

2009-12-31T09:28:00.000-08:00

If I offered to give someone a million dollars, they are most likely not going to say, "No, thank you. I know it's a good thing but I'm just not ready for it yet."

They are not going to wallow around in poverty a little bit longer before they enjoy the riches of a million dollars.

IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.

Yet, quite often when someone is offered something of far greater worth, they say those very words, "No, thank you. I know it's a good thing but I'm just not ready for it yet."

They want to wallow around in sin a little bit longer before they enjoy the riches of the gospel.

IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.

"Wickedness never was (is or will be) happiness." (See Alma 41:10 - words in parenthesis added)

Satan would have us believe that this statement is false by providing a temporary fix of happiness in exchange for sin, but it always comes back to bite us. Then when we are in the depths of misery, he sits back and laughs, "Ha! Ha! We got her again. She actually fell for it again. This is so easy."

Do people who choose righteousness over wickedness experience heartache? Yes. We live in an imperfect world - a world where the ailments of an imperfect body create its own sufferings - a world where imperfect people choose wickedness and experience the misery of those choices - heartache that is shared by those who love them - a heartache that is exacerbated because a way out of the misery is repeatedly offered and repeatedly refused.

Satan abandons his people and relishes in their misery.

Christ never abandons us. (See Alma 7:11-12; D&C 62:1; Heb. 2:18)

Why would anyone choose Satan's way?

IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.

Optical Illusions

2009-11-08T07:45:00.000-08:00

This morning I was relaxing in bed just thinking. I noticed something on my dresser that looked like a white paper plate. I wondered how it got there and why it was there. I couldn't figure it out.

On closer inspection, I could see that what I thought was the paper plate was actually the inside lid of my greeting card box I'd left there the day before.

After that, no matter how I looked at it, I could no longer see the paper plate. Yet, before I knew what it was, I was convinced that it was a paper plate and no matter how I looked at it, I couldn't see anything else.

I began to think about the relationship this can have to life, and I wondered, "How often are we sure that something is exactly what we think it is, but when we open our eyes to truly see, we discover that what we once thought really isn't?"

The Holy Ghost can help us see things the way they reallly are if we ask for his help.

And truth, once learned, makes it nearly impossible for us to see things the incorrect way we did before.

Peter and the Starcatchers

2009-10-18T15:21:00.001-07:00

I just finished reading Peter and the Starcatchers. It was a story about Peter Pan and how he came to be. Anyway, I like to make analogies or connections to my life with books that I read, even when they are fiction or fantasy.

In this book bits of stars fell from heaven to the earth. If anyone touched even a little bit of the star - or even touched the container the star was in - they would be filled with a warm feeling of joy and happiness. They would feel peaceful and calm and so light that they could fly. The light also had power to heal physical wounds.

The length of exposure determined how long the effects remained. With longer exposure a person was more permanently changed.

I compared this to the light of Christ. When we are filled with the light of Christ, our souls are filled with happiness and joy and we feel peace and our burdens seem light.

The more we are exposed to this light, the more we can experience these feelings, and our bodies and spirits begin to take on a new countenance - the countenance of Christ.

Beautiful Pictures

2009-09-18T19:39:00.000-07:00

http://crazybunnells.blogspot.com/
Go to this blog for a give away of a beautiful temple picture.

Trials

2009-09-13T08:04:00.000-07:00

A young convert to the church in Mexico interrupted his schooling to go on a mission. When he returned, the school would not accept him back again. He had to attend another university that would only accept one year of his three years of study. (Ensign Sept. 2009)

The people of Ammon laid down their weapons of war when they embraced the truth of the gospel. When the Lamanites came to destroy them, they refused to raise their weapons against them. The Lamanites killed over 1000 of them.

Joseph Smith, a prophet of God, suffered being tarred and feathered multiple times. He suffered the loss of children. In Liberty Jail he was extremely sick from being poisoned and from being exposed to very cold temperatures. And ultimately, he suffered death for the gospel.

It doesn't seem fair. These were righteous people. And these are only a few examples. There are as many examples of righteous people suffering as there are righteous people. So why does God allow the suffering of His people?

The other day I asked my 5th grade class what it would be like if I gave them 1st grade work everyday. They said it would be easy. Then I asked them if they would learn anything from it. They all agreed that they wouldn't learn anything.

Then we talked about how they could expect challenges this year that would cause them to struggle and even to become frustrated, but if they didn't give up, their knowledge and skills would increase.

It's easy to see how that works in school. It's sometimes more difficult to accept in life. Too often we want 1st grade work when we are on a 5th grade level. We want life to be easy - to be free from trials and sorrows.

But a wise Heavenly Father knows that we'd never learn and grow if life were easy. We'd never turn to Him for help if we never needed help. If we never turned to HIm, we would never come to know Him.

I read an article somewhere once that said something like this: Fair means giving each individual what he/she needs.

I often have to remind myself that God knows all from the beginning to the end. My own vision is extremely limited. What may not seem fair is probably exactly what I need to help me to learn and to grow.

Some of our trials are the direct result of our own choices. Some are the result of other's choices, and some are just the result of living on this earth.

No matter the cause of our trials, a loving Father in Heaven can use these trials, if we let Him, to guide us in learning so that we can one day return and live with Him.

"This is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39)

His full time job is to help us return to Him. We are in a school of life. We are going to experience all kinds of struggles and sorrows, but if we will turn to the greatest teacher of us all, He will teach us everything we need to learn.

SIGNS

2009-09-06T08:38:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I look back at tragic things that have happened in my life and I wonder why I didn't recognize at the time certain signs that seem so obvious to me now that had I recognized them then, I could possibly have avoided the tragedies.

I think it has to do with the amount of knowledge that we have at the time. The more knowledge we have about something, the more we are able to recognize the related signs.

For example, last night, while camping, we were playing this werewolf game. The werewolves were trying to kill the villagers and the villagers were trying to kill the werewolves. The problem was that the only person who knew who the villagers and werewolves were was the leader of the game, and she couldn't tell us. We voted each round to kill someone hoping that it would be a werewolf, but we often killed villagers instead.

At the end of one game, the leader said, "Why didn't you vote to kill so and so? Couldn't you tell that when he did (whatever it was he did, I can't remember) it was a sure sign that he was a werewolf?"

To her it was a sure sign because she already knew he was the werewolf, but to those of us who didn't know, it didn't mean anything at all.

So that got me thinking how signs are already everywhere around us, but we only recognize those signs when we have enough knowledge about the subject.

Korihor, in the Book of Mormon (Alma 30), wanted to be given a sign before he would believe there was a God. Alma told him that there were signs all around him. Either he didn't recognize the signs due to a lack of knowledge, or because of a hard heart, he was unable to see them.

Satan wants to keep us from seeing those signs.

3 Ne. 1:22

"...there began to be lyings sent forth among the people, by Satan, to harden their hearts, to the intent that they might not believe in those signs and wonders which they had seen..."

It may appear that there are two different reasons why we do not see signs - lack of knowledge and a hard heart, but I think they are totally related. The more knowledge we have, the less likely we are to believe Satan's lies. If we do not believe Satan's lies, our hearts will not be hardened.

People today are not much different from the people of Alma's day. We often want to see the signs before we commit to believing. Many people in Alma's day said they would believe if they were just shown a sign so that they would know for sure. (Alma 32:17)

They didn't realize that the signs were already all around them. In order to see the signs they needed to "exercise a particle of faith" keeping in mind that "faith is not to have a perfect knowledge", but it does mean that we need to gain more knowledge by an "experiment upon the word".

In other words, the more we know and understand the words of Christ and practice them in our lives, the more we will see the signs that confirm in our hearts and minds that they are true.

There are signs in our every day lives that if we pay attention can help us to avoid some of the tragedies or pitfalls of life. Likewise, there are spiritual signs that if we pay attention to them will help us to increase our faith and testimony.

Making Our Loads Lighter

2009-08-21T19:03:00.000-07:00

Last night I had a dream that was very realistic (unusual for me!) and the message of the dream was actually part of it.

I dreamed that I was driving a big new pickup truck (okay, not very realistic!). The truck was pulling a fairly large trailer similar to a horse trailer. I arrived at a bridge and had to stop because the load I was carrying was too heavy. Whoever was in charge told me that I needed to get rid of things that really didn't matter. I pulled things from various nooks and crannies in the truck and tossed them over my shoulder.

Everytime I thought I was finished, the man would shake his head and tell me to remove more stuff. As I was removing all the junk from the truck, the thought went through my mind that this was an allegory to life:

Oftentimes we are carrying heavy loads in our lives. They might be spiritual loads for which we need to repent or forgive, or they might be physical loads due to having too much and we may need to simplify. Either way, there really is no reason to carry so much - it makes life difficult and we often suffer unnecessarily because of it.

Predicting the Future

2009-08-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

One of my most favorite books is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It is about a young shepherd boy named Santiago who is on a quest to follow his dream. At one point in the story he meets a seer and wishes to be told his future. The seer wisely told him:

"If good things are coming, they will be a pleasant surprise. If bad things are, and you know in advance, you will suffer greatly before they even occur."

I think the advice that followed was even more important:

"When people consult me, it's not that I'm reading the future; I am guessing at the future. The future belongs to God, and it is only He who reveals it, under extraordinary circumstance. How do I guess at the future? Based on the omens of the present. The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And, if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better. Forget about the future, and live each day according to the teachings, confident that God loves his children. Each day, in itself, brings with it an eternity."

This also reminds me of a song by Janice Kapp Perry:

THE WOMEN YOU’LL BE SOMEDAY….
I see an old woman rocking there.
The sun shining softly on her silver hair.
I wonder the secrets she holds deep inside,
Is she smiling or hiding a tear in her eye?
She watches our day as her story unfolds
For you see, she is you grown old.

And with every decision you make today,
You’re creating the woman you’ll be someday.
Just for now the old woman depends on you,
She waits and she watches
As you make her dream come true.
Be kind to the woman waiting there
For time passes swiftly and you must prepare,
Hold fasts to the values more precious than gold.
And you’ll bless the old woman who waits down the road.

She watches our day as her story unfolds,
For you see, She is you grown old
Only you can decide her eternal role.
Just for now the old woman depends on you
She waits and she watches
As you make her dreams come true.

Be watchful Young Woman, Chose well today.
Remember to live for the woman, You’ll be someday!

IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO CHANGE OUR FUTURE BY CHANGING OUR TODAY.

Dear Are the Sheep That Have Wandered

2009-08-19T09:22:00.000-07:00

Here is a talk by President James E. Faust from the April 2003 General Conference. It has a great message for all parents.

http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=a30874536cf0c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

HARVEST TIME

2009-08-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

Fall is fast approaching. I love fall with the crunch of dried leaves under my feet as I walk around the block enjoying the cool crisp air that smells of falling leaves and just a hint of wood burning stoves.

Fall always makes me hungry for stews, pumpkin pies, and homemade ginger snap cookies.

It is also a time of harvest. The farmers are gathering in their crops, the home gardener is enjoying his fruits and vegetables, and many homes are filled with the smells and sounds of canning and drying.

It reminds me of a scripture in D&C 12:3 "Behold, the field is white already to harvest; therefore, whoso desireth to reap let him thrust in his sickle with his might, and reap while the day lasts, that he may treasure up for his soul everlasting salvation in the kingdom of God." (also repeated in D&C 4:4, and 14:3 - so I figure it must be pretty important)

I have heard this scripture used most often with missionary work, but I want to take a slightly different twist on it.

The field that is ready to harvest is the gospel of Jesus Christ. If we want to reap the blessings of the gospel then we need to put forth the effort that is required for those blessings.

The farmer cannot reap the benefits of his crops unless he goes into the field and does the work of gathering in the crops.

The gardener cannot reap the benefits of his plants unless he goes out into his garden and picks the produce.

And so we must go into the garden of the gospel and work in order to receive the blessings.

The scripture says that we need to reap while the day lasts. I think this means all day long - or without ceasing. It must be a continued effort.

Have you ever tasted a tomato straight out of the garden? The flavor is indescribably delicious. In comparison, a store-bought tomato has no more flavor than a piece of paper. Store-bought produce has to be picked before it is fully ripe and can never reach that full flavor.

What I'm trying to say is, the richest harvest comes straight from the field or garden. The heart of the gospel contains the full flavor and can be enjoyed by all who desire and are willing to "thrust in the sickle".

Why be satisfied with mediocre produce. Begin to enjoy the full flavor today!

IN NEED OF A PHYSICIAN

2009-08-16T15:38:00.000-07:00

In Luke 5:31-32 Jesus said, "They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Repentance is open to EVERYONE. Christ atoned for ALL of our sins, and we can be forgiven if we are willing to repent.

We are all in need of the forgiving power of the Atonement.

My understanding is that Christ is the only one who has the power to forgive sins because He already paid the price for them - justice was paid in full, and Christ can now show mercy to those who repent and their debt has already been paid.

Yet we are commanded "to forgive all men." (D&C 64:8-11)

It isn't even a requirement for the offender to have repented in order for us to forgive him/her. We don't make the sin go away when we forgive - only Christ can do that. When we forgive we aren't saying that we condone the sin. I don't completely understand it, but I do know that because my vision is extremely limited I cannot honestly judge another - "Let God judge" (D&C 64:11) I think this is part of why we need to forgive. I also know that the greater sin lies with the person who does not forgive. (D&C 64:9)

When the woman was taken in the act of adlutery and brought before Christ, He said, "He that is without sin among you, Let him first cast a stone at her." (John 8:7) He didn't say, "He who has never committed adultery cast the first stone." This tells me that we do not have the right to condemn others for their sins - even if we are free from the sin ourselves.

"Succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees." (D&C 81:5)

ROADS

2009-08-15T09:06:00.001-07:00

Late last night we were driving home from Boise. It seemed like we would never get home, but we kept driving forward and eventually we did arrive.

I thought about how this compares to life - If we keep moving forward we will eventually reach our destination as long as we are on the right road. Maybe more accurately put - we will eventually reach the destination for the road that we are on. If we want a certain destination, then we'd better make sure we are on the road that leads there.

There is a song from My Turn on Earth that says something like this:

If you choose the very first step on the road, you also choose the last - so if you don't like the end of the road, you better back up - you know you better back up fast.

We get to choose every step we take down a road, but we do not get to choose where the road takes us. The destination for each road has already been predetermined. You can't take a road to Rigby and expect to end up in Hawaii.

Take a look at the road you are now traveling. Will it take you where you want to go?

If you're on the right road, keep moving forward and have an enjoyable trip.

If you're not on the right road, then STOP! It won't do any good to continue traveling on the wrong road. Ask for directions if you need help finding the right one.

The Boiled Frog

2009-08-13T08:56:00.000-07:00

They say that if you put a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will leap out right away to escape the danger.

But, if you put a frog in a kettle that is filled with water that is cool and pleasant,and then you gradually heat the kettle until it starts boiling, the frog will not become aware of the threat until it is too late. The frog's survival instincts are geared towards detecting sudden changes.

This story has often been used to illustrate how people are led to commit sins. If you are living a righteous life and someone asks you to rob a bank, you would, of course, not do it. But if you start out committing somewhat smaller sins like cheating on a test, telling little white lies, or whatever, pretty soon these smaller sins don't seem so bad and worse ones are compounded on them until when someone makes the suggestion to rob a bank, it doesn't seem like such a bad thing - or you just don't care anymore.

This, of course, is just one example. I don't know anyone who has ever robbed a bank, nor do I know anyone who knows anyone who has, but there are many many other examples of sins that do effect my life, the life of my loved ones, and others I know.

I want to add a twist to the story that might bring it into even more perspective.

Suppose the frog is someone's pet. I'll call this someone Fred to make the story easier to tell. The frog has jumped into the pot of cool water and is happily swimming around. Fred is looking frantically around the house for his pet frog. It doesn't occur to him to look in the pot until it is almost too late.

When Fred finally discovers his frog in the water, the frog is barely alive. Fred dearly loves his little pet and is quite upset at finding him in this predicament.

Should he watch him perish while thinking - You stupid frog. Why did you jump in the water? Well, it was your choice. You're the one who is going to have to suffer.

Should he reach in the boiling water, pull the frog out, and try and rescue it?

Should he just give up and walk away?

It may be easy to say that he should reach in and rescue the frog while there is still a chance that he might live. I would agree. But how often do we opt for the other two choices with the frogs in our lives? It's something to think about.

Let's not wait until it is too late to rescue the frog's in our lives.

"Broken Things to Mend"

2009-08-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

My thoughts today come from the book "Broken Things to Mend" by Jeffrey R. Holland. Quotations come directly from his book. I also want to tie it in to the things I talked about yesterday.

This book was written "for those who feel their lives are broken, seemingly beyond repair." If we break the moral laws in severe enough degrees, we most likely will feel a great deal of despair, we may feel that there is no hope for us - that we are broken beyond repair, we may even feel that we deserve the darkness we now find ourselves in. It is not true. There is always hope.

It is my belief that the moral laws that govern all of us here on earth come from God. Therefore, it seems reasonable to suppose that the remedy for breaking these laws also comes from God.

He said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." (Matthew 11:28-29)

(A yoke provides a distribution of weight between the two animals yoked together so that they can share in the burden. When we come to Christ, we take upon us His yoke, and he helps carry our burdens. He is even capable of carrying the entire load.)

The way to Christ is outlined in the following steps: (If you do not believe in Christ but want to find your way out of despair from breaking the moral laws that apply to all of us, these are still the steps to take).

Step 1: Have a desire

Step 2: Change anything you can change with yourself that may be part of the problem. (Repent.) Remember that you do not need to do this alone. Turn to those people who truly love you. Change is not easy, but it is possible.

Step 3: Begin doing those things which are right - obey the moral laws. Learn about Christ and His teachings.

"I testify that the Savior's Atonement lifts from us not only the burden of our sins but also the burden of our disappoinments and sorrows, our heartaches and our despair."

"Whatever your distress, please don't give up and please don't yield to fear."

"If you are lonely, please know you can find comfort. If you are discouraged, please know you can find hope. If you are poor in spirit, please know you can be strengthened. If you feel you are broken, please know you can be mended."

C.S. Lewis and the Human Law of Nature

2009-08-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

Author C.S. Lewis made some very compelling arguments for the existence of a law of human nature or a moral law which is the law of decent behavior. The law exists for all people regardless of their religious beliefs or lack of them.

There are two types of natural laws - the kind of laws we have no choice to obey like the laws of gravity and aging and the kind of laws where we can choose whether or not to obey them. The law of human nature or moral law is the latter.

Selfishness is an example that goes against the moral law. Think of people you know who are selfish. Do you admire them? Do others admire them? My guess is that you can think of people who are selfish, but you cannot think of anyone who admires them for their selfishness. They may have other qualities that can be admired, but their selfishness is never admired.

According to Lewis, if anyone argues that there really is no such thing as a moral law, they will soon disprove their own theory. They may break a promise to you and justify their actions based on their belief that there is no moral law, but as soon as you break a promise to them, they will cry that it is unfair. Unfair based on what?

Moral laws are truths that we have no ability to change. We can only choose to obey or disobey, but we cannot change them.

Nobody ever obeys these laws completely. There are always excuses available for why we did not obey. Lewis says, "I do not succeed in keeping the law of Nature very well, and the moment anyone tells me I am not keeping it, there starts up in my mind a string of excuses as long as your arm."

The fact that we make excuses is proof that we believe very strongly in these laws.

"The truth is, we believe in decency so much - we feel the Rule of law pressing on us so - that we cannot bear to face the fact that we are breaking it, and consequently we try to shift the responsibility."

I find it interesting that we only make excuses for our bad behavior but not for our good behavior.