I Am a Child of God

We are all children of our Heavenly Father and he loves each one of us and wants us to live our lives so that we can return and live with him some day.  I am so grateful for this knowledge, it gives me guidance in my life and something to live for.  I know that if I keep his commandments that I can live with our Father in Heaven again some day.  I know that he is our Father and that we were created in his image and that he loves and cares for each of us.
YouTube - I Am a Child of God

Mighty Change of Heart

I would like to talk a little more about the story I told about my third great grandfather in my last blog and the words that found lodgment in his heart.  When he heard the words that were spoken that day the Holy Ghost bore witness to his heart that what was said was true.  The Holy Ghost is a third member of the Godhead and is a personage of spirit unlike the Father and the Son who have a body of flesh and bone.  His responsibility is to bear witness to us of the truth.  That is what happens when anyone is prepared and has a desire to know for themselves.

Acts 2:37  Now when they heard this, they were ^apricked in their ^bheart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, ^cwhat shall we do?


They had been pricked in their hearts and knew that it was the truth and then knew that there needed to be a change and wondered what to do from then on.

Alma 5: 13And behold, he ^apreached the word unto your fathers, and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their ^btrust in the true and ^cliving God. And behold, they were faithful until the ^dend; therefore they were saved.

 14And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye ^aspiritually been ^bborn of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty ^cchange in your hearts?

When you are truly converted to the truth and the spirit causes a mighty change in your heart you will have no more desire to do evil but to always seek the things of God, to obey his will and keep his commandments.

Because the Holy Ghost bore witness to my Grandfather's heart he had been spiritually born of God and had that mighty change in his heart.  He then dedicated the rest of his life to the Lords service.  

That is our Father in Heaven's desire for each of us, and I hope I can stay true and endure to the end as my Grandfather did.  

Does anyone have another experience they would like to share?  Please do.

Their Words Found Lodgment in My Heart

We can learn a lot from our past. To hear their stories and the struggles they went through can give us courage and strength to stand true to what we believe.  I know with me I love to hear the stories about my ancestors and what they went through for the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I am thinking of my third great grandfather.  He was born in Denmark.  His father died when he was only 2 years old.  His mother raised three children alone.  They studied and read the bible.  He tells of a time when he wants so bad to be a preacher but knows that he cannot because the family could not afford for him to go to school to become one.  He eventually gets married and is working for a brick layer who invites him to attend a religious meeting.  As he attends the meeting and listens to what is said and the songs sung, he writes in his journal that, "their words found lodgment in my heart".  He talks to his wife and they learn more about the gospel of Jesus Christ and its restoration through the prophet Joseph Smith.  They eventually are baptized a member of the church.  He serves in the mission there in Denmark for a while.  They eventually come to the United States and settle in a small community in southern Idaho in the Bear Lake Valley.  After a while he is called by the leaders to go back to Denmark and serve a mission there and preach the gospel for two years.    Then about 11-12 years later he gets another call to go back to Denmark to serve as the President of the mission.  While there he and another gentleman translates the Book of Mormon into the Danish language so the people there could have the opportunity to read it in their native tongue and thereby gain a testimony of its truth. He eventually dies there in Denmark.  So his dream finally came true that he become a preacher.  He could share the message of the gospel and did not have to go to school to do it.  He is a great example to me of his strength and commitment to his testimony of the truth of the restoration of the gospel.  I hope that I will never let him down for the things he helped bring to pass because of his commitment and courage.  Likewise the gospel of Jesus Christ has found lodgment in my heart as well.  I know that if anyone has a desire and wants to know the truth the spirit can touch their hearts and bear witness to them of its truthfulness as it did my grandfather.

Stop and Turn

I am not sure just what I want to talk about, so I am going to put down a few things that seem to be going through my head.  We had a great conference meeting this morning at church.  We watched a broadcast directly from Salt Lake City, Utah and were able to listen to some encouraging and strengthening words from four great leaders.  It was a spiritual experience.  I always enjoy getting the instructions from our leaders.  This gospel is a great influence on my life.  I know that it is the truth and I love the direction it gives me to live my life and the hope that I feel for me and my family as I strive for Eternal life and a chance to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  I know that families can be eternal, what a great thing to look forward to.

We seem to have some very mixed emotions as we are coming to the end of an era in our life.  We are planning on leaving the Tennessee Nashville Mission in about two weeks.  We have been teaching and encouraging others for 14 months to join the church, to follow Jesus Christ and our Fathers Plan of Salvation and to find the joy that we have found in being a member of His great Church.  We have come to love the people here very much.  They have found a place in our hearts and we will never forget them.  It is with mixed feeling that we turn our thoughts towards our home in Utah.  We are excited to see our family and grandchildren.  I am excited to get back into my kitchen.  Sometimes I just want to be in two places at the same time.  But life goes on and now we hope that we can move forward and be able to serve others as well as our family back home.  Maybe we can help to make a difference in the life of some one there and we do hope that we have made a difference in the life of a few people here in this great place.

Life is made up of stop signs and turns as we travel down this road of life.  We do something for a while and then we stop and make a turn and go on in another direction.  We are approaching the stop sign and now need to make a turn and go on.  What is most important is that we follow Jesus Christ and focus on that eternal goal and never forget that final destination of life with our Father in Heaven.

Shopping

Shopping is something that takes a lot of time.  Especially if you are looking for one special item, and if there are several models of that item.  I was thinking about shopping for something that can have an impact on your life and the way you live or interact with that item.  Maybe it is a car, or a TV, or some appliance, or a camera.  Maybe something small like a new purse, or as big as a home.  For some reason we need to check out all the pro's and con's of that item and try to come to a decision that the item we are purchasing is just right for us and is just the right price.

Recently I have heard about people that seem to be shopping for a religion.  Some times I have heard it called church hopping.  I was surprised about that.  First they go to one church and try that out.  If someone says something wrong, or they are not treated the way they want to be, they just leave and go try out another church.  Some have said that they do not particularly like the preacher or maybe what he is preaching.  Some have shopped around for a while trying out all kinds of churches trying to decide which one is right for them.  All these churches have some great qualities.  They all have some truths in one area or another.

I can truly say that there is one church on the earth that has been restored and is set up exactly the way Christ set his church up here on the earth before he was crucified.  This church with its Prophet and its apostles, teachers and evangelists, with all the priesthood authority that was given to the ancient prophets is now on the earth.  It has been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith and his authority has been handed down to the prophet that is on the earth today.  That is President Thomas S Monson and he has 12 apostles that help him to guide this the true church.  It has all the truth and is complete.  Once this church is found and is studied, people by the thousands are joining all over the world.  That is because they have felt the spirit touch their hearts and they know they have found the complete truth and there is no need to shop around any more.  This gospel blesses their lives and they find true joy in living the principles taught there.  I myself do know that it is the truth and it has brought much joy to my life.  If any of you have found this truth, please share your testimony.

Care for the Lambs

I have been doing some thinking since we just had Mothers Day.  I am very grateful for the great Mother that I had.  She taught me a lot by her example as well as her teachings.  I have also been reflecting on myself as a mother.  We have 7 children with 5 spouses and 19 grandchildren that we love dearly.  One thing that I am very grateful for is that because of the priesthood power that has been restored through Joseph Smith, we can now be eternal families.  I know that as I strive to keep the commandments and follow the teaching of Jesus Christ and if my family will do the same, we can be together forever in the next life.  That is my greatest desire.  Richard J. Maynes talked about this in our last General Conference.  He talked about the responsibility we have as parents to teach our children.  I love the poem that he quoted:

         

’Twas a sheep not a lamb

That strayed away in the parable Jesus told,

A grown-up sheep that strayed away

From the ninety and nine in the fold.

And why for the sheep should we seek

And earnestly hope and pray?

Because there is danger when sheep go wrong:

They lead the lambs astray.

Lambs will follow the sheep, you know,

Wherever the sheep may stray.

When sheep go wrong,

It won’t take long till the lambs are as wrong as they.

And so with the sheep we earnestly plead

For the sake of the lambs today,

For when the sheep are lost

What a terrible cost

The lambs will have to pay. 

He goes on to say,

The consequences to parents who lead their children astray are laid before us by the Lord in the Doctrine and Covenants: “And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion … that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, … the sin be upon the heads of the parents.”Doctrine and Covenants 68:25

I know that it is so important as parents we teach our children, love them, care for them and make our 

homes a refuge from the world.  Always remember that the family is the most important social unit on the

 

earth.

To read the entire talk go to this link: http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/04/establishing-a-christ-centered-home?lang=eng#7 

Serving

We have come to learn that there are many people that are going to serve and help where the damage is that happened because of the Tornado's.  This means a lot to both giver as well as receiver.  We show our love and appreciation for the Savior and his atonement as we reach out to love and serve our fellow men.  It is through each other that we answer the prayers of those that are struggling.  M. Russell Ballard, of the Quorum of the twelve apostles, talked about this in his conference address, I quote:

The Savior spoke of this principle when He answered the Pharisee who asked, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

“This is the first and great commandment.

“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:36–40).

It is only when we love God and Christ with all of our hearts, souls, and minds that we are able to share this love with our neighbors through acts of kindness and service—the way that the Savior would love and serve all of us if He were among us today.

When this pure love of Christ—or charity—envelops us, we think, feel, and act more like Heavenly Father and Jesus would think, feel, and act. Our motivation and heartfelt desire are like unto that of the Savior. He shared this desire with His Apostles on the eve of His Crucifixion. He said:

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you. …

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34–35).

The love the Savior described is an active love. It is not manifested through large and heroic deeds but rather through simple acts of kindness and service.

http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/04/finding-joy-through-loving-service?lang=eng

To read the entire talk, check out this link.

There are many who are in need of our service.  We can each do something to help someone.  We may not be able to do some big thing, but it is the small and simple things that can make a difference.  In order for us to show our love for the Savior it is important that we make a difference in others lives by helping and serving where we can.

If you come to read this I would love to here any comments on how service has made a difference in your life.  

Are We There Yet?

We have all been on a family vacation when the question is asked, “Are we there yet?”  That question may have been asked to you by your children, or may have been asked by you as a child.  We generally plan our vacations around our children, and it doesn’t matter how many games you bring, snacks you pack, or rounds of songs you sing.  Eventually one of those kids is going to get bored, stare out he window at the unfamiliar passing scene, and realize there’s a destination out there somewhere that he won’t recognize, and pop out the question, “Are we there yet?’

This question could bring on another question.  ‘”Where is ‘there’?”  On trips with kids, ‘there’ is a specific destination.  It could be when you reach Disneyland, or Yellowstone, or even Grandma’s house.  And even then, we could have several places that are ‘there’ once we arrive. 

As I have pondered this question, we can apply it to our every day lives.  As we go through life, we are always working for a special destination.  It could be when we get through school, or when we get married.  Maybe that destination is when the kids are all gone and we are retired.  Then could we ask ourselves the question, “Are we there yet.”?

Life is a journey, not just a destination.  As we go through this life we are given many experiences that teach us and help us to build our faith and testimony in some way so that we may reach that final destination that we all hope to obtain some day. 

These experiences come to us in many different ways and at very unpredictable times.  They can be powerful spiritual experiences or small enlightening moments.  Some of them may come as serious challenges or heavy trials that can really test us.  No matter what they may be, they can each give us a chance for personal growth, greater wisdom, or in some cases, they come so that we may be of service to others where we can show more empathy and love.

When Joseph Smith was in Liberty Jail and facing some very serious challenges, he turned to the Lord for the help he needed, and the Lord told him in a very assuring way, “All these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.”  (D&C 122:7)

As we face each experience, we may ask ourselves, ‘Are we there yet’, but each experience or challenge we face is only a building block for the next.  As these experiences accumulate in our lives, they add strength and support to each other just as each mile we travel brings us closer to our destination. 

The choices that we make in our every day lives will ultimately determine what our final destination will be.  I hope that the final destination for everyone will be to have eternal life with our Father in Heaven.  It and when that happens, then we can say we are "there".

Prayer

I love to read the stories about my ancestors.  There have been many recorded stories that show the faith, determination and courage they had.  They have been a great example to me and I have always tried to honor the lives of my ancestors by trying to live my life that I may never be a disgrace to them.  I would like to share some of their stories through my blog.

 

Prayer Is the Soul's Sincere Desire

September 1850 I came north about 20 miles with father and he took up a piece of land.  We hauled logs from Weber Canyon and built a house.  At this time there were about twenty families in the settlement.  All the people were very poor.  In those days we could not get clothes to wear.  I was very lonesome for there was no boys closer than two miles and I only had the privilege of going to see them through the summer.  I worked regularly with father on the farm.  I mostly attended Meetings on the Sabbath Day.  One Sunday Brother Edmond Robins spoke on prayer.  It made a great impression on my mind for he beautifully described the blessings and comfort of the spirit of the Lord obtained through prayer.  I thought if any boy needed comfort and a friend I surely did.  I pondered in my mind and tried to look at myself.  I thought that I did not know anything and I had no chance to learn.  I could look at a book but could not tell a letter in it  I felt discouraged but I made up my mind that I would pray unto the Lord.  That evening I went into the field and knelt down and prayed unto the Lord the best I could and I know he heard and answered my prayer.  I continued to pray from that time forth for anything I wanted--not every day but when I wanted anything and I know my prayers were answered.  I had to be careful lest I should ask amiss.  I prayed that I might learn something about the gospel and how to live.  I prayed that I might yet have the privilege of going to school and to learn to read the scriptures and learn the dealings of God with his people and I remember feeling that my prayers would be answered and I learned that though prayer all the desires of my heart would be granted me in righteousness.  I heard there was going to be a school start in Kaysville about three miles from where we lived.  I was thirteen years of age and could not read a word.  I did not even know the alphabet.  I was very anxious to go to school but my parents thought there was too much to do in attending to the stock and milking cows, and cutting wood, as there was no coal found in Utah at that time.  I promised to cut enough wood on Saturday to last a week and to help with all the chores night and morning.  I felt bad for fear I would not be able to go to school.  One night when I was driving the cows home I was feeling bad and I cried which was not my nature.  I well remember where I was and I prayed unto the Lord with all my heart and with faith that he would open the way that I might go to school.  I had no more opposition so when the school started I attended.  I continued to go for three months and tried to learn all I could in that time.  I started to work again in the spring and in my spare time read the Book of Mormon.  That summer I read it through.  

There is a great principle learned in this story, it is that when we pray with a sincere desire and faith, the Lord does grant us the righteous desires of our hearts.