On America

We had a great time celebrating Memorial Day yesterday, and at the end of the night, when I was dead-tired, I opened my Book of Mormon to read my five verses and I got this perfectly-timed gem from the Book of Ether:

Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written. (Ether 2:12)

I am so proud to be an American, and that we, as a nation, are generally a God-fearing people. I'm so grateful for my liberty and the men and women who work so hard to preserve our freedom.

Photo courtesy of jcolman.

On "Happily Ever After"

At the General Young Women Meeting a few weeks ago, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave an inspiring talk called "Your Happily Ever After."

I felt like this talk slapped me on the forehead and yelled, "Pay attention! This is for you!"

Let me give some background: I read a lot. Like, a lot. (I've read 26 books since January 1st.) Since I've been diagnosed, I've used reading for its escapism-- choosing to run away to a book than deal with reality. And it works, for the most part. I get away, and I don't have to face anything difficult or trying.

This idea of life as a story really grabbed me. Here I was escaping to stories for comfort, and not living out my own. When Pres. Uchtdorf introduced his theme, he said:

...[I]n most languages there exists a phrase as magical and full of promise as perhaps any in the world. That phrase is “Once upon a time.”

Aren’t those wonderful words to begin a story? “Once upon a time” promises something: a story of adventure and romance, a story of princesses and princes. It may include tales of courage, hope, and everlasting love. In many of these stories, nice overcomes mean and good overcomes evil. But perhaps most of all, I love it when we turn to the last page and our eyes reach the final lines and we see the enchanting words “And they lived happily ever after.”

Isn’t that what we all desire: to be the heroes and heroines of our own stories; to triumph over adversity; to experience life in all its beauty; and, in the end, to live happily ever after?

I wrote that last sentiment in my notebook: "Don't we all desire to be the hero or heroine of our own life's story?"

My personal answer is YES! I want to be the heroine! I want to be Elizabeth Bennet, Anne Shirley, Emma Woodhouse, Cinderella, Clary Fray and, of course, Bella Swan. I want to be them all! I want an exciting story that builds, climaxes, and resolves with myself coming out the other end victorious.

But that victory has to be over something. You can't win if you're not even in a fight. Or if you're not even participating. Pres. Uchtdorf explained that all heroines must overcome adversity. We all must experience sadness and trials before achieving our "happily ever after."

But why? Pres. Uchtdorf answers: "The scriptures tell us there must be opposition in all things, for without it we could not discern the sweet from the bitter. Would the marathon runner feel the triumph of finishing the race had she not felt the pain of the hours of pushing against her limits? Would the pianist feel the joy of mastering an intricate sonata without the painstaking hours of practice?"

In addition, adversity teaches us lessons that we could not learn any other way. In this way, we gain wisdom, strength and depth of character that will aid us in victory.

Pres. Uchtdorf counsels:

My dear young sisters, you need to know that you will experience your own adversity. None is exempt. You will suffer, be tempted, and make mistakes. You will learn for yourself what every heroine has learned: through overcoming challenges come growth and strength.

It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines how your life’s story will develop.

My life's story will be written about how I behaved when trials came my way. Did I shrink or run away? Did I stay and fight, refusing to be defeated? I'm choosing the latter. It's a tough choice when some days I feel like I'd rather just do nothing, but I'm going to fight and I'm going to overcome. I'm choosing courage over cowardice. And I think Elizabeth Bennet would do the same.

For The Strength of Youth

In Sunday School this week, someone brought up the point that the fact that we're over 18 doesn't mean we shouldn't live by the standards prescribed in the For The Strength of Youth pamphlet.

This was such an "ah-ha" moment, I knew I'd have to share it here. Of course, we don't stop living the standards just because we're "grown-ups!" But I probably hadn't read For The Strength of Youth since I was 17, so I went home, dug up my copy and read it. I didn't have any earth-shattering revelations or really even learn anything new, but it was a good refresher. And a reminder to recommit to living the standards I agreed to as a youth.

I encourage all of you to revisit the booklet and recommit to living the standards for yourself.

You can find the pamphlet on the Church's new youth-oriented web site: http://youth.lds.org.

Make sure you watch this video while you're there (I totally love it): https://beta.lds.org/youth/mormon-messages/video/a-brand-new-year-for-the-strength-of-youth?locale=eng

On Personalized Trials

To make a really long story short, I was recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic pain disease.

In my moments of anger, I think of how I’m only 25 and how incredibly unfair this whole thing seems. In my moments of clarity, I remember that this life is a life of trials and tests. And that God is in this with me, for the entire journey.

I know that God knows us as individuals and that He gives us trials for our good. (That's really hard to believe during some moments.) I also know that our trials are very personalized.

One night when I was feeling particularly beaten down and hopeless, my husband and I started talking about there are different kinds of trials (and pain)– physical, financial, mental, spiritual, etc. And it hit me.

And I just started cracking up! Laughing through my tears!

Of all the different kinds of trials, physical pain is the hardest for me to deal with. My husband and I named all those different kinds of trials and I was thinking, “Well, I wish it was a spiritual trial, that would be easy!”

I have been given a trial that is tailor-made for me. Physical pain is not something I handle well or with grace. And now, apparently, is my chance to learn.

Didn’t a General Authority somewhere along the line once say that we should love our trials? Something about appreciating the opportunity for growth and yada yada yada?

I don’t love this. Not even close.

But I know this difficulty will refine me-- smooth away my rough edges and bring me closer to my Savior and Heavenly Father. If I choose to react to my trial that way. Choose to treat it as an opportunity and not a burden.

(So far, it feels like a burden most of the time.)

I've been reading a lot of General Authority talks on trials and such, and I'd like to finish with a quote I found from Pres. James E. Faust that really helped me this week.

He said:

"Let us not presume that because the way is at times difficult and challenging, our Heavenly Father is not mindful of us. He is rubbing off our rough edges and sensitizing us for our great responsibilities ahead. May His blessings be upon us spiritually, that we may have a sweet companionship with the Holy Ghost, and that our footsteps might be guided along paths of truth and righteousness.

"And may each of us follow the Lord’s comforting counsel: 'Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days' (D&C 24:8)."

On Selflessness

It's been a tough week at my house (and it's only Tuesday!)-- my daughter has been teething (molars) and it has drained nearly all my patience. This Family Gem came to me at a perfect time:

“Just as Jesus used a child in His mortal ministry as an example for the people of the pure love they must and could have to be like Him, He has offered us the family as an example of an ideal setting in which we can learn how to love as He loves.“That is because the greatest joys and the greatest sorrows we experience are in family relationships. The joys come from putting the welfare of others above our own. That is what love is.”

--Henry B. Eyring, “Our Perfect Example,” Ensign, Nov. 2009, 70-71

Being a parent, especially a mother, means a lot of lessons in putting others first. That's a hard one sometimes, but Elder Eyring said (and it's true, by the way) that "the greatest joys... we experience are in family relationships."

Sometimes it's hard to remember that when nobody in my house has slept through the night and we're all grouchy and temperamental. But because we serve each other, and put each other first, we do have a lot of joy and love in this house.

Just not a lot of sleep. :-)

On Friends

My post title seems stunningly inadequate, and for that, I apologize. I really want to talk about the people in our lives who influence and teach us.

I firmly believe that specific people are brought into our lives-- at specific times in our lives-- for a reason. There are moments in your life when there is one particular person who is specially equipped to help you, to teach you, to inspire you, to comfort you, to give you direction.

When my husband and I were praying about where he should go to grad school, we prayed to know where we should go and where we could do the most good. A long story made short, we received "a lightning bolt answer" that we should go to St. Louis. We even felt pretty strongly about which apartment complex we should live in. As a result, we ended up in a ward that we love. (Somehow, the word 'love' doesn't seem strong enough to describe my feelings about this ward. I tear up just thinking about having to leave in a year.)

I don't know how much good we have done in our ward, but I do know how much good the ward has done us. The Lord has put these people in our lives-- in a specific time in our lives-- for us to learn from, be counseled by and receive help from our ward.

A specific example: I began to have some serious problems with my joints right after my daughter was born. That same month, I got a new visiting teacher, the Stake President's wife. Well, the Stake President just happens to be a rheumatologist!

Coincidence? I don't believe so.

I KNOW that the Lord knows me and knows what I need. Better yet, he knows who can help me and leads them to me when I need them.

I guess this all boils down to the fact that God is in charge. And I just wanted you to know that I know that's true.

A New Year and A New Life

When I was reading the Ensign last week, I really enjoyed the article by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland called "The Best is Yet to Be."

His talk was timed perfectly for the new year and he admonishes us all not to live in the past, but look forward to the future in faith. Part of that, he says, is being able to forgive and forget.

He said:

"Forgive and do that which is sometimes harder than to forgive: forget. And when it comes to mind again, forget it again.

"You can remember just enough to avoid repeating the mistake, but then put the rest of it all on the dung heap Paul spoke of to the Philippians. Dismiss the destructive, and keep dismissing it until the beauty of the Atonement of Christ has revealed to you your bright future and the bright future of your family, your friends, and your neighbors. God doesn’t care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are and, with His help, where you are willing to go. ...

"This is an important matter to consider at the start of a new year—and every day ought to be the start of a new year and a new life. Such is the wonder of faith, repentance, and the miracle of the gospel of Jesus Christ."

If you have made mistakes (and we all have) or have been reveling in the "good ol' days" of the past (and we all have), now is the time to look forward with faith.

Forget where you have been and contemplate where you are willing to go. With the Lord on your side, it's bound to be farther and higher than you can imagine.

On Personal Growth

I was reading the Ensign this week (the new and improved January issue) and I came across a quote by Neal A. Maxwell that I wanted to make sure no one missed.

He said:

"One's life... cannot be both faith-filled and stress-free....

"Therefore, how can you and I really expect to glide naively through life, as if to say, 'Lord, give me experience, but not grief, not sorrow, not pain, not opposition, not betrayal, and certainly not to be forsaken. Keep from me, Lord, all those experiences which made Thee what Thou art! Then let me come and dwell with Thee and fully share Thy joy!'...

"Real faith... is required to endure this necessary but painful developmental process."

(Elder Neal A. Maxwell, "Lest Ye Be Wearied and Faint in Your Minds," Ensign, May 1991, pp. 88, 90.)

I am personally going through a stressful, sorrowful and painful trial right now in my life. And while I try to be hopeful and remember that "all these things will be for my experience," I am tired of being stressed out and constantly fretful.

This quote really gave me reassurance and a little bit of much needed perspective. Life cannot be faith-filled and stress-free.

With that choice before me, I'll choose faith every time.

The Real Gift of Christmas

I'm posting this video because I thought it went really well with my topic from last week.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

"Maybe Christmas Doesn't Come From A Store"

I was reading a talk (with the same title as above) by Jeffrey R. Holland, and he pointed out something that I had never thought of before:

Joseph and Mary were poor.

I mean, it makes sense-- the woman gave birth in a stable, but I never really thought about it.

Elder Holland elaborates: I wonder if Luke did not have some special meaning when he wrote not “there was no room in the inn” but specifically that “there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7; italics added.) We cannot be certain, but it is my guess that money could talk in those days as well as in our own. I think if Joseph and Mary had been people of influence or means, they would have found lodging even at that busy time of year.

The wise men came later, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. By the time they arrived, the Baby Jesus is described as "a young child" and Joseph and Mary were living in a house (see Matthew 2:11).

The gifts we give today to our loved ones are symbols of the gifts given to the Christ-child by the wise men. Elder Holland suggests that perhaps we use the wise men as examples to separate the gift-giving from the true reason for the season-- celebrating the birth of our Savior.

Elder Holland adds:

As happens so often if we are not careful, the symbols can cover that which is symbolized...

I do not feel—or mean this to sound—like a modern-day Scrooge. The gold, frankincense, and myrrh were humbly given and appreciatively received, and so they should be, every year and always. As my wife and children can testify, no one gets more giddy about the giving and receiving of presents than I do.

But for that very reason, I, like you, need to remember the very plain scene, even the poverty, of a night devoid of tinsel or wrapping or goods of this world. Only when we see that single, sacred, unadorned object of our devotion—the Babe of Bethlehem—will we know why “tis the season to be jolly” and why the giving of gifts is so appropriate.

May we each remember the humble scene of the nativity on the night of Christ's birth. Plain and simple, yet full of love. I pray that each of our Christmas celebrations may be the same.

Expressing Love to Our Spouses

My husband is not a writer, so... yeah, you're stuck with me again.

But my message has a lot to do with "Hubby Week"-- the idea of expressing love to our spouses.

This was one of the Family Gems this week:
"We can begin to become more diligent and concerned at home by telling the people we love that we love them. Such expressions do not need to be flowery or lengthy. We simply should sincerely and frequently express love.

"Each of us already knows we should tell the people we love that we love them. But what we know is not always reflected in what we do."

I think that last sentence is the crux of the matter: we don't always do what we know we should. But when it comes to our spouses, we must.

Luckily, there is a simple way to overcome this problem! Spencer W. Kimball said it himself, "Do it." Just do it.

JUST.

DO.

IT.

Right now.

Go tell your spouse you love them.

I love my husband more than anything and am constantly telling him so, but sometimes just saying it isn't enough. Demonstrating your love through service, kindness and respect is also important.

Enjoy the rest of Hubby Week!

P.S. There is a blog I follow called "The Generous Wife." She gives great tips and ideas on how to express love for your husband. Even if you don't think you need help in this area, I recommend it.

The Procrastinators Anonymous Meeting Has Been Postponed

It's 11:45 p.m. on Tuesday night, and guess who just remembered to blog?

Me.

(That wasn't very hard to guess, was it?)

Well, here it goes. I found a lovely little thought on (yup, you guessed it) procrastination.

A quick thought from Elder Donald L. Hallstrom of the Seventy:

"Procrastination may seem the easy way, as it momentarily removes the effort required to accomplish something of value. Ironically, in time, procrastination produces a heavy burden laced with guilt and a hollow lack of satisfaction. Temporal and, even more importantly, spiritual goals will not be achieved by procrastination.

Now is the time to exercise our faith. Now is the time to commit to righteousness. Now is the time to do whatever is required to resolve our undesired circumstances. Now is the time to reconcile with God through the merciful process of change afforded us by the Redeemer of mankind."

I think that it couldn't be more clearly stated-- if we want to reach our goals, we have to get up and get to work! Nothing will ever be accomplished if we keep procrastinating, both in the temporal and spiritual sense.

Now is the time! Do whatever it is you've been meaning to do. Now is the time, not later.

As for me, now is the time... for bed. :-)

My Eight Copies: Part 4

[This is the 4th and final part in an essay about the many copies of the Book of Mormon I have owned and how they have influenced and mirrored my life.]

My favorite copy of the Book of the Mormon that I own is one I received while working for BYU. Each Christmas, the First Presidency gives Church employees a small gift.

One year, I received a beautiful, leather triple combination. In the letter that came with it, the First Presidency wrote,

“It is our sincere hope that your study of the scriptures will continue to be a source of inspiration, guidance and peace in your life. As you read, your mind will be enlightened, your spirit will be lifted, and there will come into your heart an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord. There will come a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to the Lord’s commandments, and there will come a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God.”

I took this as a personal challenge to read more consistently, study more diligently and ponder more deeply. Every promise made in that letter was realized, and my life was changed yet again.

The final copy of the Book of Mormon that sits on my shelf is new. In it is a pamphlet about the Restoration that missionaries use with new investigators. I got it from the missionaries a few months after moving to St. Louis two years ago. I had intended to give it away to a coworker, but never did. I look at it and feel regretful that I chickened out. I had a treasure to share, and I chose to keep it to myself.

Elder Hugh W. Pinnock of the Seventy said,

“We need to open our mouths in order to communicate to others the spiritual lifesaving principles found in the Book of Mormon, as well as the importance of reading that wonderful book.”

The best way to find courage to share the Book of Mormon is to read it ourselves—daily. For those among us who are more casual, inconsistent readers, Elder Scott says,

“If you have not yet drunk deeply from this fountain of pure truth, with all of my soul I encourage you to do so now. Don’t let the consistent study of the Book of Mormon be one of the things that you intend to do but never quite accomplish. Begin today.”

I know that if we do not neglect our study of the Book of Mormon, but read consistently, daily-- we will be blessed with both knowledge and inspiration.

Our bishop always promotes the "Five Verses A Day" plan. Read at least five verses (that's it!) every day. Nobody can say they don't have time for five verses! Even when I am dead-dog tired and don't want to read, I can't ever say to myself, "I'm not going to read. Five verses is too much."

As for "How the Book of Mormon Changed My Life"?

I grew up in the Church, learning about the Book of Mormon, so it is true that there has been no dramatic change in my life. No moment when I found the Book of Mormon and went from lost and wandering to found and directed. That is why I had such difficulty finding a place to begin my Sacrament meeting talk.

The Book of Mormon didn’t change my life in a singular moment; the Book of Mormon changes my life a little bit every time I read it—grounding me in the faith, guiding me through this treacherous time that Mormon prophesied of, and always testifying of Jesus Christ, bringing me nearer to Him and our Father in Heaven.

My Eight Copies: Part 3

[This is the 3rd part in an essay about the many copies of the Book of Mormon I have owned.]

My next set of scriptures came when I started seminary. This set lived at the church building and were there on the cart to greet every morning at 5:45. They are nearly unrecognizable as scriptures. The bindings are so bent and they are so full of quotes that my triple combination is the same size as a standard Bible. These particular scriptures taught me to diligently study them and to find strength in their pages. Up until this point, I had never been a consistent scripture reader, but at this point in my life I developed the habit of reading the scriptures daily. Building on these daily interactions with the scriptures, I gained my true testimony of the Book of Mormon.

President Ezra Taft Benson declared:

“Every Latter-day Saint should make the study of this book a lifetime pursuit. Otherwise he is placing his soul in jeopardy and neglecting that which could give spiritual and intellectual unity to his whole life.”

During my freshman year at BYU, I had the opportunity to focus my scripture study on the Book of Mormon. Naturally, I bought myself a new copy before the class began. I had excellent teachers and was uplifted and inspired during each class session. I was constantly being presented with interpretations and views that were new to me. There was a lesson to be learned in every chapter.

However, the lesson that changed my life the most was that the Book of Mormon was written for our day, for us. In Mormon 8:35, Mormon says:

“Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.”

Thinking of the Book of Mormon this way, that it was written specifically for our hazardous times, brings great comfort to me and makes me anxious to seek advice from it. Elder Richard G. Scott said it so plainly:

“The Book of Mormon holds answers for the problems we face in everyday life."

It can't get much more straightforward than that! The Book of Mormon holds the answers. I hope you all may find the answers you seek in its pages.

To be continued...

My Eight Copies: Part 2

[This is the 2nd part in an essay about the many copies of the Book of Mormon I have owned in my life.]

Each copy I have ever owned has been special to me and has influenced or mirrored my life in some way.

When I was baptized at eight years old, I was given a full set of scriptures with my name engraved on the covers. They were beautiful to me. Now, these scriptures might be described as old, worn out, and falling apart. I prefer to think of them as loved, well-used, and full of character. There are stickers on the inside cover, the pages are marked with colored pencil, red pen, yellow highlighter and varying colors of crayons with glitter. The binding is falling apart because the book is bursting with Sunday School handouts, old Sacrament Meeting programs, indecipherable notes, postcards, a For the Strength of Youth pamphlet, and even some old photographs.

When I look at them, I see my life, my progression in the gospel. I went from clumsily marking my scriptures with crayons to thoughtfully underlining key phrases and jotting impressions in the margins. I grew from a child, hanging on the testimony of my parents, to an adult, with spiritual experiences and faith of her own.

In the opening pages of the Book of Mormon, we learn that the primary purpose of the Book of Mormon is to convince all people "that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.” All people "must come unto him, or they cannot be saved" (1 Nephi 13:40). Joseph Smith said that the Book of Mormon is "the keystone of our religion, and a man [will] get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”

My worn-out and well-loved scriptures did all that for me—convinced me that Jesus is the Christ, bade me to come unto Him, and brought me nearer to God by abiding by its precepts.

What have your scriptures done for you lately?

To be continued...

My Eight Copies: Part 1

[This was originally a really long essay I wrote, so I decided to break it into a series about the many copies of the Book of Mormon I have owned in my life. Today is about my very first.]

Recently, I was asked to speak in Sacrament meeting on the topic of "How the Book of Mormon has Changed My Life." While preparing, I was feeling at a loss of where to start. I have never had an exact moment of change that came from reading the Book of Mormon. I couldn’t even think of any particularly inspirational stories involving me and a Book of Mormon.

Panicked, I wondered if it even HAD changed my life at all! I mean, I know that I've read it-- enjoyed it even. Felt uplifted? Yes. Inspired? Yes. But truthfully, I've been a member my entire life... I was exposed to the Book of Mormon from day 1. How could it really change my life if I've always had it?

Finally, I decided to just open up a copy. Where better to begin than at the source? As I was looking on our bookshelf for a particular copy I had used during my study at BYU, I found another copy. And another. And another.

As it turns out, there are 12 copies of the Book of Mormon in my house. A couple of them reside on our nightstands, two more live in our scripture cases next to Bibles where they patiently wait for Sunday, the rest (eight of them) sit next to each other on our bookshelf.

I look at that bookshelf everyday, several times a day, but it never struck me until that moment that there were eight copies of the Book of Mormon sitting there. Now that I had noticed them, I looked them over and wondered how many of them were mine.

I opened the first copy and found, stamped inside: “This book belongs to Ashley.” I opened the next copy and found my name again, in my own handwriting from college! I looked through them all and discovered that 8 of the 12 copies we have in our house belonged to me at one point in my life or another.

Eight copies!

Anyone who knows me well can tell you how much I love books; they are, indeed, one of my passions. But I don’t own more than one copy of any other book. That thought struck me. If I own EIGHT copies of the Book of Mormon, surely that fact alone speaks of its importance in my life.

My first real copy of the Book of Mormon was given to me by my parents shortly after I learned to read. My name is stamped on the inside cover in neon pink ink. When my parents gave it to me, I remember feeling grown-up and important. I knew the book was something valuable by the way my parents treated it. They talked of it and read to us out of it, often. When I began reading it on my own, the language style was difficult to understand, but reading it made me happy. Looking at the pictures in the book and thinking about the stories they illustrated gave me the same feelings.

How grateful I am for parents who enabled those experiences and demonstrated a love and reverence for the word of God. Cheryl Lant, the Primary General President said,

“How blessed is the child whose parents base their lives on the teachings in the scriptures! There is absolutely nothing more important we can do for our families than to strengthen them in the scriptures.”

One of the best things we can do for our children is to teach them from the scriptures! My daughter is yet too young to understand, but we read to her out of the Book of Mormon Stories book every night. She may not understand what we're saying, but at least she's in the habit and she recognizes the cover. ;-)

To be continued...

The Gift of Personal Revelation

I hardly know where to start in talking about General Conference. It's like talking about a feast and trying to describe a single bite...

Let me say that I know that if you head into Conference having prayerfully asked for answers and guidance, you will receive them. Many people find these answers in talks that seem to be meant "just for them." Talks that deal specifically with what they needed to know about. This is what happens to me.

Interestingly enough, in the past two or three Conferences, the very first talk has been "just for me." Exactly what I needed to hear. I think this is funny because it says to me that Heavenly Father knows me-- He knows I pay the most attention to the first talk, that I never sleep through the first talk, and that the first talk sets the tone for my attitude towards the whole weekend.

I'm so glad He knows this about me and puts my answers up front like that. :-)

Needless to say that Elder Richard G. Scott's talk about personal inspiration particularly struck me.

He began by saying that it is good when we are compelled to seek personal inspiration rather than following the path of "respected individuals" who made similar decisions. The phrase "respected individuals" first made me think of public personas-- prominent or well-known people in our field of study or community. Now, after thinking on it, "respected individuals" could just as well mean parents, extended family members or friends. What is the right path for one person may not at all be right for another.

He said:

"Father in Heaven knew you would be required to make decisions that were beyond your own ability to decide correctly. ... He included a provision for you to receive help with such challenges and decisions during your mortal life. That assistance will come through the Holy Ghost as personal inspiration."

Personal inspiration is something I have felt a great need of lately. My husband is entering his final year of graduate school and we have been praying to find the answers to life decisions we are trying to make. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father knew that we wouldn't be able to make these decisions on our own! I feel His love when I think that He provided us with a way to get the answers we are seeking.

Elder Scott also said:

"Spirituality brings forth two fruits: 1) inspiration to know what to do, and 2) power-- the ability to do it."

I love this! Spirituality helps us to know what to do and gives us the power to go forth and do it!

Have a lovely week everyone, and may you all get the personal inspiration you are seeking.

"Astonished Beyond Measure"

I just started into the book of Helaman in my personal scripture study, and the other day, I was reading toward the end of Chapter 3, where it talks about the righteousness (and resulting prosperity) of the Church. The Church was having such a time of prosperity that tens of thousands of people were being baptized (vs. 24, 26)

I was really struck with verse 25 in particular:

And so great was the prosperity of the church, and so many the blessings which were poured out upon the people, that even the high priests and the teachers were themselves astonished beyond measure.

This brings to mind two things: first, the Nephites recognized that their blessings came from righteousness, and second, that these blessings were so amazing and abundant, that the leaders were "astonished beyond measure!" The blessings were that wonderful.

I often marvel at the small blessings and tender mercies granted unto me by the Lord, but to be astonished beyond measure? I can't imagine what wonderful blessings they received. I hope to see such blessings myself someday as the Church continues to grow in faith and righteousness.

Get to Work

On Sunday, my brother gave his homecoming talk in Sacrament. It was a wonderful look at faith and works. He talked about how important it is to have faith, but as we know, faith alone will not save you. Faith without works is dead. It is great to have faith, but even more so to have faith and get to work!

In his talk, my brother shared this quote by Pres. Hinckley:

"Your faith will perform miracles-- especially when you get your hands and feet involved."

He also gave a similar analogy-- He said that faith can move mountains, but how much faster will that happen if you grab a shovel and get to digging?

I really like this idea. Through our faith, God can perform many miracles and answer many prayers. But that's only if we, His instruments, are willing to work! Faith is worthless if we are sitting on the couch every day or being selfish by keeping to ourselves. We must go out and serve others, share our light, and get to work as God's hands.