The Gospel of Christ, Full and Complete

I love that phrase: The Gospel of Christ, Full and Complete.

That is what we claim to offer as a Church, because we believe this is Christ's living church on the earth. That He continues to guide and direct the people of this world through a prophet today--just as He guided and directed them through prophets in ancient times. Just as He guided and directed the people of His day as He walked and taught and served and healed.

Yesterday and today, I listened to the prophet, President Monson and each of the Twelve Apostles as well as the leaders of the women and children's and other organizations of our Church teach about what they have learned through their own experiences, the experiences of others, through the Holy Ghost, and through their study and application of scripture (which are words Jesus Christ speaking through past prophets). Their stories and messages are simple but powerful. I felt the truth of what they said. And the music--Oh the music. Take a moment and watch or listen to one or two or all of the 6 sessions of the conference here. At the very least, you can take a look or listen to what President Thomas S. Monson, the prophet today said to the church and to all the world. Simple truths--but I think they make all the difference in who we are and what we can be as individuals and as society as a whole. These are the truths that would lift us as human beings and make the world a better place if we lived them more fully. If I lived them more fully.

And if you like short and to the point, here is a really nice 60-second video explanation of the what and why of prophets.

-elin
I took a walk with my family today and it was glorious to be outside in such beautiful moderate temperatures. Autumn=bliss

Girl Power! Literally

If you have a moment to spare tonight, please check out the women's conference starting in just a few minutes. These women always have some wonderful things to say about life, friendship, family, and what it means to be daughters of a Heavenly Father.

If you can't watch it tonight, it is available to watch online after this evening as well.

Here is one of my favorite parts from the last conference:

-elin

Spring is Here....and so is ten hours of conference!

In less than an hour, I will be watching the first session of our church's biannual conference. The first session is specifically for women--all girl's 8 years old and up. Next Saturday evening there is a session specifically for the men. The other 4 sessions next Saturday and Sunday are for everybody.

Why do I watch almost 10 hours of people talking twice a year? Because the people who speak are inspired. I relate to their words and experiences and what they say is full of truth. And the music is beautiful.

I think I have already posted this video, but here is a short clip of one of the messages shared at conference last October.

To watch the General Women's Session that starts at 7:00 pm central time, click here.

-Elin
Who is ready for spring.

Prayer, Scriptures, and Service

Last night I saw a quote from a talk given by President Henry B. Eyring, a prophet and apostle who is in the First Presidency of the Church. The quote was striking to me because it is something that I have been thinking about lately in regards to my own actions:

We can and must go often and carefully to the word of God. If we become casual in our study of the scriptures, we will become casual in our prayers.

We may not cease to pray, but our prayers will become more repetitive, more mechanical, lacking real intent. Our hearts cannot be drawn out to a God we do not know, and the scriptures and the words of living prophets help us know Him. As we know Him better, we love Him more.

At times I feel like my prayers don't make it past the ceiling of my apartment, like they just bounce back to me. I've wondered why that is, and I think a lot of it has to do with the above quote. And there are other times when I feel like my prayers are not "lacking real intent" but still don't seem effective. What then? Another quote from the same talk:

We must also serve Him to love Him. Joseph Smith did that, finally surrendering life itself in His service. Joseph prayed with the intent to obey. That obedience always includes service to others. Service in God’s work allows us to feel a part of what He feels and come to know Him.

“For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?” As our love for Him increases, so will our desire to approach the Father in prayer.

Serving Him can be done in a variety of ways, but a succinct explanation is simply obeying His commandments. So when I find that my prayers are stuck in the same room as me, I know where to look for a solution to that problem: scripture study and service. And this time of year is great for both, as the holidays are here and thoughts are turned more to Christ.

 

Forrest

--Who is so thankful that Thanksgiving is nearly here!

 

 

 

My Family, My Grandpa, and Life After Death

Me, Grandpa, and my sister

Ever since I can remember, the first weekend in October meant watching the prophet and other leaders of our church speak at General Conference. As a child, I remember those Saturdays and Sundays felt very long. (There are 4 general sessions of the conference, each 2 hours long.) But I always liked the feeling of being with my family, gathered around our computer screen, watching together. I liked the "togetherness."

When I was in college, I would drive 2 hours to get to my grandpa's house and watch conference with him. Grandpa was my hero in every sense of the word. He was handsome and tall and strong (even at 80+ years old). He was independent and a hard worker. He was intelligent and inquisitive and liked reading and solving brain teasers and word problems--and even at 80+ you could find him sitting in his chair solving problems out of a calculus book to "keep his brain sharp." He complained about the multiplying feral cats that ran wild outside his house, but would go put out pans of milk and scraps for them (the old softy). He was the best storyteller and teacher I've ever met. He was never preachy. He asked questions and told stories and talked to you like you mattered. But he loved his family with a strong, enduring love. And he had a strong, enduring testimony of Jesus Christ and lived his life according to the principles and standards taught by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

It was sitting in his creaky old house, watching General Conference with grandpa, that I realized for the first time that watching 8 hours of conference no longer felt long to me. I cherished that time with him and loved the way he talked to me about the messages that were being shared. Now, this time of year especially, I really, really miss him. And more than anything, I am so happy to know that death was not the end for him and it will not be the end for any of us.

-Elin
Who did not inherit her grandpa's ability to make sense of calculus...

One of the things that helps strengthen my already existent belief in life after death is hearing the words of others who believe the same--like this:

(You can read the full message here.)

Parents in absentia

Imagine that you are a child, let's say preteen, and your parents are going to be away for awhile. Let's also say your parents are as perfect as possible, for the sake of this scenario, and therefore love you perfectly. You have some contact with your parents via radio or phone, something of that nature. No visual, though. And for whatever reason (but it's your fault), the device you are using to talk to your parents isn't functioning properly; they hear everything you say to them, but you only occasionally here what they say, and it is generally fuzzy and difficult to understand. What would perfect, loving parents do in a situation like this in order to insure that you are safe, doing what you should, and getting what you need?

Awhile back, during my normal scripture study, I decided to look for evidences of Heavenly Father's love for me. I wasn't looking up scriptures with the word love or something similar included, but rather reading straight through the scriptures and trying to identify examples of His love. I was reading in The Book of Mormon and came upon an example immediately, in 2 Nephi 6:2-4.

In these verses I identified three ways that God shows His love for me (and all His children):

1. He calls and ordains to His holy order people who teach me many things and are concerned for the welfare of my soul;
2. He exhorts, or encourages, me towards doing what's right through those people;
3. He teaches me truth about what is and is to come, through those He called.

Now returning to our imaginative scenario and the question posed: what would the parents do? Isn't the answer the same thing that I found in the scriptures? They would find reliable people and give them the authority to act on their behalf in your best interest; through those people they would encourage you to do what is right; and they would clarify what is right by teaching truth about what is and what is to come.

I know that God loves me. One proof is that He has called prophets and apostles, both ancient and modern, in order to communicate to me what He wants for me. This Saturday and Sunday I will witness again His love for me as I listen to those prophets and apostles speak His will.

Forrest
--who is glad his football team is playing on Friday this week

Learning From Each Other

This evening, I am going to watch the General Women's Meeting for our church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is a meeting where women all over the world can gather and watch and listen to the leaders of the women's and children's organizations of our Church, as well as a member of the First Presidency of the Church give inspiring, Christ-centered messages and counsel. 

A couple of years ago, as I was listening to the messages shared at one of these meetings, I was particularly struck by the words of Linda S. Reeves. She told the story of a time in her life when her husband was diagnosed with a rare disease that she believed was killing her husband. This is how she described her feelings:

"We had a large, young family and a loving, eternal marriage, and the thought of losing my husband and raising my children by myself filled me with loneliness, despair, and even anger. I am ashamed to say that I pulled away from my Heavenly Father. For days I quit praying; I quit planning; I cried. I finally came to the realization that I could not do this alone.

For the first time in many days, I knelt down and poured out my heart to my Father in Heaven, pleading for forgiveness for turning away from Him, telling Him all of my deepest feelings, and finally crying out that if this was what He really wanted me to do, I would do it. I knew He must have a plan for our lives.

As I continued on my knees to pour out my heart, the sweetest, most peaceful, loving feeling came over me. It was as if a blanket of love was flowing over me. It was as if I could feel Heavenly Father saying, “That was all I needed to know.” I determined never to turn away from Him again. Gradually and amazingly, my husband began to get better until he made a full recovery.

I was floored when I heard her message, because it came at a time when I was going through the beginnings of a  similar experience--and her words were a great strength and comfort to me. I felt like the message was specifically for me and was amazed that it came into my life when it did. It gave me hope.

Sister Reeves continues the story by saying:

Years later my husband and I knelt by the side of our 17-year-old daughter and pleaded for her life. This time the answer was no, but that same feeling of love and peace that our Savior has promised was just as powerful, and we knew that even though Heavenly Father was calling her back home, everything would be all right. We have come to know what it means to cast our burdens upon the Lord, to know that He loves us and feels compassion for us in our sorrows and pain."

"Whatever sin or weakness or pain or struggle or trial you are going through, He knows and understands those very moments. He loves you! And He will carry you through those moments, just as He did Mary and Martha (See John 11). He has paid the price that He might know how to succor you. Cast your burdens upon Him. Tell your Heavenly Father how you feel. Tell Him about your pain and afflictions and then give them to Him. Search the scriptures daily. There you will also find great solace and help." The Lord Has Not Forgotten You

I have never lost a child, but I can only imagine the suffering I would feel if I did. And Sister Reeve's account of losing her daughter is one of the most humbling stories I have ever heard. I could relate to her first experience in a very specific real way. I could not relate to her second experience--but hearing it, makes me want to be the kind of person who can rely on the Lord the way she did when faced with such a heart-wrenching experience.

I am grateful for these opportunities to gather and be uplifted and to hear words matter to me in my life and that make me want to be a better, stronger, kinder person. I know that anyone who tunes in and listens to these messages can hear something specifically for them and be strengthened by it. That is how our Heavenly Father speaks to us sometimes: through other imperfect people who work and struggle and wonder themselves, but have found peace and strength in Him.

So tune in here and Enjoy!

Elin
-who still has so much to learn

“And [Jesus Christ] shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

“And he will take upon him … their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, … that he may know … how to succor his people according to their infirmities.” Alma 7:11-12

Coming Unto Ourselves and Living Prophets

Between my freshman year of college and serving my LDS (Mormon) mission I worked for a metal recycling company, where I mostly cut scrap metal into recyclable sizes. One day I was asked to drive to a nearby town to get some needed supplies, a trip of about 40 miles. For whatever reason I was extremely drowsy, to the point of nodding off a couple times behind the wheel. That is, I was drowsy until I woke up and realized I had somehow made it through a couple lights and a 90 degree turn with no recollection of having driven that stretch. The fear in that realization shot enough adrenaline through my system that all traces of drowsiness were gone. I was fortunate that an off-road experience wasn't what chased the drowsiness away.

The parable of the Prodigal Son is a well-known and well-beloved story of repentance and forgiveness, and recently one verse in particular has caught my attention:

Luke 15:17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

The key words for me in this verse are "he came to himself." The Prodigal had been feeding the pigs when he caught himself being envious of the pigs and the food they had. That was a wake-up call, a moment of realization. The Prodigal had essentially hit rock bottom, and he knew it. What is unfortunate is that he had to reach that point before he realized the error of his ways (see verses 12-13).

I believe that a loving God wants us to come unto ourselves, and that He doesn't require us to hit rock bottom before we do. He gives reminders and promptings and nudging through any means He can. One of the ways He does this is through modern-day prophets and apostles, one of whom spoke on this same topic a few years ago during a General Conference of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In two weeks, October 4-5, living prophets and apostles will be giving all who listen an opportunity to come unto themselves by hearing the will of the Lord. I plan on hearing everything they say with an open heart and ready to act on their words, so that I can come unto myself more fully.

Forrest
Who now only nods off during work meetings...