Some Personal Reminders

It's been a miserably long week over here.  Lots of tears and just lots of lost hope...but I'm happy to say that I've been rejuvenated by a wonderful Stake Conference.  Particularly the Adult Session that Ryan and I were able to attend.  

A woman I admire very much, was the first speaker.  Sister Joy Sorensen.  Love her to pieces!!!  She spoke on Testimonies.  She stated that our testimonies should included these five basic principals:  That God Lives, and Jesus is our elder brother.  That Joseph Smith restored the gospel, and the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and that we sustain our prophet, President Thomas S. Monson.  Testimonies can begin in Primary...even young children can have these simple testimonies!

She invited us to read Joseph Smith's Testimony (link HERE).

A quote that I jotted down was a gentle reminder:

Our testimony of gospel truth should be reflected both in our words and in our deeds. And our testimonies are proclaimed and lived most powerfully in our own homes. Spouses, parents, and children should strive to overcome any hesitancy, reluctance, or embarrassment about bearing testimony. We should both create and look for opportunities to bear testimony of gospel truths—and live them.

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Sister Sorensen also shared these words with us, also from Elder Bednar:

Testimony is personal knowledge, based upon the witness of the Holy Ghost, that certain facts of eternal significance are true. The Holy Ghost is the messenger for the Father and the Son and the teacher of and guide to all truth (see John 14:26; 16:13). Thus, “by the power of the Holy Ghost [we] may know the truth of all things” (Moroni 10:5).

The knowledge and spiritual conviction we receive from the Holy Ghost are the result of revelation. Seeking for and obtaining these blessings require a sincere heart, real intent, and faith in Christ (see Moroni 10:4). A personal testimony also brings responsibility and accountability.

Parents should be vigilant and spiritually attentive to spontaneously occurring opportunities to bear testimony to their children. Such occasions need not be programmed, scheduled, or scripted. In fact, the less regimented such testimony sharing is, the greater the likelihood for edification and lasting impact. “Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man” (D&C 84:85).

For example, a naturally occurring family conversation at dinner may be the perfect setting for a parent to recount and testify of specific blessings he or she received during the course of relatively routine activities that day. And a testimony need not always begin with the phrase “I bear you my testimony.” Our witness can be declared as simply as “I know I was blessed with inspiration at work today” or “The truth in this scripture always has been a powerful source of direction for me.” Similar opportunities to bear testimony also can arise while traveling together in a car or bus or in a multitude of other settings.

I loved her challenge for us to bear our testimonies "at all times".

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Next we heard from Brother Radford.  While I don't know this man personally, he shared a message that I needed to hear.  Desperately.

He started with the below story (you can read Elder Uchtdorf's talk by clicking on the story below).

A story is told that during the bombing of a city in World War II, a large statue of Jesus Christ was severely damaged. When the townspeople found the statue among the rubble, they mourned because it had been a beloved symbol of their faith and of God’s presence in their lives.

Experts were able to repair most of the statue, but its hands had been damaged so severely that they could not be restored. Some suggested that they hire a sculptor to make new hands, but others wanted to leave it as it was—a permanent reminder of the tragedy of war. Ultimately, the statue remained without hands. However, the people of the city added on the base of the statue of Jesus Christ a sign with these words: “You are my hands.”

{Love is the only appropriate way to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ.}

He encouraged us to be unselfish in our teachings and learnings, "It's not about YOU"...as he gave us this council:

AS THE STUDENT (to get the most out of learning)
 - Be there an be attentive.  If we have no more to learn and are perfect, then by all means, enjoy the hallway time during class.
 - Turn off the technology.  Obviously.  Technology is a wonderful thing, but there's something to be said about holding the Scriptures in your hands and delicately and reverently turning their pages.
 - Prepare and be teachable and be humble.  Enter the classroom with an open mind and an open heart.
 - Listen with your ears, and listen with your heart.

AS THE TEACHER (I also applied this to being a teacher to my children)
 - Teach true and key doctrine.  It's futile to show how smart you are by give the most obscure references to prove a point.  Even Christ taught in simple terms.
 - Invite to action.  Invite the learner to make a change, or challenge them to do something as simple as applying the principle being taught.
 - Promise Blessings.  Promise that if they act on the teachings they received, that they will receive blessings!

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A member of our Stake Presidency, President Hatch, spoke on a topic that is dear to my heart, and just brought me such happiness.  He talked about gardening.  Yup!  Growing a garden.  I am by no means a good gardener, but do enjoy thing simple things that happen when a garden grows before your eyes.

{Gardening is a connection with the Earth and a connection with God.  It is WORK.  And there is something for every member of the family when growing a garden.  While growing a garden, it is simple to reinforce the principles of the gospel...}

 - From a small seed, great plants grow.
 - Seeds will grow differently in rocky/sandy/dry/overly wet soil.
 - How do we nurture a seed?  How can we compare that to the gospel?
 - Tasting of the fruits of your labors; something we work hard for and they taste delicious!
 - Law of the Harvest:  Sow what you reap (goals)
 - Becoming more self reliant!

{These are some of the blessings that come from planning, planting and working in a garden with our families.}

There is responsibility that can be given to EACH MEMBER, no matter their age!  We were also encouraged to share the work and the harvest with others.

I cannot wait to sow these seeds!  We can literally start planing our garden in 4 months in starter cups, then we'll transplant them and watch miracles happen!  Of course, with lots of hard work.  :)

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Our sweet Stake President, President Christensen, also shared a message that was "just for me".  He began by asking us WHY we remember the bad that people have done, instead of the good...and brought examples to light, of Zeezrom, Amuleck and Alma in the Book of Mormon.  They were hellions, at best, but they repented and brought many to the Gospel.  (Alma 15:4-14)

{When we fail to forgive, we are denying the Atonement of Christ!  It's as if we were to drink poison and then hope for 'them' to die!}

We I need to remember the good that people do, not the bad.

Think of Paul the Apostle, Alma the Younger.  Joseph of Egypt and his situation (Genesis 50:15).  Think of Nephi and his brothers!  Think of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables and poor Jean Valjean who was a thief, but then changed his life to become a great man...

{Matthew Chapter 7:4-5} 

 4 And again, ye shall say unto them, Why is it that thoubeholdest the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

 5 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and canst not behold a beam in thine own eye?

Pollyanna had a locket given to her by her late preacher father, and in it was a quote by Abraham Lincoln:  "If you look for the bad in a person, you will always find it."  She changed her entire town's outlook on life and each other by being the good, and helping them see the good in each other.

It's time we start doing that in our own little family.  :)

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After being spiritually fed a feast, we make a quick run to Kiwi Loco and got dessert - deal of the day was to guess the weight of your purchase and get it free...and wouldn't you know it?  I guessed the weight of Ryan's frozen yogurt spot on at 10.2 ounces, so our date cost only half as much!!!

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The boys did fairly well during the Sunday Session...but I didn't take notes, and didn't even jot anything down when I got home.  Too busy helping them to be reverent and then getting lunch in their tummies so we could all have a long awaited nap!

In hind sight, the things that stuck with me most about the Sunday Session, was our Stake President's talk on keeping an {Attitude of Gratitude}.  Simple.  And True.

President Hillam shared that his father with Lou Gherrigs Disease had lost his ability to speak, but on a recent drive, tapped him on the shoulder and very painfully and carefully said, "Some people will say, 'I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ, therefore', and others will say, 'I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ, however'."  Powerful.