Hope that comes from LOVE

Today we started another general conference challenge and the talk was the first one given was given by Elder Soares entitled,  How can I understand?  I remember distinctly how I felt as I listened to him speak and immediately receiving answers to some of my questions.  I  have an amazing family both extended and immediate and I love seeing them discover what they believe and what they want out of life. At times my heart also aches for blessings I see that they are missing in their life. The last few years and months I continue to be taught that the most important thing I can do is to LOVE them, exactly where they are and for exactly who they are.

As a mother, lately, each morning I think, "Today I am to LOVE all those within my path."  Doesn't that simplify things.  To be PRESENT and to SEE them.   My days have been very fulfilling when I think and act this way.

I wanted to share some insight,  that I have been taught by others and by the spirit.


This was shared with me from a dear friend about their daughter. I loved it and it puts into words what I have been taught.
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"As I have prayed about this, as I have prayed about you, as mom and I have talked and prayed about this, as I have gone to the temple and sought answers I have received very distinct and powerful revelation regarding you. The Lord has basically told me - Look as Your child was growing I have given you, over the years, great insight into her true nature and character.

I have given you glimpses of her greatness and majesty.

You have great belief and confidence in her.

However, if you allow yourself to overly worry and agonize about her salvation those are wasted energies and it is something that does not come from me.

That type of worry is in direct conflict with the belief and confidence I have helped you to gain. Satan will try to use those wasted energies to build judgment, strain, and conflict in your family
instead of acceptance, love, and harmony.

If you trust her to run her life then you should also trust her to work out her own salvation with
me.

Remember, she is my child before she was your child. Don’t ask me to help you with your child. Instead, ask how you can help me with my child. You love her with all you have, and yet I love her more than you are even capable."
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Isn't that so beautiful! I trust my Heavenly Father, Heavenly Mother and Savior so much. It gives me hope to have the knowledge that they LOVE my children and family even more than me. And especially more perfectly than I ever can love.

Recently, while praying for guidance for my family, I received this:

Heavenly Father has taught me that HIS time is not the same as mine. And even if it has been years that my loved ones have chosen to forsake their faith, in HIS time it is only a few minutes.

He has taught me that this life is a very small part of eternity and that my job is to stay true to my covenants. And to do all I can to be obedient and keep those covenants. And then LOVE my family exactly where they are. Because that is how I will become whom the Lord needs me to be.
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Elder Soares said this last conference:


Maybe some of you are at this exact moment asking yourselves, “Elder Soares, I have been doing all these things and have been following this model both individually and as a family, but unfortunately, some of my friends or dear ones have distanced themselves from the Lord. What should I do?”

For those of you who are right now experiencing these feelings of sadness, agony, and maybe regret, please know that they are not totally lost because the Lord knows where they are and is watching over them. Remember, they are His children too!

It is hard to understand all the reasons why some people take another path. The best we can do in these circumstances is just to love and embrace them, pray for their well-being, and seek for the Lord’s help to know what to do and say. Sincerely rejoice with them in their successes; be their friends and look for the good in them. We should never give up on them but preserve our relationships. Never reject or misjudge them. Just love them!

The parable of the prodigal son teaches us that when children come to themselves, they often desire to come home. If that happens with your dear ones, fill your hearts with compassion, run to them, fall on their neck, and kiss them, like the father of the prodigal son did.

Ultimately, keep living a worthy life, be a good example to them of what you believe, and draw closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ. He knows and understands our deep sorrows and pains, and He will bless your efforts and dedication to your dear ones if not in this life, in the next life.

Remember, brothers and sisters, always that hope is an important part of the gospel plan."
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HOPE is essential in this beautiful, crazy life we are blessed to experience.

This is the last thing I wanted to share today.

Elder Eyring from April 2019 conference:

“You will find some of your greatest joys in your efforts to make your home a place of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and a place that is permeated with love, the pure love of Christ. The Restoration of the gospel started with a humble question pondered in a humble home, and it can continue in each of our homes as we continue to establish and practice gospel principles there. This has been my hope and my deepest desire since I was a little boy. You have all had glimpses of such homes. Many of you have, with the Lord’s help, created them.

Some have tried with full heart for that blessing, yet it has not been granted. My promise to you is one that a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles once made to me. I had said to him that because of choices some in our extended family had made, I doubted that we could be together in the world to come. He said, as well as I can remember, “You are worrying about the wrong problem. You just live worthy of the celestial kingdom, and the family arrangements will be more wonderful than you can imagine.”

I believe that he would extend that happy hope to any of us in mortality who have done all we can to qualify ourselves and our family members for eternal life. I know that Heavenly Father’s plan is a plan of happiness. I testify that His plan makes it possible for each of us who has done the best we can to be sealed in a family forever.

I know that the priesthood keys restored to Joseph Smith were passed on in an unbroken line to President Russell M. Nelson. Those keys make possible the sealing of families today. I know that Heavenly Father loves us, His spirit children, with a perfect love. I know that because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can repent, be cleansed, and become worthy to live in loving families forever with our Heavenly Father and with His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

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I share these with all the love in my heart. I am so grateful for modern day revelation that comes to our leaders and to us as well.

I know that as we love as the Lord does, hope comes naturally. HAve a happy day!

Reading the Book of Mormon

       It was interesting to watch my journey as I read the Book of Mormon as the prophet invited us in October to do.  In a nutshell, this was my experience:

• I began super motivated, was reading about 10-15 pages per day.  I had the Book of Mormon by me constantly, was feeling the sweet spirit it brings and doing great.  
• A few weeks into November, my girls had tonsillectomies and so my reading slowed.  I wasn't as consistent as I should of been, but I was doing it.
• I had a week in November that I visited my sister, and got to read quite a bit.  I didn't have any distractions, and I did great. 
• December was an up and down challenge.  I still read, but it wasn't every day and all of a sudden it was a few days before the end of the year and I had a hundred pages left.  These are some questions I asked myself, "How did I let this happen?" "Why can't I be more consistent?"  " How am I going to finish?"  "Even if I don't finish at least I tried."  and on and on.
• I knew that even if I didn't finish by December 31st, the Lord still loved me the same, that I wasn't a failure and that the most important thing was that I was doing it, even if I was inconsistent.  
• I wanted to finish, and as I have found, when I really want to do something when I include the Lord, I can accomplish it.  I finished reading on December 31st at about 10 am.  

     As I look back at my my experience, I realize, this is my life.  I am consistently not consistent.  But, I am trying.  And as Jeffrey R. Holland said, we get credit for trying, even when we don't succeed.
     My challenge in this life is how to make time for the essential things and to not get distracted.  What is amazing is that my Savior and Heavenly Parents are always there.  Always ready to assist me in this journey.
     I loved reading the Book of Mormon.  I loved feeling the spirit as I read.  I loved recognizing the difference in myself when I read and didn't read.   I loved learning over and over how important it was to keep the commandments and how we are blessed when we do.  I loved seeing that with God nothing shall be impossible.  I loved being reminded that I have experiences that I need to write down and that I need to do it.  I love reading of the Savior's visit to America.  I actually read it a little different and so I ended with 3 Nephi.  It was beautiful.
     I know that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Christ.  It talks of him on almost every page.  I know that as I read it, my relationship with Him grows closer and more intimate.  I know that it is true.
     I am grateful for the challenge President Nelson gave us.  I know it helped prepare me to be ready to start the Come Follow Me and it just helps me be the best me.  Because no matter if I remember everything I read, when I read the Book of Mormon, I can feel the spirit.  And that is the most important thing to have with me each and every day.  It is rewarding and motivating to know where to go to get that spirit back each day.  

Come Follow Me

        About in August 2018, I received a new calling, primary president in our ward.  I am humbled for this opportunity to serve.  It has been amazing to me these last few months, what the Lord is teaching me.  He is refining me in only the way he can.  I find it empowering when He shows me my weaknesses and teaches me how to make them strengths.
      I was so excited for the new "Come Follow Me" curriculum to come out, but when I received this calling, it became even more important to me.  We received a training within the Stake to answer questions we had.  And then on December 16,  we as a ward were going to have a training on the new curriculum.  I was invited to be a part of that.  To explain the program for primary, the changes, etc.  My biggest desire always is to do the will of the Lord.  I was excited to learn more.  But, I have to be honest and share that for a moment, I also got overwhelmed.  I needed to do the home and individual study, read the primary manual and understand it, finish the challenge to read the Book of Mormon and make sure I was fulfilling my calling, and most importantly, fulfilling my stewardship as a wife and mother, my most important calling.  One day I was feeling this and pondering, and the thought came.  "Breathe!"  "You are making this so much harder than it needs to be."  "Try it out."
       And so I did.  I took a few weeks to try the new "Come Follow Me" program.  And what I found is that it is a very simple program.  That anyone can do it.  That it is for the seasoned member and also the newest member.  I love how it presents a different way to study.  One that provides the opportunity to have conversations and discussions.  It has changed how I read and think about the scriptures.
      In Primary, we learn the articles of faith.  The 9th article of faith states, "We believe all that God has revealed, all that he does now reveal, and we believe that he will yet reveal, many great and important things pertaining to the kingdom of God."  We are witnessing this.  We are witnessing what the early Saints witnessed as continued revelation comes to our Prophet, so that we can become whom the Lord needs his church to be.  So that he will recognize us when he comes. 
         So, as I was preparing for the "Come Follow Me' presentation, my heart was drawn out in prayer.  I wanted to express what my father wanted me to say.  I had studied the program and was finalizing what I was going to share and then one night, the week before, I had a dream.  In this dream, I was back in high school and it was track season.  I was at a track meet, I was dressed in my uniform, getting ready for a race.  I got distracted for a moment and all of a sudden realized, My race was starting and I wasn't there.  The starter was saying, "on your mark..."  I grabbed my spikes, trying to put them on as I ran, thinking "I've missed it."  As I got closer, I noticed that the started had paused to allow me to join the race, and I did.  And that was my dream.  I have a lot of track dreams :), this is the first time that I asked what it meant.  As I pondered this, this is what I received. 
       Natalie, this race is important.  I need you in this race.  You are going to get distracted, I need you to try not to get distracted.  But, no matter when you join the race, I will be waiting for you.  You can always join the race.  I am ALWAYS with you, watching for you.
       As I have studied, I realize that the Lord just wants me in the scriptures every day.  No matter how much or how little.  He wants me to be consistent, but knows also that it is easy to get distracted from the essential things. 
       My family and friends, as we do this program, it will not be perfect.  We are going to have weeks we do awesome and other week not so much.  And that is okay.  The important thing is that we are trying.  What works for one may not work for another.  We can assist each other and sharing what works.  But no matter what, never give up.  Keep trying, we will succeed.
      I am learning that the Lord wants time with me, with us.  He wants to abide with us as we go on this journey in mortality.  We live in a joyous and glorious time of revelation.  I am grateful to be apart of this history.  I know that President Russell M Nelson, is God's prophet in these latter days.  I look forward to following him as he reveals that will of our Father.

Side note:  It is now January and the program has begun.  We were out of town when we were supposed to begin and the first week in January was crazy, but isn't every week.  Finally, on Saturday, we sat down with those that were home, about 1/2 our family and discussed the parable of the sower.  It was great.  I am learning that a coloring page about what we are learning helps my family be focused and more quiet.  And they like it.  Could I be upset with myself for only doing one day, absolutely.  Could it have been better? Absolutely.  But I am okay with our efforts.  It will get better, the important thing is we are in the race. 

Alma 36 - The POWER of Christs' name

I have been studying conference talks from the October 2018 general conference each day along with my Book of Mormon reading.  I love when they testify of each other.  Today as I was reading of Alma the younger, testifying to his son Helaman about his experience of being born of god, he shares that after he saw an angel, he could not move.  For three days and three nights he says,"I was racked, even with the pains of a damned soul."

17 And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.

18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart:  

O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.

19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.

20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!

21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.

There is power in Christ's name.  Alma remembered what he was taught, and chose to reach out and ask for mercy, and as he THOUGHT this, he could remember his pains no more.  This is how merciful and forgiving our Savior is and the power that comes by just thinking or saying his name.  

"The Savior's name has singular and essential power.  It is the only name by which salvation is possible." April 2018 Ensign, page 44

And then this on page 99 of the April Ensign from Elder Robert C. Gay.

One of my favorite scriptures is John 4:4, which reads, “And he must needs go through Samaria.”

"Why do I love that scripture? Because Jesus did not need to go to Samaria. The Jews of His day despised the Samaritans and traveled a road around Samaria. But Jesus chose to go there to declare before all the world for the first time that He was the promised Messiah. For this message, He chose not only an outcast group but also a woman—and not just any woman but a woman living in sin—someone considered at that time to be the least of the least. I believe Jesus did this so that each of us may always understand that His love is greater than our fears, our wounds, our addictions, our doubts, our temptations, our sins, our broken families, our depression and anxieties, our chronic illness, our poverty, our abuse, our despair, and our loneliness.  He wants all to know there is nothing and no one He is unable to heal and deliver to enduring joy.

His grace is sufficient.  He alone descended below all things. The power of His Atonement is the power to overcome any burden in our life. The message of the woman at the well is that He knows our life situations and that we can always walk with Him no matter where we stand. To her and to each of us, He says, “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but [shall have] a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

In any of life’s travels, why would you ever turn away from the only Savior who has all power to heal and deliver you? Whatever the price you must pay to trust Him is worth it. My brothers and sisters, let us choose to increase our faith in Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

My mission in this life, is to remember this as I strive to come unto Him.  The adversary loves to discourage and help others' lose all hope.  I have the opportunity each and everyday to share this truth, to believe this truth and to teach this truth.  I have felt this instant healing as I have allowed Him to take what He has already taken.  It is beautiful and so JOYFUL. 

Elder Gay continues, "My prayer is that we will faithfully take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ -- by seeing as He sees, by serving as He served, and by trusting that His grace is sufficient to deliver us home and to enduring joy."

He is so willing to replace our troubles and heart aches with JOY.  We just need to reach out to him.  It is as simple as that, just as Alma thought His name, he was healed.  The adversary wants us to believe that we are not worthy to speak His name, but that is a lie.  We can always rely on Him, forever, for always, no matter what.

Questions are good

As I read the scriptures, questions often come to mind.  Why did they say it that way?  Do they mean this or something else?

Let me give you an example.  In Ether, the brother of Jared has such great faith that when he sees the finger of the Lord, that the Lord shows himself to him.  And then Christ tells him who he exactly is.  So that there is no question. It is a beautiful account of his calling and election made sure.

In Ether 3:17, it states:

"And now, as I Moroni, said I could not make a full account of these things which are written, that Jesus showed himself unto this man in the spirit, even after the manner and in the likeness of the same body even as he showed himself unto the Nephites."

I am going to share my thought process. This is what goes on in my head, at least what did when I read this the other day. :)

If he saw him in the likeness of the same body as the Nephites, does that mean he was a resurrected being.   Oh wait it says, unto this man in the spirit.  Okay so what does that mean?  Thinking..... my thoughts go everywhere

 So, this is like 1400 years before Christs birth.  But he appeared to Him in the likeness of the same body as the Nephites.  That would mean that his spirit was as a grown man.  I wonder if anyone has any insights about this.

Now there is an amazing App, my dear friend Karie shared with me.  It is called the citation index.    It has the scriptures on it and you can click on a scripture and it will share any talks that have referenced it.  So, I did that and this is what came up.

Two talks came up from Joseph F. Smith and Orson Pratt.  This is what I learned.  That Christ has testified and taught while in the spirit.  I knew this, it made sense, but these witnesses added to my testimony.   That when Christ was in the tomb he went to the spirit world and taught all that had not heard the gospel.  Orson Pratt had some good insights as well.  He talked about how our spirits were in a mature state and that they conform to the size of an infant.  When we are first born,  our spirits need to be housed in a body that we will need to grow into.  But, our spirits are full grown.  But, because of the veil, we begin as infants.  Does that make sense?  He said it more clear. 

There is so much more, but in a nutshell, that is what I learned.
And it rang true to me.

My purpose in this post, is to say, QUESTIONS ARE GOOD.  They get you thinking and pondering and searching.  And when I do that I receive clarity.  I have read that scripture many times before, but this time I have a deeper understanding.

This is the talk from Orson Pratt

Revelation on the Judgments of the Lord—Firstfruits of the Resurrection—What Becometh of the Souls of Men—Redemption Universal.

Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the First Ward Schoolhouse, Sunday Afternoon, Dec. 28, 1873.

Here is an excerpt:

Here was the redemption of a man restored back again into the presence of the Lord while yet in the flesh; he saw with his eyes what he had before seen by faith. Then the Lord said—“Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name. Ether 3:14Behold, this body, which you now see, is the body of my spirit; and all men in the beginning have I created after the body of my spirit.” Ether 3:16 Notice now, they were created after the same form and fashion, and no doubt attain by growth to similar dimensions as the body of his spirit, without flesh and bones. The expression is, “All men in the beginning” Ether 3:16you were there, all this creation were there; all the inhabitants of the earth who now live, all that have lived, and all that will live in times to come, were all created after the body of his spirit in the beginning before this world was made. 

When all these spirits were sent forth from the eternal worlds, they were, no doubt, not infants; but when they entered the infant tabernacle, they were under the necessity, the same as our Lord and Savior, of being compressed, or diminished in size so that their spirits could be enclosed in infant tabernacles. If their bodies die in infancy, do their spirits remain infants in stature between death and the resurrection of 
the body? I think not. Why not? Because the redemption must restore everything to its natural order. Alma 41:2,4 If they were of the size and stature of manhood or womanhood before they entered into the tabernacle would the redemption be complete, when they came out of that tabernacle, unless they were restored to their former dimensions? I think not; there would not be a full restoration, and consequently, there would seem to be an imperfection in the plan. There are some of our brethren and sisters, perhaps, who are very anxious to see their little children after they depart this life. The Lord sometimes gives them a vision of their departed little ones, not of their spirits, but as they will appear in the morning of the resurrection, in order that they may know and recognize them. But supposing that he should show them the spirits of their little children as they are after leaving their infant tabernacles, would they be satisfied? I think not. Why? Because I think they would not recognize them, for I am of the opinion that the spirits of children who die here regain their former dimensions of manhood or womanhood, and hence if you were to see them you would perhaps be disappointed. But by and by the resurrection will come, then these full grown spirits, who have died in infancy here, will again enter into the infant tabernacle, and they will come forth as infants, as they were at the time they laid down their bodies; then their parents will have no difficulty in recognizing them. 

There is quite an anxiety at the present time, about one thing, connected with the resurrection, and that is, will those spirits, whose bodies died here in infancy, when reunited with their infant bodies, remain of that stature through all the ages of eternity? There is a sermon of the Prophet Joseph Smith, reported by longhand reporters, in which it is stated that resurrected infants will forever remain infants. But I doubt very much in my own mind if those who reported that sermon got the full idea on this subject; and if they did, I very much doubt whether the Prophet Joseph, at the time he preached that sermon, had been fully instructed by revelation on that point, for the Lord has revealed a great many things to Prophets and revelators, and among them to Joseph Smith, the fullness of which is not at first given. For instance, in baptism for the dead, in Joseph's day women were baptized for men, and men for women as well as for men. The Lord had at first revealed a few things to him, showing that baptism for the dead was a true principle, without giving him all the particulars at once. But he continued to enquire of the Lord, and he received more and more in regard to this principle. So in regard to the resurrection, there may have been many things revealed to him that were true, and others upon which, without having revelation, he would draw his own conclusions, until it should please the Lord to give further revelation. There is no revelation given that gives us a full knowledge upon that point—but I will give you my reasons, merely as reasons, to show that they who die here in infancy will grow up to the full stature of manhood or womanhood, after the resurrection. I do not say that it is so, but my reasons for believing that they do are these: How could they be restored completely to all that perfection of manhood and have a perfect tabernacle, adapted to the dimensions of the spirit 
as it existed, before it came here, unless their bodies should grow up from a state of infancy, and be sufficiently enlarged to become a perfect house for the fullgrown spirit, whether man or woman? I have heard, whether it be true or not I do not know, that before Joseph was martyred, he had obtained further light and information on this subject, to the effect that there would be a growth after the resurrection. How this may be I do not know, and it does not particularly matter; still it is something that we have the right and the privilege of reflecting upon, for there is no harm for any man or woman letting the mind expand to lay hold upon all that God has revealed, and to ponder upon it, as the ancient children of God did. Nephi says—“I ponder upon the things of God continually which he has revealed unto me,” 2 Ne. 4:16 and there is no harm for us to do the same. We should not get into that old sectarian notion, that we have no right to know anything about this, that or the other, and that we must not pry into this, that or the other. That is an old sectarian notion, which we have fought against all the day long, and we do not want it to creep into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the privilege of its members to let their minds expand, and to ponder upon the things of God, and to enquire of him, and by and by, when we have prepared ourselves by getting all the knowledge we possibly can from that which is written, God will give us more.

 

And they clapped their hands for JOY!

     In Mosiah, when Alma is converted as he listens and believes to the teachings of Abinadi, he continues to teach, in private, all those that believe.  He teaches about baptism and says in Mosiah 18: 10-11:

10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?

11 And now when the people had heard these words, they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts.

     I love this!  I have experienced this kind of JOY in my life and have also witnessed others experience this joy.  

     When I was serving a mission in Milan, Italy, we met a girl named Stefania.  She had a boyfriend that was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  She knew there was something "different" about him.  When she learned about the priesthood, she knew that was what set him apart from other young men his age.  When I was transferred to the area, she was already being taught the discussions.  She was a joy to be with, as she discovered who she had always been, a daughter of God.  

     The day of her baptism was beautiful.  After she was baptized, I was with her in the restroom and her face just radiated JOY.  She couldn't stop smiling.  She said, I just want to shout for JOY.  I said, then let's do it.  So, we jumped up and down and shouted  in pure joy.  She had just been baptized a member of Christ's church on the earth in the latter-days.  Her soul was rejoicing and her physical body did the same.  A physical way of expressing the feelings of her spirit.  It was an incredible thing to witness.  

     As I read these words in Mosiah, I knew exactly how they felt.  When I was deciding whether or not to serve a mission, I had an experience where receiving my "answer" gave me immense joy.  The short version, is I had fasted and prayed whether or not I should serve a mission, and a "voice came to my mind" fast Sunday after church as I was addressing an envelope and said, "I let you know..... I want you to go."  At that moment, tears came to my eyes and a huge smile.  There is something about knowing the "will of the Father" for you that brings immense peace and joy.

     I went the next Tuesday to talk to my bishop and as I was walking home ( I lived in Rexburg, Idaho) I was smiling so big and I felt like I might burst.  I felt as if I was walking on air.  

In Doctrine & Covenants 19 verse 16 it states, 

16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!

      My sweet husband shared an explanation of this scripture that touched my soul and expanded my understanding.  He shared that on our missionhere on earth,  this scripture is first speaking about that "one soul" as us individually.  When we are converted our joy is full.  And then as we help bring others to the gospel, that joy increases tenfold.  

     President Nelson said, "Anytime you do anything that helps anyone -- on wither side of the veil --take a step toward making covenants with God and receiving their essential baptismal and temple ordinances, you are helping to gather Israel.

     I share this because when we do this, we experience JOY.  A few years ago I was at the temple receiving an endowment on behalf of a woman named Anne.  I was on the very front row, in the Jordan River Temple, of the session room.  I seriously had the biggest smile on my face.  So big that my cheeks began to ache.  I was very alert and just grinned and grinned the entire session.  Every time the ordinance worker would look my way he would smile, my smile was contagious.  About half way through the session, I had this thought, "Am I feeling this joy, because this is how she feels?"  I received a confirmation that that was the case.  That feeling lasted for about 4 days.  I was JOYOUS!  

    On the Sunday following,  I was leading a song in Relief Society, grinning big again and my daughter said someone leaned toward her and said, "Your mom is so happy."  She said, "Yeah, she had a special temple experience this week."

     This is what the gospel of Jesus Christ brings.  Pure JOY.  I wish that I could say that the majority of time I feel this.  But, that is not the case.  And that is okay.  2 Nephi 2:11 states:  For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

     I am so grateful for each of these experiences.  For the privilege to feel pain as well as joy.  I know that this JOY only comes through the power of Jesus Christ. What a beautiful gift to have the privilege to come to know Him and to feel of His love for us.  I know He lives.  I love Him.  

The importance of leading by example

This last week I have read about King Benjamin and also King Noah. Two completely opposite leaders in the Book of Mormon.

King Benjamin loved those whom he served. He thought of their welfare and how he could serve. he knew that as he served them, he was serving God; and that was his biggest desire. He worked along side them. He took care of himself and others around him. He taught those around him of Jesus Christ and of his atonement. He prayed for them and he listened to the spirit and taught then the will of Heavenly Father. He called them together, to the temple, to inspire and instruct them and to feed them spiritually. His love of God was evident by how he loved those he served.

King Noah was completely opposite. He chose to not follow the commandments. He was very selfish. He had everyone work and took part of their profits to live by. He did not teach the people to walk in the ways of the Lord or anything about Him. In fact, when Abinadi teaches them the people are honestly confused why he is saying that what they are doing is wrong.  They haven’t been taught what is right. His heart was hardened to righteous ways. He only cared for himself, which is evident when the Lamanites attack and he encourages those with him to leave their wives and children.

Does it matter how we lead ? Absolutely!  Does it matter how we serve? Absolutely!   Will we be held accountable for what we teach or do not teach those around us?  Absolutely!

That can be very overwhelming and can create guilt, and that is the plan of the adversary, to discourage and to make us feel less than. But, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ, we have the knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ. We have been given the gift of the Holy Ghost to assist us in this work here on the earth.  Each Sunday as we partake of the Sacrament, we have the opportunity to have Christ’s spirit with us. There is power in that. He knows we are not perfect and that we are trying our best to remember who we are and how to serve and to love those around us.

There is power when we remember that. I could think of the last 23 years as a mother, and it is really easy to see what I could have done better. And it is destructive to my spirit to go there. There is nothing I can change. Except my knowledge to see what worked and what didn’t work. And now to do a little better and be a little better. When I encourage myself this way, the spirit can be with me more to assist me in doing my Father’s will today.

I am grateful for the Book of Mormon and for the opportunity this week to read, study and ponder about the importance of how I lead. I am so grateful for our prophet in these latter-days, President Russell M. Nelson. He is like King Benjamin, a loving, joyful and righteous leader that shows his love for his Father and Savior, by loving those he serves. And challenging us to become whom the Lord needs us to be.