Life is better living the truths in the scriptures

Yikes, my last two posts were in September and January. I have not been consistent in writing since last year. This has been partly by choice and partly because of a lot of busy things going on this last year. Let's see where this post takes us (or me).

Ya, that's right. About a year ago I thought I was going to graduate, get a job and move. It turns out that I didn't graduate, got turned down for job interviews because of it and had no reason to move. There were a whole bunch of our friend who moved out of the ward at that time and we wanted to be a part of it. There was a mass exodus of friends that moved into this ward (branch at the time) and we wanted to ride the momentum and head out of here on a wave of excitement.

Heavenly Father has other plans for us. I actually think he has different plans for Angie, but I'll tell you the plans that I think He has for me.

I have learned to slow down a lot. Not all the way. But I am able to consciously slow down about all the things I think about and pack into my schedule. It turns out that the reason I'm so busy is because...drum roll, please...I fill up my schedule with stuff!

Man, how silly is that. I was so close to the problem I couldn't even see it. My stress levels have risen over the past several years and got to the point months ago that I thought I was going to pop. I'll just say that I was very tense, almost like I was in a fight or flight situation with every little thing in my life, every thing I thought about. There was no danger, just the perception that I had to accomplish a lot in a short time. The more I worked through, the more I pressed on to do more. Did I slow down to appreciate the accomplishments?

Nope. Big mistake.

Aren't I supposed to enjoy the journey and enjoy the accomplishments? Yes, yes, yes! But I didn't. I couldn't in that state of mind. I pushed to get done, thinking I'd feel better when my load was lighter.

One of the many scriptures that has brought me to this realization is 2 Ne 2:25, which says

25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

And, of course, my friend King Benjamin's wisdom in Mosiah 4:27, which teaches me that

27 ...it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength.

The Lord is blessing me through the truths in the scriptures and the whisperings of the Spirit. I have been practicing turning off my Go, Go, Go habit and playing more with my kids or actually sitting around and doing nothing. 

This week I read a nice article about productivity on LinkedIn by Ilya Pozin. It's really about unproductivity. Thing #1 hits the nail on the head - put less on the To Do list and get more things done. It's not about the amount of things you check off your "list", but what is actually accomplished. And I'm not even talking about work here. I'm talking about life in general. Life needs to be worth living and that means enjoying the journey as we were meant To Do by our Creator.

I'm becoming better off by living the truths in these scriptures.

Yes!

Wherever you are

This morning I was reading in Helaman 7:7-9 as part of this week's Sunday school lesson. This is the chapter when Nephi was praying on his tower and the wicked Nephites (Gadianton's robbers) gathered around to hear him pray. Kind of a funny scene in my mind, but it set some awesome events in motion over the next few chapters and lots of people get converted.

Anyway, these verses have an attitude that will bless any person in whatsoever circumstances they find themselves in life. This might be the place they live, the job they have, hard things to deal with, or anything else that's hard to handle.

Nephi was having a hard time with the wickedness that his people had fallen into. In verse 7, Nephi wishes that he had lived centuries before when the Nephites were "easy to be entreated" and "were quick to hearken to the words of the Lord." What a great time that would have been!

However, Nephi is quick to say next that he knows he has been called to live in his own time. This is the part that caught my attention. It reminds me that the Lord has put me here on earth and given me the life that I have. There are some things that I wish I could change about my circumstances. But this verse teaches me that life isn't meant to be a breeze and that I need to learn from the difficult things. In fact, it is actually those hard things that give me cause to remember the gospel, our Savior, repentance and being the best husband and father I can possibly be. At Judgment Day, it won't really matter that my kids grump before school or stay awake past bedtime. I will be judged for my actions and desires.

I love the gospel and the blessings that come to me and my family for living it. Blessed be the name of the Lord. His plan of salvation is so amazing! :)

Humble pie

Today's Sunday school lesson was awesome. It was Alma 5-7, some of the most awesome chapters for self-reflection and self-analysis in light of gospel living in all scripture. They are powerful. Mega. Giga. Tera. Peta. (I'll stop there with the metric stuff.) It was a big lesson with very inspiring material.

I'll get right to the stuff that hit me the most. And I say this with the realization that I haven't been blogging so much about how stressed out I've been. Yes, I've missed some posts lately (I wrote one out of four weeks this past month). That was part of me realizing how much I am trying to do at once and figuring out what I need to let go of. There are so many cool things I want to do and work on. It's easy to come up with new ideas to work on, especially games to design. But I have to say no to new things plus I need to let go of some old and current things.

I'm still not around to Alma's point in today's lesson. Hold on a second. It's really good.

One friend of mine has taught me that I, on an energetic level, need more space. He describes the stress I hold in my neck as feeling pressured and I know I need to make more room for what really matters. At first that meant I could shuffle around how much time I spent on scripture study and give myself more to family time, but that didn't do it. I started saying no to things on my plate, like game development. It's too much right now with my work load and thinking about jobs.

I started telling myself that I'll not work on some things until after I move and settle in. It has helped. It really has. I'm past the stage of relying on the arm of flesh. There's no way I can keep up the load I put on myself so I thought I had given up my desires and was putting the Lord's will before my own. Until today's lesson.

The root of what's getting me is a twist on some of my favorite scriptures. I counsel with the Lord in all I do. Or I think I do. Maybe I've been asking to not be stressed without giving up the lifestyle that brings it on. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart? Lean not unto thine own understanding? Check, check. Really?

No. I'm fooling myself. I can see through Alma's teachings today that envy and a lack of humility have clouded my judgment (there are many more lessons that can be learned from these chapters). It kinda makes me sorrowful that I have let this happen to me. Where did I go wrong? Little by little it happened. Time for change. Again.

Long story short: I gave up radio and TV in high school because I heard in seminary it would make life better. Cut out the junk and fill the holes with uplifting things. Result? Amazing things happened in every aspect of my life. I was the happiest person I knew.

Not today.

I'm working at getting it back though. Counseling with the Lord must be accompanied by the quiet time to reflect and ponder on what He is trying to tell me. A "Go, go, go" attitude crowds out the Spirit. Perhaps I have turned that into "Go, go, slow down slightly," but really need to be "Go, slow, chill!"

Any unexpected thing to do or think about really puts me over the edge. How can I be operating at safe levels when a child's mess or crying puts me into panic mode? Answer: I actually thought I was doing ok. How? I don't watch TV or listen to the radio, but "Go, go, go" has been just as (or more) detrimental. Still, I've been deceived.

This sorta seems like I'm being really critical of myself. That's not how I mean it to come across. But I want to be honest and acknowledge my position before God. It's humbling, but that's the point. My will plus my arm of flesh will fizzle out. God's power and guidance will take me places I would never be able to see or experience. I know that's true. If bearing my soul helps out someone else then it's all worth it.

Thank you, John, for teaching the lesson today. Thank you, Alma, wherever you are. Maybe you are reading this via some Angel app. Thank you to all the ancient American prophets who wrote their testimonies and speak to me as if from the dust. Thank you good friends who have listened patiently as I spout off my problems. Your advice, wisdom and counsel has been worth more than gold. I hope you get an extra snack time in heaven when ambrosia is served in the afternoon.

My eyes have been opened. My heart has felt a change. It is now up to me to cut out a quarter of what I try to do. It's really slowing me down in the long run. I want to have the constant companionship of the Spirit. I believe that can happen if I slow down. "Go, slow, chill!" And keep praying. Prayer is a friend that I can't give up.

Thanks for following me in this journey. If you've felt similar to how I feel and want to tell me or other readers about it, please feel free. :)

Mosiah 4:9 is one of my favorite scriptures. I don't think about it very often, but when it's quoted, I instantly remember the reference. The message is powerful and I just came across it in my Book of Mormon reading. I love its message. This scripture reads:

9 Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.

This scripture is true. I know that God, our Heavenly Father created all things through Jesus Christ. I know that when I pray, I am speaking to my Father in Heaven and that He knows all. It is a gift and a blessing to be able to approach Him in prayer and to ask for divine wisdom. He knows and sees all. It is humbling to feel that I can communicate with my Creator and get direction for my life here on the earth.

And I'm learning the latter part of the scripture about how man cannot comprehend all the things that the Lord does. It seems like I have to keep reminding myself of that as I pursue many interests and take the next step along the path of my career. I'm following what I feel He has in store for me. Some choices are not the choices that I would make. Sometimes my opinion of what to pursue (such as where to live and the cost of living of such places) is not what the Lord has in store for my family. It has caused a lot of groanings in us to understand that He is in charge and knows all. He can see the whole path that we will trod and the blessings and pitfalls we will face if we trust Him or not.

I love the Lord and trust Him. I am grateful for the gift and promptings of the Holy Ghost. My life is rich. Not because I have attained blessings by my own wisdom or strength. Quite the opposite. It is when I give up my own opinions and ideas, and align myself with God's ways, that I am blessed with abundance.

What scripture(s) strengthen you?

Sharing the gospel, planting a seed

Each week at church, the brethren of the priesthood (ages 12 and above) meet together for announcements before going to our classes. During this short meeting, each quorum and group reports and announces their own business and events. Part of the time is also given to the full-time missionaries serving in our ward. They remind us of our responsibility to share the gospel and I love the saying, "every member a missionary". I try to make the sharing of the gospel a part of my life by speaking to people around me about my beliefs and answering questions. Sometimes it makes me nervous. Sometimes I fail to follow promptings. I'm sorry for those times.

Angie and I eat at a favorite Mexican restaurant. We love Mexican food.

A lot.

We frequent our favorite Mexican spots wherever we live. Well, there is a manager at this place that we go to that I've wanted to share a Book of Mormon with. We asked our full-time missionaries in the area if we could use a copy of El Libro de Mormon to give away. They were more than happy to provide us with one.

A few weeks later, when I remembered El Libro de Mormon on my office shelf, we took it down with us on date night and hoped this manager would be there.

He was.

And I got nervous during dinner. I recognized that nervous feeling as, "I'm nervous, but I'm going to do this anyway. I feel the Lord is near to help me."

You know me, I'd rather get it over and done with so that I don't have to feel nervous any more. I would have even talked to him during dinner - because he likes to make the rounds and see how patrons are doing. It turns out that his rounds were in another part of the restaurant and I was nervous that I wouldn't get the chance to see him before we left.

Well, I'll just jump to the end. I started wondering if I should give El Libro de Mormon to our waiter. He's a really nice guy that we've seen there a lot of times over the year and a half or so that the place has been open. But I decided that I'd give it to the man I intended it for from the beginning. On our way to check out I was just going to meander up to the cashier and hopefully catch his attention. It worked. When he saw me, I smiled and walked over to him. We shook hands and then I asked him if he had ever heard of The Book of Mormon. I held it out so he could read the title. "No," he said. He held it with one hand, but wanted to let go of it. So I just told him that I wanted to give him this book and that it was about Jesus Christ. He was very grateful (I think) and he accepted it. I told him I can answer any questions that he has the next time I eat there. That will be soon enough!

Back to our church meeting and announcements. After I shared that story, the full-time missionaries said, "Oh, ya. We met that guy this week and he told us about that." How cool! I wanted to find out from them what happened before going home, but I didn't get a chance to. I guess I know who I'm calling tonight. :)

I love sharing the gospel and bask in the warmth of the Spirit and the love of God for reaching out to his sons and daughters. We are part of the gathering of the House of Israel in these, the latter days. The Book of Mormon is the standard of this work and His people are being brought in, one by one. It is a miracle. I'm so glad to be part of it.

"So the last shall be first" (Matt 20:16). I have seen that firsthand throughout my life as the gentiles are being gathered and joining the House of Israel. I saw it on my mission in Bahia, Brazil and see it again every time I open my mouth to share the gospel and every time I see a person get baptized into our ward. How awesome is that!

Very.

Bearing testimony in word and deed

There are so many exciting things going on in life right now! Family stuff, work, research is moving along, graduation gets closer every single day, employment ideas, recruiter phone calls and job interviews, and some game development that is going very well right now. This blog is for spiritual matters. When I talk about non-spiritual matters I for sure want to talk about how it relates to seeking the guidance of the Lord and receiving answers to prayers.

Well, today is the first Sunday of the month and that means we had fast and testimony meeting today. I share my testimony often at church. Part of it is to overcome fear, but I try to feel when the Spirit tells me to bear my witness of the Savior. When I feel it most strongly, it is a feeling that starts the day or night before. I just know ahead of time that I'm going to do it so I am usually the first one up. That helps my nerves too, to be the first one up. I don't like being nervous so I'd rather act quickly and enjoy the rest of the meeting while I listen to other people's testimonies.

Another reason for sharing my testimony so often started many years ago when I learned that my sins can be forgiven by bearing testimony to others. That's in Doctrine and Covenants 62:3.

There are days that I really feel the Spirit (or lack of it) telling me not to bear my testimony that day. Those fast and testimony meetings tend to have lots of other people bearing testimony. Maybe I'm just being told ahead of time to not worry about it. I don't know. But what I do know is that when I feel like I should do something, it's always better to follow the promptings of the Spirit than to follow my own way.

I shared my testimony today about how much I love the beginning books in the Book of Mormon. I'm not sure if it's just Nephi's (and Jacob's) writing style. I think it's because they are bearing their own witness of Jesus Christ and that touches my soul. Most of what is in the 1st and 2nd books of Nephi is pure doctrine. A lot of what comes in later books includes mundane topics like history and war, speckled with doctrine. The last few chapters of the Book of Mormon really focus on the Spirit again and I really like those parts. Then, when I start reading the Book of Mormon over again, I bask in the testimony of one of my favorite prophets ever. I just feel so happy reading the testimony that others have of my Savior. It's a huge strength and blessing to me. One day I'll meet Nephi and tell him thanks (if that's how it works in heaven).

I enjoyed hearing everyone else's testimony today. The one I'll mention is a friend of ours who bore her testimony about a scripture that I have been telling Angie about a lot lately. When this friend quoted it, Angie and I looked at each other. It was awesome.

The scripture that she quoted can be found in Psalms 46:10 and D&C 101:16. "Be still and know that I am God." I have had a lot of things on my mind that are important (or that I make more important than they should be, like looking for work and my game development hobbies). "[Being] still" has saved my sanity lots of days over the past several months, ever since I began preparing for my interview with Google.

Our friend said, "This scripture has meant different things to me during my life," and that is true for me too. But the recurring theme for me is that I bring too much upon myself and try to handle it all. I love working on ideas and accomplishing big things (or what I think are big). In reality, I just need to calm myself down and understand the Lord's plan for me and "...know that [He] is God."

I'm holding back on exploring new job opportunities right now. The main reason is because I've been told way too many times by recruiters and employers that I need to call back when I'm about to graduate and can move on short notice. This is a good problem to have, but it hasn't stopped me from applying for more jobs that sound too awesome to pass up. Looking back, I just started looking for jobs too soon. The other reason that I'm not looking for jobs right now is that I found something at a recent astronomy conference that might work out and they will wait for me until the summer. Even without that, I wouldn't be looking for work right now like I have been. It takes a lot of time and there are many software development job openings right now.

My testimony is that the Lord knows all. His ways are higher than my ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). When He tells me something and I feel and recognize His voice, I know that obeying will be the best thing for my life. Hands down. No complaining. Just do it.

One more thing that I want to say is that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are among the nicest and most charitable people I know. A friend of mine that I play a lot of board games with fell off a ladder a couple days ago. Long story short, he landed on his heels and broke them in a big way. He'll be off his feet for months. Several willing people at church volunteered to go build a wheelchair ramp at their home. It's an emergency situation for this family. I love seeing people reach out and serve.

I love being a member of this church.

I, Nephi, having been born of...

Artist: Arnold Friberg

That's how 1 Nephi 1:1 begins. It seems like such a common verse, probably for a few reasons. I've heard many people joke about starting the Book of Mormon so many times or that they lost track of where they were reading and choose to start reading from the beginning again. But there's at least one more reason why we talk about this verse and that's what this post is about.

"I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents..."

Nephi's parents were goodly because they were righteous Jews who kept the commandments and followed the Spirit. Lehi was a prophet and had visions from the Lord to know how to protect his family. He lead his family away from the impending danger that befell Jerusalem a few years later. That would have been difficult to leave the comforts of home and live in the wilderness. It would be difficult for me.

The verse continues, "...therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father."

I have always taken this verse to mean that Lehi was a good dad and wanted to teach his kids about life, the universe and everything. With that in mind, I try to teach my kids stuff that I know as well as let them learn things on their own and explore their own talents. I have a feeling that Lehi did all this and much more.

Well, this verse was in our first Sunday School lesson this year. I happened to be in Texas at the time, but I shared something that we don't often think about with this verse. It's this:

Laman and Lemuel were also born of goodly parents.

So, what happened to them? The short answer is that I don't know. The long answer also involves me not knowing. It's just interesting to see that some of Lehi and Sariah's children were obedient and others were not.

That's really all I wanted to say in this post, but it seems like it's not enough. Maybe I'll say that Nephi didn't just follow his dad into the wilderness. Here's a verse that makes Nephi seem more like us, in that he had to gain a testimony for himself.

1 Ne 2:16, 19 show that Nephi wan't born with a testimony. He sought one. Verses 17-18 show that Nephi loved his brothers and shared his testimony with them. I'm proud of Sam for listening to his younger brother. That's not easy for some people to do. He (and I'm sure he wasn't the only one) also tried to help Laman and Lemuel understand the will of the Lord. We also know there are some sisters involved here because they married the sons of Ishmael. Striving to live the gospel was a family affair. Some just did better than others.

I want to be a goodly parent and a goodly son. I am grateful my parents taught me the gospel when I was young. They must have taught me from very young. I don't have any memories like, "Ya, that's when Mom and Dad started talking about church stuff." I hope to be a goodly parent by teaching my kids gospel principles. We already talk about baptism, dating and courtship, the law of tithing, fasting, the Word of Wisdom, temple sealing and eternal life. Angie and I love it when our boys teach us their understanding.

We are all very blessed. The Lord has showered many tender mercies upon us.

Do not spend money for that which is of no worth

I've been reading 2 Nephi in the Book of Mormon and have come across several verses that I wanted to share.  I'm in chapter 9 right now, but maybe I'll go back and pick up a few of the other things I wanted to blog about in previous chapters.

It's hard for me to remember that Nephi didn't speak all the words that we read in 2 Nephi. Every time I come to 2 Ne 6:1, I read, "The words of Jacob, the brother of Nephi, which he spake unto the people of Nephi."

Oh, ya. Jacob!

He was one of Nephi's two younger brothers born in the wilderness during the years between Lehi's exodus (with his family as well as Zoram and Ishmael's family) from Jerusalem and reaching the promised land (somewhere in the Americas).

Jacob was a powerful teacher and had a strong testimony of his Savior. We read in 2 Ne 2:2-4 that "[Jacob knew] the greatness of God" and "beheld in [his] youth His glory". What a strong child and youth he must have been to gain a testimony of the gospel from his dad (Lehi) and other faithful family members when he had to live through the "rudeness" of his other brothers (2 Ne 2:1).

Back to chapter 9.

This is a long chapter about Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice for all men. Toward the end of the chapter we read the following verses. Verse 51 is the scripture that our stake has chosen to be our theme for 2012. It makes more sense to me in the context of what leads up to it.

  48 Behold, if ye were holy I would speak unto you of holiness; but as ye are not holy, and ye look upon me as a teacher, it must needs be expedient that I teach you the consequences of sin.

  49 Behold, my soul abhorreth sin, and my heart delighteth in righteousness; and I will praise the holy name of my God.

  50 Come, my brethren, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price.

  51 Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness.

I have a testimony of the truthfulness of these scriptures and of Christ's power to save. I know that this life is our time to prepare for our eternal reward and that we will receive from God's hand every blessing that we are worthy to receive in this life for our happiness now and at the Judgment Day for the eternities hereafter.

The choice I have before me is what job to pursue. It's been on my mind for years, but especially so for the past several months. Providing for my family and enjoying the work I do are just part of the decision. Where to live and our ability to save are also part of the equation. We need to provide for Wes's special needs in the short (and long) term(s). Verse 51 teaches me that I do not need to spend money for things which are of no worth. Having a PhD in physics and astronomy will bring in a decent income and there are lots of things I'd like to do with that income. Jacob, the wise teacher that he is, teaches me that the real importance in life is to "come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not".

I am thankful for the peace that comes over me from reading the word of Christ that I receive through His holy prophets and through the Spirit. I need to be still and let the Holy Spirit guide. Too often I try to stand in His way and I have to keep reminding myself to pause and listen.

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ

This post is a continuation of my thoughts about President Ezra Taft Benson's talk on The Book of Mormon.

President Benson reminded me that the coming forth of The Book of Mormon was preceded only by the First Vision of Joseph Smith, which was the visitation by God the Father and Jesus Christ to the boy prophet. The Book of Mormon preceded the restoration of the priesthood from the hands of John the Baptist and from Peter, James and John. It was published a few days before the restoration of Christ's church in the latter-days. It was given to us before the revelations of the degrees of glory, celestial marriage and work for the dead, which were given in the Doctrine and Covenants.

It surprised me to read this order of events. I don't normally think of the exact order in which these important events occurred, but have been surprised each time I remember that this is how it happened.

The Holy Bible (the "holy" was for Emily :) ) contains the Old Testament and the New Testament. Another word for testament could have been translated as covenant from the Greek text. A covenant of what? The promises that God has made with His children in different ages for their salvation, based upon their obedience. The Book of Mormon's title was extended to include Another Testament of Jesus Christ. It contains the fulness of the gospel or all we need to know about God's commandments for our eternal salvation.

Awesome.

Actually, "awesome" doesn't exactly cover it. There are times when my favorite word comes short of capturing the magnitude of my feelings. This is one of them. I guess I should say "eternal awesome" and that might do it. You be the judge. :)

President Benson summed up the gift of The Book of Mormon in a way that really hit home to me. He said that it is a gift from God to us that is greater than the industrial and technological advances of our time (and remember, he said this 25 years ago), medicine, flight and space travel. I marvel and wonder at how far technology has come and what we as a human race have achieved with it. And this book of scriptures is much greater than all of that. Why? Because it will bring us to God when none of these other things can or will.

For 1000 years, Book of Mormon prophets poured their hearts and souls into writing their testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ onto golden plates for our use. They lived a long time ago - from 600 BC to 400 AD. The truths they wrote are for us today, not for their descendants back then. In fact, Nephi knew that the civilization of his posterity would come to an end and be destroyed by the Lamanites (we talked about that in Sunday School today). These ancient prophets wrote to us, the gentiles and the members of the house of Israel. Wow, what faith that these children of our Heavenly Father had!

I have committed myself to reading through The Book of Mormon again this year. There are 239 chapters and 531 pages so I plan to read about one chapter per day in my personal study. Our family has been reading one column per day for a while now and we're on page 189. The other day we talked about finishing for our first time as a family. We can do this by increasing what we read to two columns and we'll finish by the end of the year.

We talked about the blessings we have received from reading and how many more blessing we'll enjoy from the Lord's hand. Our kids are excited about it and that makes us (Angie and me) very happy!

Awesome!

I love The Book of Mormon. It has changed my life and it strengthens me every single day that I read it. The more effort I put in, the greater the reward. I know it is a true book of scripture and contains the true gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for this talk from President Benson. It has strengthened my testimony.

The Book of Mormon: Keystone of Our Religion

The October 2011 Ensign magazine reprinted President Benson's 1986 talk titled The Book of Mormon: Keystone of Our Religion. It was a great talk! President Benson was the 13th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He loved The Book of Mormon. In the Introduction in The Book of Mormon, we read the following paragraph:

Concerning this record the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”

What is a keystone? It's the main (key) stone in the center of an arch and keeps the arch from falling. The Book of Mormon is the keystone to our religion because it is a true book of scripture and is a sign of the true church of Jesus Christ on the earth. The truthfulness of the church and of the book of modern-day scriptures go hand in hand. They are either both true or neither are true.

I have found for myself that both are true and so many other things in the gospel and the church. Through reading and pondering the scriptures as well as living the teachings of Christ bring me such a spirit of peace. I feel the same peace when I read His teachings in the New Testament. I feel so blessed to be on the earth in a time when the true gospel is preached. (I'm also amazed that technology in today's world is more and more available around the world and that so many people can learn what is true for him/herself.

There are a few more points that President Benson gave about The Book of Mormon and I'll write more soon.

Sariah, Concerned Mother of Four Sons

Lehi, the first prophet in the Book of Mormon, was commanded to leave Jerusalem in 600 B.C. and take his family with him. We know that Lehi's two oldest sons, Laman and Lemuel, went grudgingly. They had a rebellious streak a mile wide all their lives. Lehi's two younger sons, Sam and Nephi, were obedient and often reminded their older brothers to keep the commandments.

Well, today I read the part in the Book of Mormon where Lehi and his family were far from Jerusalem and he was commanded to send his sons back to get some important records. What did Laman and Lemuel do? You guessed it. What did Sam and Nephi do? Correct. 

What did Lehi's wife do? We don't find out until the boys return from their trip. It was going to be very dangerous and Sariah was very worried about them. She complained to her husband, the prophet, for sending all of their sons to their death. She told her husband "that he was a visionary man; saying: Behold thou hast led us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons are no more, and we perish in the wilderness." (1 Ne 5:2)

Lehi replied to Sariah and I can hear the tenderness in his words. "And it came to pass that my father spake unto her, saying: I know that I am a visionary man; for if I had not seen the things of God in a vision I should not have known the goodness of God, but had tarried at Jerusalem, and had perished with my brethren." (1 Ne 5:4)

Lehi had a testimony of the Lord's commandments. He also knew his sons would be safe on their journey. When the boys finally returned with the records, "their joy was full, and my mother was comforted. And she spake, saying: Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath commanded my husband to flee [and] hath protected my sons." (1 Ne 5:7-8)

It is very interesting to me that Sariah didn't have a testimony of the Lord's command to leave Jerusalem and find the promised land until after they had set out and faced some challenges. She must have been a remarkable woman of faith and after this trial she was blessed with greater understanding of the Lord's will.

We all gain testimonies at different times and in different ways. I know that if we listen to the Lord and follow His prophets we you will be comforted, blessed and strengthened.

By Their Works Ye Shall Know Them

As you saw in my last post, we had a baby last week. There are several things on my mind about the gospel of Jesus Christ, the service that we have received and the love that has been shown to us since even before little Briggie was born. I'd love to name names, but when I describe the acts of love and service you'll know who you are.

From the moment people started finding out that Angie was in labor and that we were at the hospital, we started feeling the love. Luckily, I posted something on FB about Angie's water breaking before I left home because we didn't get any Internet signal in the rooms we were in. I really wanted to let people know what was going on during the day...but it didn't happen.

We got phone calls while we were at the hospital to congratulate us and someone brought us a Hospital Survival Kit with treats and some items that came in really handy; stuff like shampoo and hair elastics. Great thinking! Some friends started calling the hospital room before Briggie was even born. So nice! We felt so much support from family and friends near and far.

One friend picked up our boys from the bus stop and fed them dinner before bringing them to the hospital to see their new little brother. A couple families even offered to let our older boys sleep at their house so I could stay the night in the hospital room. That was a huge expression of sacrifice and we appreciated it a whole lot.

There are many good-hearted people in this world that love to serve others and do kind deeds. Some of these people belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and others belong to other denominations. I am grateful for the love of God that comes to my family through others, no matter what church they attend (or even if they don't attend!).

The phrases that come to mind that relate to gospel living are these:

Service in action

Faith without works is dead (James 2:20)

Faith, hope and charity with an eye single to the glory of God (Doctrine and Covenants 4:5)

The gospel of Jesus Christ truly moves people to serve others in love. In many ways I wish we had not had the baby until my mom was in town. Her flight was booked months ago and Briggie was born earlier than expected. But, now that we're past those difficult days, I am very grateful that my mom came after we received so many acts of love. We would have missed out on so much. Many people have offered to bring us meals. As the husband and father of three, I think I appreciated this the most out of any of us. It was nice knowing I didn't have to make meals with so much on my mind! Someone volunteered to come over one night to watch our boys so I could spend some quiet time with Angie in the hospital. Guess what she did? She washed the dishes and cleaned our nasty stove. Thank you!!!

My testimony of service has increased. Each person that did one of these small or large acts of service said it was no big deal to help us out. Added together, these were literally more than I was able to do. The next time I help someone out and they thank me for my time and effort, I will remember what it was like to receive.

The title "By their works ye shall know them" comes from Moroni 7:5.

My Friends, the Scriptures

I met Elder Richard G. Scott on my mission in Brazil; he has a penetrating gaze. His General Conference talks are powerful and direct. He just says it how it is and the Spirit does the rest. Lately he has shared some really personal family experiences and feelings at conference. He is really great.

I have started to read/study the most recent conference talks and Elder Scott's talk was the first talk this time. (Now that's very weird. President Monson was the 4th speaker and he made some comment about wondering how things would go if he weren't there. I have a feeling he wasn't there when it was time to broadcast. And the meeting began without him.)

So the part of Elder Scott's talk, The Power of Scripture, that meant so much to me was how the scriptures are like packets of light (ooh, that resonated with my inner physicist) and that memorizing scriptures is like having a host of friends go with us everywhere and can be called upon at any time. What an analogy! He quoted a whole bunch of his favorite scriptures and I'd like to do the same. He quoted from Proverbs 3, which is among my favorites. And he quoted from Moroni 7, which teaches us how to acquire the love of Christ in ourselves.

These are my "go to" scriptures that I turn to when I need consolation, guidance, direction, strength to do what is right, and to be uplifted when I feel down. These are some of my best friends.

1 Ne 3:7

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

Psalms 3:5-6 

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Psalms 46:10, D&C 101:16 

Be still and know that I am God.

Moroni 7:45-48
And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.

D&C 121:45-46
Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.

Alma 37:37
Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

Ether 12:27
And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

Moroni 10:5
And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

1 Ne 4:6-7
And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do. Nevertheless I went forth

Healing the Sick

My wife is going to have a baby any minute now. She has faith in being healed and asks for priesthood blessings when she is sick or is otherwise in need of blessings or strength beyond her own. Our concern lately is about the delivery of our baby going well and that complications in past deliveries will be handled better. In particular, that her placenta will detach and deliver on its own.

She got an ultrasound at the 36-week mark a little while ago to monitor baby growth and other routine checks. Since the placenta has been a challenge to her and her health in both of her previous deliveries, the doctor ordered a special look at the placenta in the ultrasound to see if that would reveal anything that would help after she gives birth. The technician thought it looked fine and is not growing into the uterus (we were very glad about that!), but something else came up in the ultrasound that was of more immediate concern. The boy was breach.

For you guys out there that are as unlearned in these matters as I was, that means the baby is in the wrong position. "The wrong position?" you ask? Yes, the wrong position. The breach position means the feet are facing down instead of the head. Doctors don't deliver babies like this very often and they tend to perform C-sections. That's not on our "bucket list" and we tried to figure out what to do. We've been praying all along for a healthy mom and baby. Now it was time for us to take action on our own.

Thus enters the talk from apostle Elder Dallin H. Oaks (pictured here) entitled Healing the Sick. He gave such a memorable talk about priesthood blessings - both about the faith of the men giving the blessing and of those receiving it. The words that came to mind in this situation are these of the prophet Brigham Young, "Have you used any remedies?" (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe (1954), 163).

Very applicable. Here's how we took that lesson and added works to our faith.

We learned that babies can sometimes be coaxed into flipping into the head down position if the mom gets on her elbows and knees. Don't ask me why that works. Another thing we learned a long time ago from my wonderful father-in-law is the pressure point on each pinky toe will (sometimes dramatically) get a baby to turn. And yet another thing we learned along the lines of elbows and knees is to have the mom lay on an incline with her head down, making the baby want to turn over. So what did my wife try?

All of the above.

At the same time.

Well, not the elbows/knees and laying on an incline. That would take some talent...and reaching through another dimension of space. But she put some clothes pins on her pinky toes and got on all fours. Don't tell her, but it makes me think of a stink bug. So what happened? The baby went acrobatic. All at once. Blam! Did he flip over? We didn't think so at first because we knew from the ultrasound where his head was. It still felt like it was in the same place afterwards. The return ultrasound appointment the next week revealed that he was now head down. Awesome! Our wrong interpretation was because his bum was in about the spot where his head had been. We were elated!

We believe in the power of prayer and that our loving Heavenly Father answers them in His own way and timing. We are grateful for the knowledge we have gained in unconventional "remedies" and are so glad that we could act now and not be acted upon later. We have definitely felt and recognized the tender mercies of the Lord. Once again.

Forget Me Not

My wife came home from the Relief Society session of General Conference at the end of September and told me that she heard the coolest talk from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf about the small, five-petal flower called the forget-me-not.  She said it was really awesome so I had to check it out for myself.

The petal of President Uchtdorf's talk that hit home the most for me was "Forget not to be happy now".  All too often I spend time thinking of what's coming next and preparing for something later.  Yes, preparation is important.  However, it's been on my mind lately that when I spend all my time practicing or studying for something later I miss what's going on now.  Finishing my graduate degree and preparing to get a job seems to be all I can think about...I'm talking about my spare time.  It is difficult for me to sit still and enjoy the now.  But I know that the Lord would have me enjoy things today that I have already worked on in the past to get to where I am.  I'm selling myself short if I spend all my time thinking of the future (e.g. using all my free time to finish developing a board game for future financial gain) instead of taking some time to talk to my wife just catching up on life or playing with my kids before dinner and bedtime.  Multiply this scenario by about 5-10 times and that's how much I try to cram into my schedule.

I'm trying to figure out how to put the most important things into my schedule and to not over extend myself, which is easy for me to do.  I have told myself many times that I am willing to go, go, go all the time.  King Benjamin taught me that it is not required to do more than I have the strength to do (Mos 4:27).  I really feel that I have to cut back on how much I try to do because I'm just a man.  Not Superman.  I tend toward overexertion, rather than laziness, and I see that I need to change my priorities because I just cannot do everything I want to do.  The Lord must come first and my family must come second...that much I know.  We live in a busy world and so many things seem fun or worthy of my time.  The trap I keep falling into is cramming all of it into my schedule.  I push and pull, squish and twist my schedule until it's really packed full.  I do that for as long as possible.  Then, after I stress out and crash, I realize that I have to cut back and try again.  But be smarter about it the next time.  No, not smarter.  Wiser.

The comparison of Willy Wonka's Golden Ticket was so good.  Eating chocolate used to be a reward in and of itself.  Now, the chocolate is meaningless if there's no winning ticket inside.  Sad.

What was your favorite petal of the forget-me-not? and why?

Binding the tongue of the faithful

In a recent talk in General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles) spoke of raising our voice of warning, of sharing the gospel and of serving missions by young and old alike. This gave me the courage to make the final push toward sharing my testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ in a blogging format that can spread throughout the world. I have wanted to blog about inspirational talks and scriptures a few different times, but was so moved by Elder Holland's words that I knew that I couldn't delay any longer. I can set aside a little time to accomplish this important work. Lately, I have felt that my time is not really my own, but is God's gift to me and that I need to use it in better ways.

I believe that more testimonies need to be made available online in order to bring peace to individuals that are searching for the Lord. We live in a world of turmoil where, let alone the doctrinal discord among churches that believe in Christ, the meaning of life is diluted amid a myriad of ideas, trends and appetites. I love the fact that Church leaders have encouraged members to share their testimonies and feelings about the gospel using the technology available to us. This same technology is being used to advertise every idea -- big and small, important or trivial -- to anyone that will listen. I will share my testimony so that people with righteous hearts who are seeking the truth may come to know the Master Jesus Christ.

Elder Holland also spoke of the fight between good and evil that has been raging since the dawn of time; this war is still going on. We already know that the Lord will win and that the evil one will lose. It is for us to decide whose side we are on by the actions we choose to make on a daily basis. By these choices we become like one captain or the other. We cannot pretend to fight for both sides. Either we fight for righteousness or we will find ourselves on the losing team.