I liked studying the Restoration proclamation in my personal study. I colored the words about Heavenly Father in one color, Jesus Christ in another, angels, the Holy Ghost, Joseph Smith, etc all in their own colors. Jesus Christ had the most words about him, but the Father is the driving force, the planner, the initiator of all that Jesus does. Joseph Smith gets a very modest amount of attention, which is appropriate.
When a masterful musician plays, the instrument is important, but not as important as the musician. And there would be nothing without the composer.
I see Heavenly Father as the composer of the plan to save His children, and Jesus Christ as the masterful musician who carries out that plan. I think of Joseph Smith as an instrument who proclaimed the restored truth of Heavenly Father’s plan.
Sometimes I wait for permission to do something that would make me happy. Here is a superficial example. My favorite color is red, and I love interior design, but red has been “out of style” for a long time. So, dutifully, after Christmas, I have ushered out most of the red from my house. This year, someone gave me permission to keep some red things on the shelves in January. Four red plates and my seasonal red seat cushions are all it took to make me smile at my January kitchen.
The trends are mainly fueled by consumerism, so here is permission, if you need it, to put whatever you love on your shelves. To ignore the trends. To ignore the noise that tells us we are not stylish enough, sophisticated enough, or tidy enough.
On another level, here is permission to ignore some of the calls to listen to podcasts rather than seek our own revelation from God about life, faith, and joy. Our time is limited. Do we want a life diluted by noise?
There is a universe of possibilities within each of us. It’s a shame when we allow the world to dictate to us that we are inferior and the answer is to chase after relentlessly changing trends. Here is permission to follow the simpler and better way.
My plea to you this morning is to find rest from the intensity, uncertainty, and anguish of this world by overcoming the world through your covenants with God. Let him know through your prayers and your actions that you are serious about overcoming the world. Ask him to enlighten your mind and send the help you need. Each day, record the thoughts that come to you as you pray, and follow through diligently. Spend more time in the temple and seek to understand how the temple teaches you to rise above this fallen world.
We went with Tim and Queenie to Temple Square on Saturday. I was excited to see the new First Vision statue. I like the depiction of movement and life in this, and that heaven and earth are reaching for one another.
I think people spend a lot of time decorating and seeking musical and artistic experiences at Christmas time because we are all in search of that feeling of connection with heaven.
Meaningful prayer takes effort. My brain gets distracted, I get interrupted, and my lazy side recognizes that prayer is work. I try to improve, year after year. So, here is another post about prayer because I think about it a lot. Today, this post highlights the teachings of many people who have helped me to grow in my understanding and practice of prayer.
For instance, I like the tradition in our church to pray from the heart and begin with gratitude. I write down God’s tender mercies in a gratitude journal before I pray to remember who I am dealing with.
I like that my evangelical Christian friends and the patrons of the temple write down the names of people for whom they pray.
From the Lord’s prayer, I learn to praise and reverence Heavenly Father.
From David in the Psalms, I learn to lament and really pour out my soul.
I believe that when Christ said, “Thy will be done” it wasn’t just a statement of resignation, but an affirmation. When I express that I know that Heavenly Father’s perfect will is being done, this is a great way to reframe my experiences.
I learned from a Christian author Paul Miller to write down specific hopes for my children and to pray boldly for these things. I also learned from him to collect scriptures to remind me of God’s power and promises.
From C.S. Lewis, “I am often, I believe, praying for others when I should be doing things for them.”
I learned from President Nelson to pray with a pencil and paper ready, to write down thoughts and impressions, and then act on them.
I learned from Sister Becky Craven that those scattered, seemingly random thoughts that sometimes come during prayer are worth noting because the Spirit is communicating with us.
From Elder Richard G. Scott, “Knowledge carefully recorded is knowledge available in time of need. Spiritually sensitive information should be kept in a sacred place that communicates to the Lord how you treasure it. This practice enhances the likelihood of receiving further light.”
With these teachings in mind, I keep a prayer journal. It’s a tool that helps me focus, remember, and act. Currently, the format looks like this:
I keep my petitions on the left and answers and action items on the right. It’s also where I record inspiring words from scripture about God and prayer.
There are needs and dilemmas that carry over week after week, year after year. This prayer journal is evidence that I maintain hope for answers. This journal is also evidence that Heavenly Father is an involved, tender, steadfast, loving Parent.
I only use this prayer journal for one of my prayers each day. Other prayers I offer are more spontaneous and unstructured and often silent. All kinds of prayers are helpful for me.
Green=courage and determination enhanced as a result of prayer
The formula is clear in Alma 58:9-13. Just read the highlighted words and apply them to a challenge that you are facing. This formula has worked for me my whole life.
Before Mark was set apart as a missionary, he wanted one last gathering with his Sanchez cousins who are his age, so we invited them to spend part of conference weekend here. MMSK is pronounced “misk,” and it’s an acronym of their names. Mostly, there was a lot of nonsense going on as they “watched conference”, but I think that the time together was important.
Mark and Richard attended a session of General Conference on Sunday. They brought the binoculars, which was a great idea.
Mark’s last traditional general conference tower for a while.
When Mark sent in his mission papers last spring, I assumed he would be on a mission long before now. We’ve had a long preparation period, which was good in many ways and challenging in others.
We had time for more spiritual preparation and temple worship. Mark received mentoring in Preach My Gospel and got some work experience from his Sanchez grandparents. We had time to travel this summer.
The long wait means that the bandaid is being removed very slowly. I am pretty fragile lately.
Now that Mark has had a few days of home MTC, he is excited to go to the Provo MTC next week. Everything is as it should be: the wait, the anticipation, the emotions accompanying a goodbye, the excitement, his assignment. Everything.
I think that my current anxieties about getting the right clothing for Mark’s mission are because I know that these are some of the last tangible things that I can do for him. We are moving into a different phase where my help shifts almost completely to intangibles. I am crying every day, as one does at such a time.
He has clothing for Arctic temperatures and rain and a lifetime of other preparation. We now have just a few minor things to purchase.
All I need to do is look outside to see my annual “missionary sunflowers” (which first showed up when Daniel left on his mission) for a reminder that God is taking care of everything for Mark. And He allows me to do the very motherly thing to shop for the right coat.
On Mark’s ninth birthday I took him to the Payson temple open house. Later, this was the first temple that Mark entered to do baptisms for the dead. Through these experiences and more, this became his favorite temple, and recently, he received his endowment there.
In the Payson temple there is a fruit motif in the interior design, as it was built on land that was previously an apple orchard. As you ascend within building, the blossoms in the motif change to fruits.
As I reflect on raising Mark, I see that small, sacred things like attending a temple open house have yielded very sweet fruit.
I drove through a heavy rainstorm on Saturday to attend a niece’s temple endowment. I was flustered by my commute and ran from my car to the unfamiliar temple in the rain.
I was greeted in the usual way by young and old temple workers, ushered through new halls, and given spiritual assurances that my visit was important.
You’d think that after years of temple attendance that these things wouldn’t surprise me, but that is the way with joyful things.
“Surprise!” Joy cries, as it jumps out from a hiding place such as a rainy day or a challenging relationship.
There was a time when I didn’t think I would ever see this niece again because of family difficulties, but I was invited to be with her on her important day. Poised and happy, she greeted me in the celestial room with a hug.
Later, when I walked outside, the clouds were gone and the brilliant afternoon sunlight descended like a confirmation.
I saw this image from the upcoming release of the film about Helaman’s army and it really affected me. This story from the Book of Mormon has found new pockets of meaning throughout the years of my motherhood. Even in these final months with a child at home, this story has fed my courage and resolve to be a valiant mother.
In family life, I have needed to be creative and determined in order to teach the gospel. Even now, as the last child moves outside my orbit, I am trying new methods, hoping to reach him in more effective ways.
Over the years I have learned to be more vulnerable and brief in my teaching, distilling my words to bring the most impact. No lecturing, no ranting, just direct, clear ideas are the goal.
I want my faith to be clear to them because their battles are real.
