Choices

Have you ever had one of those horrible, awful, bad, just plain ole' stinkin' thinkin' kind of weeks?
If not, you are pretty lucky, and I would love to know your secret. So, as I'm reflecting on what to share from my Pathway religion class, my mind is bogged down with so many worldly cares. Whether you are a praying kind of person, or a good wishes/vibes kind of person; I would appreciate either/or, and even both for my family. Thank you so much.

I love this song by Hilary Weeks entitled "Beautiful Heartbreak".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyX-I-um5Kk

As far as my class goes, I have been studying the war chapters (Alma 43-63) of the Book of Mormon. Twenty chapters is a lot to cover in one week's time, but I did it. I also got more out of it than I ever have before. War is not something that I like, but there are lessons that can be learned from the stories that are shared.

One of things I want to focus on today is a quote that I needed to hear this week from a conference talk entitled, "Where Do I Make My Stand?" by James E. Faust. I've included an excerpt from his talk here:

"Some, because they lack faith or understanding of the eternal plan, become bitter and lose hope. One such was a 19th-century writer who achieved both success and wealth with his dazzling wit and writing style. His wife came from a religious family, and he wanted to have faith in God but wasn’t really sure God existed. Then he was hit by a series of crushing blows. In 1893 a national financial crisis left him deeply in debt. His oldest daughter died while he was on a speaking tour. His wife’s health failed, and she died in 1904. His youngest daughter died in 1909. His own health declined. His writing, which had formerly been so full of sparkle, now reflected his bitterness. He became progressively depressed, cynical, and disillusioned and remained so until his death in 1910. With all his brilliance, he lacked the inner strength to deal with adversity and simply resigned himself to his misfortunes."

"It’s not so much what happens to us but how we deal with what happens to us. That reminds me of a passage from Alma. After a long war “many had become hardened,” while “many were softened because of their afflictions.”  The same circumstances produced opposite responses. The writer who lost so much was not able to draw from the well of faith. Each of us needs to have our own storehouse of faith to help us rise above the troubles that are part of this mortal probation."

Those words touched me deeply this week. James E. Faust is correct. It is "how we deal with what happens to us" that is the really important part.

It reminded me of this story in Alma 53:20-21 where we learn of 2,000 young men that had never been to war, but they were exceeding valiant for courage and also for strength and activity; but that was not all- they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted. They were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before Him. Then in Alma 56:47-48 we learn that even though they had never fought, they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

I am blown away by their courage and faith. Being young, and going to war for the first time, they put their full trust in God and their mothers. As they said, "We do not doubt our mothers knew it." And because of that faith in God, not one of them died from the battles they fought in. We learn how their faith preserved them in Alma 57:26-27: 

26. And now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army, yea, that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain. And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe- that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power.

27. Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually.

Okay, so now you may be thinking, what does my horrible, awful, bad, just plain ole' stinkin' thinkin' kind of week, the quote, and this passage of scriptures have in common. I'll tell you. That I am not in control, but I can choose how I deal with my trials, and I can choose to be like those brave 2,000 young warriors by having complete trust in God. Not doubting that He will take care of the things that are weighing me down. I have to do my part to not let the trials of life do to me what they did to that 19th-century writer. I need to build up my storehouse of faith, be humble and teachable, all the while putting my trust in God continually.

This song "Beautiful Life" by Mercy River just makes me happy! I hope it makes you happy too!

                                 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cCXqqbF-iE

I would love to hear how you have put your trust in God continually during your own trials in life. Thank you so much for spending some time with me.

If the links don't work, please try clicking watch on YouTube,  or try another browser. I'm including the web addresses here for you to copy and paste.

Hilary Weeks song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyX-I-um5Kk
Mercy River song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cCXqqbF-iE

Exercising Faith

Since I last posted, 2015 has slipped away and 2016 is in full swing. I had a great time visiting with my children over the holidays. I had a nice little break from the Pathway Program to rejuvenate and prepare for winter semester. Life has been good, except for one little thing.

While on break from school I backslid a little. I went from scripture studying, to scripture reading; I went from heartfelt prayers to hope I don't fall asleep while I'm praying prayers. I wasn't feeling as kind, patient or confident by the time school started again, and I definitely wasn't feeling as spiritual as I had before our break. I think I can pinpoint this to one specific thing. I was not nourishing my faith.

I love this Mormonad from July 1991 that I came across recently. It reads "Faith without Works doesn't work... Faith without works is like a boat without oars: it gets you nowhere. So stop drifting and start rowing. Otherwise you're dead in the water." James 2:17-18 




While I was studying Alma 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35 this week, it kind of hit me as to why I had hit another Spiritual Dead Spot. I have not been exercising faith. And by exercising, I mean doing my part to be more spiritual. I was doing the bare minimum to get by.

I want to share an experience I had years ago. So, Alma 32 has always been one of my favorite chapters of The Book of Mormom. I think mostly because it is a story of hope. There have been times in my life when I have fallen into some spiritual dead spots for one reason or another, and my inaction caused my belief to dwindle.  I remember very clearly one night many moons ago sitting outside begging Heavenly Father to show me a sign. Even a falling star would do. Anything to show me that He was real, and that I mattered to Him. I sat there crying and pleading with Him for this great miracle to occur so that I could believe. You know what happened? NOTHING miraculous. No signs, no falling stars, no earth quaking, no angels. Just silence until I had a thought occur to me that He loved me enough to not give me a sign, for if He had I would not have been able to live up to the knowledge I was given. I was reminded of this passage of scripture found in Alma 32:17-19 
Alma says:
17. Yea, there are many who do say: If thou wilt show unto us a sign from heaven, then we shall know of a surety; then we shall believe.
18. Now I ask, is this faith? Behold I say unto you, Nay; for if a man knoweth a thing he hath no cause to believe, for he knoweth it.
19. And now, how much more cursed is he that knoweth the will of God and doeth it not, than he that only believeth, or only hath cause to believe, and falleth into transgression.

Now, after thinking on this passage of scripture I started laughing to myself at the silliness of me begging and pleading for a sign. Heavenly Father heard my pleadings, and He answered me in such a quiet way that I barely recognized it. Did that mean I knew of a surety? No. But, it did give me the hope I needed to continue to have a desire to believe.

Alma went on to say this in Alma 32:21, And now as I said concerning faith- faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.

What simple, sweet, beautiful words. If ye have faith ye HOPE for things which are not seen, which are true.

I love the words of Elder Neil L. Anderson, in the following video. I've also included the link to his conference talk entitled, "Faith is Not by Chance, but by Choice."

Now if you're wondering what to do to move forward, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf gives this wonderful counsel when answering the following question:

How do we receive a personal testimony rooted in the witness of the Holy Ghost? The pattern is outlined in the scriptures:

First: Desire to believe. The Book of Mormon encourages us: “If [you] will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, … even if [you] can no more than desire to believe. Alma 32:27

Some may say, “I cannot believe; I am not a religious person.” Just consider, God promises us divine help even if we have only a desire to believe, but it has to be a true and not a pretended desire.

Second: Search the scriptures. Have questions; study them out; search in the scriptures for answers. Again, the Book of Mormon has good advice for us: “If [you] give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart” through diligent study of the word of God, the good seed “will begin to swell within your breasts” if you will not resist with unbelief. This good seed will “enlarge [your] soul” and “enlighten [your] understanding.” Alma 32:28

Third: Do the will of God; keep the commandments. It is not enough to enter into a scholarly debate if we want to know for ourselves that the kingdom of God has been restored upon the earth. Casual study is also not enough. We have to get in on the action ourselves, and that means learning and then doing God’s will.

I'm so grateful for that I can exercise my faith by having a desire to believe, searching the scriptures, and doing the will of God by keeping His commandments.

I want to leave you with one of my all time favorite songs written and performed by one of my all time favorite artists, Cherie Call.

Thanks for spending some time with me. I would love to hear in what ways you exercise your faith.