An Attitude of Gratitude

With Thanksgiving being this week, the talks in Sacrament meeting today were on gratitude. I've been pondering it off and on throughout the day, and this short message from our Prophet sums up my thoughts and feelings quite nicely. I love President Thomas S. Monson and his inspired council for us today.

I am not always the perfect example of having gratitude. I have often been humbled by a sudden realization of my lack of gratitude for the incredible blessings in my life. I am trying to be a more grateful person. So, here are three aspects of this beautiful Gospel I am grateful for this Thanksgiving season.

1. Temple Sealings
The temple sealing is the ordinance through which we are tied to our families for eternity. It is only through this power that we can be together in the next life. I love my family more than I can put into words. They are everything to me, and I am so, so grateful that the Lord has provided a way for us to be together always. This knowledge is what lifted (and continues to lift) me through the trail of losing my mom and older sister. Knowing that I share this sealing with my husband sometimes brings me to tears of thankfulness, because I NEED him and I cannot comprehend losing him. Sometimes I wish I could just transfer my feelings and understanding about things right into another person's heart. If there was one thing that I could communicate in this way, it would be my testimony of temple sealings and what it means to me. I think of it, and my heart swells with gratitude.

2. My Savior, Jesus Christ
What can I even say about this? I'm not a great writer, and I have a hard time putting my feelings into words. If you have been reading this, you've probably figured that out. :) Here are the words of a hymn that expresses some of my feelings.

I Stand All Amazed

I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,

Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.

I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,

That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and he died.

(Chorus)

Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me

Enough to die for me!

Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!

I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine

To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine,

That he should extend his great love unto such as I,

Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.

(Chorus)

I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt!

Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget?

No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat,

Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.

3. Scriptures
We have this amazing gift of the scriptures in our lives. You can access the entire standard works for the LDS church online or by downloading the free app. We believe in the Old and New Testament, the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, and the Doctrine and Covenants. We have the word of God, to read and to ponder. To learn from. That is amazing. Think of how many centuries have gone by where people had to depend on their ecclesiastical leaders to teach them what the Bible said. Now we each have the opportunity to read it, and other books of scripture, for ourselves. Do we take that opportunity? Lately, my husband and I have been working on reading the Old Testament, because I have never read the whole thing. It's hard and I don't understand a lot of it, but I am learning. When we read, we invite the spirit into our lives and homes, and that is something to be grateful for.

I have often turned to the scriptures when important questions are weighing me down, or when I am going through difficult times. No matter what my problem is, I have found peace in the scriptures. It is not always a direct answer to my question. Sometimes it is a reminder to trust the Lord. Sometimes it is a reminder to look outside of myself and serve others like Christ would. Sometimes it is a simple, but powerful reminder that God knows and loves me. Always, it is what I needed at the time.


What are you thankful for?

Church - For 3 Hours

Yes, we go to 3 hours of church every Sunday. I never realized this was so strange until I got older. I grew up with it, and I only went to other churches a handful of times. My grandparents were Lutheran, and we attended with them some Easters and for special occasions like cousins' confirmations. When it would come up to my friends, they would usually respond with an incredulous face and, "You go to church for THREE HOURS???" (Yeah, and we drove 45 minutes to get there.)

Our church gathers in congregations called wards or branches. Branches are kind of like small wards, and they are organized slightly differently because of their small number. Ward (or branch) boundaries are geographical, so you can find out which ward you would belong to by putting your address into this map.

We have no paid clergy in our church. If you attend an LDS ward near you, every person you see presiding, playing music, teaching lessons, etc. are volunteers. We are extended callings, or responsibilities in the church. Of course, accepting a calling or not is up to you, but those who are extending the callings are instructed to prayerfully consider it and seek inspiration. So, I believe that whatever calling I am given, it is because I am the needed to help someone or to grow personally from it. General Authorities (world-level leaders) are given a stipend because their church responsibilities make it impossible for them to work. All local and regional leaders maintain careers in addition to the hard work they put into the church.

Here are the three meetings.

1. Sacrament Meeting
This is the most important meeting. Everyone gathers together in the chapel, and the main purpose of the meeting is to take the sacrament. The sacrament is basically like communion in other churches. Water (instead of wine) and bread is blessed and passed to the congregation. This is our sacred time each week, to reflect on our Savior's Atonement, to repent, and to renew the covenants we made at baptism. We also pray, sing hymns, and listen to talks. The talks are given by members of the ward or branch. When a member is asked to speak, they are given a topic and a time limit. Youth (12 to 18 year olds) typically are asked to give 3 to 8 minute talks, while adults will usually give 10 to 15 minute talks. Some people are better public speakers than others, but I find that if I attend with a desire to learn something, I always do.

2. Sunday School
For sunday school, we split into several classes. The children and youth are assigned classes based on their age groups. Adults often can choose between a few classes the ward is offering at that time. Some common classes are Gospel Doctrine, Temple Preparation, Marriage and Family Relations, Mission Preparation, Family History, etc. Each of these classes has a manual published by the church with lesson outlines. Members of the ward are given a calling as teachers for one of these classes, and class participation is common. I've been attending Gospel Doctrine lately. Sunday school is a chance to learn from one another.

3. Relief Society/Priesthood/Primary, etc.
Priesthood meeting is for the men, and Relief Society is of for the women. Children ages 3 to 11 attend Primary, and youth attend Young Men or Young Women's. In each of these meetings there are prayers, hymns, and a lesson given. I'm going to talk about Relief Society, since that's what I attend. Relief Society is a sisterhood of women. We support and encourage one another. We are all about love and service. It is a beautiful organization. It is impossible for me to attend Relief Society, to sit in that room full of wonderful and strong women, and not feel the spirit. I am reminded of the divinity of my role as a woman, and of the love that God has for me.

There is also nursery for 18 mo. to 3 year olds during the last two hours of church. They have snack time, play time, music time, and a little lesson that usually involves coloring something. :)

LDS Church services are open to everyone. If you are interested in attending one to learn more you can find information (where and when) by using the map I linked above. You can also contact the missionaries who would be so thrilled to take you, sit with you, and answer any questions you have. We are asked to wear our "sunday best" out of respect for the Lord. This is typically a dress or skirt and blouse for women and a suit and tie for men. However, you would never be turned away for wearing something else. After all, my sunday best may be different than yours. It is a personal decision.

I love church. I think I usually did as a kid, too, because I got to see my church friends. Sometimes it can feel long, but if I go with and open heart it doesn't. I love the Gospel, and I also love the support system the church becomes. No matter where we move next year as we finish school, we will have a ward (or branch). There will be women who will  become my friends. There will be people willing to help us if a need ever arises. Heck, if we call up the ward we will move into and ask, they would send over a whole crew of people to help us move our things in and unpack. And I'd be willing to do the same for someone else. We are not just a congregation of people who believe the same things. We are brothers and sisters, and we are all striving to be more Christ-like. Heaven knows we aren't perfect, but we're doing our best.

The Word of Wisdom

One of the few things that most people seem to know about Mormons is that we aren't allowed to have any fun. We can't drink, no smoking or drugs. No sex before marriage. No tattoos or excessive piercings. No watching R-rated movies. We can't wear bikinis or short shorts or sleeveless tops, even if it's 100 degrees outside (unless we're exercising). I'm being a little bit facetious, but some people react to our rules with a sense of mocking. Like the rules are so stupid and controlling, and that any member of this church must be brainwashed or something. I'd like to clear that up. To be fair, nearly everybody is very respectful of my standards, even if some of them quietly think they are silly. I'll probably address issues like modesty and chastity in future posts, but today I want to talk about the way we treat our bodies.

First of all, our bodies are gifts from God. Beautiful gifts. They were created for us, and they are meant for a more eternal purpose than just this life. (Remember in the last post, I talked about how we will be resurrected like Christ? We're getting these bodies back someday.)

Me, my niece, sister, and sister-in-law. Aren't we beautiful? ;-)

Secondly, there is very little that we can do for someone (God) who has given us everything. The world, our families, our bodies, the very breath in our lungs are gifts from a loving God. What does He ask of us in return? Our will. Agency, or the ability to choose for ourselves, is another gift God gave us, and it is the only thing we are capable of giving back to Him. We serve God by submitting our will to His. We give Him the one thing we actually have control over to show Him that we love Him. That is why obedience is so important to God.

Nephi (an ancient prophet from the Book of Mormon -- great read, by the way. I recommend it.) warned us about the kinds of ideas that would be prevalent in our day. The ideas that say that you can go do what you want and have fun and never face the consequences of your actions.

 7 Yea, and there shall be many which shall say: ^aEat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us.
 8 And there shall also be many which shall say: ^aEat, drink, and be^bmerry; nevertheless, fear God—he will ^cjustify in committing a little ^dsin; yea, ^elie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a ^fpit for thy neighbor; there is ^gno harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God.
 9 Yea, and there shall be many which shall teach after this manner, ^afalse and vain and ^bfoolish ^cdoctrines, and shall be puffed up in their hearts, and shall seek deep to hide their counsels from the Lord; and their works shall be in the dark.

Spencer with our fruits and veggies
from a food co-op we joined.

Anyway, the Word of Wisdom is revelation given to Joseph Smith. It can be found and read in its entirety here. In it, the Lord warns us that alcohol, tobacco, and "hot drink", which we interpret as tea and coffee, are not good for us to consume. Hot chocolate and apple cider is totally okay. :) We are also instructed to eat healthy things. Don't eat too much meat. Grain, fruits, and vegetables are good for the body. Be grateful for the food that we have. In essence, the word of wisdom teaches us to love and care for our bodies. We are promised health, wisdom, and "treasures of knowledge" as blessings. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

In the previous chapter of the Doctrine and Covenants, a book of modern scripture, where the revelations to Joseph Smith are published, we are instructed to "cease to be idle... cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated."

Most members of the church are pretty good at the part of the word of wisdom that tells us not to drink alcohol, coffee, tea, etc. Most of us could do a little more work on the smaller details. For example, I could do a better job of getting up earlier on the weekends. I should be better about exercising and taking care of my body in that way. I should eat healthier than I do. It's a constant struggle to better ourselves and treat our bodies better. And I think we all know that when we are eating healthy and exercising, we feel good. That is what the word of wisdom is about.

In my life, I'm grateful for this guidance. Sure, not drinking means that I probably missed out on some invitations to parties or things. It means that I felt like the odd-ball out during high school sometimes. However, I have never woken up with a hang-over. I've never woken up and wondered how on earth I got there or worried about what I might have done last night. My body is not dependent on caffeine to get me going in the morning. I'm not addicted to anything. I have been blessed with a strong, healthy body. I'm doing my best to keep it that way, and I'm doing my best to follow what I understand to be the commandments of the Lord. I choose to give up some of life's "pleasures" for Him. The Word of Wisdom makes me happy.

Where We Came From, Why We're Here, and Where We're Going

Those seem to be the big three existential questions in life, don't they? After all, if we don't have some grand purpose then what is the point? It's easy to feel lost and to question your own value if you don't know the answer to these questions. Life is hard, and it takes strength and courage to keep moving sometimes. Happily, there are answers. The first parts of this post lay out the Plan of Salvation, and the last part is why it's important to me. If you only read one part, the last part will probably be more interesting.

This is a fantastic talk from 1993 that lays out the Plan of Salvation beautifully. I'm not going to try to explain all the doctrine in my post, because I want to focus on what it means to me in my life. Take a listen to the talk or you can read it by clicking this link. The video is 20 minutes long, but it is just chalk full of some of the most beautiful truths that I know. This Plan of Happiness is the basis for Mormon doctrine.

For those of you who don't want to read/ listen to Elder Oaks' (a general authority of the church) talk, I'll lay out some basic details for you. Of course, we'll use a picture to aide this discussion. The Plan of Salvation is almost always taught with a diagram like this for some reason. :)

Here's how it works. We are all literal spirit children of God. We existed as spirit beings before we came to earth (Pre-Mortal Life), and we knew each other there. God wanted us to be able to progress and become even as He is, so he came up with a beautiful plan: a plan of happiness. The Earth was created for us. We are here (Earth Life) to progress, to grow, and to receive physical bodies. God knew that we would make mistakes. We would fall, and we could not return to our Heavenly Father's presence as imperfect beings. We needed a Savior. Our eldest brother, Jesus Christ offered himself as a perfect sacrifice to atone for our sins. Through Christ we are able to become pure and perfect once again. Satan also came up with a plan. It required us to give up our agency, so everyone would be able to return. Our Heavenly Father rejected Satan's plan (agency, or the ability to choose for ourselves, is really important to Him.), and Satan fell. There was a "war in heaven", and Satan took a portion of our spirit brothers and sisters with him. They refused Heavenly Father's plan (agency) and never received bodies. They do their best to make us miserable like them, though. 

We came to Earth and "the veil" was placed over us. We cannot remember our pre-mortal life because of this veil. We came here to tried and tested. To learn and to grow. To learn the Gospel. 

When we die, our spirits go to the Spirit World. In the Spirit world, we have a chance to teach and learn the Gospel. Those who did not have the opportunity to learn of Christ and the Gospel during their earth life will be given the opportunity there. 

One day, we will all be resurrected, just like Jesus was. Our bodies will be restored to us in a perfect state, and we will face Judgement Day. At our Judgement, we will be assigned a Kingdom of Glory. The Celestial Kingdom is our ultimate goal, as those who live there will live in the presence of our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Revelation through Joseph Smith has told us that all three kingdoms will be places of peace, joy, and happiness. Those who reject this Gospel and Jesus Christ, after having a full understanding of it, will be banished to Outer Darkness (typically comparable to Hell). 

Now, this is why it's important to me.

I know that I am a daughter of God. Literally. It's harder to think that you aren't important when you hold that in mind. I am His daughter, so He loves me. He cares about me. He cares about all the stupid things that happen in my life, and it's not because they are actually important in the grand scheme of things. He cares about them simply because I care about them. He loves me with a perfect love, and He wants nothing but the best for me. I trust Him.

In addition to that, I chose to come here. I wasn't just poofed into existence on this Earth. I made a choice, and I think I had a pretty good idea of what I was signing up for. I knew it would be hard, but I also knew the opportunities it would open up to me. Each of you also made that choice. We were faithful.

Being a woman is a part of my divine nature. Gender is eternal. This may not seem very significant to a lot of people, but it resonates with me for some reason. I guess it gives me confidence in my role as a woman, as a wife, and someday as a mother.

Families are eternal. I'll talk about this more in some future post, but this is really why this plan is so beautiful to me. When my parents were married in the temple they were sealed for time and eternity. My mom's death did not signal the end of their marriage. Because I was born to parents who were sealed, I am also sealed to them. They will always be my parents. My siblings will always be my siblings. The family unit does not end here. It continues. That is why temples are so important to the LDS church. My mom will always be my mom. Adeline (my sister who also passed away) will always be my sister, and someday we will be together again as a family. We will be together forever in a place of such beauty and happiness that we can't even begin to imagine it. When I married Spencer, we were sealed in the temple. He is mine forever and ever, and nothing could make me happier.

Missionary Work

A big part of my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which I won't write out very often), is missionary work. Growing up, I always thought I would serve as a full-time missionary, but then I met Spencer and we got married.

 Full-time missionaries set aside everything else and serve for an extended period of time. Young women serve for 18 months and young men serve for 24 months. They drop school, relationships, and jobs to go proselyte and serve wherever the church sends them. The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles receive all the mission applications and assign a "call" through divine inspiration. Missionaries pay for their own missions, many saving from childhood in order to pay their way. Of course, under circumstances where a person cannot pay for their own mission, the church may help them. I have three siblings on missions right now. My brother is in Novosibirsk, Russia; my sister-in-law is in Las Vegas, Nevada; and my brother-in-law is in Eugene, Oregon. Spencer served a mission before we met in southern France. All full-time missionaries spend time in a Missionary Training Center (MTC) learning about the gospel, how to teach, and studying their new language, if they are assigned to a foreign-speaking mission.

My brother and 3 other missionaries.

Missions are hard, but the church currently has 80,000 full-time missionaries out. Why on earth would a 18 to 20-something year old do this? (Older people can also serve full-time missions after they are retired.) They don't go because they have to. They volunteer to give up years of their lives because they have something so precious, they can't not share it. They know where they came from and why they are here on earth. They know where they are going after this life. They know how to find peace and forgiveness for sins. They have something that makes them happy, and they want others to have it, too.

Anyway, while we do have amazing full-time missionaries out there, my church also has a focus on what we call member missionary work. It's the idea that we, as members living our regular lives, should be sharing the gospel with the people around us. This blog is my effort to be a better member missionary. Maybe when Spencer and I are old we'll get to serve a full-time mission together, but I still want to share now.

I'm a Mormon

I created this blog as a way to share my beliefs. I am a little nervous about this, as these are truths that I hold very close to my heart. They are so sacred to me. I am not trying to convert anyone or tell people how they ought to live their lives. I am simply sharing the things that make me happy, and maybe they will make you happy, too.

So, to start, a little about me. I grew up in a small town in an LDS (Latter-day Saint, aka Mormon) family, but there were very few mormons in my area. I'm a daughter and a sister. I'm a wife to an outstanding husband, and an aunt to 10 nieces and nephews (plus one on the way!). I'm a biology student in my senior year of college. Sometimes I love school, and sometimes I just can't wait for it to be over. I like to quilt and attempt to sew in my free time. I enjoy hiking and camping. I hate the cold, and I stink at contact sports. I have many goals and plans for life. I try to be an optimistic person, and I think I usually am. I am hopeful about the future. I enjoy seeing the good in people around me, and I try to get over my own insecurities so I can see the good in myself. I love my Savior, Jesus Christ. I'm a mormon.

Most of my growing family: