My LDS Life

There is much to be said on this topic. I’m going to briefly discuss a couple of areas that we should all pay attention to. I found a talk given in 1957 by Elder Ezra Taft Benson, who was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at that time. He was addressing the members of the church on debt. In part of his discussion, he mentioned how our U.S. goverment was shifting to a more Federally centralized focus. He was comparing the taxes of that time and how they were growing in the Federal favor.

In 1957, Elder Benson was worried about our Country’s growing dependence on the federal government. Comparing to governments in the past, he identified how one of the components of the failures of those nations came as a result of the handing over all power to the federal government.

He said,

History teaches that when individuals have given up looking after their own economic needs and transferred a large share of that responsibility to the government, both they and the government have failed.

At least twenty great civilizations have disappeared. The pattern is shockingly similar. All, before their collapse, showed a decline in spiritual values, in moral stamina, and in the freedom and responsibility of their citizens. They showed such symptoms as excessive taxation, bloated bureaucracy, government paternalism, and generally a rather elaborate set of supports, controls, and regulations, affecting prices, wages, production, and consumption.

Fast forward to today, unfortunately, our nation has compounded this mentality and we have furthered the progression of our downward slide. Our national debt was in the billions in 1956. Just 60 years later and we are now in the trillions. Our government is spending with no conscience.

Perhaps even more alarming is our consumer debt. As members of our nation, we have been blessed beyond measure with wealth as a whole. Unfortunately, many of us are guilty of living above our means. We need to get out of debt. The interest from debt never sleeps. It is merciless. It never takes a holiday or a break.

Whatever we can do, we must make it a matter to get out of debt and live within our means.

I was asked a question today that caused me to reflect on church attendance.

The person I was speaking with was telling me about the attendance difference between this week and last week at his church.
Last week was Easter Sunday. They had their 8am and 9am services combined. He told me that the church was filled.

This Sunday, however, there were about 15-20 people in attendance. This is what a typical Sunday looks like at his church. Except for Christmas and Easter.

He then asked me this question… “How does your church get people to come so often?”

I started thinking about this. I wonder why people will come to church on Christmas and Easter, yet the church walls are barren every other week. Why is this? Do they believe church is not important? What does Jesus Christ think about church?

Before His crucifixion, the Savior broke bread with His disciples. He told them to continue doing so until He comes again.

Why would Christ want us to meet together often? When we go to church we worship our God. We learn from eachother. We can strengthen eachother. A coal taken from a burning fire burns out when it’s alone.

I believe it comes down to our relationship with Christ. As we grow closer to Him, our desire to be strengthened from Him by going to church and learning more about Him grows.

I’m not sure what Jesus thinks when His followers attend church only on Christmas and Easter, yet forget to go any other time of the year. I’m not the judge. But if it were me, and my people showed up only on those days, I’d be a little disappointed.

Maybe there are other things going on in each person’s life. I don’t know everyone’s personal struggles. One thing I do know. If you are wanting to become more like Christ and if you do choose to go to church on the holidays, why not try a little more and attend your church a little more often. Your life will be enhanced. You will be happier. After all… each week, Christ will be there waiting.

Picture drawn by my ten year old daughter, Sariah today. This is the same day I spoke with the man about church attendance. She had no idea of my conversation. Even a child knows the importance of attending church.

What is the meaning of Easter?

Why do we, in the United States ‘celebrate’ Easter?

The stores are filled with pastel colored items meant for decoration.

Every year, an eager child awakes, welcoming the rays of sun barely peaking over the horizon. Jumping out of bed, the children run down the hallway with cheerful hearts. Dashing to the living room looking for the prize. What could it be? Something that a bunny left in the middle of the night. Candy and gifts in a basket.

What is Easter all about?

Who benefits from this Easter Holiday?

Millions of children gain candy and other gifts from the holiday.

Each year I reflect and wonder just how much the marketers gain by their efforts. Any holiday is a great opportunity for the marketers to capitalize on.

I began wondering how much money is spent on this, the second largest holiday of the year. Credit cards again swiped at the registers. National debts increasing even more.

But is this really the ‘second’ largest holiday of each year? To the marketers, maybe. However, I see it differently. Christ’s birth was very important. But His death was even further impacting on mankind. How so.

Going back some years there was a young man. 19 years of age, traveling across the United States and back again. Engulfed in indulging himself with harmful, addictive substances, he was searching for a better life. Money was his goal. If he could make a lot of money, his life would be happier. Traveling sales was the vehicle to provide the means.

As trials come to all men and women, so it was with this young man. Life became rough and more and more confusing every day. Having nowhere ton turn for answers, he continued to numb himself with the false senses of happiness. But the substances could not provide answers. Happiness seemed to become further than before he started his journey.

One night, he’d had enough. He wanted to know more. This time he wanted the truth, if it ever existed. Leaving his hotel room, he ran across the street to the beach. Stopping at the ocean, he is determined. Falling to his knees, a desperate cry to an unknown Being began.

“Are you out there?”, he called. “Are you real? If you are real, please let me know. I don’t want to hear it from anyone else. I want it straight from you. No other way. Please. I have to know why those who claim to know you seem to have their lives in order and my life is not. If you are there, I must know.”

Then silence.

The young man gets up and walks away from the beach, across the street, back into his hotel room for the night.

Morning comes. A new day arises. During the activities of the morning, his friend walks up to him and says, “I know why you’re feeling the way you are feeling.”
“Huh?” questions the young man.
“I know why you are feeling what you are feeling.”

“How does he know”, the young man thought. “He wasn’t with me last night. How could he possibly know my thoughts?”

“Come here,” said his friend.

They both proceed to a van. His friend beckons him to go inside the van for privacy. Together in the back of the van, the friend looks down and begins crying.

“What could my friend be crying about”, thought the young man. “He’s a tough guy. Tough guys don’t cry.”

His friend picks up a book. A religious book. The Book of Mormon.

“This is what I was going to tell you about. My family and I believe in this, but I’m not living it fully right now.”

The young man, seeing the tears in his friends eyes, respectfully listens. This is the first time he has seen this book. He quickly evaluates the validity of his friend’s statements and judges his friend to be the most honest and serving person he knows. Skeptically, however, he thinks in the back of his mind, “I trust my friend, but if I’m to read a book, it will be a bible.”

Later that evening the young man opens the Gideons Bible. He turns to a section that was directed to him from the front page – Guidance in Times of Decision – which directs to James chapter 1, verses 5-7.

5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

Bam! Lightning strikes!

The first time he opens a bible and reads it, this very verse was exactly the answer he was looking for.

Why?

Because the night before, he asked God to tell him directly who He was. And in these verses, God says, to find out who God is, Ask God. And God will answer directly. To all men. Not just to some priest. Not to someone more privileged. To All men! Even this young man.

Shocked at this revelation, the young man calls for his friend. His friend comes and reads.

Tears entering his eyes again, the friend says, “this is the exact same scriptural passage that another young boy turned to when he was searching to find out who God was 200 years ago. His name – Joseph Smith. Do you think this is a coincidence that you turned to the same scripture, not even knowing this young boy?”

“No.” said the young man.

“How do you FEEL right now?”, asked the friend.

“Good. Warm. Confident.”

“That’s the Holy Ghost. But it will go away. Do you want to feel it more in your life”

“Yes.”

“You can have it always. Read this book – The Book of Mormon. It was translated by that same young boy – Joseph Smith. It will bring you closer to Christ. But you’re going to have to change things in your life.”

“I’m willing to go through 80 years of hell to get this feeling back again.”

He said this knowing of the environment in which he lived. He had many friends who wouldn’t be changing their lives with him at that time. They would continue their ways without any feelings that the young man just witnessed. He knew it would feel like hell making the changes within his current station in life.

He knew though, that the feeling he experienced at that time left him feeling better inside than any other substance he had taken into his body – ever. Fighting whatever to get this feeling of light as his companion would take, he was ready.

With this information and the experience that just occurred, the young man goes off and commits himself to God.

“God, I want to do this. I want you in my life. I want to know more about this Jesus. Please heal me. I accept Him in my heart. Please give me His power. I will walk through 80 years of hell just to keep this Jesus with me and to feel this feeling.”

The very next day, the young man, sick with bloodshot eyes, laid on the concrete of a college parking lot, vomiting out all the impurities he had consumed that weekend before his experience. It was another dark hour, wondering what will become.

After a restful night, the young man, clean, walking with confidence, no longer desired any harmful substances. His addictions were completely gone.

How?

How was this man able to go from being captively addicted to being liberated with no desire to take these substances into his body again?

There is only one answer. It is the answer to the question of why we celebrate Easter. The answer to why Easter is more important of a season than the birth of Christ.

The Atonement. It was the Atonement of Jesus Christ. This young man had actually had a physical change within his body as a direct result of another man who bled blood from pores in his skin on a dark night – for the sins of this world.

The young man had felt the power that changed him. He was filled with hope in his own future. It began with a desire and a prayer. He received the answer in a way more real than he ever imagined.

That young man was me. It was 20 years ago when that experience took place.

Today is Easter Sunday. I wake up today with more gratitude in my heart more than ever toward my friend, Jesus Christ. 20 years ago His atonement worked on my soul. It healed my physical body.

It is no wonder to me that we are not able to say God’s name in our schools anymore. Or why everyone defends anti-Christian behaviors. When it is us who are teaching our children that Easter is about a bunny who gives candy, yet we mention nothing of a man who gave his life for us.

Who benefits from Easter?

Because Christ was resurrected, all men and women will be resurrected. All will live again. All have reason to hope. All benefit.

I hope that we will focus more on the grand event that happened long ago. He did it for us. His reach goes far beyond what any bunny could for us. Let us be honest in what we are teaching our children. He did it so we could be happy. Let’s help Him to be happy by honoring what He’s done for us.

Let’s remember He still lives today.

I am quite curious that the Lord Jesus Christ, being One who knows all, would use simple things in our lives to teach us His gospel.

Christ was among farmers. People who knew the grounds well. They understood the earth and the nature of growing things.

Hence, Parable of The Sower (and the Seed).

In Matthew 13, we read…

3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

THE 4 HEARTS

There are four situations in which the seed is planted into our hearts.

The Wayside Heart

This is a person who doesn’t understand God’s word and when the enemy of righteousness comes the word is plucked out of his heart.

The wayside is land that wasn’t tilled or cared for. It makes sense that the seeds laid there wouldn’t grow. It is a perfect ground for the birds to come and eat the seeds up.

The Stony Heart

This is the person who hears the word and likes it. They recognize the seed as a good seed and allow it to start growing inside them. However, there is no root.
When persecutions come and trials occur, this person forgets the word and leaves. This person may like the word but when it comes time to suffer because of the word, she refuses to allow it to strengthen her. She has not allowed the roots to grow deep enough to give her enough strength to weather the storms.

The Thorny Heart

When a plant tries to grow in the midst of thorns surrounding it, eventually the plant suffocates and dies. The same occurs when this person allows the worldly ways and riches to rule them. They give no place for the word to grow inside them.

The Good Ground Heart
This person hears the word, likes the word, receives the word, and cares for the word. The heart of this person is prepared. The weeds are gone. The soil is rich and nourished.
Trials still come to the heart of this person but when they do, the roots are deep because of the good ground. When the storms of life come, the good ground heart is able to weather them.
Eventually, good fruit comes, and by and by the fruit is able to be enjoyed.
This person is able to enjoy an abundant life.

Christ spoke in parables for all people from all walks of life to understand.

When I was 19 years old, I was questioning my purpose in life. I wanted to know who God was. My friends around me at the time were aware of my desires. I had been reading the Book of Mormon and working to sort my life out with God.

I remember a time when Wayne Krieger came to me in haste one afternoon. He had been showering for the day when suddenly he was stopped in his tracks and came running to my residence.

He told me that God told him that God wanted to tell me something.
He then proceeded to read the parable listed in Matthew above to me.
Then he left.

The message was received. I made up my mind that day that I was going to allow the seed to grow.

Since that day, I can honestly state that many years later I am enjoying the fruit of that tiny seed that was planted years ago.
Trials have come and gone and will continue to come. But I can state with a clear conscience that my life has been abundantly blessed.
It’s not always rosy and thorns do come, but this old tree is better off today than it was years ago. Happiness is the design of my existence and I can say, with honesty, that I have happiness in my heart.

Christ is the Word. The seed is His gospel. The ground is your heart.

Which heart do you have?

Yesterday is gone. You can’t get it back. Today is a new day.

What has been the routine of your day? Most of us wake up, go to work, come home, exercise, and/or volunteer work, watch TV, go to bed, etc. This pattern happens every day. Some among us are fine with this routine. I never have been. At least not without knowing WHY I do it?

A while ago, I pondered the question, “What is MY Purpose in life?”. I’m not talking about being a doctor or a fireman or policeman. Those are great things. But I’ve always been uncomfortable with the idea that when we die, there is no more of us.

If the end brings to us just a silent grave with nothing else, then, what purpose do we have in this life?

I believe it comes down to two factors that will determine the answer to this question.

1. There is NO God. Therefore, there is NO life after death
2. There IS a God. Therefore, there is a life after death

In later posts, I’d like to explore these two factors more, but for the sake of this one I will pose that if there is no God and there is no life after this life, then there is really no purpose to our living. Life becomes survival of the fittest, and we wake up to work, just because we need to stay alive.

However, if there is a God, then there is a life after death. Which also means we need to find out WHO this God is and prepare ourselves to meet Him.

Then answer to the question of “Is there really a God?” has a significant impact on what our purpose in life becomes.

The good news is, there IS a God. But the better news is, He is a loving God. He loves us. He is not a cold, distant being that has no connection to us unworthy bodies walking around here on earth. He is our Father. Just as a good father loves his children, God loves us.

The purpose of our life is to find happiness. The kind of happiness that lasts. Once we align ourselves with this knowledge, we will begin to seek the things that bring our souls inner peace. The sources that bring our souls inner peace are many. I personally find happiness in praying, reading the scriptures, serving others, participating in wholesome activities, listening to uplifting music.

What about you? Do you agree? Disagree? I’d like to know. Are you happy? What do you do to find happiness in your soul?
Please post your comments below.

Last weekend hosted our bi-annual General Conference. It was a very good conference. Our family was able to enjoy each session while watching it over the Internet.
I find it interesting that with every General Conference there are no assigned topics. Every speaker has their own freedom on what they choose to talk about. There is no collaboration. Yet, there are quite a few commonalities that always surface.

There are at least two themes I was able to pull out from the talks this season.

THE FAMILY
One emphasis that the speakers really drove home was ‘The Family’. This included taking a very active and alert role in teaching our children. Parents are divinely appointed to rear children with the gospel light. We must stand tall and be examples to them. If we don’t, others will. We must make sure we know our appointed callings as parents and leaders.

THE PRIESTHOOD
The second theme that occurred often to me was ‘The Priesthood’. As men we need to come to realize the power we hold when we hold the priesthood. We must live worthy. Without righteous women, we are ineffective with our priesthood authority. The priesthood is the authority to act in God’s name. Let us be God-like if we expect to utilize it’s power then.

PEACE BE WITH YOU
A less direct, but perhaps a hidden 3rd message I got from it was ‘to be at peace’. So much talk is going on about our world involving conspiracies with the government and conspiring people. It seems as though much time is spent on exposing how our system in the United States has gone the ways of corrupt men and women. Hearing of the things that people in leadership do to build up their own self gain can be discouraging and can even shake our faith at times. It can be scary when we discover what people are doing in our Country and throughout the world.

I’m not a political “know all” kind of person, but I have tuned into the political talk surrounding our Country. I’ll leave the rest at that. This is not a political blog so I see no need to go further into politics here.??Every General Conference, however, we can’t help to wonder if our Spiritual leaders will say things to give us some direction regarding our present situations. The US economy is in the tank, jobless rates are higher than ever, people are losing homes, etc.

“When will our leaders tell us to pack up and move?”, we might ask.

Well, we need to remember a few things about our church. It is a worldwide church. The prophet is not a prophet of the United States only. He is the prophet of the whole world. So, why would he address only the United States in General Conference? I think that would be arrogant of us Americans to think we are the only people he is addressing in these meetings. Imagine if the leadership were headquartered in Spain and at every General Conference we only heard about Spain and her problems, etc. It is not fair for all people in the world to have to sit through our problems here in America when they came to be edified by the Spirit of God.

FEAR IS THE OPPOSITE OF FAITH
The 3rd theme of ‘being at peace’ is one that I walk away with after each conference. The news and talk shows continue to dwell on the negatives in this world. They cry of warnings that our world will end. Hasn’t the Lord already told us of wars and rumors of wars?

This General Conference I heard nothing of exposing the corruptions and telling us what to do. Instead I heard of exercising faith in our loving God, focusing on personal righteousness, teaching our children to know God, and looking forward to the future.

We weren’t directly told what we were to do about all the calamities before us, however, if we listened carefully, we actually were told what to do.

I felt peace as I listened to the speakers last weekend. When I listen to the news media I get uneasy and fear sets in. When I listened to my leaders last weekend I honestly felt peace. “By there fruits ye shall know them”. Peace is a feeling that cannot be mimicked by the adversary. One only feels peace or they do not. I felt peace. Today I still do feel peace as I am tuning less into the news and more into my leaders. Peace is the fruit that is coming from it.

General Conference is a time for contemplation. The themes will come differently to different people. How about you? Have you watch it lately? If so, what did you get out of it?

While I was taking the sacrament today I felt good inside. I felt light and warm in my heart. My mind was clear and I was able to focus on these feelings.

The Lord told us how we would feel when truth is presented to us.

In the Doctrine and Covenants, He states:

“But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.
But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong; therefore, you cannot write that which is sacred save it be given you from me. (D&C 9: 8 – 9)

This is how it happened with me. (more…)

Last week was very time consuming at work and the weekdays left me little time to be with the people who mean the most to me – My Family. It seems as though I spend alot of time working, and then get frustrated as I watch my family growing up around me. The weekend brings more obligations outside of work, while still begging for more time away from what matters most.

It seems, however, that I’m not alone in my battles of everyday living. Wounded from the emotional stresses of the work week, I hesitantly got out of bed early this morning and sat myself down in church, (just like I do every week). I’m usually very excited for Sundays and look forward to my ‘fellowshipping with the saints’. Except this morning was a little more difficult for me to be motivated into going as the warm bed and soft pillow kept beckoning me to stay a little longer.

I knew, however, that I’d find myself refreshed and strengthened if I went to church today. What I didn’t expect, was a wake up call into a greater realization of others who are struggling just like me. I’m talking about people who we normally look at as ‘bullet proof’. You know, the ones who never show a sign of distress in their lives. Those ‘other’ people who ‘have it all’. The ones who were ‘destined’ to be secure in all they do. These are the people who are usually the ‘giving’ kind. Always giving of their time and means to others whether it’s through leadership positions or other ways.

It is ‘those’ people who showed their vulnerabilities today. I realized, as real people shared real experiences of how they are being challenged, that life is never all rosy, even in the lives of those who we think have it ‘all together’.

Everyone goes through challenges. We all have trials and struggles. I know this. But sometimes it seems as though some people have ‘better lives’ than we do. Or, that we have harder challenges than others.

I learned awhile ago that if we were to take everyone’s trials and put them all in a pile in front of us, then had the ability to pick and choose which trials we’d want back, we’d probably choose our own that we began with.

My trials are mine. I’m grateful that I have personalized trials. I don’t think I’d be able to handle someone else’s trials. I don’t want their trials. But I do know, though, that everyone has trials, and they are very personal, and very real to that person.

And how does God fit into all of this? What does He do for us? When does He take our trials away? Does He? Can He? Will He?

(more…)

“Let us not devote our God-given talents and energies solely to setting earthly anchors, but rather let us spend our days growing spiritual wings.”
- Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor, First Presidency, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Last Saturday a group of members got together to give some time to working on the LDS Welfare farm in our Stake.

Our assigned task was to dig mud out of an irrigation trench. 

I found out later that the mud had been gathering for 6 years and this year the Church received an allotment of water in that area of land.  Cotton will be grown there as I was told that within the last couple of years the storehouse had ran out of wheat due to the economy.  So, in order to grow more wheat, area church farmlands replaced their cotton crops with desperately needed wheat.  This year, in our Stake’s area of land, cotton will be grown.  It will only be done because there is enough water from a neighboring river and the government has given our stake land the go ahead for water.

That was an interesting fact for me to learn.  However, something else, more of a miracle took place that morning.  (more…)