Our LDS Life

I have decided that people who call us a cult are doing us a favor. Why? Because those who have gotten to know more than one Latter-day Saint well, see that we are good people who love the Lord. The vast difference between what people see/know about us and what those who dislike us purport is enough to stir the curiosity and make our friends ask questions about our beliefs. At this point we can share with them what we truly believe.  This includes our testimonies of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior of the world, and the Book of Mormon’s power to bring us closer to Him.

Our task? Live our religion and let Christ’s transforming power take hold in our lives… then open our mouths and share the amazing things the Lord is doing in our lives. By their fruits ye shall know them…. Let our lives speak for themselves and then have the humility to connect the dots back to where credit is rightly due… to the Savior and the Book of Mormon that testifies of Him!

“Discipleship is not a spectator sport. We cannot expect to experience the blessings of faith by standing inactive on the sidelines anymore than we can experience the benefits of health by sitting on the sofa watching sporting events and giving advice to the athletes,” President D. F. Uchtdorf, April 2009 General Conference.

The people in Jerusalem never asked Jesus what he meant by “other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice and there shall be one fold and one shepherd” (John 10:16). They thought he referred to the Gentiles and were satisfied with the answer they’d come up with in their own minds. So they never asked more. Had they asked, He would have told them. But they didn’t ask. They thought they knew the answer (3 Nephi 15:17-21).

Have you ever wondered how many things we “think” we know that we really don’t? How many times are we satisfied with the answers our own minds concoct instead of asking if there is more? What if there is more that God would like to give us, but because we do not ask, we do not receive?

Have you ever been reading the scriptures and run across something you don’t quite understand. You glance at it for a second, perhaps make some cursory judgment as to what it might mean, and then move on — forgetting all about it. I’ve done that a thousand times. But what if we stopped and took the time to ask? It’s in there for a reason, isn’t it?

Do we really believe the prophets wrote things as “filler?” Did they have a quota of pages they needed to fill and some of it was just fluff to get to the right word count?  Quite the opposite for the Book of Mormon. Mormon and Moroni were super conscious about how much ore they had. They took time to think about what they included and made sure everything served a purpose. If that is the case, then why do we gloss over some passages that we don’t understand … never taking the time to ask?

The very essence of Joseph Smith’s ability to receive revelation was his willingness to ask. His experience in the sacred grove began with a question. The Word of Wisdom came from a question. Most of the doctrines restored to earth came as Joseph was translating the Bible and had questions along the way. There’s Paul’s question “why are they then baptized for the dead if the dead rise not at all?” which led to the restoration of that principle (1 Corinthians 15:29, D&C 128:16). The entire section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants about the degrees of glory came from Joseph’s observations from the Bible, “It appeared self-evident from what truths were left, that if God rewarded every one according to the deeds done in the body, the term ‘Heaven,’ as intended for the Saints’ eternal home, must include more kingdoms than one.”

Repeatedly the Prophet Joseph showed us the way to dig, ask questions and get answers for ourselves. Why then, are we satisfied with mediocrity in our scripture study or in studying what modern prophets and apostles have to say? Do we assume answers are only given to prophets? Are they the only ones entitled to insights and answers? While it’s true that prophets are the only ones who declare official church doctrine, it doesn’t mean that the rest of us should be lazy bums and not search for answers on our own. We shouldn’t go about declaring our insights as doctrine, but there are so many wonderful truths to be had that can enrich our lives and give us peace. But we have to ask!

Joe J. Christensen in an article entitled, “Toward Greater Spirituality: Ten Important Steps” from the June 1983 Ensign said,

“What a blessing it would be if all of us would receive more spiritual strength and personal revelation than we do. President Brigham Young said, ‘There is no doubt, if a person lives according to the revelations given to God’s people, he may have the Spirit of the Lord to signify to him his will, and to guide and to direct him in the discharge of his duties, in his temporal as well as his spiritual exercises. I am satisfied, however, that in this respect, we live far beneath our privileges.’ (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. and arr. by John A. Widtsoe, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1973, p. 32; emphasis added.)

So why do we settle, when all we have to do is search, ponder and ask?

Have you ever experienced something that you just couldn’t put into words? Something wonderful, something amazing, that you wish you could share with those you love?  So many times I’ve wished I could just pour knowledge into someone else’s heart so that she wouldn’t have to suffer and learn it the hard way.

Why is this? I believe there are some things in life that words can never describe – truths that words can never adequately convey.

When Joseph Smith was in Liberty Jail, he was in horrible conditions – cold, malnourished, and cramped in a prison cell where he could not even stand up. On top of that, he knew members of the Church were being persecuted, their homes pillaged, and they were being driven from the state of Missouri. His wife Emma was alone with the children and in danger with the others. Joseph cried out to the Lord, feeling as if he were alone and wondering how long he and those he loved must suffer.

The answer came and is recorded in D&C 122. Here’s an excerpt:

“And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of  hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience and shall be for thy good.”

What is so important about experience that no matter what horrible things we endure, it is worth it for the experience? Paul said it this way:

“We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Romans 5:3-5)

When I’m teaching youth or even adults, I often feel as if words are inadequate to convey what’s in my heart. How can I adequately explain what it feels like to know the Savior in my heart? To feel His love that swells my soul? How can I explain what it means to really trust, to let go, and give Him your cares? How can I convey what it’s like not to worry because I know and trust that come what may, He is in control and that all things will work together for my good?

To me the words sound trite. For some they may sound impossible to comprehend. It is by experience that I have gained this knowledge. It isn’t head knowledge. It’s heart knowledge. I’ve spent most of my life studying the scriptures and the words of prophets who taught these things, but not until I experienced what it felt like to have no one and nothing to count on but God, did I learn what it means to really trust Him and to know that He is there. In my adversity, I experienced Him! I came to know and love Him.

In our darkest hours, we have the potential to gain the most illuminating wisdom – to know at a soul-level that Jesus is the Christ and that His love is amazing beyond words.

Maybe this is why when He visited the American continent after His resurrection, the Nephites recorded:

“No tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father” (3 Nephi 17:17).

When it comes to Jesus Christ, words are inadequate.

I think many times the entire purpose of sitting in church and listening to people testify of Christ and His gospel is to give us the faith necessary to experiment for ourselves. We lean on other people’s testimonies long enough to gain the desire necessary to experiment. At last, we take a leap of faith and act upon a principle. By doing so, we reap a blessing. That blessing affirms to us that the principle is true. Step by step, we experiment upon principles until we learn to trust Him.

As we go through difficult times and have the faith to keep walking, keep obeying, and keep living true to the knowledge we’ve gained, we come to know Him personally. We come to realize that nothing in this world is real, but Him. Nothing lasts, nothing matters, only Him and His infinite love and the relationships that we forge with each other in that love.

A friend has been teaching me how to use Christ-centered meditations to gain insights, answers, and remove emotional blocks. Most importantly Christ-centered meditation leads one to a place where s/he can feel the Savior’s unconditional love. It can truly be an amazing experience.

Since I always like to make sure that anything I’m learning is in keeping with gospel principles, I did some research on the subject and found this quote by President David O. McKay:

“I think we pay too little attention to the value of meditation, a principle of devotion. … Meditation is the language of the soul. It is defined as ‘a form of private devotion or spiritual exercise, consisting in deep, continued reflection on some religious theme.’ Meditation is a form of prayer. …

“Meditation is one of the most secret, most sacred doors through which we pass into the presence of the Lord” (Man May Know for Himself, comp. Clare Middlemiss [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1969], pp. 22–23).

That last sentence really stood out to me, and I have found it to be true.

My mother found this in a talk she had by President Ezra Taft Benson. Seems appropriate for today:

“For nearly six thousand years, God has held you in reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the second coming of the Lord.  Some individuals will fall away; but the kingdom of God will remain intact to welcome the return of its head - even Jesus Christ.  While our generation will be comparable in wickedness to the days of Noah, when the Lord cleansed the earth by flood, there is a major difference this time.  It is that God has saved for the final inning some of His strongest children, who will help bear off the kingdom triumphantly.  That is where you come in, for you are the generation that must be prepared to meet your God.”

……”In all ages prophets have looked down through the corridors of time to our day.  Billions of the deceased and those yet to be born have their eyes on us.  Make no mistake about it - you are a marked generation.  There has never been more expected of the faithful in such a short period of time than there is of us.  Never before on the face of this earth have the forces of evil and the forces of good been as well organized.  Now is the great day of the devil’s power.  But now is also the great day of the Lord’s power, with the greatest number ever of priesthood holders on the earth.”

“We will live in the midst of economic, political and spiritual instability. When these signs are observed - unmistakable evidences that His coming is nigh - we need not be troubled, but “stand in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come” (D&C 87:8).  Holy men and women stand in holy places and these holy places consist of our temples, our chapels, our homes, and stakes of Zion, which are, as the Lord declared, “for a defense and a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth” (D&C 115:6).  We must heed the Lord’s counsel to the Saints of this dispensation: “Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord.” (D&C 133:10)

“This preparation must consist of more than just casual membership in the Church.  We must be guided by personal revelation and the counsel of the living prophet so we will not be deceived.  Our Lord has indicated who, among Church members, will stand when He appears: “At that day, when I shall come in my glory shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins.” (D&C 45:56)

I was reading Alma 29 yesterday morning and something struck me in this passage I hadn’t really thought about before. I’m sure you’re familiar with this one, but please read it again with me:

“O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people! Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth. But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me.”

“I ought not to harrow up in my desires, the firm decree of a just God, for I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction.” (Alma 29:1-4)

I’ve always thought this a rather sad passage, perhaps because I’ve felt a lot like Alma at times wishing I could say the words that would lead millions of souls to Christ. Alma explains why this is such a great desire of his heart in verse 10:

“When I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember what the Lord has done for me, yea even that he hath heard my prayer; yea then do I remember his merciful arm he extended towards me.”

I agree with Alma, there is no greater joy than watching people come unto Christ. When you’re a part of that process, you do feel the love of God for you and others. You remember God’s infinite mercy toward you. This intense gratitude fills you with an indescribably joy. It is that joy that Alma seeks. Again, I can relate to Alma, and this passage has always been bittersweet for me, knowing God will not infringe upon the agency of others, and that Alma (and I) must be grateful for the influence allotted to us.

BUT, something occurred to me yesterday that I never saw before. Notice how Alma insists that God grants to us according to our desires. What about Alma’s desires? Were they so horrible? So out of line? Did God ever grant Alma’s desires? I say He did. He just didn’t do it in quite the way Alma envisioned. If you read further in the Book of Mormon, you’ll see that Alma was translated just as Moses was. In other words, just as Moses became an angel, Alma also became an angel! Also, Alma wanted his words to be broadcast to the world at large. How many people have read Alma’s words in the Book of Mormon? Church membership sits at 13 million today. The Book of Mormon has been translated into over a hundred languages. Alma’s words have influenced and continue to influence the entire world!

In other words, God did give Alma the desires of his heart. It just came in a time and in a way slightly different than Alma envisioned. What do we take away from this? Don’t bury your righteous desires. Pursue them, believe in them, and KNOW that God grants the righteous desires of His followers in His own time and in His own way.

I think President Gordon B. Hinckley sums it up best:

“Believe in yourself. Believe in your capacity to do great and good things. Believe that no mountain is so high that you cannot climb it. Believe that no storm is so great that you cannot weather it. You are not destined to be a scrub. You are a child of God, of infinite capacity.

“Believe that you can do it–whatever it is that you set your heart on. Opportunities will unfold and open before you. The skies will clear when they have been dark with portent.”

I’ve always had a soft spot for Joseph Smith’s wife Emma Smith. One incident in particular to me encapsulates Emma’s devotion and love for her husband. As she stood over Joseph’s casket, one man came up to her and said, “Sister, endure this well and a crown will be yours.” To this Emma responded, “You don’t understand, my husband was my crown.”

Emma’s devotion to Joseph through all the persecution He endured is remarkable and I love this video and song that is a tribute to an elect lady.

This is a video I did for the 9th Annual SheLovesGod.com Virtual Womens Conference. It’s about about how to thrive in troubled times by keeping your eyes on Jesus Christ.

I really enjoyed this video by a fellow member of the church where she shares her thoughts and feelings about General Conference and her conversion story.