Church this Week

 I absolutely loved church services this week. It started with Relief Society. We discussed the talk Draw Near unto Me by President Henry B. Eyring. I love this talk. In it, he talks about how we can draw closer to Christ. It goes along with Doctrine and Covenants 88:63:

"Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you: seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

I love this verse! Even when I struggled with my testimony, I believed in the power of prayer. Whenever I struggle spiritually, mentally, physically, etc., I know I can turn to prayer. I know that my Heavenly Father is always there for me and listens to my prayer. I have gone through enough difficulties in my life that I know He will not always pull us out of them immediately. We have to trust His timing. I can't say my life is perfect, but I can it is better than it was in the past.

Another way that I draw closer to my Savior is reading my scriptures. I have struggled with this in the past. At a particularly hard time in my life,  I sat in my stake president's office and told him that I struggled with my testimony because I didn't understand why I had to go through another trial. I felt like I had a harder life than anyone else around me. (I have learned since that was not always true.) He asked me what spiritual habits I had. I told him I personally was fasting with a purpose on Fast Sundays, praying and journaling about it daily, and reading the Doctrine and Covenants daily (the scriptures we were studying in Sunday School that year). I explained that I didn't understand how the Doctrine and Covenants applied to me and thought trying to study it was making things worse for my testimony. His simple response was to tell me to stop reading it. He didn't judge me for my struggle, he plainly gave me practical advise that would help. Since then, I have grown to love the scriptures, all of them. We are studying the Doctrine and Covenants again this year in Sunday School. I read through it by the middle of the year for the first time, and I could feel the Spirit as I did so. As I have progressed in the gospel, I have learned to love my time spent studying the word of God. 

I have also learned to love my service in the temple. I liked the temple when I was younger, but when I stopped going, I was more worried what other people would think of me not going than what I was missing out on because I didn't really understand what I was doing. I memorized what I needed to as an ordinance worker, but I didn't know why it was important. I am at a different place spiritually. I love the changes that have been made that make the ordinances more clear. I love going with my husband. He has become such a spiritual person and makes me want to continue to grow. The more we go to the temple together, the more I want to be there. One of the best decisions we made on our recent trip was to go to a temple at each stop. I hope to be able to do that on more trips. 

I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am thankful that He made a way for us to return to Him and our Father in Heaven. The way to learn of Him and return to Him is simple and hard at the same time. When we are willing to take the time and put forth the effort to learn of Him and draw nearer to Him, we receive blessings. I am thankful that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me so much that He sent His son as a sacrifice for my sins. It was pointed out in Sacrament Meeting that Christ was part mortal, so he truely felt the pains and sorrows of mortality. When we reach out to Him in prayer, we can know that we are not alone. We can be lifted up by Him and through Him. I love my Savior!

Be Still

 About 4 months ago, Chad and I went to the temple and prayed for guidance on what to do with our professional lives. After doing an endowment session, we sat and prayed and soaked in the peace of the Celestial Room. As we did so, I go the impression to "be still." The longer we sat there, the stronger the feeling was that I just needed to be still. 

We drove home talking about our impressions. He seemed to be given a clear answer, but I was quite confused about what I felt I was being told to do. What did "be still" mean? As I contemplated it over the next few days, I decided to lean into it and try to figure it out. I even bought stickers with a scripture about being still on them. I began to think that it meant that I didn't need to do anything other than support my husband in his endeavors. I had been going to school for quite a while, and he had supported me for so long. Maybe it was his turn to shine. As time went on, I think I became more chaotic in some ways rather than still and supportive. 

Fast forward to last night. I was reading, annotating, and highlighting a General Conference talk that I had chosen at random from my General Conference Addresses: Journal Edition book from the most recent conference. The talk it landed on when I opened it was, "Seek Him with all Your Heart" by Bishop L. Todd Budge. The theme I picked up on from it was the importance of being still. THIS WAS THE ANSWER I WAS LOOKING FOR! It had been right here in a talked given in October. How did I not catch that months ago? 

In this talk he has many nuggets that stuck out to me. First of all, he quoted President Nelson saying in 2021, "...quiet time is sacred time - time that will facilitate personal revelation and instill peace." He later points out, "The gospel of Jesus Christ gives us opportunities to return to Him often. These opportunities include daily prayers, scripture study, the sacrament ordinance, the Sabbath day, and temple worship...what may be needed is not necessarily more time but more awareness of and focus on God during the times we already set aside for Him." The final nugget that stood out to me was, "As we concentrate our hearts and minds on Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and listen to the still, small voice of the Holy Ghost, we will have greater clarity about what is most needful, develop deeper compassion, and find rest and strength in Him."

I don't need to just do nothing. I don't need to sit back and support my husband. I need to be still as I develop a deeper relationship with my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. As I do so, I will have more clarity in my life and receive answers to my questions. I need to let go of the chaos and lean further into the light available to me through the gospel.

After We Do All We Can Do

For many years, I have heard people at church say that the Lord will help us after we do all we can do. I understand that He loves effort, but I don’t think it means we can’t go to Him while we are still searching for answers. 

I know my Heavenly Father wants to help me along in this life. He wants me to reach out to Him throughout the trial. That doesn’t mean we will be given the answer to a problem right away, but it does mean He will comfort me when I need it, clear my mind when it is jumbled, give me peace in tribulations, and so much more. Prayer is one of the tools we have been given to help us through this life. Sometimes prayer is “all we can do.” I refuse to believe that a loving God doesn’t understand that. Sometimes, the mental clarity or comfort is what we need to find a solution. This is also ok. 

I think it is dangerous to tell people they have to do everything they can on their own before they ask for divine intervention. It can feel lonely, confusing, and difficult to get through the hardest parts of life without reaching out to our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ. Nephi didn’t build a boat poorly before asking for help. He asked for help and acted upon the inspiration he received. Moses called upon the Lord for help when the people were hungry and thirsty, and he wasn’t turned away. What makes us think we are better than the prophets of the scriptures? 

I know the Lord ways to help me and is willing to guide me. I may be called to action, and I hope to be able to answer that call. However, I could be given other aides that I need at the time. 

President Nelson’s Messages

 

President Russell M. Nelson is the president and prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He leads the Church in the Lord’s way, with love and kindness. He became the prophet in 2018 after the passing of Thomas S. Monson. 

A while ago, I heard someone talking about how they were listening to all of President Nelson’s messages in the Gospel Library app. At the time I thought they were crazy. Who has the time to search through all of the talks, devotionals, and articles he has done since becoming the Prophet? Well, you don’t have to do all of that searching. Someone has already done it, and it has been put in the app as a study plan that can be followed. When I was done listening/relistening to the conference talks from the last General Conference, I was searching for my next plan, and this one came up. I thought it sounded interesting and queued it up. Since then, I have listened to one message a day(most days). It has been an interesting experience. I have learned from almost all of his messages, even the short ones that are mainly temple announcements. I have noticed a change in how I study scriptures and view my relationships. I have felt closer to my Heavenly Father. I have given myself more goals. I have a more positive outlook on life. 

I would highly suggest that others search out President Nelson’s messages. I know there are more from his time as a general authority. I think I will have to search them out, but this is a good start. 

Struggling is Okay

When I was growing up, I was lead to believe that I would have very little struggles if I were to be faithful. I understand where this advice was coming from, but it is dangerous advice and not true. There were time in my life when I felt on top of the world spiritually, doing my very best to do what was right, but my world came crashing down on me anyway. 

Life is not easy no matter who you are and what path you choose to follow. There was a talk during this last conference that addressed this very issue. (I don’t remember who was speaking or if it was from the Sunday morning or afternoon session.) When we struggle, we are not alone. Jesus Christ suffered all, and we can draw on His strength when we need it the most. He is there to comfort us when times are hard. 

Does this mean everything will get better just by praying, reading scriptures, and going to church? No. We have been given access to get help when it is needed. There is no reason to be ashamed of reaching out to a professional or taking medication for these struggles. My mom did it, and I’m glad she did. I’ve done it from time to time and should probably do it more often. When we use these tools in combination with being faithful to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, we can be made whole. 

“…peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.

Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands.”

Doctrine and Covenants 121:7-9