Week 45: The Divine Gift of Gratitude

Hello Friends,


As I considered what to share this month, I found this wonderful talk by President Monson from last year's October Conference. As we begin the Thanksgiving Season, we have an opportunity to focus on our many blessings and encouraging our families to also practice recognizing blessings. I just spoke with a mom who plans to challenge her children to write a thank you note each day to someone they know.

President Monson shares many wonderful insights. Here are a couple of my favorites:

--Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love.

--Notice that the Savior gave thanks for what they had—and a miracle followed. (The 7 loaves and a few fishes miracle. Gratitude was expressed for the little they had.)

-- If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues. Someone has said that “gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”

--Let us follow Him. Let us emulate His example. Let us obey His words. By so doing, we give to Him the divine gift of gratitude.


I am grateful for the inspiring story of Corrie & Betsie ten Boom from "The Hiding Place." They learned to thank God for the fleas in their prison room, for the fleas kept the guards away and allowed the sisters to conduct forbidden Bible study meetings. We don't usually have to look so hard or find things so unpleasant to be grateful for.

I would like to add my testimony that gratitude is a divine gift. Through it we open ourselves to feel the Spirit and Heavenly Father's love for us. The more we exercise this character trait, the more readily we see and feel gratitude for our countless blessings. Gratitude is one of our most meaningful forms of worship. You might like saying a gratitude only prayer.

A marvelous Season of Gratitude and Thanksgiving to each of you!


Much Love,

The Divine Gift Of Gratitude

President Thomas S. Monson

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Week 4: The Best is Yet To Be

We're four weeks into a brand new year. 27 days down....648 hours...38,880 minutes. As you read this, seconds are ticking into the past. The New Year for me always signifies a fresh start, a new day, an exciting look towards the future. I recently read something that said, "Do you know why a car's windshield is so large and the rearview mirror is so small? It's because what's behind us isn't as important as what's ahead of us...so look ahead, move on and enjoy the journey" We are going through some major transitions in our home right now. We're adjusting to a new baby, 6 kids, a new city, a new home (8 people in a small 3 bdrm duplex), my husband returning to school for his Master's and living as "students" but with a huge family. With all these changes bring uncertainty, I don't know what lies ahead for us. I'd rather not admit it but I've spent the better part of the month wishing for yesterday. Wishing I could turn back the hands of time and change the last 4 months of craziness. Somedays I go farther back and dwell in the glory of days past and wallow in self pity of where I stand now. As I searched for comfort and prayed for guidance I found these words by Jeffrey R. Holland, "...faith is always pointed toward the future. Faith always has to do with blessings and truths and events that will yet be efficacious in our lives." I realize I need to exude more faith in the Lord. More faith in his plan for me and my family. More faith in the fact that he guided us here and we are in his hands. I need to stop doubting the Lord's ability to give me something more, something better than I've already had. In his time. I'm starting to feel like my future is bright...the best is yet to be.

My contribution this week is two part. First, please watch this Mormon Message entitled "New Year's: Look Not Behind Thee". Then listen to or read Jeffrey R. Holland's talk entitled, "The Best is Yet to Be"

**Before you play the video be sure to pause the music player on the right side of the blog**





MP3 and PDF text here



Text of talk here

Week 46: The Divine Gift of Gratitude

                                                                    Design by www.shabbyprincess.com

A very fitting topic for this month and our upcoming holiday next week, Gratitude. The talk I featured today is from the most recent General Conference. I read it to my family last night and truly felt gratitude for this great man, President Thomas S. Monson. His simple way of story telling really helps to bring his message straight to one's heart. There were several quotes from this talk that I loved below is one of them.

"A grateful heart, then, comes through expressing gratitude to our Heavenly Father for His blessings and to those around us for all that they bring into our lives. This requires conscious effort—at least until we have truly learned and cultivated an attitude of gratitude. Often we feel grateful and intend to express our thanks but forget to do so or just don’t get around to it. Someone has said that “feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”

I made a handout above as a reminder  to learn to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. I hope you can have a great Thanksgiving holiday and enjoy this message too.

MP3 Link

The Divine Gift of Gratitude

Thomas S. Monson

...My brothers and sisters, do we remember to give thanks for the blessings we receive? Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love.

My beloved friend President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “When you walk with gratitude, you do not walk with arrogance and conceit and egotism, you walk with a spirit of thanksgiving that is becoming to you and will bless your lives.”

In the book of Matthew in the Bible, we have another account of gratitude, this time as an expression from the Savior. As He traveled in the wilderness for three days, more than 4,000 people followed and traveled with Him. He took compassion on them, for they may not have eaten during the entire three days. His disciples, however, questioned, “Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?” Like many of us, the disciples saw only what was lacking.

“And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And [the disciples] said, Seven, and a few little fishes.

“And [Jesus] commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.

“And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.”

Notice that the Savior gave thanks for what they had—and a miracle followed: “And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.”

We have all experienced times when our focus is on what we lack rather than on our blessings. Said the Greek philosopher Epictetus, “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”

Read the complete talk HERE.




Week 39: Charity Never Faileth

Hello Friends,


This Week's talk is President Monson's talk from the 2010 General Relief Society Meeting. As I watched this talk, I realized how much I have come to love and revere our Prophet. It is amazing to me that he can bring us all to laughter without saying a word as he begins his talk. I am grateful for his powerful reminder of something I need much improvement with. He is a master teacher. His visual parables have given me much to ponder as I seek to apply his counsel. What powerful stories he shared! I appreciate his quote from Mother Teresa that "If you judge people, you have no time to love them." I also appreciate his insights about charity as it applies to how we look at each other.

How blessed we are to have a Prophet of God who speaks to us of things significant and applicable today. I think the Relief Society meeting is the perfect segway to prepare our hearts and minds to receive more direction from the Savior this coming weekend. I know as we prayerfully consider and prepare, answers will come and testimonies will be strengthened. Truly, we have the opportunity to sit at the feet of the Savior and be taught by the Spirit as we listen to Prophets and Apostles.

A wonderful Conference weekend to you,

Charity Never Faileth

President Thomas S. Monson

MP3 Link

Our souls have rejoiced tonight and reached toward heaven. We have been blessed with beautiful music and inspired messages. The Spirit of the Lord is here. I pray for His inspiration to be with me now as I share with you some of my thoughts and feelings.

I begin with a short anecdote which illustrates a point I should like to make.
A young couple, Lisa and John, moved into a new neighborhood. One morning while they were eating breakfast, Lisa looked out the window and watched her next-door neighbor hanging out her wash.
“That laundry’s not clean!” Lisa exclaimed. “Our neighbor doesn’t know how to get clothes clean!”
John looked on but remained silent.
Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, Lisa would make the same comments.
A few weeks later Lisa was surprised to glance out her window and see a nice, clean wash hanging in her neighbor’s yard. She said to her husband, “Look, John—she’s finally learned how to wash correctly! I wonder how she did it.”
John replied, “Well, dear, I have the answer for you. You’ll be interested to know that I got up early this morning and washed our windows!”
Tonight I’d like to share with you a few thoughts concerning how we view each other. Are we looking through a window which needs cleaning? Are we making judgments when we don’t have all the facts? What do we see when we look at others? What judgments do we make about them?
Said the Savior, “Judge not.”1 He continued, “Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?”2 Or, to paraphrase, why beholdest thou what you think is dirty laundry at your neighbor’s house but considerest not the soiled window in your own house?
None of us is perfect. I know of no one who would profess to be so. And yet for some reason, despite our own imperfections, we have a tendency to point out those of others. We make judgments concerning their actions or inactions.
There is really no way we can know the heart, the intentions, or the circumstances of someone who might say or do something we find reason to criticize. Thus the commandment: “Judge not.” Read the rest HERE.



Week 38: When My Prayers Seem Unanswered

I have shared this talk before but recently I have been hearing about this topic again. I wanted to share this talk once more because of its wonderful counsel and help in understanding the way the Lord answers our prayers.

I recently experienced an answer to a prayer that I have been asking for more than 18 years! While traveling alone from an appointment. In the solitude of my van the Lord answered my hearts prayer peacefully and quietly. I felt overwhelmed by the simplicity of the answer. Then as if to prove further the answer was true, my mind was filled with memories of experiences I have had over the past years that have prepared me to receive and accept the words sent to my heart and mind at this time. Little did I know that over the years, my prayers were indeed being answered by the Lord. He was preparing a "holding place in my heart to put the answer". I will never be able to look at my past again without deep gratitude and humility.

I know the Lord Jesus Christ lives! I know He loves us. I know that more than anything He wants to rescue us from our mortal strife and He has through his atoning sacrifice. Never ever give up. When things get to where they seem to hard to bear remember that somewhere somehow He is answering your prayer and that you are deeply and personally known and loved.

All my love,

MP3 Link

When My Prayers Seem Unanswered

S. Michael Wilcox

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Week 12 :What Have I Done for Someone Today?

For spring break we took a trip to visit my inlaws in Utah and Wyoming. On the long drive home (did I mention it was long....like 14 hours long) my kids began to get a little out of hand. They were tired of sitting, tired of being next to the sibling they were next to, done with the movies, done with the stories, done with the treats....well basically they were just done. It's an incredibly difficult task to keep 5 kids happy in a mini-van for 14 hours while you, yourself are confined to the front seat, believe me I know. I was out of things to entertain them with when my husband, the wonderful priesthood holder that he is suggested that we turn on the October 2009 General conference sessions he had saved on his Blackberry. At first, my children thought it was a punishment, torture really, but after the opening hymns by the choir and a few short messages everyone seemed to quiet down and begin to enjoy the spirit that filled the car. Being able to re-listen to those conference talks was so powerful. I'd almost forgotten about the amazing talk given by Elder Holland where he bore his testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, or the talk given by Bishop H. David Burton on Virtues and letting virtue direct your thoughts always. There was one talk in specific that inspired me, lifted me, made me think of ways I could change and I just KNEW this was the talk that I was to share with you this week. This talk was "What Have I Done for Someone Today?" given by President Thomas S. Monson during the Sunday Morning session. As you listen to this talk I challenge you to ask yourself, What Have I done for someone today? My hope is that we may find ways to serve others throughout the next week, and throughout our lives.

 MP3 Link

What Have I Done for Someone Today?

President Thomas S. Monson

The needs of others are ever present, and each of us can do something to help someone.

My beloved brothers and sisters, I greet you this morning with love in my heart for the gospel of Jesus Christ and for each of you. I am grateful for the privilege to stand before you, and I pray that I might effectively communicate to you that which I have felt prompted to say.
A few years ago I read an article written by Jack McConnell, MD. He grew up in the hills of southwest Virginia in the United States as one of seven children of a Methodist minister and a stay-at-home mother. Their circumstances were very humble. He recounted that during his childhood, every day as the family sat around the dinner table, his father would ask each one in turn, “And what did you do for someone today?”¹ The children were determined to do a good turn every day so they could report to their father that they had helped someone. Dr. McConnell calls this exercise his father’s most valuable legacy, for that expectation and those words inspired him and his siblings to help others throughout their lives. As they grew and matured, their motivation for providing service changed to an inner desire to help others.
Besides Dr. McConnell’s distinguished medical career—where he directed the development of the tuberculosis tine test, participated in the early development of the polio vaccine, supervised the development of Tylenol, and was instrumental in developing the magnetic resonance imaging procedure, or MRI—he created an organization he calls Volunteers in Medicine, which gives retired medical personnel a chance to volunteer at free clinics serving the working uninsured. Dr. McConnell said his leisure time since he retired has “evaporated into 60-hour weeks of unpaid work, but [his] energy level has increased and there is a satisfaction in [his] life that wasn’t there before.” He made this statement: “In one of those paradoxes of life, I have benefited more from Volunteers in Medicine than my patients have.”² There are now over 70 such clinics across the United States.
Of course, we can’t all be Dr. McConnells, establishing medical clinics to help the poor; however, the needs of others are ever present, and each of us can do something to help someone. Read the rest HERE

Week 52: Gifts

Recently I heard a friend complaining, “I feel guilty if I don’t buy presents for everyone and their brother.  I think I am going to start boycotting presents beginning next year!”

I agree that Christmas has become commercialized and that the true reason we celebrate Christmas has been all but forgotten by the mainstream. Our need to give lavish gifts and gifts in excess has created a "gimmee, gimmee" society that is not in sync with the true meaning of “Christmas Spirit.”   However, I think at the core giving gifts to the ones we love is a wonderful tradition when done meaningfully and without excess.  I think we would be remiss not to acknowledge the many God-given gifts that we have been given and that endure all time.  I also think it’s important to remember, as we share our love with others, the reason we do these things is in similitude of the ultimate gift that was given to us by our Heavenly Father.  He sent us his Son.  

This week’s talk was delivered during General Conference in April 1993 by President Thomas S. Monson and is simply entitled “Gifts”.  Unfortunately, the audio has not been archived for this specific General Conference and therefore it is only available in text format.  I could not pass it up.  Please take the time to read it; I know you will benefit from it as much as I have. 

This beautiful talk helps direct our thoughts to the gifts we’ve received from our Heavenly Father and reminds us that, as stated by President Harold B. Lee: “Life is God’s gift to man. What we do with our life is our gift to God.”

I want to wish a Merry Christmas to each of you.  I pray that as you go about this week you will remember Christ in everything you do.  

Gifts

Thomas S. Monson

President David O. McKay would frequently suggest the need for us to turn from the hectic day-to-day schedule filled with letters to answer, calls to be made, people to see, meetings to attend, and take time to meditate, to ponder, and to reflect on the eternal truths and the sources of the joy and happiness which comprise each person’s quest.
When we do, the mundane, the mechanical, the repetitious patterns of our lives yield to the spiritual qualities, and we acquire a much-needed dimension which inspires our daily living. When I follow this counsel, thoughts of family, experiences with friends, and treasured memories of special days and quiet nights course through my mind and bring a sweet repose to my being.
The Christmas season, with its special meaning, inevitably prompts a tear, inspires a renewed commitment to God, and provides, borrowing the words from the lovely song “Calvary,” “rest to the weary and peace to the soul.”
I reflect on the contrasts of Christmas. The extravagant gifts, expensively packaged and professionally wrapped, reach their zenith in the famed commercial catalogs carrying the headline “For the person who has everything.” In one such reading I observed a four-thousand-square-foot home wrapped with a gigantic ribbon and comparable greeting card which said, “Merry Christmas.” Other items included diamond-studded clubs for the golfer, a Caribbean cruise for the traveler, and a luxury trip to the Swiss Alps for the adventurer. Such seemed to fit the theme of a Christmas cartoon which showed the Three Wise Men traveling to Bethlehem with gift boxes on their camels. One says, “Mark my words, Balthazar, we’re starting something with these gifts that’s going to get way out of hand!”
Then there is the remembered Christmas tale of O. Henry about a young husband and wife who lived in abject poverty yet who wanted to give one another a special gift. But they had nothing to give. Then the husband had a ray of inspiration: “I shall provide my dear wife a beautiful ornamental comb to adorn her magnificent long black hair.” The wife also received an idea: “I shall obtain a lovely chain for my husband’s prized watch which he values so highly.”
Christmas day came; the treasured gifts were exchanged. Then the surprise ending, so typical of O. Henry’s short stories: The wife had shorn her long hair and sold it to obtain funds to purchase the watch chain, only to discover that her husband had sold his watch, that he might purchase the comb to adorn her beautiful long hair, which now she did not have. 1  Go HERE for the rest of this article

Week 48: Gratitude: A Path to Happiness **Repost**

Dear Talk-Of-The-Week Friends,

Yesterday I got a letter in the mail from a friend. She spoke of how the last year has been a year of trials for her. She spoke of how the thing that helped her stay afloat through all the turmoil was to remember her blessings and to focus on them. Inside was a blank list called “50 Things I am most Grateful for…”. It really inspired me to start thinking of all the things I am grateful for. When I woke early this morning I decided to continue my study of gratitude and happened upon this talk after listening to many others. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. I recreated the Gratitude list and have included it for your own personal list. May we all be blessed with the abundance God has in store for us as we focus on the things we are most grateful for. I testify that our Heavenly Father loves us and wants to open the windows of heaven for us! Have a wonderful week! I am off to search for our family “Blessing Basket”!

Sarah

Challenge: Fill out this 50 things I am grateful for list. (December is a great time to continue in Thanksgiving!)

MP3 Link

Gratitude: A Path to Happiness
Bonnie D. Parkin
Recently Released Relief Society General President

Gratitude is a Spirit-filled principle. It opens our minds to a universe permeated with the richness of a living God.

This afternoon I am honored to represent those Relief Society leaders who, here in this very Tabernacle, shared the doctrines of the kingdom, emphasized the significance of women's roles in the home and family, called each other to charitable service, and reminded their sisters of the joy that comes from righteous living.

From this pulpit in 1870, Eliza R. Snow asked thousands of women a question that I'd like to repeat today: "Do you know of any place on the face of the earth, where [a] woman has more liberty, and where she enjoys such high and glorious privileges as she does here, as a Latter-day Saint?"1 I bear witness that the women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do enjoy grand and glorious privileges.

Blessing Basket

Let me share a sweet story with you. A family was going through a difficult time. It was hard for them not to focus on their challenges. The mother wrote: "Our world had completely crumpled, so we turned to Heavenly Father for guidance. Almost immediately we realized that we were surrounded by goodness and were being cheered on from every side. We began as a family to express our gratitude to each other as well as to the Lord daily. A close friend pointed out to me that our family's 'blessing basket' was overflowing. From that conversation came a sort of game, which my children and I grew to love. Before family prayer each night we would talk about how our day had gone and then share with each other all of the many blessings that had been added to our 'blessing basket.' The more we expressed gratitude, the more there was to be grateful for. We felt the love of the Lord in a significant way as opportunities for growth presented themselves."2

What would a "blessing basket" add to your family?


A Spirit-Filled Principle

Gratitude requires awareness and effort, not only to feel it but to express it. Frequently we are oblivious to the Lord's hand. We murmur, complain, resist, criticize; so often we are not grateful. In the Book of Mormon, we learn that those who murmur do not know "the dealings of that God who . . . created them."3 The Lord counsels us not to murmur because it is then difficult for the Spirit to work with us.

Gratitude is a Spirit-filled principle. It opens our minds to a universe permeated with the richness of a living God. Through it, we become spiritually aware of the wonder of the smallest things, which gladden our hearts with their messages of God's love. This grateful awareness heightens our sensitivity to divine direction. When we communicate gratitude, we can be filled with the Spirit and connected to those around us and the Lord. Gratitude inspires happiness and carries divine influence. "Live in thanksgiving daily," said Amulek, "for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you."4

Mercies and blessings come in different forms—sometimes as hard things. Yet the Lord said, "Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things."5 All things means just that: good things, difficult things—not just some things. He has commanded us to be grateful because He knows being grateful will make us happy. This is another evidence of His love.

How do you feel when someone expresses gratitude to you? One Sunday I sat next to a sister in Relief Society and got to know her a little better. A few days later I received an e-mail: "Thank you for sitting next to my daughter in Relief Society. You put your arm around her. You will never know how much that meant to her and to me."6 This mother's words surprised me and brought me happiness.

How do you feel when you express gratitude to another? I'd like to express gratitude to someone who cares about my grandchildren. A few months ago, while visiting in Texas, I asked six-year-old Thomas to tell me about his bishop. He said, "Oh, Grandmother, you will know him. He wears a dark suit, a white shirt like Papa, and he has shiny shoes and a red tie. He wears glasses and always has a smile." I recognized Thomas's bishop as soon as I saw him. My heart was filled with gratitude for him. Thank you, Bishop Goodman, and thank you, all you wonderful bishops.


An Expression of Faith

Luke chapter 17 records the experience of the Savior when He healed 10 lepers. As you recall, only one of the cleansed lepers returned to express his appreciation. Isn't it interesting that the Lord did not say, "Your gratitude has made you whole"? Instead, He said, "Thy faith hath made thee whole."7

The leper's expression of gratitude was recognized by the Savior as an expression of his faith. As we pray and express gratitude to a loving but unseen Heavenly Father, we are also expressing our faith in Him. Gratitude is our sweet acknowledgment of the Lord's hand in our lives; it is an expression of our faith.


Gratitude in Tribulations: Hidden Blessings

In 1832 the Lord saw the need to prepare the Church for coming tribulations. Tribulations are frightening. And yet the Lord said: "Be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.

"And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious."8

The kind of gratitude that receives even tribulations with thanksgiving requires a broken heart and a contrite spirit, humility to accept that which we cannot change, willingness to turn everything over to the Lord—even when we do not understand, thankfulness for hidden opportunities yet to be revealed. Then comes a sense of peace.

When was the last time you thanked the Lord for a trial or tribulation? Adversity compels us to go to our knees; does gratitude for adversity do that as well?

President David O. McKay observed, "We find in the bitter chill of adversity the real test of our gratitude . . . , which . . . goes beneath the surface of life, whether sad or joyous."9


Conclusion

To my remarkable, faithful sisters of the Church, I thank you for the ways you extend the Lord's love through your service: your care for families at the death of a loved one, your watchcare as you visit teach, your willingness to build testimonies in children as you serve in Primary, your time preparing young women for womanhood. Thank you for your devotion. I have experienced the love of the Lord through your faithfulness. I have been blessed to serve among you; my heart is brimming over with gratitude and love for each of you. I have deep gratitude for the priesthood brethren with whom I've served.

My most profound gratitude is for my Savior—an obedient Son, who did all that His Father asked and atoned for every one of us. As I remember Him and acknowledge His goodness, I desire to be like Him. May we be blessed to feel of His love in our lives daily. "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."10 In His sacred name, Jesus Christ, amen.


NOTES

1. In Jill C. Mulvay, "Eliza R. Snow and the Woman Question," Brigham Young University Studies, winter 1976, 251.
2. Personal correspondence.
3. 1 Nephi 2:12.
4. Alma 34:38.
5. D&C 59:7; emphasis added.
6. Personal correspondence.
7. Luke 17:19; emphasis added.
8. D&C 78:18–19; emphasis added.
9. Pathways to Happiness, comp. Llewelyn R. McKay (1957), 318.
10. 2 Corinthians 9:15.

Week 40: My Soul Delighteth in the Things of the Lord

Dear Sisters,
This week's talk is "My Soul Delighteth in the Things of the Lord" from the April 2008 General Conference by Susan W. Tanner. When I first heard Sister Tanner's talk, I was thrilled by her use of the word delight and puzzled over why I didn't use it more frequently in my vocabulary. If our purpose here on earth is to experience joy, surely the word delight would describe many of our experiences and associations here. I have also pondered over its inclusion of the word light. Imagine what it would do for our relationships with our children and others if we communicated our delight for them in both word and deed. What would it do for their self-esteem and their realization of who they really are if we honestly and enthusiastically say "I delight in you!"

As I look forward to Conference Weekend, I find delight a perfect description of the counsel and encouragement we will receive. I delight in having and hearing a prophet who speaks to us specific words of counsel straight from the Source. I delight in Apostles who lead and teach with example and fortitude. I delight in a weekend when we can sequester our families from the world to be renewed, inspired, and propelled to be more. I delight in the Savior who knows and loves each of us, better than we know and love ourselves. I delight in His restored Gospel that teaches of Him and shows us the way home.

A delightful Conference weekend to you!

Much love,

Noni

MP3 Link

My Soul Delighteth in the Things of the Lord
Susan W. Tanner Recently Released Young Women General President

In the Book of Mormon, Nephi speaks often of delight. He delights “in the things of the Lord,” “in the scriptures,” and “in the great and eternal plan” of our Father in Heaven (see 2 Nephi 4:15–16; 11:2–8). Notably, Nephi often remembers his sources of delight in the midst of affliction, serving to lift and focus his spirit on eternal blessings.
We too should delight in the things of the Lord for it will “lift” our hearts and give us cause to “rejoice” (2 Nephi 11:8). Let me mention a few of the things I delight in.
I delight in our Savior, Jesus Christ. Like Nephi, “I glory in my Jesus” (2 Nephi 33:6), in His ministering and saving roles upon the earth. He provides light and hope and has given us the Holy Ghost for further guidance and comfort along the pathway we should go. It is only through Him that we can return to our Father. “Salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ” (Mosiah 3:17).
I delight in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets with whom I have had the blessed opportunity to serve. I testify that President Thomas S. Monson is the Lord’s prophet on the earth today. I delight that he is truly a Christlike minister to the one, reaching out in warmth and love to each individual.
I delight in priesthood keys and temples that dot the earth, making available to each of us eternal ordinances and covenants. Some of my most celestial days recently have been my own children’s temple marriages, with my father performing that holy ordinance.
I delight in the strength of youth as I see them throng the temples to do baptisms for the dead. I love their worthy adherence to the standards leading to the temple and their preparation to be faithful missionaries and righteous mothers and fathers.
I delight that I am a daughter of Heavenly Father, who loves me. I learned of my divine identity in my earliest years at my mother’s side. Just recently I saw my then three-year-old granddaughter learning her identity from her mother. Eliza had gone to bed distraught. She could be comforted only as her mother again told Eliza’s favorite true story about the special night when Heavenly Father distinctly and clearly whispered to her mommy’s heart that Eliza was a special spirit with a noble mission ahead.
I take great delight in my role as a nurturer, which allows me to express my deepest identity as a woman. I never fail to be struck by the way that women, young women, and even little girls seem to have an instinctive interest and ability in nurturing. It is not only a mother’s primary responsibility but also part of our “individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Liahona, Oct. 2004, 49; Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102). To nurture is to teach, to foster development, to promote growth, to feed, and to nourish. Who would not shout for joy at being given such a blessed role?
The scriptures use the word nurture only twice and in both cases speak of the responsibility of parents to raise their children “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4; Enos 1:1).
President Hinckley also admonished both men and women to be nurturers. He said, “How much more beautiful would be the . . . society in which we live if every father . . . and . . . mother regarded [their] children . . . as gifts from the God of heaven . . . and brought them up with true affection in the wisdom and admonition of the Lord” (“These, Our Little Ones,” Liahona, Dec. 2007, 7; Ensign, Dec. 2007, 9).
I delight in families. Recently I delighted in the birth of a new grandchild into a family that understands that parents have the solemn responsibility to rear their children in love and righteousness. The older siblings had a natural curiosity about their little sister’s entrance into this world. Their first lessons about this holy subject were taught by loving parents in a sacred family setting, in the celestial climate that accompanies a new soul’s birth into mortality, and in the context of our Father’s great eternal plan. By contrast, the next day upon returning home from kindergarten, our granddaughter reported that she had learned that day in class “a big new term called sexual abuse.” I felt concerned that at this early age children already have to be aware, for safety reasons, of the negative facets of the subject they had so beautifully talked of the night before. I delighted as never before in a nurturing family founded upon the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Jacob taught that the Lord delights “in the chastity of women” (Jacob 2:28). I delight in the chastity and purity of all women and men. How it must grieve the Lord to see virtue violated and modesty mocked on every side in this wicked world. The Lord has provided for His children great joy through intimate, loving relationships, as my grandchildren were learning. I delight in the clarity of the proclamation to the world on the family, which warns that “individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God.”
I delight in the examples of those in the scriptures who walk by faith on their earthly journey. Each time I walk with Abraham and Isaac on the road to Mount Moriah, I weep, knowing that Abraham does not know that there will be an angel and a ram in the thicket at the end of the journey. We are each in the middle of our earthly path, and we don’t know the rest of our own stories. But we, as Abraham, are blessed with miracles.
I delight in the Lord’s mercies and miracles (see “Bless Our Fast, We Pray,” Hymns, no. 138). I know that His tender mercies and His miracles, large and small, are real. They come in His way and on His timetable. Sometimes it is not until we have reached our extremity. Jesus’s disciples on the Sea of Galilee had to toil in rowing against a contrary wind all through the night before Jesus finally came to their aid. He did not come until the “fourth watch,” meaning near dawn. Yet He did come. (See Mark 6:45–51.) My testimony is that miracles do come, though sometimes not until the fourth watch.
Right now I am exerting my faith and prayers and watching for miracles in behalf of loved ones who are physically sick, emotionally bereft, and spiritually astray. I delight in the Lord’s love for each of His children and in His wisdom to allow us individually tailored earthly experiences.
Finally, I delight in, more than I can express, the eternal love and constant help of my husband and the prayers and support of my children and parents during these years of my service as Young Women general president.
“My soul delighteth in the things of the Lord” (2 Nephi 4:16)—His law, His life, His love. To delight in Him is to acknowledge His hand in our lives. Our gospel duty is to do what is right and to love and delight in what is right. When we delight to serve Him, our Father in Heaven delights to bless us. “I, the Lord, . . . delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end” (D&C 76:5). I want to be worthy always of His delight. “I love the Lord, in Him my soul delights” (“I Love the Lord,” Jackman Music Corporation). In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Week 36: Finding Joy In Life

Dear Friends,

As I pondered and searched for a message to share, I read Elder Scott's "Finding Joy in Life." I am at this moment going through a stretching time, grateful to know that our Heavenly Father will never test us beyond our ability to bear. I am grateful, as I am once again inspired by Elder Scott's powerful message, for the power of prophets and apostles and that their messages to us are ever new. I love his reminders that our Heavenly Father and the Savior have power to crown our lives with peace and joy and that as we come to them, our challenges can become sweet and do sanctify us. His message that our Father's intent is that each of us might have joy and his counsel for how each of us can access those blessings are wonderful encouragement for me. Our progress is accelerated when we willingly allow him to lead us through every growth experience we encounter.

A joyful week to each of you,

Noni

No Audio

Finding Joy in Life
Elder Richard G. Scott

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Ensign, May 1996, 24

Recently I stood on the north shore of a beautiful Pacific island gazing out to sea at daybreak. I was fascinated by the regularity with which the gigantic waves consistently moved forward to break on the shoreline. It reminded me of the constancy of the plan of the Lord, with its fixed, eternal law, and the security of enduring justice and the tenderness of mercy when earned by obedience. I noticed that each wave would crest at a different point on the horizon to find its unique path to shore. Some cascaded over rocks, leaving rivulets of foaming, white water. Others burst on the shore in individual patterns. They slid up the moistened sand with playful frothy edges, then bubbled and swirled as they receded.
I thought of the unending variety of possibilities the Lord has provided for us. We have so much freedom, so many opportunities to develop our unique personalities and talents, our individual memories, our personalized contributions. Since there would be no further opportunity to observe the majestic sea, I tried to imagine the glorious panorama the brilliant sun would later create. As I watched this magnificent scene in reverence, a window formed in the clouds; the glistening rays of the rising sun broke through the overcast sky, transforming everything with its luminescence, its color, its life. It was as if the Lord wanted to share an additional blessing, a symbol of the light of His teachings that gives brilliance and hope to everyone it touches. Tears of gratitude formed for this wondrous world in which we live, for the extraordinary beauty our Heavenly Father so freely shares with all who are willing to see. Truly, life is beautiful.
Do you take time to discover each day how beautiful your life can be? How long has it been since you watched the sun set? The departing rays kissing the clouds, trees, hills, and lowlands good night, sometimes tranquilly, sometimes with exuberant bursts of color and form. What of the wonder of a cloudless night when the Lord unveils the marvels of His heavens—the twinkling stars, the moonlight rays—to ignite our imagination with His greatness and glory? How captivating to watch a seed planted in fertile soil germinate, gather strength, and send forth a tiny, seemingly insignificant sprout. Patiently it begins to grow and develop its own character led by the genetic code the Lord has provided to guide its development. With care it surely will become what it is destined to be: a lily, crowned with grace and beauty; a fragrant spearmint plant; a peach; an avocado; or a beautiful blossom with unique delicacy, hue, and fragrance. When last did you observe a tiny rosebud form? Each day it develops new and impressive character, more promise of beauty until it becomes a majestic rose. You are one of the noblest of God’s creations. His intent is that your life be gloriously beautiful regardless of your circumstances. As you are grateful and obedient, you can become all that God intends you to be.
Sadness, disappointment, and severe challenge are events in life, not life itself. I do not minimize how hard some of these events are. They can extend over a long period of time, but they should not be allowed to become the confining center of everything you do. The Lord inspired Lehi to declare the fundamental truth, “Men are, that they might have joy.” 1 That is a conditional statement: “they might have joy.” It is not conditional for the Lord. His intent is that each of us finds joy. It will not be conditional for you as you obey the commandments, have faith in the Master, and do the things that are necessary to have joy here on earth.
Your joy in life depends upon your trust in Heavenly Father and His holy Son, your conviction that their plan of happiness truly can bring you joy. Pondering their doctrine will let you enjoy the beauties of this earth and enrich your relationships with others. It will lead you to the comforting, strengthening experiences that flow from prayer to Father in Heaven and the answers He gives in return.
A pebble held close to the eye appears to be a gigantic obstacle. Cast on the ground, it is seen in perspective. Likewise, problems or trials in our lives need to be viewed in the perspective of scriptural doctrine. Otherwise they can easily overtake our vision, absorb our energy, and deprive us of the joy and beauty the Lord intends us to receive here on earth. Some people are like rocks thrown into a sea of problems. They are drowned by them. Be a cork. When submerged in a problem, fight to be free to bob up to serve again with happiness.
You are here on earth for a divine purpose. It is not to be endlessly entertained or to be constantly in full pursuit of pleasure. You are here to be tried, to prove yourself so that you can receive the additional blessings God has for you. 2 The tempering effect of patience is required. 3 Some blessings will be delivered here in this life; others will come beyond the veil. The Lord is intent on your personal growth and development. That progress is accelerated when you willingly allow Him to lead you through every growth experience you encounter, whether initially it be to your individual liking or not. When you trust in the Lord, when you are willing to let your heart and your mind be centered in His will, when you ask to be led by the Spirit to do His will, you are assured of the greatest happiness along the way and the most fulfilling attainment from this mortal experience. If you question everything you are asked to do, or dig in your heels at every unpleasant challenge, you make it harder for the Lord to bless you. 4
Your agency, the right to make choices, is not given so that you can get what you want. This divine gift is provided so that you will choose what your Father in Heaven wants for you. That way He can lead you to become all that He intends you to be. 5 That path leads to glorious joy and happiness.
Learn from inspiring individuals who have made peace with their challenges and live with joy amid adversity. A lovely woman with an aggressive terminal disease consistently found joy in life. She understood the plan of happiness, had received the temple ordinances, and was doing her best to qualify for the promised blessings. Her personal journal records: “It is a beautiful fall day. I picked up the mail and sat down on the swing. I was so happy and content in the warm sun, the sweet smell of nature and the trees around me. I just sat and gloried in the fact that I am still alive on this beautiful earth. … The Lord is so good to me. How I thank him that I am still here and feeling so good. I am soooooo happy I just want to shout and dance through this beautiful house as the sun streams into the big windows. I love being alive.”
A valiant mother courageously fighting a debilitating illness spent untold hours laboriously completing a large, challenging needlepoint work of art. It was a gift to a couple experiencing trials. For the couple it is a priceless treasure, a constant reminder of the precious fruits of resolute effort in the face of adversity, an enduring message of hope bound in the bonds of pure love and willing sacrifice.
Children teach us how to find joy even under the most challenging circumstances. Children haven’t yet learned to be depressed by concentrating on the things they don’t have. They find joy in what is available to them. I remember a small boy playing along a riverbank. He had tied a piece of fishing line to the ends of two discarded soft-drink cans. He threw one can over a limb, then filled it with water. He would pull on the other can, then let it go. The weight of the first can would draw the second one up as it fell. He laughed and danced with glee.
Simple, rejuvenating experiences surround us. They can be safety valves to keep the tension down and the spirit up. Don’t concentrate on what you don’t have or have lost. The Lord promised the obedient to share all that He possesses with them. You may temporarily lack here, but in the next life, if you prove yourself worthy by living valiantly, a fulness will be your blessing.
Find the compensatory blessings in your life when, in the wisdom of the Lord, He deprives you of something you very much want. To the sightless or hearing impaired, He sharpens the other senses. To the ill, He gives patience, understanding, and increased appreciation for others’ kindness. With the loss of a dear one, He deepens the bonds of love, enriches memories, and kindles hope in a future reunion. You will discover compensatory blessings when you willingly accept the will of the Lord and exercise faith in Him. 6
To the afflicted people of Alma, the Lord said: “I will also ease the burdens … that even you cannot feel them upon your backs … ; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.
“And … the burdens … were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord” (Mosiah 24:13–15).
Attempt to be creative for the joy it brings. After their noble husbands were called home, Sisters Camilla Kimball, Amelia McConkie, and Helen Richards learned to paint. They not only leave legacies of art, but they will never see a sunset, a face, or a tree the same again. They now perceive subtle nuances of color and form and rejoice in the abounding beauty around them.
Select something like music, dance, sculpture, or poetry. Being creative will help you enjoy life. It engenders a spirit of gratitude. It develops latent talent, sharpens your capacity to reason, to act, and to find purpose in life. It dispels loneliness and heartache. It gives a renewal, a spark of enthusiasm, and zest for life.
Willing service to others is a key to enduring happiness. President Kimball said: “God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another mortal that he meets our needs. Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other.” 7
I know of a woman who was joyously happy. Each morning she would ask her Father in Heaven to lead her to someone she could help. That sincere prayer was answered time and again. The burdens of many were eased and their lives brightened. She was blessed continually for being an instrument directed by the Lord.
I know that every difficulty we face in life, even those that come from our own negligence or even transgression, can be turned by the Lord into growth experiences, a virtual ladder upward. 8 I certainly do not recommend transgression as a path to growth. It is painful, difficult, and so totally unnecessary. It is far wiser and so much easier to move forward in righteousness. But through proper repentance, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and obedience to His commandments, even the disappointment that comes from transgression can be converted into a return to happiness.
Make a list of things you can do for happiness, such as:
• Ponder the scriptures to understand the plan of happiness.
• Pray with faith in Jesus Christ.
• Love and serve others.
• Receive the temple ordinances. Return to bless others.
• Listen to the prophet and obey his counsel.
• Be grateful for what you have.
• Smile more.
Your list will provide keys to contentment and joy.
A famous Brazilian song repeats a falsehood many believe: Sadness never ends, but happiness does. I witness that with faith in the Savior and obedience to His teachings, happiness never ends, but sadness does.
No matter how difficult something you or a loved one faces, it should not take over your life and be the center of all your interest. Challenges are growth experiences, temporary scenes to be played out on the background of a pleasant life. Don’t become so absorbed in a single event that you can’t think of anything else or care for yourself or for those who depend upon you. Remember, much like the mending of the body, the healing of some spiritual and emotional challenges takes time.
The Lord has said, “Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days.” 9 As you are patient, you will come to understand what the statement “I am with thee” means. God’s love brings peace and joy.
Your faith in Jesus Christ gives life enduring meaning. Remember you are on a journey to exaltation. Sometimes you have experiences that yield more happiness than others, but it all has purpose with the Lord. 10
As a witness of the Savior, I exhort you to forgive any you feel may have offended you. If there is transgression, repent of it, that the Master may heal you.
Thank your Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son for the plan of happiness and the gospel principles upon which it is based. Be grateful for the ordinances and the covenants they have provided. I solemnly testify they have power to crown your life with peace and joy, to give it purpose and meaning. You will learn that sadness and disappointment are temporary. Happiness is everlastingly eternal because of Jesus Christ. I solemnly witness that He lives, that He loves you, and that He will help you. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes

1. 2 Ne. 2:25.

2. See Abr. 3:25.

3. See Mosiah 3:19.

4. See 1 Ne. 3:7.

5. See D&C 58:26–32.

6. See Orson F. Whitney quotation in Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle [1972], 98.

7. The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 252.

8. See Isa. 40:31.

9. D&C 24:8.

10. See Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. [1939], 177.

Week 29: Happiness Your Heritage **Repost**

When I heard this talk I KNEW that I had to share it with each of you again! I have never taken so many notes on a conference talk in my life. I had been personally praying to know more deeply of God's love for me and to feel more happiness and joy in my life. This beautiful talk spoke right to my spirit. I felt so uplifted and I know that you will too! Truly happiness is our heritage and our birthright! May you find joy in creating! May you feel your weariness lifted to such a degree that His pure light fills you to overflowing. There is so much we can give when we are filled ourselves! Have a truly blessed week! ~Sarah

MP3 link

Happiness, Your Heritage - Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Second Counselor in the First Presidency

Our birthright—and the purpose of our great voyage on this earth—is to seek and experience eternal happiness.

My dear sisters, I am grateful for this, my first opportunity to speak to the women of the Church gathered together in all parts of the world. We are especially honored today with the presence of President Monson and President Eyring. The choir has touched our hearts. We have been inspired by the messages of Sister Thompson, Sister Allred, and Sister Beck. Since learning that I would be with you today, I have thought about the many women who have shaped my life: my wonderful wife, Harriet; my mother; my mother-in-law; my sister; my daughter; my daughter-in-law; and many friends. All my life I have been surrounded by women who inspired, taught, and encouraged me. I am who I am today in large part because of these singular women. Each time I meet with the sisters of the Church, I sense that I am in the midst of similar remarkable souls. I am grateful to be here, grateful for your talents, compassion, and service. Most of all, I am grateful for who you are: treasured daughters of our Heavenly Father with infinite worth. I'm sure it comes as no surprise, but the differences between men and women can often be quite striking—physically and mentally, as well as emotionally. One of the best ways I can think of to illustrate this is in the way my wife and I cook a meal. When Harriet prepares a meal, it's a masterpiece. Her cuisine is as wide-ranging as the world, and she frequently prepares dishes from countries we have visited. The presentation of the food is awe inspiring. In fact, it often looks so beautiful that it seems a crime to eat it. It's as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the sense of taste. But sure enough, no matter how perfect everything is, looks, and tastes, Harriet will apologize for something she thinks is imperfect. "I'm afraid I used a touch too much ginger," she will say, or, "Next time, I think it would be better if I used a little more curry and one additional bay leaf." Let me contrast that with the way I cook. For the purpose of this talk, I asked Harriet to tell me what I cook best. Her answer: fried eggs. Sunny-side up. But that isn't all. I have a specialty dish called Knusperchen. The name may sound like a delicacy you might find at an exclusive restaurant. Let me share with you how to make it. You cut French bread into small slices and toast them twice. That is the recipe! So, between fried eggs, even when they are greasy, and Knusperchen, even when they are burned, when I cook, I feel pretty heroic. Perhaps this contrast between my wife and me is a slight exaggeration, but it illustrates something that may extend beyond preparing meals. To me it appears that our splendid sisters sometimes undervalue their abilities—they focus on what is lacking or imperfect rather than what has been accomplished and who they really are. Perhaps you recognize this trait in someone you know really well. The good news is that this also points to an admirable quality: the innate desire to please the Lord to the best of your ability. Unfortunately, it can also lead to frustration, exhaustion, and unhappiness. To All Who Are Weary Today I would like to speak to those who have ever felt inadequate, discouraged, or weary—in short, I would like to speak to all of us. I also pray that the Holy Ghost will amplify my words and bestow upon them additional meaning, insight, and inspiration. We know that sometimes it can be difficult to keep our heads above water. In fact, in our world of change, challenges, and checklists, sometimes it can seem nearly impossible to avoid feeling overwhelmed by emotions of suffering and sorrow. I am not suggesting that we can simply flip a switch and stop the negative feelings that distress us. This isn't a pep talk or an attempt to encourage those sinking in quicksand to imagine instead they are relaxing on a beach. I recognize that in all of our lives there are real concerns. I know there are hearts here today that harbor deep sorrows. Others wrestle with fears that trouble the soul. For some, loneliness is their secret trial. These things are not insignificant. However, I would like to speak about two principles that may help you find a path to peace, hope, and joy—even during times of trial and distress. I want to speak about God's happiness and how each one of us can taste of it in spite of the burdens that beset us. God's Happiness Let me first pose a question: What do you suppose is the greatest kind of happiness possible? For me, the answer to this question is, God's happiness. This leads to another question: What is our Heavenly Father's happiness? This may be impossible to answer because His ways are not our ways. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are [God's] ways higher than [our] ways, and [His] thoughts [higher] than [our] thoughts."1 Though we cannot understand "the meaning of all things," we do "know that [God] loveth his children"2 because He has said, "Behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."3 Heavenly Father is able to accomplish these two great goals—the immortality and eternal life of man—because He is a God of creation and compassion. Creating and being compassionate are two objectives that contribute to our Heavenly Father's perfect happiness. Creating and being compassionate are two activities that we as His spirit children can and should emulate. The Work of Creation The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before. Everyone can create. You don't need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty. Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty—and I am not talking about the process of cleaning the rooms of your teenage children. You might say, "I'm not the creative type. When I sing, I'm always half a tone above or below the note. I cannot draw a line without a ruler. And the only practical use for my homemade bread is as a paperweight or as a doorstop." If that is how you feel, think again, and remember that you are spirit daughters of the most creative Being in the universe. Isn't it remarkable to think that your very spirits are fashioned by an endlessly creative and eternally compassionate God? Think about it—your spirit body is a masterpiece, created with a beauty, function, and capacity beyond imagination. But to what end were we created? We were created with the express purpose and potential of experiencing a fulness of joy.4 Our birthright—and the purpose of our great voyage on this earth—is to seek and experience eternal happiness. One of the ways we find this is by creating things. If you are a mother, you participate with God in His work of creation—not only by providing physical bodies for your children but also by teaching and nurturing them. If you are not a mother now, the creative talents you develop will prepare you for that day, in this life or the next. You may think you don't have talents, but that is a false assumption, for we all have talents and gifts, every one of us.5 The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before—colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter. What you create doesn't have to be perfect. So what if the eggs are greasy or the toast is burned? Don't let fear of failure discourage you. Don't let the voice of critics paralyze you—whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside. If you still feel incapable of creating, start small. Try to see how many smiles you can create, write a letter of appreciation, learn a new skill, identify a space and beautify it. Nearly a century and a half ago, President Brigham Young spoke to the Saints of his day. "There is a great work for the Saints to do," he said. "Progress, and improve upon and make beautiful everything around you. Cultivate the earth, and cultivate your minds. Build cities, adorn your habitations, make gardens, orchards, and vineyards, and render the earth so pleasant that when you look upon your labors you may do so with pleasure, and that angels may delight to come and visit your beautiful locations. In the mean time continually seek to adorn your minds with all the graces of the Spirit of Christ."6 The more you trust and rely upon the Spirit, the greater your capacity to create. That is your opportunity in this life and your destiny in the life to come. Sisters, trust and rely on the Spirit. As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and helpfulness, you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you. Being Compassionate Being compassionate is another great work of our Heavenly Father and a fundamental characteristic of who we are as a people. We are commanded to "succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees."7 Disciples of Christ throughout all ages of the world have been distinguished by their compassion. Those who follow the Savior "mourn with those that mourn . . . and comfort those that stand in need of comfort."8 When we reach out to bless the lives of others, our lives are blessed as well. Service and sacrifice open the windows of heaven, allowing choice blessings to descend upon us. Surely our beloved Heavenly Father smiles upon those who care for the least of His children. As we lift others, we rise a little higher ourselves. President Spencer W. Kimball taught, "The more we serve our fellowmen in appropriate ways, the more substance there is to our souls."9 President Gordon B. Hinckley believed in the healing power of service. After the death of his wife, he provided a great example to the Church in the way he immersed himself in work and in serving others. It is told that President Hinckley remarked to one woman who had recently lost her husband, "Work will cure your grief. Serve others." These are profound words. As we lose ourselves in the service of others, we discover our own lives and our own happiness. President Lorenzo Snow expressed a similar thought: "When you find yourselves a little gloomy, look around you and find somebody that is in a worse plight than yourself; go to him and find out what the trouble is, then try to remove it with the wisdom which the Lord bestows upon you; and the first thing you know, your gloom is gone, you feel light, the Spirit of the Lord is upon you, and everything seems illuminated."10 In today's world of pop psychology, junk TV, and feel-good self-help manuals, this advice may seem counterintuitive. We are sometimes told that the answer to our ills is to look inward, to indulge ourselves, to spend first and pay later, and to satisfy our own desires even at the expense of those around us. While there are times when it is prudent to look first to our own needs, in the long run it doesn't lead to lasting happiness. An Instrument in the Hands of the Lord I believe that the women of the Church, regardless of age or family status, understand and apply best the words of James Barrie, the author of Peter Pan: "Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves."11 Often I have witnessed quiet acts of kindness and compassion by noble women who extended themselves in unselfish charity. My heart swells when I hear stories of the sisters of the Church and how they rush to the aid of those in need. There are those in the Church—both men and women—who wonder how they can contribute to the kingdom. Sometimes women who are single, divorced, or widowed wonder if there is a place for them. Every sister in the Church is of critical importance—not only to our Heavenly Father but also to the building of the kingdom of God as well. There is a great work to do. One year ago in this meeting, President Monson taught that "you are . . . surrounded by opportunities for service. . . . Often small acts of service are all that is required to lift and bless another."12 Look around you. There at sacrament meeting is a young mother with several children—offer to sit with her and help. There in your neighborhood is a young man who seems discouraged—tell him you enjoy being in his presence, that you feel his goodness. True words of encouragement require only a loving and caring heart but may have an eternal impact on the life of those around you. You wonderful sisters render compassionate service to others for reasons that supersede desires for personal benefits. In this you emulate the Savior, who, though a king, did not seek position, nor was He concerned about whether others noticed Him. He did not bother to compete with others. His thoughts were always tuned to help others. He taught, healed, conversed, and listened to others. He knew that greatness had little to do with outward signs of prosperity or position. He taught and lived by this doctrine: "He that is greatest among you shall be your servant."13 In the end, the number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance. Let us open our eyes and see the heavy hearts, notice the loneliness and despair; let us feel the silent prayers of others around us, and let us be an instrument in the hands of the Lord to answer those prayers. Conclusion My dear sisters, I have a simple faith. I believe that as you are faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God, as you draw closer to Him in faith, hope, and charity, things will work together for your good.14 I believe that as you immerse yourselves in the work of our Father—as you create beauty and as you are compassionate to others—God will encircle you in the arms of His love.15 Discouragement, inadequacy, and weariness will give way to a life of meaning, grace, and fulfillment. As spirit daughters of our Heavenly Father, happiness is your heritage. You are choice daughters of our Heavenly Father, and through the things you create and by your compassionate service, you are a great power for good. You will make the world a better place. Lift up your chin; walk tall. God loves you. We love and admire you. Of this I testify, and leave you my blessing as an Apostle of the Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. NOTES1. Isaiah 55:9.2. 1 Nephi 11:17.3. Moses 1:39.4. See 2 Nephi 2:25.5. See D&C 46:11–12.6. Brigham Young, Deseret News, Aug. 8, 1860, 177.7. D&C 81:5.8. Mosiah 18:9.9. Spencer W. Kimball, The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball (1982), 254.10. Lorenzo Snow, in Conference Report, Apr. 6, 1899, 2–3.11. Barrie, J. M., A Window in Thrums (1917), 137.12. Thomas S. Monson, "Three Goals to Guide You," Ensign, Nov. 2007, 120.13. Matthew 23:11.14. See D&C 90:24.15. See D&C 6:20.

Week 26: The Importance of Families

My husband and I have 5 beautiful children ages 9, 8, 6, 3, and 14 months. As you can imagine our home is quite noisy and at time chaos abounds, as does happiness. For the most part I have wonderful obedient children. FOR. THE. MOST. PART. Like any family (atleast I hope it's not just me) we have seen our ups and downs, our tantrums, our little disobedience's and white lies. Each time I think...What am I doing wrong? Is there a book to fix that behavior? Is there a class we can take? Is there something on the internet?? Did Dr. Phil do an episode on this? Why are they doing that? WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?!?!?!?!?

Sometimes I get so caught up with what the "Dr. Phil's" of the world have to say that I forget that the answers are right here. Readily accessible. It doesn't require "Google" it just requires my faithful diligence to Lord and his gospel. Time and time again I realize when our family gets "out of balance" or when it seems like I am putting out fires to the left and to the right of me, something is lacking. It is then that I do a personal checklist...

Are we having Family Home Evening?

Are we praying together as a family...other than at meal time?

Are we searching the scriptures together?

I know it is often hard to be diligent to these basic counsels given to us by the Prophet...believe me I know...did I mention I have 5 children under the age of 9? After reading the talk "THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY" given by Elder L. Tom Perry it reiterated what I already knew, "building a gospel-centered home creates a safe harbor from the storms of the adversary" and it's a great way to nip those naughty behaviors in the bud! :)

MP3 Link

The Importance of the Family
Elder L. Tom Perry Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
May it be our resolve this year to build a gospel-centered home, a safe harbor from the storms of the adversary.

In a world of turmoil and uncertainty, it is more important than ever to make our families the center of our lives and the top of our priorities. Families lie at the center of our Heavenly Father's plan. This statement from "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" declares the responsibilities of parents to their families:
"Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. 'Children are an heritage of the Lord' (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations."1
In recent meetings with the First Presidency, they have expressed concern about the deterioration of the family. Their mandate to the Priesthood Executive Council was to concentrate on the family in our assignments.
In response to the First Presidency, many plans and efforts are already in place. We will use all of the resources we have to encourage greater harmony, greater love, and greater influence in the Lord's special designated unit—the family.
We need to make our homes a place of refuge from the storm, which is increasing in intensity all about us. Even if the smallest openings are left unattended, negative influences can penetrate the very walls of our homes. Let me cite an example.
Several years ago, I was having dinner with my daughter and her family. The scene is all too common in most homes with small children. My daughter was trying to encourage her young, three-year-old son to eat a balanced meal. He had eaten all the food on his plate that he liked. A small serving of green beans remained, which he was not fond of. In desperation, the mother picked up a fork and tried to encourage him to eat his beans. He tolerated it just about as long as he could. Then he exclaimed, "Look, Mom, don't foul up a good friendship!"
Those were the exact words he heard on a television commercial a few days earlier. Oh, what impact advertising, television programs, the Internet, and the other media are having on our family units!
We remind you that parents are to preside over their own families.
Helps and reminders will come from the Church Internet site and television channels, as well as through priesthood and auxiliary leadership to assist you as we strive to fulfill our family responsibilities.
In some of the zones of the world, we have an alternative to commercial television networks and some of their antifamily programming. We have BYU Television, which presents family-oriented programs. In addition to programs that bring gospel teaching, there are programs directed to parent instruction and family entertainment. We will also be striving to increase the quality and frequency of our family-centered Homefront public service spots.
We have other helps, covering a wider area than the television network: we have the Church Web site, lds.org. It has recently been updated to include a new home and family page. The page includes thoughts from the scriptures and Church leaders to strengthen the family. It also includes ideas for family activities. A new home and family section provides:
Teachings from Church leaders specifically for the family.
Ideas for family activities.
Family home evening quick tips to help you have meaningful and enjoyable family home evenings.
Featured articles on topics such as making family home evenings more successful, strengthening the relationship between husband and wife, and ideas for feeling closer as family members.
As the site is updated, additional ideas for planning family home evenings will appear. One of these will offer suggestions for activities for Faith in God, Duty to God, and Personal Progress programs.
We do have one media source, however, that reaches the entire Church—it is our wonderful Church magazines. These magazines come into our homes regularly and are another way of delivering information to help strengthen the family. Perhaps you noticed in the March Ensign and Liahona, the international magazine—a message from President Gordon B. Hinckley on family home evenings:
" 'We have a family home evening program once a week [Monday night] across the Church in which parents sit down with their children. They study the scriptures. They talk about family problems. They plan family activities and things of that kind. I don't hesitate to say if every family in the world practiced that one thing, you'd see a very great difference in the solidarity of the families of the world' (interview, Boston Globe, 14 Aug. 2000)."2
Following President Hinckley's encouragement for us to hold family home evenings, the next article in the Ensign was entitled "The Calling I Didn't Know I Had":
"Family home evening was challenging when our children were young. My husband and I took seriously the latter-day prophets' counsel to hold regular family home evenings, but between our Church callings and other responsibilities, we too often found there wasn't time or energy to plan an effective, loving family home evening when Monday night came around.
"While visiting Primary one Sunday I noticed how captivated the children were by the stories, visual aids, and brief but effective activities planned for sharing time and music time. I was also absorbed in learning from the well-prepared efforts the Primary counselor and music leader put into their callings. 'They obviously spent adequate time mingled with lots of love,' I thought. 'They do wonderful things in their callings.'
"Just then a thought came to mind: 'Family home evening is one of your callings. In fact, it is part of your most important calling—motherhood!' I reflected on that insight. 'If I can make the time to magnify my callings as newsletter editor and visiting teacher, I can surely magnify my family home evening calling.' "3
What a wonderful thought she has brought to us to encourage us to be more effective in our planning for this special night set aside for the family.
We can also alert you to the fact that our June issues of the Church magazines will be dedicated to a family theme. In addition, throughout the year there will be issues of the Liahona, Ensign, New Era, and Friend containing materials for teaching in the home. There will be wonderful suggestions for family home evenings and ideas for everyday teaching moments. The articles are written so they can easily be adapted for lessons for your family.
Children and youth are shown, through prophetic words and through living examples, the importance of loving and honoring their parents. Parents are taught ways of building and maintaining close family ties, both in good times and in difficult times. The good spirit in these magazines will help fill your homes with warmth, love, and the strength of the gospel.
The Church News is also helping to spread the message of the family. It has articles on strengthening love and respect in the home, putting the gospel in action, and planning wholesome recreation.
We hope that by flooding the Church with family-oriented media, members of the Church will be assisted and encouraged to build stronger and better families. We hope it will cause a conscious and sustained effort in building an eternal family unit. An abundance of Church materials will be available for you from which to pick and choose useful ideas. At least by seeing family issues mentioned so often, we all will be reminded to focus our attention on the most important organization the Lord has established here on earth.
From the very beginning the Lord has established the importance of the family organization for us. Soon after Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden, the Lord spoke to them:
"The Holy Ghost fell upon Adam, [and] beareth record of the Father and the Son. . . .
"[Then] in that day Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.
"And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: [If it were] not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.
"And Adam and Eve blessed the name of God, and they made all things known unto their sons and their daughters."4
"President Brigham Young explained that our families are not yet ours. The Lord has committed them to us to see how we will treat them. Only if we are faithful will they be given to us forever. What we do on earth determines whether or not we will be worthy to become heavenly parents."5
The Church has established two special times for families to be together. The first is centered around the proper observance of the Sabbath day. This is the time we are to attend our regular meetings together, study the life and teachings of the Savior and of the prophets. "Other appropriate Sunday activities include (1) writing personal and family journals, (2) holding family councils, (3) establishing and maintaining family organizations for the immediate and extended family, (4) personal interviews between parents and children, (5) writing to relatives and missionaries, (6) genealogy, (7) visiting relatives and those who are ill or lonely, (8) missionary work, (9) reading stories to children, and (10) singing Church hymns."6
The second time is Monday night. We are to teach our children in a well-organized, regular family home evening. No other activities should involve our family members on Monday night. This designated time is to be with our families.
We hope all of you have noticed the special emphasis the First Presidency has put on family home evenings. The First Presidency letter of October 4, 1999, was recently repeated in the magazines:
"To: Members of the Church throughout the World
"Dear Brothers and Sisters:
"Monday nights are reserved throughout the Church for family home evenings. We encourage members to set aside this time to strengthen family ties and teach the gospel in their homes.
"Earlier this year we called on parents to devote their best efforts to the teaching and rearing of their children in gospel principles which will keep them close to the Church. We also counseled parents and children to give highest priority to family prayer, family home evening, gospel study and instruction, and wholesome family activities.
"We urge members, where possible, to avoid holding receptions or other similar activities on Monday evenings. Where practical, members may also want to encourage community and school leaders to avoid scheduling activities on Monday evenings that require children or parents to be away from their homes.
"Church buildings and facilities should be closed on Monday evenings. No ward or stake activities should be planned, and other interruptions to family home evenings should be avoided."7
May it be our resolve this year to build a gospel-centered home, a safe harbor from the storms of the adversary. Let us again remember the promises and instructions from the Lord to His children:
"The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.
"Light and truth forsake that evil one. . . .
"And that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers.
"But I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth."8
May this be our year for enjoying the light and truth of the gospel in our homes. May our homes truly become places of refuge from the world is my humble prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
NOTES
1. Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102; Liahona, Oct. 1998, 24.2. "Family Home Evening," Ensign, Mar. 2003, 3; Liahona, Mar. 2003, 3.3. Jan Whitley Hansen, "The Calling I Didn't Know I Had," Ensign, Mar. 2003, 6.4. See Moses 5:4–5, 9–12.5. Gospel Principles [manual, 1997], 231.6. "Suggestions for Individual and Family Sabbath-Day Activities," Ensign, Mar. 1980, 76.7. Ensign, Mar. 2003, 4; Liahona, Mar. 2003, 4.8. D&C 93:36–37, 39–40.