Freedom

I realize that Independence Day has come and gone, but I thought I’d share an experience I had that made me think about all of the freedoms we enjoy.  Around the 4th a video was circulating that showed the founding father’s singing a ballad to King George.  After watching the video I was reading the comments and came upon a comment that said something to the effect of, “I will not celebrate the 4th of July until we aren’t searched in airports etc.  We don’t have any freedom so I’ll wait until we’re free again.”  For days I thought about this comment and pondered on why it was upsetting to me.

I have an aunt that escaped from Cambodia with her family when Pol Pot took over the country.  They didn’t have enough to eat while they were escaping and eventually her father had to carry her on his back.  30 years later she can’t have any biological children because of the malnutrition they suffered for the price of freedom.  When I was in elementary school I became obsessed with journals from the Holocaust era.  I read as many survivor journals as I could get my hands on.  One of my favorite books told the story of a young girl (eleven when the conflict started) who eventually helped smuggle fellow Jews out of the country- risking her own life to give others freedom.  Another favorite book told the story of a young girl during the time of Mao in China.  Her family had to destroy their history to stay ‘under the radar’.  They had no freedom.

As partakers of a democratic society we don’t understand what it feels like to not have freedom.  I can say whatever I want against the government and nothing will happen to me.  I can move wherever I want.  I can choose to work or not to work.  I can have as many (or as few) children as I please.  I can be whoever I want to be.  I can choose not to go the airport if I don’t want to be searched.  I am free.  There are so many people in the world that can’t say those words.  Lets have respect for the many soldiers that have worked so hard to guarantee our freedoms and for the people that are still fighting for theirs.  Be grateful for the opportunity to choose how you want to live your life.  I’m grateful for many things and the freedoms I enjoy are definitely at the top of my list.

Healing

Today I woke up in the early hours of the morning and began throwing up. It has been an interesting day to say the least. This afternoon after I had woken and felt a little less queasy I called a friend and he and another brother in the ward came and gave me a blessing. I have felt so much better afterwards and it really has led me to ponder on the miracle of the restoration of the Priesthood.

The Lord truly desires us to turn to Him to receive healing whether physical, spiritual, mental or emotional. As we come unto Him we can receive the healing we need. Whether this comes in the form of a priesthood blessing, or an uttered prayer in the dark stretches of the night, it ultimately comes through the healing power of the Saviour’s Atonement.

I have always been struck my the Saviour’s mercy and kindness to allow us healing and relief for ALL things. Elder Kent F.Richards of the Seventy in the past General Conference shares: “We all encounter enough to bring us to an awareness of our Father’s love and of our need for the Savior’s help.” (Ensign, May 2011, 15) To watch part of that talk you can go here.

I am touched and humbled that the Lord cares enough about each of us that He heals ALL of us from ALL of our infirmities. It is truly amazing that He has allowed the Priesthood to be restored at this time when the world needs it so desperately. He will hear our prayers and pleas for healing, and no matter our pains and weaknesses, our failings and shortcomings, He can and will heal us.

1 Nephi 1:1-3

I wanted to share with you something that I posted to another blog that I’ve been keeping. The purpose of this blog is to share stories from the Book of Mormon, which is a precious book that has changed my life. This post focuses on the very first verses of the Book of Mormon, which have long been some of my favorites. Nephi, one of the prophets who contributes to the Book of Mormon takes this opportunity to explain why he is writing this record. I find that these verses also explain why I share my beliefs with others, including on blogs.

The first few verses of the Book of Mormon are an introduction by a prophet named Nephi. This passage is short enough that I think I can just go line by line and explain what I love about this introduction.

“I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father;”

Nephi gives a lot of credit to his parents. We’ll see later how important Nephi’s relationship with his father is to him – Nephi had a great example in his dad and I think he feels that he owes a lot to him.

I owe a lot to my parents, too, not least my membership in the LDS Church. That’s not to say that I’ve blindly followed in my parents’ footsteps. They taught me the gospel of Jesus Christ through the Bible and the Book of Mormon, they taught me how to live my life, and they taught me what life is all about. As I’ve grown older, I’ve made those beliefs my own, and I’m grateful that my parents showed me this wonderful example.

“and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days.”

I think that the motivations that Nephi lists here are really interesting. He suggests that not only have the good experiences in his life strengthened his belief in God, but the afflictions and rough parts of his life have also contributed to his belief in God. The second part of what he says implies that Nephi feels an obligation to share what he knows about God with others.

I can’t say that I have “a great knowledge” of God, but I can identify with Nephi in that the experiences I’ve had in life, good, bad, and neutral, have all reinforced my belief in God. Like Nephi, I feel like I have an obligation to share that knowledge with others. Simply put, my belief in God, Jesus Christ, and the LDS Church have strengthened me and made me happy. As a human being, I think that if something has made me a better person, I have the responsibility to share that with others.

“Yea, I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians.”

There are critics of Mormonism as well as Mormon apologetics who will focus on the languages mentioned in the Book of Mormon, but that’s not why I like this passage. To me, this is evidence that Nephi is just writing the best way he knows how. He knows how to read and write, which I imagine is fairly skilled for 600 BC, but he’s not necessarily a scholar or an academic. He’s a man with a powerful belief in God and he wants to share that belief in the way that he knows how to, in the language that his father taught him.

I’m definitely not a scholar, but a blog is one of the “languages” of my generation, and I’m using the means that I know to share the beliefs that are so important to me.

“And I know that the record which I make is true; and I make it with mine own hand; and I make it according to my knowledge.”

Here’s my favorite part of Nephi’s introduction. He assures us that he’s doing this all himself, based on the things that he personally knows, and because he knows that his testimony is true. This is a deeply personal thing for Nephi. It’s his life, it’s his beliefs, it’s an expression of his soul. When I read the Book of Mormon as a personal account of people who really lived, I gain so much more out of it than if I read it as just a religious text full of sermons and commandments. I think that if we remember how personal these stories are for Nephi, their lessons become much more obvious.

That being said, this is a personal effort for me to talk about my own experiences and my own beliefs. I’m doing it myself. I’m doing it because of and according to the personal experiences that I have had with God and the Book of Mormon. I’m doing it because I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God.

Judge Not, That Ye Be Not Judged. . .

Sorry it’s been awhile since I’ve posted, this post won’t be long (I work monday-friday at a summer camp) but I wanted to share something I’ve been thinking about for the past week.  I was chatting with some friends and somehow the topic of mistakes came up I made a comment about a certain kind of mistake that I just can’t accept.  Instead of agreeing with me, my friend pointed out that no matter what someone does we as observers don’t know the circumstances that drove that person to that point.  We don’t know their intentions or their heart.  Jesus forgave everyone.  How many mistakes have I made that I have not repented of?  How many times have I judged when I should have been a friend?  My goal for the summer is to be slow to judge. . . I’ve had the realization that not only is that best left up to our Heavenly Father- I don’t want that job!  I make enough mistakes on my own, I don’t need to dwell on others as well.

Patience and Faith

After five months of wishing, and hoping, and praying, and being patient, I got a job!  I’ve been hired on at the school I interned at, as a 4th grade teacher.  I’m quite relieved and quite happy.  This has been a faith-promoting experience for me.

You see, it hasn’t been a smooth road.  At first there were no openings at my school.  Then my coworker decided to seek a job in Wyoming, so I fasted and prayed for him to get the job.  Meanwhile it was time to start applying for jobs.  The one I wanted was at my school, but it wasn’t even an opening yet.  I was putting all my eggs in a basket that wasn’t even a viable option at that point.  Others questioned my course of action, but I followed my gut.  The thought of applying to a different school made me feel sick, so I didn’t.  I held my ground.  After quite a while, my coworker got the job in Wyoming.  Then began the long process of creating the opening at my school (…politics and procedures), and I applied.  After two weeks of interviewing candidates and a week to make up his mind, my principal hired me!  But he didn’t want me to tell anyone for another week (until he contacted everyone who didn’t get the job).  After another week or two, he decided which grade level to put me in.  This whole situation was tailored to teaching me patience, which I admit, Heavenly Father has been trying to teach me for a long time.  This time it worked.  I learned some.  I’m sure I’ll discover gaps in my patience later, but this time I found it much easier to wait.  I think it is related to faith.

You see, at the beginning of the process, I told God what I wanted.  I asked Him if it was within His will that I pursue this job, and I felt it was.  So throughout the whole sticky process, I felt that I had the sanction of Heaven.  Now God hadn’t confirmed to me that I’d get that job, but he approved my course of action.  I knew that if it didn’t happen, He would provide a new direction for me to go.  That gave me an anchor.  Faith provided the anchor for me to have patience.  The patience to wait.

Graphite

A step in the dark

Has anyone ever heard faith compared to taking a step in the dark?

Well, I was recently reading a note in my scriptures I’d written about faith and taking a step in the dark. I thought about it and it struck me that we actually don’t need to take steps in the darkness—we just need to take steps toward the light. If we were really walking in darkness, I don’t think we’d know which way to walk or what to turn to.

Christ is the light of the world and we can all look toward Him.

In my mind I’m picturing darkness with a light up ahead–I think that’s what our journey is more like. And in fact, though we are walking toward the greatest light, we’ve all been given candles (the Light of Christ) that can help guide our foot steps.

This really makes me think of how merciful Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are–they give us so much and provide so many sign posts and aids to help us in our journey home. We might not be able to see the whole path, with every turn along the way, but we do not walk in darkness. We are walking toward and with a warm and steady light.

(see Alma 30:44–we’ve been given all things, even nature, to teach us to know God!)

ps – I just saw a picture of a city and it made me think of another analogy: we are like cars (with headlamps!) moving toward the great light of a big city—we can move toward it, though around us is darkness. Cars can’t see the whole road to get there but they can see enough to keep moving forward and to keep having hope.  Also, like with cars, our lights can help make the path brighter for others! Even if they may be missing a headlamp, they can follow us :)

from Wikipedia, by Kumar83, 22 October 2006

Lesson from the Post Man

Ok ok, I know it’s Mail Man or Postal Worker in the US, but in South Africa we say “Post Man” so I am sticking to my roots!

This morning I began my study of Preach My Gospel again (I have been home for almost 3 years now)! As I was paging though the beginning, I was reading all the notes and comments I had written in the margins and I came across something I wrote in early 2008.

Background: My companion and I were tracting (aka knocking on doors and trying to share the gospel with people) in a town called Evergreen Park in the southern suburbs of Chicago. There weren’t many people home, and as was customery in this highly Catholic neighborhood, those that were home didn’t really want to listen to us.

Our protocol was to knock, wait and if no one was home, we would slide a pass along card between the door and the door frame, right by the handle. So were were doing this and we went down one side of the street and then crossed over to the other side. At the same time the post man (aka mail man) was delivering mail. In this neighborhood the mailman had to actually walk up to the door as the mailboxes were not out on the street.

I ended up walking up the walkway and coming to the door right as the mail man was coming to the same door. One of us needed to wait for the other to do their “job” and I politely said to him that he could go ahead adding, “They probably want what you have more than they want what we have!” To my utter surprise he responded, “They probably NEED what you have more than they need what I have!” I was speechless and I was so amazed at what he had said! This Post Man must have seen the missionaries MANY times before and knew what we were doing. He knew who we were without ever meeting us and he knew what we were doing was important – NECESSARY in fact! It was a great moment!!!

I smiled to myself this morning as I recalled this experience and was reminded not only that people NEED the gospel, but we are always being watched and noticed as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and people – whether or not they seem like it or not – they see the importance of what we are doing too.

I’m grateful for that Post Man teaching me an important lesson 3 years ago, and even more grateful today for reminding me of it!

~Jacqueline (aka Ruby)

and then may we stand still

it always seems like when you’re doing the right thing and being brave and following the spirit to great blessings in your life, the opposition comes out strong against you. I’ve finally been able to move forward towards one of the most right, most brave, and best blessings in my life, and I’m being met with a lot of complication and frustration and heartache because of it. but I know that the goal of that opposition is to discourage and turn me from the path I know is good.
“Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.”
my tendency when problems rear their head is to obsessively worry and think through everything I can do with this sense of doom that it’s not going to work. but I know that I can cheerfully do all that I can, without worry, doom, and gloom, with the assurance that Heavenly Father will take care of me and work everything out for my best good. and yours too.

-em

The things that matter most…

I have been undergoing quite the struggle lately. This truly is an interesting stage in my life. A time of massive changes, new beginnings and at times utter confusion. It is in this difficult period of my life at the  beginning of my schooling and right after my mission that I have learned some important lessons. Yet, lately the Lord has been bringing things to my attention that I wish I’d better understood earlier in my life, even while I was a missionary. These things or specifically ideas have seemed to permeate every conference talk,  scripture study and most church meetings I’ve been to lately. What I’m referring are the things in life that matter the most. This is something has bothered me for a long time. I’m not the only one though, I think everyone struggles with deciding which things are of the most importance in life. For me discovering what matters most has been a long struggle as I make some major changes in my life.  These changes began my senior year of high school, and are continuing even after serving a two year mission. It all started with a realization of what things mattered to me the most. At first it video games, TV, computer games, or things to help me escape the difficulties I perceived in the world. As I’ve come closer to the Lord in my life, my idea of what matters the most have changed dramatically. With the help of the words of modern Prophets I have begun to understand what matters most in life. This would be my relationships. I’m referring to ALL my relationships, both of this world and beyond it (in reference to God). This idea is most clearly explained by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf  in the talk entitled “Of the things that matter most.” In this talk, President Uchtdorf notes that most important things we have in life are our relationships. He notes breaks these relationships into four major groups God, family, everyone else, and ourselves. He then proceeds to describe each relationship and what we can to better them. In studying this talk and attempting to apply it to my own life I find it to be very true. Our relationships our truly the most important thing we have in life. It is these four relationships that give our lives purpose and meaning. No material possessions can compare with the beauty and strength that these relationships bring into our lives. Honestly I could have everything in the world but without my family, friends, Heavenly Father, Savior, girlfriend, and many others I’d be nothing. Truly, the only things worthwhile in life involve these relationships with others. Even our relationship with ourselves is important because if we don’t love ourselves then why should even begin to love others. Truly the relationships that I have gained in this life are the most rewarding part of it. Maintaining them is what truly brings the most meaning and purpose to my existence. I hope those I have relationships, especially my Father in Heaven realize how much I love them. One thing is for certain I cannot do this alone. How grateful I am that I don’t have to, that salvation is not a lonely business but in many cases a team effort. One thing my mission taught is that we cannot be saved alone. We cannot become perfected by ourselves. Though everyone will be judged individually, we will ultimately be judged on how we’ve helped other, or you might say on the quality of our relationships. I that this is so, I know that God truly does live. He is the Creator of Heaven and Earth. I know He loves us and that His relationship to us is the most important thing to Him. Truly, as the scriptures say “…he loved us first…” He certainly loved me before I loved Him. I know as we strive strengthen and maintain those most important relationships in our lives we can attain the ultimate happiness, even that same quality of joy and happiness God Himself enjoys. I leave that with you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Happily Ever After

In a recent conversation I was a participant in some comments were made about life. They were most certainly true in the context, but one of them has been bothering me. It was something to the effect that it is not a real portrayal of life to see a happy ending in movies/literature, etc. While there is much suffering and hurt in the world, and we do not always see or realize happy endings, I would like to say that ultimately we will all receive a happy ending. The gospel of Jesus Christ provides the way for that to be possible; it is fundamentally a gospel of happiness.

When we watch movies and read books and it ends happily, I believe this is a microcosmic interpretation/feeling of the hope that we have as human beings that we too will receive a happy ending. This helps me to see that human beings want and desire happiness, even if we don’t always agree on how we will obtain it.

Each hero/heroine has to overcome some dragon or boiling pit of lava, death or destruction, chaos and turmoil, and a host of other challenges, but in the end of the story the good are justly rewarded and the evil are punished. As human beings we want the appeasement that justice brings and the peace that mercy affords. And that is all made possible through the Saviour’s Atonement.

While we way sit in our towers now and wait for deliverance, or whether we are battling depression or doubt, fear or sickness, sin or despair, ultimately we will overcome through the Atonement of Christ and we will gain the happiest ending possible.