This is my favorite picture of my brother who died a few days ago of cancer. He was nearly 69 when he died.
Though I miss my brother and wish he could have lived a longer happy life, I'm grateful for many things. I'm glad that he lived a whole year longer than expected. I'm grateful that he had someone to love, and who loved him, all his adult life and that she was able to be with him to the end of his life on earth.
I like this site. It has brief explanations and short videos about some of of the basic beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It also has clear, simple answers to common questions that people have about our beliefs. It also gives the option to talk with missionaries via voice or video call. Enjoy!
In our age of instant answers, some seek answers from God. The problem is how to find these answers. Many Christians believe that "God has done his work"; that "God no longer speaks to man as He once did"; and that "God now just speaks to our hearts".
God spoke to prophets throughout time. The Lord came to earth to teach us how to live to be happy. Our Savior even gave His life to pay for our mistakes, so we could return and live in our heavenly home. To think that God would now quit speaking to us, seems inconsistent with all His previous interactions with mankind. It is incomprehensible to me that a loving God would step back, away from us, and leave us alone now when we need Him so desperately. If you have ever asked wondered if God speaks to us today, here is the best answer I have ever read.
This month we faced the prospect of my husband having a serious form of cancer. It made me appreciate him and the time we have here on earth even more. It also made me realize that we can feel peace no matter what happens in our lives. The emotion we did not feel was a fear of death. So much of the world lives in fear of dying, but the Gospel helps us to know that our lives do not end at death. We are assured that we will have our bodies back, whole and immortal, and that we can continue our family relationships.
We are grateful to have been blessed with more time together. We are thankful for the hope we have because of the atonement our Savior provided for us.
(picture taken after he had had several precancerous spots burned off)
10 O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit.
11 And because of the way of deliverance of our God, the Holy One of Israel, this death, of which I have spoken, which is the temporal, shall deliver up its dead; which death is the grave.
12 And this death of which I have spoken, which is the spiritual death, shall deliver up its dead; which spiritual death is hell; wherefore, death and hell must deliver up their dead, and hell must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave must deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and the spirits of men will be restored one to the other; and it is by the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel.
Many people wonder why The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sends missionaries to teach Christians. Apparently, their assumption is that all that is needed to be happy is to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Yes, that would is a great start, but would it answer major questions such as, "What is the purpose of life"? Does it teach them how to live here on earth, and how to return to live with Heavenly Father? What if you had the answers to these questions and many more? Could you just sit there, smug in your knowledge, and not feel an obligation to share this great gift with others?
I've heard people question why the Savior had to die. They reason that if God has all power, then he could just bring us back into His presence. Envision that happening. Can you see yourself happily being in God's presence as you are now? I can't. A prophet in The Book of Mormon explains what would really happen to us: "the demands of divinejusticedo awaken his immortal soul to a lively sense of his ownguilt, which doth cause him to shrink from thepresenceof the Lord" Mosiah 2:38 I've heard of a mall that was having trouble with gangs frightening away their customers. They asked a professional for help. His solution -- play classical music. It worked! Why? Evil is not comfortable around what is beautiful and good. Knowing this, we fill our streets with light, because we know that violence and crime thrive in darkness.
Jesus Shows His Wounds (Behold My Hands and Feet), by Harry Anderson My blog used to be called "Meditations of a Mormon Mom". Why did I change it? Why did I take out the name "Mormon"? Have I left the faith? I feel like Peter when many of Jesus Christ's disciples began to leave Him. What happened is recorded in John 6: 67-69 in the New Testament of the Bible. "Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." No. I am not leaving the faith. This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the truth. This is Jesus Christ's church which has been restored to the earth. There is no other place to go.
I know that there are people who think that if I have any unanswered questions, then I should leave The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To me that makes as much sense as quitting using computers, because I don't know everything about them. Actually, at my age, I'm grateful that I can use a computer at all. But, don't unanswered questions bother me? No. I'm very used to not knowing everything. Let's face it, only teenagers know everything. If something is of value to me and could help me in my life, then I continue to study and learn about it. I've had to accept that there are many things that I simply don't have the background to understand - yet. I also know that learning must be earned through many long hours of effort. Since my time is limited, I concede that many things simply aren't worth my time and energy to study, and many things are not known at this time. Still some people ask how I can remain a member of the Church when they claim that Joseph Smith did some terrible thing. In today's world where there are so many attention seekers shouting "foul play", we must be very careful to not just react and make a judgment based solely on hearsay. Through my research, I have seen how many "claims" can be understood when they are placed in their proper historical context. (see my polygamy articles) As thinking people, instead of just mindlessly reacting, we need to do our own in depth research before we make our decision on things we hear.
If you work hard enough, can you become perfect? Of course not! Being perfect is being like our Heavenly Father and our Savior -- finished, complete, whole. It is a very long term goal that we can desire and work at in this life, and which we might reach sometime in the eternities, but only if we allow our Savior to help us. Why can't we become perfect on our own? The fact is that we learn by making mistakes. We do something; experience the consequences, then make a judgement on whether what we did was good or bad. Did it make us happy and bring us peace, or did it make us miserable, and fearful? This is what we are here to do: to learn and grow. Well, we certainly have making mistakes down pat, and we can even determine if we want to continue that behavior or never do it again, but how can we grow?
As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I know of no better way to reduce a group of church women into a miserable puddle of guilt, than to mention becoming perfect. Immediately, women begin bemoaning their "failures": their home isn't neat every moment, their children are not high achievers, their meals sometimes are not very nutritious, their hair has a mind of its own, their clothes aren't stylish, their weight is too much, their yard has weeds, they forget things, and worst of all, they sometimes get tired and grouchy.
We all wonder what God is like. Some think He is a spirit who dwells in our hearts. Some view Him as a great Santa who grants all their wishes, but what is He really like? One of the best ways to know, of course, is through people who have actually seen God.
I laugh each time I see this video, but it really says a lot about being a dad. It is more than just providing and protecting your family, though that is important. Dads spend their life trying to meet the needs of their family. My dad made life fun for us and taught me so many things. He ran for ages beside me helping me learn to ride a bike, and spent hours teaching me to drive his red VW bug. My husband has always been there to help our children and grandchildren. He helped the kids build things in his shop and led the neighborhood kids in basketball and tag football games. My son-in-law has fancy tea parties with his little daughter, and carries her up mountains so she can come on hikes with him. I've been in awe as I've witnessed the sacrifice and love which has made mere men into Dads.
In a few days I'll have another birthday. I'm excited to turn 68. I know most people try and hide their age, especially women. I don't. First of all, I so grateful to have made it this far, and second, I don't think anyone would really believe me if I said I was younger. Let's face it, no older person really looks very young if you come within twenty feet of them.
Mainly, I'm excited about another birthday, because life keeps getting better. Yes, I have health problems which restrict the things I can do, but I find that I'm happier now than when I was younger. Though I admit, that I was prettier back then, I worried about everything. I compared myself to other women and saw them as more attractive and talented. I went into a deep depression if I gained a pound, or hid in shame if I had a blemish. I listed all that others could do and neglected my own unique abilities. I worried if I was being a good wife, mother and homemaker. I worried constantly over my children's health, safety, and happiness. I made a long list of other women's strengths and expected myself to perform up to those standards, and I always felt that I was not measuring up to society's expectations. In other words, I sucked the joy out of life.
Yes, there really are advantages to getting older.
I've lived long enough to see consequences of actions. Things that seemed to be bad at the moment have turned out to be good in the long run. For example, my poor health has helped my husband become very loving and supportive.
I've learned whose advice I can follow. I've come to respect my husband's advice. I saw the counsel of the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints come true. They counseled for years to get out of debt, live within your means, avoid Home Equity Loans, and store food and necessities. Those that followed this advice were all right when the "Down-Turn" came.
I've learned not to worry if children do immature things. They are learning. Have faith in them. Give them time, love, a good example, good principles, lots of encouragement, and trust God to make up the difference. Children usually become great adults because of, and in spite of, our efforts as parents.
