Brightening My Light

lds.org This was the part I wrote for my role in the pageant for our stake women's conference on women from the scriptures and Church history.  I am Hannah, mother of the prophet Samuel, from the Old Testament. I was in a polygamous marriage, and as if that wasn’t hard enough, my husband’s other wife, Peninnah, could have children, but I could not. Peninnah would tease me for being infertile because she was jealous that our husband loved me more than he loved her. Every year we went to the temple. One year, Peninnah was so cruel, I wept bitterly and couldn't eat. My husband tried consoling me by asking, “Am I not better to thee than ten sons?” Of course he was a good husband to me, but the love a woman has for her husband and the love she has for her children are not quite the same, and I wanted to experience that motherly love more than anything. I finally couldn’t take it anymore. I went to the temple alone and poured out my soul in prayer and tears. I vowed ...

ldsclipart.com The talk I gave today to introduce the Primary program. I didn't even have an outline for this one! I pondered over the topic yesterday and felt inspired as I spoke aloud to myself. I relied on the Spirit today to help me remember what I needed to say. I couldn't remember it all as I wrote this though, but this is it for the most part. The purposes of Primary are to: teach children who Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are teach children to love Them and to feel Their love help children develop feelings of self-worth and understand they are children of God give children positive church experiences teach children the gospel of Jesus Christ and how to follow His example help children become familiar with the scriptures prepare the boys for priesthood responsibilities and the girls for Young Women Each year we're given a theme, along with monthly themes and weekly lessons that build upon the yearly theme. This year, the theme was "I Know My ...

photo from lds.org A previous set of elders put me on the 12-week course for new missionaries. Last night as I was finishing up the week on revelation through the Book of Mormon, I came upon this study activity: Read Moroni 10:3-5 and discuss how these verses show what an investigator must do to gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon. Discuss the meaning and importance of real intent and how to help investigators develop real intent. I considered skipping it since I had read that scripture passage countless times, especially with studying Preach My Gospel , and because the discussion seemed to focus on real intent, which had been covered thoroughly in that week's study. But I decided to humor myself and do it anyway. And what I learned surprised me. There are actually four steps an investigator must complete before asking God with real intent and receiving an answer: Read the Book of Mormon. How can we know if something is true if we haven't even read it? We have to b...

[The second half of my talk given 1/11/15. Read the first part here .] The second reason why we need scripture power is to receive personal revelation. We can find guidance in the word of God. Nephi wrote, “feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do” ( 2 Nephi 32:3 ). By following the counsel in the scriptures, we can always know what we need to do to stay on the path back to Heavenly Father. A great example is when Joseph Smith read James 1:5 and followed its advice, praying to God and thus bringing about the entire Restoration. We may not be able to find a specific answer in the scriptures as Joseph did, but diligent scripture study invites the Holy Ghost, who will reveal to us answers to our gospel questions and life decisions. Third, scripture power protects us from temptation and sin. The best way it does so is preventively. President Packer said, “True doctrine, understood, changes attitude and behavior....

lds.org [The first half of my talk given 1/11/15. Read the second part here .] The chorus to one of the Primary songs reads: Scripture power keeps me safe from sin. Scripture power is the power to win. Scripture power! Every day I need The power that I get each time I read. The power found in the scriptures is always there, waiting for us to tap into it, like the electricity in our homes. All we need to do is flip the switch to feel its power and let it light our way. We learn in Alma 17:2–3 how to do this: Now these sons of Mosiah . . . had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently , that they might know the word of God. But this is not all ; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting ; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God. [emphasis mine] Why...

My cousin shared this article on Facebook a while ago. Although it is written for mainstream Christians, it also applies to us Latter-day Saints. 5 Really Bad Reasons to Leave Your Church Our own leaders have also addressed the issue of leaving the Church: Come, Join with Us - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf And Nothing Shall Offend Them - Elder David A. Bednar That Ye Not Be Offended - Ensign article "A Brother Offended" - Elder Neal A. Maxwell Challenge: If you have problems with the Church, first identify what they are: the people? doctrine? leaders? traditions? Then discuss them with a trusted person still in the Church and work them out with the Lord through study and prayer.

My previous post was about the missionary work I started with my neighbor. Today she and her son went to church with us. She had met a couple other people in the ward previously at my house too, and we sat with one of them. I explained to her about the sacrament and told her she was welcome to bear her testimony if she felt impressed to do so. When testimony meeting started, I was nervous. I knew I was going to go up, but I didn't know when and I had no idea what I wanted to say. I usually only go up because I have something specific to share. After a few people went, my neighbor whispered to me, "I'm going up!" I told her I would too. I went first and bore my testimony of the Church, Book of Mormon, keeping the commandments, and President Monson. She then followed, asking me to stay up with her. She shared the story I shared with you about our conversations and how she has seen God in her life. She ended pleading with the members to open their mouths and share ...

lds.org Receiving a testimony of the gospel and its specific principles is not a single event. It is something that happens repeatedly as our spirituality changes. We are familiar with Alma's analogy of faith, and thus a testimony, as a seed that we plant and care for as it grows. But once the seed becomes a tree do we stop nourishing it? Alma counseled: . . . And now behold, after ye have tasted this light is your knowledge perfect?  Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither must ye lay aside your faith, for ye have only exercised your faith to plant the seed that ye might try the experiment to know if the seed was good.  And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit.  But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold...

The plan of salvation is very simple and, for the most part, easy to understand. We know that when we make mistakes we must suffer the negative consequences, and that is understandable and fair. But when terrible things happen to good and innocent people, it can be difficult to understand why God does not intervene. I have studied long and thoroughly for answers and have found the following: Agency Doctrine and Covenants 88:87-91 talks about the terribles calamaties that will happen in the Last Days, which we see all around us now. President Joseph Fielding Smith said concerning this : “It is not the will of the Lord that there should come upon the people disaster, trouble, calamity, and depression, . . . but because man himself will violate the commandments of God and will not walk in righteousness, the Lord permits all of these evils to come upon him. . . . “The Lord has made the declaration in our own day that it was his good pleasure to give to men the fulness o...