Snippets for Relief Society 2015 :) Use search term Ezra Taft Benson to view more for this week or for other weeks.


We just had a heart-searching lesson last time so this makes two heavy-duty Ezra Taft Benson lessons in a row.  After jumping into lesson 17 for two weeks (Law of Chastity), and then spending another week with Lesson 18 - "Beware Of Pride" - it's been quite the soul workout.

Talk about cleansing the inner vessel.  If after lesson 18, you feel like you've been gone over with a super scrubber Brill-o pad, trust me ~ I feel it too.

Some lessons are more rejuvenating and uplifting, and others are quite introspective.

But we need this sometimes?

"Beware of Pride" (April 1989) by President Benson is one of the top ten Conference talks of all time.

We can measure our growth & progress over the years by his ultra-inspired words. It's one of those pieces of spiritual genius which never grows old...

Another fitting title for this lesson would be "Human Nature."

Guaranteed somewhere in this lesson you'll find President Benson talking directly to you, and he's seat-squirming accurate.

Ezra has mortality completely profiled.  In fact I was amazed how clearly he sees people and the games they play.  Love this prophet, dearly love him.

There is so much material here, we'll narrow it down to 2 prominent aspects of sister-style pride (though probably brother-style too).  There are also 6 discussion-promoting questions at the end of this post.

Ezra Taft Benson's Insightful Definition Of Pride:

First President Benson said something which completely made me smile,

"Pride is a sin that can readily be seen in others but is rarely admitted in ourselves."

Caught me! The first time I read this lesson through, I cataloged all the ways my husband is proud...so big oops there. We may have to laugh at ourselves a bit as we progress through this material, because as we read, different people's faces will appear to our minds. Although it's good to know what other folks are about (it really is ~ Elder Bednar says so in chapter 2 of his book "Increase Learning), it is far better to know what we ourselves are about.

Ezra Taft Benson's definition of pride here is sublime.

"Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart, or core, is still missing."

"The central feature of pride is enmity—enmity towardGod and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.” It is the power by which Satan wishes to [and does] reign over us."

"Pride is essentially competitive in nature..."

I love the word enmity.  It describes a quality which is sometimes hard to put one's finger on.  It defines what a growing number of people are adopting as acceptable social behavior (like being aggressive and politically correct).  Enmity is not a verb. Rather, enmity is a quality someone possesses or, is in the practice of carrying around. "She has a lot of enmity."

enmity: the state or feeling of being actively opposed or hostile to someone or something.

synonyms: hostility, animosity, antagonism, friction, antipathy, animus, acrimony, bitterness, rancor, resentment, aversion, ill feeling, bad feeling, ill will, bad blood, hatred, hate, loathing, odium; malice, spite, spitefulness, venom, malevolence

Do any of these words ever describe your feelings towards others?  Do you have enmity, as President Benson describes it? Two ideas from Ezra's quote about pride to remember throughout this lesson as an underlying foundation for human nature: a state of opposition and competitive.  These two ideas are woven throughout President Benson's notes.

Snippet #1 ~ Social Pride

This is the longest section, maybe because as sisters, we're social creatures and pride among our social strata is one of the biggest challenges we collectively face.  President Benson's descriptions of pride and the idea of enmity will probably ring some bells as we discuss this topic together.

We're aware of dynamics, friends, energy, clicks, social status, popularity, alliances, insecurity, cattiness, circles, comparison, competition, offense, power, control, lonely, popular, new, in, out, passive-aggressive, aggressive, included, charisma, charm, excluded, kindness, approachability, sweetness, fake friends, genuine and you name it.

We're aware of our own social standing and that of others.  We sense when we're accepted, esteemed and belong and when we're rejected or marginalized.  We have developed different reactions and patterns which we fall into based on our responses to the social cues and/or challenges around us.

Which of them needs to go?  According to President Benson, it would be anything associated with pride, which can be identified by anything which produces enmity, hostility, a state of opposition or is competitive.  These are all markers of pride.

We could spend a while on gossip and ill-will here, couldn't we?

Although we can't control where other people are at or how they behave, we certainly determine the quality and state of our own behavior.

Shakespeare nailed it when he said, "Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none."

I positively love how dear Ezra frames the symptoms of pride in regards to social interactions:

"Another major portion of this very prevalent sin of pride is enmity toward our fellowmen. We are tempted daily to elevate ourselves above others and diminish them. (See Hel. 6:17; D&C 58:41.)"

We diminish others or elevate ourselves when 1) we want to back up our story of superior status, or 2) perhaps we're going along with someone else (whom we're clamoring after) who diminishes others. And we don't object because we're socially fearful to cross those whom we want to associate with, or 3) we can diminish others and/or elevate ourselves as a reaction, because we feel rejected, betrayed or hurt and we feel the need to show we're "somebody."

"The proud make every man their adversary by pitting their intellects, opinions, works, wealth, talents, [social status] or any other worldly measuring device against others. In the words of C. S. Lewis: “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. … It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition has gone, pride has gone.”

The #1 self-elevation tool of social control and social status engineering is the practice of campaigning against others with unsavory stories or bad news (nicer word for gossip & ill-will).  It's accomplished by framing/reporting someone with some social stigma and then running around recruiting others to hold the same bad opinion (remember hostility and/or a state of opposition?)  Too often, people who employ such tactics use tales which are one-sided, embellished, unfair, out-of-context and unfortunately, even in the Church, sometimes completely or mostly fabricated.

The personal story I'm about to relate here is an extreme case.  But as it unfolds, you will probably recognize some of the same patterns and behaviors where you're at, only hopefully on a much lesser scale and with more checks & balances in place.

Here is the pride pattern gone awry from a ward I once lived in, the equal of which I have never seen anywhere else.

In this particular ward, if someone showed promise, talent, gift, shined brightly or garnered some such attention or favor.  AND if they didn't belong to one of the controlling social factions (this ward has 3) or if they didn't easily take their proper place under their established social structures (i.e. clamor after said factions) - the common response was to do whatever it took to hold that person's head down, diminish, marginalize or sideline.  Sometimes to the point of being absurd.

Why would people behave like this?  It's not something I can relate to but President Benson explains it:

"Pride is ugly. It says, “If you succeed, I am a failure.”

It occurred to me, as high of a political office which President Benson rose to (US Secretary of Agriculture), he probably experienced plenty of people like this.  We see this same pattern of trying to take others down outlined in the scriptures between the Pharisees and the Savior, Saul & David, the Romans & Paul, etc.-

Campaigning with disapproval or slander is one common method, another is withholding opportunity, excluding and passing over or in other ways.  The aim of this ward culture was to hold rising heads down and render them incapable or not worthy of of a calling or assignment.

Rendering others incapable is another manifestation of pride.  It is the opposite of what Christ does.  He has faith in your superior potential, brings out the good in you and develops people.

In fact, President Benson touches on this when he said:

"We can choose to humble ourselves by conquering enmity toward our brothers and sisters, esteeming them as ourselves, and lifting them as high or higher than we are. (See D&C 38:24; 81:5; 84:106.)"

Back to my story.

Most of my adult church life,  I've been quite involved and asked to be involved in Church callings and events until this particular ward.  While there, I went several years without any callings, and with a couple of short, short exceptions, never held any calling of much influence (I would have been glad of a Primary class), and sat in their Relief Society for 13 years with not a lot to do despite demonstrating a lot of willingness.

Or I would finally get a calling and the assignment was then undermined, submarined, muted, nullified or somehow marginalized.  Once I was asked to do a youth fireside, which I put together with great enthusiasm and spent many hours preparing, including putting together a panel of guests to answer youth questions.  When I got there, I was told I wouldn't be participating, that someone else would take my place and I was to just sit in the audience.  The panel of people who remained were all but silenced and the fireside was awful.  The exact same thing happened with a chocolate event I put together for the sisters, and a ward Christmas party my husband and I spent two months on (plus a dozen other stories very much like this).  Towards the end, the same sort of thing happened when I was asked to introduce the Church's welfare program back into this ward.  The fact that it hadn't been followed for more than a decade (inadvertently reflecting on said factions) and that I was assigned to help put it in place, (which I did with all the enthusiasm of heart and soul which I was made of), was a huge threat to some.  I certainly didn't approach it this way, as something in their face, but I was quickly shut down after 2-3 months.  It was claimed I counseled a single mother, (in order to save money and meet her budget), to put her children up for adoption (and like stories of incompetence).  I was shocked such absurd stories could even sprout legs ~ but then again, in this particular ward...maybe not.  I was called into the bishop's office over that.   (We had a new bishop at the time, and I was hopeful, but my time of deliverance was not to be. The old pattern of rendering certain outsiders who threatened to be noteworthy as incapable was still fully in place).

Again President Benson calls it out:

"They won’t change their minds to accept truths, because to do so implies they have been wrong."

The symptoms of pride were not identifiable nor obvious to me for quite a few years.  After a long time of feeling baffled as to why I could never seem to establish a foothold or find much acceptance- the dynamics of pride and control finally dawned on me.  It felt like I was in a cage.  And here President Benson described years earlier just how it works...

The common means of diminishing others in this ward were the spreading of unsavory stories and rendering myself (and many others) incapable of whatever current assignment or said task.

Have you ever experienced or witnessed this pattern at work, school, your ward or other places?  It's quite prevelant.

After comparing notes with dear friends in other places, this prideful behavior seems to be a universal mortal pattern found everywhere on some level.  But usually not with as much unabashed presence as it had in that ward.

Such extreme goings on are way out of the ballpark of the norm in our Church.  Typically, a more reasonable consensus is in place.  I've been in half a dozen wards at least and have never seen affairs conducted in such a manner nor experienced these things on this level.  The reason it survived there for so long was because the leadership positions were tightly held among a few marriages, (and families/minions) and rotated among themselves.  So the natural checks and balances were long eroded and the ward culture of acceptably "shutting out" others migrated quite a ways into left field.  So much that such behavior didn't bat an eyelash.

Before you feel sorry for me or express sympathy, these experiences have been the best lessons I've ever learned about myself, others and the effects of pride.  A lot of rough edges were polished off thanks to those harder times. Trust me, this isn't me consoling myself and trying to find something good in it all.  The experience has greatly added to my stature.

It took me a long time to react appropriately and with grace.  Which I now do so much better than I ever would without these same experiences.

Nor would I have been so aware of the games people play and what affect they have on others.  My eyes have been widely opened and hopefully with an equal share of wisdom and understanding.

President Benson knows just what he is talking about in this lesson when he describes pride as elevating oneself and diminishing others.  I strongly suspect he experienced it personally given his very high profile.

One of the positive effects of this long experience is...I've progressed from having the prideful reaction of feeling betrayed, hurt, excluded, railroaded and resentful to having such things affect me very little and not for long.  These types of dynamics no longer diminish me to myself, but rather defines those who impose them.  I say this not as a means of spite or disdain, but as someone looking at that situation with newer eyes.  You've got to feel sorry for people who operate like this ~ whose self-esteems are so fragile or brittle they feel the need to shut others down or out in such a manner.  I've come to understand it's really not personal and folks like that will do the same to anyone who crosses their path with any amount of light.

In fact, watching it happen to others around me is finally what painted the clearer picture for me.

Another one of life's mysteries...it's harder to put your finger on "it," when you're at the center of difficult dynamics, but easier to diagnose when you see it in panoramic view happening to someone else.  Once I witnessed the ward's same cycle a few times when carried out on others, I got it.

All this then lead to my striving to contribute somewhere, somehow, which opened wonderful doors like the LDS.org Response Team, serving on a local school board, etc where I learned and experienced volumes.  It even created this blog.  I had so much to share, so much love of the gospel and nowhere for it to go.  This blog passed the "one million views" mark a month or two ago.  Never would I have imagined having a voice which could be heard like this and have the privilege of making connections with so many other kindred souls in this world.  Yet, had I not been so pushed into a secluded corner, this blog would not have happened.

Is it not a repeating pattern, that wonderful things are often born of something difficult?

Life often works out that way...we don't move until we're pushed into action by adversity.

Now I grasp how powerful a partnership the Savior extends to anyone who is willing to carry on His work.  I understand this at a depth I would have never achieved otherwise.  There is so much to do, so much to be set in motion, inside and outside of callings.  And the heavens grace and partner with anyone who thrusts in their sickle.  Regardless of the presence of an official title or not.

And there's more.  I came to find out, despite this experience, the Lord is in charge of His Church and He knows of the imperfect dealings of mortals, and the stumbling of pride.  Karma is very real.  It is spoken of in the Bible, outlined in the Book of Mormon and referred to in the Doctrine and Covenants.  Karma is one of the Savior's great teaching tools.  That's probably a whole set of stories for another time.

But here is the best part...despite it all, life is mathematically perfect.  Sisters, I cannot emphasize this truth enough...life is truly a mathematically perfect equation. And from whatever misfortune or hard experience befalls us, there is an equal opportunity for it to turn it to our good, increase our essence, elevate our understanding and to add to our stature.

***Herein lies a winning formula:  Removing our own pride (how we react to the trespasses of others, to life's misfortunes) opens our eyes, opens doors and lights up paths.***

The whole idea of removing pride is to bless us with greater opportunities, not to restrict us as lesser beings with no rights or importance.

"At the end of this world, when God cleanses the earth by fire, the proud will be burned as stubble and the meek shall inherit the earth. (See 3 Ne. 12:5; 25:1; D&C 29:9; JS—H 1:37; Mal. 4:1.)"

The Lord said "turn the other cheek," not because we are to lie down and take it, but because it propels us to greater states of being and understanding.  The blessings flow when we finally put the pride down and turn to the Savior on His terms.

At some point, those who practice that kind of social pride like the ward I just described, can't touch you anymore and your life will soar on.  Windows open, paths present themselves.  I can testify the Lord is in charge because of how perfect the equation always turns out to be.

Suddenly Shakespeare's advice makes a lot of sense: "Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none."

The old phrase "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" is a verified secret of the Universe and stays true as long as we keep bitterness, resentment and canker out of it.  Which by the way, are all manifestations of pride - where we tell ourselves we aren't supposed to pass a misfortune or injustice we've just experienced.

Life was made for us to conquer such things, not to be free of them.

There's no growth in the easy flow.

Although my story was an extreme example of social pride (elevating & diminishing) in a ward setting, it may shed light on lesser versions of it in yours.

"Pride affects all of us at various times and in various degrees...Yes, pride is the universal sin, the great vice."

Sisters do hold other sisters down socially or as President Benson puts it, "daily" elevate themselves and diminish others (i.e. gossip and ill-will).  Recognize competition and the "state of opposition" for what they really are and back away from them.  They are ugly symptoms of pride.

Snippet #2 ~ Contention

President Ezra Taft Benson's words are sure to touch us all.  This lesson has certainly made me assess my own prideful tendencies.

"Another face of pride is contention. Arguments, fights, unrighteous dominion, generation gaps, divorces, spouse abuse, riots, and disturbances all fall into this category of pride."

"Contention in our families drives the Spirit of the Lord away. It also drives many of our family members away. Contention ranges from a hostile spoken word to worldwide conflicts. The scriptures tell us that “only by pride cometh contention.”

And there we have it!  If you find yourself or your family in arguments, fights, unkind words...they all have their root in pride.

President Benson further outlines what happens in marriages and families due to pride:

"The scriptures testify that the proud are easily offended and hold grudges. (See 1 Ne. 16:1–3.) They withhold forgiveness to keep another in their debt and to justify their injured feelings."

"The proud do not receive counsel or correction easily [Ouch]. (See Prov. 15:10; Amos 5:10.) Defensiveness is used by them to justify and rationalize their frailties and failures. (See Matt. 3:9; John 6:30–59.)"

My mission president frequently taught if there was at least one companion who had true charity, there would be no contention.  There were several times I would have "but, but, but" with him, that is until I got older.  I get it now.  Life is all about how you respond to challenging people and situations.  What those other people did or said are not even in the equation of who you really are and how you are measured.

The story about President Benson at the beginning of the lesson made an impact.  What would it be like to have progressed to his state of being?  Serene, approachable, with a huge sense of well-being to say the least.  I'm striving to get there somehow ~ re-read this one paragraph with me and imagine reaching his stature:

"These teachings were familiar to the men who had served with President Benson in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. They knew that as President of their quorum, he never worried about his personal views—only about learning and following God’s will. President Boyd K. Packer, who later served as President of the Quorum of the Twelve himself, told of President Benson’s approach to discussions in quorum meetings: “You could disagree with President Benson without worrying that there was anything personal to it. We had full discussions on matters without worrying what his viewpoint might be.”

My poor husband could not say the same about me (truthfully, we're in this one together but we're concentrating on myself today).

What is it that allows us to slip into arguing, fighting and making things personal?

Pride.

Perhaps President Benson hits on one of the reasons why when he says:

"Selfishness is one of the more common faces of pride. “How everything affects me” is the center of all that matters— self-conceit, self-pity, worldly self-fulfillment, self-gratification, and self-seeking."

Which, by the way, focusing on oneself is a sure recipe for unhappiness.  It's also how drama people fuel their ridiculous tactics, making everything about them or someone close to them.

And surely I am prioritizing myself or other things ahead of my husband's or my family's well-being when we argue or fight.  Hopefully, such rough edges can be polished.

Humility Is The Cure

"We can choose to humble ourselves by conquering enmity toward our brothers and sisters, esteeming them as ourselves, and lifting them as high or higher than we are." 

What I hear theses words say to me in my situation:  Make friends & include those you're not normally associated with. Leaders ~ this includes your extending callings, assignments and VT/HT routes evenly ~ take care not to use these things for social engineering.

President Benson makes a list of purposeful ways to bring humility into our lives and defeat pride ~ they are wonderful precepts and ideas:

1) We can choose to humble ourselves by receiving counsel and chastisement.

2) We can choose to humble ourselves by forgiving those who have offended us. (See also "When Forgiveness Is Complicated")

3) We can choose to humble ourselves by rendering selfless service.

4) We can choose to humble ourselves by going on missions and preaching the word that can humble others.

5) We can choose to humble ourselves by getting to the temple more frequently.

6) We can choose to humble ourselves by confessing and forsaking our sins and being born of God. (See also "The Lord Defines A Great Teacher")

7) We can choose to humble ourselves by loving God, submitting our will to His, and putting Him first in our lives.



Discussion promoting questions (insert anytime it feels right):

1)  Why is it hard to see or admit our own pride or flaws?  Who are we focused on when we're prideful? (The flaws of others)  Why is it so beneficial to focus on ourselves?  What are some ways to be more introspective?

Possibly use the parable of the publican's prayer for a great lead-up to this set of questions ~

10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. (Luke 18:10-14)

2)  Why does President Benson include competitiveness and enmity at the core of pride?  How do such qualities show up among us sisters?  (See Sheri Dew "3 C's) What are some of the symptoms?

"There is, however, a far more common ailment among us—and that is pride from the bottom looking up. It is manifest in so many ways, such as faultfinding, gossiping, backbiting, murmuring, living beyond our means, envying, coveting, withholding gratitude and praise that might lift another, and being unforgiving and jealous."

3)  What happens to us when our primary focus becomes pleasing God, rather than worrying about what others will think?  Does our focus change, do our relations and reactions to others change?

"Would we not do well to have the pleasing of God as our motive rather than to try to elevate ourselves above our brother and outdo another?"

4) What are some things we can do when we find ourselves among those who are putting others down?  Does the bad chemistry our friends have with someone else, need to be our bad chemistry too?  (Usually not, you may have what that sister needs, or you may have something she needs and her quirks may not be ones you really care about.  Don't run around collecting bad chemistry from others.)

5) How can kind words and kind acts benefit both ourselves and others?  (It's contagious, it softens hearts, etc)

6) The world sees humility as a weakness, we see it as a strength ~ why is that?  (The Lord looks on the heart, the world prioritizes statuses which foster pride * like wealth, beauty, position, power, talent, popularity* ~ humility actually takes a lot more self-control & willpower than pride ~ it emulates the Savior and doesn't seek after men's approval).

Possible Hymns - Let Us Oft Speak Kind Words  #232

Lord, I Would Follow Thee  #220

Now we're importing firefighters from Australia & New Zealand because we have so much fire burning in the U.S.


This verse seems to fit well:

Mormon 8:29 Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be heard of fires, and tempests, and vapors of smoke in foreign lands;

Stay Safe!

Our home for sale in Grants Pass, Ore.  We will MISS this house.

We're moving to Salt Lake County for the first time, at the end of this month Sept. 30 or the 1st of October from Oregon.  We would love to rent a house on the east bench there with at least a 2-car garage & 4 bedrooms, but 3 bedrooms is ok ~ up to $1500/mo.  We both have excellent 800+ credit.

We are having a hard time getting anyone to take us seriously since we're from out-of-state.  Apparently that's a big source of fraud and other problems, people who apply from out-of-state...who knew?

We've been on KSL.com,  Rentler.com, FRE, Keyrenter, etc.

Our own house is on sale ~ but we're in a rather small town in an isolated area and houses above $400k sell slow.  We know it will eventually.

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1745-NE-Sunset-Ln-Grants-Pass-OR-97526/60771641_zpid/

We would really like to get acquainted with Salt Lake County and sell our own home before we buy.

If you have any solid leads for a particular home to rent, please email me.  We can do either a 6 month, 9 month or 12 month lease.  We prefer 9 month:

bluebazooka@gmail.com

Thanks for any help you can gift us!

This lesson is in progress but here is a thought-provoking start.  I'll post the rest by this coming weekend probably.  Hope you have a wonderful Labor Day today.

Snippets for Relief Society 2015 :) Use search term Ezra Taft Benson to view more for this week or for other weeks.


This is a trick question:

Who is this leadership lesson intended for?

Answer:  You!

This lesson was clearly written for each of us to absorb...not just leaders presently in high-profile positions (although, this lesson definitely outlines our wish list for the kinds of leaders we'd love to have).

The qualities listed in this lesson are benchmark versions of our ideal self in many aspects of life.  Not only that, whether a parent, a visiting teacher (home teacher) or simply a human being walking down the street ~ we all find ourselves in moments of leading and serving and organizing.

This lesson applies to us all.

Ezra was known for his extraordinary administrative skills.  He was one of the most effective leaders of our dispensation.  We're about to explore why, and the delightful part is they are all habits we can acquire.  In fact, this lesson could even be renamed:

"Secrets To Happiness And Social Success." (Especially in a ward setting.)

What you may be tempted to do (and trust me I completely understand it), is apply these ideals to your present leaders and find them falling quite short.  As good as it is to know what kind of leader the Lord wishes you to have, this lesson will reach the furthest if we focus inward.

We've all had leaders who frustrate us, sometimes greatly.  Leadership positions are clearly invitations to serve as the Lord does and also to grow and stretch.  Which means those who accepted those positions are works-in-progress.  There are some pretty steep learning curves involved with effectively serving as the head of a group.  Plus, when in a leadership position, you're on a pedestal with lots of faults in full view.  So unless the leader intentionally means you harm, or has immediate significant trespasses against you to address and resolve, give them plenty of space to progress.

Especially if they mean well!  It would be awesome of us to possibly help along their doing well to become real (i.e. volunteer, compliment, encourage, support).  You never know when the shoe will be on the other foot.  I mean, aren't we all on a learning curve of sorts?

Part of becoming a leader is learning how to back the present one up.  Such tendencies adds to your stature and depth of character.  So whatever your present place or calling is in the Church, do it with grace and class.  Ten years later, you never regret having been kind.

I was once counseled years back by a wise bishop, while accepting a YW counselor position, that although I would see faults and not always agree with the president, my primary job was to make the YW President look as good as possible.  The wisdom of that counsel has stayed with me ever since.  It makes the group so much more powerful and effective as a whole.  In-fighting denies a group its potential, wastes energy and stifles creativity.  Side note: Using leadership positions for self-serving social caste engineering (via callings issued & VT/HT routes) does the same.  Hopefully, most members take care to maintain the Lord's balance with such things.  Helping Church to more resemble Zion (one heart, one mind) and strengthening the overall health of the ward family are sacred, powerful errands.

The following quote from President Benson boasts some powerful words.  In fact, this literally makes my blood tingle, even after reading it several times.  Here is a prophet on full display:

The power of Christ’s leadership grew from the challenge of His example. His clarion call was, “Come, follow me!” … His [success in gaining] the loyalty and devotion of men to principles of righteousness depend[ed] upon love as the great motivating factor. He helped us realize that the godlike qualities in each of us clamoring for expression can become glorious living realities. His example continues as the greatest hope and strength of mankind.

How did Christ do it?

By love and seeing us with glorious potential.

To quote it again, Christ "depend[ed] upon love as the great motivating factor."

We develop love for those we work with and serve. They will know we love them when they can see we: admire, care for, cherish, choose, prefer, and prize them.

Sometimes when we break down what love really is, it's easier to implement.

It means we render others capable of all kinds of "glorious realities." It is the ultimate of spirituality and leadership.  It might be the ultimate of marriage and family relationships too.  Elder Bednar quoted President Stephen L Richards (1879–1959) in his book "Increase Learning" about the nature and blessings of the gift of discernment:

"The highest type of discernment is that which perceives in others and uncovers for them their better natures, the good inherent within them. . . ."

In fact, both President Benson's quote and President Richard's observation remind me of a delightful insight from Brigham Young, the modern Moses of our time.

A word about Brigham Young here, despite his errors, his accomplishments are enormous.  Especially the migrating of a whole civilization and starting a rather sophisticated population in the middle of nowhere.  His governing and leadership skills were occult.  Few people could have pulled off what he did, and he's an essential piece of the Church's establishment.  Some focus on his stumblings, and use those to characterize him today in our time, but the man was simply stellar.  Completely off the charts.  The far greater majority of Saints in his day loved him and with good reason...

"One thing more. You will perceive all the time, this one thing in me, viz., by my conduct, there is no lack of confidence—not a particle of jealousy arises in my bosom towards this people. I never felt for one moment a shadow of doubt upon that subject. I have never seen one moment but this people loved me; although I may get up here and cuff them about, chastising them for their forgetfulness, their weaknesses and follies, yet I have not seen a moment when they did not love me. The reason is, because I love them so well. Do you not know that spirits beget spirits, and likeness begets likeness. I love this people so well that I know they love me; they have confidence in me, because I have confidence in them. You may scan the history of the whole Church, and look over the whole surface of the matter, and did you ever see this people, when they had the same confidence as they have in each other at this day? No, never. And it is on the increase; and this is what will make a community powerful. But if we lack confidence in each other, and be jealous of each other, our peace will be destroyed. If we cultivate the principle of unshaken confidence in each other, our joy will be full..."

History may have some notable exceptions to what BY describes here, after all, he was mortal with the prerequisite number of detractors.  But these words were true 99% of the time or greater.

This is a great lesson for us, isn't it?

Leadership = having love for and confidence in people.

This kind of leadership glows whether it's your visiting teaching, your marriage, your family, or your Primary class.

Update: We are moving from Oregon to Glendale, Salt Lake City on Oct. 1st.

Yep, the neighborhood everyone told us to avoid and stay out of. And we are very aware of the crime rate. How we chose this spot is a series of unexpected events we feel were quite guided.

It's the European village-style co-housing place on 4.5 acres you may have heard about (modeled after a place in Denmark). It's a great story for another post. It's the road less travelled for us ~ and we're excited to come. The ward we're moving into (Cannon 9th Ward, Salt Lake Cannon Stake) reportedly has something like 20+ languages spoken in that ward or maybe it was all of the stake. My husband has traveled to more than 60 countries and this is SOOOO up his alley. He could not be more pleased. I love such diverse things too.

We can't wait to get acquainted with Salt Lake County and all of Utah and if I'm terrifically lucky, with some of you. I always, always wish I knew more of people's stories who come visit this blog.

Thank you to everyone who thought to send some prayers our way, we feel they were answered in the most delightful way for our family.

Snippets for Relief Society 2015 :) Use search term Ezra Taft Benson to view more for this week or for other weeks.

Laurelle's artistic rendition of a balanced, happy ward.

Snippets for Relief Society 2015 :) Use search term Ezra Taft Benson to view more for this week or for other weeks.


This is a topic I love!

The LDS Church has the best understanding of true welfare over any system I've ever encountered.

In fact, the Church's version of welfare is better described by the Spanish word for welfare..."bien estar" or "well-being."

Well-being and lifting the individual to higher planes of existence are at the core of every guideline and application of the Church welfare system. That is, *IF* it is run by the handbook and as Salt Lake City has instructed its local leaders.

When the handbook is ignored, or only partially applied, our local administration of welfare becomes very similar to a government dole system ~ and we create dependencies and sometimes even pay-per-visit Mormons. 

The very last thing we could ever want.

In fact President Benson made a strong statement about this dysfunctional, but common tendency within our LDS Church:

"As we administer any aspect of the welfare program, the primary purpose for which it was established must be kept before us. That stated purpose is “to set up, insofar as it might be possible, a system under which the curse of idleness would be done away with, the evils of a dole abolished, and independence, industry, thrift, and self-respect be once more established amongst our people. The aim of the Church is to help the people to help themselves."

Although there will be a full blog post on this lesson ~ I'd like to post a link to the best outside resource now.

The Church puts out a booklet called the "Summary Of A Leader's Guide to Welfare - Providing The Lord's Way" and it is a small condensed version of the full handbook, but only takes about 5-7 mins to read. What more, it is so remarkably organized and well-written you will have 80-90% of the welfare program down with a small investment of time.

Guess who was the apostle in charge of putting this most recent handbook and its summary together? Our own dear Thomas S. Monson!  This is so fitting since President Monson is a clear champion of "going after the one." I love him for his legacy of one-on-one service through the years. And the welfare program is an incredible way to grow individuals and walk with them. The Mormon version of welfare and going after the one, belong hand-in-hand.

Providing The Lord's Way

If you'd like to hand this booklet out (great lesson supplement) it appears you have to go through your bishop/ward clerk.  The number on the back of the booklet is 08257 000 and I believe that's the order number too?  I was able to get our ward clerk to order 30 of them last year, so I know it can be done.

This lesson post will be added to throughout this week.  Good luck with all your preparations.

Another Strong Statement

The word "dole" is used twice during this lesson and it has significant consequences associated with it.  What more, the dole actually works against the recipient over time and weakens them.  Here is another quote from Ezra and he does not mince words:

"Welfare recipients should work to the extent of their ability to earn commodity or fast offering assistance. When meaningful jobs are not provided, when people are not encouraged to work, a demoralizing Church dole would develop, and the purpose for which the welfare program was established would be undermined. It is a law of heaven, and one we haven’t learned fully here on earth, that you cannot help people permanently by doing for them what they can do, and should do, for themselves."

What feels like charity and generosity can sometimes actually enable dysfunctional life habits and stifle a person from progressing when the Lord's wisdom is not fully understood.

Charity is assistance in the moment, it is graciousness and generosity.  Charity is the pinnacle of our existence.  We always want it strongly present among our members.  There are just never too many kind acts.

However when temporal charity becomes an expected reoccurrence by the same recipient over time, it evolves into the dole and has negative consequences.  So President Benson isn't discouraging temporal assistance...he's discouraging abuse or extended use of it.  There is a distinct difference between charity and the dole.

Whenever a dependency is created, we need to take a close hard look at what has evolved and check it against the true objectives of providing the Lord's way ~ which is to build and grow people.

An Oregon sunset from my balcony which I shall forever miss ~ as much as I love Salt Lake City!

Look what I found this morning!

“No matter how serious the trial, how deep the distress, how great the affliction, [God] will never desert us. He never has, and He never will. He cannot do it. It is not His character. He is an unchangeable being; the same yesterday, the same today, and He will be the same throughout the eternal ages to come. We have found that God. We have made Him our friend, by obeying His Gospel; and He will stand by us. We may pass through the fiery furnace; we may pass through deep waters; but we shall not be consumed nor overwhelmed. We shall emerge from all these trials and difficulties the better and purer for them, if we only trust in our God and keep His commandments” (President George Q. Cannon  “Remarks,” Deseret Evening News, Mar. 7, 1891, 4)

"He cannot do it."

This is pretty profound.  With my six children, if one of them is suffering ~ even if all I have to offer is an arm around their shoulders and to hold them close...I am there.

How many times have we done just that?

Most of us couldn't possibly desert our own children in their hour of sorest need.  So it resonates in our best place of deeper understanding, Heavenly Father (whose parental instincts and capacity to love are far greater) would also not disappear.

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

Yet sometimes it certainly feels like the heavens are closed and far away.

Why does it seem so unlikely that hard and anguished times still point to an interested and caring God?

"Why did God let that happen to me?  "If He were a real and loving God, those things wouldn't happen"!

I've both heard and asked these questions many, many times.

It seems hard to feel cherished and close to God during such brutal moments.  Maybe because our mortal perspectives have a hard time seeing the bigger picture.

Thankfully, President Cannon frames the essential opportunity afflictions bring:

"We shall emerge from all these trials and difficulties the better and purer for them, if we only trust in our God and keep His commandments..."

Sometimes it is so terrifically hard to stand back and let my children go up their learning curves.  My impulse to jump in and save the day are a force to be reckoned with.  Yet as they become older and even adults ~ my best parenting skills and better sense take over and I know I have to literally grit my teeth and stand back.  Or I will disturb their learning curve and clobber the benefit, the progress and the stature they would gain on their own.

And that can be painful.  So I imagine sometimes our antics are painful for Heavenly Father too?

Enoch tells us in Moses 7 Heavenly Father weeps for us:

28 And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept; and Enoch bore record of it, saying: How is it that the heavens weep, and shed forth their tears as the rain upon the mountains?

32 The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency;

33 And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood;

"...misery shall be their doom; and the whole heavens shall weep over them, even all the workmanship of mine hands; wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer?  (Moses 7:28-37)

Heavenly Father actually notices and yearns for us.  I believe someday we will see such love and care up close, and understand it was always lit up brightly for us.  We're the ones who create the distance we feel, maybe not purposefully, but God's love is our discovery to make.

One of the greatest secrets of the Universe is His tender mercies are always present.  It takes practice and skill to identify them and be gracious about them.  I've certainly had periods in my life where I couldn't perceive one and would swear they weren't there.

Sometimes now, when I fully comprehend those individually-tailored tender mercies ~ they are overwhelming.  It brings tears to contemplate such a superior, supreme Being who has no great need of me ~ is still so invested in me.  How did I get so lucky to be a part of His realm?

Some of the tender mercies I understand in my innermost heart shrine may never find adequate words to frame them, while on earth.

Here is one point I understand and can bear witness to ~ Heavenly Father is the true and living God.  True, in part, because He is dedicated and true to you~ and living because He is proactive in the here and now.  Right this very now in our reality.

May you have that peace and strength which passes all mortal understanding (and logic and political correctness).

Timshel.

One of the great gifts Joseph Smith brought to this dispensation is detailing how direct and personal Christ is with each of us.

The Book of Mormon is the keystone and foundation of our religion.  It is the best missionary tool possible with both others and those within our own families.  It is a priceless, foundational text.

The Doctrine & Covenants, for me, takes things to a whole new level.  Among its pages are the instructions of just how to have a tangible, direct relationship with the Savior.  Real time.  I've learned more about the personality of Jesus, how he sounds when he speaks, the essence of how he thinks from the Doctrine & Covenants, how to inch closer to Him, than from any other source...even the Book of Mormon and the four gospels.  And that's saying a lot.

Consider these couple of verses from D&C 67:

1 Behold and hearken, O ye elders of my church, who have assembled yourselves together, whose prayers I have heard, and whose hearts I know, and whose desires have come up before me.

2 Behold and lo, mine eyes are upon you, and the heavens and the earth are in mine hands, and the riches of eternity are mine to give.

3 Ye endeavored to believe that ye should receive the blessing which was offered unto you; but behold, verily I say unto you there were fears in your hearts, and verily this is the reason that ye did not receive. (D&C 67:1-3)

What Jesus Christ says to the elders back then, applies to you and I in the here and now. Does that surprise you?

When we are instructed to apply the scriptures to ourselves, it is because God is no respecter of persons and what He says to one, the same process and possibilities are in place for us either now or in their season. The purpose of the scriptures are to teach and to model what our possibilities and capacities are by sharing the stories and experiences of others.

So replace the "elders" with yourself and what do you hear?

1) Whose prayers I have heard

2) Whose heart I know

3) Whose desires have come up before me

4) Mine eyes are upon you

5) The riches of eternity are mine to give.

6) You endeavor to receive blessings but there are fears in your heart (holding you back).

This fits each and every one of us like a glove, I recognized it the moment I read the words.

In this specific case, the elders wanted a spectacular witness that the Book of Commandments (what become the Doctrine and Covenants) were true revelations and should be published.

BUT, they were hung up on Joseph's poor grammar and his other imperfections. They feared such things would make them appear foolish to the world for having supported Joseph in publishing the texts.

A few were even jealous of Joseph and felt they were better suited than him, and they should be the ones undertaking the task of revelations and recording.

The Lord challenged them to try and write even the simplest section better.  One elder named McLellin actually tried and failed.

What held these elders up from having the veil rent in front of their eyes were jealousy, aspirations, fear of the opinion of others, fear of men and probably a bit of pettiness and negativity as well.

Joseph Smith taught that if we were to become of one heart and one mind, and chose purposeful, powerful humility ~ the veil would be rent in front of us.  Revelations would have no choice but to flow to us.

The Savior offers so much to us, the possibilities of our earthly experience are potentially elevated and superior, but we're the ones who hold ourselves back.

What fears and ill will towards others holds you back?  I'm double checking my heart right this very now and pondering the cobwebs which need to be swept out and done away with.

Sweet blessings to you!

Snippets for Relief Society 2015 :) Use search term Ezra Taft Benson to view more for this week or for other weeks.


Whether you're excited about teaching a lesson on missionary work this month or not, hopefully this blog post will contribute some positive ideas and send some encouraging vibes your way.

Almost every ETB lesson leaves me convinced President Benson is deeply extraordinary and a spiritual genius.

Let's skip right to the heart of the matter (intended pun to be explained in a bit).

We hesitate to do missionary work.  We hold back.  Most of us certainly don't actively seek out others to discuss the gospel with.

President Benson asks us an introspective question directly:

"How long has it been since you have invited a neighbor to sacrament meeting or to a stake conference, to come into your home for a home evening? How long has it been since you had a real gospel conversation? These are choice experiences."

One of the qualities I love about President Benson, is he is monstrously loving, attentive and accommodating with others, yet he wastes no time mincing words when the time comes:

"It is not enough just to be members in the Church and go to sacrament meeting, pay our tithing, support the welfare program. That is all good—but that is not enough. The Lord expects us to be missionaries, to live the gospel—yes, wholly, and to help to build up His kingdom."

Since we love having the joy and reassurance of the Gospel in our lives, why do we hold back sharing with others?

Some reasons I've experienced are fear of rejection, fear of awkwardness, fear of damaging social status, fear of not having the right answers or being stumped by critics of our faith...etc.

So these verses from Jeremiah are some of my favorites ~ I relate to them as a RS teacher, as an "any community" member and as a member missionary:

6 Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. ["They'll think I'm an idiot."]

7 ¶But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. [There will always be some who are not so friendly, or receptive ~ don't pay them any mind.]

17 ¶Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces.. [Don't expect to derive your confidence and validation from others, the Lord is already behind you.]  (Jeremiah 1:6-8,17)

President Benson lists some more ways we can get through those fear obstacles, but my favorite is number three.

"Third, love the people."

I fully get and have experienced the power of love.

Love makes us brave.

In fact, it can make us easily brave.  For example, if a would-be mugger/attacker appeared on your path one night, our response generally includes all kinds of fear and fretting.  Put our 2-yr old child or grandchild on the path between us and the thug...and what changes?  All of the sudden this mama bear syndrome kicks into overdrive.

Maybe an adrenaline rush isn't the best analogy, but love conquers all kinds of difficult things.

Over the years, I've come to appreciate how profound this simple verse is:

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18)

Love has a way of drowning out other discomforts.  So when we get to the place of love, we're capable of a lot.

"We will never be effective until we learn to have sympathy for all our Father’s children—until we learn to love them. People can feel when love is extended to them. Many yearn for it. When we sympathize with their feelings, they in turn will reciprocate good will to us. We will have made a friend."

"We must love all our Father’s children and associate with them."

"How I pray that we will be filled with the love of God for our fellowman!"

***
Another thought on the subject of sharing the gospel is...talk about what you know.  There are parts of the gospel you love best, or which resonate with you and you have natural enthusiasm for.  It could be music, it could be genealogy, it could be family life, it could be the plan of salvation, it could be Church ball, and the list is long.

One of my dear friends, Lois Maxwell, from a past ward shared how a simple phrase from a friend completely overwhelmed her and was the reason she took missionary discussions:

"What man is, God once was, and what God is, man may become." (Lorenzo Snow)

"Where did you get that??!! she asked her friend.  "That is wonderful!"

This is the very doctrine that we get so many snarky criticisms over, and which some Christians even hate us for.  This is the same idea sometimes we feel a bit sheepish for.  The spin-off goes something like... Mormons believe they will become gods someday with their own planets - which can sound outrageous or fanatical.

Yet for this sister, the same doctrine was a shining beacon which made all the sense in the world to her. She has since sent grandchildren on missions.

And by the way, it's okay to say "I don't know" or "let me research that and get back to you."

Be yourself.  If there is something you love about the gospel, have confidence in it.

Don't worry about what you don't know or don't have perfect answers for.  What more, those who intentionally antagonize you or critique your faith, usually won't change their perspective for a great, perfect answer anyway.

Sometimes we're so stiff about trying to look all poised and well-versed in the gospel and present it in what we assume is the best light to others, we just kill it for them (and ourselves).  Or we never get off the ground even because we're too afraid we won't be good enough.

Another brother, Kurt, whom I think the world of, was raised in a rough home.  He became a teacher and a football coach for inner city ghetto schools.  He was a rough-cut diamond himself back then who first learned about the church through Church ball.  Once he was invited to referee Church basketball, which wasn't his best sport and he said he refereed just like he did inner city football...no blood, no foul.

It didn't go over very well and one brother was so angry over a lost game and so mad at the way Kurt refereed that he picked up the big electronic scoreboard and threw it on the gym floor and broke it.  Kurt had been taking the missionary discussions and assumed Mormons were all really nice people, and a place he didn't belong.

As the scoreboard slammed into the floor Kurt thought, "oh, there are people just like me here...I can go to this Church!"

Of course this is a hilarious story and I'm certainly not recommending such things as a way to fellowship those of other faiths ~ just making the point we need to relax a bit and not be so uptight about the way we present the gospel to others.

Our imperfections can sometimes be as important as our strengths.

Kurt has since raised a family of 3 boys and a girl in the Church and just sent his first son on a mission to Las Vegas a couple of months ago.  He laughs over his start as a Mormon ~ but what a great asset and Saint he turned out to be!

We need to pursue and capture love and we need to share our real selves, particularly in regards to the gospel.

I just got asked to last-minute teach a lesson I haven't studied so this post is short today.

Hopefully there are a couple of elements which might help pull your own thoughts together the way you would like.

Many blessings!

Per usual, the mainstream media withholds information or takes things out of context.  Recently the LDS Church established a policy where baptism of underage children, who come from same-sex homes, should wait until they are adults.  They will also not have baby blessings.  The uproar centers around the child being the victim.  The perception is the child is considered broken, damaged goods and is being "punished" for coming from same-sex parents and therefore banished.

It makes a great spin, and whether it's purposeful or not, mainstream media largely benefits from any social or political uproar.  The traffic, comments, and advertising income (online ad clicks and cross-sells) increase dramatically.

How many times have we seen an explosive story take the internet by storm, only to have the non-sensational, clarifying details come out a week or two later when no one is looking or reading anymore?

So I wasn't surprised to see that almost none of the major news outlets quoted Elder Christofferson as to why the policy came about.

I thought I would post his explanation here for you ~ just in case you missed it:

"He said the new policy restricting children of same-sex couples from baptism until they are 18 originated from "a desire to protect children in their innocence and in their minority years."

"We don't want the child to have to deal with issues that might arise where the parents feel one way and the expectations of the church are very different," he said.

"The policy changes released Thursday are meant to protect family relationships, Elder Christofferson said, not to limit the opportunities for children in the church."

"Instead, the goal is to protect children, he said, so "they're not placed in a position where there will be difficulties, challenges, conflicts that can injure their development in very tender years."

Did anyone stop to think about the huge conflict of interest under these circumstances and how it would make the child feel?

They used the example of the baby blessing and the baptism and the process and what the conflict is.

"Experts say such conflict is bad for family harmony and the long-term spiritual journeys of children."

"Discord in the home is disruptive in terms of the socialization of a child into a religion," said Kevin Dougherty, a sociology professor at Baylor University. "The highest probability of an individual choosing to follow the faith of parents is when both parents are actively engaged in the same faith perspective and that they model that and envelop the child into those beliefs and practices themselves. If anything disrupts that, the outcome is a lot lower probability for a child to take that faith perspective."

"The example of the baby blessing highlighted the issue. In the LDS Church, giving an infant a formal name and blessing is an ordinance that places the name of the infant on formal church records of the church and begins a life-long series of church-related actions, events and expectations, Elder Christofferson said. For example, once a baby is blessed and becomes a child of record, she is assigned home teachers and visiting teachers. That could create awkward situations and tension between parents and children as practicing Latter-day Saints visit the home and teach. Eventually, the child would learn that his parents in same-sex relationship have chosen a life contrary to the church's most basic doctrines."

"Also, the congregation's bishop shares the responsibility with the parents of seeing that a “child of record” progresses toward baptism and ultimately is baptized. The new policy is designed to refrain from injecting undue pressure or influence from the church into the relationship children have with their parents."

"That would violate a basic church tenet. Church leaders consider the family the center core and most sacred institution of the church. LDS prophets and apostles always have taught local church leaders to avoid policies and practices that would interfere with the family leadership of a father and a mother, who are to raise their children with the church in support."

I've posted part of the statement here, but you can read the entire article here.

The LDS Church will not disrupt child-parent relationships nor get in a tug-of-war over an underage child.  Those most offended by this move, may not have thought this through ~ how such a huge conflict of interest would develop between the parents and their child in everyday family life.  As the child grows older, the strife and confusion sparked by the opposing teachings would result in notable episodes of serious consequence to the child's family.

Can you imagine the media uproar if the LDS Church did the opposite, and told the children, never mind about your parents...we're right so you can ignore them?  Or just override them?

This same baptism policy applies to children of polygamous marriages, including in countries where polygamy is legal.  Both same-sex marriages and polygamous marriages by those already Mormon, are openly apostate actions within that community.  Especially when they are sealed by a government contract (marriage license or other form of ceremony and declaration) and thus are public displays of dissent with the LDS Church, its membership vows, etc.

Apostate: renouncing a religious or political belief or principle.

However, apostasy is not to be confused with sinning. Everyone is a sinner and the LDS Church is composed of 15 million plus sinners. I've read it argued that any other adultery is equivalent to same-sex marriage but this is not a parallel example. Sinning is not the same as renouncing a pivotal, central Mormon doctrine such as, marriage = one man and one woman, and making a ceremonial point of it.  That crosses the line to apostasy.

And everyone is free to make that choice, and I support anyone whose beliefs are different than my own.  But what the public cannot do is define a religion's belief system and values for them.  It works both ways.

Christ said, "Neither do I condemn thee, go they way and sin no more" to a woman found in adultery. (John 8:11) This advice applies to almost anyone at any time. But "sin no more" is not very applicable in the two above situations where a formal same-sex or polygamous marriage or partnership is declared. It doesn't really work to tell someone to stop being married.  That's a pretty deeply established institution for anyone.  We all sin, as in none of us are perfect, but we don't all apostatize, as in declare a pivotal doctrine from a religion we belong to, null and void.  Actual apostasy is the distinction made here and the line drawn.

Going along with the same policy of NOT undermining parents, the LDS Church also requires the permission of both non-member parents when a child is baptized. They will never willingly engage in a situation where the parents are diminished in the child's eyes or viewed as "wrong" and therefore obsolete.  The strength of family relationships are a high priority and conversion can wait until a child is an adult.

I would think most same-sex families, if they thought about it, would prefer that...

This was sitting at the front of my mind when I woke up this morning:

"Sometimes our limitations are what lead us to our greatest strengths."

Isn't that ever the truth!

Sometimes they're also what get us ready to shine brighter, when our day comes.

I fully get how some of my greatest frustrations and ironies of the past decade have tempered me into something better and more complete.

It's never fun to go through hard and frustrating times, but it helps to notice a repeating pattern ~ if we allow it ~ everything is predicated for our good over time.

Just a thought which begged sharing.

Timshel (Hebrew for "thou mayest")

Snippets for Relief Society 2015 :) Use search term Ezra Taft Benson to view more for this week or for other weeks.


When I first started reading this lesson through, I thought, "Oh dear...this is a dry bare-bones Elder's Quorum discussion-panel kind of thing about stake organization.  Not a Relief Society, sisters exploring secrets-of-the-universe kind of topic."

But then it got better.  Thank goodness, right?

What lies at the heart of this lesson are calamities happening now, and calamities shortly to come and how stakes fit into this picture.  It's actually a great topic and an absolute original lesson theme.  It certainly has me re-thinking some of my perspectives.

Discussing today's calamities refers to significant events of great concern to us.  Paris, ISIS, the new children of same-sex marriage policy, "equality" (which denies a lot of godliness and the extraordinary power of gender roles), war, disease, natural disasters, economy, destructive and short-sighted political correctness, or how about immorality being the new benchmark?  Add to this list whatever occurs to you...we (our society collectively) very much fit the description of a verse Ezra Taft Benson uses in this lesson.

“The day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion.” (Doctrine & Covenants 1:35)

I read this verse not too long ago and it occurred to me peace is a gift given.  So of course, it's something which can be taken away as well.  But when we have peace, it's a privilege which perhaps at times, is taken for granted.  And maybe we tend to notice more that we don't have peace and well-being, not so much the other way around.

Peace is an effect of the Spirit and involves a sense of well-being and confidence.  Of course, these qualities are fast eroding in today's world.  We feel cautious and on guard out in the world, both locally and globally.

When we work on and focus on having a close relationship to Christ, one of the outcomes is "peace as a river." (Isaiah 48:18)  This means unexplainable peace amid the turmoil and chaos of today, both in our personal lives and in the world at large:

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)

Possible class discussion: What are some of the calamities and turmoil happening in the world today which disrupt our peace?

During the last days, LDS Stakes play an important role in this promise.  Ezra explains:

As the Church grows, it is very important that we build solidly and well, and that our prospective stakes have the basic ingredients that are necessary for success and that existing stakes work tirelessly for full stakehood in the sense of spiritual achievement. These stakes are to be the gathering spots for the Zion of today, and they need to be spiritual sanctuaries and to be self-sufficient in as many ways as is possible.

Note:  WE are the stakes, or to put it another way, stakes are all the people in them.  "Stakes" in all these quotes refers to us as a body of Saints, and our togetherness.  Not specifically the present leadership at any given instance.

Here is the verse which truly clarifies the need for a lesson like this, and is probably the pivotal theme as well:

"And that the gathering together upon the land of Zion, and upon her stakes, may be for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth." (D&C 115:6)

As bad as it is today, it's gong to get a whole lot worse!  We're told the worst persecution is yet to come.

As a side note, I think some of the most obnoxious, hypocritical persecution comes from the "politically correct" crowd.  Just yesterday I read a prominent, popular LDS blogger denounce her LDS faith and try to do it in a neutral, flowery, admirable, I-may-come-back-to-it-later way.  She is sure to get momentary accolades from certain crowds.  My sad thought was, "Convenience and courage are two different things entirely my dear."

"Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Lord needs us to step it up and deepen our roots in the face of social discomfort and disapproval ~ not flow along with the precepts and concepts of men and the political darling of the day.  There will always be pressure to abandon and denounce our faith...always.  It helps to decide ahead of time what to do with that pressure.  The valiant and the stalwart are made manifest in difficult times...not convenient ones.

Chaos, turmoil and calamities are already scripted into the world's agenda and future.  Even though they've been foretold, it is the world which insists on the downhill-spiral path.  Commotion and hardships will happen and keep happening and keep escalating because Satan has dominion over the majority of the world, who sadly give up light and truth in exchange for his persuasions.

Nonetheless, there's an important function both natural and social turmoil and chaos perform.  We'll get to that in a bit along with a very effective object lesson I've used before. (And I'm not an object lesson kind of teacher, but this one does work well.)

This lesson really made me think!  Stakes are more important than I perhaps gave them credit for.  I mean, I tend to ignore Stake events and have often thought they were more for people who had nothing else to do or were for the more sentimental, "churchy" lot.  After reading this lesson, I realize the need to be much more supportive and lend a hand to the integrity and the quality of how our Stake functions.  It means I need to conscientiously participate more and show up more.

I love the list President Benson gives for what Stakes need to be focused on:

"The stakes and districts of Zion are symbolic of the holy places spoken of by the Lord where His Saints are to gather in the last days as a refuge from the storm. You and your children will gather here:
to worship
to do sacred ordinances
to socialize
to learn
to perform in music, dance, drama, athletics
and to generally improve yourselves and one another.

It is often thought significant that our chapels have on them a steeple, with spires toward the heavens symbolic of how our lives ought to be ever moving upward toward God."

So now it makes so much more sense why we have Stake Conference, stake temple goals, monthly baptisms, stake speakers, stake activities of all kinds, etc.  The integrity of how well our own Stake functions and how involved we are in that process has everything to do with our future well-being.

I've only been in Salt Lake City for 7 weeks, so I don't know my current Stake's personality very well ~ but the last couple of Stakes I've been in ~ they have really been into emergency preparedness.  They have public emergency preparedness fairs, HAM radio groups, food storage specialists, etc.  This class of involvement highlights another dimension from the Stake's role of "refuge from the storm," doesn't it?

Possible Class Discussions:  How important is your Stake to you?  Is it sometimes easy to ignore or consider Stake events and functions lightly?  What happens to our perception of the Stake events and activities when we understand they are an important means to an end?  What are some ways to be supportive of our Stake?  Why do we want to help the Stake succeed and become a strong force in our lives?

President Benson reminds us one of the most important aspects of our local stake succeeding:

"The Lord states: “For Zion must increase in beauty, and in holiness; her borders must be enlarged; her stakes must be strengthened; yea, verily I say unto you, Zion must arise and put on her beautiful garments.” (Doctrine and Covenants 82:14.)

"Here the Lord declares another great purpose of a stake: to be a beautiful emblem for all the world to see."

And this is where the dark, troubled times of the latter days comes into play.  Perhaps Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best:

"When it is darkest, men see the stars."

The darker the world gets, the more obvious truth and light will appear to those seeking.  As times get more desperate, people will notice and recognize the light they didn't even glance at before.  It's speeds the time of gathering those who would gravitate towards the light if they could.

Object Lesson:  I'll describe just how I did it, but you can use various versions of light and bags, etc. with the same effect, so be resourceful.  There's no need to run out and buy stuff, especially if you're short on time, cash or patience.  Trust me, I've been short on all of those.

I bought those cheap little flickering electric tea lights, a whole box (the ones they use for weddings sometimes).  And for each sister I stamped a small white craft bag with the RWE quote above.  It's a stamp I happen to have. A tea light went into each bag.

I stood at the front of the room with mine.  I turned it on and the tea light flickering in the bag was barely noticeable.  I made the point that if you weren't expecting it or looking right at the bag, it would be easy to miss.  Then we turned out the lights.  All of the sudden, the tea light in the bag was very noticeable as a source of light and was the most noticeable thing in the room.  All eyes were drawn to it.

I then had the ladies turn on their tea lights in their bags and we all held them up in the dark.  It made quite an impression.

If you have only the one light/bag in front ~ the point is well-made.

We are to develop our stakes so they are ready to shine, to function well and be noticed.  That time is just around the corner and frankly, that time is now.

"Yet another revelation from the Lord gives this explanation of the purpose of stakes: “Verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations; and that the gathering together upon the land of Zion, and upon her stakes, may be for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth.” (Doctrine and Covenants 115:5.)

"In this revelation is a command to let our light so shine that it becomes a standard for the nations. A standard is a rule of measure by which one determines exactness or perfection. The Saints are to be a standard of holiness for the world to see. That is the beauty of Zion."

This lesson has the potential of renewing involvement and participation within our gospel community.  May you be inspired and fortified as you prepare this lesson.

Possible Hymns:  High On A Mountain Top  #5   (Could there be a more perfect hymn?)

As Sisters In Zion  #309  (I've always love this one).

Snippets for Relief Society 2015 :) Use search term Ezra Taft Benson to view more for this week or for other weeks.


This lesson is epic!  It is definitely one of my top 5 favorites of the year 2015.

What a tragedy one of the most precious lessons ever written will get the least press.

Our stake doesn't have this one scheduled on the yearly calendar, because they stop at lesson 23.  So now I wish this lesson wasn't number 24 ~ a lot of stakes fall behind due to conferences and other events.  This was just NOT the one to skip in my humble opinion.

There are probably at least three powerful and dynamic lesson's worth of material within lesson 24 ~ and the topic is so deep and profound we could swim for quite a while among its inspirations.

I hesitate to even try and do this lesson any small spark of justice.  This post may end up flowing in parts.  We'll see.

The first highlighted ETB quote at the top of the lesson and then the first scripture verse President Benson quotes clobbered me like a 1-2 punch.

Right then and right there I had my benchmark to hold myself up to ~ to analyze my stature, my current daily priorities, and in general what direction I was headed.

One could describe my path and priorities as a NE direction rather than a true North.  It would be nice to maybe even boast a NNE, but sadly...no.

Why East?  I picture East (to the right of the mark) as distracted, pacified and not being anxiously engaged enough ~ as in poor use of time.  The lukewarm place.  And I'm not proud of it!

How much am I gong to cringe about the percentage of time my mediocre choices take up, when I see my life played back to me?

West (to the left) would probably be more of a tendency to the rebellious, indignant, defiant, harbor an attitude and perhaps the lack-of-humility side of us.  I've been on the West side plenty too...oh do trust me there.

Which one are you right now?

The True North

“The best measure of true greatness is how Christlike we are.”

“What manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am” (3 Nephi 27:27)

We all know greatness is measured a lot differently most of the time: charisma, power, beauty (handsomeness), athletics, earning capacity, accomplishments, fashion, education, social status, talents, etc.

...and yet, BOOM! There is is. When we step on the other side of the veil, our bank accounts disappear, our wardrobe and Dooney & Bourke purses evaporate (I just bought one on Black Friday), our Facebook friend count meter resets and our contest trophies crumble.

All we will have as we stand in front of the judgment bar are:

1)  the distilled essence of our soul ~ forged character/temperament

2)  the condition of our heart ~ how much charity and kindness we tended towards others, how much resentment we harbor

3)  how close to Christ we chose to stand ~ the percentage of time spent on His pursuits compared to the time spent in personal and material gratification

Christ was all about living for others.

"Walking in His way is the greatest achievement of life. That man or woman is most truly successful whose life most closely parallels that of the Master.”

That's the measure.

If this gives you pause, then you and I share something in common.

Possible Class Discussion: What is the world's benchmark for success and how is that different than President Benson's definition of a successful person?  What is a Christ-like person?  Does being Christ-like mean being dull or subdued?  (Hopefully the answer is no, if not here's another ETB quote for you: "[We] can be humble and also fearless. [We] can be humble and also courageous. Humility is the recognition of our dependence upon a higher power, a constant need for the Lord’s support in His work." Lesson 22)

My daily life needed tweaking and re-adjustment, so this lesson post is a healthy, good thing.

Even though it's sometimes hard, it is refreshing to clean ourselves up a bit and start anew.

Which is something I dearly love about Christ's gospel ~ the chance to start anew and be completely accepted for our current, repented selves.  Isn't that really the best news ever?

Because there is plenty I hope to leave behind and not have it be a part of me anymore when I stand to be measured.

So in that spirit and frame of mind comes the next quote (which makes me cry):

“I know the Lord lives. I know that He loves us. I know that apart from Him no one can succeed, but as a partner with Him no one can fail.

“I know that God can make a lot more out of our lives than we can."

“May we all have the moral courage from this moment forward to more fully strive each day to think on Christ, learn of Him, walk in His steps, and do what He would have us do.”

This reminds me of one of my favorite ETB quotes of all time from lesson 1:


Which directly correlates to the previous lesson 24 quote, "...but as a partner with Him, no one can fail."

When I'm really on my game, these promises all surface.  Some take time, but materialize, they do.

This was just in my head this morning ~ but these men write words and express teachings which float me in the air.  They appeal to the better "hunger and thirst after righteousness" side of me.  Sometimes they yank on my yearning so hard I can scarcely breathe.  Seriously, their words are truly powerful.

These are not necessarily in order:

This is one of those intriguing topics I know less about, but a couple verses caught my eye yesterday so now we have a blog post exploring it:

10 And again, verily I say unto you that it is your privilege, and a promise I give unto you that have been ordained unto this ministry, that inasmuch as you strip yourselves from jealousies and fears, and humble yourselves before me, for ye are not sufficiently humble, the veil shall be rent and you shall see me and know that I am—not with the carnal neither natural mind, but with the spiritual.

13 Ye are not able to abide the presence of God now, neither the ministering of angels; wherefore, continue in patience until ye are perfected. (D&C 67:10,13)

Here, the Lord tells a group of elders why they haven't had the more heightened spiritual experiences  they were seeking~ and I'm pretty sure He is no respecter of persons. The advice here is sublime. For the veil to be rent in front of us, for us to see Christ and even to have the ministering of angels requires three things:

A) Strip yourself of jealousies.

Jealousies in the LDS Church? Yes, it happens quite a bit actually. President Ezra Taft Benson nailed it when he described the thought process of jealousy..."if you succeed, I'm a failure." This includes excluding people socially, withholding church callings or any tactic to hold heads down because you're afraid of someone having a shinier moment than you. My dear girlfriend Missy said, "you rag on whom you're jealous of." So when you back bite, or habitually talk poorly of someone - look a little deeper and see what is going on. For us sisters, Sheri Dew did a splendid job of illustrating what jealousy looks and feels like among sisters (it seems brethren have some of this going on too).  She called it the "Three C's ~ Competing, Comparing and Categorizing.

(Extra Reading:  The Three C's ~ Competing, Comparing & Categorizing)

Don't be the one to begrudge another their gift or fortune, or allow that twinge of spite over another's  lucky days.  Even those whom you have little chemistry for.  Karma is very real, and if you give into jealousy, you will diminish your own fortune in life (Alma 41:13-15).   In other words, in holding others back or down, we ultimately hold ourselves back and down.

Dear President Holland also gave a delightful analogy of these same unkind dynamics found in varying degrees in different wards.  "Furthermore, envy is a mistake that just keeps on giving. Obviously we suffer a little when some misfortune befalls us, but envy requires us to suffer all good fortune that befalls everyone we know! What a bright prospect that is—downing another quart of pickle juice every time anyone around you has a happy moment"! (Extra Reading: Quart of Pickle Juice)

One of the wisest things I've ever learned to do (and I wish I would have learned it years ago) when encountering someone else who is jealous or spiteful ~~ not to pick up the enmity they lay at my feet and engage with the ill will nor return the hard feelings.  I just treat them like they're normal, as much as is feasible, and am pleasant with them without clamoring or groveling.  Civility and kindness is never a regret, and leaves you at peace after the fact.

B) Strip yourself of fears.

Fear and worry are my old friends!  In years past they were my constant companions.

Fear and worry are where you predict the worst possible outcome and suffer for it ahead of time.

It's hilarious when we map out just what it is ~ but we do it, don't we?

In this particular case, several prominent Elders didn't want to support the publication of the Book of Commandments (Doctrine and Covenants) because they were embarrassed by Joseph Smith's grammatical errors and punctuation mistakes as well as obsessing with Joseph's other flaws.  They were afraid of being socially embarrassed.  They predicted it would be a flop and would somehow reflect on them.

Yet the Doctrine and Covenants is one of my greatest treasures.  What were they thinking?

What are we thinking when we fear?

Some very common fears in our time are financial and social fears.  For example, we allow our preoccupation with money to crowd out some of the better and more elevating pursuits which potentially could fill our thought space and daily efforts.  Instead our mental energy gets eaten up by despair and fear from the lack of money.  Or even by the love of money and the drive to have more than we have.  We push the Spirit away when we preoccupy ourselves or despair and fear over finances.

Nonetheless, those are such natural emotions and reactions to life's difficulties and I certainly wouldn't judge anyone for experiencing them.  That would make me a huge hypocrite because I've been there.  Luckily, there is a remedy...

Social fears (which are actually kind of related to money fears) can cause us to behave in unChrist-like ways.  We miss out on meaningful connections and friendships because our poor self-esteems have to be seen in the right crowd with the right people with the right clothes and the right social status.  We're afraid of how we are perceived, which in turn leads to us shunning or denying others inclusion.  Peer pressure is a very real challenge to conquer.  Peer pressure tends to behave the opposite of being Christ-like.

Some of the greatest friendships you will ever have will come from where you least expect it, if you allow it.

Two things help us eradicate fear.  Trust and love.

When we love, it pushes out inferior thoughts and emotions and makes us quite brave.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18)

Love is intentional. It is often pre-meditated. To acquire love, we practice at it with thoughts and deeds. When we love, earthly values like money and social status take a back seat. Love is more powerful than any worldly pursuit or convention or intimidation. Love also leads to internal peace and confidence.

Which brings us to trust. Trust is the opposite of fear. Trust is the highest form of worship we can give to God. It is one of the few gifts we have to give to Him. Sometimes trust means taking one step at a time and letting that be good enough for now.

9 Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.

10 And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them.  (Mosiah 4:9-10)

[And trust He sees you perfectly and that all experiences, both the self-inflicted ones and the undeserved hard experiences, have the great potential of elevating you ~ if you hold His hand or in other words, trust Him and look to Him.]

Jealousy and fear hold us back from heightened spiritual manifestations.  Trust in God and intentional love busts up fear and probably jealousy as well.  Trust and love also bring us much needed peace, confidence and well-being.

Which brings us to the third requirement:

C)  Continue in patience.

I've recently re-discovered what a divine attribute and essential ingredient patience is.  Here is another verse about patience and perfection:

3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.  (James 1:3-4)

[Trust that the trials of life lead somewhere important.]

Perfection comes from patience.  Patience is all about how we react to life circumstances and respond to others.  Perfection is measured by how we treat and how we engage with others.

Perhaps one of the best definitions I've ever heard describing true patience comes from Ezra Taft Benson (Lesson 24):

"Patience is another form of self-control. It is the ability to postpone gratification and to bridle one’s passions. In his relationships with loved ones, a patient man does not engage in impetuous behavior that he will later regret. Patience is composure under stress. A patient man is understanding of others’ faults."

"A patient man also waits on the Lord. We sometimes read or hear of people who seek a blessing from the Lord, then grow impatient when it does not come swiftly. Part of the divine nature is to trust in the Lord enough to “be still and know that [he is] God” (D&C 101:16)."

"A [person] who is patient will be tolerant of the mistakes and failings of his loved ones. Because he loves them, he will not find fault nor criticize nor blame."

Could this description ever be me? I want this to be me! This is one of the goals I mean to conquer by the end of the decade. Can you imagine how peaceful and powerful this kind of self-mastery would be?

These are some of the necessary steps to not only the ministering of angels, but also the veil being rent.

This has given me a lot to ponder and absorb.

Hope Christmas is wonderful for you.

Oh how I miss this view - Grants Pass Ore.

Howard W Hunter expresses his new calling as a prophet in a very touching way:

“My greatest strength through these past months has been my abiding testimony that this is the work of God and not of men. Jesus Christ is the head of this church. He leads it in word and deed. I am honored beyond expression to be called for a season to be an instrument in his hands to preside over his church. But without the knowledge that Christ is the head of the Church, neither I nor any other man could bear the weight of the calling that has come."

This is a reassurance we need from time to time, especially now.  Satan's war of words are still being launched at the same full venom as in the preexistence, especially among our younger, internet-savvy generation.  This lesson will prove essential to more than one sister is your class either for herself or someone she deals with.

It's important for you to prepare and teach this principle of modern-day prophets with a real connection to heaven.  Because the world is determined to tear the Mormon faith down with derision and "proof" of no connection to the Savior.

Why do they succeed sometimes?  Because prophets are mortals and men are flawed and you CAN find their mistakes and follies.  Every single last one of them are, well, human.  Sometimes we (the world collectively) look for any evidence of a learning curve or blunder and then decide any such occurrence means spiritual leaders weren't really who they said they were (prophets) and they don't represent God.  Because if they represented God, there would be no mistakes, no learning curves and no dead ends.

It's the false doctrine of infallibility (no errors or failures).  It's quite problematic.  It's a benchmark no entity, (academic, scientific, gov't, religious, etc.) could meet since the dawn of time.  Why we let others hold us to this false benchmark is not logical if we stop to analyze it.  Unfortunately, such anti-mormon arguments are often emotionally loaded in the moment and make it hard for one to think it through clearly.

Infallibility (free from any errors or character flaws) as a qualifier to be a prophet is an invention of modern culture.  Detractors from our dispensation invented the benchmark and then argue if there's anything they can ridicule or thought process they can put on trial or any questionable event, they've made some great point.

Except...

The Bible is full of the chastisements, learning curves and mistakes the prophets have made.  Infallibility is not something God has ever claimed of his prophets.  In fact, He's quite open about scolding them when they need it and they had wide and deep enough souls to publish their failed, embarrassing moments to the world.

Since God has never required infallibility of His Bible prophets, why does it seem necessary of our leaders? And look what we do to ourselves...feel anxious and fret over the mistakes of leaders from this dispensation as if it proved anything new?  As if somehow we must answer for them, defend them or accept the Gospel isn't true after all?

The human imposed requirement of infallibility is a miserable, confusing smoke screen which inhibits our spiritual understandings and destroys peace and joy.

If the test of infallibility were a bonafide identifier of a connection to God, Adam wouldn't be a prophet, Jonah wouldn't be a prophet, Moses wouldn't be a prophet, Peter certainly wouldn't be a prophet (and the cock crew) and so forth.

If the test of infallibility were a real one, every educational, scientific and governmental institution would be disqualified in this day and age based on their past "works in progress." If we used the same methodology on Bible prophets of - fallibility as proof of no Heavenly connection or no legitimacy ~ there would be no prophet and no connection to God since the Garden of Eden.  Because every prophet had human failings.

"A prophet is a prophet only when he is acting as such." (Joseph Smith)

In other words, when a prophet is having a revelation, a heavenly visitor, composing scripture and reveals it as such ~ he is fulfilling the raison d'être of his calling.  When such events take place, they become scripture, core doctrine and official canon.  When a prophet is not in that revelation, seer mode, he is a mortal man and learns line upon line, precept upon precept just like every single one of us.  And they are subject to the cultural, scientific beliefs of the day just like all of us.  Granted they have marvelous wisdom, the Holy Ghost accompanies them in force, and they're certainly worth listening to at other times...nonetheless, they will have humbling, unsavory moments.  It's called "being born."

These verses in D&C 1:24-28 sum up this idea perfectly in Christ's own words:

24 Behold, I am God and have spoken it; these commandments are of me, and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding.

25 And inasmuch as they erred it might be made known;

[The Lord has never purposed for his servants to appear pious, perfect and unquestionable.]

26 And inasmuch as they sought wisdom they might be instructed;

27 And inasmuch as they sinned they might be chastened, that they might repent;

28 And inasmuch as they were humble they might be made strong, and blessed from on high, and receive knowledge from time to time.

If we chronicled your life, every thought process, every event, every conversation ~ what could we write about you?  How might we present you to others?  Every one of us would end up with lots to scoff at ~ as in tons.  And we know it.

Nonetheless, our failed natures do not disprove the treasured and real moments we've had with the Spirit and other faith-promoting experiences.

There is only one perfect being on Earth, and that is the Savior.

The rest of us are doomed to the nature of the Fall and repentance.  No exceptions, including prophets and apostles.

Now for the good news.

The Lord loves us despite our failings and sins.  He comes back into our life every time we straighten up and allow it.  And sometimes even when we don't straighten up, with the hope to reach us anyway.

He grants us leadership opportunities to grow us.  Christ never expected his prophets and saints to be ready-made for instant translating.  We're works-in-progress and we depend on our Savior for grace to make up for what we don't achieve.  We understand this for ourselves, and it is true for every other person who has ever been born.

So, this begs the question, "why do we want a prophet"?  President Hunter frames it beautifully:

"We testify to all the world that heavenly ministers have already appeared in our age, bringing authority from heaven and restoring truths lost through corrupted teachings and practices. God has spoken anew and continues to provide guidance for all his children through a living prophet today. We declare that he, as promised, is with his servants always and directs the affairs of his Church throughout the world. As in times past, revelation directs missionary labors, the building of temples, the calling of priesthood officers, and warns against the evils of society that may deny salvation to our Father’s children."

We need our prophets, we need them to fulfill their roles. Prophets are a great gift from heaven, designed for our benefit.

Question: What might our life be like without guidance from a Prophet?  (i.e. We wouldn't have a Book of Mormon.)  What kind of understandings about God, the world and our life might we be left with?  (One answer:  Since there are so many people learning line upon line, we have many different stages of understanding all feeling and claiming to be "the true understanding." A prophet can bring a lot of clarity to the conflict of millions of learning curves among us.)  Is there security knowing that a prophet and apostles are in place?  (For me they feel like a secure anchor, which keeps any of us from drifting too far from the truer sources of happiness and well-being and from losing the most essential bits of relevant, saving gospel truths.)

I am quite grateful God's house is a house of order and we have inspired leaders sifting through the huge amount of opinions, precepts and theories ~ who let us know what is real and what is not important.

For example, I have a retired economics professor from the University of Utah for a neighbor who recently wrote me how negligent the Mormon Church is for not championing global warming and climate change.

I wrote him back ~ and he is someone I can be quite frank with:

"...For your story to work, one has to believe the cause you personally espouse and are most drawn to [climate change] dictates the center of the religious universe and is indeed of most concern to the heart and soul for everyone. And one would have to believe that a church should be in charge of technology, EPA issues and have control over economics and industry and businesses and dictate to owners, governments and environmentalists how they should operate."

"People are pressed, suffering, dying and children are hungry, and humans are sad and lonely.  It's not up to you to decide where someone else's religious values and focus should be and then condemn them because they are not in lock-step with your own personal philosophies."

There are countless causes and cries in this world ~ how fortunate we are to know calamities must be, they are in fact scheduled into the grand plan of the last days, and also fortunate to know not to panic and where our energies are best donated.

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)

Another reason we need a prophet is to counteract the workings of Satan and guide us through perilous, confusing times.

Howard W. Hunter teaches:

"In a revelation to a modern oracle, Joseph Smith, the Lord said:

“For I am no respecter of persons, and will that all men shall know that the day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion."

“And also the Lord shall have power over his saints, and shall reign in their midst.” (D&C 1:35–36.)

"The Savior is reigning in the midst of the Saints today through continuous revelation. I testify that he is with his servants in this day and will be until the end of the earth."

Peace IS being taken from the earth!  In just about every imaginable corner: social, military, financial, nature etc.  A prophet helps us to know what to prepare for and which issues to worry the most about.

"No respecter of persons" ~  is one of my favorite of Christ's self-descriptions.  This phrase is repeated in several places amongst the scriptures.

"No repecter" most importantly means He shows no favoritism.  He doesn't grant one person visions and blessings more than another based on personal preference and He doesn't worry about human kind in some periods of world's history more than others.

It means that a soul today is just as important and relevant as a soul He knew while walking the Earth or a soul He was revealing himself to in the Americas.

Christ beholds you with the same worth, potential as he beholds anyone.  What we experience in the gospel and with Christ and with the heavens wholly depends on us.  The offer is held the same to everyone.

President Hunter's point here makes a lot of sense:

"May our vision not be so narrow that we would relegate revelation to only the ancients. God is merciful and loves his children in all ages and has revealed himself to this time in history."

"The Lord has revealed his mind and will to his anointed prophets. There is an unending stream of revelation flowing constantly from the headwaters of heaven to God’s anointed servants on earth. Since the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the voice of the Lord to his prophets has continued as before."

Question:  What does the Lord mean when He is "no respecter of persons?" Why is that important to know in this day and age?  (The patterns of prophetic leadership and visions continue today).

The topic of prophets is a very reassuring one, so don't let the world bowl you over with it's cunning, distracting, out-of-context doubt.

Jesus Christ loves his Church.  The Lord loves His prophets.  The Savior loves the world.

He loves you.

Sometimes we just have to let that be, despite the myriad details we can't always research to the core or to our complete, scientific satisfaction.

Especially when those details have nothing to do with the most essential truths, inner happiness and accomplishments of the Gospel:  a Savior,  an Atonement, a companionship with the Holy Ghost, a confident and peaceful soul, prayer, baptism, holy writ, service, love, and more service.

Our Gospel encourages people to be at their best and to be beautiful (and handsome) and a light bearer to the world.

Anti-mormonism and prophet doubt encourages confusion, bitterness and pessamism.

Compare the fruits of faithful living and doubtful living?

That message must be for someone out there, because it just flowed through the fingers!

Best Lesson Plan For This Topic (says me)

"Conference time is a season of spiritual revival when knowledge and testimony are increased and solidified..."

Probably the most effective message from this lesson comes from the last section on Conferences.  This makes for an easily engaging and memorable lesson plan.

Nothing showcases prophets and apostles in action and testifies to their inspiration like General Conference.  We all have our favorite apostles and speakers to listen to.  And hopefully we've had a chance to collect a few favorite Conference talks ~ ones which bounced around in our souls with unusual and lasting impressions.

Here's a list of my 10 favorites of all time (for now...)

*****

To Acquire Spiritual Guidance
Elder Richard G. Scott (October 2009)
--Some of the best, detailed, how-to advice for powerful, personal revelation I've ever read.

Waiting Upon the Lord: Thy Will Be Done
Elder Robert D. Hales (October 2011)
--One of the most far-reaching, buoyant explanations about human suffering.  Just beautiful.

The Importance of A Name
Elder M. Russell Ballard (October 2011)
--It was this talk that forever removed every ounce of social stigma, the name "Mormon" ever held.  This was he talk which branded us and made us proud of who we were.  I'm not impressed with a couple of general authorities who recently tried to associate shame with this name - and advised us to admonish and correct others who called us Mormons.  That was a huge fail.  I remember squirming in my seat during one such Conference talk only six months before this one was given.  And I knew in my heart the concepts weren't right.  I high-fived the air when Elder Ballard put it to rest in a straightforward, powerful way and we've been so much better off since.

Are You Sleeping Through The Restoration?
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf (April 2014)
--A description of what it means to be a true Latter-day Saint who's caught the vision, and a delightful description of the counterfeit.  It's addresses and describes the growing trend we see in Church today - a justified apathy.  Dieter pretty much slays that urban LDS legend of casual sainthood.

Using New Media To Support The Work of The Church
Elder M. Russell Ballard (Dec 2007 – BYU-Hawaii)
--Changed the direction and quality of my life forever.  And it's where this blog came from.  Elder Ballard commissioned all of us to be spokesmen for the Church online and everywhere.  One of the biggest, sweeping changes ever in our Church culture and it's been grand.

The Merciful Obtain Mercy
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf (October 2012)
--Dieter's famous "Stop It" sermon.  He addresses the worst of our human nature and social behaviors often found in "ward land." Forever a classic.

The Laborers In The Vineyard
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (October 2012)
--Holland does an amazing job with a little-used parable and opens it up to address a growing problem in our Church - pride and jealousy.  The pickle juice analogy is awesome.  I deal with pickle juice people a lot, so this was particularly refreshing.

Pride And The Priesthood
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf (October 2010)
--Undoes the doctrine of being "specialer." Being the "chosen" or "special" one is an unfortunate culture we have developed over time.  Dieter does a marvelous job of spearing it.  One of the best quotes of all time:

"Pride is a deadly cancer. It is a gateway sin that leads to a host of other human weaknesses. In fact, it could be said that every other sin is, in essence, a manifestation of pride."

"This sin has many faces. It leads some to revel in their own perceived self-worth, accomplishments, talents, wealth, or position. They count these blessings as evidence of being “chosen,” “superior,” or “more righteous” than others. This is the sin of “Thank God I am more special than you.” At its core is the desire to be admired or envied. It is the sin of self-glorification."

"For others, pride turns to envy: they look bitterly at those who have better positions, more talents, or greater possessions than they do. They seek to hurt, diminish, and tear down others in a misguided and unworthy attempt at self-elevation. When those they envy stumble or suffer, they secretly cheer."

Really...how extraordinary is his insight?

Like A Broken Vessel
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (October 2013)
--Elder Holland takes mental illness and depression head on and gives us a completely different and compassionate perspective on this very current and growing problem.  Bravo JRH!

Come Join With Us
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf (October 2013)
--Acknowledges every Saint is on a different level and with different combinations of understanding, viewpoints and misgivings.  We all belong regardless, which point was well-made.  Best line:  Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith."



Possible Class Question:  Who else has a favorite General Conference memory?  Why did that particular talk mean so much to you?

General Conference is a divinely inspired tradition which puts us all in reach of President Monson and the apostles front and center.  Modern technology is divine.  The Holy Ghost attends General Conference in force and there is always at least one powerful message for any faithful listener.  One talk or another will find its way into our wounded hearts and imperfect souls ~ and have the capacity to boost us and prompt us to a better place.

May you have a wonderful time sharing your most meaningful spiritual moments with each other.  It's sure to be a class with lasting impact.

Timshel!

Possible Hymns:  Come Listen To A Prophet's Voice #21

We Thank Thee O God For A Prophet #19