Sent to Earth to Endure

“Do not expect to be free entirely from trouble and disappointment and pain and discouragement, for these are the things that we were sent to earth to endure. “The scriptures promise, ‘There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it’ (1 Corinthians 10:13). “The Savior said, ‘Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me’ (D&C 88:63).”

Boyd K. Packer, “Prayer and Promptings,” Ensign, Nov. 2009, 46

God's Feelings for Us

"We know that the Father and the Son have feelings for us. The book of Moses records, 'And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept' (Moses 7:28)."And we know that God and His Son, Jesus Christ, are immortal, glorified, and perfected beings. Of the Savior Jesus Christ, the Prophet Joseph Smith recounts, 'His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters' (D&C 110:3)."

Robert D. Hales, "Seeking to Know God, Our Heavenly Father," and His Son, Jesus Christ, Ensign, Nov. 2009, 30

Adventures in Smiling

by Janene Wolsey Baadsgaard

Getting people to smile on demand is a bit tricky. Attempts to get my sizeable family bathed, dressed, and looking pleasant for a picture is like medieval torture. Just saying the words “family portrait” makes me break out in a cold sweat.

When my unenthusiastic family is finally lined up for this mother-initiated activity, I feel great compassion for our frazzled photographer.

"Pull that finger out of your nose," the photographer says. "Would the teenager on the back row take off the sunglasses? Now on the count of three, everybody look at me and say 'pickles.' One, two, three--pickles!"

Why do we want to see ourselves smiling in pictures? Why not just snap a realistic photo of family members milling around showing their true mood at the moment? Because we all look and feel better when we smile.

While insisting others smile can be a cause of great frustration, getting ourselves to smile will always bring us joy.

I remember a time when I was worried about one of my teenage sons. I prayed long and hard asking God to teach me how to love my son. The impression I received was simple: smile. This answer perplexed me. Still, I gave it a try. I began smiling at my son more often. I made an effort to catch his eye and smile at him during breakfast and supper. I noticed myself appreciating him more and becoming keenly aware of his courage in the face of adolescence. I wasn't sure at the time if he noticed, or if it meant anything to him--teenage boys aren't famous for expressing tender emotions. Some time later I received a letter from this son, who had become an adult:

"Dear Mom, thank you for smiling at me. When I was making my most difficult decisions, I would see your face in my mind, smiling," he wrote. "I knew you loved me, and it made all the difference."

Smiling is also a great way to meet new people. Once I was sitting in the Marriott Center at BYU during a Women's Conference. I was one of the speakers that day, but none of my family or friends could make it to listen to my talk. I was feeling sad and alone, even though there were thousands of women all around me. At that very moment, the woman sitting next to me turned and smiled.

It felt like she'd tossed me a ball of sunshine. Instantly, I no longer felt alone or sad. I had the impression that if this woman and I knew each other, we would be friends. It occurred to me that I was surrounded by family and friends--I just hadn't met or smiled at them yet.

We unlock our personal power for good when we offer the gift of a genuine and loving smile. Turning up the corners of our mouths helps us spread sunshine everywhere we go. So on those days when we feel inferior, worried, diminished, sad, or lonely, we need to get out there and start smiling. I've learned my day usually goes the same way as the corners of my mouth.

"Periodically one might well ask, “If I continue to travel the road I am currently following, where will it lead me and what will happen to my family?” Are we establishing the foundation for an eternal family, or are we focusing more on the pride of personal accomplishments and a collection of temporal trophies that are taking precedence over the things that should really matter most? Regardless of our age and stage in life, daily obedience to gospel principles is the only sure way to eternal happiness."
--Elder Donald L Staheli, "Life’s Great Challenge", May 1998 Ensign pg 81

Dad's message

March 14, 2010

The theme for this years Conference is “The Reformation and Rededication Movement of 2010”

One of the things I’ve heard is something like “I use to come to Church but the Bishop offended me.” Or “I never go to Relief Society anymore because in 19 whenever she upset me so I quit going.” Or perhaps “my Young Womens Leader or Young Mens Leader said or did something that we didn’t like, thus started many years of inactivity.

If you have been offended or know someone who has I want you to know that there is great power in FORGIVENESS!

It is said that to forgive is a divine attribute. It is to pardon or excuse someone from blame for an offense or misdeed. The scriptures refer to forgiveness in two ways. The Lord commands us to repent of our sins and seek His forgiveness. He also commands us to forgive those who offend or hurt us.

Brothers and Sisters, we must be willing to forgive others. The Lord said in (D&C 64:9-10): "Ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin. I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men".

In the everyday circumstances of life, we will surely be wronged by other people—sometimes innocently and sometimes intentionally. It is easy to become bitter or angry or vengeful in such situations, but this is not the Lord's way. The Savior said in Matthew 5:44, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you". He set the perfect example of forgiveness when He was on the cross. Referring to the Roman soldiers who had crucified Him, in Luke 23:34, He prayed, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do".

We should pray for strength to forgive those who have wronged us, and we should abandon feelings of anger, bitterness, or revenge. We should also look for the good in others rather than focusing on their faults and magnifying their weaknesses. God will be the judge of others' harmful actions.

In the May 2003 Ensign, Elder David E. Sorensen, Of the Presidency of the Seventy gave a message on Forgiveness Will Change Bitterness to Love. He related a story about a small farming community where he grew up. This story was between two men, Chet and Walt and over water rights. As the story goes water was a very needed commodity that there wasn’t enough of. On one particular July day they got into an argument resulting in using their shovels as weapons and Chet lost an eye. Chet’s anger grew and grew until the day when he retrieved his gun and shot and killed Walt. Chet went to prison with a life sentence. In his old age, with his health failing, was finally released to die at home. How tragic that the passion of the moment was allowed to escalate out of control—eventually taking the lives of both men—simply because two men could not forgive each other over a few shares of irrigation water.

President Brigham Young once compared being offended to a poisonous snakebite. He said that “there are two courses of action to follow when one is bitten by a rattlesnake. One may, in anger, fear, or vengefulness, pursue the creature and kill it. Or he may make full haste to get the venom out of his system.” He said, “If we pursue the latter course we will likely survive, but if we attempt to follow the former, we may not be around long enough to finish it.”

The Savior said in D&C 64:9, “Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin.”

Elder Sorensen said, this is not to say that forgiveness is easy. When someone has hurt us or those we care about, that pain can almost be overwhelming. It can feel as if the pain or the injustice is the most important thing in the world and that we have no choice but to seek vengeance. But Christ, the Prince of Peace, teaches us a better way. It can be very difficult to forgive someone the harm they’ve done us, but when we do, we open ourselves up to a better future. No longer does someone else’s wrongdoing control our course. When we forgive others, it frees us to choose how we will live our own lives. Forgiveness means that problems of the past no longer dictate our destinies, and we can focus on the future with God’s love in our hearts.

Brothers and Sisters, it is my prayer that we will ask our Heavenly Father to help us to overcome foolish pride, resentment, and pettiness. May He help us to forgive and love, so we may be friends with our Savior, others, and ourselves.

Small Steps to Commitment

"When I was. . .young . . . Mutual (was) an important part of my life. I loved my friends, the lessons we were taught, youth conferences, and camp. My leaders loved me and taught me the truths of the gospel. They served as second witnesses to the gospel principles my parents had taught. . . . "Thinking back to when I was. . .young . . , I recognize that I did not understand the magnitude of what was happening in my life. I did not realize that my participation in each and every Church activity was helping me develop a lifelong pattern and commitment to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. . . . But in very small, incremental steps, I was becoming a believer—and 'an example of the believers.' " Ann M. Dibb, "Be Thou an Example of the Believers," Ensign, May 2009, 114–15

The Need for Courage

"As I contemplate all that you face in the world today, one word comes to my mind. It describes an attribute needed by all of us but one which you—at this time of your life and in this world–will need particularly. That attribute is courage."

Thomas S. Monson, May You Have Courage, Ensign, May 2009, 124

Thought: Miracles

"The book of Exodus reports that quail were miraculously provided to feed the hungry people of ancient Israel (see Ex. 16:13; Num. 11:32; Ps. 105:40). The pioneers had an equivalent experience. After the last of them had been driven out of Nauvoo, many were sick and some had died. Their provisions were meager. On the river bottoms near Montrose, Iowa, on 9 October 1846, many quail miraculously flew into camp. The quail were cooked and fed to some 640 destitute people (see Stanley B. Kimball, "Nauvoo West: The Mormons of the Iowa Shore," BYU Studies, winter 1978, 142)."

Russell M. Nelson, "The Exodus Repeated," Ensign, July 1999, 9

Work Is an Opportunity

"Work is an antidote for anxiety, an ointment for sorrow, and a doorway to possibility. Whatever our circumstances in life, my dear brethren, let us do the best we can and cultivate a reputation for excellence in all that we do. Let us set our minds and bodies to the glorious opportunity for work that each new day presents."

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Two Principles for Any Economy," Ensign, Nov. 2009, 56

Seeking God with All Our Hearts

"Since 'God is love' (1 John 4:8), the closer we approach Him, the more profoundly we experience love. But because a veil separates this mortality from our heavenly home, we must seek in the Spirit that which is imperceptible to mortal eyes."Heaven may seem distant at times, but the scriptures offer hope: 'Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart' (Jeremiah 29:13)."

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Love of God," Ensign, Nov. 2009, 23