Seeking Higher

Well, it is almost that time, time to go back to school.  I remember those days back in high school when I dreamed that I only had four more years and I would be done with school forever...yeah...until I realized that I love learning.  By halfway through college if someone came up to me and told me that they would pay me to just go to school forever, I would have been cool with that. But I graduated and determined to move on with life.  I had thoughts then of getting an MBA, even started the application process a couple of times, but it never seemed to be the right time.  Two years ago today I moved 4 hours north of the hometown I had lived in for almost 24 years with a plan to work.

About 6 months ago working just wasn't cutting it for me.  I needed more.  I wasn't progressing in directions that I wanted too.  I looked at my 26 year old self and saw that I was neither married nor had I realized that thought of getting my MBA.  As I had very little control over the one, the other became my focus.  I wrestled with the idea and finally came to the conclusion that there was no better time in my life than now for me to continue my education.  I was accepted into a Professional MBA program and while apprehensive about the cost of the program and the work load it would be to work full time and go to school, I was excited.

The closer the starting date has come the more excited and apprehensive I have become.  Seeking solace in the scriptures I found the answers to calm my anxious mind in Doctrine and Covenants 88:118-126

118 And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.
119 Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;
120 That your incomings may be in the name of the Lord; that your outgoings may be in the name of the Lord; that all your salutations may be in the name of the Lord, with uplifted hands unto the Most High.
121 Therefore, cease from all your light speeches, from all laughter, from all your lustful desires, from all your pride and light-mindedness, and from all your wicked doings.
122 Appoint among yourselves a teacher, and let not all be spokesmen at once; but let one speak at a time and let all listen unto his sayings, that when all have spoken that all may be edified of all, and that every man may have an equal privilege.
123 See that ye love one another; cease to be covetous; learn to impart one to another as the gospel requires.
124 Cease to be idle; cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another; cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated.
125 And above all things, clothe yourselves with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace.
126 Pray always, that ye may not faint, until I come. Behold, and lo, I will come quickly, and receive you unto myself. Amen.

Among these verses was a call to action for me.  I finally saw the reason Heavenly Father thought a master's degree would be good for me.  There were so many thoughts that entered my mind with these verses, I hope you allow me literary license to point out just a few.

"And as all have not faith..."

I work for the church.  The group of friends I spend time with come mostly from wards I have been in over the last two years.  I don't know my neighbors well and I live in Utah where missionary work seems that much harder.  Yet, this first part of verse 118 struck me as I realized the truth of that statement: not everyone has faith.  I am sure not all of the colleague in my program are going to be members of the church, and even if they are, they may need additional faith as we all do.  The rest of the verse invites us to seek diligently for and teach one another words of wisdom from the best books.  Even as I have begun to read some of my required texts I have been amazed at the principles I am learning that will help me in my work, my schooling, and my calling.  I am anxious to see how the Lord helps me mold these principles into my life to make me more effective in my life and I can't wait to see the opportunities he will give me to share the things I am learning with others, strengthening their faith primarily in the principles, but also in the Lord's promise to help those who are diligent in sharing their talents.  I foresee many opportunities to share the Gospel here.

"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish...a house of God."

The discipline this program will take is going to be on level with what I needed on my mission. I will be working Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm.  Tuesday and Thursday I will go from work at 5pm to class at 6pm.  Class gets out around 10pm and I make the 30 minute drive home.  Monday's will be Family Home Evening, every other Wednesday is Temple night, and Sunday is a day of rest.  This leaves me with before and after Family Home Evening, every other Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and whatever I can cram in on the bus to and from work to complete the recommended 16 hours of out of class study time, meals, laundry, etc.  I would be fooling myself if I were to say that I am looking forward to it...more like I am looking forward to being done already.  Yet, I am grateful for the promise of these verses.  When everything is organized and prepared with prayer and fasting, etc., a house of God develops.  The house of God is often thought of as the temple and we know from 1 Corinthians 3:16 that our bodies are temples of God.  As that house of God develops it becomes a place where the Spirit of the Lord dwells and where the Spirit dwells miracles happen.  

Organizing has often been a good quality of mine...but only when I have time and never in my bedroom which is too often cluttered.  Obviously these verses were a wake up call to me, but I know that as I organize and discipline my life that my schedule will not seem so hindered and that the Lord will help me meet the deadlines imposed in my schooling and work.  Hopefully that means I'll be able to find time for a little bit of a social life too.

"That all may be edified of all..."

This piece was a reminder to seek counsel and listen.  Doctrine and Covenants 88:122 instructs us to appoint a teacher, a leader, who does not allow all to speak at once that nothing is heard, but rather that each be given an opportunity to voice their thoughts, opinions, and understandings "that all may be edified of all."  I am grateful for the educational journey I am about to embark on where teachers have been appointed and where I will have the opportunity to be part of a group where I may learn from many types of people from many different backgrounds.  This verse is also an important reminder that I am not the only knowledgeable person in the program and that I may not always have the best understanding or the right answers.  It is important in a classroom setting as well as in the world to remember to listen to all options and make educated decisions.  We all have something we can give, the gift of our point of view, the gift of our knowledge, or the gift of our experience.  I am anxious to receive these gifts of others and give them my own that we might not be in constant conflict, but rather that we might grow together in wisdom and understanding.

"Cease..."

Cease is a strange word and not one you hear outside of legal or scriptural language and that adds to its power.  Verses 123 and 124 give us five things we must "cease", we must stop doing, we must remove from our lives: "Cease to be covetous...cease to be idle; cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another; cease to sleep longer than is needful..."  These definitely fall in line with organizing and preparing, but they also have much to do with being an "agent unto oneself".  I love the verse in Doctrine and Covenants 58:28--

"For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves.  And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward."

Learning to "cease" a behavior takes a lot of the discipline I discussed before, but ceasing to be idle and to sleep more than is necessary, that can be even harder.  The saying "the heart is willing but the flesh is weak" comes to mind when I consider a blissful Saturday morning "catching up" on my sleep.  The truth is that each of these sins comes from an unwillingness to overcome a desire of the flesh.  The natural man always wants what they can't have, would rather be on the couch than out serving, typically lives in a sty and seeks lustful desires, always blames the other person for their own failings, and would much rather sleep the day away than do anything productive.  But a person like that isn't happy.  It will be really easy some days to say, "I don't want to get up and do homework, I'm going to watch TV instead."  As a master procrastinator, I know this verse was another call to action.  I am grateful for the promise of power to those who cease bad habits and become active agents in their own lives.  It is power to do and create, power to serve and lift, and that power, used properly, will bring happiness to the agents using it.

"Pray Always, that ye may not faint..."

I recently took up memorizing scriptures again.  One of the first I memorized was Doctrine and Covenants 10:5 -- 

"Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work."

Verse 126 of Doctrine and Covenant 88 asks us to pray until the Savior comes and reminds us that He will come quickly.  This could be taken literally as we know the second coming is coming quickly according to his time table, but it is also a promise to those who pray for strength, help, and guidance.  How grateful am I that when we pray always He quickly comes to our aid that we may not faint, that we may not fall into the hands of Satan, that we may conquer our trials and become stronger through His strength.

To end, I ask for your prayers.  No use being selfish here, I know I am going to need all the help I can get! I am so grateful for my supportive family, friends, coworkers, and especially to my Heavenly Father who I know hasn't put me on this path to fail, but to learn, grow, and succeed.

These are things I have learned from this scripture in this time of my life as I begin on a different course than I imagined I would be on 7 years ago as a high school graduate.  But I am not the only one who can learn from these verses.  We are all at different points in our life where the counsel in these verses is needed.  I invite you to share your insights with me and other readers in the comments below.  I look forward to being edified by you!

Therefore, Cheer Up!

"Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life."       2 Nephi 10:23

"Remember, to be carnally-minded is death, and to be Spiritually-Minded Is Life Eternal" 2 Nephi 9:39

The purpose of this post is to remind you to SMILE! I'm almost positive Heavenly Father laughed a bit at how clever he was in wording 2 Nephi 9:39 the way he did. In case you haven't gotten it yet, the acronym of those last 5 words spells SMILE! Heavenly Father gave us that hint: those who are spiritually minded smile more for those who are spiritually minded truly have reason to smile.

Life isn't easy, but after a difficult week dealing with a cold, too much work, and not enough sleep, I was grateful for this reminder. I was just just as grateful for the verse I found in the next chapter: "Therefore, cheer up your hearts! And remember that ye are free to act for yourselves." 

The gift of choice (or agency) is the most precious gift our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ could give us. They, as loving parent and older brother, knew that no one can tell, coerce, threaten, or force a free spirit to be happy. True happiness, true joy, is one of those emotions that cannot be mimicked, copied, or given away. The first part of that verse became a theme for me over the next week and whenever I was tempted to be upset or grumpy I reminded myself: "Therefore, cheer up!" 

What an interesting phrase, cheer UP. It isn't cheer down, around, or through. We are to cheer UP! Up towards the blue sky above the clouds, up towards our Heavenly Father, cheer UP! I recalled a similar phrase in preparation for this blog post from Sister Wirthlin, mother of apostle, Joseph B. Wirthlin: "Come what may and love it." I reread his talk from October 2008 and caught hold of this message as well:

"The next time you’re tempted to groan, you might try to laugh instead. It will extend your life and make the lives of all those around you more enjoyable." -Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

This was an important lesson I would need to be reminded of just a few days later. Projects and missed deadlines plagued the next couple of days and when that was finished I had to deal with the growing number of emails in my inbox, unending phone calls, and put out the fires I left burning too long. And just when the most mediocre of days was over and I was on my way home to go to the House of the Lord I got off the bus to find my keys gone (left on my desk at work), the spare knocked from the underbelly of my car, and to make matters worse I got a "fortune" from a fortune cookie telling me to do my chores. It isn't an uncommon occurrence for stressful situations to bring tears to my eyes and as my wonderful roommate pulled up to take me home I was almost to that point. 

Then I stopped. 

I reversed my train of thought, found the humor in the situation and was blessed with a wonderful feeling of gratitude. In addition to a great roommate willing to drive a few extra miles, she lent me her car do get to the temple that night. Two or three people were willing to pick me up, and my boss even double checked to make sure that my keys were actually left on my desk where I thought they were. I laughed at the blond hairs that I blamed for the situation and shook my finger at the dark cloud above me (literally--it was quite overcast that day...) that was trying to get me down as if to say, "Not this time!". I knew that the Lord would provide a way and that tomorrow would be better. 

Not every time I'm faced with such things am I so able to brush it off. Sometimes I do cry and there is no one to console me, sometimes there isn't a friend to give me a hug (or a ride) when I need it, but never has my agency been taken from me, I have always had a choice. I can choose to live only in that moment and let it get me down, or I can choose to cheer up! 

I don't remember when I first discovered this truth, but it was sometime when I really began to understand the meaning of my name: Joy. True joy comes through making good choices and one of those is choosing to be happy. I didn't always like my name, but for anyone who knows me now, I try very hard to live up to it and use it in the cheesiest ways possible...why else would this blog be rightfully name "My Joyous Pursuit of Happiness"?  This is my motto: "Happiness is a Choice".  Choose happiness, choose joy, choose to look UP and cheer UP, choose to SMILE!  

And when choosing to smile becomes difficult just watch the video at the top again.

Count Your Many Trials

It seems that when I am in need of learning a particular lesson, that lesson is taught every where.

I first recognized this lesson as I was reading in 1 Nephi 18:11-16

 11 And it came to pass that Laman and Lemuel did take me and bind me with cords, and they did treat me with much harshness; nevertheless, the Lord did suffer it that he might show forth his power, unto the fulfilling of his word which he had spoken concerning the wicked.

 12 And it came to pass that after they had bound me insomuch that I could not move, the compass, which had been prepared of the Lord, did cease to work.

 13 Wherefore, they knew not whither they should steer the ship, insomuch that there arose a great storm, yea, a great and terrible tempest, and we were driven back upon the waters for the space of three days; and they began to be frightened exceedingly lest they should be drowned in the sea; nevertheless they did not loose me.

 14 And on the fourth day, which we had been driven back, the tempest began to be exceedingly sore.

 15 And it came to pass that we were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea. And after we had been driven back upon the waters for the space of four days, my brethren began to see that the judgments of God were upon them, and that they must perish save that they should repent of their iniquities; wherefore, they came unto me, and loosed the bands which were upon my wrists, and behold they had swollen exceedingly; and also mine ankles were much swollen, and great was the soreness thereof.

I pondered on these verses a bit and considered what that must have been like for them.  A large boat carrying your entire family and because of the choices of a few, all could have lost their lives.  Nephi must have felt so powerless at that time, and may have wondered why his righteousness seemed to count for nothing when the lives of his parents, wife, and children were at stake.  My thoughts were then drawn to another group of people and their trip to the promised land.

The Brother of Jared and his party seemed to have it so much easier than Nephi.  None of the Jaredites were perfect, but they were not utterly rebellious as Nephi's brother's were.  They had a couple problems, getting enough air and lighting the inside of their barges, but once done the Lord simply blew them across the ocean to the Promised Land.

However, circumstances changed when I imagined in my head the following conversation between Nephi and the Brother of Jared in paradise as they  compared their experiences getting to the promised land. (Please excuse my modernization...it made the conversation more fun in my head. :-) )

Nephi: Dude, you had it so easy!  All those people were willing to help you build your barges, and they were tight! You didn't even need to build any system to steer them with since you just got blown across the sea.  After you and Heavenly Father figured out the lighting issues, you were home free!  It took a chapter's worth of lecturing to get Laman and Lemuel to help me build a boat.  Thank heaven I had a little help from God in figuring out a steering mechanism!  But then we get on the water and what do they do?  They tie me up!  Four days like that before they finally released me and we could move onward.  You were so blessed that you didn't have brothers like mine.

Brother of Jared: Easy?  You think I had it easy?  It took 8 years and a severe lecture from Heavenly Father before we even started building the barges.  And do you realize it took us 344 days to get there.  Have you ever tried being cooped up in a barge with people, animals, and honey bees for 344 days?  Then there was the tossing and the burying in the waters.  I swear, we wouldn't have made it if it weren't for the fact that we kept praying and praising the Lord.

Nephi: Wow, I guess that is true...you really didn't have it much easier, did you?  You know what else we have in common though?  We both were able to get through our trials because we prayed and praised the Lord.  Man, Heavenly Father is great, isn't He?

Brother of Jared: Dude, He's God!

Nevertheless, I did look unto my God, and I did praise him all the day long; and I did not murmur against the Lord because of mine afflictions.--1 Nephi 18:16

As I read this verse in 1 Nephi 18, my perspective really changed.  It wasn't for the punishment of the wicked that Heavenly Father sent these two prophets through the trials he did, is was for the testing and blessing of the righteous.  Heavenly Father knew that Laman and Lemuel weren't going to change.  While they were tossed on the water Heavenly Father could have easily stopped Laman and Lemuel as he had before.  He could have sent an angel, spoken to them, given Nephi the strength to break his bands, shocked them, or even just thrown them overboard.  I'm sure Nephi prayed for anything to save his family.  After four days I'm sure my patience would have been running low.  Yet as soon as he was released he didn't waste time lecturing his brothers or murmuring that it took the Lord long enough; He immediately looked to God and praised him.  

Wait, he praised him?  For allowing him to be tied up for four days during a horrible storm?  For allowing his father, the prophet, and his mother to get so sick they almost died?  For making him watch his wife and children beg and plead for his release?  After all that, Nephi still praised the Lord?

What I have missed all along is that this wasn't a test for Laman and Lemuel to see how long it would take them to break down.  This was a test for Nephi to see if after all he would recognize the blessings of the Lord.

And it came to pass after they had loosed me, behold, I took the compass, and it did work whither I desired it. And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord; and after I had prayed the winds did cease, and the storm did cease, and there was a great calm.

Looking at others, the journey may seem easy, but for many of the righteous, the blessings can be just as uncomfortable as Nephi's.  Do we look at others' trials and wonder why we were so stricken with our own?  Sometimes its losing a child or parent, watching a friend or family member struggle through alcohol or drug use or with mental illness.  For some it is the trial of never being married, for others it is finding the person they married isn't the person they thought they were and getting divorced.  For others it is watching parents part ways.  Some have financial difficulty, other just bad luck.  Being righteous doesn't give one a free pass through trials--we aren't allowed to avoid them simply because we are doing our best to be good. The righteous face trials everyday.

The bigger question is: how do we treat our trials?  Can we look back when we are released from particularly hard trials and be grateful for them as were Nephi and the Brother of Jared?  

The same week I read these verses I was in an institute class where the teacher was describing the difficulties he and his wife had been through with a drug addict son and then his wife's struggles with chronic illness.  He pointed out how so many of the older generation will use the phrase, "We're grateful for the blessings we enjoy."  But what about "the blessings we don't enjoy?", he asked.

How often do we recognize our trials simply as blessings we don't particularly enjoy?  Can we not be grateful for them too?  This is the great quality that Nephi and the Brother of Jared had; the ability to enjoy their trials and be grateful for the things they were taught.  It is also a quality I have found in many church leaders and their families.  For instance, I have taken a great liking to Sister Kristen Oaks, wife of Elder Dallin H. Oaks.  She has become my role model of late for a variety of reasons.  She didn't let her lack of husband or family prevent her from living a very happy life.  Often, when talking of the propensity of those who are single, divorced, widowed, or even married to be bitter or lonely she points out the necessity of counting the blessings available to them and to constantly thank our God for them. 

If you were to spend your whole life looking for someone who had life the easiest, chances are your search would be in vain.  No one has just the life they would like, and we may find that the righteous and the innocent bear the worst of life's trials.  However, you may find that the humble righteous are quicker to respond that they are happy in spite of their trials, just as Nephi was.  He was faithful, grateful, and always obedient, and for that he was blessed with a happy, if not easier life.  Ours will be that way too if we follow his example.

Keep the Commandments

"Keep the commandments, keep the commandments,
In this there is safety, in this there is peace"

What beautiful words from a simple primary song.  Recently I read 1 Nephi 3-4 and discovered that there is so much more to that phrase "Keep the Commandments".  Indeed these chapters use the phrase or phrases close to it at least 13 times.  You know that strange feeling you get when you write or look at a word for so long it looks like it has been misspelled?  I felt something akin to that as I read and reread the word "commandment".  It was as if I couldn't grasp what the word really meant.  I wanted to understand that word better.  What is a commandment?  Why is it so important to keep it?

Recognizing the two parts of the word, I decided to use my Dictionary.com app to quickly look up the word command and the suffix, -ment.  The word 'command' can be a verb or a noun.  The act of giving an order or command is the verb (i.e. The general commanded his troops).  The specific order is also call a command (i.e. The command was to march).  In any case it typically denotes an order given by one who has authority over another and this authority is usually bestowed upon one who deserves and has earned it.  It is understood that those who follow such a command would do so out of respect either in a positive light because they want to obey or in negative way out of fearful respect for the power held by the commander.

It would have been just as, if not easier, to say in each case, "Keep the commands of the Lord", "be faithful to the Lord's commands", etc.  So it was interesting that they bothered to add -ment at all.

The suffix, -ment, is placed at the end of a noun to make it concrete and denote an action or resulting state.  The addition of this particular suffix adds greater authority.  A command-ment is concrete, solid, unchanging and what is more, it implies further that there must be action in response to the command.  It is not a request or order that will just go away if we ignore it.  The consequences of breaking a command from one holding worldly authority could be quite negligible. Obedience to a commandment from the Lord  can be the difference between living spiritually and physically or dying in either respect.  In this case Lehi's family and ancestors would need to understand all the commandments of the Lord in order to prosper and grow in the promised land.

Nephi understood this.  He knew that every commandment given of God was solid and unchanging and that if not followed negative consequences would result.  He recognized God's authority as the ultimate authority and knew that God would fulfill His great and wise purposes in His own way.  He respected God's judgement and did strive to keep the commandments out of faith that God knew what was best.  Even as it came time to smite Laban lying drunken on the streets of Jerusalem we see Nephi's struggle and also his faith.  Could he really break one commandment in order to fulfill another?

There were consequences to murder and they were death.  I can imagine Even felt much the same way.  The consequence for eating the forbidden fruit was also death. For Eve, knowledge, family, and eternal progression for all mankind were on the line.  Nephi's situation wasn't much different as his family faced going to a new land without a full record of the laws and commands they were to follow.  Such a loss would likely ruin any chance of progression for Nephi's future family.  Nephi was thus commanded by the same creator of the law against killing to kill in order that future generations might live spiritually, knowing the law and keeping it.  This is the reason the Spirit tells Nephi, "It is better that one man should perish than that a nation shall dwindle and perish in unbelief." (1 Nephi 4:13)  Nephi's faith in the Lord's purposes led him to be able to that which was necessary for the greater good.

This anecdote brings in the theme of sacrifice that is tied to keeping the commandments we are given.  We must make sacrifices as ordered by the Lord that we and others may grow and improve.  "Adam fell that men might be and men are that they might have joy." (2 Nephi 2:25), Christ suffered all that we might live again, parents give up money, comfort, and time to raise children.  In all the cases I can think of the commandments require us to give up something we enjoy for the betterment of ourselves and others.  The key to motivating ourselves to willingly keep commandments is to be as Nephi.  We must:

• Recognize the authority from which the commandment comes
• Decide the level of respect we have for that authority
• Have faith in the promises that authority has made to us
• Act, even when we can't see to what the action may lead

Nephi said, "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." (1 Nephi 3:7)  

He also stated, "...let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord..." (3 Nephi 3:16, 4:1) and, "Surely the Lord hath commanded us  to do this thing; and shall we not be diligent in keeping the commandments of the Lord?..."  Nephi was willing to sacrifice all because he had faith in the consequences of obeying the commandments of the Lord.  He knew that by fulfilling the commandments that he would be given safety and peace.  We too will receive that safety and peace as we keep the commandments of the Lord.

The Challenge of Laying Hold on Every Good Thing

As a little girl, it was very easy to tell that which was good from that which was bad.  If it was pretty and colorful or made of sugar or chocolate or if it was a book, it was usually good.  If it was dark (including dark chocolate), hard, uncomfortable, or painful it was bad.

We know this from Moroni 7:12-13:

12 Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually.
13 But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.

Grateful as I am for this definition and its clarity on my childish understanding, it has lead me to realize: that which is good is not always pretty, pink and fluffy, and that which is bad is not always sharp, disappointing, and unfortunate.  Our lives are filled with beautiful, horrible things and painful wonderful experiences.

Consider on this: I have two wonderful sisters and two fantastic sisters-in-law.  The four of them have brought into this world the most beautiful children I have ever seen, who have grown to be some of the greatest youth in the Church.  I admire them, their decisions, and their examples.  But if you ask my sisters, the combined 135 months (11 and a quarter years) they spent being pregnant, were NOT the most comfortable and painless experiences.  And that doesn't even include the occasionally painful things they have had to face in raising those 15 beautiful children over the past 15 and a half years.  That which is good is not always painless.

Now think on this: Some of the brightest lights and most colorful scenes are found in New York City.  While many of the flashing lights of Broadway proclaim innocent advertisements and worth while theater, underneath the surface runs a current of filth.  On my first trip to New York I was greeted happily by the bright lights and excitement of the big Apple.  Yet, I was surprised to find in the midst of the dazzling glow of Times Square and Broadway a smaller, but brightly colored sign above the entrance to a club.  Once my naive mind realized what it really was, I was first of all confused by the word "Gentlemen" in this establishment's name, and then realized that all that is bright and beautiful is not good.

"For behold, a bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water; neither can a good fountain bring forth bitter water;  wherefore, a man being a servant of the devil cannot follow Christ; and if he follow Christ he cannot be a servant of the devil." --Moroni 7:11

I read this verse with new insight this time around.  I considered on my stage in life and the many things I could be bitter about.  I considered on friends whose lives were being wasted on being bitter.  Obviously, most of you will read this and think, "Oh, she means being single."  Well, yes, that too.  But there are other things I could be bitter about.  Some know that about 9 months ago I had applied to and interviewed for entrance to George Washington University, my dream graduate school at the time.  Due to what I can only explain as a lack of work experience, I was not accepted.  For a while this past year I very easily could have been bitter about the difficulty of finding employment.  Today is fast Sunday and I could very well be bitter about the fact that as I am writing I haven't eaten in 23 hours and counting.  "A bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water..."  This was the best argument I had ever heard against becoming bitter.  When we become bitter, no matter what the reason or cause, we have a more difficult time doing that which is good and positive, and end up bringing forth that which is bitter, painful, and uncomfortable, instead of that which is sweet.

Combining these two thoughts in adjacent verses I discovered an amazing thing.  All too often we take those things that Heavenly Father has blessed us with, those things we think should be bright and fluffy but are more often sharp and painful, and make them into reasons to become bitter because we fail to recognize them as good things in our life.  A warning arises in the following verses (Moroni 7:14-15):

14 Wherefore, take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which is evil to be of God, or that which is good and of God to be of the devil. 
15 For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night. 

To a girl unmarried, a student unaccepted, a worker unemployed, a human being hungry, more dates (particularly first dates...), more school applications, more employment applications, and the resistance of food are NOT good things.  The girl, student, worker, and human being see each of these things as necessary evils they must go through in order to received their desired outcome.  As they are seen in an evil light, it is easy for that little piece of negativity to embitter the entire fountain from which they draw.  The same could happen with any good thing we are given from God that we do not recognize as good things.  Instead of realizing our goals we turn to condemning and giving up on them.  Unfortunately, if not corrected this could lead to a long life of disappointment, depression, and sin.

Having been all of these things (and at least one of them currently), I can see clearly now, in at least three circumstances, the beauty of the trials I have passed through.  Not getting accepted to grad school lead to a grueling job search.  Yet, while I was not fully employed, I had the wonderful opportunity of substitute teaching seminary and serving in many other capacities.  As for fasting, let's face it, food always tastes better after not eating for 24 hours, not to mention other immediate blessings of the satisfaction of self control and a closeness to the spirit not found in indulgence.  In each instance I realized that these "necessary evils" weren't evil at all, and believe it or not, I'm even starting to believe that about dating too.

"It is given unto you to judge...For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ...Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ."

Moroni 7:15-16, 19

We indeed have the responsibility for righteous judgement and to "lay hold upon every good thing".  It is in recognizing the good things and not condemning them, even when the good means pain and discomfort for a time, that we become the "Children of Christ".  This life isn't easy; it was never meant to be. If it were we would never be able to understand the true depth of the love our Father in Heaven has for us.  The easy love, easy education, easy money, and easy food generally leads to more and longer lasting pain, disappointment, and discomfort.  I'm grateful for the trials in my life, even the ones I currently have to go through.  I'm grateful for a Heavenly Father who loves me enough to allow me to be tried and tested and molded into a better person each day.  Will I still complain about my trials now and then?  Of course! I am human.  Yet with this greater insight, I hope that throughout my trials I will always be able to recognize them, not as necessary evils, but as my greatest blessings.

A Record of Worth and Power

Mormon 8:14-15
14 And I am the same who hideth up this record unto the Lord; the plates thereof are of no worth, because of the commandment of the Lord. For he truly saith that no one shall have them to get gain; but the record thereof is of great worth; and whoso shall bring it to light, him will the Lord bless.
15 For none can have power to bring it to light save it be given him of God; for God wills that it shall be done with an eye single to his glory, or the welfare of the ancient and long dispersed covenant people of the Lord.

The record spoken of is the record abridged by Mormon, his son Moroni, and translated by the latter-day prophet Joseph Smith Jr.  In translating and printing this record which God himself declared to be "...of great worth...", Joseph Smith Jr. received great blessings. Something I noticed in the rereading of these verses was that the blessings promised are not to Joseph only.  The blessings of the Gospel are for all the world.  Joseph obtained those blessings not only for himself but created the pathway for the whole world to receive such blessings through the Restoration of the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A relatively few received the news of the record from the mouth of Joseph himself.  If it were up to Joseph alone to bring the record to light among all people He would have had an impossible task ahead of him.

Thankfully, our loving Heavenly Father did not say, "Only one man can bring the record to light and him will the Lord bless." No, the verse opens these blessings to all who share the message of the restored Gospel: "...and whoso shall bring it to light, him will the Lord bless."  Each person who has received the message of the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the coming forth of the Book of Mormon has the ability to bring that light to others.  It is as if each person who receives the Gospel has their own torch lit and it is up to each of us to pass that light to others.  But verse 15 gives a caveat: "For none can have power to bring it to light save it be given him of God..."  God requires that the work of sharing the gospel be done His way, not seeking for power, glory, or riches for ourselves, but with "an eye single to his glory, or the welfare of the...covenant people..."

So how does one received the privilege of being one of God's particular messengers?

As a youth I received a very clear impression one day in my seminary class that I would serve a mission.  I had never really doubted this fact. Both my brothers and my sisters had served missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and I had been blessed by their service and admired the lessons they had learned, the testimonies they had strengthened, and the stories they shared.  Young women in the church at that time were allowed to apply for missionary service as they reached their 21st birthday and so about 6 months before my 21st birthday I began to seriously consider if serving a mission would be the right thing for me to do at that time in my life.  I had many concerns regarding school, social pressures, and the desire to eventually get married and have a family that caused me on occasion to question my early impressions that I would serve a mission.  I did not take such a decision lightly and often gave myself to serious thought and study on the matter.  I remember coming across two specific scriptures during that time that solidified not only my desire to serve, but helped me to recognize God's call to me to be one of those messengers to whom He would give power to share the restored gospel.  A particular verse strikes me now as I consider this same question of who can receive this power to bring the gospel to light: 

"Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;"

--Doctrine & Covenants 4:3

God has opened the blessings of bringing the record of the Book of Mormon to light to all who desire to share it.  Missionaries are particularly blessed as they are set apart to preach the gospel for a dedicated period of time and I feel so blessed to have received that call in my life.

It has been almost five years since I entered the Missionary Training Center as a new missionary called to serve in the California Carlsbad Mission, but the 18 months I spent there was a blessed time in my life.  Each of the people I met and those I taught had a great impact on my life and my testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the restoration of God's true church on the earth, complete with living prophets and the authority of God.  Having been home for 3 years now I find I am still blessed anytime I find the opportunity to share the light of the gospel with those around me, member or non-member.  Mormon was not only prophesying of Joseph Smith in these verses, but of any who would continue to share Joseph's story and the work he brought forth unto us.

I know Joseph Smith was called of God to bring the record of the Book of Mormon to light and I know that the record that is the Book of Mormon is a true record that contains the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I know that by living the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as taught in the Bible and the Book of Mormon that we can receive all the blessings our Father in Heaven wishes to bestow upon us including eternal life with Him and our families in His kingdom.  Jesus Christ is my Savior and I am so grateful for his everlasting love for us and the constant opportunity to share His message with the world.

Arise Ye Men and Women of God

Mormon 6:16-21

16 And my soul was rent with anguish, because of the slain of my people, and I cried:
17 O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord! O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you!
18 Behold, if ye had not done this, ye would not have fallen. But behold, ye are fallen, and I mourn your loss.
19 O ye fair sons and daughters, ye fathers and mothers, ye husbands and wives, ye fair ones, how is it that ye could have fallen!
20 But behold, ye are gone, and my sorrows cannot bring your return.
21 And the day soon cometh that your mortal must put on immortality, and these bodies which are now moldering in corruption must soon become incorruptible bodies; and then ye must stand before the judgment-seat of Christ, to be judged according to your works; and if it so be that ye are righteous, then are ye blessed with your fathers who have gone before you.
22 O that ye had repented before this great destruction had come upon you. But behold, ye are gone, and the Father, yea, the Eternal Father of heaven, knoweth your state; and he doeth with you according to his justice and mercy.


I have not seen many years on this earth. I am barely over a quarter of a century in age. Many twice and three times my age often sigh in my general direction over lost years of youth. However, this does not mean I am without serious and concerning thought. As I have studied in the Book of Mormon recently I have been greatly impressed with the strength of the youth. From Helaman's Sons to Captain Moroni who was my age when he led the Nephites to victory. 

Now I am studying Mormon who was a child when he was given the responsibility of preserving thousands of years of history from those who would destroy it. Mormon is impressive in many ways. From the time he was a boy his world was filled with wickedness, selfishness, greed, corruption, and destruction. He watched the slow degeneration of his entire people and the scripture quoted above is his plea to those he loved and served so well in spite of their pride and wickedness.

It was not very many days after reading these verses that I listened to Elder D. Todd Christofferson's talk from the Priesthood Session of the October 2012 General Conference. As I listened to the talk on a long drive alone in my car, I verbally sounded a hearty "Yes!" with each argument he made in favor of boys and men needing to grow up and take a higher place and responsibility for their lives. My greatest hopes were that many of my single male friends and colleagues had listened and would step up and be more worthy than they had been and my biggest fear was that those who needed those words the most had not heard them.

I must say that I agree with Elder Christofferson and worry very much about the lack of worthy young men...especially as a young single adult, and let me explain why.

I grew up in Utah, a state know for its peculiar culture of young marriage and lots of children. This is a culture that stems from our faith and belief in the great importance of the family. I currently live in an apartment with three other young adult women. Each of us are at different points in our lives ranging from college educated and working full time to working part-time and attending school full time. All of us are return missionaries, all home for more than 18 months. Each of us has different goals and desires for our lives, but I will tell you, I have not had so many conversations about boys, marriage, and family since I moved out of my last college residence more than a year and a half ago. We are all united in our desires for marriage and family. We look at ourselves and see that we are active, church attending, temple attending, scripture reading, prayer saying, worthy young women and cannot help but ask ourselves (as all of our parents and relatives do), "Why aren't we married yet?"

All too often the verse from Isaiah 4:1 comes to mind, "And in that day, seven women shall take hold of one man, saying: We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach." As Mormon considered on the wickedness of his own people, I worry that we will soon find ourselves in that same situation asking where have all the good, worthy men gone?

Now before anyone thinks of me as a man hating, bitter feminist who can't see the good in the world, let me be the first to say that I have been greatly blessed with wonderful men in my life. I was raised by a righteous father (and mother) and I have seen my brothers become great men and seen my sisters marry great men. I have also seen those same siblings raise wonderful sons who will someday become great and worthy men. I work in a predominantly male environment and yet I have been greatly impressed by the level of respect the men I work with have for myself, my female coworkers, as well as their wives and children. There are good men in the world, but there are just as many more who perhaps needed Elder Christofferson to knock some sense into them.
While discussing my concerns with a friend, who happens to be a good worthy man in my acquaintance, it came to my attention that perhaps there are just as many men wondering where all the good women have gone as there are women wondering where all the good men have gone. Selfishly, I had not considered that there are women who need to step it up just as much as the young men do. But it is true. Elder Christofferson's talk was not just for young boys who need to step up and be men, it was to all of us. 

1 Corinthians 13:11 states: "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." What childish things are hiding in our closets? Is there pride, ignorance, or unjust judgement? Do we spend too much time considering on what he said or she said that we disliked instead of searching for the good in others? Do we spend more time on mindless television or Facebook rather than fulfilling our duties as siblings, children, parents, teachers, employees, or friends? Brethren and sisters, we have many good things to do. The prophets are pleading with us to do our family history, attend the temple, get an education, and yes, find eternal companions and raise righteous families.

Considering on the myriad of talks given in this past conference, I heard a clarion call to action. I don't want it spoken of me the way Mormon spoke of his lost and fallen people. We must be better, seek the Lord early, keep the commandments, be obedient, be kind, smart, true, and grateful, etc. I can't explain one way or another why I have not yet found my "Prince Charming" and I will patiently await the day I do, but one thing I know for sure is that I am committed to being a better person when I meet him than I am now, and I hope he is planning to do the same.