Forgiveness Rerun

Our priesthood lesson yesterday was on forgiveness.

I was reminded of the poem, Forgiveness Flour.  When I googled “forgiveness flour,” I was quite surprised to find that I already did this post over two years ago.

About the poem, I definitely identify with the author, carefully clinging to that which I should freely give.  I need to learn to be more generous and anxious to give and to love unconditionally.

As I read what I wrote then, I wish I could feel like I have improved or developed or progressed in this ability, but I’m really not sure that that is the case.

 

Staying on the Lord’s Side

We had an interesting discussion in our High Priest Group meeting today about staying on the Lord’s side of the line (Lesson 18).

I especially liked the instructor’s comment about honest, frequent self evaluation.  If we are daily reviewing our actions, words, thoughts, and desires, and if we quickly recognize and admit even the small errors we make, we will not stray far from the straight and narrow path.

This discussion reminded me of a talk from President Uchtdorf where he uses an airplane analogy to illustrate an important lesson.  An airplane, if only off course by one or two degrees will not reach its intended destination and could have a tragic conclusion.

“Small errors and minor drifts away from the doctrine of the gospel of Jesus Christ can bring sorrowful consequences into our lives. It is therefore of critical importance that we become self-disciplined enough to make early and decisive corrections to get back on the right track and not wait or hope that errors will somehow correct themselves.”

“The longer we delay corrective action, the larger the needed changes become, and the longer it takes to get back on the correct course—even to the point where a disaster might be looming.”

The rest of the talk is available here.

I think that the most beautiful aspect of the gospel is that where we are is not as important as the direction that we are headed, and no matter how far off course we may have strayed, if we desire to return, Jesus Christ and the Atonement are there and will help us return if we allow them.

Rock Center: Mormon in America

I just finished watching NBC’s Rock Center:  Mormon in America program.

For the most part, I thought it was very well done and probably as good as could be expected.   Given that the main premise seemed to be that the LDS faith is not well understood by the majority of Americans, it seemed like a fairly good effort to portray different aspects of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Obviously, 40 minutes of airtime is inadequate to cover such a big topic.  I thought that the interviews with members and especially with the one family were very good, and I would have liked to see more of that, as I think that is where you really see what the Church is and what it means to its members.  Although I think the former members added an interesting perspective, it seemed odd that those segments received so much time.  I think it would have been better to allow an active church member or leader to answer questions about garments and the temple instead of a former member.

I appreciated that the show portrayed a feminist and a gay man that are both active church members, but I wish that more time had been given to other, more core beliefs.  It was interesting that mention was made of Moroni’s angelic visitation to Joseph Smith, but there was no mention that we believe that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ also appeared and spoke with the prophet.  I expected some mention of our belief in a full restoration of Christ’s church, ordinances, and authority.

I think they easily could have distinguished between our chapels where regular services are held and to which anyone is welcome, and our temples, that are more sacred, and where only members with recommends are allowed.  This distinction was not made, and the viewer could have the impression that members are not welcome at any LDS service, which is not the case.  More could have been said about the sacredness of temples and why only worthy members are allowed to enter them.

It was odd to me that they showed a short clip of a meeting with the congregation singing a gospel-style hymn.  It didn’t bother me really, but is definitely atypical, and probably left some with the wrong impression.

I was bothered at the picture of garments.  Obviously anyone can find such a picture, but after talking with members and even former members and being told about the sacredness of garments, it seemed rather insensitive to display them as they did.

I loved what they showed about the welfare and humanitarian work of the church.  It would have taken a whole show to adequately cover this topic alone, but it was nice that they devoted some time to this.

It was interesting to watch, and I hope that many viewers have a better understanding of LDS beliefs and people.

Did you watch the show?  What did you think about it?

Choosing Happiness

I love Sundays.  I usually do not look forward to some of the extra meetings that I attend with my calling.  Even after early morning meetings that I was not particularly looking forward to, I almost always come away feeling enriched, blessed, and uplifted.

Since I have not been posting much lately, I think I will try to do a post on Sundays with some of the highlights from the day.  These notes will be mainly for my own benefit but perhaps they may be of use to someone, somewhere, sometime.

Of the many wonderful talks and lessons from today, the one that most resonated with me was that we are responsible for our own happiness.  It is easy to be “reactive” and to allow other people or our circumstances to dictate our emotions.  Instead, we should be “agents” to act and to choose rather than to be acted upon.  We can be happy in the most dire situations if we choose to look for the good, and we can be miserable amidst amazing blessings and prosperity if we do not recognize the good.

By no means is this a comprehensive list, but here are a few ideas for increasing happiness:

• notice and enjoy the simple things- a sunset, a smile, a flower, etc.
• begin the day with a victory- get up, read the scriptures, pray, exercise
• count your blessings; be grateful; pray to see blessings
• keep the commandments
• repent; turn to the Lord; rely on the Atonement
• spend time with family and those that love you
• love and serve others; forget self
• attend the temple and worship
• remember that gospel means “good news”
• smile more

The Prodigal Son

I had an interesting experience a few weeks ago that has been on my mind since then.  I observed a man that had dealt with a serious addiction for many years.  Because of this addiction and choices he made, he had lost everything that was most dear to him, including his wife and children.

Painting by Liz Lemon Swindle

Like the prodigal son, he eventually “came to himself.”  I believe he reached the point where he recognized that he needed a major course correction.  He realized that he could not have peace or happiness while being enslaved to addiction.  He was fortunate to know that help was available, and with that help and consistent effort over a long period of time, he began to turn his life around.

His wife and children returned to him, and he now is enjoying the peace and happiness that eluded him for so many years.  I was impressed with this man’s humility and can’t think of anyone with a stronger conviction of the miracle of forgiveness.  Although I do not know all of the details of his conversion, I believe that his humble conviction and quiet strength were developed through prayer and fasting, scripture study, pondering, forgiving, sincerely repenting, and seeking the Savior.

I feel fortunate to not be enslaved to the typical vices, but I think that the less obvious “sins” of omission carry with them their own set of challenges that can be just as difficult to overcome.  Elder Bednar said it well:  “Sometimes I wonder if in our latter-day world of ease- in our world of microwave ovens and cell phones and air-conditioned cars and comfortable homes- we ever learn to acknowledge our daily dependence upon the enabling power of the Atonement.”  Perhaps my addiction is to comfort and to complacency.

Elder Hales’ conference talk gives the antidote for all addiction:  “I testify that the sacrament gives us an opportunity to come to ourselves and experience a ‘mighty change’ of heart- to remember who we are and what we most desire.”

I am amazed when I witness miraculous changes in others and hope that I too am learning to rely on the Savior’s power to change me.

Resolutions- Part 2: Be Inspired!

While I was thinking about New Year’s resolutions and goals, I hadn’t even considered the importance of being inspired.  I was reading a story this morning about John Rhode, this year’s “Biggest Loser” winner, when I realized that being inspired is critical to success with goals.

I am always inspired by people like John that accomplish great things.  John lost 225 pounds and transformed his life!  If I remember correctly, he said that he was motivated by thoughts of his family.  He knew that his wife was at home and was struggling to take care of their two young children, so he wanted to make every moment count.

There are many inspiring stories of people that overcame tremendous obstacles to reach their goals and fulfill their dreams.  Erik Weihenmayer, in spite of being blind, climbed Mount Everest and later completed the “Seven Summits.”  Bethany Hamilton, a competitive surfer that lost her arm in shark attack, returned to competitive surfing as soon as she could.

For most of us, our goals probably do not include losing hundreds of pounds, climbing the world’s tallest peaks, or winning surfing competitions.  Perhaps life’s greatest achievements are not those that are recognized by the world but are those simple victories that only the achiever knows about.  Maybe our greatest accomplishment is to be our best self- to overcome selfishness, anger, pride, or whatever weaknesses we may have.  I wonder if our greatest success could be to become a wonderful spouse, a terrific parent, an exceptional child, or a sensational sibling.

Amy Purdy’s experience in the video below is inspiring.  It is not a challenge to find inspiring examples; the challenge, at least for me, is avoiding distractions and having the discipline to consistently stick with goals until they become habits.

More ideas soon….

Taking Inventory- New Year’s Resolution Ideas, Part 1

A few days ago, I began writing ideas about goals. It is relatively easy for me to make goals. But I find that I am not nearly as good at execution (that is, working the goal, accomplishing; not murdering, although that probably could be used to describe what has happened with some goals that I have made).

So, this series of ideas of about using goals more effectively is based not on my successes but more from the mistakes I have made. I hope that these ideas will help my goal setting and achieving for 2012, and perhaps these ideas will be of some benefit to someone else.

Where I work, as with many other companies, this time of year is when we do our year-end physical inventory. Every item in our warehouse has to be counted and tagged. The physical counts are then compared with the inventory in the system. In most cases, the system inventory is correct. But there are always some discrepancies to resolve. We sometimes find things that we didn’t know we had, or we realize that some things were missing that we thought were in inventory. In the end, everything is reconciled so that we have a true statement of the value of the company’s inventory.

It isn’t a perfect analogy, but as we approach the end of one year and the beginning of a new one, it is also a great time to take a personal inventory. I might ask myself questions like:

• What are my strengths? Am I utilizing them? How can I develop these strengths and gifts to build, uplift, and strengthen others?

• What are my weaknesses? What can I do to improve in these areas?

• In the eternal view, what are the things that matter most? How can I more consistently avoid distractions and choose the best things?

• What stewardships do I have, and how can I magnify them?

There are other similar questions, but I think a key part of making goals and resolutions is to first do an honest self assessment. I like this quote from Elder Wirthlin: “I urge you to examine your life. Determine where you are and what you need to do to be the kind of person you want to be. Create inspiring, noble, and righteous goals that fire your imagination and create excitement in your heart. And then keep your eye on them. Work consistently towards achieving them.”

Stay tuned for more ideas…..

Called to Serve

The few that may know me very well realize that I’m pretty much a homebody. Our family doesn’t really have any outside compelling interests as some do, such as camping, hunting, hiking, etc. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m pretty much an introvert (and I’m fine with that).

One thing that I really appreciate about the church is that it helps me get out of my comfort zone. Home teaching and other callings give me the opportunity to get to know and to hopefully serve people that otherwise I may not have met. Sometimes I may feel overwhelmed by what is expected of me, but then I remember that I’m doing my best, and that’s all that the Lord or anyone can expect of me. The church helps “stretch” me and in the process helps me to be a more balanced person than I would be otherwise.

So I am grateful for a church that requires sacrifice and expects service and involvement from its members. Like Joseph Smith said, “a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has the power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation.”

Bargain Shopping

In the past, I’ve generally tried to write about topics that are a little more “deep” than bargain shopping, but I will probably try to add a little variety once in a while.

Anyone that knows me very well knows that I love a great bargain and am frugal to a fault. I haven’t done much “extreme couponing” since my local store stopped doing double coupons a few years ago. But I did get some great deals this morning.

The Macey’s here in Utah has a weekly special on Kellogg’s and Keebler products: mix and match any ten of selected products and get $10 off. In addition, I had coupons for $5 off of 5 boxes of cereal, $1 off of three boxes of Poptarts, and $1 off of 2 boxes of Nutrigrain bars.

So this morning, after coupons, I paid the following for 10 items:

$0.29 for 1 box of Cocoa Krispies
$0.29 for 1 box of Frosted Flakes
$0.49 for 1 box of Frosted Mini Wheats (Bite Size)
$0.49ea for 2 boxes of Frosted Mini Wheats, Little Bites (Chocolate)
$0.99ea for 2 boxes of Nutrigrain Bars (Blueberry)
$1.16ea for 3 boxes of Poptarts, 12 ct. (Blueberry)

I was quite pleased to get so much for so little. The coupons alone deducted $17 from the bill. I realize that this is “child’s play” compared to some real bargain hunters out there that spend hours planning, hours more at the store shopping and checking out with their three overflowing shopping carts, and then end up with a bill of something like $14.22 for thousands of dollars worth of stuff. But, this was good enough for me.

What about you? What are your best bargains? Do you have any tips for finding great deals?

I just can’t avoid an attempt at some deeper tie-in to this topic. To me, the most important things in life are knowledge, character, and relationships. I believe these are things that endure and really matter when all is said and done. I may be too hard on myself, but I think that I often expect to make some kind of bargain in these areas too- that my mostly “token” efforts will somehow produce magnificent results. But I believe that “real” life is not like bargain shopping but is more like the law of the harvest- you reap what you sow. I hope to improve in several areas of my life, and the key for me is to start now with specific goals, to periodically evaluate progress, and to keep trying.

From Handcarts to Temples

This is a Pioneer Day tribute to Martine Larsen, my great, great, grandmother.

Martine was only 5 when she travelled with her family and other saints from Denmark to the United States. Her father, Peder, was a cabinet maker, and her mother, Ane Kirstine Nielsen was a seamstress. Both provided their goods to Danish royalty.

Martine had her sixth birthday on May 27, 1856 while aboard the ship Thornton. She had learned to tap dance and entertained the other passengers with her dancing.

On July 5th, in Iowa City, while her family and others made handcarts and sewed tents, her mother gave birth to a baby boy, Lars Julius. She enjoyed taking care of her baby brother while others prepared for the long trek ahead with the Willie Company.

At Florence, Nebraska, the group determined that they could not stay the winter there, so they pressed on. On Oct. 1st, they reached Ft. Laramie, but supplies there were inadequate. Their rations were cut, and they were beginning to weaken. They were forced to leave bedding and other items behind to make the rest of their trek easier.

On Oct. 3rd, about 21 miles west of Ft. Laramie, Martine’s father died. Two weeks later, near where the Martin’s Cove Visitor Center now stands, her baby brother, only 3 months old, also passed away. Although rations were further reduced and the cold and snow were getting worse, Captain Willie returned on Oct. 21st with the first company of rescuers. Martine’s sister, Anna Sophie, also passed away that day.

In spite of the raging blizzard, the group continued on and climbed Rocky Ridge on Oct. 23rd. This 15-mile stretch required 27 hours for some of the saints to complete, and 13 died upon arrival. Martine, her mother, and her brother survived, but her brother Niels, became sick and weak and died about a month later. Martine cried and also wanted to die, but she pressed on with her mother, and they eventually arrived in Salt Lake and later settled in Manti.

Martine later married William Bench and raised 10 children. She supported the family alone when her husband served a two year mission in England. Martine became a skilled and caring nurse, and while caring for a sick family when she was in her 60′s, she accidentally got some type of poison in her eyes and became blind. She continued attending meetings and working in the temple for the next 24 years and passed away in 1933 at the age of 83. There is a monument to Martine Larsen Bench in Manti, Utah.

Martine and many like her that valliantly press on in doing good and in faithful obedience, in spite of significant challenges, is inspiring to me. Happy Pioneer Day!

My source for information about Martine is a book called Tell My Story, Too, by Jolene S. Allphin.