General Conference Thoughts: April 2015: The Plan of Happiness

For those of you who watched General Conference last weekend: wasn't it incredible? I just love watching Conference every spring & fall, listening to our Church leaders and hearing the beautiful Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing. Such a wonderful time!
For those of you who missed General Conference: it's not too late to watch! You can watch, read, or listen to the talks here: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/sessions?cid=HP14GC&lang=eng
For all of you: for the next few weeks I'll be focusing on some favorite talks and quotes from General Conference. This week, it's the talk from the Saturday morning session by Boyd K. Packer.

First of all, what a precious, precious story Pres. Packer shares about how he met his wife and the beginning of their journey. It made me melt.
Now, there's a lot of deeper, more detailed doctrine referred to in this talk. It can be difficult to explain, but long story short, we as Latter-day Saints believe that we lived as spirits with our Heavenly Father before we were born on earth, that earthly birth is, essentially, the union of spirit and physical body. We need physical bodies in ordered to gain glorified bodies at the Resurrection (how can your body become glorified if you don't have a body to begin with?).
Side note: here's a diagram of the Plan of Salvation as Latter-day Saints believe it to be, just as a reference to what I just said. Also, you can check out lds.org or mormon.org to learn more.

Okay, back to what I was saying... So, the quote from this talk that stuck out for me the most was when Pres. Packer said, "The power of procreation [and, by extension, marriage and family] is not an incidental part of the plan; it is the plan of happiness" (emphasis added). The Lord commanded Adam and Eve to "multiply, and replenish the earth" (Genesis 1:28); that commandment has never been "canceled out," so to speak. The purpose of using our procreative powers (within marriage, of course) is to give other spirits bodies, and they in turn will provide others with bodies, etc., etc.

Now, as Pres. Packer goes on to say later, there are those who cannot bear children, or who never marry, or under other circumstances are not able to have children. Remember, the Lord hasn't forgotten you. Your Heavenly Father loves you and is ever so aware of you. Just as in other things, the Lord knows your heart, and He will bless you.

I can't really say any more, because I have not been married, nor have I borne children. But I can say that I know that what Pres. Packer shared is true.

And here's the talk that he gave so that you can watch (if you would rather read it, click here):

The building where General Conference takes place. Anyone is welcome to go--you can get tickets ahead of time or go via stand-by, so feel free to go sometime! It's an amazing experience!

An Invitation, From Me to You

It's General Conference Day--both today and tomorrow!
I invite all of you to tune in--TV (channel 232 if you're in WA), radio, or streaming on the Internet (LDS.org, BYUtv, etc.) (or, if you're lucky and make it there: in person at the Conference Center).
You do not have to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to listen in; just be edified--to have your faith strengthened and come closer to our Savior this Easter weekend.
No two sessions are alike, so I encourage you to watch all of them.
Times for the sessions as follows (all MDT):
-Sat., April 4: 10:00am-12:00pm, 2:00-4:00pm, 6:00-8:00pm (6-8pm session is for the men--to see the women's broadcast from last Sat. night, go to LDS.org and search "General Women's Meeting 2015"--you should be able to watch it there).
-Sun., April 5: 10:00am-12:00pm, 2:00-4:00pm


If you miss any sessions, you can watch them later online at LDS.org (search "General Conference April 2015").
Last but not least, here's a link for complete broadcasting info for the US: http://www.bonneville.info/broadcast.cfm


Enjoy General Conference! And if this is your first time tuning in, welcome!

Learning Experiences

As I prepare to embark on a journey, I was drawn to the topic of learning.
We can learn all sorts of things, in all subject matter, in all sorts of ways.
We are encouraged to study all that we can. In the Doctrine and Covenants, it says to "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" (D&C 88:118, emphasis added). I believe that the reason that we are encouraged to seek wisdom and learning is because we can learn things pertaining to us both spiritually and temporally.
Jesus Christ said in the New Testament, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me" (Matt. 11:29). Learning more about Christ and how to emulate Him is what's most important.
Here's something I find pretty cool: the Old Testament prophet Daniel was gifted with the ability to learn. "As for these four children [meaning Daniel and his friends], God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom" (Dan. 1:17). Some of us, too, have been gifted with the ability to learn. And if we feel that learning may not be something we are good at, we can pray for the gift of learning, that we can learn more and learn more effectively.

I don't know about you, but I personally enjoy learning, and every time I take a trip, I like to learn along the way.
And that is exactly what kind of journey this will be.
We will be going to Germany and Austria. Just a few of the things that I know I will learn about on this trip:

• At Dachau: Dachau was one of the first concentration camps built in the 1930s and became an example for future concentration camps. It was one of the worst camps at which to be imprisoned. There, I can learn in person about the horrors of Dachau and about life in concentration camps in general, about World War II and the Nazi regime, and gain a better appreciation for the world in which I now live.
  

• At Neuschwanstein: I can learn about the history and explore the architecture of this beautiful castle after which the Disneyland castle was modeled.

Neuschwanstein Castle (credit: Amazon.com)

Disneyland Castle (credit: TheEnchantedManor.com)

• In Salzburg: I will be able to experience firsthand the musical culture of Salzburg (yay!). Salzburg sound familiar? It's also the home of the famous Von Trapp family and filming city of many scenes from Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound of Music, including the Mirabelle gardens where many of the scenes from the song "Do-Re-Mi" were filmed. (Yes, we will be taking the special tour. Four hours of living the dream!)

Credit: AmericanSongWriter.com

Credit: TheWorldIsABook.com

Credit: FlipTravels.com

Auf Weidersehen!

It Is Well

"When peace like a river attendeth my way

When sorrows like sea billows roll

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say

It is well, it is well with my soul.

 

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought

My sin, not in part but the whole

Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh my soul.

 

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll.

The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend.

Even so, it is well with my soul.

 

It is well with my soul,

It is well, it is well with my soul."

This hymn, written by businessman Horatio G. Spafford and composed by hymnist and evangelist Phillip P. Bliss, was written in dark times. Spafford had just lost his daughters to a shipwreck while he was at home for work. Before this, he had lost money and property to the Chicago Fire of 1871. Spafford wrote these words while en route to England to join his wife, passing by the place where the Ville du Havre had sunk and his daughters had drowned. While in England, Spafford and his wife met up with their evangelist-friend, Phillip P. Bliss, and his wife, and Bliss came up with a tune to accompany the word that Spafford had written. Dark clouds hadn't cleared, however, for just a few short years after penning the words and music of "It Is Well with My Soul," the Blisses tragically lost their lives in a train wreck, and a few years following that, after beginning another family of their own, the Spaffords lost a young son to scarlet fever.
(For more on the story behind the hymn, click here.)

I was around eight or nine when I first heard the story behind this beautiful hymn, and it surprised me. At that young age, I couldn't imagine going through such devastating loss and yet being able to maintain such a positive attitude.
I am still young, and I have not--thankfully--had to endure any of the losses that Spafford did. However, I--as all of us have--have had to endure difficult times. I have experienced the stormy days as well as sunny days. No life is lived free of trials, but what would life be without the contrast that trials and joys bring to our lives?
"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so...righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. ...And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And there be no righteousness nor happiness there can be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. ...[but] there is a God, and he hath created all things...both things to act and to be acted upon. Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, an could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other.
And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end. And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin.
"But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy" (2 Nephi 2:11, 13-14, 16, 22-25).* **
We were created to experience joy, but without misery, we wouldn't recognize nor appreciate that joy. Trials definitely aren't fun, but what wonderful opportunities to learn and grow. That's my challenge to you as well as to myself: next time you experience a hiccup in your path, ask the Lord what you can learn from it. And then take notes! :) ***



*For a definition of the Fall of Adam, click here.
**To read the rest of the chapter (Nephi 2), click here.
***Okay, I don't mean literally pull out paper and a pencil. Just pay attention to what you learn.

Grace (Part 2)

Last week I began a 2-part post on the topic of grace (to see Part 1, click here), talking about how grace can be divine help and how being "saved by grace" (Galatians 2:8) isn't based on passive belief, but active faith. This week I would like to touch on how grace is also divine strength.
Here again is the definition of faith as described in True to the Faith: "The word grace, as used in the scriptures, refers primarily to the divine help and strength we receive through the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Peter taught that we should 'grow in grace, and in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ' (1 Peter 3:18)" (p. 77, emphasis in original).
Now let's discuss divine strength.
When I think of divine strength, I don't necessarily think of physical strength (though Samson in the Old Testament sure had a good amount of physical strength beyond human capability, thanks to the Lord's grace--see Judges 13-16), but of emotional, mental, and spiritual strength. I think of a strong testimony, able to withstand anything that tries to tear it down. I think of full-time missionaries who sacrifice 18-24 months, leaving their families, their home, and oftentimes putting their education on hold, to serve the Lord through serving fellowmen. I think of those who did not grow up with religion and choose to follow the Savior, sometimes leaving the "norm" of the family circle. I think of those who serve in all capacities, even in their weaknesses.
We all have weaknesses. We can't handle them on their own; we need divine help, we need divine strength from God to make up for our weakness.
And why do we have weaknesses? I think of a couple of people who share with us this answer:

• Paul (in the New Testament): "...there was given to me a thorn in the flesh...lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasures in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when  I am weak, then am I strong" (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).
• Moroni (in the Book of Mormon): "...the Lord spake unto me, saying: Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness; and if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. And I, Moroni, having heard these words, was comforted, and said: O Lord, thy righteous will be done, for I know that thou workest unto the children of men according to their faith" (Ether 12:26-27, 29).

So, what can we learn from this? Why do we have weaknesses (besides the fact that we were born into an imperfect world)?

• So that we can humble ourselves. Weaknesses are a wonderful way to learn to exercise humility. If we didn't have any weaknesses, then we would have more of a tendency to think too highly of ourselves and become hot-headed.
• So that we can exercise our faith. What a great opportunity! Exercising faith strengthens testimony, which means that we become more steadfast in the gospel, and that is a wonderful thing.

There's a lot of things we can learn from this about exercising humility and faith. How can we exercise humility and faith? Let me know in the comments!

Grace (Part 1)

Grace seems to be a word thrown around often without really knowing what it means. All sorts of people define grace differently, especially as how it relates to salvation or works. Or how it doesn't relate to either topic.
As a Latter-day Saint, I'd like to add my own understanding of what grace is and how it applies to us.
There's a wonderful definition of grace in True to the Faith, a small glossary-like publication by the LDS Church. It states: "The word grace, as used in the scriptures, refers primarily to the divine help and strength we receive through the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Peter taught that we should 'grow in grace, and in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ' (1 Peter 3:18)" (p. 77, emphasis in original). Notice that grace is defined as divine help and strength. I will be focusing on those aspects.
First, divine help.
Several months ago I was riding in the car with a close friend, about to pull out of a parking lot, when the car wouldn't move. We could hear the engine, but the vehicle itself would not move forward nor backward. The engine wasn't catching properly, and we were stuck. Luckily, there were still people where we had just been, and we were at the edge of the parking lot, so I pulled out my cell phone and called one friend who was inside, briefly explaining the situation and asking for help getting the car into a safe place in the parking lot. That friend brought a couple other guys with him, and we sat as they pushed the car back in enough that I could get out of the car. Then I stood out of the way, as directed, while my friend steered the car, thus making it easier to move the car into the nearest parking spot.
Divine help works similarly. We couldn't have gotten out and pushed the car into a parking spot without help; we needed help. Similarly, we cannot return to God on our own, no matter how much good we do. At the same time, we cannot just sit on the sidelines and expect God to make things better for us, nor can we expect God to grant us eternal life without taking action on our part. Some people believe that all we must do to receive eternal life is to believe in God, but that's not all, folks. Can someone say that they believe a chair will support their weight, and then just stand back and stare at it? Or would true belief that the chair will support them be manifest through them actually sitting in the chair?
Yes, I am aware of what the Bible says: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). And that is right: it is by grace that we are saved through faith, but faith isn't passive; it's active. As written later in the New Testament:
"Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. ... Was not Abraham...justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believe God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only" (James 2:18, 21-24, emphasis added).
If we have true faith in God, it should show in what we do, say, and take part in. Let us all strive to be examples of our faith--in every aspect of our lives.


*Next week I will focus on the second part: divine strength.

Face Fear

Ok...not really...but I thought it was amusing.

About three and a half years ago, on my 17th birthday, I decided I was going to face my fear of heights and do something that scared me. I was at a camp, and there was this giant swing. Basically, you get hoisted up 30 feet in the air, and then you go free-falling/swinging down 20 feet, until you're about 10 feet in the air, at which you are brought down. The worst part: you have to pull the chord that starts your free fall.
The giant swing was closed on my birthday, but we were informed that it would be open the next day, so that's what I did the next afternoon: I did the giant swing. It was so incredible, and it felt so good, that I wound up doing it twice in a row. Even though it freaked me out, if I had the opportunity to do it again, I would do it.

Facing and overcoming fears--it's so important. So with a new year, I challenge YOU to join me in one of my New Years resolutions, and that's to face a fear of yours. What do you fear? What will you do to face it, to overcome it? And when I say overcome a fear, I don't mean that you no longer have any fear, but that you face it and do something about it and not let it control you. Like if you're me and you fear heights, maybe you'll try climbing a rock wall. If your fear is water, perhaps you'll get yourself to swim, or to go to a waterpark like Wild Waves and not just sit on the sidelines, but actually partake in the amenities. If you're terrified of rollercoasters, ride one the next time you're at a theme park. Just face a fear this year, and trust me, it'll feel good.