Before You Know It...

Helaman 3 reminds me of a situation I've seen many times with myself and friends. If we are not careful, we will end up far from where we want to be on the gospel path... before we know it.

In the beginning of Helaman chapter 3, it is mentioned that during the 43rd year of the reign of the judges there was NO CONTENTION among all of the people of Nephi, save it were a LITTLE pride which was in the church. This pride did cause some dissensions among the people, but was settled by the end of that same year.

Fast forward a few years and many Nephites started migrating north. They figured out how to work cement, built houses, and became prosperous in that part of the land. These people even kept many records of their proceedings in this land. That is, until they began to fall into transgression "...becoming wicked, and wild, and ferocious..." (Helaman 3:16). What caused this big change from being righteous to wickedness in such a short amount of time?

I truly think that the key word is found in verse 1 of Helaman 3: PRIDE. Initially, the problems began when pride entered into their hearts. (To read an excellent discourse on PRIDE, see this talk written by President Ezra Taft Benson.) Sure, they may have "settled" the issue at one point. But they didn't keep their pride in check. They allowed themselves to fall.

We must be aware of the temptations of Satan. As Mosiah said, "...if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not" (Mosiah 4:30).

These once righteous men and women (some of them a part of the people of Ammon and maybe even a part of Helaman's army) did not take heed to this counsel. They allowed themselves to make mistakes and to stay away from God's Spirit because they did not keep themselves in check. May we beware of pride. May we remmeber to keep our thoughts, actions, and deeds clean. May we perservere until the end of our days by trying to overcome pride and those temptations that befall us. That is my hope for myself and my loved ones.

Secrecy, Deception & Lies

People are hurt by lies, deception, and secrecy. Whether it is in a family or as an individual, secrecy and deception eat away at our very core. When we are not open with other people about those things we should be, it hurts. Sometimes the hurt is only within, but sometimes the hurt is felt more keenly by others.

Recently, I've been dealing with a situation where secrecy was involved. The person kept a secret thinking that it would spare me from unnecessary hurt. But, because the secret was kept for so long, it hurt me worse than if I had known from the get-go. Time and again I've seen over the years that it is better to be open and deal with the consequences, then to wait. When you do, the situation seems to amplify to a much higher level.



This morning, I was reminded of this pain I'm dealing with as I was reading in Helaman chapter 1. Chapter 1 begins with the death of Pahoran, the current chief judge of the land. Because of jealousy, power-seeking, and greed, three of his sons seek after the office of chief judge. Rather than being unified, they cause a rift among the people. The people became angry and one of the brothers was sentenced to death for rebellion against the government. Eventually, the brother elected was murdered by Kishkumen and his followers, who took a secret oath to never tell the secrets. This secret hurt those followers as it did the society they eventually plundered. This deception caused such a problem and temptation and led to even more deception and temptation.

As Sir Walter Scott so aptly wrote, "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive."

I know that sometimes we get caught in a situation where we have been keeping a secret from someone. If you are in that situation, don't make it worse for yourself. Do your best to be honest and get out of that situation. I know that a burden will be lifted from your shoulders. You'll feel better and the people around you will also be bettered from your honesty. I know it's not always easy to get out of the "tangled web" we create for ourselves. But, I do know that life will be better once you do work to get out of that situation!

"If ye are not one ye are not mine"

Doctrine and Covenants 38:27
"I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine."

After several years of prosperity among the Nephites, the Lamanites come against them again to take away their lands. And this time, the Lamanites start to succeed. You want to know WHY they succeeded? Because the Nephites were not unified.

Shortly before the Lamanites invaded, a group of Nephites (who came to be known as the king-men) decided that they did not agree with the leader of the land on a law and wanted to establish king instead to rule over the land. Having a king had serious consequences throughout the land, most of which had to do with removing the freedoms the people had.


As the Lamanites began marching into the land for war, the king-men said they would teach the Nephites all a lesson and not fight against the Lamanites. At that point, the Captain of the Nephite army, Moroni, had a choice to make. March to fight off the Lamanites or take care of the problems of dissenters within his own land. He opted for the latter. His army defeated and "humbled" those dissenters that did not lose their lives in the process.

Because Moroni was forced to take so much time, resources, and energy to fight this battle with the king-men, the Lamanites had time to take over several of the fortified Nephite cities. If the king-men would have been unified with the rest of the army, this may not have happened.


What can we learn from this in our lives? Well, I'm reminded of a recent conference talk by President Eyring in which we spoke about having our hearts knit as one. (You can read the full talk HERE.)

Although we all live in different circumstances and have different opinions and beliefs, it is very important that we remain unified and forgiving. Satan wants us to be angry. He wants us to hate others for their beliefs and perspectives that differ from our own. God wants us to seek for understanding in others, not hate. He wants us to serve and help others, even (and maybe ESPECIALLY) those whose beliefs differ from our own. As we are seeking to understand each other and find common ground, we WILL become more unified. Our lives will improve as will the lives of those around us.

Weaknesses and Strengths

War. War. War. The Lamanites seem intent upon it in order to conquer land they feel is rightfully theirs. Isn't it interesting what perspective and knowledge can give you as you read about the wars between the Nephites and Lamanites?

One central theme that seems to be reoccuring throughout the war chapters is that of preparation. When the Nephites were prepared for battle - both spiritually and temporally - they were able to win the battle. When they were not, they lost. One such example of this is in Alma chapter 48.


Nephite dissenters had gone over to join the Lamanite army. This meant that those dissenters knew about the Nephite army. They knew their strongholds in the land and their weaknesses as well. The Lamanites planned an attack based on this knowledge: "While Amalickiah had thus been obtaining power by fraud and deceit, Moroni on the other hand, had been preparing the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord their God." Moroni strengthened his army spiritually BEFORE he strengthened them physically. Additionally, he was aware of their places of weakness and he strengthened and fortified those places.

There is much that we can learn from this. Ether 12:27 says, "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness... for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

Moroni was aware of his weaknesses. In humility, he desired to improve his weakness in order to save his people. For he was "a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people" (Alma 48:12). Moroni worked hard to serve and he always gave thanks unto God for the blessings he had been given, even in hard times.

We all have weaknesses. Satan is as much aware of our weaknesses as we are. In fact, he is probably MORE aware of them. He seeks on every hand to battle against us and attack our weak parts, knowing how to take us down. If we do not fortify ourselves and prepare ourselves accordingly, then we will not win the battle against him. We need to be aware of our weaknesses and ask Heavenly Father in faith to help us to improve them. Heavenly Father WILL guide us if he humbly ask him and if we truly desire to improve ourselves, always giving thanks for what we have been given.

Hopefully if we do so, we can be described like Moroni in Alma chapter 48 verse 17, which says,

"Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yeah, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men."

Decisions & Consequences

For the second time this week (the first being last Sunday), I've been confronted with the consequences of some decisions I made earlier this year. When I made the decisions, I knew there would be consequences. I felt bad for the decisions I made and wished I hadn't made them. Several times since then have I been reminded of said decisions and my regrets for having made them. However, it wasn't until this week that the full weight of my decisions hit me smack in the face. And I mean one of those stinging smacks that leaves a red mark and lingers. A smack so hard it hurt and immediately caused tears to well up in my eyes.

It happened so suddenly. I didn't expect in the middle of a conversation with a perfect stranger to be reminded of my negative choices and the fact that these choices are still hindering me now. I was reminded that although we may make a choice, we may NOT choose the consequence. There was a consequence assigned to that choice long before the choice was made. As Newton said, "To every action there is an opposite and equal reaction." Although Newton was talking about the Laws of Motion when he said that, I believe that also applies to our choices. There are consequences for our actions. Some call it karma. Others call it God's laws. No matter what you call it, we all must succumb to the consequences of the choices we make.

I apologize for being so cryptic. I'm purposely being ambiguous because I really don't want to delve into my decisions. I do, however, want to remind you to make sure you think about your decisions before you make them. I know that because of this experience, I will definitely be more careful and deliberate in the choices I make in my life.

If Ye Prepare, Ye Shall Not Fear

As we look at the world around us, we can see that troubled times are happening both in and out of our country. For me, contemplating on these troubled times can cause me much anxiety! I know that many of the current events have been foretold in scripture and by revelation from latter-day prophets. The unknown in any of its forms can be unsettling. However, we can take comfort that if we're doing our best to prepare ourselves, we truly should have nothing to fear for the Lord will guide us and direct us.


I was led tonight to contemplate this as I read about the Nephite vs. Lamanite wars that started in Alma chapter 43. The Nephites were faithful in many ways. They knew who their prophet was and trusted in him and the revelations he received from the Lord. In addition to being faithful, they also TOOK ACTION. They did all they could to ensure that they could protect their families, homes, and religion. These Nephites did not just sit at home praying that everything would turn out okay. Nor did they allow the fear in their hearts to take over and keep them from improving themselves.

I'm sure it was NOT easy for them to know that they were severely outnumbered by Nephite-dissenters and Lamanites alike. It must have been incredibly unsettling to be in their situation! I can't even imagine knowing that people who were once your brothers now had an extreme loathing and hatred for you so much so that they wanted nothing more (and nothing less) than to kill you and your families and take your land and substance.

Rather than giving up in such discouraging circumstances, they prayed and went to work.


In a conference talk given by President Thomas S. Monson in April of 1989, he shared a story that gives us insight into this topic:

A mammoth 747 jetliner, while flying over the Pacific, sustained a gigantic tear in its side, ejecting nine passengers to their deaths and threatening the lives of all. When the pilot, Captain David Cronin, was interviewed, having brought the craft back safely to Honolulu, he was asked, “What did you do when the plane ripped open? How did you cope?”

Captain Cronin replied, “I prayed, then went to work.”

My brethren, this is an inspired plan for each of us to follow: Pray, and then go to work.

That is exactly what the Nephites did. They prayed and went to work. They prepared themselves as much as they could with breastplates and shields, armor and weapons of diffent kinds. And you know what? Their preparation frightened the enemy and helped them to win the battle. (Of course it also helped that they turned to their prophet, Alma, for guidance who was able to give them revelation from the Lord of how to win the war. Granted, if they hadn't been spiritually prepared, Alma wouldn't have been able to receive that revelation for the people.)

All of this reminds me of the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 38:30, which says "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear." (President Hinckley addressed the men in a priesthood conference talk so titled which you can find here.) I know that if we are doing our best to uphold God's laws and to keep His commandments, we will be both guided and blessed. Yes, we do live in troubled times as the Nephites did. Let us remain faithful in word and deed. Let us do our best to keep ourselves spiritually and temporally prepared for whatever the future holds.

Parenting & Father's Blessing

As I'm reading through the chapters in Alma where Alma (the younger who is now old) is talking to each of his sons individually, I have realized something for maybe the first time. Alma may be giving father's blessings to his sons before they go on their missions.

After 20-something times of reading the Book of Mormon, it all of a sudden seemed clear to me that he may be blessing his sons before they part ways again. I don't know if I'm right/wrong or just plain making it up. What do you think?

If he IS giving his children father's blessings, he is a wonderful example to us of how to parent adult children. He is trying to be a support to his children through giving a father's blessing. He also wants to provide guidance and remind his children of the principles they've been taught since they were young. He provides examples of his personal experiences to help encourage his sons on the path of righteousness.

Sure, he is a little harsher and more long-winded with Corianton because of Corianton's life choices. You have to admire the fact that he is trying to understand Corianton, "And now, my son, I perceive there is somewhat more which doth worry your mind, which ye cannot understand..." (Alma 42:1). He is seeking to help a wayward son. It is evident that Alma is taking much more time with the wayward son who does not understand than he did with the other children. He loves all of his sons, but he sees the need to help this one who has fallen off the path. Maybe Alma understands Corianton so well because of Alma's own sinful history.

This suggests something to me: There are many ways to relate to our children. Not all children can or should be raised the same way. We should take time to follow the spirit to guide us how to raise each and every child.

No Time to Waste

Life is short. And there is much to do during our mortal sojourn in order to better ourselves so we can feel prepared to see our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, again. I was just reading this morning in Teaching of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith manual, the one that we’re studying this year in Relief Society and Priesthood. Chapter 21’s teaching focus on the second coming of the Lord and millennial reign of the Lord. After first when I was reading through it, I started feeling anxiety. Terrible things are going to happen to the earth and its inhabitants before the Lord comes again. That frightens me! It even mentions how even the righteous won’t be exempt from this. We are subject to the flesh just as any man, meaning we can get all manner or diseases or have any manner of afflictions happen to us. It’s scary!

However, as I continued reading, I felt a little more peace, but it still is scary to think about all that is going to happen to usher in the second coming of the Lord. We need to use our time wisely NOW for we don’t know when we will be called to action. Life is short. It could be over tomorrow or in 3,000 tomorrows. We don’t know when. But one thing is sure, it will be over at some point. And we don’t want to look back feeling as if we could have done more or should have done more to better ourselves and those around us. We don’t want to feel as if we weren’t prepared.

As I continued reading through the Joseph Smith manual, I prayed for peace about the frightening aspects of the second coming. Shortly afterwards, chapter 21 discussed wearing the Armor of God. I gained a lot of peace reading that section, because I know that I can and SHOULD be doing all I can now to be righteous and prepare for the future. That includes knowing what the signs of the times are. If I am not prepared, I won’t know what is coming. If I am prepared, I will have all tools necessary to do my best as a Latter-Day Saint of God to deal with what is thrown at me. I want to be able to stand without shame in front of Christ, knowing that I did all I could do to better myself and His kingdom. I need to be living that way now, starting this minute. There is no time to waste.

A Gospel of Positive Change

Life is about change, both positive and negative. However, it is how we deal with the changes that come our way that defines us as a human being. Some changes are in our control and some changes are not. In times when he cannot control something that happens to us, is when our actions are the most telling of our character. After surviving years in a concentration camp, Viktor E. Frankl said in his book Man's Search for Meaning, "When we cannot change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves."

I often refer to this quote and remind myself that the ONLY thing I have control over is myself. I am the only person I can change. I cannot change ANYONE else, no matter how hard I try. That is the power of the gospel plan: We are all given agency and cannot take agency away from those around us. They must choose and act for themselves as we choose and act for ourselves. We can and should, however, be a good example to those around us. The way we act can help influence others to change.



Alma chapters 24-25 is a prime example of this. It was not easy for these Lamanites to CHANGE their ways and accept the gospel. But once they did, they were converted. They knew that they'd do anything to keep themselves from committing those same sins again. In fact, they were so adamant about this, they buried their weapons so that they would never commit their sin (murder) again. They removed the temptation from their lives and buried it, signifying to themselves and to Heavenly Father of their positive change of heart. What would you and I bury to show Heavenly Father we want to turn our hearts to Him and away from our sinful natures? Here these people were, murderers and the vilest of sinners, but Heavenly Father forgave them and allowed them to repent. We would do good to learn from their examples.

Shortly after their conversion, their brethren, the Lamanites, came to fight against them. These converted Lamanites (now called Ant-Nephi-Lehis) did not take up arms to fight back, for they would rather DIE than to commit sin. (I wish I could do be at that point!) Because of their example of peace, of true repentance, and conversion, many of those fighting against them also decided to put down their weapons and be converted to the gospel.

This is why I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father loves every single one of us so much. He wants us to return to Him. He has prepared a way for us to turn to Him through His son, Jesus Christ. We can choose to progress and change ourselves for the better. No matter what we've done, we CAN change, we can progress. And, through the process of our own repentance and conversion, we can be examples to those around of us strength.

I'm eternally grateful for this gospel of positive change. Thank goodness I have the power to take control of my life to improve. I know that only I can make the changes needed to progress towards my eternal goals.

A Change of Heart = True Conversion

Whether you have been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints your entire life, or whether you just became a member yesterday, each of us must go through a process of conversion in order to obtain a testimony.

While reading in Alma chapter 23 today about the conversion of the Lamanites by Alma and the sons of Mosiah, a verse stuck out to me that I'd like to share. Verse 5 says, "as many as the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away." The statement that the NEVER did fall away is a bold one. Many people in and out of our church have been converted to Christ. How many of those people have now fallen away from various Christian religions? How is it that some people can fall away from the teachings of Christ so easily while others persevere?

After considering this topic this morning, I know that there are a plethora of reasons why people fall away: family, disinterest in organized religion, the actions and choices of church members and leaders, disagreement on doctrine, to name a few. The list is seemingly endless. It's easy to give up one something rather than to try and understand it and to work through our faith. I think that we can all learn something from the Lamanites turned Christian. They had a true conversion, which I'm sure included prayer, searching, and seeking the confirmation of the Spirit to know that the teachings were true. I KNOW that their conversion included faith and withstanding trials. Do you think it was easy for them to make a choice to be put to death rather than to sin again? I don't think it was easy at all. But, they would rather DIE than to make their same mistakes again.

I want to learn from their example. I want to make sure that when I ask Heavenly Father for forgiveness that I also ask to have a true change of heart and courage to remain faithful even during times when it may not be easy so to do.

Seeking for Understanding Breaks Down Walls

Alma, the younger did not live a perfect life. In fact, he was one of the vilest of sinners before he found God. In his younger years, he and his friends purposefully tried to lead people away from the Church of Christ. It took an angel to wake him up to God's reality and to how Alma had been wasting away his life.

This tells me a few things about God and a few things about Alma. First of all, it shows to me the power of God's love. Heavenly Father loves us so much. Even when we are making foul choices, He still wants to help us. He still cares for us and wants to provide us with His spirit. He knows it's not too late for us to change and improve ourselves. It's lake Elder Uchtdorf's talk "The Point of Safe Return." There is no point of no return. God anxiously awaits the day He can have us in His arms. He longs to comfort us and to be there for us, but we must open the door and turn to Him. We can repent, we can change, we can improve. We have to make the choice so to do. Alma is proof of these statements.

I truly feel that Alma is a better missionary and friend because of his harried past. He is a good missionary because he has experienced sin. He understands what it takes to repent and change, and because of that, he is not judgmental. Because of his experience, he didn't judge Zeezrom. Instead, he saw Zeerom's potential of gospel growth and taught him the gospel. Zeezrom then became a missionary himself. We can all learn a lesson from this story.

Now, I am by no means encouraging sinning in order to understand those around us. We will sin whether or not we try. I am, however, encouraging all of us to be better at understanding those around us. It feels good to be understood and loved. It feels good to know that you are not being judged by those around you. As we strive to truly understand our family, friends, spouses, neighbors, coworkers, we will know better how to serve and love them. Our lives will be happier and less contentious as will the lives of those around us. Seeking for TRUE understanding can break down walls and build bridges.

Trusting in Church Leaders

As I was reading in Alma 14 a few days ago, I had a thought come to me that I'd like to share. Sometimes it can be difficult to trust in church leadership. You may not agree with a bishop on the way things are run or don't think he is qualified enough. There are many reasons why it can be hard to trust in God's choice for the callings chosen in a ward, stake, or even in general callings. But, Heavenly Father puts people into those callings for a reason. It may be for those people to grow, and it may be for those around them to grow (or hopefully both!). When we raise our hand in church on Sunday to sustain someone, we are agreeing that we will support this person and trust in his/her leadership role in our ward.



Now on to Alma and my thought: Alma and Amulek had been preaching in Ammonihah like they had been inspired to do. It didn't seem like they were making a dent in the people there. After much effort and preaching, they were thrown into prison by many unbelievers. Additionally, those who actually had believed on Alma and Amulek's words, were being martyred for their faith. Alma and Amulek were forced to watch those they had taught be burned at the stake. They were taunted and goaded about their beliefs. As they stood there witnessing this horrorific death of men, women, and children, Amulek asked Alma if they could stretch forth their hands and exercise the power of God to save the people from the flames. But, Alma replied that the spirit kept him from doing that and he went on to explain why. Don't you think it was hard for Amulek to continue standing by his church leader as he watched those people calling out gut-wrenching, agonizing screams? I do. I think it definitely would have been hard to continue listening to Alma, even if he said he was doing it because of the spirit. But, Amulek listened nonetheless and he did so in faith knowing that Alma was a leader of Christ's church.



If Amulek could listen in such a troubling situation, don't you think that you and I can learn from his example? Sometimes we may not always understand why church leaders do certain things, but the beautiful thing is that we ALL have access to personal revelation. We can ask Heavenly Father to allow us His peace of mind, if it be His will. We can ask Heavenly Father to know that these leaders have been called of Him and take comfort knowing they are guided by our Father in Heaven.

(Of course, there may be exceptions to this, but in general, we should trust and sustain our church leaders in their callings.)

Listening to Spiritual Impressions

The Lord speaks to those who are prepared to hear Him. He does it through His Holy Spirit. Generally, His voice is quiet and peaceful, and if we don't turn down the noise of everyday life, we might miss out on beautiful guidance and blessings in our lives.

How many times have you or I missed inspiration from the Spirit? How many times have we heard and not obeyed? I have an example of just such an experience.



A few year ago, one of my close friends (and boyfriend at the time) had been praying and fasting about a particular topic. He was seeking an answer that he wasn't willing to listen to. After fasting on one Sunday in July, he felt received a VERY distinct answer to his searching. However, rather than heed the answer he KNEW he had received, instead he disobeyed and went down a path of his own choosing. The Spirit was trying to lead him out of temptations' way. Because he didn't listen, he ended up in some very bad situations which took him some time to recover from spirtually and otherwise. Additionally, he told me during this time that he knew the Spirit was not speaking to him, not only because he rejected a clear answer he got, but also because of choices he made due to the rejected answer. His choice affected not only his life, but my life and others' lives as well.



Thank goodness there are also many positive situations in which the reverse is true. Reading in Alma this morning, just such a situation was brought to my attention. In Alma chapter 8 Alma, the younger, goes to Ammonihah to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people. He is rejected and leaves the city. On his way out, an angel of the Lord came to him (the same one who had come to him when he was leading people away from the church)to tell him to go back to Ammonihah and to preach there. Now, this was a much more OBVIOUS way of Jesus Christ to speak with him. We most likely won't have an angel come to us and tell us what we are to do. But, Alma listened, even though he didn't know what the outcome would be. He listened to what he was told and, more importantly, did it. He took action. Because of his faith and action, Heavenly Father blessed Alma with everything he would need in order to convert many people to the gospel of Jesus Christ. He affected many lives positively and converted and baptized many people as well.

Are we listening? Are we willing to be an instrument in the Lord's hand, no matter the cost? The many things we are called to do may not be easy, but, through faith, Heavenly Father will always provide a way for us to accomplish His commandments. Our Father in Heaven loves and is aware of you and of me. I know that as we act in faith to follow His Spirit, we will be guided and blessed beyond anything we can imagine. I have seen this power many times in my life. I'm grateful for it.

Kingly Selflessness

King Mosiah was a righteous king. He worked the land with his own hands to provide sustenance for himself and for his family. Through his position as king, he did not seek power or gain. He was not puffed up in pride. He had a firm testimony of Jesus Christ and his faithful prayers (coupled with Alma's) enabled an angel to appear to his sons. He was a good man.

As King Mosiah neared the end of his life, he realized it was time to prepare and choose a new king. Because of his sons' conversion to the gospel, they all would rather serve missions than to be king. King Mosiah is left with a dilemma. I am awed with how he handles this dilemma.

Mosiah recognizes the potential problems in this situation: If he chooses someone outside of his family, his sons could potentially come back someday to steal the kingdom from the other king, trying to rightly claim the throne. Additionally, he sees that maybe having a king isn't such a good idea after all. One person ruling the entire nation means that the nation could fall prey to a wicked king, like they did in the past. Mosiah decides to stop potential sin before it even starts. He decides to implement a system of judges after having the people vote on it. He truly was a wise, selfless king who thought only for the good of the people and not for himself. He was going to die anyway and wouldn't see what would happen during the reign of the next king, but he loved his people enough to set up a system that would hopefully work for, not against, them.

I see the need to learn from Mosiah's wise counsel. Mosiah stopped sin before it even started. He learned from his own and others' past mistakes and chose a different path. He recognized a potential problem and sought to keep a way from it ever happening.

I know that there have been times in my life where I knew a problem was likely to arise if I put myself in a situation. Yet, I went into that situation anyway. And the problems did arise. And I had to deal with them! How much better would our lives be if we listen to the spirit, if we kept ourselves out of potentially sinful situations. It is better to avoid temptation and sin altogether than to put ourselves in a situation where we know we might sin.

Writing Blesses Others

As I was reading in Mosiah last night about how Alma and his followers make it back to Zarahemla. Mosiah shared with the people the records that Alma had kept from the time he left Zarahemla until the time he returned (this record included many hardships, including being in bondage to the Lamanites and then miraculously escaping from the Lamanites). As Mosiah read these records to the people, this was their response:

"And now, when Mosiah had made an end of reading the records, his peole were struck with wonder and amazement. For they knew not what to think... when they thought of the immediate goodness of God, and his power in delivering Alma and his brethren out of the hands of the Lamanites and of bondage, they did raise their voices and give thanks to God." Mosiah 25: 7-10

Keeping those records and sharing them at an appropriate time increased everyone's faith and testimony. It is important to remember that those records weren't perfect and Alma did not only share positive experiences, but especially negative ones. Those hardships provided faith-building experiences that Alma couldn't have received otherwise.

What does this tell us about our own lives and experiences? We have been asked many times to keep journals in one form or another. Journaling doesn't necessarily mean for us to detail our entire day or to share only positive experiences. It means that we share faith-building experiences that may lift up ourselves as well as others.



Elder Eyring shared a talk about finding ways to remember God's kindness in our lives in the October 2007 general conference. He said that he writes in a journal everyday. A few years ago, he gave copies of that book to his children. It has helped them to come closer to the Lord and to know of Elder Eyrings testimony. May we also be able to do this for ourselves and our posterity. I know that as we recognize the Lord's hand in our lives, we will be more grateful and will be more positive. Others will see and benefit from this positive action in our lives.

Enjoying General Conference

As I was listening to the General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints today, I was overwhelmed with the love I feel towards the God who has provided us with His wonderful church. I know that this church is true. I know that those prophets, apostles, and general authority that bore testimony today did so out of love and gratitude for the same gift I have. They are God's leaders He has chosen for His church during this time.

I've waited for weeks to hear their words. I'm so glad for the uplifting messages I've been able to hear. I'm grateful for the answers to prayers that God has provided for me. I know that I will live a better, happier life if I abide by the principles set out in today's conference session. If you didn't get to hear conference today, you can do so here.

I enjoyed all of the talks today. Here are a few that stood out to me. First, President Monson. I know that he is a prophet. I loved the fact that he introduced conference today by speaking first in the morning session. He loves us, he wants the best for us, he is praying for us. He is God's prophet on the earth today. I'm so thankful for that knowledge.



Secondly, I appreciated the openness and candor of the real-life experiences from Elder Joseph Wirthlin's life shared during his talk. I truly want to abide by the principles of when the going gets tough, just laugh! I've been thinking about that concept lately and it was something I really needed to hear.



The next talk that comes to mind is Lawrence Coburn (can't quite remember the last name) whose knowledge and use of the scriptures in his talk astounded me. He obviously studies the scriptures and used them to support his testimony througout his entire talk. I loved his fervor and ZEAL for the gospel and for the redeeming power of our Savior, Jesus Christ. His passion for Jesus Christ was evident in every word he spoke. I only hope that I can live my life closer to Jesus Christ as a result of his talk.

And last, but certainly not least, I loved Elder Bednar's talk.



Elder Bednar has meant so much to me over the past eight and a half years. He is the reason I went to BYU-Idaho (long story that involves meeting him and me telling him I was going to BYU not RICKS COLLEGE). I have spoken and met with him in various capacities over the years through leadership at BYU-Idaho, because of my exceptional academic standing, as well as during MANY FHE meetings throughout my time there. I love his testimony. I love when he speaks. I have learned so much from him during devotional talks and meetings over the years. Before he was called to be an apostle, I had a spiritual prompting that he was going to be called and I was fortunate enough to actually be 20 feet away in the conference center when he was announced as an apostle. I feel very fortunate to have had these experiences and this witness that he is an apostle chosen by God to serve us during this time.

His talk today about prayer was presented in a unique way. God prepared the world spiritually before he created it physically. Elder Bednar likened this idea to us, saying that we, too, need to prepare ourselves spiritually before we can go out and create our day. I loved that principle. It shows us that even God prepared and took time to research and think every aspect out! (Boy, am I grateful! If he didn't work out the kinks spiritually before he created us physicaly, some of us could have 3 eyes and 4 noses.) It is important for us to remember this principle and that even God did his homework. How much more must we take time to prepare spiritually for what lies ahead of us!

Additionally, Elder Bednar talked about connecting our prayers from morning to night. Make them meaningful and show our gratitude. These are basic principles, but presented in a new light brought this epiphany to my soul. I know that when I am close to my Heavenly Father through prayer and love, I am happier and kinder towards those around me. I'm so grateful for this knowledge and opportunity I have to improve myself and my life!

Misunderstandings Create Conflict

Many of us have been a part of a misunderstanding. Whether you're the person being misunderstood, or you're misunderstanding someone else, it can be frustrating! The key to quickly resolving misunderstandings in order to abstain from further conflict is to effectively communicate. That ambiguous word: communicate. Discuss the problem in a kind way so that everyone feels valued. If misunderstandings are not cleared up, it can lead to major problems in a relationship or otherwise.

No one likes to be misunderstood, especially the potential wrath that may be associated with negative misinterpretations or misunderstandings. Just such an example occurs in Mosiah, chapter 20.

After the death (by fire) of his wicked father, King Noah, King Limhi takes control of the land. He is more wise than his father and more obedient to God's commandments. In order to preserve the lives and land of his people, he has entered into a contract with the Lamanites to give up 50% of their increase. That's a lot, but hey, it saved the people's lives after his father's big mistakes.

Things are going fine and dandy for King Limhi until he sees the Lamanites busting into his land to war. Not understanding why the Lamanites were breaking their contract, he immediately gathers his army and fights off the Lamanites. It isn't until the Lamanite king is brought to him that King Limhi begins understanding what went wrong. Thanks to Gideon, King Limhi is able to clarify what really happened to the Lamanite daughters and the war ends (for now).

You see, wicked King Noah had some wicked priests. These wicked, COWARDLY priests left their wives and children when the Lamanites had invaded and killed King Noah. These wicked priests left to save their own skins. Consequently, they felt pretty sheepish for so doing and didn't feel like they could come back to the people of Limhi. Enter dancing Lamanite daughters deep in the woods... the wicked priests catch sight of the daughters, capture 24 of them, and voila! A war starts among the Lamanites and the people of Limhi because the Lamanites ASSUME it was the people of Limhi that took the daughters.

The moral of the story is that the war wouldn't have started had the Lamanites actually peacefully come to the people of Limhi to find out what had happened. Because the king of the Lamanites acted out of anger, rather than trying to gain understanding, a war ensued and many people lost their lives (the king of the Lamanites ALMOST being one of them). It is better to try to understand a situation rather than making assumptions about it. Take time to ask before you assume. You might be able to stave off your own proverbial war.

Peer Pressure in The Book of Mormon

As I'm reading through The Book of Mormon, I find many instances of peer pressure. Whether it's with Laman and Lemuel and the children of Ishmael or if it's with King Noah and his priests, pressure to act as (or because) others do is ever present.

While I've recently been reading through the middle of Mosiah, I have come upon the chapters with Abinidi. Abinidi was a great prophet in The Book of Mormon. He was not afraid of the gospel of Christ. He stood firm in his faith to the end of his life. He acted on what the spirit told him to do. He lived a righteous life. Abinidi was a great example of the type of person we should strive to become. His life most definitely was NOT easy. Do you think it was easy to know that he most likely was going to be killed for trying to do what was right? I don't. It's not easy for us in our lives either. There are temptations on every side trying to get us to leave a Heavenly Father and Savior that we love. We must stand strong and firm in our beliefs, no matter how hard the temptations may be.



An aside here... This reminds me of The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. C.S. Lewis was a fantastic author and Christian. If you haven't read this book, I would suggest so doing. It truly opened my eyes to see how much Satan is trying to tempt us and in what small and simple ways.

I see many of these same principles in The Book of Mormon. After Abinidi told wicked King Noah and his priests that he could not touch him without being killed, they believed him and left hime alone. At this point, Abinidi expounded unto them the basic principles of the gospel. He let them know how they should and could change their lives from lives of selfishness and idolatry to lives of happiness and righteousness. For better or worse, King Noah and his priests listened to what Abinidi had to say.

Once Abinidi was finished, they bound him and cast him into prison. After three days, they told him that he would be put to death for saying that God was going to come on the earth. (Apparently, they didn't believe in freedom of speech or freedom of religion at the time... unless, of course, it benefited themselves.) Abinidi would not back down. He would not recant what he had said, all along knowing in his heart this would most likely mean death.

Now, I know that King Noah was a wicked man. But, I truly believe that he wanted to allow Abinidi to live. This is evidenced in verse 11 in Chapter 17: "And now King Noah was about to release him, for he feared the judgments of God would come upon him." He believed what Abinidi had said, even if he chose not to act on it. He believed it and feared it so much so that he was willing to release Abinidi. Here's where the peer pressure comes in...

"But the priests lifted up their voices against him, and began to accuse him, saying: He has reviled the king. Therefore the king was stirred up in anger against him, and he delivered him up that he might be slain. And it came to pass that they took him and bound him, and scourged his skin with faggots, yea, even unto death." (verses 11-12)

Misery loves company and King Noah has it in spades with his priests. He allowed his priests to make up his mind for him. Was he trying to please God or man? The answer is obvious.

But, I ask myself... am I trying to please God or man? What is the purpose in my actions? Do I let myself get talked into believing or doing something I know is contrary to the gospel because the media or my friend says so? We must watch ourselves, our thoughts, our actions, and our deeds always. (see Mosiah 4:30) We must be cognizant of those inconspicuous, conniving, duplicitous temptations that Satan plants into our minds... be mindful in order to throw them out.

Learning from King Benjamin's Leadership

As I was reading in Mosiah 2 today, I just felt really strongly that King Benjamin is a fine example of a leader. If only we could have such a leader in charge of our country! King Benjamin worked FOR his people. He served them all the days of his life. He did not become king because was not seeking power. He became king because he was called to that position and did not shirk his responsibility. And as king, he did not allow people to "plunder or murder." King Benjamin did not expect others to pay him an exorbitant amount of money in order to be there leader. He served them because he KNEW the principle that if you're in the service of your fellow beings, you are in the service of your God (Mosiah 2:17). Not only did he know this, but he lived it and taught through his words and example. What an amazing man!

In his farewell speech to his people (beginning in chapter 2), there are two parts that always stands out to me. First off, I love how he encourages us to have gratitude towards our Heavenly Father who gave us everything and without whom we are nothing. It is such a SIMPLE principle, yet often overlooked in our daily lives. Last week, I taught gospel doctrine. The topic was the "Pride Cycle" as found in The Book of Mormon. Our class came to the consensus that it is only through recognizing God's hand in our lives that we are able to get out of the pride cycle. King Benjamin taught his people this early on. Sadly, many of them missed the boat on that principle in later years and suffered accordingly.


(Nobility of work is portrayed as Book of Mormon's King Benjamin labors to support himself. Photo by Nestor Curbelo.)

Another principle King Benjamin taught is that of simplicity. He makes the gospel incredibly simple for all: Keep the commandments and God will bless you. It's as simple as that! The commandments include loving one another (service), loving God (gratitude), and many other actions that we should be taking or abstaining from to keep the spirit in our lives. Truly, if we follow the commandments to a tee, will have a clear conscience, just like King Benjamin. If we don't, we may be among those who suffer. I know that I'm not perfect at keeping the commandments, but I know that when I'm striving to do my best, Heavenly Father blesses me immensely. My life may not goes as I want it to go, but I see that everthing that has happened has blessed me greater than I could have imagined MY WAY.

Coming to Testimony like Enos

As I was reading Enos today, a few parts of it really struck me.

Enos 1:3 reads, "...the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart."

After enough says this, he kneels down to pray and ask forgiveness for his sins all day long and receives a remission of his sins as well as hears the voice of God. There are many valuable lessons contained in only this part of the story. First off, I truly believe that this is how many of us start to have a solid testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Even if we live our whole lives with a knowledge of the gospel, like Enos--who remembered the words of his father, but clearly did not believe them for himself before this time--we must also pray to gain our own testimony. We may be praying about a specific part of the gospel we want to understand better, or we may be praying in general to gain our own testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Whatever it may be, we come to a real testimony in the same away: by exhibiting faith and then acting upon it.



All of this reminds me of a talk Elder Bednar gave when he was president of BYU-Idaho. He spoke on how vital it is for us to work everyday to keep our testimonies. If we don't continue to act on it, if we don't pray for guidance and strength from our Heavenly Father, if we don't recognize in humble gratitude those things that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have provided in our lives, then we will surely lose our testimonies over time. A testimony is like a fire. You must continue to feed a fire or else it will burn out.

All in all, I love Enos for his faith, diligence, and love of his fellow men (even his "enemies," the Lamanites). He exhibits such great faith that his will comes in line with the Lord's will, as in when he wishes for the scriptures to be preserved, which was clearly Heavenly Father's plan from the beginning. I know that if we, too, exhibit faith, Heavenly Father will guide our paths and provide us with our own strength.

Learning to Learn

As I was reading in The Book of Mormon this morning, I just had this overwhelming feeling of love for this book. I know that it is true. I am so grateful for its contents. I was reading a few of my favorite chapters this morning at the end of 2 Nephi (specifically chapter 29 to the end of 31). A few of the verses scattered throughout these chapters have really helped me to answer a question that’s been on my mind this last week.

As I’m preparing for school, I’ve become overwhelmed with the thought of how much improvement I need to make in my life. Not only professionally, but religiously and exercise-ishly as well. Sometimes I want to take on too much at one time and want to know everything and be perfect at EVERYTHING as well. That is just not how life works. And thinking that way severely overwhelms me to the point of not knowing where to start and THUS not starting anything! It’s really frustrating.

Like I said, I’ve been thinking about how to study better and how exactly to go about improving myself. The following are a few verses I read this morning that I felt helped me to see that learning comes little by little.

2 Nephi 28:30 “For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.”

This scriptures reminds me that if I am desiring to learn and striving to learn, I will learn. I most likely will not gain knowledge all at once, but I will gain knowledge little by little. We can’t possibly learn everything all at once. Our brains would explode and we wouldn’t know how to comprehend it. As a teacher, I KNOW that learning happens when you build upon previous knowledge slowly but surely. I need to apply this to my life. Additionally, I need to remember to prioritize my life so that Heavenly Father is first!

Another scripture I feel relates to this same idea is in 2 Nephi 31:3 – “For my soul delighteth in plainness; for after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men. For the Lord God giveth light unto men according to their language, unto their understanding.”

I truly take comfort in the fact that Heavenly Father knows how I learn. He knows me and he provides learning opportunities for me in SIMPLE ways according to my understanding and knowledge. WOW! That is such a powerful concept. Heavenly Father truly is a master teacher, because he uses the ultimate guidelines to teach us in SIMPLE ways. He delights in plainness. He is NOT out to confuse us or taunt us with vast knowledge we cannot understand. However, he will provide ways for us to improve so that we can attain that vast knowledge over time and according to the style in which we learn best. Thank you Heavenly Father!

While all of this didn’t answer my question directly, I do feel like I need to make my learning more focused and more consistent. If I don’t act like learning is a priority in my life, it won’t be! I need to delineate time for learning, both secularly and spiritually, in order to improve my life.

Attitudes of Gratitude

I was thinking today how grateful I am to be a part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. No matter what happens during my week, every Sunday I look forward to attending church. I love Sundays! I love how I get time to be at peace with myself and my life. I get time to forget about the pressing demands of the world and to focus on my Savior. I have time on Sunday to reevaluate my life in order to improve for the coming week. Sunday is such a great day to fill my spiritual reservoir, to remind me of what life’s all about, and to just help me to chill out. Today, thankfully, was no different.

Lately, life has been a little stressful with preparing for an entirely new teaching position as well as getting ready for my little sister’s wedding this week. Needless to say, tensions have been high around my house! It was such a relief to be able to go to church with my family and just enjoy feeling of Heavenly Father’s spirit. I actually went to church twice: once with my family and then once with my boyfriend to our normal church congregation. I feel like I gained MUCH needed spiritual insight today. I had been praying in my heart all week about ways to overcome some current issues. I felt like I received answers to those prayers today at church. I am incredibly blessed to be able to attend our church and feel of God’s love and peace for me. Additionally, I know that attending church also helps Evan to search for ways to improve himself as well. All in all, I want to say that I know that our church is true. There are many Christian denominations that have SO much truth, wisdom, and love… they’re just missing a few key pieces. I’m thankful for the knowledge I have that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer. I’m thankful for a God that blesses me in ways I cannot foretell nor imagine. I know that it is through His Spirit that I am able to gain a testimony of these truths.

Lift and Be Lifted

We cannot expect to lift others unless we stand on higher ground ourselves.
— Gordon B. Hinckley

Recently, I’ve been reading my Book of Mormon in German so that I can keep up on my German for my upcoming teaching job.

As I was reading it this afternoon, somehow the wording of the language helped me to see Lehi’s dream of the tree of life a little differently. Lehi first describes himself as walking up to the tree of life and eating the fruit. Next, he notices his family (with the exception of Laman and Lemuel) and he describes them as not knowing where they should go. After having experienced the joy felt from partaking worthily of the fruit, he sees them and beckons to them to come and partake also. He guides them to the iron rod and helps them to get to the tree of life.

For some reason this really hit me today because it’s so analogous to our lives. We’re all on our own journeys through life, yet we sometimes aren’t sure of the way. Fortunately, we are blessed with family, friends, and religious leaders who can sometimes see more clearly than we do.

Similarly, we also can provide that guidance for others as well. Once you’ve tasted of the fruit of the gospel of Jesus Christ, you want to help others to feel that same joy as well.

It just reminded me of how we need to guide and support others through life, just as we need to be humble enough to accept that same assistance in return.

Pride is NOT a Virtue

I’d like to think of myself as a non-judgmental person, humble person. Before yesterday, I had never considered myself to be self-righteous or preachy. However, if it quacks like a duck, flies like a duck, and–heaven forbid–looks like a duck, you probably wouldn’t call it a cow. I am a duck.

This is how the story goes. Yesterday I was minding my business studying my scriptures in German before church when I decided to go downstairs and see what the fam was up to. On my way down, I encountered my sister’s children playing games and feeding their pets on a kids’ online site called Webkinz. A Sunday rule for the kids is no internet usage. I reminded them of this rule and prompted them to come downstairs and play games with me instead. They conceded. Now, this situation did not bother me.

What bothered me was what happened when I was on my way downstairs. I saw the kids’ parents both on the internet. I know this isn’t a big deal, but for some reason it just really bothered me that I was trying to help them keep their rule, while they were not even keeping it themselves. Can anyone say double standard? Needless to say, I was irritated. However, rather than being tactful, I judged them and said it aloud. I was angry and I wanted them to “keep the Sabbath daily holy” in the way I thought they should.

It wasn’t until later, after getting frustrated with my boyfriend for the same thing, that I realized I have become what I’ve always hated. I had been self-righteous and acting out of pride. Sure, I think that I’m right. I think it’s more important to spend the day worshipping Heavenly Father in a way other than perusing the internet. But, that’s what I think. That only applies to me. I do not wish to take away anyone’s right to choice, but that’s how I was acting yesterday.

As Evan and I were driving to church and the true nature of how I had been acting came to my mind, I was shamed for the pride I had shown. How dare I think that I’m better than someone else because of a mundane and immaterial choice in Sabbath day pursuits?

Needless to say, I now see that I must be on my guard at all times in order to beware of pride in all of its forms. I am not better than those of the Nephites and the Lamanites who were prideful. Pride led to their downfall time and again. I do not wish for this same occurrence in my life.

I know I am not better than anyone else. I have much to learn about life and the ways being kind and humble.

Reading 1 Nephi 17

Today I read in 1 Nephi 17. I had a few thoughts about this chapter as I was reading it. First off, the faith of Nephi is amazing! When Heavenly Father commands it, he does it without question. Because of his knowledge of the scriptures, he takes faith in Moses and others. He knows the scriptures and has applied them to himself. I know that Nephi isn’t perfect, but his faith is a perfect pattern for us to follow.

On the flipside, Laman and Lemuel are “swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord” (1 Nephi 17:45). They are incredibly prideful. They can’t listen to their younger brother based on the principle that he is younger than they are. Rather than listen humbly when he rebukes them, they instead become severely angry to point of wanting to kill him. Don’t they realize at this point that without Nephi, they can’t get anywhere? Don’t they see that they most likely couldn’t make it back to Jerusalem if they tried? I don’t know why they continue to defy the Lord and His commandments. It’s probably the ease of the way. For them, it’s MUCH easier to just do what comes naturally rather than to love and help and support. Faith is hard, and they are not willing to pay the price to continue their faith. Sadly, they allow Satan to rule their lives rather than making a choice for themselves.

All of this truly makes me wonder how I would respond if I were in this situation. Would I give up? Would I believe that the Lord had told Nephi to build a ship in order to cross the ocean? It would be fairly hard to believe. But, hopefully, I would have faith enough or the sense enough to pray—as Nephi did—to ask Heavenly Father the truth of what was said.

Reading 1 Nephi 15:26-17:1

Today I read in 1 Nephi 15:26-17:1. As I was reading through, I was impressed by the fact that Laman and Lemuel humbled themselves and repented several times throughout the chapter. This made me realize that the real difference between Laman and Lemuel and Nephi is the fact that they gave up and succumbed to having a bad attitude. They did not choose to endure to the end. Even as I was reading through, I also noticed that Laman and Lemuel were not without knowledge. They had the same knowledge and opportunities as Nephi did. However, they CHOSE to go against that knowledge. They were lazy, had a bad attitude, and did not continue to endure to the end. It takes a lot to make it through this life and stay true to the gospel of Jesus Christ! They had what it took to do it, they just didn’t want it badly enough. Thus, they succumbed to the temptations of Satan rather than choose the harder, better path.

What this helps me to realize in my life is that I also make mistakes. It’s important to see that learning is life-long. Just because one humbles his or herself once, does not mean that is enough. Constantly we need to be learning from the situations in which Heavenly Father puts us. I want to be like Nephi. I want to stay strong. I want to repent of my mistakes and change them to improve myself and those around me. I want to have a positive outlook in the face of adversity.