Steps into the Darkness

Noah and I have made some pretty big life changing decisions based on prayers in the last few months. These decisions require us to take some leaps of faith and steps into the darkness.
 I wanted to share some of the insights I have received and some of the messages I have found to help along this new journey.

After Noahs brother Keyn got in his accident (more on that here) we talked a lot about the future. The Sunday after Noah got home from Alaska we went to church and I cried almost the whole time, and felt so strongly that we need to be able to help Noahs family. Everything that anyone said seemed to just be more of a nudge in the direction that my feeligns were headed. When we got back to the car after church Noah and I both looked at each other and said, "We need to do whatever we can to help our family." The feeling was mutual for us that we need to be in a position to be able to help his family out and that being in Utah was not going to help us do that. We talked a lot about our options and looked into trying to do a humanitarian move through the military to Alaska to be there for his family. We looked into that  but it was not an option because Noah was not needed as the sole care provider. We then talked about a few more options and decided that we needed to go to the temple to pray about some of these major decisions.

While we were in the temple I asked the Lord what he wanted from us. I also pleaded with him that his answer would be clear and that I would be able to know exactly what he wanted from us. I was very scared because the questions were so life changing that I really felt like I needed to know what he wanted from me, so that when times got hard or the pathway did not seem so clear or brightly lit that I would be able to have the Faith to continue on.

After my prayer was over I waited for an answer and I received the most beautiful and peacefully clear answer I have ever received. I was told that we were supposed to get out of the military so that we could help Noah's family and that we needed to apply for jobs in North Carolina and Georgia, there were several other things that I heard that explained the reason for this answer. I was very confused about the last part because Noahs family lives in Alaska and we both were praying about getting out and moving to Alaska. I knew though that the Lord was very clear on where we should apply. When we finished praying Noah and I talked to each other, we did our typical 1-2-3 answer at the same time thing and I was brought to an even more greater sense of peace and clarity when I realized that Noah and I both received word for word the same answer.

The first tool I utilized during this time was Prayer.
I talked to Noah, I talked to my friends, I started doing research and nothing seemed to add up on paper to let me know that the decisions we had made were the right ones.
We had already got our confirmation from the Lord but it seemed like the more I talked about it, the more it just didn't seem to make sense. It was during this time that I remembered this quote that I heard years ago, "Have you prayed about it as much as you've talked about it?'
It was then that I realized that it was okay to talk it out with people, but that the only peace that would come to me in regards to this decision was going to come by talking to my Father in Heaven. It didn't matter that I had already recieved my answer, it mattered more that I continued to turn to him for peace as I followed his instructions. We knew it was what the Lord wanted, so who better to talk out the logistics with then him?

We left the temple that day and the very next day the military announced that they were doing a force management which basically means that they would let people who qualified and applied out of the remainder of their contract. Noah applied to palace chase which means that he would move from active duty Air Force into the Guard working 1 weekend a month. Things quickly fell into place for the Palace Chase move. An Air Traffic Control guard unit position opened up in Charlotte, North Carolina (which is almost unheard of). He applied for that and they were super excited to find out all of his ATC experience, and immediately said they wanted him. We then had to wait on the Air Force side to approve it. After waiting for 8 weeks on a process that should have taken 2 (he was one of the first to get his paperwork in) and watching several people he works with get approved after turning in their paperwork after him we finally were able to get a hold of someone who informed us that Noahs paperwork was misplaced. So we resubmitted and waited again. Just last Friday we were finally approved and as of May 31st, 2014 we will be out of active duty military and moving in Civilian life. 

Talking to the Lord and finding the peace that I needed was essential to moving forward on this new path, but the next part was a little bit harder. The next part required us to actually take the step, to move forward in Faith. 

Elder Richard G Scott said "When you are living worthy and your choice is consistent with the Savior's teachings and you need to act, proceed with trust."

Trusting the Lords answer and then trusting ourselves was essential. I'm the kind of person that just wants to see whats up ahead, not everything ahead, but enough to where I am confident in the decision I made. But where is the Faith and trust in that? It certainly takes much more Faith to take a step into the darkness with no light to lead your way then it does to see your pathway well lit. I was thinking about this exact thing when I came across a story that Boyd K. Packer told-

“Shortly after I was called as a General Authority, I went to Elder Harold B. Lee for counsel. He listened very carefully to my problem and suggested that I see President David O. McKay. President McKay counseled me as to the direction I should go. I was very willing to be obedient but saw no way possible for me to do as he counseled me to do.

“I returned to Elder Lee and told him that I saw no way to move in the direction I was counseled to go. He said, ‘The trouble with you is you want to see the end from the beginning.’ I replied that I would like to see at least a step or two ahead. Then came the lesson of a lifetime: ‘You must learn to walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness; then the light will appear and show the way before you.’ Then he quoted these 18 words from the Book of Mormon:

“‘Dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith’” (Ether 12:6).

The trial of our Faith doesn't come from us staying put in the light. The trial of Faith comes when we follow the promptings of the Lord and take a step or two into the darkness.

Noah applied for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for an Air Traffic Control job. The FAA decided this time around that they didn't want anyone with Air Traffic Control background, they wanted to revamp the program and thought that bringing in inexperienced people of various backgrounds would help them with that, so Noah was turned down for the job offers. He has been applying for various other Air Traffic Control jobs around the nation but because all of the other 9000+ guys like Noah who didn't make the FAA cut either are also applying to these jobs the odds are not great. At times when I think of the logistics of being jobless with 4 kids in just a few months I am really scared. On paper it just looks bad. But in reality and in the Lords plan (which is still unclear to us) there is so much peace. With Noah going into the Guard we will still have Health insurance which is a HUGE relief for us. We have done as the Prophets and Apostles of our church have instructed and have 6+ months of savings as well as a TON of food storage. We have been formulating plans of what we will do if May 31st comes around and we don't have any job offers and we have put our Faith in the Lord. 

I love the Joseph Smith quote above. "Faith is the moving cause of all action." 

Every single step we have taken on this road since January have been steps into complete worldly darkness lead by the peaceful light of Christ. 

I have no idea what the next few months, or year or years hold for us. I don't have very many answers and I have lots of logistical questions, but I also have an incredible amount of peace and a renewed sense of strength guiding my steps. The Lords plan and my plan may not be the same thing, but we both want the end result for my life and I want to take his path to get me there, after all he truly knows the way better then I do. 

We have become very keenly aware through all of this, that just because you know you are doing what the Lord wants you to do, DOES NOT at all mean that your journey will be easy or that your pathway will be clear. It does not mean that because you are following the Lords pathway that everything will fall into place and work out perfectly, after all these types of journeys and trials are about building upon our Faith, and we can not easily do that if everything works out perfectly. Ive thought about the story of Abraham and Issac a lot these past few months and I am constantly reminded that the Lord knows all things. When he told Abraham to kill Issac he knew that Abraham would do anything he asked him to do, the lesson was more for Abraham to learn more about himself. Abraham learned how far he was willing to go for the Lord, he realized how strong his Faith was because it was put to the test. Sometimes I have wondered if when the time came if my faith would be strong enough, if it would be good enough and here I am having my Abrahamic moment and learning a little bit (okay maybe a lot) about me and about my Faith. On Mt. Moriah Abraham had his greatest sacrifice, when he with held nothing from the Lord, the Lord with held nothing from him. I hope that I am strong enough to with hold nothing from the Lord so that he has room to pour out and with hold not his blessings for me.

So while the road ahead is dark and its kind of scary to put one foot in front of the other when I can not see the pathway clearly and when I have no idea what the end of this looks like, its also really thrilling because my Faith in the Lord has increased and therefore so has my relationship with my Father in Heaven.

Trials of Life- Quotes

I sometimes feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. I occasionally get the all consuming feeling that my trials are more then I can handle.
Yesterday Noah and I were sitting on the edge of our bed talking about everything that we had going on at that time and Noah let out a huge sigh and said, "I feel like we are getting beat up by life's trials right now." I agreed, it has felt that way lately. I have felt the pressure of life's obstacle pushing down on my shoulders from so many different directions. I feel like as soon as I have a firm grip on one trial another one is rearing its ugly head.

 All of us have to endure trials on a very regular basis. I am grateful for the relationship that I have with my Father in Heaven because those feelings of being trapped or weighed down with a trial don't seem to last very long for me. Usually no more then a day here and there do I feel overwhelmed by it all and its in those moments that I kneel in prayer and ask Heavenly Father to help me endure the trial, happily. I ask him to take away the feelings of failure and the weight of the pressure that I have hanging out on my shoulders. I ask him to help me more clearly see his daily tender mercies and to help me see that my trials are for my own good. I often joke with Noah that we really need to learn what we are supposed to learn from each trial because I don't want to go through that trial again, but the reality is each and every trial is a learning experience and a chance for growth. Someone once asked me which of my lifes trials would I have taken away from me if I could go back and chose. The answer is pretty easy, none of them (and Ive had some doozies) , I would chose to keep them all, because it is through them that I have come to be who I am today. Taking away any of my trials would be taking away from myself that little piece of beauty that I earned through enduring well my trial. I used to ask for God to take my trials away, but as I have grown I have realized that I need him to take away the pain, the fear and the debilitating feelings that trials cans bring and I need him to walk hand in hand with me through the trial.

 I read a blog a few months back that said "God does give us more then we can handle but he doesn't give us anything we can't handle WITH HIS HELP." I love the beauty in that. People often say that God doesnt give us more then we can handle, but thats simply not true, he gives us plenty of things we can't handle. If he gave us trials we could handle then there would be no growing or turning to him for help and guidance and peace. He gives us more then we can handle on a very regular basis, but he will NEVER give us something we can't handle with out also giving us his help. His hand is stretched out to help us always and lift us and relieve us from our pain. We are not capable of handling our trials on our own but we are always capable of handling them with his help.

I find myself turning to him with tears in my eyes often, pleading with him for help. I pour out my sorrows and fears unto him so that he can pour blessings back in. I don't always get the answer that I want to the the questions I ask or to the pleadings of my heart but I always get peace followed by some type of answer. Recently I got an answer to a prayer that was really not the answer I wanted. In fact it was probably one of the farthest things from the answer that I wanted, however with that answer came an overwhelming amount of peace, Peace that I desperately needed. As the days have progressed I have prayed to ask Heavenly Father to help me continue to find peace in his answer and to continue to find happiness in that answer. Its baby steps to get to that full time feeling of peace for me this time, when I think about all that his answer entales and how its so far from some of the things we are striving for in our family I get a little sad, but then I simply ask to feel that peace again and the saddness leaves. I am finding small blessings that are coming out of the woodwork on a very steady basis, showing me that the Lords path is indeed, as always, the right path. I just love those tender mercies.

Whenever I hear a quote that has anything to do with enduring trials I write it down so that I can come back to read it often.
My all time favorite scripture was a revelation given to Joseph Smith, The Prophet, while he was in Liberty Jail. The conditions in Liberty Jail were horrible, the members of the Latter Day Saint faith were suffering from persecutions. Joseph Smith pleads with his Father to help them.

D&C121

 1 O God, ^awhere art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy ^bhiding place?

 2 ^aHow long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yea thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and of thy servants, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries?

 3 Yea, O Lord, ^ahow long shall they suffer these wrongs and unlawful ^boppressions, before thine heart shall be softened toward them, and thy bowels be moved with ^ccompassion toward them?

And then the Lord answers in one of the most beautiful passages of scripture.

 7 My son, ^apeace be unto thy soul; thine ^badversity and thine afflictions shall be but a ^csmall moment;

 8 And then, if thou ^aendure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy ^bfoes.

 9 Thy ^afriends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands.

 10 Thou art not yet as Job; thy ^afriends do not contend against thee, neither charge thee with transgression, as they did Job.

I try to remember that my time here on this earth is such a small span in time compared to the eternities. I pray daily and ask the Lord to help me ENDURE MY TRIALS WELL. I am reminded of Job who lost EVERYTHING, friends, wealth, family, job, home and everything else he possessed and he still praised the Lord and continued to commune with him in love.

I wanted to share with ya'll some of my favorite quotes that I have come to cherish through out the last few years. Some of these quotes have come to me at different times in my life, while I was experiencing different trials and they have helped lift me to a higher, more peaceful and Christ centered plain.

"Every calamity that can come upon mortal beings will be suffered to come upon the few, to prepare them to enjoy the presence of the Lord.... Every trial and experience you have passed through is necessary for your salvation." -Brigham Young

"Don't be upset at something that is happening at 9 in the morning, when the grace of God is trying to reward you at 6 in the evening." - Elder Jeffery R. Holland

"God loves us just the way we are, but he loves us enough to not leave us like this. He is not done with us yet. He knows we can be better and he wants that for us." -Brad Wilcox

Jeremiah 31:16-17
"Thus saith the Lord: Refrain they voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord.... and there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord."

"Why did the Lord put Abraham through the experience of being asked to sacrifice his own son? Obviously God knew that Abraham would be willing to do anything God commanded, and if that was so, why did the Lord put him through such a test? Abraham needed to learn something about Abraham." -Hugh B. Brown

When we withhold nothing from the Lord he will withhold nothing from us.

"The Saviors gift of grace to us is not necessarily limited in time to 'after' all we can do. We may receive his grave before, during and after the time when we expend our own efforts." - Bruce C. Hafen

"Grace shall be like a day. As dark as night may become we can always count on the sun coming up. As dark as our trials, sins and mistakes may appear, we can always have confidence in the Grace of Jesus. We don't earn a sunrise. It always just comes. It's constant."-Brad Wilcox

"It was meant to be that life would be a challenge. To suffer some anxiety, some depression, some disappointment, even some failure is normal. Teach our members that if they have a good miserable day once in awhile, or several in a row, to stand steady and face them. Things will straighten out. There is great purpose in our struggle in life."-Boyd K. Packer

"For the last days are not for the faint of heart or the spiritually out of shape. There will be days when we feel defeated, exhausted and plain old beat-up by life's whiplash. People we love will disappoint us and we will disappoint them. We'll almost certainly struggle with some kind of physical appetite, and perhaps several. Some days it will feel as though the veil between heaven and earth is made of reinforced concrete. And we may even face a crisis of faith. In fact, we can count on experiencing trials that will test our faith because how do we know if we really have a testimony, if we'll really obey, if we really want to be honest and chaste and virtuous, and if we really believe in Jesus Christ, if those things aren't put to the test."- Sheri Dew

(The quote by Sheri Dew came to me during a time when I was experiencing a great trial. I had just gotten diagnosed with Graves Disease and the world seemed very bleak. I laid in bed for days wallowing in my own self pity. I had a friend come lay in bed with me and try to make me feel better but nothing seemed to help. After a few days I asked my husband for a Priesthood blessing, {go here to find out more about those} I needed to feel peace and comfort and needed to find the faith and strength to get back on my feet and start enduring well my trial. My blessing was beautiful and brought me great strength. I was told that my trial would not last forever and that through my experiences I would be able to help other people. I was told that my trial was not mine alone but that it would be for other people's good as well. I was told to share my story and help others find their strength through my strength and faith in the Lord. At the end of the blessing, with tears rolling down my face I felt the great power of my Savior and I realized that I could not tell him no. I could not ask for my trial to be taken from me because it was not just a trial for me, it was a trial to bless others. How could I say no to that? How could I tell the Lord that I didn't want the blessings that would come through this trial? I moved on from that blessing with comfort and strength and that very same night I ran across the quote by Sheri Dew. I was not exempt from trials because I had faith in the Lord. I was not the only one experiencing trials that shook ones self to their very core. I want to let my Lord shape me and mold me into who he needs me to be. He sees my great potential and I often times need to pass through trials to understand my strength and to strengthen my testimony.)

"The Lord allows us to be tried and tested, sometimes to our maximum capacity. We have seen the lives of loved ones, and maybe our own, figuratively burned to the ground and have wondered why a loving and caring Heavenly Father would allow such things to happen. But he doesn't leave us in the ashes; he stands with open arms, eagerly inviting us to come to him. He is building our lives into magnificent temples where his spirit can dwell eternally.”-Linda Reeves

"There will be times when you will walk a path strewn with thorns and marked by struggle. There may be times when you feel detached—even isolated—from the Giver of every good gift. You worry that you walk alone. Fear replaces faith. When you find yourself in such circumstances, I plead with you to remember prayer."- Thomas S. Monson

Prayer can change the darkest of nights into the most brightest and glorious of days. There is great Power and Strength in falling to our knees in fervent, soul searching prayer. The Lord has promised us access to all of his great Love and all of his great Power, we need only ask. Knock and it shall be opened to you, seek and yea shall find. I hope that when we are all going through such all consuming trials that we turn to the Lord and pour our hearts out unto him. When we pour out our sufferings, our sorrows, our unbelief and our pain unto the Lord in sacred prayer he is able to pour back into us peace, comfort, strength and ultimate endurance. Turn to the Lord in times of sorrow and in times of peace, he is always there, no matter how long it has been since you last spoke with him. He is anxiously awaiting our call to him.

PS. I wrote this a few days ago and just got around to posting it.

Conference talks and cleaning

I love to listen to Conference talks from our biannual LDS General Conference.

During Conference we get to hear from Apostles and the Prophet of the Lord. I love listening to the talks while I am eating my breakfast and while I am cleaning. Those are usually the times I have mostly to myself and I can actually listen and ponder on the words that are being said. In the last few weeks I was able to listen to the conference talks from the past 2 years and then I decided to go back to April 1991 Conference. There was no particular reason behind this decision except for the fact that I wanted to hear something that I knew I had not heard before.

I want to share with you two of my favorite talks from this conference.

The first one is "Reverence Invites Revelation" by Boyd K. Packer
You can watch it here

A testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, a witness that the Book of Mormon is true, comes in a delicate, refined spiritual communication. It is described in the scriptures as light (D&C 88:11, 67), as burning in the bosom. It is best described as a feeling. (1 Ne. 17:45.)

Ordinarily a testimony comes when we seek for it with a sincere heart and real intent. (Moro. 10:4.) “If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal.” (D&C 42:61.)

No message appears in scripture more times, in more ways than, “Ask, and ye shall receive.” (Matt. 21:22; James 4:3; 1 Jn. 3:22; 1 Ne. 15:11; Enos 1:15; Mosiah 4:21; D&C 4:7; and Moses 6:52 are examples.) While we may invite this communication, it can never be forced! If we try to force it, we may be deceived.

Enos, who was “struggling in the spirit,” said, “Behold, the voice of the Lord came into my mind.” (Enos 1:10; italics added.) While this spiritual communication comes into the mind, it comes more as a feeling, an impression, than simply as a thought. Unless you have experienced it, it is very difficult to describe that delicate process.

The witness is not communicated through the intellect alone, however bright the intellect may be.

“The natural man,” Paul told us, “receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor. 2:13–14.)

Recently the Council of the First Presidency and Quorum of Twelve Apostles issued a statement alerting members of the Church to the dangers of participating in circles which concentrate on doctrine and ordinances and measure them by the intellect alone.

If doctrines and behavior are measured by the intellect alone, the essential spiritual ingredient is missing, and we will be misled.

Personal testimony is confirmed to us initially and is reaffirmed and enlarged thereafter through a harmonious combining of both the intellect and the spirit.

A testimony is profoundly personal, and occurs in response to very private prayers and pleadings. Nevertheless, the Lord has told us, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matt. 18:20; see also D&C 6:32.)

There is safety in learning doctrine in gatherings which are sponsored by proper authority. Some members, even some who have made covenants in the temple, are associating with groups of one kind or another which have an element of secrecy about them and which pretend to have some higher source of inspiration concerning the fulfillment of prophecies than do ward or stake leaders or the General Authorities of the Church. Know this: There are counterfeit revelations which, we are warned, “if possible … shall deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the covenant.” (JS—M 1:22.)

The Lord commanded: “Assemble yourselves together, and organize yourselves. … Continue in prayer and fasting. … Teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom. … And my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand.” (D&C 88:74–80.)

When we meet to learn the doctrines of the gospel, it should be in a spirit of reverence. It is about reverence and how it relates to revelation that I wish to speak.

Inspiration comes more easily in peaceful settings. Such words as quiet, still, peaceable, Comforter abound in the scriptures: “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Ps. 46:10; italics added.) And the promise, “You shall receive my Spirit, the Holy Ghost, even the Comforter, which shall teach you the peaceable things of the kingdom.” (D&C 36:2; italics added.)

Elijah felt a great wind, an earthquake, a fire. The Lord was not in any of them; then came “a still small voice.” (1 Kgs. 19:12.)

Helaman said of that voice of revelation, “It was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul.” (Hel. 5:30.)

It was Nephi who reminded his brothers that an angel “hath spoken unto you in a still small voice, but ye were past feeling, that ye could not feelhis words.” (1 Ne. 17:45; italics added.)

For the past several years we have watched patterns of reverence and irreverence in the Church. While many are to be highly commended, we are drifting. We have reason to be deeply concerned.

The world grows increasingly noisy. Clothing and grooming and conduct are looser and sloppier and more disheveled. Raucous music, with obscene lyrics blasted through amplifiers while lights flash psychedelic colors, characterizes the drug culture. Variations of these things are gaining wide acceptance and influence over our youth.

Doctors even say that our physical sense of hearing can be permanently damaged by all of this noise.

This trend to more noise, more excitement, more contention, less restraint, less dignity, less formality is not coincidental nor innocent nor harmless.

The first order issued by a commander mounting a military invasion is the jamming of the channels of communication of those he intends to conquer.

Irreverence suits the purposes of the adversary by obstructing the delicate channels of revelation in both mind and spirit.

Our sacrament and other meetings need renewed attention to assure that they are truly worship services in which members may be spiritually nourished and have their testimonies replenished and in which investigators may feel the inspiration essential to spiritual conversion.

Our meetinghouses are designed so that we may enjoy socials, dancing, drama, even sports. All of these are important. But these auxiliary activities should be subdued when compared with what the world is doing. Music, dress, and conduct associated with them are quite different from what is appropriate in the chapel or classroom on the Sabbath day.

When we return for Sunday meetings, the music, dress, and conduct should be appropriate for worship. Foyers are built into our chapels to allow for the greeting and chatter that are typical of people who love one another. However, when we step into the chapel, we must!—each of usmust—watch ourselves lest we be guilty of intruding when someone is struggling to feel delicate spiritual communications.

Leaders sometimes wonder why so many active members get themselves into such predicaments in life. Could it be that they do not feel what they need to feel because our meetings are less than they might be spiritually?

Irreverent conduct in our chapels is worthy of a reminder, if not reproof. Leaders should teach that reverence invites revelation.

The reverence we speak of does not equate with absolute silence. We must be tolerant of little babies, even an occasional outburst from a toddler being ushered out to keep him from disturbing the peace. Unless the father is on the stand, he should do the ushering.

Music is of enormous importance in our worship services. I believe that those who choose, conduct, present, and accompany the music may influence the spirit of reverence in our meetings more than a speaker does. God bless them.

Music can set an atmosphere of worship which invites that spirit of revelation, of testimony. We are told in the handbook that “music and musical texts are to be sacred, dignified, and otherwise suitable for a Latter-day Saint meeting” (General Handbook of Instructions, 1989, pp. 2–5) and that “organs and pianos are the standard instruments used in sacrament meetings. Other instruments, such as orchestral strings, may be used when appropriate, but the music must be in keeping with the reverence and spirituality of the meeting. Brass and percussion instruments generally are not appropriate.” (Handbook for Church Music,1975, p. 17.)

An organist who has the sensitivity to quietly play prelude music from the hymnbook tempers our feelings and causes us to go over in our minds the lyrics which teach the peaceable things of the kingdom. If we will listen, they are teaching the gospel, for the hymns of the Restoration are, in fact, a course in doctrine!

I have noticed that an increasing number of our leaders and members do not sing the congregational songs. Perhaps they do not know them or there are not enough hymnbooks. We should sing the songs of Zion—they are an essential part of our worship. We must not neglect the hymns nor the exalted anthems of the Restoration. Read the First Presidency’s introduction in the hymnbook. The Lord said, “My soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads.” (D&C 25:12.) Do not let our sacred music slip away from us, nor allow secular music to replace it.

When music is presented which, however appropriate for other occasions, does not fit the Sabbath, much is lost. From the Bulletin: “Some religiously oriented music in a popular style can be uplifting and motivating for some of our members but may lack the dignity and propriety suitable for a worship service. Also, music which might be suitable in a concert setting may not be appropriate for a worship service.” (Bulletin, no. 31:Sept. 1986, p. 1.)

A choir which favors secular music above sacred music on the Sabbath becomes a chorus. In that respect, they teach the ways of men and, in doing so, miss the opportunity to inspire, and deny the power that they might otherwise have. The Spirit does not ratify speech nor confirm music which lacks spiritual substance.

Now, someone will surely write to remind me that I have not been trained as a musician and will tell me of the stimulation that comes to them from listening to the great music of the world. I understand that. But not all great music nor all popular religious music meets the special criteria of the sacred music of worship, of the Sabbath, of revelation.

There is something else: We are drifting from the use of reverential words in our prayers. Familiar terms such as you and yours are replacing theeand thine in prayer. Teach the children and gently inform new members that we use reverential terms when addressing our Heavenly Father in prayer.

No one of us can survive in the world of today, much less in what it soon will become, without personal inspiration. The spirit of reverence can and should be evident in every organization in the Church and in the lives of every member.

Parents, stake presidencies, bishoprics, auxiliary leaders, teachers: maintain a spirit of reverence in meetings, encourage participation in congregational singing and the use of reverential terms in prayers.

While we may not see an immediate, miraculous transformation, as surely as the Lord lives, a quiet one will take place. The spiritual power in the lives of each member and in the Church will increase. The Lord will pour out his Spirit upon us more abundantly. We will be less troubled, less confused. We will find revealed answers to personal and family problems without all the counseling which we seem now to need.

It was Nephi who taught: “Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.

“Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark.

“For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.” (2 Ne. 32:3–5.)

And in the spirit of reverence, I bear testimony that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, that the Holy Ghost—our comforter, our teacher—will come to us if we will maintain a spirit of reverence, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

I found this quote that I love that goes along perfectly with the above talk.
Marjorie Pay Hinckley "True spirituality makes you loving and grateful, and forgiving, and patient, and gentle, and long-suffering. True spirituality breathes reverence into every act and deed."

The second one is "Light" by Ted E. Brewerton
You can watch it here

My brethren and sisters, on this bright and beautiful day, I should like to address the subject of light. The dictionary defines light as something that makes vision possible or something that enlightens or informs.

Two types of light are physical light and spiritual light.

Physical light, especially natural light, affects the moods of people. When summer’s light begins to fade, days grow shorter, and the winter season looms darkly ahead, natural light becomes a more precious commodity, especially to people who live in extreme northern climates. There, where darkness reigns for up to three months a year and then summer blooms into three months of constant daylight, moods swing with the seasons.

Light does have a profound effect on human mood and behavior. Mounting evidence indicates that people who are feeling a little down and need a lift can get it by going outside in daylight. Walking in the light is a natural mood booster. Many who simply walk for half an hour or more during the daylight hours receive a distinct benefit. (See The Walking Magazine, Jan./Feb. 1989, pp. 28–30.)

Scientists are not entirely certain which wavelengths cause light’s mood-boosting effects. Researchers believe that these effects are traceable to light taken in through the eyes and not through the skin.

A second medical use of light is light therapy for treating some cancers. Certain chemicals combined with light can destroy cancer cells. Research is under way to identify the best source of light and to determine how to direct it to body areas. (See Time, Canadian ed., Nov. 1989.)

Shifting from these brief remarks about physical light, I should like to consider a kind of light that has infinitely greater power and effect. I speak of spiritual light. It comes from God and his gospel. In the scriptures, we find reference to a relationship between the physical light of the sun and spiritual light. We read in the Doctrine and Covenants, section 88, of “the light of truth;

“Which truth shineth. This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made. …

“And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings;

“Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space—

“The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed.” (D&C 88:6–7, 11–13.)

This earth will be a celestial sphere, like a sea of glass and fire. The prophet Brigham Young said: “It will not then be an opaque body as it now is, but it will be like the stars of the firmament, full of light and glory: it will be a body of light. John compared it, in its celestialized state, to a sea of glass.” (Journal of Discourses, 7:163; italics added.)

In section 88 we read:

“And again, verily I say unto you, the earth abideth the law of a celestial kingdom, for it filleth the measure of its creation, and transgresseth not the law—

“Wherefore, it shall be sanctified; yea, notwithstanding it shall die, it shall be quickened again, and shall abide the power by which it is quickened, and the righteous shall inherit it.” (D&C 88:25–26.)

In section 84:

“For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

“And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.” (D&C 84:45–46.)

This word light appears 535 times in the scriptures.

Light has a relationship to the Son of God: “And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things.” (D&C 88:67.)

Jesus Christ is the Light of the world. Moroni said: “And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is thelight of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged.” (Moro. 7:18; italics added.)

John said: “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12; italics added.)

Our Lord is the Light of the world in at least three ways. Elder Bruce R. McConkie has written:

“1. Through the Light of Christ he governs and controls the universe and gives life to all that therein is.

“2. By this same immensity-filling light—and to certain faithful ones, by the power of the Holy Ghost!—he enlightens the mind and quickens the understanding.

“3. By his own upright, sinless, and perfect course, in [premortal life], in mortality, and in resurrected glory, he sets a perfect example and is able to say to all men: ‘Follow thou me.’” (2 Ne. 31:10.) (The Promised Messiah,Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1978, p. 208.)

In the First Vision, light released the boy Joseph from oppressive darkness.

How does light enter into us? How do we receive it? “But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matt. 6:23.)

Commenting on this passage, Elder Bruce R. McConkie states: “Christ is the light; the gospel is the light; the plan of salvation is the light; ‘that which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.’ As the light of the sun enters the body through our natural eyes, so the light of heaven—the light of the Spirit which illuminates our souls—enters through our spiritual eyes.” (The Mortal Messiah, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1980, 2:153; italics added.)

President Joseph F. Smith said:

“One fault to be avoided by the Saints, young and old, is the tendency to live on borrowed light, with their own hidden under a bushel; to permit the savor of their salt of knowledge to be lost; and the light within them to be reflected, rather than original. …

“Men and women should become settled in the truth, and founded in the knowledge of the gospel, depending upon no person for borrowed or reflected light, but trusting only upon the Holy Spirit, who is ever the same, shining forever and testifying to the individual and the priesthood, who live in harmony with the laws of the gospel, of the glory and the will of the Father. They will then have light everlasting which cannot be obscured. By its shining in their lives, they shall cause others to glorify God; and by their well-doing put to silence the ignorance of foolish men, and show forth the praises of him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed., Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1939, pp. 87–88; italics added.)

Light persuades us to do good; it leads us to Christ. It led my family as it has led yours, and it can and will lead all to him.

Archibald Stewart and his wife, Esther Lyle, are my great-great-grandparents. The Stewart family had learned to face persecution and hardship. Their ancestors had been forced to flee from Scotland to Northern Ireland, where they had been promised protection. But instead of finding peace, they again became victims of persecution at the hands of the Irish Greens. Independence and strong conviction were part of their heritage.

The Stewart family characteristics of love and devotion and a deep religious faith made them receptive to the gospel. When the Mormon missionaries came to the Stewart house, Elizabeth, the third child, immediately felt the truthfulness of their message. She began to study and search for more assurance of the things she felt within. Her feelings and study stirred an immediate response in her old granny, who was the matriarch of the Stewart household. Elizabeth spent many hours telling her granny about the new prophet of God, Joseph Smith, who had brought back to earth the simple, direct message that Christ was alive and had appeared to man. Elizabeth felt a testimony burning within and asked permission to be baptized. Because of the unpopularity of the Mormons, her parents objected. Elizabeth’s granny came to her rescue. “Let the child alone,” she said. “I have read all her books, and I do believe the child is right.”

As Elizabeth left her home to go to her baptism, her granny was at her side. The two walked to the river, where the elders had broken a hole in the ice that wintry March day. When the elders came toward Elizabeth to baptize her, her granny stepped up and said, “Watch your manners, child; never step in front of your elders.”

The elders baptized Granny in her street clothes; she even had on her little white cap. She had brought no extra clothes, so she walked home in her wet, frozen clothes. She did not take cold even though she did not change her clothes until the other family members had gone to bed. She said nothing about her baptism to the family but went about her usual tasks as if nothing had happened. After the others had gone to bed, she hung her clothing around the fireplace. In the morning when Archibald got up, he saw the clothes drying. He began to joke with the others about Granny having been dipped in the river along with Elizabeth. Granny listened to their fun and then said: “Archibald, if you don’t want people to hear, stop shouting so loudly. You can’t talk about Granny now, for she can hear better than any of you.”

Granny had been virtually deaf for twenty years, but a miracle had restored her hearing at the time she was baptized. From that day until her death, she could hear distinctly. Archibald said laughingly that she heard too much.

Most of the family members soon were baptized, in 1841.

The light of the gospel illuminates the path of life to eternity that otherwise would be dark and nondirecting.

We can be like a mirror and direct light even into dark places. We are not the sources of light; nevertheless, through us light can be reflected to others.

I must return and report my stewardship and my words in the heavens when I leave this mortal life. Therefore, I testify with no hesitancy that God lives. Jesus is his holy son, the one through whom we gain salvation. This is his Church and kingdom, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.