While preparing for my seminary lesson , I was deeply touched to find this quote in the seminary lesson .
“After leaving Nauvoo, [Catherine], ever delicate and frail, sank rapidly under the ever accumulating hardships. The sorrowing husband wrote imploringly to the wife’s parents, asking them to receive her into their home until the Saints should find an abiding place. The answer came, ‘Let her renounce her degrading faith and she can come back, but never until she does.’
“When the letter was read to her, she asked her husband to get his Bible and to turn to the book of Ruth and read the first chapter, sixteenth and seventeenth verses: ‘Entreat me not to leave thee or to return from following after thee; for whither thou goest I will go, and where thou lodgest I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people and thy God my God’” (Memoirs of John R. Young: Utah Pioneer 1847 [1920], 17–18). Catherine Spencer died shortly thereafter.”
My fourth great grandfather is Orson Spencer, his daughter Aurelia, his Grandaughter Minnie Spencer Depew, my great Grandmother.

Gratefully, the sublimity of the week’s events does not end on the cross, but it does end in an empty tomb, a gloriously,  magnificently empty tomb.

Because the tomb is empty, the promise of eternal life is not.

From the words of the beautiful video provided on lds.org, I quote;
“He lives and because He lives we will live again, too.
Because of Him
Death has no sting
The grave no victory
Because of Him,
We can start again and again and again
Guilt becomes peace
Regret becomes relief
Despair becomes hope
Because of Him,
We have new beginnings,
And there is no such thing as the end.
Because of Him”

To quote Elder Jeffrey R. Holland o th Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (April 2019)
Because of Him we are offered “a way out and a way up.”

May we find ourselves ever looking up ,, humbling kneeling down in reverence to all that is Holy, even Him, Jesus Christ

Doctrine and Covenants 135

President Eyring shared a personal experience which prompted him to do the following; (see reference at end of quote for full story)
“I wrote down a few lines every day for years. I never missed a day no matter how tired I was or how early I would have to start the next day. Before I would write, I would ponder this question: ‘Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?’” (Henry B. Eyring, “O Remember, Remember,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 66–67

Wanting to begin that same commitment in my life, I want to share the following;
Last night we John received a call from Logan, who shared his baseball experience of the day with his father.
#1. That our son would care enough to call and share his triumphs and his defeats, who cares enough to keep in contact with his parents.
#2. I have increased my prayers that Logan may have the insight and inspiration how to become an even better coach, how to help his players/athletes reach their full potential. I also have prayed that he will have the inspiration to know what to do at any given moment to help manufacture runs. The year thus far, has been a very good year for the team, including last night as they beat an nationally ranked team, again. They lost the first game by one run after keepimg a 4-0 lead for most of the game. Logan gave some inspiring words to his players and they went on to win the next game (same opponent from the first game) 2-0. What an incredible win! I know the Lord is blessings Logan in his efforts as a coach, a father and a servant.
#3. FaceTiming is a gift from the Lor who allowed us to visit with Stefani, who also keeps in close touch with her parents.
#4 I spent the day with My mommy, Sisters Carol and Ruthy. How I love my sisters and Mother!
Seeing my children and family is seeing the Lords hand in my life, because family is everything!

Behold, I have given unto you the names...

Helaman 5:5 For they remembered the words which their father Helaman spake unto them. And these are the words which he spake:

6 Behold, my sons, I desire that ye should remember to keep the commandments of God; and I would that ye should declare unto the people these words. Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first parents who came out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I have done that when you remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were good.

7 Therefore, my sons, I would that ye should do that which is good, that it may be said of you, and also written, even as it has been said and written of them.

Even if we don’t know why or who we were named after, we can take this passage of scripture and as a baptized member of Jesus Christ’s church, we can apply the principle to He, whose name we have taken upon us. 

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2014-01-107-courage-i-think-i-get-it-from-him?lang=eng&_r=1

When That Day Comes... What Will You Choose?

I have come across some drafts that were never published, so in an effort to update my blog I am now publishing them.

Yesterday for the opening Hymn in our Saturday night session of stake conference we sang hymn 58; Come Ye Children of the Lord. Upon singing the words in the second verse; Oh, what songs we then will sing to our Savior Lord and King" I began to ponder what song, if given the opportunity, would I sing at that great and perfect moment? Though, unable to fully comprehend that moment, thanks to the righteous artists both past and present, I can express my feelings through hymns. Many come to mind, I Stand All Amazed, I Know That my Redeemer Lives but in the end the one that I feel may come closest to expressing my anticipated emotions is Hymn 86 How Great Thou Art. I have taken some liberties to change the tense, in thought for that millennial day.

Oh, Lord My God, I have in awesome wonder, considered all the worlds Thy hands have made.
I've seen the stars, I've heard the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Now sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee, How great Thou art, how great Thou art.

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing
Sent Thee to die, I scarce can take it in.
That on the cross my burden gladly bearing.
Thou bled and died to take away my sins.

And now you've come, I shout with acclamation
and brought me home, the joy that feels my heart!
I before Thee bow in humble adoration and here proclaim My God, how great Thou art!

My daughter Amber texted this to me the other day. I loved it so much that I wanted to store it in a place I will have it forever.

I had this thought yesterday & thought it was pretty cool. Maybe you’ve had something similar before.

Patience in the atonement...like unto the sacrament. As I sat today in sacrament meeting, my kids wanted their boogie boards, like always I told them after the sacrament. After a bit they were getting restless & I was becoming less patient about it. I found myself thinking, “man it’s taking a long time for them to pass the sacrament”. Then I remembered that we were combined with 2 other wards...of course it would take awhile. As I sat & thought about that, the spirit impressed this thought upon my mind:

We wait & sit reverently as everyone has a chance to partake of the bread & water & let the atonement take effect in their life. Are we as patient & reverent about it in our everyday lives? Do we allow others the opportunity to grow & change in the same way through the power of the atonement of Jesus Christ? Or do we find fault, get irritated easily, and/or judge them, never allowing them to change? Just as we hopefully sit with the spirit through the sacrament portion of the meeting, so too, we should “sit” patiently as the atonement of Jesus Christ changes people...including ourselves.