My Eternal Family

Since it was Memorial Day Monday, we went to visit my grandparents' graves.  I was struck by how grateful I am that I have an eternal family.  They have left a legacy of faith for me and for my children to follow.  I thought of what a kind and good plan it is to have families here on this earth to help us.  I would feel so lost without my great family.  I have been blessed.

Showing love

     I love the concept that we help each other in families.  I think it makes sense that we are held accountable for what we can do in our families.  Since it was the plan to come to earth in families, this makes perfect sense.  It makes me want to make greater efforts to support and show love to my family members. 

When we are ready to come unto Him, He is ready to come unto us

    I am so grateful for the knowledge that we have a Heavenly Father that we can approach in prayer.  We can recieve help and strength in our families.
      D&C   88:28 He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things. … 31 Behold, here is the agency of man, and here is the condemnation of man; because that which was from the beginning is plainly manifest unto them, and they receive not the light. 32 And every man whose spirit receiveth not the light is under condemnation.
 From this scripture, we are able to learn that we gain light and knowledge through obedience.  I think in our world with instant gratification, people want to have knowledge without having to be obedient in order to receive the knowledge first. 
     I really like the excerpt from the Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 2011
“If any man does not know God, and inquires what kind of a being He is,—if he will search diligently his own heart—if the declaration of Jesus and the apostles be true, he will realize that he has not eternal life; for there can be eternal life on no other principle.
“… Having a knowledge of God, we begin to know how to approach Him, and how to ask so as to receive an answer. When we understand the character of God, and know how to come to Him, He begins to unfold the heavens to us, and to tell us all about it. When we are ready to come to Him, He is ready to come to us.”
     I am so grateful for the knowledge that we can approach God in prayer and that we will receive an answer to our prayers.  Again, this may not happen right away, but as we continue faithful, our prayers and righteous desires will be fulfilled. 
I love the line "When we are ready to come to Him, He is ready to come to us.".  We can learn from this that we need not worry that we will not be listened to, we can know that the Lord is anxiously waiting to hear from us and the only thing stopping revelation is our asking for it.

25 Anniversary

My husband and I celebrated our 25 wedding anniversary on May 3rd and I can say that the thing that has helped us the most in our marriage is prayer and the miracle of understanding that can come through the spirit.  The hard thing is that the spirit speaks so softly.  Pride and stubbornness is so much louder!

Difficulties...only the Lord can understand

     I am so grateful for the doctrine of Eternal Families.
Something that I have thought of so much this week is that there are marriages that seem so difficult and seemingly impossible to reconcile.  I have a testimony that the Lord can heal and help us in our struggles.  I don't understand what others may feel and the extent of their challenges, but I do know that the Lord does understand. He is just waiting for us to leave our pride and our understandings behind us and come unto Him.
     When I think of the scripture about His yolk being easy and His burden light, I am comforted that it is worth the struggle to come unto Him.

The reason for the title "The Wise Man Built His House Upon A Rock"

The reason for the title "The Wise Man Built His House Upon Rock" is that I believe that the “rock” that we build our marriages and families on are the words that we say and the thoughts that we have.  When we are kind and compassionate and try to understand one another, we are building our relationships upon a rock.  Kind words, compliments, good memories together, acts of service, overlooking faults, focusing on strengths, are all ways we are building upon a rock.  When we fault-find, talk behind one another’s back, and focus upon each other’s weaknesses, we are building our relationships upon a sandy foundation.  We know what will happen when the rains and the floods come if we are built upon sandy foundation.  The only way our relationships will withstand the rains and floods that will certainly come is if we are built upon a rock.

Elder Dallin H Oaks

Excerpts from a talk given by Elder Dallin H Oaks in October General Conference 2013

“For Latter-day Saints, God’s commandments are based on and inseparable from God’s plan for His children— the great plan of salvation.” 

“We know that the marriage of a man and a woman is necessary for the accomplishment of God’s plan. Only this marriage will provide the approved setting for mortal birth and to prepare family members for eternal life.”

“The power to create mortal life is the most exalted power God has given to His children… Outside the bonds of marriage between a man and a woman, all uses of our procreative powers are to one degree or another sinful and contrary to God’s plan for the exaltation of His children.” 

“We know that through the God-given power of choice, many will hold beliefs contrary to ours, but we are hopeful that others will be equally respectful of our religious beliefs and understand that our beliefs compel us to some different choices and behaviors than theirs.”

A teaching of President Thomas S. Monson applies to this circumstance. At this conference 27 years ago, he boldly declared: “Let us have the courage to defy the consensus, the courage to stand for principle. Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God’s approval. Courage becomes a living and an attractive virtue when it is regarded not only as a willingness to die manfully, but as the determination to live decently. A moral coward is one who is afraid to do what he thinks is right because others will disapprove or laugh. Remember that all men have their fears, but those who face their fears with dignity have courage as well.” (As quoted by Elder Dallin H Oaks