Let your light so shine

You've heard the story about the BYU Jerusalem Center where the church promised not to proselyte if they would let the church build it?  Signed all kinds of papers promising not to leak the gospel to anyone anywhere in Israel.  After it was all said and done one Israeli official lamented, well they may not proselyte but what are we going to do about the light in their faces?

I found this quote on one of my favorite blogs today:

The Lord said,“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”(Matthew 5:16)

President Davis O. McKay explains how we accomplish this command.

“There is another responsibility correlated and even co-existent with … agency, which is too infrequently emphasized, and that is the effect not only of a person’s actions, but also of his thoughts. Man radiates what he is, and that radiation affects to a greater or lesser degree every person who comes within that radiation” (“Free Agency … the Gift Divine,” Improvement Era, February 1962, 87). 

So within each of our souls is a light, the source of our own aura. This light within us, when we are in tune with the Holy Ghost, becomes a bright white aura that permeates around each person who is spiritually in tune with God. When Satan sends tempting thoughts to entice us to think evil, he does not know our thoughts. How does he know that we are giving into his enticements to think evil? He knows this because he can see our personal aura diminishing from bright white, while filled with the Holy Spirit, to less and less light as we withdraw ourselves from the Holy Spirit into sin. 

Thus we see that letting your light so shine is real. People can sense that there is something pure and uplifting about you when they are near you. Those souls who are sincerely seeking spiritual enlightenment will be led by the Light of Christ to us as we are led by the Holy Ghost to them for the blessing of both, that both might be uplifted and edified. So many of our nonmember friends and family are seeking spiritual enlightenment but know not where to find it. Let them find it in us.

We are commanded to become a power for good upon the earth. By drawing nearer to the source of all righteous spiritual power, Our Heavenly Father, we are able to shine forth as a light into the darkness and influence many others to come unto us so that together we can come unto Christ so that He, Our Savior, can take us home to God.

Amazing photos

Science and art meet in these amazing photos.  Who can deny a creator for these beautiful creations?

Blast from the past

President Benson has been gone for many years.  But his warnings were plentiful and timely.  I remember these talks clearly because I was a young adult/young married person when he was presenting these ideas in conferences.  This one was given just after my daughter Jan was born.  I have tried to follow his counsel in being prepared.  I feel a great obligation to pass this warning/preparing message.  Will you listen to the prophet?  Will you avoid the consequences of difficult times on our doorstep by preparing spiritually and temporally?  Learn to discern the voice of the spirit in your lives. Be courageous in following that voice. Fast and pray to know God's will for you and your families.  Carefully determine your priorities for your time right now.  Carefully determine the priorities for the money you have been blessed with. Now is the time to prepare. Follow the prophets.

Connections

This is an awesome  article from Meridian Magazine. M. Catherine Thomas is talking to people who struggle with same sex attraction but as I read it, I realized everyone has similar issues and can benefit from seeking to love before seeking to be loved.  She tells us things that I haven't really understood before about how to connect with the spirit. She talks about many other things as well.  I felt encouraged and uplifted after reading her thoughts.  I invite you to take a few minutes to see if you have the same reaction I did.

Great Great Grandma Horne

This article appeared in the August 1982 issue of the Ensign.  I have posted another blog about her husband Great Great Grandpa Horne.  Power couple. Great examples.

Mary Isabella Hales Horne: Faithful Sister and Leader

By Lyneve Wilson Kramer and Eva Durrant Wilson

Isabella and Joseph Horne knew immediately that the earnest strangers were speaking the truth—as did Leonora and John Taylor and many others in their Toronto, Canada, neighborhood who had come to hear the Mormons one June day in 1836. ¹The occasion was a fulfillment of prophecy: “Thou shalt go to Upper Canada, even to the city of Toronto, the capital,” Heber C. Kimball had said to Parley P. Pratt in an April 1836 blessing, “and there thou shalt find a people prepared for the fulness of the gospel, and they shall receive thee, and thou shalt organize the Church among them, and it shall spread thence into the regions round about, and many shall be brought to the knowledge of the truth and shall be filled with joy.”²

For the Hornes, their introduction to the gospel was truly a new beginning. Married only weeks earlier, the young couple would dedicate their lives to building the kingdom and serving the Lord. And Isabella, then seventeen, would bear and nurture many children, provide valued leadership as a prominent and respected woman in the Church, and would yet enjoy the company of prophets.

Mary Isabella Hales was born to Stephen and Mary Ann Hales on 20 November 1818 at Rainham, Kent County, England. The Hales and their family of five sons and two daughters emigrated to York (later renamed Toronto), Canada, where Isabella met Joseph Horne at a Methodist camp meeting in 1834. They were married two years later (9 May 1836), joined the Latter-day Saints, and offered their home as a residence for the elders and a meeting place for investigators. ³

“I first met the Prophet Joseph Smith,” writes Isabella, “in the fall of 1837, at my home in the town of Scarborough, Canada West. When I first shook hands with him I was thrilled through and through and I knew that he was a Prophet of God, and that testimony has never left me, but is still strong within me. … While in Canada he visited all the branches of the Church, and gave the saints instructions. … Brother and Sister Taylor, my husband, and I enjoyed the privilege of accompanying the Prophet on these visits. … I heard him relate his first vision when the Father and Son appeared to him: also his receiving the Gold Plates from the Angel Moroni. … While he was relating the circumstances, the Prophet’s countenance lighted up, and so wonderful a power accompanied his words that everybody who heard them felt his influence and power, and none could doubt the truth of his narration.” ⁴

March of 1838 found the Hornes, together with a small company of Saints, on the road to Far West. Isabella carried in her arms “a little baby girl in very delicate health and was herself far from strong,” being about five months pregnant and “so exhausted at night that it seemed as though nature would yield.” ⁵ The tiny settlement of Huntsville, a hundred miles from Far West, became their new home, where “they lived in wagons with the exception of one week, when Mrs. Horne was sheltered at a neighbor’s house where her son Henry James was born.” ⁶ In August they joined the larger body, of Saints at Far West. ⁷

Mob persecution was a constant menace to the Saints during this time, and in less than a year the Hornes and others had been forced to leave their homes for the shelter of Plattsburgh, Missouri, some twenty miles distant. Here, recalled Isabella, they had an interesting encounter with the townsfolk:

“At first the people threatened to mob us, but upon becoming acquainted with us, finding us peaceable and industrious urged us to settle among them. They said if they had known we were intelligent people they should not have disturbed us. … While [we] were there, the Prophet and his brethren were removed from Richmond to Clay Co. and passed one night at Plattsburgh. The citizens flocked to see them, seemed astonished to see such fine looking intelligent men, and so joyful.” ⁸

By May of 1839 the little family had emigrated to Quincy, Illinois. Here “they had to begin at the beginning. Mrs. Horne earned considerable with her needlemade shirts for the men in the printing office; they stayed there for three years. Mr. Horne also earned money teaming, etc. … Here another son was born, and this baby and their oldest daughter died.” ⁹

Isabella met the Prophet again in Quincy; this time he was only a few steps ahead of the mobsters. “Bro. Joseph Smith and several of the brethren and sisters came to Quincy,” she recalled. “They came to [my] house, partook of refreshments and scattered. Bro. Joseph was in the best of spirits. He said laughingly: ‘Sister Horne, if I had a wife as small as you, when trouble came I would put her in my pocket and run.’” ¹⁰

On another occasion, Isabella recorded that “the Prophet Joseph, in company with a number of the brethren, came to Quincy, and the Prophet laid the condition of the affairs of the Church before Governor Carlin.

“On his return from his visit to Governor Carlin, the Prophet sent the brethren ahead on their return trip, telling them he would follow later. When he reached Lima, where they intended to remain over night, he found officers of the law awaiting him. They arrested him and brought him back to Quincy. … About noon the next day the Prophet came to our house and said, ‘Sister Horne, the Spirit always draws me to your home.’ ‘Brother Joseph,’ I said, ‘you are always welcome. But how is it you are here when I thought you were almost home?’ ‘Haven’t you heard that I have been in court all morning?’ he asked. … ‘I told the officers that I would be forthcoming at any hour in the morning they might name, if they would let me go, so here I am. What am I to do? They won’t let me have my trial in Nauvoo, but are going to take me to Walla Walla. I thought I should be at home by this time where my wife would look after my clothing. …’ ‘I will wash your clothing,’ I answered. ‘Indeed, Sister Horne, you do not look able to do it.’ I insisted, and he finally consented, as I told him my Saturday’s work was all done. I prepared his clothing that afternoon, so that he was ready for his journey in the morning.” ¹¹

In March 1842, Joseph and Isabella and their family moved to Nauvoo and commenced building a house about half a mile east of the temple. When their home was completed, Joseph went into the mercantile business. ¹²

Isabella soon became a member of the newly-organized Relief Society, and later recalled President Emma Smith’s instructions: “She exhorted us to faithfulness in the discharge of our duties and especially to humble ourselves and not ask God to humble us as He might do it in a way that would not be very pleasant to us. These remarks made a lasting impression on my mind.” ¹³

Nauvoo was home for four years, in the midst of hardship and persecution. Then it was time to begin the long, arduous journey that would ultimately end in the valley of the Great Salt Lake. Closing their business in February of 1846, they crossed the Mississippi River and camped at Sugar Creek in the snow. Progress was slow in the face of freezing temperatures, illness, and scarcity of supplies, and it was late spring before they arrived at Winter Quarters. A daughter, Elizabeth, was born to Isabella along the way. ¹⁴

In their eleven years of marriage, Isabella had given birth to seven children. Two sons and a daughter had died. Now, in June 1847, they began the trek toward Salt Lake with sons ages nine, five, and three, and young Elizabeth.

Isabella tells of an incident that occurred on their journey west. “In the month of July, when camped on the north side of the Platte River, we saw a large band of Indians located on the other side about half a mile ahead. In the morning Apostle John Taylor had invited my husband to drive on before the company to meet the Indians who were swimming over the river to trade. One Indian brought a pony to my wagon and wanted to trade for my baby girl fourteen months old. I said, ‘No trade.’ He brought a second and third pony and indicated that he was very determined to have my baby. She was born in a wagon while we were traveling through the Pottowattamie nation of Indians when coming from Nauvoo to Council Bluffs. Sister Hoagland, who rode with me, was very much excited for fear he would snatch her from my arms and run off. While he had gone for the fourth pony, the main body of the train came up. I had no further trouble with him.” ¹⁵

The wagon train arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on 6 October 1847; it was evening, and “we traveled in the dark, having no guide but the flickering light of the campfires on Pioneer Square,” Isabella writes. “Our tent was soon pitched, and we felt thankful to our Heavenly Father for preserving us on our long and arduous journey of four months, and that we had arrived at a place of rest. We lived in a tent until logs could be obtained from the canyon for a house.” ¹⁶

As the Saints grew in numbers, President Brigham Young “found it advisable to organize a Relief Society.” ¹⁷ Isabella Horne was appointed first counselor to President Phoebe Woodruff in the Fourteenth Ward; the leadership was reorganized in 1867 with Isabella as president. Thus began her remarkable tenure of leadership among women of the Church. ¹⁸

Ten years later, by unanimous vote, Mary Isabella Horne was sustained as “President of the Relief Society of Salt Lake Stake of Zion.” ¹⁹ She held this office until the stake was divided into six stakes when she was eighty-five years old in 1903—twenty-six years.

In the fall of 1869, Isabella was issued another challenge. President Young, touring southern Utah with other Church leaders, was troubled by the fact that wherever they went, great preparations were made for their entertainment. The sisters even stayed at home instead of going to meeting. When he arrived in Gunnison, where Isabella was visiting her son, he spoke with her about the matter. “Sister Horne,” he said, “I am going to give you a mission to begin when you return to your home—the mission of teaching retrenchment among the wives and daughters of Israel. It is not right that they should spend so much time in the preparation of their food and adornment of their bodies, and neglect their spiritual education.” ²⁰

Isabella took the president’s concern seriously. Upon returning to Salt Lake, she, together with Eliza R. Snow and Margaret T. Smoot, visited with President Young and received further direction. Following a series of informal meetings with ward representatives in her home, the Senior Retrenchment Association was organized on 10 February 1870 with Mary Isabella Horne as president and Sarah M. Kimball as secretary. Afterward, “Mrs. Horne carried out the theory of the meeting by seating the entire company at a neatly spread Retrenchment Table, consisting of good bread and butter, with stewed dried apples, one kind of cake, blancmange and cream and preserves and cold water.” ²¹

Brigham Young’s idea of retrenchment extended to the younger generation, as well. In late November 1869, he called his daughters together at home and organized them into a Junior Retrenchment Society. Later, at their first meeting as an organization, Sister Horne met with them to help establish guidelines and refine the organization, which was a forerunner of the Young Women’s Mutual Improvement Association. ²²

The Senior Retrenchment Association apparently functioned separately from the Relief Society, although Isabella served as the Retrenchment president for thirty years (1870–1900) and as stake Relief Society president for twenty-six years (1887–1903). ²³

But her labors were not confined solely to religious endeavors. She served as a member of the Deseret Hospital committee for twelve years; as a counselor to Zina D. H. Young in the Silk Association; and as president of the Women’s Cooperative Mercantile and Manufacturing Institution. ²⁴

Active in the suffrage movement, Isabella was chairman of the “Mormon Women’s” Mass Protest Meeting held in the Salt Lake Theater on 6 March 1886 at which “the dense but orderly multitude thronged into the building, which was soon packed from pit to dome.” ²⁵ The meeting had been convened “to protest against the indignities and insults heaped upon the wives and daughters of ‘Mormons’ in the District Courts, and also against the proposed disfranchisement of those of their sex who are innocent of breaking any law.” ²⁶

At a general Relief Society meeting held in the Fourteenth Ward Assembly Hall on 19 July 1880, President John Taylor set apart the officers of the newly-called Central Board. (The name was later changed to General Board.) Eliza R. Snow was named general president. Mary Isabella became treasurer, a position which she held until 1901 when, at the age of 83, she asked to be released. Even so, she continued on the board until her death in 1905. ²⁷

Emmeline B. Wells, also prominent among Utah women and a long-time friend and associate of Isabella in civic and religious endeavors, said of this remarkable woman: “[she] was a born leader, a sort of General among women, and indeed in this respect might surpass most men. … —A woman of great force of character, and wonderful ability, such a one as might stand at the head of a great institution and carry it on successfully. … Even President Young once nominated her for Justice of the Peace, and in character and ability to judge, she was not unlike Deborah of old, or Queen Elizabeth of modern time. … Sister Horne can appropriately be called a stalwart, a champion for the rights of her own sex, and indeed for all mankind. … Sister Horne had a fine presence on the platform, or in the pulpit, spoke with great earnestness and was wise in her utterances, prophetic in nature, familiar with the scriptures and handled her subjects well. Like others of her time, she was undoubtedly a woman of destiny.” ²⁸

This “woman of destiny” who had borne fifteen children, including three sets of twins, was a much-loved mother and grandmother. ²⁹ From the Journal History, as well as from the journal of her granddaughter, Elizabeth Horne Durrant, we learn that on 10 November 1893, her seventy-fifth birthday, a surprise party was given her in the Fourteenth Ward Assembly Hall. “Among the invited guests,” reads the account, “were the First Presidency of the Church, members of the council of Apostles, Presiding Bishopric, Presidency of the Salt Lake Stake, the Bishop and his counselors of the ward in which she now resides and where the gathering took place, the local officers of the Stake and National Relief Societies and a large number of other prominent persons.” ³⁰ The hall was beautifully decorated with bunting, flowers, and plants, and a place in front was reserved especially for the Horne family. Words of praise and gratitude flowed.

Mary Isabella Hales Horne received the honors as graciously as she had lived her life.

If ye are prepared ye shall not fear

The following is a thought-provoking talk from a ward's emergency preparedness specialist.  Maybe the younger generation of adults haven't heard all of these quotes by the general authorities of the LDS church.  This is a good synopsis of what we have been commanded to do.  There are many more stories and quotes that are not in this talk.  For a more comprehensive library of words of the prophets and leaders Here is a great source on learning what our responsibilities are from the Lord in this regard.  Let's help each other get prepared!

If you will be responsible

Elder Jorge F. Zeballos of the Seventy spoke in the April 2015 General Conference titled “If You will be Responsible”.   He says – Let us press forward by LEARNING our duty, making correct decisions, acting according to those decisions and accepting the will of our Father.

What responsibility do we have as members of the Church of Jesus Christ? President Joseph Fielding Smith expressed it as follows: “We have these two great responsibilities. … First, to seek our own salvation; and, second, our duty to our fellow men.”2

Salvation means reaching the highest degree of glory that our Father has provided for His obedient children.3 These responsibilities that have been entrusted to us—and which we have freely accepted—must define our priorities, our desires, our decisions, and our daily conduct.

President Thomas S. Monson has taught us that “men cannot really long rest content with mediocrity once they see excellence is within their reach.”4 How, then, could we be content with anything short of exaltation if we know that exaltation is possible?

Allow me to share four key principles that will help us fulfill our desire to be responsible to our Father in Heaven as well as respond to His expectation that we become as He is.

1.    Learning Our Duty
2.    Making the Decision
3.    Acting Accordingly
4.    Willingly Accepting the Father’s Will

Learning our Duty: Today I would like to talk about learning our duty associated with Food, Water, Clothing and Fuel Storage.  Being prepared in an Emergency.  Being able and willing to help others and possibly ourselves in times of need. 

Here is what Spencer W. Kimball has to say about it - “How Often do Church members arise early in the morning to do the will of the Lord?...How often do we say, ‘Yes, I will obey the COMMANDMENTS to store food and to help others, but just now I have neither the time nor the money to spare; I will obey later’?... While we procrastinate, the harvest will be over and we will not be saved.  Now is the time to follow Abraham’s example; now is the time to repent; now is the time for prompt obedience to God’s will.” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p.174)

Our beloved Prophet President Monson in the September 2014 Ensign titled Are We Prepared said it this way: Are we prepared for the emergencies in our lives? Are our skills perfected? Do we live providently? Do we have our reserve supply on hand? Are we obedient to the COMMANDMENTS of God? Are we responsive to the teachings of prophets? Are we prepared to give of our substance to the poor, the needy? Are we square with the Lord?

And many of you may remember the First Presidency Letter dated June 24, 1988 which was read in Sacrament:

"We continue to encourage members to store sufficient food, clothing and where possible, fuel for at least one year. We have not laid down an exact formula for what should be stored. However, we suggest that members concentrate on essential foods that sustain life, such as grains, legumes, cooking oil, powdered milk, salt, sugar or honey, and water. Most families can achieve and maintain this basic level of preparedness. The decision to do more than this rests with the individual.

"We encourage you to follow this counsel with the assurance that a people prepared through obedience to the commandments of God need not fear."  (First Presidency letter read in Sacrament Meetings, June 24, 1988, Ezra Taft Benson, Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson)

Learning our duty means understanding that Food, Water, Clothing and Fuel storage is a commandment from God. We are asked to obey all of God’s commandments.  By following this counsel we have been assured that we will not fear.

Making the Decision: Today is the day that we choose to put food, water, fuel and clothing storage on our list of accomplishments. 

Each morning alternate this phrase:  I choose to make time for food storage today.  I choose to make time for water storage today, I choose to make time for fuel storage today and I choose to make time for clothing storage today.  Remember these phrases in your prayers.  Ask Heavenly Father for further light and knowledge as to what and how you can store.

Here are some quotes that might help steer you in the right direction as to why you want to make this decision today:

In April 1986 President Ezra Taft Benson said, “Pride is characterized by “What do I want out of life?” rather than by “What would God have me do with my life?” It is self-will as opposed to God’s will. It is the fear of man over the fear of God.” (Cleansing the Inner Vessel )

The next year in October 1987 General Conference President Benson said: I ask you earnestly, have you provided for your family a year’s supply of food, clothing, and where possible, fuel?  

Dallin H Oaks said, “As the Book of Mormon teaches, “this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; … the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors” (Alma 34:32). Are we preparing?”  (Preparation for the Second Coming April 2004)

And in that same talk he also said:

“How oft have I called upon you by the mouth of my servants, and by the ministering of angels, and by mine own voice, and by the voice of thunderings, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms, and by the voice of famines and pestilences of every kind, … and would have saved you with an everlasting salvation, but ye would not!” (D&C 43:23, 25).

Ezra Taft Benson said, “When will all these calamities strike? We do not know the exact time, but it appears it may be in the not-too-distant future. Those who are prepared now have the continuing blessings of early obedience, and they are ready. Noah built his ark before the flood came, and he and his family survived. Those who waited to act until after the flood began were too late. (October 1973 Prepare Ye)

Dallin H Oaks said, “While we are powerless to alter the fact of theSecond Coming and unable to know its exact time, we can accelerate our own preparation and try to influence the preparation of those around us.” (Preparation for the Second Coming April 2004)

And Ezra Benson also said “Too often we bask in our comfortable complacency and rationalize that the ravages of war, economic disaster, famine and earthquake cannot happen here. Those who believe this are either not acquainted with the revelations of the Lord, or they do not believe them. Those who smugly think these calamities will not happen, that they somehow will be set aside because of the righteousness of the Saints, are deceived and will rue the day they harbored such a delusion. The Lord has warned and forewarned us against a day of great tribulation and given us counsel, through His Servants, on how we can be prepared for these difficult times. Have we heeded His counsel?...” Ezra Taft Benson (Ensign, Nov 1980)

Make the decision today to obey God’s commandment and get your house in order

Acting Accordingly

L Tom Perry said in General Conference October 1995  “I believe it is time, and perhaps with some urgency, to review the counsel we have received in dealing with our personal and family preparedness…We have been instructed to follow at least four requirements in preparing for that which is to come. Gain an adequate education, Live within your income, Avoid unnecessary debt, Store a reserve of food supplies…As long as I can remember, we have been taught to prepare for the future and to obtain a year supply of necessities. I would guess that the years of plenty have almost universally caused us to set aside this counsel. I believe the time to disregard this counsel is over. With events in the world today, it must be considered with all seriousness.”

Gordon B. Hinckley said “I am suggesting that the time has come to get our houses in order… I urge you, brethren, to look to the condition of your finances. I urge you to be modest in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt to the extent possible. Pay off debt as quickly as you can, and free yourselves from bondage. (October 1998 To the Boys and to the Men)  

Prepare for the Days of Tribulation Ezra Taft Benson said of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles In a spirit of love, members of the Church have been counseled to be thrifty and self-reliant; to avoid debt; pay tithes and a generous fast offering; be industrious; and have sufficient food, clothing, and fuel on hand to last at least one year.

April 1976 Vaughn J. Featherstone said about food storage: Most of us can afford such basics. Buy them from your monthly food budget allowance. The Church discourages going into debt to buy for storage…find someone who sells large bulk of grains.  Make arrangements to buy a ton or so of grain.  Find someone who sells honey in large containers and make arrangements to buy what you can afford.  Buy a little additional sugar each time you go to the store.  Purchase dry milk on a systematic basis.  Buy a case of salt the next time you go to the store. Store enough water for each member of your family to last at least two weeks. 

Keep working on this each day until you have 1 year in your house.  So how much is a ton of grain going to cost you?  If you were to go to the LDS cannery and purchase a ton or 2000 lbs of hard red wheat it would cost you $480.00.  This would meet the grain criteria for 5 people for 1 year.  For those gluten intolerant please remember to add wheat to your food storage as it will be necessary to sprout for vitamins.  Those who are gluten intolerant can add more beans, lentils, quinoa and other grains which do cost more but it is still very affordable when purchased in bulk.

Willingly Accepting the Father’s Will

Discipleship requires us not only to learn our duty, make correct decisions, and act in accordance with them, but also essential is our developing the willingness and the ability to accept God’s will, even if it does not match our righteous desires or preferences.

Elder Dallin H Oak’s said:  To borrow a metaphor from the familiar world of athletic competitions, we do not know when this game will end, and we do not know the final score, but we do know that when the game finally ends, our team wins.  (Preparation for the Second Coming April 2004)

Let us press forward by learning our duty, making correct decisions, acting according to those decisions, and accepting the will of our Father.

Brothers and Sisters please trust me when I say I have so much more to say about this topic.  Heavenly Father wants us to rally the troops.  He wants to inspire you to get your storage in order.  He wants you to get your house in order.  He loves you, he trusts you, he wants you independent above all other beings.  Let’s do our part and show him that we love him.  Let’s obey this commandment as our prophets have instructed us to do.

If I could sum it all up I would say this:

We are to watch and be ready,

We are to live obediently and be ready to meet him

We are to be prepared for the calamities that will come upon the earth

We are to be prepared for famines and pestilences

We are to be prepared for wars and rumors of wars

We are to be prepared for personal and family crises

We are to be prepared for local and national emergencies

We are to be prepared for world calamities

We are to be prepared for the turbulent times which are to precede his coming

We are to be prepared for the day of His return.

Again, we are to “Watch” and “Be ready!”

Amazing Art from Mapleton

Marble runs have always fascinated me.  Karl Hale from Mapleton crafted this gem with his family.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuRwTgdM2nI  This is the link to watch it work on youtube. I couldn't get the link to work seamlessly on here but it is worth the extra effort to see this.

History of the Bikini

This is an interesting and important short video explaining the fascinating history of bikini-wearing women in the last 60 years or so.  Very empowering thoughts and ideas.

Miracle story

I love hearing miracle stories.  This is exceptionally miraculous.  Enjoy!

"A few years after the pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, a young man took an ox team up Millcreek Canyon on a cold winter day to get logs to build a house. It was extremely cold, and the snow was deep. His sled held five large logs. After he loaded the first one, he turned around to load another. In that instant, the log already on the sled—22 feet long and about 10 inches in diameter—slipped off the sled and rolled down on him, striking him in the hollow of his legs. He was thrown face-forward across the four logs still on the ground and pinned there, alone, with no way to extract himself. He knew he would freeze to death and die alone in the mountains."The next thing this young pioneer remembered was waking up, sitting on a load of five logs nicely bound on his sled with his oxen pulling the load down the canyon. In his personal history he wrote, 'Who it was that extricated me from under the log, loaded my sled, hitched my oxen to it, and placed me on it, I cannot say' (Marriner Wood Merrill, in Jeaneen Merrill Anderson, "Pinned to the Ground," Church News, Sept. 6, 1997, 16). Thirty-three years later, that young pioneer, Marriner Wood Merrill, was ordained an Apostle.

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Great self-help advice from Kim Giles, life coach

• Surround yourself with happy people. Stay away from complainers.
• Start a gratitude journal and write in it daily.
• Break out of your rut. Take risks, change habits and start doing new and interesting things.
• Do something nice for yourself every week.
• Set some goals.
• Keep commitments you make to yourself so you can accomplish your goals.
• Learn something new every week.
• Plan something fun to look forward to.
• Choose to trust your value isn’t on the line. You are perfectly who you are meant to be at this point in your journey. You are good enough right now.
• Choose to trust that your life is just a classroom and every experience a lesson.
• Don’t stress about things that are out of your control.
• Set realistic expectations about other people’s behavior. Recognize that all bad behavior is a request for love.
• Increase your ability to respond to your life. Read self-help books, take classes and learn better ways to handle problems. Work on your relationship skills.
• Take some pressure off yourself. You don’t have to do everything perfectly.
• Quit comparing yourself to other people.
• Speak your truth. Stop holding things in that build resentment.
• Say no and protect yourself from guilt trip obligations. If you can’t do it with a smile, don’t do it.
• Choose to be more loving to others.
• Listen more and talk less.
• Find ways to show your spouse you unconditionally love him. When you choose to be more loving, it increases feelings of self-worth because you like who you are.

When you take back your power, choose happiness and create good self- worth, your relationship with your spouse will improve. This happens because when you love who you are, other people tend to love you more, too.

'What is the Book of Mormon?': Video created by 3 returned missionaries answers the question | Deseret News

'What is the Book of Mormon?': Video created by 3 returned missionaries answers the question | Deseret News