Whoa

So, the other day during scripture study I came across this quote from Melvin J. Ballard's The Three Degrees of Glory. More than likely it was largely to do with the fact that by the time I got around to cracking open my Book of Mormon that day it was 1:00 in the morning but this quote just completely blew my mind so I thought maybe it would be worth passing on. Any thoughts? (Anyone actually reading this stuff?)
“A man may receive the priesthood and all its privileges and blessings, but until he learns to overcome the flesh, his temper, his tongue, his disposition to indulge in the things God has forbidden, he cannot come into the celestial kingdom of God—he must overcome either in this life or in the life to come. But this life is the time in which men are to repent. Donot let any of us imagine that we can go down to thegrave not having overcome the corruptions of the flesh and then lose in the grave all our sins and evil tendencies. They will be with us. They will be with the spirit when separated from the body.

“It is my judgment that any man or woman can do more to conform to the laws of God in one year in this life than they could in ten years when they are dead. The spirit only can repent and change, and then the battle has to go forward with the flesh afterwards. It is much easier to overcome and serve the Lord when both flesh and spirit are combined as one. This is the time when men are more pliable and susceptible. We will find when we are dead every desire, every feeling will be greatly intensified. When clay is pliable, it is much easier to change than when it gets hard and sets.
“This life is the time to repent. That is why I presume it will take a thousand years after the first resurrection until the last group will be prepared to come forth. It will take them a thousand years to do what it would have taken but three score years and ten to accomplish in this life.
“You remember the vision of the redemption of the dead as given to the Church through the late President Joseph F. Smith. President Smith saw the spirits of the righteous dead before their resurrection and the language is the same as one of the Prophet Joseph’s revelations—that they, the righteous dead, looked upon the absence of their spirits from their bodies as a bondage.
“I grant you that the righteous dead will be at peace, but I tell you that when we go out of this life, leave this body, we will desire to do many things that we cannot do at all without the body. We will be seriously handicapped, and we will long for the body, we will pray for that early reunion with our bodies. We will know then what advantage it is to have a body. . . .
“The point I have in mind is that we are sentencingourselves to long periods of bondage, separating our spirits from our bodies, or we are shortening that period, according to the way in which we overcome and master ourselves” (Melvin J. Ballard, The Three Degrees of Glory, pp. 11–13).

It kind of makes me hope to have a long, long mortal life - I want to be as prepared as possible and have that much the advantage in the world to come. And doesn't it make you kind of appreciate your body just a little more, knowing how much more difficult things will be for us without our bodies? Anyway, Nate and I both kind of just went, "whoa" after we read this quote and hopefully you did too. (If not, maybe you should stay up until 1:00 in the morning and read it again - worked for us!) By the way, the scripture it goes along with was Alma 34:32-35

New Calling

Not me this time. This one is for Nate. He's been calling-less now for about a year so we are both excited that he will finally get to serve again. He will be teaching the 16 year old Sunday School and he's pretty happy about it. He taught his first lesson today and I think it went pretty well. He's really great with the youth so I know this will be a good one for him.

Gratitude

I graduated from High School ten years ago this past spring and because of the reunion and thanks largely to the internet I've been able to follow up on a lot of old friendships. I was so pleased and happy to see that the majority of the men I graduated with served missions, were married in the temple, and are raising families in the church. Also, that most of the women I graduated with are active in the LDS church, married to returned missionaries, and a large majority have chosen to stay at home and raise their children in the church. Even many friends who had problems with drugs, alcohol or sex have made a complete turnaround in their lives these past ten years and I am genuinely delighted to see it.

I contrast that to the few friends that have since left the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Sadly, few were very surprising but even so I am very, very sorry to have it confirmed. And it's not to say these people are living unhappy lives or doing terrible things or anything like that, but I just feel sorry that they do not have the Gospel in their lives the way our Heavenly Father intended. As I've read their blogs or facebook pages or whatever google thing I came up with on them, I have just felt so, so heavy and sorry that they have left the church. And then I have imagined the different courses my life could have taken. That is why I want to express my gratitude today in this post.

I am truly grateful to parents who stuck together no matter what, who set an example for me to follow during the rocky times in my own marriage. I am grateful they set boundaries and gave me rules. I am grateful they insisted on Family Home Evenings, prayers and scripture study even though we weren't 100% regular on those things. Beyond that I am grateful to them for being active in the church my whole life. What a tremendous example. We didn't play with friends or shop or go to Lagoon on Sundays. We went to church. We went to girl's camp and youth conference and mutual nights and that was because my parents expected nothing less from us. So Mom and Dad (probably my only readers on this blog), thanks for the choices you made that have helped me to get to where I am today. I can't imagine trying to get through this life without the Gospel in it.

I am also grateful for grandparents who have lived honorable lives, full of church service and activity, and most importantly have loved unconditionally and supported me no matter what. I've been so blessed to be able to learn from their examples. And of course, I am grateful they raised my parents the way they did.

I am grateful I was guided to and chose to marry Nate. It's always been right - always. He has encouraged and supported me in every calling or assignment I've ever had. And he's been so willing to participate every time I've suggested we should increase our scripture study, church activity, Family Home Evenings, etc. We've hit some bumps along the way and haven't always been as active in the church as we are trying to be now but we are learning together that life is better when we are following the Lord. Nate is a good man and he's trying harder now than ever. I'm so proud.

I am of course grateful to a loving and wise Heavenly Father. I've often wondered what I did to be born into such favorable and blessed circumstances. It truly amazes me.

Now I don't say these things to place myself above anyone else or to be boastful. And I certainly don't want to give the impression that I'm looking down upon or trying to judge my former friends who have left the church. I don't claim to know their circumstances or their hearts but I do know that I have the gospel in my life and they don't. And for me that means I may not have all the answers but I know where to find them. I may make a lot of mistakes but I know exactly how to get back on track. I may have disappointments, trials, and unexpected challenges just like everyone else, but I have been given the Gift of the Holy Ghost and can recieve peace, guideance and personal revelation straight from my Heavenly Father who knows my needs far better than I. I know where I came from, why I am here, what is expected of me in this life and where I will go when I die. I have the opportunity to be guided by a prophet who speaks for the Lord and can see all things from beginning to end. My sight is far too limited and my judgement is far too flawed to go it alone in this increasingly scary world.

I know, not think or believe or guess, but know that living a life in accordance with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the only way to achieve lasting happiness in this life and a fulness of joy in the life to come. That is the life I want to be living. And when I think about the directions my life could have gone instead, I am so thankful to the people who have helped and continue to help me choose to be where I am now.

Welcome Back!

So, I'm back in Young Women. I have been set apart as the Mia Maids Advisor, a calling I previously had 2 years ago. After I met today with the new presidency though, it appears much has changed since I was in and of course, every presidency does things differently than the last as well. So, even though I've had this calling before, it seems there will still be much to learn. I am a little disappointed because I will only get to teach twice a month. It seems a little strange to me because that's my calling as an advisor - to teach - and yet I don't get to do it every week. The presidency will teach on the first Sunday and my councilor wants to teach every other week and the 5th Sundays are combined with the Young Men. I guess I could look at it another way, I get a break 2 or 3 Sundays out of the month, but right now I'm not thrilled about it. I'm trying to have a good attitude though and just wait and see what happens. :) Another change from when I did this before is that the current Mia Maids group is the largest in the entire Young Women. When I was teaching two years ago I was never even sure if I'd have even one girl to teach to. So that's a good thing.

I'm also disappointed about one other kind of big thing. I just signed on (and paid for) the Davis Master Chorale Christmas season. I was so excited about singing again but the choir meets Tuesdays at 7:30 and mutual is the same day at 7:00. There's no way I can do both and I just wouldn't feel right never showing up to mutual. Oh well. Like I said before, we do what we're asked to do in this church and have the faith that all will be for our good.

I had a surprise in Sacrament Meeting (a happy one), when they announced that I was also being released from my primary piano playing calling. It's not that I don't like the calling, but now that I won't be in Relief Society anymore, I really want the chance to be in Sunday School for a while. Especially since I'll get to be in there with Nate. I teared up just a little as the kids sang "A Child's Prayer" but on the whole I feel a great sense of relief that I won't have to manage two callings anymore. However, it sounds like I can't put away my book of preludes just yet. Apparently there are no piano players in the whole Young Women group. It's terribly sad if you ask me. Anyhow, they've asked me to be the Young Women Accompianist and I of course, happily agreed to do it.

I taught my final Relief Society lesson today. It was fantastic. I just felt so energetic and enthusiastic. The lesson went flawlessly and I had plenty of participation - I even learned some new things from them today! It was such a great lesson to go out on because it was a lot of fun to prepare and was a great discussion to lead today. I honestly learned more from this lesson than from any other I've ever given. What a great way to end my time in Relief Society! I managed to get through without any emotion at all which was the best part because I was able to express my appreciation for the sisters and for the calling, say my "goodbyes" and bare my testimony without blubbering.

I'm mostly excited about this new calling and the things I'm not really very thrilled about I'm sure will work themselves out. As I write this I'm already getting a little homesick for Relief Society but I'm a believer that there is a time and season for everything and I know I'll be back some day.

New Calling

I'm being released on Sunday from my dream calling (sniff, sniff). I'll let you know what my new calling is after I've been set apart on Sunday. I have to say I really didn't see this coming. I have loved, loved, loved being in Relief Society for the last almost two years and I will be very sorry to leave so soon. I really had found my niche in teaching RS and so that's probably why I'm being forced into a new, uncomfortable and intimidating calling.

Last night I was kind of in shock about it. Today I'm feeling a little better. It's not the first time I've been upset about a new calling at first - in fact I've had this very calling before and was upset about it the first time. What makes it even harder this time is that I've been released from a calling I absolutely loved and was totally comfortable with and have been asked instead to serve in a calling I don't love, and in fact was really glad to be released from the first time around. Hmph. Maybe Heavenly Father is giving me a chance to go back and do a better job (and have a better attitude about it?) I don't know.

I will say this, I have a strong testimony about callings. My own personal experience has taught me that no matter how I feel about a calling initially, when I give it my all, I always benefit. I'm sure it will be the case with this new calling as well. I can't imagine right now for what purpose I've been given this new call because I honestly don't feel like I belong there. I don't feel like I'm the best person for the job. Well, we do what we're asked in this church. I intend to give it my usual 100% and we'll see what happens.

Stay tuned.