A copy

A copy of my talk.....

Finding Spiritual Protection to be able to Endure

In his talk in the October General Conference, Elder Cook spoke about the prophet Jeremiah and his prophetic mission. Jeremiah was given the task of warning the people of Jerusulem about their impending destruction and imminent bondage.

Elder Cook said,

During the years before the destruction of Jerusalem,5 the messages the Lord gave to Jeremiah are haunting. He said:

“My people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. …

“… They have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed … out … broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”6

Speaking of the calamities to come upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Lord lamented, “[For them] the harvest is past, the summer is ended, and [they] are not saved.”7

How sad that these people had failed to take full advantage of their lives. They had given over their spiritual freedom for things that had no value.

When I read this, I thought to myself. “I’m so glad my summer isn’t past! I’m so relieved that I still have time to harvest!”

We know from the scriptures that our time on earth is given to us to work out our salvation. We are given this very small mortal window to learn and to make our choices.

So….how do I learn to make choices that will allow me to preserve my spiritual freedom?

I tell you, sometimes I don’t know.

I do know that when I get confused and when there are voices all around me that clamor for my attention and I start to feel like I’m not sure who is speaking the truth, I am learning to turn always to the source of life and love.

I am learning to take a step back and refocus on the Savior.

Unlike the people of Jerusalem that did not listen to Jeremiah, Jesus sacrificed all other things in order to maintain his spiritual freedom. His consistently righteous choices allowed him to maintain absolute power over his ability to choose. His example is the one I want to follow. His life is the one I want to pattern mine after.

As I face my own choices I must ask myself…

“What did he say about how I should treat people?”

“What did he do when those around him had ideas that differed from his?”

“How did he treat those that did not live his teachings?”

“How did he find the strength to move forward in the face of frightening circumstances?”

“What did he say about love? And forgiveness? And compassion for others?”

When I search the scriptures for answers to these questions, I find:

Ephesians 4:32

32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

John 15;12  12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

And then again in John 13;34-35

34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

BY THIS!! It is by our love for others that those around us should hopefully be able to identify us as followers of Christ.

Because Jesus did these things, I too will

1) Offer my help and support

2)Listen and try to understand the feelings and circumstances of another

3)Share the truths of the gospel that have brought me clarity or peace

4)Offer prayers on their behalf

5)Forgive

6)Be kind

7)Allow others to  change

8)Recognize when it is time for me to change

I am grateful for the scriptures and that we have some account of the Savior’s life. I am thankful to have a that place to look for guidance in my choices.

Another way I find spiritual protection is by remembering the times in my life when I felt the most sure of the Lord’s love for me and when I clearly recognized His had in the details of my life. These experiences have given me an anchor to hold on to when I am going through more uncertain or difficult times.

• Psalms 77:11

• 11 I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old

Deuteronomy 4:9 “Take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life.”3

I’d like to share one of these times with you….

In February of 2007, my Dad was in the final stages of Early Onset Alzheimer’s. He was no longer able to speak or care for himself. He did not remember my mother or any of us kids. He was failing quickly and when my mom called me to tell me that he would probably pass away in the next day or two, I put a little Megan in her car seat and drove to Utah as quickly as I could, hoping to be able to say goodbye to my father. While I was driving across the country, my 6 siblings were making there way from as far away as Japan. We all arrived expecting to have a few moments with our father, most likely not aware that we were there even awake to see us. Instead, he opened his eyes and he seemed to wake up. For 3 days, he was able to walk and listen and most amazingly, he knew us. Each one of us had the opportunity to spend time alone with him. While my mother slept, I was able to feed him his lunch and then go on a short walk around the block with him. I told him all the things that I wanted him to know. I told him how thankful I was for the love that he gave me and that he was a great father. He stopped and put his hand on my face and he told me that he loved me too. He knew who I was and I was able to have that moment with him to remember.  Over the course of that 3 days, each one of my sibling was able to have a similar experience and soon we all left and returned to our homes.  As I drove back to Arkansas with my baby girl. I felt the Spirit so strongly and I knew that all of that was a gift from my Father in Heaven. He made it possible for us all to gather around our dad and communicate our love for him and feel his love for us. I will never forget such a merciful and kind thing was done for me and my family.

John 14:26

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”5

This is one of several experiences I turn to when I am feeling like a need a little lift or when I am going through less certain times.

But just like I can no longer depend upon my parents to feed and clothe me, walk side by side with me steer me through the path of my life, I cannot forever depend solely upon past memories of the Spirit to sustain me through the ever-increasing hardships of the future. I must build new memories. I must provide my present and future self with the strengthening experiences that give me confidence and faith in the love of my Heavenly Father.  And the love of my Brother for me.

How can I do this?

As I follow the example of the Savior when I am making my daily decisions, I am simultaneously building the memories that will help me to endure in the future. All that remains is to be aware and recognize the presence of the Divine in the minutia of the day.

Elder Eyring’s talk “O Remember, Remember”

When our children were very small, I started to write down a few things about what happened every day. Let me tell you how that got started. I came home late from a Church assignment. It was after dark. My father-in-law, who lived near us, surprised me as I walked toward the front door of my house. He was carrying a load of pipes over his shoulder, walking very fast and dressed in his work clothes. I knew that he had been building a system to pump water from a stream below us up to our property.

He smiled, spoke softly, and then rushed past me into the darkness to go on with his work. I took a few steps toward the house, thinking of what he was doing for us, and just as I got to the door, I heard in my mind—not in my own voice—these words: “I’m not giving you these experiences for yourself. Write them down.”

I went inside. I didn’t go to bed. Although I was tired, I took out some paper and began to write. And as I did, I understood the message I had heard in my mind. I was supposed to record for my children to read, someday in the future, how I had seen the hand of God blessing our family. Grandpa didn’t have to do what he was doing for us. He could have had someone else do it or not have done it at all. But he was serving us, his family, in the way covenant disciples of Jesus Christalways do. I knew that was true. And so I wrote it down, so that my children could have the memory someday when they would need it.

“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?” As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done.

”More than gratitude began to grow in my heart. Testimony grew. I became ever more certain that our Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. I felt more gratitude for the softening and refining that come because of the Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ. And I grew more confident that the Holy Ghost can bring all things to our remembrance—even things we did not notice or pay attention to when they happened.”

When I was young, I was a journal keeper. I wrote all the way through my high school and college years, through my mission and into the first couple years of marriage. Now I keep a blog about our family and the little things we experience on a daily basis. I believe that what Elder Eyring says is true. I can see the the Lord in our lives when I take the time to notice Him there. I can also see that he is guiding us along bit by bit and as I look back over the years, I see that he is showing us He loves us and also showing us the way back to him.

Close with my testimony of the Savior.