Lessons for the Weary- Conference 2018

 

Precious Gifts from God

by President M. Russell Ballard

 

 

How I love conference every six months.  I find myself enjoying it more and more the older that I get.  I find myself focusing on the words and how they apply to me.  This talk was wonderful.  He brought up so many good points.  I love taking the chance to review his words.  

“For verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

If we have faith as small as a mustard seed, the Lord can help us remove the mountains of discouragement and doubt in the tasks ahead of us as we serve with God’s children, including family members, Church members, and those who are not yet members of the Church.

Brothers and sisters, life can be filled with faith, joy, happiness, hope, and love when we exercise the smallest amount of real faith in Christ—even a mustard seed of faith.

 

I also loved how he talked about technology and how we spend so much time with it.  How it has good things about it, but also there are bad.  It can be addicting and influence people to never have a real conversation with each other.  Everything is online.  Everything is posted.  Everything is there waiting for someone to find it.  I love how he counseled us to unplug so that we may find the time to hear the still small voice. 

I also enjoyed reading about service.  How important that is for us and how Peter tells us in the scriptures tell us that Jesus, "went about doing much good". 

What a wonderful tribute to our Savior.  His ministry was one not only of teaching, but of serving others. 

Perhaps the words that mean the most to me, are simply,

In our discipleship, we have many demands, concerns, and assignments. However, some activities must always be at the heart of our Church membership. “Wherefore,” the Lord commands, “be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.”

 

May we all be responsible for serving those who need us most. 

 

Imagine what we could accomplish

I love this one.  Life is hard.  No matter what is going on for each one of us.  My trials are not your trials, they are mine.  To me, they are hard enough.  Imagine what we could do for each other if we quit comparing ourselves to anyone else and just accepted each other and loved each other.  As is, no holds barred, short-comings and all.  What an amazing thought. 
I look at the world today, and it scares me sometimes.  There are so many people who hate and want vengeance.  There are people who convince themselves that they have been wronged and slandered.  Maybe, they have, but wouldn't it be better if we could just get along?  Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could actually be the adults that we profess to be and stop being unkind, unthoughtful, uncaring and even just plain mean. 
What a difference we could make in the world around us, if we could just accept each other and love each other through the hard times.  Sometimes, wouldn't it be especially meaningful if we could treat those in our own families that way.  Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to get angry with someone you know, rather than someone you don't?  Yet the ones we know deserve our love and acceptance even more than strangers we might meet. 
As we have done foreign exchange students over the years, I have learned to love deeply those with differing beliefs.  I have learned to see their countries through their eyes.  I have shared their food, and their hopes and their dreams.  In teaching them, I too, have been taught.  I have been uplifted.  I have been loved.  I have been so blessed in the sharing of good with them. 
So today, let us try to be just a little more Christ-like in our day to day living.  Reach out a hand, give a smile, help your neighbor, be a friend.  We really can change our small corner of the world.  So, let's bring a little light to the darkness and fill the world with more love and peace.  I know we can do it.  I know I can change this little piece of heaven here on the earth.  I think it might even be worth the extra effort. 

Sabbath Day Scribblings - You are a Child of God

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.

 

 

Standing With God

 

It is so easy to stand with the world.  I can look at my own life and see all my mistakes.  I can see the things that I don't do enough of (or maybe even at all!)  I can see the need to pray more, read my scriptures more, study more.  In short, I see all my faults and failings.  Sometimes, it is easier to focus on those things than on the things I may actually be doing right.  We have as story in the Book of Mormon about Lehi.  It is called Lehi's dream.  In the story, there is a large and spacious building that calls out to those who are living and partaking of God's word and love.  Many people are led astray by the others in that building.  They feel ashamed that they are partaking of the fruit of the tree.  The wonder away from the straight and narrow path and are either lost, or join those in the great and spacious building. 

In todays world, that building is probably bigger than it has ever been.  There are so many people who are willing to lead us away from following the Lord.  There are so many conflicting ways and so many good things we can do.  We don't even have to be doing bad things, we just don't have to be doing the best we can do. 

God is not dead.  He never has been.  I know that He doesn't always answer the way that I would like Him too, but if I wait long enough, He always answers in a way that is best for me.  He allows me trials, that I might find joy in the overcoming of them.  He shows me people who hate, that I might learn not to behave in the same way.  He shows me forgiveness and mercy, that I might give those to others around me. 

In short, He gives me blessings each and every day and all things testify of Him.  I would so much rather be found standing with Him, that against Him.  As easy as it is to walk away, the only thing that prevents us from coming home to Him is our own pride.  His arms have always been opened wide to welcome us back. 

May we all be found partaking of the fruit of His love.

The Perfect Mother

There is no one perfect way

to be a good mother.

Each situation is unique.

Each mother has different challenges,

different skills and abilities,

and certainly, different children....

What matters most is that a mother

loves

her children

deeply.

Elder M. Russel Ballard

For a few days, I want to talk about real mothering.  Not the kind that you think you ought to do, but really, the kind that we all manage to do.  We live in a society that is filled with photoshopped perfection.  Things that seem real but aren't.  Songs that are sung over and over with bits taken here and there until we have what seems like a perfect whole.  

Being a mother is hard.  It is work.  It is joy.  It is rewarding.  It is still so very, very hard.  

There is the fussy times, the whining time, the tantrum times, the teenage times, the moody times, the joyous times, the laughter, the fun, the picnics, the hikes, the playing, the chores, the cleaning, the family.  

Being a perfect mother is a job that lives in our dreams.  We compare ourselves to this woman so much, that we start to believe more and more, how much we are lacking.  The perfect mother is in our heads, and we really need her to step out of there for awhile.  

I am not perfect.  I tried really hard for a long time and failed miserably, but the one area that I think I have succeeded in is that my children know they are loved.  Every single one of them.  They might not understand how much, or what I am willing to go through for them.  They might not know what I have given up and what I have gained because of them.  But every single one of the has no doubt that they have always been loved.  

I remember the moment when they were each put in my arms and I held them and looked into their sweet baby eyes and smelled their hair and counted their fingers and toes.  I remember how much that small little miracle meant to me.  They have grown since them and many have their own miracles.  I love how your heart just opens up to include them right inside.  I love how part of you is always, always with them, even if they don't know it.  

I love my children, in all the amazing, miraculous moments; through all the trials and heartache and the hurt and sad.  We walk together into the love; and that has always been enough for me.