The Silent Sound

Did you know that there is a sound that children can hear, but their parents can't?  I have heard about it before, but never known where to find it.  I have heard about it because I sometimes teach college classes and cell phones continue to be a big problem in class.  Presbycusis is a common degenerative condition that affects most adults. (How is that for a fancy name of a condition that you just might have!  Do you feel old yet?)
People who are affected by this usually start losing the ability to hear higher frequency noises around the age of 18 and their hearing progressively deteriorates throughout their later years in life. Can you believe that the association between advanced age and high-tone deafness was first described by a Dutch scientist in 1899.
This condition is considered a natural side effect of aging, and the exact cause of this type of hearing loss is unknown.
Modern day teenagers have discovered a way to take advantage of this unique situation.  There are cell phone ring tones on the web that allow teenagers to hear this sound in places that receiving calls or text messages might be inappropriate.  Places like church, school, concerts and work.
I was surfing the web the other night (something I like to do, but don't usually find the time for) and I came across a website that plays the sound over your computer.  As long as the speakers are on you can hear (or not hear) the noise.  It is called a mosquito ring tone.  I went to one of the web sites and played the "noise" over my computer.  All three of the girls immediately said, "what is that annoying noise?  What is making that sound".  They started looking around for it.  My husband said, "What noise?  There is no unusual noise in here."  The girls than started to explain the noise to him.  He did not believe them.  They argued about the buzzing sound.  I sat, smiling at my computer.

How does what you hear or don't hear make a difference in learning the gospel?  We have heard often, that we need to become as little children.  My little children can hear things that I can't.  They can listen to things that I don't know.  Maybe the message should be to learn to listen as a child would listen.  To really pay attention to that soft sound.
How many of you have ever sat in a church meeting, or gospel discussion and had something in the talk just really make a difference in how you look at things?  Have you ever wondered why others don't learn the same information that you do?  I have.  Especially when I believe that it is a great talk or lesson.

I was reading in one of the past ensigns and found this thought:
"Now I would ask you to think about...your own ability to have great spiritual experiences as you attend a class or a sacrament meeting on Sunday. What is your role in creating the environment in which the Spirit can teach you the things you need to know?  If you find a Church class or a sacrament meeting boring, does that say more about the teacher—or about you?
Consider the response of President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) when someone once asked him, “What do you do if you find yourself caught in a boring sacrament meeting?” President Kimball thought a moment, then replied, “I don’t know; I’ve never been in one.”  With his long years of Church experience, President Kimball had undoubtedly been to many meetings where people had read their talks, spoken in a monotone, or given travelogues instead of teaching doctrine. But most likely, President Kimball was teaching that he did not go to sacrament meeting to be entertained; he went to worship the Lord, renew his covenants, and be taught from on high. If he attended with an open heart, a desire to be “nourished by the good word of God” (Moroni 6:4), and a prayer—rather than judgment—for the speakers, the Spirit would teach him what he needed to do to be a more effective and faithful disciple. President Kimball was teaching the principle of learning by the Spirit"  (A. Roger Merrill, “To Be Edified and Rejoice Together,” Ensign, Jan 2007, 64–69).  

This simple story about President Kimball really struck a cord in me.  I could not say the same thing about my own experiences in church meetings.  I think that President Kimball was trying to teach me that I need to take responsibility for my own learning.  I need to do the things to prepare myself so that the Spirit can teach me.
I have sometimes heard people complain that they did not like a lesson or talk.  I know that there have been weeks where I don't think that I learned anything.  Reading this about President Kimball made me take another look at the way I do things.
I have learned that part of taking responsibility for my own learning means taking the time to prepare to be taught.  When I read my scriptures daily, study the lesson, and pray for the teachers and the speakers, I have found that I get much more out of my meetings.  I also started carrying a composition notebook and pen in my scriptures.  It is a small one that fits in the pocket of my scripture case.  I use that to write down the thoughts, scriptures, and stories that mean the most to me.  I try to find at least one thing in every talk that applies to me.  I have been doing this for a little more than two months now, and I can honestly say that I have not been to a boring meeting since I have started this experiment.

So, take this challenge and prepare yourself to be taught.  You might just be a little surprised as your ears are opened and you hear the lessons that the Lord wants you to hear and find a way to apply them in your life.   And you just might find out (as I have done) that there really are no boring Sacrament meetings.

By the way, I didn't hear the mosquito noise either, but I sure wasn't going to let my girls know that!  Sometimes, what they don't know, won't have the chance to hurt them!

I have a Choice

"The Lord doesn't expect us to work harder than we are able. He doesn't (nor should we) compare our efforts to those of others. Our Heavenly Father asks only that we do the best we can—that we work according to our full capacity, however great or small that may be."

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Two Principles for Any Economy," Ensign, Nov. 2009, 56

We live in a society were we are taught to not take responsibility for our actions.  I have often heard people make statements about how they made choices because of the way they were raised.  They did not have an ideal life, so it is not their fault that they were caught stealing, lying or cheating.  Their parents did not love them enough, they did not have family home evening, or scripture study.  They did not have friends.  I could go on and on. 
When are we accountable for our actions?  I am not trying to take away the things that have happened to any of us.  I know that some people live or have lived, in horrible circumstances.  I know from personal experience that life is often hard and heart breaking.  But, I do not understand how we can be so ready and willing to blame others for the difficulties that we have caused ourselves. 
Sometimes, it seems to me that we can be in a real hurry to get the blame off of ourselves and give it to someone else.  We are in such a hurry to not be accountable, that we fail to learn the lessons and receive the blessings that our Father has in store for us.

Think for a moment about the story of Nephi.  We read a lot about him in the Book of Mormon.  I would venture to say that 1st Nephi is probably one of the most read books of the scriptures!  (I can't tell you how many times I have read through 1st Nephi because I started to have a scripture study program, only to come back and read it again much later because I stopped studying and had to start over!)  Do you think that Nephi had a perfect family?  I know his father was a prophet, but what about his brothers?  Do you think that Nephi ever suffered from having a disfunctional family?  I do!  In our life today, what would happen if your older brothers tied you up for four days?  Or beat you with a stick?  Sounds just a little abusive to me.  In today's society, it sounds like an excuse just waiting to happen!
I don't recall reading Nephi and hearing him complain that he couldn't be the prophet because his brothers treated him so badly.  I don't recall hearing him complain that no one would listen to him.  I don't recall hearing him complain when his bow broke and he had to make a new one that wasn't as good.  I don't even recall him complaining when Heavenly Father told him to build a ship!  (How would you like to build a ship when you have never in your life done anything like that before!)
I think that Heavenly Father put Nephi at the beginning of the scriptures to help us realize that no one has a perfect life.  There are really none of us that have it "easy".  It might appear that way to other people, but it is probably not at all true.  We all have bad things happen to us.  Some are worse than others.  We can't change the things that happen, we can't change illness, we can't change the decisions of others, we can't change what is wrong in our life, but we still have a choice in how we deal with the situations. 
Our free agency does not stop others from using their free agency to do us harm.  Our free agency can only help us to deal with the problem that is presented to us.  Am I going to be like Laman and Lemuel?  Two bullies who complained when they did not get their own way and tried to force others to do things their way.  Or am I going to be like Nephi and go and do the thing which the Lord has commanded me to do?
The choice in how I behave is up to me. 

"I am responsible. Although I may not be able to prevent the worst from happening, I am responsible for my attitude toward the inevitable misfortunes that darken life. Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have – life itself."
Walter Anderson

Know For Yourself

Sometimes, it feels to me, like Heavenly Father must be busy somewhere else.  I am sure that He is often needed elsewhere, and I know the world does not revolve around my needs.  Still, it is so hard to do what I am supposed to do when I don't see or understand the blessing.  Have you ever felt that way?  Are there times in your life when you question His purposes.  Are there times when you doubt that He hears your prayer?  Or doubt that He remembers you are there and you are suffering?
I think we have all felt that way.  It is so easy to get the "poor me" attitude.  It is so easy to forget who we are.  I have discovered in my life that the spirit is always around me.  It is not a case of Him not hearing me, it is a case of me not hearing Him.  Of me not recognizing the sound of His voice in my life.  I have found some things to do that help me feel the spirit and recognize the still small voice in my life on a daily basis.
The first one, is to never let a general conference go by without using it as an opportunity to hear the spirit testify of the truth.  I had a very wise seminary teacher a long time ago, who taught us that we should always pray to know for ourselves of the truthfulness of those things we hear during conference.  The Lord will answer those heartfelt prayers and you will Know of the truthfulness of the talks and messages given.
The nice thing about doing this, is that it helps you to be more aware of what the spirit feels like.  I have done this simple exercise twice a year for over 35 years now.  It is amazing how much that simple task means to me.  I never go through a general conference without feeling the spirit or getting a witness that the President of the Church is truly a Prophet of God.  Now, after so many times of that influence in my life, it makes it much harder for me to believe that the Lord is not mindful of us.  It gives me a slight spiritual edge.  It takes away the doubt and fear.  I KNOW He is here.
The second thing is relatively new for me.  Each day, for the past couple of months, I have prayed that I may have the Holy Ghost to guide me in my choices.  I pray for that each morning before I do scripture study with my family.  I have found as I struggled with remembering to do this everyday, that I am calmer, more peaceful, more loving, and my ability to feel that spirit has increased.  The spirit is easier for me to recognize and it is also easier for me to follow the promptings instead of talking myself out of it.
Now, I am so far from perfect.  I struggle through many things.  I still don't understand why tramadic things happen to my family.  It has been a very rough year for my family.  Both last year, and this one.  I honestly don't know why some of the things are happening.  But taking the time to pray about it and knowing how to listen for the answer and the comfort, has made it bearable.  I don't question as much as I did before.  I am praying to learn the lessons He wants me to learn instead of asking "why me?" or "Why my family?"

Richard G. Scott, in the last General Conference stated: "Father in Heaven knew that you would face challenges and be required to make some decisions that would be beyond your own ability to decide correctly. In His plan of happiness, He included a provision for you to receive help with such challenges and decisions during your mortal life. That assistance will come to you through the Holy Ghost as spiritual guidance. It is a power, beyond your own capability, that a loving Heavenly Father wants you to use consistently for your peace and happiness.
I am convinced that there is no simple formula or technique that would immediately allow you to master the ability to be guided by the voice of the Spirit. Our Father expects you to learn how to obtain that divine help by exercising faith in Him and His Holy Son, Jesus Christ. Were you to receive inspired guidance just for the asking, you would become weak and ever more dependent on Them. They know that essential personal growth will come as you struggle to learn how to be led by the Spirit.
What may appear initially to be a daunting task will be much easier to manage over time as you consistently strive to recognize and follow feelings prompted by the Spirit. Your confidence in the direction you receive from the Holy Ghost will also become stronger. I witness that as you gain experience and success in being guided by the Spirit, your confidence in the impressions you feel can become more certain than your dependence on what you see or hear".

Our Heavenly Father does answer prayer.  He is aware of you.  He knows your needs.  He is there.  It is up to you to learn to hear His voice above all the other noises and distractions in the world today.
What are you doing to find Him?

The fruit of the spirit

Sometimes, it seems so hard to feel the spirit in my life.  I struggle, I pray, I read scriptures and I cry.   I wait and I try listening, but sometimes it seems as if my Heavenly Father just isn't there for me.  I know that we have all felt that way at one time or another in our lives.  Today, I was listening to a talk CD in the car on the way to Show Low, and the speaker recited a scripture in the New Testament.  It was one that I am sure I have read before, but it was not marked. This scripture was an answer to my prayers for the spirit to be with me.   

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance:  against such there is no law.

So, have you been happy today?  Have you been kind to someone else?  Have you treated your husband (or wife) with love and respect?  Have you felt peace and calm?  If you have felt any one of those things, than you have felt the spirit with you today.   Remember that the spirit does not speak with a loud voice although sometimes, I think that I would like it to.   Sometimes, I would just like to KNOW that He is listening!  So this scripture was exactly what I needed to hear and in a way that I needed to hear it.  It was the still, small voice, spoken in such a way that even I could understand.  I could recognize the voice through the understanding of the scriptures.
So who do you think you are?  The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “If men do not comprehend the character of God, they do not comprehend themselves.”  Knowing who you are—who you really are—is closely tied to knowing God, for you are His children. Think for a minute what this quote means.  We have part of the divine nature of our Heavenly Father inside us.  If we honor that nature and come to know it and appreciate it, we can also come to a closer understanding of our Heavenly Father and a greater understanding of ourselves and what we need to accomplish here on the earth. 

Elder Richard G Scott said:  "With all my capacity I encourage you to discover who you really are. I invite you to look beyond the daily routine of life. I urge you to discern through the Spirit your divinely given capacities. I exhort you to prayerfully make worthy choices that will lead you to realize your full potential".

So part of understanding and discovering who we are happens as we make worthy choices that lead us ever closer to our Heavenly Father.  Part of discovering who we are, also involves looking past the normal cares and worries of the world and seeking the gifts that He has given each one of us.  We are supposed to be in the world, but not of the world.  I think that the world works a lot like background noise in our lives.  If you let it, the background noise (or cares of the world) can overwhelm everything else.  We can get so involved with the daily aspects of living, that we don't think of anything else.  We don't try to find and hear the whispers of the Spirit that is trying to guide us. 

President Gordon B Hinckley:  "Never forget that you came to earth as a child of the divine Father, with something of divinity in your very makeup. The Lord did not send you here to fail. He did not give you life to waste it. He bestowed upon you the gift of mortality that you might gain experience—positive, wonderful, purposeful experience—that will lead to life eternal.".

We are daughters of our Heavenly Father who loves us, and we love Him!  Think about what those words mean.  He does not want you to fail!  He sends help for you all along the way.  He knew that we would each make mistakes, but the amazing part is that those mistakes were already atoned for!  Now we just need to take His name upon our selves and live His laws and His teachings. Of course, there will be some problems along the way. We all have difficulties to overcome. But they will not last forever. He will not forsake us on our journey.  One of my favorite hymns can be found in the LDS Hymn book.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings; name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done. …

So amid the conflict, whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged; God is over all.
Count your many blessings; angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.
(“Count Your Blessings,” Hymns, no. 241)

He is watching over each of us.  He hears your prayers and will answer them.  He loves each one of us and shows us that love through the constant blessings that He gives to us.  Let the Holy Spirit guide you in all that you do and be aware of it always in your life.  Remember that you will recognize the Holy Spirit in your life through the fruit that it brings to you.  You can always become someone different than you are today.  If the road you have traveled is not the road you want to be on, than turn around and change.  You can do it. You will have friends and loved ones to help. And God will bless you as you pursue your course home to Him.

October 20th 2009

Today is a pretty busy day. I have been working on reports all morning and just need a little break. Maybe Chocolate will help! I was out all night on a fire. I got to stand and freeze and watch the guys put it out. It was a pretty cold night, so all of us were quite chilly and the guys were wet and very cold. It is quite different to work for the fire department. It is a job I really love. Too bad that there are some things going on right now that I am having a hard time with. All of us that used to be "part timers" have now become full fledged volunteers. That means we don't get paid for any more than five shifts a month. That has really given me a problem. Before, I could justify what I love to do based on the fact that it at least paid a little bit and helped support my family. Now I can't really justify all the hours that I used to spend on it because it has now become nothing more than a hobby. It would be a lot easier if I did not love to run on the ambulance and be part of this quite so much. Supposedly, the decision has to do with FLSA laws that say we cannot work those hours. All my research has not shown that to be true, but what do I know? I am just a volunteer. So, now I am researching the issue online and also spending more time with my totally great family. I suppose that this is what I need to be doing now.
I am trying to find the time to make everyone a halloween cape before the big day. I bought YARDS of black satin and the patterns to get the costumes made. Now it is just the cutting, pinning and sewing. To say nothing of all the blankets that I am behind in. I need to just set that sewing machine up on the kitchen table and have a great week or two. I would be really remiss if I did not write about the past couple of weeks. I was able to go to Time Out for Women. This is an event for Latter Day Saint Women and it is the first time that I have been able to go. I really loved it. I was able to listen to the speakers and feel motivated and uplifted. I really have a desire to draw closer to my Heavenly Father and to follow His counsel and teachings. I especially love the talk from John Bytheway. He spoke of a challenge that was given. Here is my favorite part.

Here's the experiment that was referenced in the talk. A Dr. Watson asked women to perform this experiment:
"For five days in their morning prayers, they were to pray with concerted effort for the Holy Ghost to be with them that day. Then, throughout the day, as they encountered any difficult, tempting, or trying situation, they were to pray for and really picture the Spirit being right there with them.
Among the results they experienced were:
An increased desire to "de-junk" their physical environments. A greatly reduced desire to watch TV. An increased desire to reach out to others and follow through on commitments. An increased ability to be kinder, gentler, and more patient. An increased desire to take care of their bodies by living the Lord's law of health more fully. An increased ability to see how they could have handled situations better. An increased mental focus. An increased ability and desire to study and learn. A greatly decreased desire to backbite, gossip, or be cynical. A dramatic increase in their physical energy because energy-draining negative emotions were gone. An unbelievable reduction in stress. Profound changes in their conversations with others."

The really amazing part of this challenge is that I tried it out for myself and it really worked! I have had a truely wonderful week that has been full of the spirit. Even the fighting between the girls in our home has decreased. That is pretty amazing as they all are teenager want-a-bees. I am so much happier and so much calmer than I have ever been. I need to keep doing this. I hope that it might be something that all of you want to try too. Have a wonderful day!