Some time ago I experienced several years of health problems that were painful, confusing and scary. Before these trials I felt confident in my ability to valiantly live the gospel of Jesus Christ, but as they progressed I began to feel like I was drowning. As years went by, my thoughts turned repeatedly to the story of Peter walking through the predawn darkness on the sea of Galilee to reach Jesus (Matthew 14:22-33). During my youth I could not understand why Peter ever looked away when it was so simple to see that keeping his focus on Jesus would keep him from sinking. As an adult I realized that maintaining my focus on Jesus would protect me from sinking in my trials, but that simple goal was not easy to achieve when waves of pain and winds of fear were constantly threatening to swamp me. I spent a lot of time choking with my head barely above water, and I often wished I could get back into the boat where it was safe and comfortable. But gradually I began to recognize the important lessons the Lord was teaching me.
The Lord's words illuminated my experience: "If men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them" (Ether 12:27). I realized that the Lord was blessing my efforts to come to Him by exposing my physical, mental and spiritual weaknesses. If I humbled myself and continued to exercise faith in Him, eventually He would make me strong. My prayers changed from desperate pleas to rescue me immediately to humble requests for just enough grace to endure the day well. The pain and uncertainties remained, but with a sense of wonder I recognized the Lord's hand reaching into my heart and gently lifting me above the tempest.
We are not capable of walking on water nor coming to Christ without the buoyant strength of our Savior. In Ether 12:28 the Lord explains how we - like Peter - will finally reach Him. He says, "I will show unto them that faith, hope and charity bringeth unto me." These characteristics of Christ are the stepping stones that bring us to Him, but only those with humility can reach them through the illuminating and uplifting power of the Atonement.
Just as dawn brought light to the breathless and dripping Peter, the darkness in my life eventually lifted as many health challenges abated. I can still see my weaknesses, but like Peter I have experienced the Savior's buoyant strength. He continues to show me how faith, hope and charity work a mighty change in my heart to bring me to Him. This quiet miracle seems no less wondrous to me than learning how to walk on water.
March 25, 2014
March 20, 2014
Stand As Witnesses of God's Love
Each Sunday young women across the church recite the promise that they will “stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places" (Young Women Theme, Mosiah 18:9). These beloved daughters of God are preparing to fulfill the important missions He has assigned to them. As I ponder the importance of sacrifice in divine love, I realize that the Lord has entrusted each mother with the responsibility to stand as the first witness of His love to her children. Even before our babies are born, we witness of the Savior’s selfless love when we endure morning sickness, overwhelming fatigue and the painfully stretched body that is required to create a physical body for them. We testify that our Savior loved us enough to suffer for us while we labor to give our children birth. We teach of God’s constant loving care while nursing babies in the middle of the night, even as we weep in the darkness from exhaustion. A mother’s tenderness prepares her children to recognize the tender mercies (Psalms 145:9, 1 Nephi 1:20) of the Lord throughout their lives. In His perfect plan, our Heavenly Father ordained that children would experience His love from the very beginning of mortality through their mother. The testimony of mothers stands even stronger when fathers engage in the parenting to stand as additional witnesses of God’s love.
The prophet Nephi was given a vision about the love of God (1 Nephi 11) when he approached the Lord with his questions about a similar vision given to his father. Nephi saw a beautiful tree, and when he asked for the interpretation, he was first shown the mother of Jesus. Then he saw scenes from Jesus’ ministry, including His death. In this vision Mary stood as a first witness of God’s love, and all mothers have the opportunity to follow her example and testify through our lives of the selfless love of our Savior. Women who do not have the opportunity to become mothers in this life also find ways to stand as witnesses of God’s love and thereby find great purpose and fulfillment. My unmarried sister is a good example to me of this. She nurtures relationships with her nieces and nephews despite the great cost in time and money. She reaches out in love to family members who no longer come to church. If they ever decide to come back, their way will be easier because she has witnessed to them of God’s unfailing love for them. Like my sister, women do not need to wait for marriage and motherhood to begin standing as witnesses of God’s love in ways that bring significant blessings to God’s children.
The worldly voices around us do not encourage women in making sacrifices to stand as witnesses of God’s love. The idea that men’s roles and responsibilities are more important and Godly than women’s roles and responsibilities is confusing to many. Even for good women, it is easy to be swayed by the idea that having children and caring for them is nothing but drudgery, and the important accomplishments in life are found elsewhere. I remember a time during college when I realized how greatly I had been blessed with opportunities to learn. My parents and countless teachers, coaches and other leaders had invested much in my growth. I pondered about why the Lord had granted me so many opportunities to be educated and develop talents. I thought He surely must have some great mission for me to accomplish later in life, but I could not imagine what it might be. Several years later I learned the answer. As I sat on my bed rocking my first newborn baby, the Lord brought that question back to my mind. The warmth of the Spirit wrapped around me and confirmed that this was why the Lord had invested so much in me. I could not perceive it as a college student, but mothering my children was the significant mission that required so much preparation.
How important is the responsibility to teach of God’s love? When Jesus was asked to state the greatest commandment, He responded, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40). Paul taught, "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love" (Galatians 5:14, also 1 Timothy 1:5). As I ponder these verses, the Lord helps me see how His gospel really does ‘hang on’ or have its basis in love. All of the commandments have charity, or Godly love, as their underpinning – love of God, His love for us, and the charity we feel for our neighbors. The second commandment is interpreted to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, but Jesus taught a higher way to love others. “A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another" (John 13:34). We are to love and serve others as Jesus loved and served, and when we are filled with charity, living His gospel of loving service feels natural.
I remember hearing a counselor talk about the emotional damage people experience when they do not experience love from and develop a strong attachment to a caretaker early in life. I realized that while caring for my little children, I was fulfilling more than just their physical needs. I was also nurturing their capacity to love throughout their lives. The ability to love does not develop in a vacuum. We develop the capacity to love – and live the gospel – by experiencing God’s love, and we do that first through the love of our mothers. How grateful we are for the hope of healing through the Atonement for those who do not receive love early in life. Women have divine gifts that make them especially capable of sharing Christ’s nurturing and healing power with those who have missed out on love in their lives. As mothers we can spare our children much hardship by fulfilling their need to be encircled in the arms of their mother’s love – and thereby in God’s love (2 Nephi 1:15) – from the beginning of life.
Jesus set the perfect example of how to teach of Godly love, or charity. He set aside His great capacities and important responsibilities as “the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning” (Helaman 14:12) to come down to earth, live as a mortal, and serve. Throughout His ministry, Jesus made time to minister to individuals, not just large audiences. Mothers follow this pattern when we set aside other talents and opportunities for recognition to care for each of our children. At the last supper, Jesus humbly washed the dirty, smelly feet of the apostles. Does this not parallel the service of mothers who spend their days changing smelly diapers and cleaning up the other messes their little ones make? Is there a more pure way to love “not . . . in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and truth?" (1 John 3:18) Even though Jesus was the Son of God, every knee did not bow to Him during His mortal life – that will come later (Romans 14:11, Mosiah 27:31). So we who follow His way should not be surprised that we do not receive full recognition for our work in this life, important though it is. God always sees and blesses those who serve Him, but often those blessings are not fully manifest until the next life.
In the plan of salvation, women were not assigned the labors of mothering because we were not capable of anything greater. Rather, the Lord expressed great trust in women when He assigned us the crucial responsibility to stand as the first witnesses of His love to our children and thereby introduce them to the Godly love which supports the entire gospel. With this perspective in mind, we understand that every sacrifice that is required of us as women and mothers can prepare us to love as our Savior loves.
The prophet Nephi was given a vision about the love of God (1 Nephi 11) when he approached the Lord with his questions about a similar vision given to his father. Nephi saw a beautiful tree, and when he asked for the interpretation, he was first shown the mother of Jesus. Then he saw scenes from Jesus’ ministry, including His death. In this vision Mary stood as a first witness of God’s love, and all mothers have the opportunity to follow her example and testify through our lives of the selfless love of our Savior. Women who do not have the opportunity to become mothers in this life also find ways to stand as witnesses of God’s love and thereby find great purpose and fulfillment. My unmarried sister is a good example to me of this. She nurtures relationships with her nieces and nephews despite the great cost in time and money. She reaches out in love to family members who no longer come to church. If they ever decide to come back, their way will be easier because she has witnessed to them of God’s unfailing love for them. Like my sister, women do not need to wait for marriage and motherhood to begin standing as witnesses of God’s love in ways that bring significant blessings to God’s children.
The worldly voices around us do not encourage women in making sacrifices to stand as witnesses of God’s love. The idea that men’s roles and responsibilities are more important and Godly than women’s roles and responsibilities is confusing to many. Even for good women, it is easy to be swayed by the idea that having children and caring for them is nothing but drudgery, and the important accomplishments in life are found elsewhere. I remember a time during college when I realized how greatly I had been blessed with opportunities to learn. My parents and countless teachers, coaches and other leaders had invested much in my growth. I pondered about why the Lord had granted me so many opportunities to be educated and develop talents. I thought He surely must have some great mission for me to accomplish later in life, but I could not imagine what it might be. Several years later I learned the answer. As I sat on my bed rocking my first newborn baby, the Lord brought that question back to my mind. The warmth of the Spirit wrapped around me and confirmed that this was why the Lord had invested so much in me. I could not perceive it as a college student, but mothering my children was the significant mission that required so much preparation.
How important is the responsibility to teach of God’s love? When Jesus was asked to state the greatest commandment, He responded, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40). Paul taught, "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love" (Galatians 5:14, also 1 Timothy 1:5). As I ponder these verses, the Lord helps me see how His gospel really does ‘hang on’ or have its basis in love. All of the commandments have charity, or Godly love, as their underpinning – love of God, His love for us, and the charity we feel for our neighbors. The second commandment is interpreted to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, but Jesus taught a higher way to love others. “A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another" (John 13:34). We are to love and serve others as Jesus loved and served, and when we are filled with charity, living His gospel of loving service feels natural.
I remember hearing a counselor talk about the emotional damage people experience when they do not experience love from and develop a strong attachment to a caretaker early in life. I realized that while caring for my little children, I was fulfilling more than just their physical needs. I was also nurturing their capacity to love throughout their lives. The ability to love does not develop in a vacuum. We develop the capacity to love – and live the gospel – by experiencing God’s love, and we do that first through the love of our mothers. How grateful we are for the hope of healing through the Atonement for those who do not receive love early in life. Women have divine gifts that make them especially capable of sharing Christ’s nurturing and healing power with those who have missed out on love in their lives. As mothers we can spare our children much hardship by fulfilling their need to be encircled in the arms of their mother’s love – and thereby in God’s love (2 Nephi 1:15) – from the beginning of life.
Jesus set the perfect example of how to teach of Godly love, or charity. He set aside His great capacities and important responsibilities as “the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning” (Helaman 14:12) to come down to earth, live as a mortal, and serve. Throughout His ministry, Jesus made time to minister to individuals, not just large audiences. Mothers follow this pattern when we set aside other talents and opportunities for recognition to care for each of our children. At the last supper, Jesus humbly washed the dirty, smelly feet of the apostles. Does this not parallel the service of mothers who spend their days changing smelly diapers and cleaning up the other messes their little ones make? Is there a more pure way to love “not . . . in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and truth?" (1 John 3:18) Even though Jesus was the Son of God, every knee did not bow to Him during His mortal life – that will come later (Romans 14:11, Mosiah 27:31). So we who follow His way should not be surprised that we do not receive full recognition for our work in this life, important though it is. God always sees and blesses those who serve Him, but often those blessings are not fully manifest until the next life.
In the plan of salvation, women were not assigned the labors of mothering because we were not capable of anything greater. Rather, the Lord expressed great trust in women when He assigned us the crucial responsibility to stand as the first witnesses of His love to our children and thereby introduce them to the Godly love which supports the entire gospel. With this perspective in mind, we understand that every sacrifice that is required of us as women and mothers can prepare us to love as our Savior loves.
Why So Much Sacrifice?
I had much time to ponder my questions for the Lord while I spent painful months recovering from a surgery that was needed to correct complications from my pregnancies. One day during this time, my wonderful husband was helping our daughter learn how to ride her bike when she twisted the handles sharply and caused them to fall together. He injured his toe and it was sore for several weeks. At one point he expressed frustration that he could not complete the needed training for an upcoming triathlon because his toe was too sore to run. For months I had been barely able to sit up straight because of surgery and other painful complications. I did not feel very impressed with his sacrifice. I wondered again as I had before why so many of the sacrifices of parenting fall heavily on mothers.
Women are strong, but much of our strength goes toward the capacity to bear children instead of building stronger muscles. The resulting disparity in physical strength between women and men has made women vulnerable to oppression and abuse. When women choose to stay at home with their children instead of pursuing a career, they become financially vulnerable. Even women who never have children in this life experience many of the burdens that go along with a body capable of bearing children. Why must this be? Could there not be another way to accomplish God’s plan for us? Is it offensive to the Lord for me to ask Him those questions?
Pondering these things leads me to the words Jesus spoke as He suffered in Gethsemane. “And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt” (Mark 14:35-36). Even Jesus asked if there might be another way to accomplish God’s plan that did not require His great sacrifice, but there was not. My suffering may have exceeded my husband’s sore toe, but Jesus’ suffering far eclipsed anything I have experienced. What did He know and understand that made Him willing to sacrifice so much? What must I know and understand to enable me to sacrifice willingly as Jesus did?
John wrote of the answer: “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso . . . seeth his brother hath need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” (1 John 3:16-17) Love is the reason Jesus suffered willingly – love for His Heavenly Father and love for us. And you and I cannot understand His love without knowing sacrifice.
A favorite hymn teaches that “sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven" (Praise to the Man, LDS Hymnbook, p. 27). Jesus suffered the Atonement to bring about great blessings for all of God’s children. The Lord swells my heart with the truth that I follow my Savior’s example through my mothering sacrifices and thereby bring about great blessings for my children and for me. He reassures me that He does not mind my questions when I come ready to listen to the answers. In fact, I feel that He welcomes these conversations and the chance to teach me through the Spirit.
Women are strong, but much of our strength goes toward the capacity to bear children instead of building stronger muscles. The resulting disparity in physical strength between women and men has made women vulnerable to oppression and abuse. When women choose to stay at home with their children instead of pursuing a career, they become financially vulnerable. Even women who never have children in this life experience many of the burdens that go along with a body capable of bearing children. Why must this be? Could there not be another way to accomplish God’s plan for us? Is it offensive to the Lord for me to ask Him those questions?
Pondering these things leads me to the words Jesus spoke as He suffered in Gethsemane. “And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt” (Mark 14:35-36). Even Jesus asked if there might be another way to accomplish God’s plan that did not require His great sacrifice, but there was not. My suffering may have exceeded my husband’s sore toe, but Jesus’ suffering far eclipsed anything I have experienced. What did He know and understand that made Him willing to sacrifice so much? What must I know and understand to enable me to sacrifice willingly as Jesus did?
John wrote of the answer: “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso . . . seeth his brother hath need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” (1 John 3:16-17) Love is the reason Jesus suffered willingly – love for His Heavenly Father and love for us. And you and I cannot understand His love without knowing sacrifice.
A favorite hymn teaches that “sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven" (Praise to the Man, LDS Hymnbook, p. 27). Jesus suffered the Atonement to bring about great blessings for all of God’s children. The Lord swells my heart with the truth that I follow my Savior’s example through my mothering sacrifices and thereby bring about great blessings for my children and for me. He reassures me that He does not mind my questions when I come ready to listen to the answers. In fact, I feel that He welcomes these conversations and the chance to teach me through the Spirit.
Ask and It Shall Be Given You
One of the oft-repeated promises in scripture is “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Matthew 7:7, KJV, 3 Nephi 27:28-29). Speaking of our day, the Lord promised, “and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit" (Joel 2:29). Every time I read those words, I feel the Lord inviting me to seek the fulfillment of those blessings in my life. Over the years I have had many questions about my roles of woman, wife, mother and daughter of God, so I have accepted the Lord’s offer to teach me by the Spirit as I ask, seek and knock. I pray repeatedly that I will discern my place in His plan – my worth, roles and responsibilities – more as He views them and less as the world views them.
The woman at the well (John 4:5-30, 39-42) is an inspiring example of Jesus responding to a woman’s questions, encouraging her growing faith, and revealing Himself to her. Jesus’ disciples and the woman herself were surprised that He would speak with her. Sometimes even faithful women today do not expect the Lord to actually communicate with them, but Jesus demonstrated that He is ready and willing to teach us. The woman at the well expressed her witness to her neighbors and brought many of them to Jesus so they could gain their own testimonies. We can follow her example of asking the Lord our questions and sharing our witness of His answers to help others come to Him.
The scriptures teach how we can approach the Lord with confidence that we will receive the answers we seek. John wrote, “if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God" (1 John 3:21). When we are full of charity (Christlike love) and virtue (moral cleanliness), the Lord promises “then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine . . . shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven” (D&C 121:45). Selfish attitudes or degrading thoughts create a barrier between us and the Lord and block the answers He would like to give to us. As I have sought understanding from God, I have learned that answers come as I quickly turn away from thoughts or actions that are offensive to Him and instead find ways to serve others – especially my family – with love.
One answer came to me through the Spirit when I was assigned to teach a Primary class consisting entirely of 10- and 11-year old girls. I knew they wouldn’t long remember many details from individual lessons, but I felt they might remember a consistent theme if I made it part of all the lessons. I prayed to know what this overarching message should be. As I pondered about different ideas over many days, I began to see a mental picture. I saw myself standing next to my Savior with His arm around me. Though I could not see Jesus’ face clearly, as I looked up at Him I knew He had a big smile on His face. I could feel that He was delighted in the good things that I am and that I do. I knew that He also felt this way toward the girls in my class, and this was the message I most needed to teach them.
Many of the answers we seek in life cannot be had from Facebook posts or discussion groups or even from statements of church doctrine by themselves. We each need personal revelation from the Lord to help us understand the mission He has for us. We need Him to teach us through the Spirit how to view and respond to our individual challenges. We need His power to transfer the doctrine of His gospel from stone, ink or screen onto the “fleshy tables of the heart" (2 Corinthians 3:3). As we develop our ability to learn through the Spirit, we are guided by the assurance that all truth harmonizes together because it all comes from God. I find that General Conference acts as a check for the inspiration I receive. As I hear ideas in conference that parallel and echo the inspiration I am receiving, then I know I am on track.
As beloved daughters of God, we can approach Him with the confidence born of charity and virtue to ask Him our pressing questions. Though answers generally come slowly, “line upon line, precept upon precept; here a little, and there a little" (D&C 128:21, Isaiah 28:10), we wait with the assurance that the Lord “giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not" (James 1:5). Ask, seek, knock.
All references to the Bible are from the King James Version. References may be read in full by going to lds.org and typing the reference into the search box.
The woman at the well (John 4:5-30, 39-42) is an inspiring example of Jesus responding to a woman’s questions, encouraging her growing faith, and revealing Himself to her. Jesus’ disciples and the woman herself were surprised that He would speak with her. Sometimes even faithful women today do not expect the Lord to actually communicate with them, but Jesus demonstrated that He is ready and willing to teach us. The woman at the well expressed her witness to her neighbors and brought many of them to Jesus so they could gain their own testimonies. We can follow her example of asking the Lord our questions and sharing our witness of His answers to help others come to Him.
The scriptures teach how we can approach the Lord with confidence that we will receive the answers we seek. John wrote, “if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God" (1 John 3:21). When we are full of charity (Christlike love) and virtue (moral cleanliness), the Lord promises “then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine . . . shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven” (D&C 121:45). Selfish attitudes or degrading thoughts create a barrier between us and the Lord and block the answers He would like to give to us. As I have sought understanding from God, I have learned that answers come as I quickly turn away from thoughts or actions that are offensive to Him and instead find ways to serve others – especially my family – with love.
One answer came to me through the Spirit when I was assigned to teach a Primary class consisting entirely of 10- and 11-year old girls. I knew they wouldn’t long remember many details from individual lessons, but I felt they might remember a consistent theme if I made it part of all the lessons. I prayed to know what this overarching message should be. As I pondered about different ideas over many days, I began to see a mental picture. I saw myself standing next to my Savior with His arm around me. Though I could not see Jesus’ face clearly, as I looked up at Him I knew He had a big smile on His face. I could feel that He was delighted in the good things that I am and that I do. I knew that He also felt this way toward the girls in my class, and this was the message I most needed to teach them.
Many of the answers we seek in life cannot be had from Facebook posts or discussion groups or even from statements of church doctrine by themselves. We each need personal revelation from the Lord to help us understand the mission He has for us. We need Him to teach us through the Spirit how to view and respond to our individual challenges. We need His power to transfer the doctrine of His gospel from stone, ink or screen onto the “fleshy tables of the heart" (2 Corinthians 3:3). As we develop our ability to learn through the Spirit, we are guided by the assurance that all truth harmonizes together because it all comes from God. I find that General Conference acts as a check for the inspiration I receive. As I hear ideas in conference that parallel and echo the inspiration I am receiving, then I know I am on track.
As beloved daughters of God, we can approach Him with the confidence born of charity and virtue to ask Him our pressing questions. Though answers generally come slowly, “line upon line, precept upon precept; here a little, and there a little" (D&C 128:21, Isaiah 28:10), we wait with the assurance that the Lord “giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not" (James 1:5). Ask, seek, knock.
All references to the Bible are from the King James Version. References may be read in full by going to lds.org and typing the reference into the search box.
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