*MONDAY MEMOS*
(If pictures are too small, just click to enlarge)
Weekly recap of my rather crazy, insane, but fun and rewarding life!
Weekly recap of my rather crazy, insane, but fun and rewarding life!
dear monday, I got out on my run and back before Sarah had to leave for work. It was a good run. I didn't feel sore from my 20 at all.
Carson was so cute all day. We played and he made potions for a long time. Too funny. We took a nap together. I was so so so tired! Still not adjusted after Daylight Savings Time. I worked on my talk a bit and then we went outside because it was so warm. Around 55-60 degrees! We decided to walk to the park. What a beautiful day! We had so much fun on the playground. He put me in "prison" and then I escaped and then he chased me and then I chased him. We ran around the park and went down the slide several times. It was so much fun! SPRING! I LOVE SPRING!
It was nice that it didn't get dark so early. Dave got home pretty late, it was after 8 but he had to meet Sarah and get Carson's car-seat. I made dinner but he brought us Windy Sukiyaki salads (since he was already in O town).
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| Carson brought me "presents". How can you not love this kid? He is the most amazing little thing ever! |
Spring!
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| We visited Tyson's tree |
Saw lots of peeps out enjoying the day. Oh wait, these are turks.
dear tuesday, I got up early and got in an hour of harp practice. I got ready and then Carson woke in time to hurry and get ready so we could head to my lesson. We arrived and my teacher said they were behind because they had done a house tour. I got started 15 minutes late, but then she asked if I wanted the house tour because her house is torn apart. I took it. Her house looks so tiny from the outside but man, it's huge! She is painting and switching rooms before the twins arrive. Carson and Anders played cute today. He was ready to go though after we had been there an hour. We talked about my talk and I told her what I was planning on talking about and how I felt like I was preparing it for someone who really needed it and she said, "Me!" She is cute. But she meant it. She wants a copy of it.
Carson and I then went to Station Park and shopped a bit (I had some returns) and then went to Riverdale to return some more stuff and then we went to Mickey D's.
He was so adorable and had so much fun playing with the other kids. It is much bigger than BC's and I talked to some of the other peeps there while he played. We then met Grammy at the mall and went and saw Peter Rabbit. We sat in lounge chairs and ate popcorn and had a great time.
I loved the set up and the movie was awesome. Carson was giggling so hard and he wanted to sit on Grammy's lap. He adores her. He is such a great kid. We dragged him shopping some more and he was so good. He doesn't beg for things and doesn't complain or whine to be done. That kid continually amazes me. I just can't get over how mature he is on so many levels. He truly is one of the most incredible little boys I have ever known. I see so much of Sky's influence on him. He kept saying he misses Sky. He also said he wanted to go back to my house and see Bryce.
We got him an ice cream cone and then took Grammy home. He feel asleep before we got there.
He was wide awake when I pulled in the garage though. Sky got here about 30 minutes after we did. Then they took off. I worked on my talk. I am starting to panic. I was up until 1 a.m. but it's still not where I want it.
dear wednesday, stress! Got about 5 hours of sleep! Haven't had enough time to prepare talk. HAD to do speedwork today. I was happy it was overcast and sprinkling off and on. I LOVE the cloudy days. It was a perfect day to do it except for:
- I had NO music because my Shuffle gave up the ghost and so used my phone but then battery died. Speedwork without music is of the devil! It is of the devil anyway, so without music it IS THE DEVIL!
- I had no phone to time myself so had to rely on my Garmin and just do the math.
- I had no water. Well, I did, but some guy was cleaning up the field and thought my bottle of water was trash. Gee, thanks!
- Fierce wind at times.
- It was humid and I overdressed.
BUT... I DID IT ANYWAY! Yay for me! I got in SIX 800's! My goal was to do four, but then after I did that, I decided I needed to do more than I did last time and so I forced myself to do five. After I did five, I was DONE DONE DONE, but I knew I really should do SIX, so I really forced myself to do one more! I felt like a champ! hehe Seriously, I was very happy because I DO NOT LIKE YASSO 800's! Not even kind of! It felt so good to check that off. But, I wasn't as fast as I was on my last training. My fastest time was 3:50, but considering that was without music, I can't complain too much. I even got my planking done on the field after. No pictures because dead phone. I did find a penny in the parking lot though.
I came home and ate my healthy steel cut oat concoction and then instead of getting in the shower, I decided to work on my talk until 3:00 pm. I once again had way too much info (14 pages!) and I had to cut it down to five max. That took some time. I hope I cut the right stuff! I got ready and only had about 30 minutes to really dive into it and edit it fully. I prayed on the way there that I would be able to say what HF wants me to and whatever the sisters needed to hear. I explained in my prayer that I didn't have time to perfect the talk as much as I would have liked due to babysitting and other things that have come up and so I asked if He could make up the difference for me. The entire time I was writing it, I felt compelled to talk about having JOY even in the midst of our SORROWS. I hope it will make sense. It was pouring rain and the wind looked like gale force! So fitting to be talking about the storms of life at the same time we were having one. I love the rain so much!
When I arrived my cute and darling friend Cindy Parry, grabbed me and introduced me to several women. She is such a delight! So positive and so uplifting. Her energy is contagious and she hasn't changed one bit.
We have been friends for about 25 years. I just adore her so much. I wish I was more like her. She is the cream of the crop! The entire gym was decorated with a nautical theme. I was blown away! I shouldn't have been because Cindy was in charge and she is one of those who goes all out. I used to do that as well, but I have toned down quite a bit! haha Well, with most things anyway.
There were SO many women! She said they set up for 80 and nearly every seat was filled. 80 women at a RS night!? Wow! We are lucky if we get 20-25 at ours! When I was in the presidency we did get 60-65 once in a while if we had a dinner. But, it was crazy! She said they always get that many. Her ward is quite amazing. Everything was over the top. A homemade lighthouse cake, lighthouse favors, napkins tied with a life saver life preserver, lighthouse centerpieces (not one or two but several at each table), lighthouses everywhere, large homemade lighthouses on the stage, lights strewn across the stage, quilts, you name it, it was there! I was feeling a bit worried that my little talk was not going to live up to their expectations! They served Navajo tacos, fresh fruit cups, a dessert parfait, and water. Every little detail was amazing.
I sat at a table of older sisters and then Cindy and her husband joined us. After we ate, there was a musical number that was so beautiful and brought in the spirit instantly. Then Cindy talked about her son who passed away (in 2009) and how he left her a beautiful gift for her birthday that she found six months after he passed. It was a lighthouse picture with a beautiful thought on it. She then introduced me and it was my turn. I was surprised how calm I was. I surprisingly wasn't nervous at all. I think it went well. I told them about my shoes that I wore mismatched on Saturday and they really loved that story. I hope it went okay. I had a lot of women come up after and thank me and tell me how much they loved it. I felt really good about it and so I hope my prayer was answered and it was what at least one of them needed to hear. I tried to follow my guidance in preparing it. I will add a bit of it at the end of this post. Writing and preparing talks are very time consuming. I used to speak all the time when my boys were little. I am seriously wondering how in the world I ever did it. How did I find time to research and then write my talks (and all the articles I used to publish via AMI) and then have them polished and basically memorized? I truly have no idea because I can barely get one written now let alone polished and memorized! I really wonder how I used to accomplish so much more when I had five little boys! And a husband that was never home! It's baffling to me! Truly baffling! I must have had some super power back then that I no longer have! LOL
Everything was so incredible. It had Cindy written all over it. One lady said it was "Cindy-fied"!
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| The gift they gave me. They thought of everything! |
It was still pouring rain when I left. I'm not complaining! I love it! When I got home McKay was still here and then Taylor showed up a bit later just to eat and then had to head back. He has a lab here on Wed nights. I felt so much relief to have that talk done! Whew! Now to catch THIS thing up! I am almost a month behind! Life has been insane!
dear thursday, ran in snow and rain. It was actually pretty peaceful. I love running in the snow more in the winter than the rain because even though you seem to get just as wet in the snow, it is just more calm and serene.
I spent the day getting things done that I have got behind on, which is pretty much just about everything! I cut McKay's hair and made three Shepherd Pies (green ones) for St. Pat's Day. Well, actually I made one for Dave's parent's dinner and one for Taylor or McKay (whoever gets it first) and one for us for the BIG GREEN day. I made more of my giant cookies for his parents as well. The rest was left up to Dave.
I took off to Ogden and ran to Bella Me and got me thee cutest dress ever! Now if spring will come so I can wear it! I went and got my Mom and then we met Karen and Mickey at Hug Hes for dinner. We had a lot of fun. My Mom had us all laughing. I gave Karen her birthday gifts and then we went to Weber High to go watch Brittany (my niece) in her play Little Shop of Horrors. A little old man was hitting on my Mom. It was hilarious. Kinda cute even. The play on the other hand, was um...... well...... not exactly what we were expecting. Oh my. Haha Karen and Mickey left at intermission but me and my Mom stayed (much to her chagrin!) hehe We waited for Brittany, but she never came out. I took my Mom home and stayed and visited with my Pa for a bit. I am glad I went because it was her last play and she has invited me to all of them and this was the first one I was able to go to.
dear thursday, ran in snow and rain. It was actually pretty peaceful. I love running in the snow more in the winter than the rain because even though you seem to get just as wet in the snow, it is just more calm and serene.
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| Brrrr..... |
Dave's leprechaun touch to the rolls.
Here's my Shepherd's Pie recipe:
SHEPHERD'S PIE
1 lb ground beef
1 onion chopped
3 carrots chopped
4 celery stalks chopped
1 can of corn
1 cup frozen peas
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 1/2 cans beef broth
3-4 Tbl cornstarch
3-4 Tbl cold water
Mashed potatoes
In skillet cook beef and onions. Add celery, carrots, broth and seasonings. Cook until tender. Then add peas and corn. Mix cornstarch and water into a paste. Add to mixture. Cook until sauce thickens. Pour into 9x13 pan. Spread top with mashed potatoes. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
I took off to Ogden and ran to Bella Me and got me thee cutest dress ever! Now if spring will come so I can wear it! I went and got my Mom and then we met Karen and Mickey at Hug Hes for dinner. We had a lot of fun. My Mom had us all laughing. I gave Karen her birthday gifts and then we went to Weber High to go watch Brittany (my niece) in her play Little Shop of Horrors. A little old man was hitting on my Mom. It was hilarious. Kinda cute even. The play on the other hand, was um...... well...... not exactly what we were expecting. Oh my. Haha Karen and Mickey left at intermission but me and my Mom stayed (much to her chagrin!) hehe We waited for Brittany, but she never came out. I took my Mom home and stayed and visited with my Pa for a bit. I am glad I went because it was her last play and she has invited me to all of them and this was the first one I was able to go to.
dear friday, I ran out west today. I only got in 4.5 today because I got out late and a ton to do.
Tried to get a good shot with the sun but I need some photography skill lessons.
Today is exactly ONE MONTH UNTIL BOSTON! Yikes! Coming SO fast!
I was able to get my Easter up FINALLY! Now that it's only two weeks away. Oh well. It's cute.
Just barely took the VDay ones down. But they are my favorite of all the holidays.
dear saturday, I got up at 6 and got ready for my race. I was really worried about this one because it's one hilly killer course. I signed up for it just so I could get some good hill training. I knew going in, it was going to be brutal, but I didn't plan on dealing with the torture hills as well as torture weather. But, welcome to spring in Utah. You never know what you will get. I was so happy it wasn't raining....yet. I drove to the Dee Events Center in Ogden and went inside to register. I was in there for about 20 minutes and when I came out it had started to rain. HARD.
Taylor had another game at 5:00. It was also a great game. They played 2010. A lot of his buddies that he plays with on the city league teams. We beat them and won the championship for that area. His team only had three of the varsity players the rest were from when they were freshmen. Taylor, Cobbley, Deidrickson and McCarrey were the only ones this year. Butterfield and Ryan filled in for the missing Varsity ones.
I had on matching shoes today!
dear sunday, I got up early to finish my lesson. I wish I had remembered I had to play the piano today because I only got to practice for a short time and the songs were tougher than normal. Carson made me some "presents" again this morning. He is so dang adorable! The BU is for Brigham City, Utah. :)
He wrapped it so nicely and so purplely!
Happy St. Pat's Day!
Eatin' O' the green!
It was definitely green!
Fun fun!
We went to Dave's mom's birthday party. Everyone was there with the exception of Julie. Kevin even showed up. She is 81. Karen and I did an Under the Sea basket for her because we are taking her Little Mermaid next weekend. Hope it goes okay. 
We found some of Mom's handwritten recipes. We thought they had all been thrown out by her. Some of them are typed, but I am adding them here so I will always have them.
The Chocolate Ecstasy is my Mom's recipe.
dear random, McKay got to meet Mitt Romney! I am jealous.
Love this boy!
Made me laugh!
Excerpts from Lighthouse talk (click to enlarge)
“What is
joy without sorrow? what is success without failure? what is a win without a
loss? what is health without illness? you have to experience each if you are to
appreciate the other. there is always going to be suffering. it’s how you look
at your suffering, how you deal with it, that will define you.” Mark Twain
Excerpts from Lighthouse talk (click to enlarge)
Look to the Lighthouse of the Lord TALK
Jodi Wilding
I am so happy to be here. When Cindy told me
the theme had to do with lighthouses, it was hard for me turn her down. Besides the fact, how do you turn Cindy
down? I have loved her for many years
and she has always been a beacon of
light to me. I developed a love
of lighthouses when I became a young mother because I loved the symbolism of
them and I wanted to teach my boys how it relates to life. Lighthouses are
loaded with symbolism. I wanted our home
to be that safe haven- that safe harbor from the world and that beacon of hope
they could always return to when the storms of life came crashing in and as the
world became darker and darker. The
lighthouse became our family symbol. Our mailbox is even a lighthouse. A
smaller version of course. Tonight I pray
that I will be able to share a few thoughts and insights that might inspire or
lift you in some way. I know that I will not necessarily tell you anything you
haven’t heard before, but I hope that I might remind you of what you have
always known and of what can so easily be forgotten in our demanding lives.
Sisters, the storms of life are real. And as we know the darkness and evil in our
world are ever increasing at a rapid pace.
I was talking to a friend this week who is going through some really
difficult trials and she wanted answers as to - why her?- and when will her trials end? - and just simply, why is life so hard? I think we all feel like she does at times in
our lives when it seems the storm is raging and the waves are crashing in
around us and we start to feel like we are going to drown. I think we can all
agree...LIFE IS not all SUNSHINE and BLUE SKIES. It's quite often DARK and WINDY and raging
with powerful STORMS.
President Thomas S. Monson
"Look to the lighthouse of the Lord. . . . there is no fog so dense, no
night so dark, no gale so strong, no mariner so lost but what the lighthouse of
the Lord can rescue. It beckons through the storms of life. It calls, “This way
to safety. This way to home."
It's kind
of a daunting thought that we have absolutely ZERO CONTROL over the majority of
our trials. We don't even have a clue
what storms may be about to beset us in the future. And it wouldn't matter because we have no
control. All we have is the ability to
TRUST in GOD and hold on in the storms and look for the lighthouse of the Lord
- that beacon of HOPE.
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Be assured that there is a safe harbor. You
can find peace amidst the storms that threaten you. Your Heavenly Father—who
knows when even a sparrow falls—knows of your heartache and suffering. He loves
you and wants the best for you.
I once saw a bumper sticker that said, "Life
is hard..... then you die" Not exactly a real optimistic
thought,
but it did get me thinking. Life is difficult.
It was meant to be. We aren't here for a joy ride... we are here to be
tried and tested and proven. That's not to say we aren't also able to
experience great joy and happiness while here, but it is so much easier to
accept the trials and difficult things that happen to us when we believe they
have a purpose. One of my favorite quotes is, "The Lord cares more about our happiness than our comfort." He
knows those trials He sends in our lives will ultimately be for
our good and happiness and so is willing to watch us suffer through them.
That is because He sees the big picture. It's like a jigsaw puzzle---- He has the advantage of seeing
the picture on the outside of the box when it's all completed, while we only
see a big jumble of tiny puzzle pieces with no clear vision of how it will all
come together. We just need to trust in Him. And even though
we don't enjoy the trials, if we can let go and let God lead us while allowing
Him to direct our lives, it will be easier to progress than if we fight against
it."
but it did get me thinking. Life is difficult.
It was meant to be. We aren't here for a joy ride... we are here to be
tried and tested and proven. That's not to say we aren't also able to
experience great joy and happiness while here, but it is so much easier to
accept the trials and difficult things that happen to us when we believe they
have a purpose. One of my favorite quotes is, "The Lord cares more about our happiness than our comfort." He
knows those trials He sends in our lives will ultimately be for
our good and happiness and so is willing to watch us suffer through them.
That is because He sees the big picture. It's like a jigsaw puzzle---- He has the advantage of seeing
the picture on the outside of the box when it's all completed, while we only
see a big jumble of tiny puzzle pieces with no clear vision of how it will all
come together. We just need to trust in Him. And even though
we don't enjoy the trials, if we can let go and let God lead us while allowing
Him to direct our lives, it will be easier to progress than if we fight against
it."
And.......NEWS
FLASH! We are never going to get to a
point........to a summit so to speak in this life when we are done with
trials. As long as you are
alive.....they are going to keep coming!
They are around the corner. We
are told to ENDURE to the END! There is
a lot of HOPE in that statement if you think about it. Enduring to the
end means there is an
end to the things we want to end! That means there is an end, but not
until the END! . That's not to say, we won't have relief from
our trials or we won't find joy along the way, but we are not going to
"get there" when we can rest from all the cares of this world until
we are no longer in this world.
So we
need to learn how to have JOY in the journey.
PICTURE OF ME WEARING TWO DIFFERENT SHOES. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. There is always someplace we can FIND JOY in
every SINGLE DAY. It's there. We just
have to find it.
Have you ever gone through a season when you
felt like Job? Like absolutely everything that could go wrong did and you are
left with nothing but deep suffering and loss? I definitely have. Maybe you’re
there now.
Maybe there’s an area of your life that has
been a very long suffering. It’s just painful, painful, painful and you can’t
see how it will ever be worked out… and honestly, it may not..
What do we do with that kind of enduring
sorrow?
A lot of times we will just fake it through
or pretend we are doing great on the outside with a cavalier shoulder shrug
while we pull up our bootstraps. But
sometimes we have to just allow ourselves to grieve. Because sometimes loved ones die. And,
sometimes the business fails. Sometimes the cancer comes back. Sometimes the
marriage ends. And, sometimes we have to walk through deep valleys, and
question God, and wrestle with faith, and it takes far longer than we like.
And, in the middle of that kind of pain it’s
oftentimes impossible to believe that good can come out of cruel
circumstances.
Yet, the truth is that those seasons do not
last forever! It's a different kind of
enduring to the end. It's enduring to
the end of each hard season. The hard
seasons WILL end.
God has confidence that you can, like Job,
stand under any struggle, any sorrow, any financial insecurity, any marital
problem… You can stand under any satanic attack, any false accusation against
your character… He is still able to restore your joy. (Candace Payne reference)
God not only is right with us in the middle of
crushing times, but He also knows grief personally and doesn’t want us to rush
past the hurt in search of an insta-healing that isn’t real. He wants us to
experience the joy that follows and oft times the only way we can do that is by
plowing right on through the sorrow. I
like to call it EMBRACING THE YUCK! Embrace it.
Allow it. Feel it. Even though it is painful and you would
rather not. But it's there and so the
easiest way out of pain (maybe the only way)
is through.
So, it's okay to grieve. It's okay to
cry. It's OKAY TO FEEL! Hiding our hurts and heartaches under a rug
doesn't help anyone, especially ourselves. And if there is some kind of
clinical depression going on, please get medical help.
That’s our job in those seasons. To grieve. BUT,
joy is still there… in our Savior. We
are so loved by Him even when we may feel we aren't.
That's where I have felt my focus is supposed
to be tonight. On finding JOY even while
we are in our TRIALS. Because a huge
portion of our lives are going to be dealing with trials, if not our entire
lives, so we might as well learn to find JOY NOW instead of waiting for Joy
when a hard season finally ends. What a
waste of LIFE! Our Savior has taught us
HOW we can have JOY in the our sorrows WHILE in them.
JOY can be
that BEACON of HOPE during our trials and adversities.
Our lives were pretty
normal until our second son Tyson turned 8 and he became very sick due to CF. From that time on he was in the hospital at
least two or three times a year for a two week or longer stay depending on how
sick he was.
Tyson did well and we made
sure he lived as normal a life as possible.
Sometimes too normal. He loved
life! But when he was 16, he got a perforated
lung and he had to have a chest tube.
Then his other lung perforated.
His lungs had become weak over the years due to the disease. It is wicked on the lungs. Some of his organs were also having trouble. He was a very sick boy spending a lot of time
in the hospital that year and we had to pull him out of school for a few months
to recover. Sadly he never was able
to. He passed away at age 17 at home in
my arms. Which was a tender mercy.
The day he
passed away things were not looking good but I still had faith and hope all
would be well and he would turn the corner. He had been in the hospital for a
long time and we got him home to continue his treatment (IV meds etc) at home.
This particular night I had been up and down all night with him attending to
his needs. I had gone back to bed and about 4 a.m., and as I was laying in bed,
I heard a voice in my head distinctly say to me, "Tyson is going home
today." Now my first
reaction to that was my heart started pounding really fast and I tried to put
it out of my mind because I did NOT want to hear that. I told myself that it probably wasn't the
spirit -- it was just me. I didn't think I could possibly have heard
that. When I got up and got going that
morning, I kept it in the back of my mind and wondered all day if it was just
me or if it really was the spirit. I really
didn't KNOW. Truthfully, I don't think I
wanted to know. That is until about 4 pm when he started to struggle and went
into a coma. It was then that I knew. I
KNEW. I knew that I had been given a gift of knowing that it was his time. Another tender mercy.
I can't tell
you how much easier it was to accept his passing knowing that it was Heavenly
Father's will. And I knew it was His
will because HE told me through the spirit.
He gave me that precious gift of allowing me to know it truly was His
will and it was Tyson's time. I can't
even begin to tell the comfort that was for me. In fact, I can even say it
brought me JOY. Yes, JOY. How can that be? The only way I can explain it is it came
through the Savior's grace. Grace is an
amazing gift we can receive during our sorrow.
The gift of JOY in our SORROWS is a real thing.
When you're in
a dark place, you sometimes tend to think you've been buried.
Perhaps you've
been planted.
BLOOM.
Thomas S. Monson “When the pathway of life takes a cruel turn, there is the
temptation to think or speak the phrase, ‘Why me?’ Self-incrimination is a
common practice, even when we may have had no control over our difficulty…. “However, at times there appears to be
no light at the tunnel’s end—no dawn to break the night’s darkness. We feel
surrounded by the pain of broken hearts, the disappointment of shattered
dreams, and the despair of vanished hopes. We join in uttering the biblical
plea, ‘Is there no balm in Gilead?’ We are
inclined to view our own personal misfortunes through the distorted prism of
pessimism. We feel abandoned, heartbroken, alone. To all who so despair, may I
offer the assurance of the Psalmist’s words: ‘Weeping may endure for a night, but joy
cometh in the morning.’ (Psalms 30: 5)
Joy
in the MORNING. But can we also
have JOY in the MOURNING?
“Joy is not the absence of pain, but the presence of God.”
In Alma 31, verse 38 we read: “yea, and he also gave them
strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were
swallowed up in the joy of Christ.
Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in
faith."
Their afflictions were not removed, but were “swallowed
up in the joy of Christ.” I can’t think of a better blessing. I think the joy
of Christ has a lot to do with His perfect empathy. He is the only one who
really understands, who can strengthen with His enabling power to do that which
we could never do on our own. (“Grace” Bible Dictionary)
As strange as it may seem, whenever I want to regain a
feeling of true joy, I just think about the circumstances surrounding my son's
death and the gift I was given to know it was his time to go. Otherwise I would have wondered if I could
have done more? If my husband could
have? I would not have found the peace I
needed. I felt joy, not because of the absence
of pain, but because of the presence of God. Light rules over
darkness. Christ has power over Satan, but Satan has no power over Christ.
Sorrow Can Lead Us to the Light - it brings us closer to
our Savior sometimes out of necessity.
In order to avoid sorrow, we’d “have to take the loving
out of life.” I accept the necessity of experiencing the bitter in order
that I might have the sweet. When Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden, Eve
said, “It is better for us to pass through sorrow …” There could be no sweet
reunions without sad partings. There could be no resurrection without death. Opposition in all things....Joy
and sorrow are so many times flip sides of the same coin, and choosing only one
side of the coin is not an option.
How long has it been
since you shouted for joy? Now we are here; do we doubt the Lord’s word,
“Men are, that they might have joy” (2 Ne. 2:25) (Reference?)
In 2
Nephi 2:23 we find this phrase:
“having no joy, for they knew no misery.” Our capacity to feel joy actually
increases as we righteously endure our pain.
If we equate fun and pleasure with
happiness, we may think pain must always be equated with unhappiness. But that
is not true. Joy is not a stranger to pain. We may not feel deeply enough to
know joy unless our hearts have been hollowed out by sorrow. A heart may not be
big enough to know real joy until it has been stretched and pulled by trials
and hard things. The joy we feel has little to
do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of
our lives.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell “Sorrow can actually enlarge the mind and
heart in order to “give place, “ expanded space for later joy.”
Lee Levman said: "The deeper the sorrow carves into your being
the more joy you can contain."
Just as the Savior
offers peace that “passeth all understanding,”12 He
also offers an intensity, depth, and breadth of joy that defy human logic or
mortal comprehension. For example, it doesn’t seem possible to feel joy when
your child suffers with an incurable illness or when you lose your job or when
your spouse betrays you. Yet that is precisely the joy the Savior offers. His
joy is constant, assuring us that our “afflictions shall be but a small moment”13 and
be consecrated to our gain.14
Lord Byron said, “Sorrows are our best educators. A person
can see further through a tear than a telescope. Perhaps we are inclined to
learn so much through sorrows because in the midst of them we are so inclined
to turn to the Lord.
Many a man curses the rain that falls upon his head, and knows
not that it brings abundance to drive away hunger. Saint Basil
Joy is actually a result of sorrow.
The two not only go hand in hand, but they are actually a part of one another.
You must feel the depth that pain possesses in order to have the capacity to
feel the height of joy. It’s like finishing a marathon. It was required of you
to run all 26.2 of those miles before you were released to experience the
feeling of accomplishment at the end. The struggle is actually that
which makes up the victory.
WEEPING MAY ENDURE FOR A NIGHT, BUT JOY COMES IN THE MOURNING.-Psalm 30:5
My favorite quote of all time is by the very
wise Martha Washington: "I am
determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself.
For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is
determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition."
***Book "Man's Search
For Meaning" by Viktor Frankl
Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last
of human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances,
to choose one's own way. -Viktor E. Frankl
Liberated after three years
in concentration camps. After enduring
the suffering in these camps, Frankl concluded that even in the most absurd,
painful, and dehumanized situation, life has potential meaning and that,
therefore, even suffering is meaningful. He is quoted as saying:
"What is to give light
must endure burning." - Savior
suffered light of the world.
Bottom
line what he is saying is:
If you want to feel happier, we must learn how to choose
happiness even when circumstances aren’t ideal. Our
happiness is not depending on our circumstances. We are not put here to have a life of nothing
but pleasurable experiences and easy lives.
We are here to be tested. We
simply cannot be tested if we aren't given challenges and hardships in our lives. We are given what we NEED. I truly believe
someday we will be grateful for our tests and trials.
It is possible to be happy
even when life disappoints you. It’s not easy — but it is possible. That
doesn’t mean you won’t feel sad and mourn a loss, but it means you won’t choose
to live there. You can create a state of happiness inside yourself regardless
of your circumstances.
Happiness is a journey NOT a destination
Lasting happiness is a process and a lifestyle; it's not a
one-hit wonder drug. The "pursuit
of happiness" is indeed what keeps most of us from being happy.
When we approach happiness as a lifestyle rather than a
"got to get there" destination, we can recognize it's already with
us. It is like eating a healthy diet — we don't eat a healthy diet to get
healthy, we eat a healthy diet to BE healthy. Happiness is the same way.
You
have to train your brain to be positive just like you exercise to strengthen
your body. This may sound simple, but how easy is it to go to the gym?
Happiness is not something that happens to you.
It is created.
Happiness
is a hundred choices. A thousand choices. A
million choices. All day long. Every day. Every week. Every year of your life.
I
had a professor in college say, "no one can make you mad". When I first heard that I thought he was so
wrong because just him saying that made me mad because I really did NOT believe
that at the time. I wanted to be able to
blame others for my emotions. But he was
right. WE choose our response to every
situation, every person, everything.
And, in that moment, we choose whether we will be on track
for happiness, or it's opposite.
Paul
wrote: For I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
I have a quote
hanging in my home that says: Life is 10% of what happens to us and 90% of how
we react to it.
"It's your reaction to adversity NOT the adversity
itself that determines how your life story will develop." -Pres. Uchdorph
Robert D. Hales
Beacon of Hope - JOY is that beacon. If
joyful even in our sorrows, we can be that BEACON of LIGHT l for others. The joy is not in arriving, but in getting
better each time a new challenge is thrown your way, each time you learn in a
new situation. Joy comes not from having a pain-free life, but from conquering
the obstacles, even when they are painful. If our children can see us enduring
well and finding laugher, humor and joy in the process and we can become a
beacon of light and hope for others.
Robert
D. Hales “Is
someone depending on your light to guide him or her? Be a good example. Be a
light to the world and lead and guide those around you in paths of
righteousness. They are depending on you as a faithful lighthouse. Be there
when someone needs you.”
Imagine yourself as the keeper of a lighthouse. It is nighttime
and the sky is black. The wind is cold and strong with the scent of rain. Waves
crash against the shore. You know that off in the distance there is one ship,
maybe more, searching for the safety of your harbor. They need your bright
light as they steer through treacherous waters. The beam from your beacon will
guide them safely home. Melissa Merrill, New Era, Jan.
2011
A
man turned off a light before going to sleep, and as a result hundreds of
people died. Who was the man? The keeper of a lighthouse. “We can’t ever turn
off our light,”
Robert D. Hales - My brothers and sisters,
however dark conditions may seem in this world today, whatever the storms we
are facing personally, in our homes and our families, this joy can be ours now.
Sometimes we don’t understand death, illness, mental and physical disabilities,
personal tragedies, war, and other conflict. Some of these are a necessary part
of our mortal probation. I witness with joy and rejoicing that He
did come into this world, suffered for our sins, and will return again. Our
faith in Him and obedience to His commandments will bring “a perfect brightness
of hope”26 and dispel the darkness and gloom of
despair in these troubled times. The One who had power to calm the elements of
earth has power to calm our souls, to give us refuge from the storm: “Peace, be
still.”
When our souls are anchored in the safe harbor
of the Savior, The gospel gives us that harbor of enduring safety and
security. The living prophet and the apostles today are as lighthouses in the
storm. Steer towards the light of the restored gospel and the inspired
teachings of those who represent the Lord on earth.
Gratitude - I truly believe that gratitude is
the secret to true happiness and joy.
Beacon of Hope - JOY is that beacon. If joyful we can be the light for others. The joy is not in arriving, but in getting
better each time a new challenge is thrown your way, each time you learn in a
new situation. Joy comes not from having a pain-free life, but from conquering
the obstacles, even when they are painful. If our children can see us enduring
well and finding laugher, humor and joy in the process and we can become a
beacon of light and hope for others.
“To all who so despair, may I offer the assurance of the
Psalmist’s words: ‘Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the
morning’ (Psalm 30:5).
Bear testimony
Extra Notes:
I participated in the Ragnar Race one year and as I ran down the Jordanelle Reservoir canyon.
It was VERY dark
and quiet. I never even saw another runner the whole run on this one so it was
kind of spooky to be out there alone
with just the night time critters.
The only noise was when our van or other team vans would pass by cheering me
on. At one point I turned off my Ipod to just see what it was like. It
was so quiet and spooky that I
immediately turned it back on and cranked it way up!
During the entire run I was scanning for any sign of a light, a marker, or even
a blinking reflector from someone.
When I came to where the exchange was supposed
to be, I couldn't see any signs. I finally saw one that was by a very dark dirt
road going uphill. My exchange was supposed to be on a flat area. I was really
confused if I should turn up the dark hill or keep
going. Since there were no other runners in sight except one about 1/2 mile
behind me, I kept going to where I could see a small red light. When I got
there, the volunteer told me I had gone too far and missed
my turn just like the other runners. She told me
I would have to run up the hill about a half mile to the exchange that way. I
told her that it was NOT MARKED clearly and to please fix it before everyone did the same
thing. I ran up the hairy hill but I was not a
happy camper knowing it was going
to cost us time not to mention I wasn't mentally
prepared for ending my long downhill with such a
steep uphill. Once there my team was so happy to see me because they had been
driving all over looking for the exchange too and lost me. Soon after, a couple of runners came
in behind me and thanked me for leading them to the end. Evidently they had
been following my light all the way in.
In this experience and in life, the lighted
path is not always easy to follow, but it is the only way to reach our desired
destination. During the run it was important to stay strong, positive, and
confident, even though there were continual doubts. I had to intently search
for the light of others to help me find the way and point me in the right
direction. And although I wasn’t even aware of it at the time, I was actually
a light for others.
Shift way seeing adversity. Treat like a gift
rather an enemy.
What are you here to teach me? Most powerful
question you can ask yourself when adversity shows up. Welcome it.......
Gifts wrapped in unattractive paper.
You think they are ugly disgusting bad timing I
don't want this I didn't ask for that bankruptcy or that divorce or this health
issues. There are GIFTS within that
adversity. So welcome and ask what are
you here to teach me. You will know when you ask within your heart.
Resistance to JOY....
Challenges in the past. Weren't they great
gates that opened up new opportunities , new growth, new levels of dreams to be
fulfilled, new relationships.
Identify one or two adversities currently feel
facing, struggling overweight, . Money
tight, lonely, finances, marriage,
whatever it is identify it. Take
golden question. WHAT IS THIS HERE TO TEACH ME?
Within in every circumstance is a spiritual
lesson and once you get the lesson that circumstance will pass away and make
room for new circumstance. James Allen in As a Man Thinketh
So if seeing a repeating pattern in life, you
are still learning same lesson. Open up gift and say, "I already had this
one!" I already learned
patience!" What is the gift of this
experience? What is it here to teach me?
Many of you wouldn't be in this room As long as alive - guess what? Change is involved. Part of process. Day stop growing i s day you die. you will be experiencing changing. Rather than resist the change, adversity and
challenges, embrace them and welcome them.
What is gift of this? Contains
within it the valuable gems you need to be able to grow and hold space dreams
in heart to be put in hand.
with every adversity there is a seed of equal
or greater opportunity. Must nourish and take care of it so can come forward.
Always a choice. I bless you in your
path. I send you so much love. You are capable you are deserving. you are surrounded by love. Incredible
life. (Ted Talk- not sure of reference)
I have always been
enchanted with the concept of the lighthouse, and yet confused at the same
time. I would picture a stormy night, and a ship lost at sea trying to find a
safe harbor. Then right as he is about to give up, the captain sees a powerful
light cutting through the darkness. He knows land and safety are near. This is
where my understanding and thus imagination always faltered. Just because he
knows that land is near, doesn’t mean he is safe. How can one light help him to
navigate the dangerous reefs and find the one way into the safe harbor? There are typically two lights on a lighthouse, referred to as
the upper and lower lights. Both are needed for ships to safely reach the
harbor.
We have a hymn that talks about keeping the lower lights
burning. The lighthouse’s light, is
powerful enough to cut through the darkness and warn that land was near. However,
that one light would not have the ability to guide the ship safely into the
waiting harbor. That was the job of the second light (the lower light) that was always placed high up on a hill.
Once the Captain spots the first light, he would immediately search for the
second light. When he finds it, all he has to do is line the two lights up and
he is shown the path cut through the deadly reefs that leads directly into the
waiting harbor.
We are like a ship lost on the tumultuous sea of life trying to
find our way safely home to God’s waiting harbor. In the midst of the stormy
darkness we cannot see our way through the dangerous reef to the harbor. We
cannot even see if we are heading in the right direction toward land. If we
don’t receive help soon, we will be lost for good. I picture the Savior as that
powerful lighthouse. He is always there.
His path is always clear. His light cuts through the darkness and brings
hope that land is near. We are the lower lights. We must have our lights shining so that
others can find their way back to our Savior.
https://ldsblogs.com/1532/the_prophet_of_god_my_lighthouse_in_trou
How can we find joy in the midst of all the
junk, hardships, and painful circumstances?
How we find joy in the midst of trials (Blog post) First, we need to understand
that the joy the world gives is not the same as the joy the Spirit gives.
Worldly joy or happiness comes and goes as often as waves hitting the shore. It
isn’t something you can cling to when you’ve lost a loved one or are facing
bankruptcy. The Spirit’s joy or happiness, on the other hand, can stay with you
for the long haul. For the believer, the fruit of the Spirit, including joy, is
like a bottomless well of water—there’s always an abundant supply. Even in the
darkest days, when sadness, grief, and loss may threaten to overwhelm you,
God’s joy is there.
Second, we need to understand that God’s joy
cannot be taken away. Oh, you might think that it’s gone—that the hands of
misfortune have snatched it from you—but it’s not. As believers, we are
promised the constant presence of the Holy Spirit. We are promised His joy.
Just as our salvation is assured through Jesus’ one-time sacrifice for all.
Jesus’ words in John 15:11, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and
that your joy may be complete.” Other examples, Acts 13:52, “And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy
Spirit.” Acts 16:34, “The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal
before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he
and his whole family.”
Third, we need to stop wallowing, whining, and
complaining and grab onto God’s joy. Just like salvation, joy is a free and
perfect gift from Him, and we must reach out and accept that gift. Grab onto
it. Like a lifeline. Choose joy. Over bitterness, anger, and sorrow. Make a
decision to choose joy every day. No matter what. Look at these great examples
in Scripture: “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their
extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as
much as they were able, and even beyond their ability” (2 Corinthians 8:2-3). “You became imitators of us and of the
Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given
by the Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 1:6). “Be joyful always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16). “You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully
accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you
yourselves had better and lasting possessions” (Hebrews 10:34). And the best illustration of all, “Let us fix our eyes
on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him
endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the
throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).
All through Scripture we see the persecution
of the church, the trials and hardships that believers have faced. The
challenge then is to truly learn how to consider each trial joy.
Think, for example, of what some of God’s
servants in the Bible felt. In the midst of great suffering Job pleaded with
God to take his life. Paul was deeply burdened when believers wandered from the
truth. The Psalmist frequently found himself in despair because of his enemies.
Even Jesus wept as He faced the agony of the cross. The Bible says, “There is a
time for everything … a time to weep and a time to laugh” (Ecclesiastes 3:1,4).
But the Bible also points us to a startling
truth: Even in the midst of unhappiness we can have joy—an inner peace that
comes from knowing God loves us and is ultimately in control. Once we
understand this, we know He is with us, and nothing can ever separate us from
Christ and His love.
Jesus said, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your
joy may be complete” (John 15:11).
When circumstances weigh you down, commit
them to Christ and ask Him to
help you trust Him,
no matter what happens. The Bible says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but
in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your
requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will
guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
WEEPING MAY ENDURE FOR A NIGHT, BUT JOY COMES IN THE
MORNING.-Psalm 30:5
It is often at night that our pain is the most difficult to deal
with. We are alone with our grief. There are fewer diversions to keep our mind
occupied. At night our thoughts can be our own worst enemy as the darkness
skews our perceptions of things. There are few people who do not know what it
is like to feel a sense of relief when they see the first rays of light
breaking after a long, difficult night.
Friends, you may feel as though your pain and weeping will never
end, but feelings are not truth. God’s Word is The Truth that should guide us
and fill us with hope. He tells us that He will turn our mourning to joy...that
there is a season for everything… that there is a time to weep and mourn...
seasons come and go and will change as surely as the night turns to day. God
leads us through the dark valleys and the dark nights of the soul. He shines
His light to cast out the darkness and to light our way. There is a reason
Jesus is called The Bright and Morning Star and the Light of the World that
casts out the darkness.
His joy is our strength. He promises to bind our wounds. We know
it is darkest before the dawn, but the sun will rise again. The pain that
you’ve been feeling, is just the dark before the morning and it can’t compare
to the joy that is coming!
How long has it been since you shouted for
joy? Now we are here; do we doubt the Lord’s word, “Men are, that they
might have joy” (2
Ne. 2:25)
I, too, remembered the
Savior’s words, “They who have endured the crosses of the world, … shall
inherit the kingdom of God, … and their joy shall be full forever” (2 Ne. 9:18).
Do we find
ourselves wishing our present experiences could soon be over?Elder Marvin J. Ashton reminds us:
“With God’s help, good
cheer permits us to rise above the depressing present or difficult
circumstances. … It is sunshine when clouds block the light”
The quest for joy in mortality began with Adam and Eve. They
chose sorrow and death so they could also choose joy and exaltation. Eve said
to Adam, “Were it not for our transgression we … never should have known good
and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth
unto all the obedient”
Joy is an emotion of the spirit. It comes through righteous
living. It is not a casual or shallow feeling, everThe joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and
everything to do with the focus of our lives.
Just as the Savior offers peace that “passeth
all understanding,”12 He also offers an intensity, depth, and
breadth of joy that defy human logic or mortal comprehension. For example, it
doesn’t seem possible to feel joy when your child suffers with an incurable illness
or when you lose your job or when your spouse betrays you. Yet that is
precisely the joy the Savior offers. His joy is constant, assuring us that our
“afflictions shall be but a small moment”13 and be consecrated to our gain.14
“What is
joy without sorrow? what is success without failure? what is a win without a
loss? what is health without illness? you have to experience each if you are to
appreciate the other. there is always going to be suffering. it’s how you look
at your suffering, how you deal with it, that will define you.” Mark Twain
President Wilford Woodruff said: We have
. . . no time to be drawn away from the things of the kingdom of God. . . .
While enjoying the spirit of the Lord, we want the light all the time. Without
the light no man can see. . . . While I walk in the
light of God my mind is open. I can comprehend it and understand the signs of
the time and the working of the Spirit of God, and when a thing is presented to
me by [the] servants of God, I can receive a testimony of the truth of that;
but when I lose the light I don’t comprehend those things.
I am liable to find fault with this, that, and the other. We want to
walk in the light. We want the Spirit of [the] Lord to be with us in order for
us to live our religion, fulfill our mission as [sisters and] elders
in Israel, and do the will of God—to fulfill this great, high calling in
the building up of this kingdom. We can’t do it unless we walk
in the light of the Lord. [“Sermon to the Saints in Farmington,” 9
January 1864, transcribed by LaJean Purcell Carruth, 1 March 2013
Clinging to the light is a choice, and often
that choice is challenging. We have heard the saying “I never said it would be
easy, but it will be worth it.” We all face challenges, and Satan loves to prey
on us, especially during the difficult times. He wants us to feel as if there
are different paths. He wants us to give up, and he places opportunities for
missteps along our way.
I believe that one of his greatest tools is
to provide situations in which we doubt ourselves, our unique spirit, and our
mission here on earth. We then let those negative voices speak loudly in our
heads—with phrases such as “I’m not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough,
or skinny enough. I’m not worthy enough or strong enough. Life is too hard!”
Yes, life is hard and we are all challenged,
and at certain times we are challenged more than at other times. We get scared
of failure, we fear the unknown, and we are burdened with losses, sickness, and
pain. All of these emotions leave us vulnerable, questioning, and sometimes
searching for easy fixes. This often leads us to complain, blame, talk badly of
others, and make excuses, and the light gets smaller and smaller and smaller.
We are in a battle between the light and the
darkness each and every day. We have more and more forces working against us,
and Satan will always give us his best shot. Sometimes the more progress we
make toward the light, the more temptations may come. As members of the Church
trying to build the kingdom, we can be assured that we are prime targets.
However, no matter what is thrown at us or
whatever temptations and obstacles and kinds of darkness come our way, we
always have a choice. Which voices do we let in? Which voices can drown out the
darkness and fill our minds and souls with the light?
Years ago President James E. Faust gave
a talk titled “The Light in Their Eyes.” He recalled a historic meeting in
Jerusalem about the new lease for the land on which the BYU Jerusalem Center
would be built. President Ezra Taft Benson and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
agreed with the Israeli government that the university would not proselyte in
Israel. After the lease was signed, someone remarked, “Oh, we know that you are
not going to proselyte, but what are you going to do about the light that is in
their eyes?” He was referring to the BYU students who would be studying in
Israel. (“The Light in Their Eyes,” Ensign, November 2005.)
Do you have
that light in your eyes? Would someone who doesn’t know you know that you have
the light within you?
In the Sermon
on the Mount, Jesus said:
Ye are
the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be
hid. . . .
Let
your light so shine before men, that they may see your
good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. [Matthew 5:14, 16]
President Thomas S. Monson has said: Our
opportunities to shine are limitless. They surround us each day, in whatever
circumstance we find ourselves. As we follow the example of the Savior, ours
will be the opportunity to be a light, as it were, in the lives of those around
us—whether they be our own family members, our coworkers, mere acquaintances,
or total strangers. [“Be a Light to the World
Maintaining light is like staying
spiritually in shape so that when the test comes we can meet it. A person who
slowly drifts over time into poor physical shape does not fully appreciate that
fact until a test arises that requires great physical exertion. The test or
trial clearly exposes the lack of capacity. A colleague of mine observed that
it is the storm that reveals the importance of having your house built on rock
and not on sand.
I would like to speak about a great
robbery that is taking place among us. It is of more consequence than any theft
in history. The thief is Satan, and his objective is to rob us of light.
Lucifer does not want to steal light for himself; he wants to steal light
because it is the presence of light by which he can be defeated. Since Satan
abhors light and avoids its presence, and since he cannot conventionally steal
light against one’s will, his efforts and temptations are designed to entice
his targets to voluntarily yield it up that he might more freely and
effectively carry forth his destructive plans. The Doctrine and Covenants
teaches:
The glory of God is
intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.
Light and truth forsake
that evil one. . . .
And that wicked one cometh
and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of
men. [D&C 93:36–37, 39]
Satan steals light from us
through our own disobedience
Light
is like a protective shield that can withstand the fiery darts of the
adversary. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans:
The
night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of
darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Let
us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness. . .
.. [Romans 13:12–14]
To put on the armor of light is to put on
the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the light and life of the world. This light—His
light—forsakes the evil one.
In our homes we have power
outlets of either 240 or 120 volts. Dryers and ovens operate on 240 power,
whereas all other devices require 120 power. A dryer or an oven would not work
effectively on 120 power. Sometimes electrical problems cause what is known as
a brownout. Electrical power is still present, but it is not sufficient to
handle the load requirement. By way of analogy, compare 240 power to the power
required to stand up to the challenges and temptations of latter-day life. Then
compare 120 power to power that enables us to live, move, attend school, and
function but that is insufficient when we are faced with the kinds of
temptations that surround us. When we fail to maintain light in our lives, we
fail to maintain necessary power levels. We slip into a “spiritual brownout,”
so to speak, placing ourselves in a dangerous weakened position with less
strength to resist temptation. https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/dennis-l-largey_armour-light-romans-1312/
Robert
D. Hales: When we observe the last week of the Savior’s life from our
earthly perspective, our first impression may be one of suffering and
destruction. We may see only the Savior’s mother and others weeping at the
cross, soldiers afraid, the earth in great commotion, rocks broken up, the veil
of the temple rent in twain, and three hours of darkness covering the land. A
similar scene of storms and destruction unfolded in the New World. In short, we
see the terrible tempest raging.But look again—this time through the eye of
faith. In the last, most agonizing weeks of His life, consider that Jesus
taught, testified, lifted, blessed, and strengthened those around Him. He
raised Lazarus from the dead, taught about His Father, set the temple in order,
gave several parables, witnessed the widow offering her mite, instructed His
disciples about the signs of His Second Coming, visited the house of Simon the
leper, instituted the sacrament, washed the feet of the Apostles, and taught
His disciples to love one another. He testified of His divinity as the Son of
God and taught of the Comforter—the Holy Ghost. In His great Intercessory
Prayer, He prayed to His Father for His Apostles and all who believe on their
words, “that they might have [His] joy fulfilled in themselves.”21 In His darkest hour, the light of peace and joy did not fade.
It grew brighter! After His death, He appeared to Mary Magdalene. What joy must
have been felt that morning as the news spread: “He is risen”!22 In time He came to the women on the road, to Cleopas and a
disciple who were traveling to Emmaus, to the Apostles and disciples in the
upper room, to Thomas, who doubted, and to others. Again, there was joy and
rejoicing in the Atonement and the Resurrection.
There
is no physical pain, no anguish of soul, no suffering of spirit, no infirmity
or weakness that you or I ever experience during our mortal journey that the
Savior did not experience first. You and I in a moment of weakness may cry out,
“No one understands. No one knows.” No human being, perhaps, knows. But the Son
of God perfectly knows and understands, for He felt and bore our burdens before
we ever did. And because He paid the ultimate price and bore that burden, He
has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy in so many phases of
our life. He can reach out, touch, and succor—literally run to us—and
strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we
could never do through relying only upon our own power. Elder Bednar
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