Sacrament Meeting Talk Jan. 2016

In January I was asked to give a talk. Since this blog is like my "small plates", I hope you don't mind me posting it even though it's not primary related.

          My dearest friends, I am so grateful to be here this Sabbath Day with you. To worship, to give thanks, to learn of Christ, and to be one in the gospel together. I’m grateful for the messages that have been spoken and pray that the spirit will be with me as I share my thoughts.

          When I was 7 years old, it was the end of swim practice and time to enjoy a few minutes to relax. At Oppio pool, there was a high dive. I had never been on it before but I saw people jumping and laughing afterwards. I climbed rung after rung. Up and up I went, it seemed pretty high. As I got to the top, I had to take a couple quick breaths. I was up here. 2 choices - I could either climb down, or jump. I walked up to the edge, took a deep breath, and decided, no… I did have another option. While the phrase, like a boss hadn’t been invented yet, that was indeed my 3^rd choice. I could do a graceful swan dive, head first like a boss. I would own it. I’m very blessed I didn’t break my neck and instead just belly flopped. Now... one might think that this experience turned me off the high dive- however, the magic of childhood made the experience a rush that was to be enjoyed. To this day, I would still jump off! If you paid me $20.

          What is courage? We have all had moments in our lives when we’ve had to take a stand. When our belief, conviction, and strength were taxed. Sometimes, courage is just facing the day and making it through. Courage comes in all shapes and forms. Courage comes in words, in actions, in thought and attitude. Today I will be talking about courage to believe. And I’m going to focus on 4 words that Elder Holland has said in an April 2013 Conference Address, “Lord, I believe.” They really are profound words and I love them, “Hope on. Journey On.”

          Deuteronomy 31:6 says, “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” Do you believe that God is the eternal Father? Not just the eternal Father, but your loving Father? Do you have a personal relationship with Him? When you address Him in prayers, do you speak with Him or at Him? Do you feel that He listens to you? I know God lives and I know that He loves us. I testify that He is real. I felt overwhelmed yesterday morning. I felt so sad. I was staring straight ahead on my front porch, listening to each breath I took, and the cold seemed to seep deep into me. The branches were bare on the trees all around me. Dogs were barking and seemed so angry at each other. A bird sat at the top of a tree, all alone, so very alone. And then, I looked even farther up. There was a huge cloud with 2 puffy eyes and a very sad frown. As it moved ever so slowly, that frown… you guessed it, did not stay. It turned itself right up again and smiled that frown away. Some might scoff at me. Some might say it’s a coincidence or that I’m delusional. But I see Heavenly Father’s hand in my life. I see His love for me in the clouds, in close parking spots, in little old women who stop to tell my children they are beautiful at WinCo, and in so many other aspects of my life. What is the greatest proof to you that God is real? Go home, write it down!

          From lds.org it says, “The word hope is sometimes misunderstood. In our everyday language, the word often has a hint of uncertainty. For example, we may say that we hope for a change in the weather or a visit from a friend. In the language of the gospel, however, the word hope is sure, unwavering, and active. The principle of hope extends into the eternities, but it also can sustain us through the everyday challenges of life. “Happy is he,” said the Psalmist, “that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God” (Psalm 146:5). With hope, we can find joy in life. We can “have patience, and bear with … afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions” (Alma 34:41).”

          Elder Holland said from his talk, “A 14-year-old boy recently said to me a little hesitantly, “Brother Holland, I can’t say yet that I know the Church is true, but I believe it is.” I hugged that boy until his eyes bulged out. I told him with all the fervor of my soul that belief is a precious word, an even more precious act, and he need never apologize for “only believing.” I told him that Christ Himself said, “Be not afraid, only believe,” a phrase which, by the way, carried young Gordon B. Hinckley into the mission field. I told this boy that belief was always the first step toward conviction and that the definitive articles of our collective faith forcefully reiterate the phrase “We believe.”

          Courage to believe is having hope. Hope On. What do you know to be true? What do you want from this life? Have hope and believe. Phillipians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Whether we are just starting in our belief, discovering truth, or whether we know and are firm, we must have hope to press forward.

          Journey On. One time, when Christina was 3 years old, we were waiting for our order of pretzels and cheese at The Claim Jumper. It was taking a while and the waitress came over to tell us it would be 5 more minutes until they were done. Christina very sweetly said to the waitress, “Your 5 minutes is up.” Patience. Isn’t patience one of the absolute worst lessons we have to learn about!?!?! The DMV? Don’t even get me started on it with children under 3. The fact that we don’t have robots to cook and clean yet? Yeah. Hollywood lied!!! Imagine that!!

          On a more serious note, does this journey of life ever seem a little long? I really don’t like waiting to hold my dearest baby Joe again, to feel him breath and have his warmth again. I really don’t like having to wait to put my hand on my mother’s face and see her shining eyes again. I don’t like struggling though obstacles, and waiting for that time when I can rest. I hope I don’t come off as whining and complaining. I’m not. The veil is thin and I feel those I love close by. There’s just something so important about our bodies though and physical touch. I’m simply saying, patience to journey on is hard. Enduring isn’t a walk in the park.

          President Monson says, “What does it mean to endure? I love this definition: to withstand with courage. Courage may be necessary for you to believe; it will at times be necessary as you obey. It will most certainly be required as you endure until that day when you will leave this mortal existence.”

          The Savior promised, “Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life.” It might be that we have to take life breath by breath, moment by moment, day by day. Whatever our situation, whatever we face, whatever comes our way- God loves us. He loves you. He will not leave you. He is merciful and good. He is all powerful. Your belief, your knowledge, your willingness to do His will and His almighty arm will be what helps you to endure. Isaiah 41:10, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

          We are not alone. Do not expect perfection from yourself right this very second, but do the best you can. There are angels, many that the eye cannot see, that are with us at this very moment. They are on the errand of The Lord, to help His children. We can journey on and know that there is heavenly help guiding and directing us. There are angels that we can see too! Look around. Look at the faces of those by your side, behind you, in front of you, next to you. These are some of God’s finest angels. You are not alone. There are so many here willing to help, to cook you meal after meal, to listen, to cry with you, to give you a hug, to call upon the very powers of heaven and bless you, to give you encouragement. We are mortal, but we do the best we can. We journey on together. If this beautiful journey ever seems overwhelming, when we wonder how to move on, when we seem stuck, I repeat “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee;”

          Rung by rung, we courageously climb the ladder of our high dive. We obey God’s commandments, we pray, we read our scriptures over and over again, we have family home evening, we help and give service, we are baptized, we serve missions, we get married in the temple, we hope, we believe, we repent often, we are kind, and we endure. And then the moment comes when we reach the top. We never know when we’ll reach the top and be called to jump. But we don’t have to be scared. We can have confidence through Christ our Savior. He has died for us. He has lived for us. He lives for us still. We hoped on and we journey on. We can own it. When we jump off that high dive, we are uninhibited and liberated. We feel the wind, we feel the freedom, we are truly happy because our hope is a reality. We don’t belly flop, we slice through that water sharp and clear. We have done our part, we were brave, we were valiant and God looks to welcome us with a clean towel and open arms.

          I bear my testimony that hope is the attitude that will keep us strong and stalwart in this life. I know that if we have the courage to believe, that that belief and hope brings us to action. As we endure to the end and make our daily choices, I know that if we remember Christ and do as He did, all will be well in the end. I bear testimony that God the Father is real. He loves us dearly for we are His children. Glory be to His name forever and to His Son, Jesus Christ, in whose sacred name I close, Amen.

Mother's Day

I was asked to give a talk in Relief Society on Sunday. It was a busy day and a wonderful day!!

By Marci Oleszkiewicz

 
      My dearest sisters, it is such a privilege to be able to speak to you this day. I have prayed that the spirit will direct me in what I should say and that we can be edified together.
      In the Book of Matthew Chapter 12: 46-50, it says, "While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his breathren stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
     There can be no doubt of the love Jesus felt for His mother. His first miracle to turn water into wine was at the request of His beloved mother. From the Liahona (March 2015), “ Jesus Christ said, “Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come” (John 2:4). In Joseph Smith’s inspired rendering of this verse, the Savior asks Mary what she wants Him to do and promises to do it. The title woman may sound harsh and disrespectful to a modern reader; however, its use here by the Savior was likely meant to convey the opposite meaning. One scholar explains, “‘Woman,’ or, rather, ‘Lady,’ is in Greek a title of respect, used even in addressing queens.” It was as though He said to His mother, “My lady, whatsoever you ask of me in faith, I will grant it unto you.” Of the very few words He spoke dying on the cross, one matter was that of making sure His mother was taken care of. How can the Savior have spoken of others and compared them to His very own mother?
      And yet, "He seeth not as a man seeth." [1]. So often it is easiest to love those closest to us. Yet the Savior of man gave His life for not just his mother, earthly father and brethren, He gave it for all. There is an eternal family and we can be part of it with Heavenly Father at the head. How does it make you feel to hear the words of our Lord Himself as He says that whosoever will do the will of The Father is the same as the chosen and blessed Mary herself? A virgin most beautiful and fair above all others[2]… “For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
     Today is a day to honor mothers. What a glorious gift and opportunity! We all have different backgrounds. We all have different experiences. Whatever our current circumstance is, Elder Ballard in April 2010 conference said, “all women have within their divine nature both the inherent talent and the stewardship to mother…”[3] Today I’d like to remind us that whatever situation we find ourselves in, we are women of faith. We are disciples of Christ.  We have a divine spark inside us. (I was getting teary eyed at this point, so I eloquently added in: Actually, you aren’t sparks, you’re flamers. Giant bonfires lighting me daily. Because who doesn’t want to be called a flamer on Mother’s Day, right?)
     President Joseph F. Smith said: “It is not for you to be led by the women of the world; it is for you to lead the … women of the world, in everything that is praise-worthy, everything that is God-like, everything that is uplifting and … purifying to the children of men” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith [1998], 184).
     What are we doing in our lives to help with the uplifting and purifying of the children of men? How are we aligning our lives and choices with the will of The Father? Again I quote Elder Ballard, “There is nothing in this world as personal, as nurturing, or as life changing as the influence of a righteous woman.”
     When I was in 6th grade it was the Renaissance fair at school. I wanted a costume that would be unique and stand out. My mother and I spent a lot of time on it, her more so than me. We've never been good at sewing. She took me to the copy shop, the fabric shop... to this day if you were to ask anyone about that fair, my costume would be the thing that they remembered! I was a full fledged dragon with a 3 foot head, gold shimmering neck, and huge faux-leather body.
       My Yaya is my get out of jail free card. She has helped me and given me so much, in fact our air conditioning just broke and she was the one who made it so I didn’t have to worry in the slightest. I was in an MRI machine and her words were what gave me comfort…. She told me of the many times she was in an MRI for 3 different brain tumors… just pray. Say your prayers and it will pass by. I said my prayers, and it did.
      We have the example of many righteous women around us. Their sacrifice, their devotion, their endurance. I could easily tell you many stories of those sitting right here and all they have done to inspire me to be a better person. You all are a reflection of Christ. We are to lead the women of the world. We are to uplift and strengthen. On this day, let us celebrate what is in each woman… goodness. Love!!! Let us commit ourselves to choosing what is right. To making and keeping covenants. To praying to know what God would have us do, then doing it. Ralph Waldo Emerson is believed to have said, “What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say” (see Ralph Keyes, The Quote Verifier [2006], 56).
    I’m so very grateful for my children. They will be singing We’ll bring the World His truth. As is mentioned in the song, the armies of Helaman were taught in their youth. Alma 56: 47-48 says, “Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.  And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.”  
            Let us be women of strong faith. Women who are true disciples of Christ. I want my daughters to know that I do not doubt.  I bear my testimony that I know God lives. He will be there for us in our greatest triumphs and our darkest moments. He loves us dearly. He is mindful of us and His angels are with us at this very moment keeping watch.  I know He has a plan for each of us. I know that He gave His Only Begotten as a sacrifice for all, that all might return to Him. I know that Jesus Christ is our very best friend. I bear testimony that we have a sacred responsibility to stand as witnesses of our Savior. I know that each woman is a beloved daughter of God, and as such has great power to do brilliant things in this life and in the next to come.
     In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

---

[1] 1Samuel 16:7

[2] 1Nephi 11:15

[3] Mothers & Daughters April 2010 Conference

Young Women in Excellence Talk: Spiritual Bonfires of Testimony

I was supposed to speak at Young Women in Excellence night... I was all prepared, however 15 minutes before I was supposed to be there, we had a family emergency and I ended up not being able to go because we were at Urgent Care. All is well now, but I feel really bad. Anyways, just thought I'd post what I wrote for the occasion... because Elder Wirthlin is awesome and has wonderful insight.

I wanted to start off by saying thank you for the honor of speaking tonight. I haven’t been in Young Women's or had a calling in it for 12 years, but my love for the program is strong. You are a rare group of girls, beautiful and radiant. While I don’t know you all on an individual basis, I look at you and see pure, virtuous young ladies making a huge impact in this world and am humbled to be before you. I’ve prayed every night to know what needs to be said and I pray right now that the spirit will guide us and edify us... and that I wont bore the snot out of you.

The theme for tonight is the "purse-suit of happiness". I love that because happiness isn’t just going to hit you on the head one day. It’s something you have to actively seek for. Happiness comes in many shapes and forms. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin wrote a book entitled Finding Peace in our Lives and I wanted to share with you thoughts from it, specifically the chapter Spiritual Bonfires of Testimony. Because I know that true happiness is having a testimony of God the Father and His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Before I do so, I’ll give you a brief background of my experience from Young Women's. We had a small group of girls, so much so that there was usually me, maybe another girl and my best friend who wasn’t a member at mutual activities. I wish I could say I was mature enough to go to activities because I had a deep desire to learn and better myself, but in all honesty it was to watch the guys play basketball after. My leaders loved me but I’m pretty sure I was super annoying to them because I’d always try to ask them off the wall questions. For example, one leader worked at a mental institution and I remember trying to get her to talk about the people there and if she worried they’d ever break out and find her. We were in the car for 20 minutes together and by the end she put her hand on my shoulder, thoroughly patient yet glad to get rid of me and said, Goodnight Sofia. Goodnight. I’m sure you are all wiser than I was. All your leaders speak very very highly of you.

I loved Girl’s Camp. It was a time to learn, feel the spirit and just enjoy life. My best friend that I mentioned would come and I’m grateful because I’m hoping those were the seeds planted that will be sown later on in life. One year we were camp mail women and we wore pink kimonos everywhere walking with wooden canes from Tijuana. Young Women’s is an inspired organization that is there to help us have happy memories. Not only that, but it can be a safety for us to help us through the drama of middle school and highschool. I held on to Young Womens. I went to church, I went to mutual. I attended seminary. I made a lot of mistakes and was far from perfect but Young Women’s and Personal Progress helped me build upon my testimony. Others from my laurel class didn’t see the value in it and 3 chose alternate lifestyles, 1 went to BYU met a non-member and married him and fell away from the church and 1 other just went inactive. I don’t know all the details of the younger girls but out of a group of 20, me and a girl named Ronnie stayed active. It’s pretty sad statistics and I wonder what happened. But at the same time I don’t. In two words, wolves happened.

Elder Wirthlin tells of large packs of quote “wolves that roamed the countryside of Ukraine many years ago. It made travel very dangerous. The wolf packs were fearless. They were not intimidated by people or by any of the weapons available at that time. The only thing that seemed to frighten them was fire. Consequently, travelers who found themselves away from cities developed the practice of burning a large bonfire and keeping it burning through the night. As long as the fire burned brightly, the wolves stayed away. But if the fire burned out, the wolves would move in for an attack. Travelers understood that building and maintaining a bonfire was not just a matter of convenience or comfort; it was a matter of survival.”

We obviously don’t have to look far to see wolves all around us. They are on shirts, bumper stickers, hats, cups, license plates... you name it.

 

So what is the moral of the story and the point of my ramblings? Don’t go to UNR, go to BYU.... goooooooooooooo cougars!! UNR may pay our bills, but I’ll always prefer my alma mater. (**Sidenote dear readers, our local university has the mascot of wolf pack as pictured and my husband works there as an administrator)

All joking aside. Elder Wirthlin mentions some pretty vivid scriptures “1 Peter 5:8 describes our, “adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, that walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” The Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith, “Enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb.” D&C 122:6.”

The name of the program tonight is Young Women in Excellence, and you can tell. Because you step outside of this room and you see females who parade their bodies as trash. We live in Nevada, so we get an extra dosage of visuals that are nothing short of horrific, yet so sad. You step outside this room and hear girls with mouths that need to be duck-taped for the good of society and decency of the human race. You step outside this room and there are girls having babies, unwed, unskilled, uneducated and unprepared for the consequence of their choice. You step outside this room and you take a big breath and thank the Lord that He is the Lord and that you don’t have His job. It seems overwhelming that there are so many willing to run with the pack and be led captive into misery. However, you take one step in this room and you can breath. You take one look around and here, here are Young Women in Excellence. Here are the Young Women, the leaders, the examples, the virtue and goodness that make the rest of us have hope. And why are you excellent? Because of your light.

Happiness is having the bonfire of a testimony. Perhaps it may be just a small one, perhaps it is a raging inferno ready to burn the desert we live in down... either way, we can always add fuel to our testimony and make it stronger.

Our dear apostle Elder Wirthlin suggests “3 ways that will fan the flame of personal testimony as a protection against the wolves of evil that are prowling all around us to threaten our spiritual security. First, our testimonies must be built upon a solid foundation of faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ.” Can anyone recite from memory Helaman 5:12? “And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.”

I was never a cheerleader, I was too self conscious of my thighs and not willing to work out. With that said, I still would rather watch cheerleaders than a football game. Something about guys in spandex who grunt and bash heads has no relevance to me. So back to cheerleaders.... when I think of cheerleaders making a pyramid formation, they always put the more robust girls on the bottom? Why? Obviously the waifs aren’t going to be able to support everyone. So it is with the Big Man upstairs, they don’t call Him the Big Man for nothing. He is all wise, all capable and ready to support us in all our righteous endeavors.

The second idea to fan the flame of personal testimony is, “We must repent humbly and sincerely.” I love the analogy Elder Wirthlin makes,“Anything that does not draw us closer to God takes us away from him.”

And the last idea he mentions is this, “Third, we must follow the example of the Savior.” How can we have a testimony of someone we don’t follow? We’re not asked to turn water into wine or atone for the sins of the world. 1 John 2: “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” John continues on in Chapter 3 “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”

What is the day the widow’s husband died? Leave a plant on her doorstep with a card that says, today is a hard day, but know you are loved more than words can say. Smile and wave at the car next to you. Say hello to people you don’t know at church. Post Ghandi quotes on facebook about making the world a better place.

The pursuit of happiness is consistently striving to gain a testimony of God the Eternal Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. And today’s as good a day as any to decide what you know to be true. A testimony isn’t thanking people, a testimony is BAM... The Lord lives, I know this is true. We need to be ready to bear testimony at anytime. Be confident in the knowledge you’ve gained.

What is our happily ever after if we do so? Mosiah 2:41 “And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.” Never ending happiness!! Cha Ching!!

I’d like to close with this Luis Vuiton purse. It’s worth I’m sure some money. My Aunt gave it to me when I was a young woman. I loved it because my Aunt gave it to me but I've never used it because I'm happy with my $3 clearance purse from Target. Recently we had a garage sale and I wanted to sell it because frankly, I never use it. I wanted $20 and this lady cruises up in her Landrover and says she’ll give me $5. This purse is worth so much more. Forget that. I want you all to know that your testimonies are worth more than you can ever ever ever possibly imagine! You are all precious daughters of God. Wolves will try to sell you short and undermine your worth... but you are so much more. You are God’s instruments to usher in the 2nd coming of the Lord. Know your Lord and be confident in your testimony.

I bear my personal witness the Jesus Christ lives. He is our very best friend. He is with us to support us and bear us up in our weakest moments. He will never fail us. He is our source of true joy. Heavenly Father is our Father. We are His children. He wants us to be like Him and has provided a perfect plan for this to happen. I love and worship the Father and the Son and testify that They are mighty to save and all powerful. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Personal Sacrament Meeting Talk Jan. 2010

Pardon the interruption. This doesn't have to do with Primary but I do want it on record one day for my little chickies pictured above.

Brothers and Sisters, it’s a pleasure to be here with you this Sabbath day. I want to tell my parents I love them and thank you for always being there for us. I’m just going to come right out and say it, it might be a little sacrilege, it might be a little un-American but it’s who I am. I dislike hotdogs. I don’t even remember the last time I had a hotdog. I refuse to cook hotdogs for any of my family and whenever a family member eats a hotdog, I make sure to give looks of horror and disapproval, if not vocal gagging sounds. When someone told me what was in a hot dog, they changed my life. They proclaimed truth. They proclaimed knowledge of very important value. It’s changed the way I eat and live. It may sound like I’m babbling, but I do have message to share this day, and it’s my prayer that the spirit will be with us and that we can grow closer to God by it’s divine power.

A person spoke up and told me about hot dogs. It changed me. How often do we share messages that can change the lives of others? The Bishop asked my husband and I to speak on “Proclaiming the Gospel”. The word “proclaim” is situated in an interesting spot in the topical guide, coincidence- I think not- between the words “proceed” and “procrastination”. Do we proceed and go forward sharing our testimonies often, or do we procrastinate sharing our beliefs?

I was born and raised in Sparks. Home means NV to me. My husband and I met at BYU. It was at the Black Student Union and my roommate and I were debating whether I should go after Joe- who was gaunt and starving looking or another guy who was meatier but had different sized eyes. The choice was fairly easy. I was 200 pounds lighter with a dashing personality he couldn’t refuse and snagged him right up. I had dated quite a bit but Joe was the first guy I met that just could not talk about anything other than his mission. He was obsessed. He served in Dallas TX… God bless Texas! Spanish and English speaking. He talked about the different families they taught, he talked about his love of Mexican food, he talked about the weather and dogs trying to kill him in the ghettos, he talked and talked and talked… and I actually listened. I’m pretty attention deficit and bore easily, yet his love for the gospel enthralled me. He even continued his mission a few months after his 2 years were up, because he loved proclaiming God’s truth to others. Besides his stunning good looks and rock hard biceps this was what attracted me most to him. He was a man of God. He was worthy of the sacred priesthood he held. He made the world a better place by proclaiming the gospel. And he does so to this day!

I want to break up the word “proclaim” into 3 parts. Declare, Preach, and Publish as found in the topical guide.

First, Declare. We have a popular phrase we like to quote in our house. It’s by the Godfather of Soul, Mr. James Brown himself and is slightly modified. “Girl…Say it loud, say it proud.” Declare. State it - whether it’s in your home, school, testimony meeting, the grocery store or King’s Chinese Buffet. Abinadi didn’t shrink before King Noah, he told it like it was. Mosiah 12:33 “I know if ye keep the commandments of God ye shall be saved.” Same chapter 12 verses 25 and 26 “Have ye taught this people that they should observe to do all these things for to keep these commandments? I say unto you Nay; for if ye had, the Lord would not have caused me to come forth and to prophesy evil concerning this people.” He declared this most important truth in Mosiah 15:1 “I would that ye should understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people.” The modern day apostles don’t beat around the bush either, in the document The Living Christ they say “We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son.”

Now there is a small clause with this that should make sense, D&C 11:21 “Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men.” What is your testimony? What do you know to be true? Do you have to be a scriptorian and know the family histories line by line in the book of Numbers? This scripture isn’t meant to scare anyone off, but just before you go declaring the word of God make sure you know who Joseph Smith is and that we don’t go boozing around town as part of the word of wisdom, young adults aren’t forced to go to BYU, etc. Except for my girls, you will bleed blue.

Preach on sister. No really, the second part of my talk is about just that “Preaching”. First we declare, then we preach and further expound. How important is it to preach? Jonah 3:2 “Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee…” And Jonah didn’t and he was swallowed by a whale and had to live inside it for 3 days. The apostle Paul probably echoed Jonah’s sentiments when he stated “…Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel.” 1 Corinthians 9:16 We have been told by President Spencer W. Kimball, “Every member a missionary.” We have resources all around us to help. The scriptures, modern day revelation, prayer… to be used often, daily, not sparingly…even a book called “Preach my Gospel.” One scripture that is a theme within this book is D&C 112:28 “But purify your hearts before me; and then go ye into all the world, and preach my gospel unto every creature who has not received it.” Do we as members take the place of missionaries? Absolutely not!!!! We don’t have discussions on our own and baptize in the pond in the backyard. Missionaries have been called and set apart by God to specifically preach the gospel as ordained servants. But we can sure open our mouths to our neighbors and friends or complete strangers and teach and testify. Opening mouths is only one part, we need to remember actions speak louder than words. Follow Christ, do as He did.

Thirdly, I chose to focus on the word publish. When is the last time you wrote down your testimony? Will generations to come have a record of what you believed in? Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!” I never served a mission. I wanted to, but my husband said if I left he wouldn’t wait for me. I’m smart, I thought Ok, we’ll just serve one together! So while I’ve never had that official experience I have published my testimony and through the miracles of God and the internet, people in 208 different countries can witness that I know that Jesus Christ lives. From Ireland to Nigeria to the Cayman Islands, Sofia Lykes has said it loud and said it proud. I bring this up not to toot my own horn,because really... I am nothing!!... but to just state that if we wish to share and humbly ask God for help, He will help!

I know my daughters Christina and Maria know this – Mommy loves you very much. You are my angels. You are perfection. You are heaven here on this earth. We share our testimonies together weekly in Family Home Evening. I also know that one day I’m going to be on the other side of the veil and I don’t want there to ever be a question to their children or the world for that matter that I know Heavenly Father loves us all. That Jesus Christ atoned for our sins and sicknesses. I declare, preach, publish. I proclaim we will one glorious day be resurrected and stand before our maker.

My son is also proclaiming the gospel. I am often asked how many children I have. I have 3. I don’t skirt around the question, even though I know sometimes it makes others uncomfortable. Our son died of SIDS almost 5 months ago now. His life and death serve a very important purpose and God’s will always be done. We don’t see it as a trial or great tragedy, it’s part of the plan and we’ll be reunited in the resurrection. Besides, I know his sweet perfect spirit is very close by me each day. The veil is thin. I would really be remiss if I didn’t thank you all for the wonderful support and charity you have shown us in our hour of need. Words will never do justice for the gratitude that is in my heart. Food, prayers, visits, hugs, listening ears, Kleenex, an outstanding and amazing visiting teacher, a home teacher who shoveled our snow… you name it, it was given. And we are eternally grateful. May you be blessed with heaven’s highest blessings for mourning with those that mourn. We are very humbled to be part of such an outstanding ward family. And to be led by such fine priesthood leaders like the bishopric. (Small insert to blog readers- you too are wonderful, I don't know where I'd be without all your prayers and love so THANK YOU!!!)

I’ve been told often that now I really have a reason to work hard since my son is waiting for me, but this is absolutely false. I valued being sealed to him when he was alive just as much as now. I’ve always had a reason to work hard and that is because I love my Savior. I love my God. I desire nothing more than to enter into Their presence and have Them say, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.” What are the desires of our heart? Do we desire others to have a part of this glorious gospel and happiness?

Don’t be discouraged, we may not convert by the 1,000’s every week and that’s OK. In Isaiah 27 verses 12 and 13 “…ye shall be gathered one by one… they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem.” Never judge a person, just share. Listen to the Holy Ghost. President Lee says it much more eloquently- “The Gospel of Jesus Christ was not intended just for a continent or a segment of the earth. The gospel is intended for every soul that walks the earth, they are all children of God… Our responsibility is to bring to the world the message of truth, to show the world that within the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ are to be found the solutions to very problem that afflicts mankind… No matter where they live, whether they are rich or poor, no matter what their station in life, their color or their background, they are loved by us and we desire to help them to achieve their highest expectations…”

We never know when we will be called to proclaim the gospel. I bear solemn testimony we must be ready at all times to witness the divinity of Christ. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true church on this earth, this day. We must declare, we must preach and we must publish. Have I done any good in the world today? Have I helped anyone in need? We must proclaim the change that the world needs. We must help gather His children and keep them safe. All things are possible with God through the Atonement of His Son. Of this I bear testimony of, in the name of my Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ Amen.

Sacrament Meeting Talk Feb. 08, 2008

Dearest brothers and sisters, may I just tell you of my deep respect and love for all of you. Being in this ward is such a pleasure and I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to each member for being who you are. Our ward has strong people, solid in the gospel of Jesus Christ, my admiration for you runs deeper than words and the same goes for my wonderful parents and children.

And I’m not forgetting my sweet Joe. I’d like to tell you a little something about my husband. It’s not much of a secret. He is pretty amazing. Every night, he takes out the trash. I don’t ever have to ask him. It could be a full pile or even just a couple diapers, no matter what though- when he’s home from work, the garbage is gone. This miracle and blessing in my life, in reference to both by husband and the fact that the garbage is taken out regularly, has lead to our home being cleaner and smelling pleasant. He never puts it off. He doesn’t wait until the next day and I never have to worry about the garbage being taken down to the street. Our home is not cluttered, messy with debris, instead it is orderly and neat, again I mention there is no rank odor. May I compare this to a scripture,” Alma 34:32–33;also Alma 13:27 “This life is the time for men to prepare to meet God. … Do not procrastinate the day of your repentance.” May we all throw out the ways of sin daily from our lives, and prepare and get our lives and homes in order.

As I was reading in Alma chapter 5 I pondered on the words, “Have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance?” What has each day in our lives cost others? For many of the veterans of war, they have fought brutal battles and seen death in it’s ugliest forms. All this so WE could worship, have freedom of speech, so we could have life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. For the prophet Joseph and the many early saints they faced persecution, hot tar and feathers, mobs who instilled fear with fire and brute, all so WE could have the Book of Mormon and the restored gospel here on earth, the church nurtured and cultivated. For our dear Father in Heaven and His only Begotten, infinite and eternal sacrifice. With blood and tears shed during prayer at the foot of an olive tree, Jesus the Christ bore the sicknesses and sins of the world and made intercession so each day and each moment WE could have a way and a path whereby to follow and return to those who so dearly love us. Have we sufficiently retained in remembrance what a true gift each day truly is?

We have 24 hours each day. No more no less and there is nothing we can do to change that. The sun rises and it sets. What exactly are we doing with those hours? I love Luila Langberg. She grew up in Wyoming with her 9 brothers and sisters. Each morning their mom would cook them breakfast and they would leave to go play in the woods and fields. When the sun set they’d come home and mother would cook them dinner, give bath and put them to bed. How I envy that time! How much richer a childhood than many of today’s youth. Exploring the world God created, breathing fresh air, filling one’s soul with the goodness of the earth. Joseph Smith taught, “The heavens declare the glory of a God, and the firmament showeth His handiwork; and a moment’s reflection is sufficient to teach every man of common intelligence, that all these are not the mere productions of chance, nor could they be supported by any power less than an Almighty hand.” Do we look around us, really look and see the goodness and glory of His creation? I love strollers. One fall morning, my girls and I went out to get the morning paper and as I looked up in the sky, the clouds were just so big and majestic as they moved slowly across the sky. The air gently burned my nose as I walked. I could feel my heart beating. I felt such reverence for the world. I felt reverence for being alive and to be able to see and hear and feel what was going on around me. I felt reverence for my life and for the day that was so lovingly granted to me. Have you ever had a moment like that? Hopefully, you have many moments like that which inspire you to lead your life to the fullest possible.

Did you know that the word gospel means good tidings or good news? So when we say the gospel of Jesus Christ we could say the good tidings of Christ. There are so many scriptures that talk about the love our Savior and Heavenly father have for all of us. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” Matthew 7:7, “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you” John 15:9, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:7-10 “And again, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings.” 3 Nephi 10:5

The word of God declares that we are his and that he loves us. Why then with all this good news, good tidings, happiness and calm assurances are we scared? In the same breath, Alma the younger in chapter 13 says, “Now is the time to repent, for the day of salvation draweth nigh.” Then “By the mouth of angels,(he) doth declare it, that they may have glad tidings of great joy.” Why then does the thought of repentance seem so heavy. Perhaps it’s because we know that we are human. That the flesh is weak and temptations do easily beset us. We sin. Our sins are scarlet. We are unclean before our maker. I pondered a quote by Bruce R. McConkie, “The uttermost depth of superhuman woe seems to be revealed by His cry, “My God, My God why hast Thou forsaken Me? To this we add, if we interpret the holy word aright, that all of the anguish, all of the sorrow, and all of the suffering of Gethsemane recurred during the final three hours on the cross, the hours when darkness covered the land. Truly there was no sorrow like unto his sorrow, and no anguish and pain like unto that which bore in with such intensity upon him.” Because we are fallen, we need the Atonement. Because there was an Atonement made for us, we need to repent.

Melvin J. Ballard has said, “It is my judgment that any man or woman can do more to conform to the laws of God in one year in this life than they could in ten years when they are dead. The spirit only can repent and change, and the battle has to go forward with the flesh afterwards. It is much easier to overcome and serve the Lord when both flesh and spirit are combined as one. This is the time when men are more pliable and susceptible. When clay is pliable it is much easier to change than when it gets hard and sets.” Again, I come to the words of Alma, “Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you. And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.” Adding to this, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland talks about the timing of repentance, which can seem overwhelming, “You can change anything you want to change and you can do it very fast. That’s another Satanic sucker-punch- that it takes years and years and eons of eternity to repent. It takes exactly as long to repent as it takes you to say I’ll change and mean it. Of course there will be problems to work out and restitutions to make. You may well spend- indeed you had better spend- the rest of your life proving your repentance by its permanence. But change, growth, renewal, repentance can come for you as instantaneously as it did for Alma and the Sons of Mosiah.”

What needs to be fixed in our lives? What are we doing that is wrong? Or perhaps, it’s what more do we need to be doing?

We need to remember what has been sacrificed for our time here on this earth. We need to look around us and acknowledge Heavenly Father as our God. We need to know of the love of Jesus Christ, our Savior. And we need to repent and come unto Him, not tomorrow or the next day. But today.

I think that I could sufficiently end here but I had called brother Chapin and he said to be sure to include thoughts about my scripture study. I humbly bare testimony that I never knew the power of God until I feasted upon His word. Indeed, it is an iron rod, immovable and constant, leading to the fruit which is sweeter than any other.

The story is said of a donkey who fell into a well. The farmer knew there was no way to get him out and as the well needed to be filled anyways, he grabbed his shovel and started putting dirt in. The donkey was screaming, but scoop after scoop the noise resided. More and more dirt went in and then miraculously, the donkey walked out of the well. You see the donkey realized if he could just step up on and over the dirt he could slowly climb out of the well.

Life is going to throw lots of dirt at us. How will we rise above? How do we move and step up? May I suggest it’s by filling ourselves with the Holy Word and pressing onward and upward. I say filling, not reading, but filling. Not on some days of the week, but everyday. May I compare it to Dairy Queen. If you go to DQ every day and get a buster bar (chocolate fudge, ice cream, peanuts then covered in a delicious chocolate shell) you are going to be 500 lbs. And you are going to be happy. Blissfully happy. Our spirits need fattening up. Besides the scriptures, I love the Ensign, I love the Friend, Primary Teaching Manuals, books by the Apostles and Church Published Scripture helps. Study helps like Doctrines of The Gospel Student Manual (Religion 430) and all the student manuals for the different books of scripture are dilly bars, blizzards and frozen soft serve cakes. If you partake, you will be complete. On a more serious note, these are the words that will help us through each day no matter what happens. These are the books that will help us to see clearly through the mud and help cleanse our souls.

I think that as we study the scriptures it can be very overwhelming. There is so much to know, so much to understand- but I bear testimony that as we set and strive to reach our righteous goals, our Father in Heaven will pour out blessings we can scarce contain. For me, I found it easiest to go through the pronunciation guide and find out everything possible I could about each entry. Doing this led me to so many questions. As I searched for answers to my questions I realized quite a marvelous thing in my life. I felt peace, strength, quiet resolve. It led me to look for more service and missionary opportunities. I remember one time just touching my Bible and feeling an overpowering feeling that this book was true, but not just that, I felt a physical sensation of my heart being stronger and my blood flowing faster than if I were exercising. I bear testimony that truly searching the word of God will not lead at a dead end or empty hole. It will lead us back to our Father and Jesus Christ and give us happiness that cannot be described.

I repeat. What needs to be fixed in our lives? What are we doing that is wrong? Or perhaps, it’s what more do we need to be doing?

May I humbly suggest that happiness lies in knowing God. To know God is to know His words. Today is the day to find happiness. Of this I bear testimony, in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.