Acceptance

This last weekend I was able to visit with my Grandma Koon and help clean her house. She'll be 90 this September 9(I was born on her 60th birthday). She can't see well, so she needed some help. Me, Annika, Mandy, my 2 aunts, Diana & Martia, my cousins Erik, Tiffany, Steve, and his fiance were all there cleaning. We had a really good time doing it and at some point during, I can't really recall exactly when, I was thinking about how accepting my grandma is. I've had a few relatives that have really made some bad choices in their lives and through it all, my grandma still accepted them into her home. Whether they lived with her for a period of time, or just stayed with her for a while, she allowed them in. I'm not sure I could have been that accepting as she did. She's an amazing woman and I hope I can follow her example to be more accepting to others. I feel so blessed to be able to share a birthday with such an amazing person!

From an interview with Elder Francisco J. Viñas of the Seventy, currently serving as President of the Caribbean Area Presidency; by Sarah Cutler

“By love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13).

How do you build an eternal family? The first step is to learn from your parents. My parents were baptized in 1951, when I was four years old. We were among the first members of the Church in Uruguay.

From my parents I learned how to treat other people. They taught me to reach out to everyone, even to those who were not from our own country or culture. One time a Norwegian ship captain came to Uruguay. He was alone, without his family. My family invited him to stay in our home. Many people already lived in our little house, but we took in one more.

Seeing my parents take care of others taught me a simple principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ: be friendly to others, treat them well, and do not judge them. Be kind, and help people when they have a need.

I also saw how my parents served in the Church and how they helped the missionaries. Before I was called as a priesthood leader, I had already received great training in my home from my parents.

The sooner in your life you start living the gospel, the better your life will be. Someday you will be able to pass the same gospel message and heritage to your children and then to their children. You can start a new generation of an eternal family if you learn the basic principles of the gospel.

My parents’ example was a great heritage for me and my family. I hope it will continue to be for all the generations to come. My wife and I have a great relationship with our children. We have tried to help them understand what my parents taught me, that if you love others and help them, you are blessed. Our children have had many challenges, but all of them have been sealed in the temple. They are active in the Church, and we hope they will pass on this heritage to the next generation.

My grandchildren are the fourth generation of our family in the Church. We hope that we can share with them the same ability to accept others, to help them, and to lift them up. We are working to establish a family based on faith in Jesus Christ and a strong testimony of His gospel.

Cows

April 9, 2010: I was out running this morning and decided to go down a dirt road next to my neighbor’s house. I’ve been down the dirt road before. No big deal. It dead ends so I would just turn around at the end and come back. I thought it would be nice to change up my run a little. Well, I got to the end of my road where I would need to cross the highway to go down the dirt lane. I thought to myself, “Maybe I shouldn’t go there alone today.” I looked down the lane, saw nothing out of the ordinary and crossed the highway. Again I thought, “I’m alone, maybe I shouldn’t go today.” Again, I thought what harm is there? There’s nothing down there. So I continued. Just as I passed the first cattle guard I noticed a herd of about 20 cows on a dead run to a spot in the fence just ahead of me. I thought it was weird that they were running but I continued. About 25 yards ahead of me they crossed through an open part of the fence and crossed the dirt road into the adjacent field. I continued running to the next cattle guard where I turned around to go back. Just as I did I saw another group of cows running to the same opening in the fence and cross through to the same area of pasture as the first group of cows. As I started to get closer to that opening I noticed that the large group of cows all turned to watch me. At that same time I looked to the opening and saw 2 more cows heading to it, they saw me and turned around and started running the opposite direction along the fence. As I passed the opening one of the cows that was running changed direction and started running straight for the fence. If the cow were to make it through or over the fence, we’d get there at about the same time. As I hesitated continuing with the large group of cows still watching me, the cow tried to plow through the fence! She got caught up and couldn’t go through so she turned around and ran back into the field. I picked up my pace to make it to the next cattle guard, and just as I did, the large herd started running towards it too. I stared to get a little scared thinking that they might change direction and come towards me! I knew I couldn’t take on 30 cows by myself so I picked up speed to make it to the cattle guard before them. I made it and knew I was safe. Those cows were jumpy and unpredictable and trying to get away from me like I was trying to get away from them. In that instant I recognized that what I thought were my own thoughts, were actually the warnings of the spirit. I learned a valuable lesson this morning: Even though I wasn’t harmed by those cows, I knew that the Lord had kept me safe from the cows even though I didn’t recognize and listen to the spirit when it told me not to go down that road. I also know that that won’t always be the case. Next time I don’t listen to the Spirit the outcome may not be a good one.

Glenn L. Pace, “The Elusive Balance,” Tambuli, Feb 1988, 43
Be Patient with Spiritual Setbacks
If we do not learn to recognize the witness of the Spirit, Satan can thoroughly confuse us with his own demonstrations. How, then, can we acquire the ability to recognize a witness of the Spirit?
First, eliminate the guilt you feel when you have fallen short of your spiritual expectations. Have you ever been certain you have received a spiritual witness only to have subsequent events prove you were in error? Have you ever dismissed what you later found out was a genuine spiritual witness? We have more patience with our failures in learning to ski than we do in learning how to recognize the Spirit. When we fall going down the slope, we get up, laugh at ourselves, and try again. When we have a failure in recognizing the Spirit we feel great guilt and are reluctant to go forward. It’s natural to have spiritual setbacks. It’s okay. It’s all right. Stay with it.

We all know it takes years of practice to become a professional athlete. However, we expect to be overnight successes in spiritual things.

Joseph Smith said, “A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the same day or soon; (i.e.) those things that were presented unto your minds by the Spirit of God, will come to pass; and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation until you become perfect in Christ Jesus” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 151).

Please note he said, “you may grow into the principle of revelation.” To become proficient in basketball one practices shooting countless shots. By repeating successful approaches and changing failures, the player gets the uncanny ability of knowing as soon as the ball leaves his hands whether the shot will be good or not.

In spiritual matters we need to learn exactly when we have had a witness of the Spirit and when we have had a counterfeit thrown at us by Satan or by our own ambition and desire. How many of you young men have told your girlfriend, “I have received a spiritual witness that you are to be my wife”? In some cases I would suggest the witness is more a desire than a spiritual manifestation. If you receive that witness, put it to the test. Ask her to marry you, if she says yes, you were right; if she says no, you were wrong. But keep your witness to yourself. She is perfectly capable of receiving her own revelation.

What does a spiritual confirmation feel like? It’s the feeling you have when you read the Book of Mormon or when you talk of heavenly things with your parents or a valued friend. Learn to recognize it and follow that feeling.

If it were possible, I would lay down a formula for instant and certain success. Because the variables change each day, consistent success is very difficult to obtain. We may be in tune more on one day than another. We may be more emotionally vulnerable one day than another. However, with all the variables there is one constant. The Spirit witnesses only the truth.

If your success ratio for recognizing the Spirit is low, ask yourself these questions:
1. How well am I living the commandments?
2. Am I studying the scriptures in order that I might be more attuned to spiritual things?
3. Am I praying with real intent?
4. Have I done my homework and gone to the Lord with a well-thought-out solution?
5. Have I learned to recognize a stupor of thought?
6. Can I honestly say “thy will be done,” and I am willing to take “no” for an answer?

Don’t fail to invest adequate time learning things of the Spirit. I’m not speaking of religion classes, although I heartily endorse them. I’m speaking of learning how to recognize and obtain revelation. It’s a lifetime course, but you don’t have to wait until graduation to receive benefits. The rewards are immediate as you begin to achieve that elusive balance between intellectual pursuits and the promptings of the Spirit.

Missing

Feb. 2010: I have a hard time discerning between the spirit or my own mind. One day I really needed my camera for something and I couldn’t find it. My sister-in-law had just stayed with us so I called her to see if she accidentally had taken it with her when she went home. She hadn’t. I called a few of my other sisters who were just at my house the night before, to see if they picked it up by mistake. They hadn’t. So I started searching through the house. I went into Lincoln’s room first and looked at my pile of jewelry supplies for a few seconds. I thought to myself “That’s just my jewelry supplies. It’s not there.” Then I continued to look through the house. I was getting really frustrated and worried that I had left it somewhere. Finally, towards the end of the day after calling a few more people and asking them if they’d seen it, I had the thought to go look again in Lincoln’s room. I thought to myself, “It’s not there! I’ve looked there!” I went in anyway and stared at my pile of jewelry supplies. I was about to leave again when I had the thought, “look under the supplies.” Then I thought to myself, “why would it be under there?! It’s NOT there!” So, I figured I had nothing to lose by looking so I did. Lo and Behold, there it was. I had put it there so my nieces and nephews wouldn’t get it, then I happened to stack my jewelry supplies around it without realizing it. I knew then that I need act on a thought. Especially if that thought keeps coming back into my mind. When that happens, THAT’S the spirit! Not just my mind, telling me what I need to do. D&C 85:6 "Yea, thus saith the still small voice, which whispereth through and pierceth all things, and often times it maketh my bones to quake while it maketh manifest..."

Being Specific in Prayer

March 2010: We have been going through some pretty hard times. One thing that has been on our mind during this time is to get some renters in one of our vacant rentals. We’d been praying about it but nothing had happened. Finally one night, I was very specific in my prayer because I had been very frustrated at not being able to fill this vacancy. I asked to “please bless us to find some renters for the basement apartments very soon.” Before this time I had been more general. Just asking for our situation to get better. The very next day we filled that vacant spot. It dawned on me just at that time, that the Lord wants us to be specific in our prayers, not general. The spirit was very strong in making sure I understood that. I know that the Lord hears our prayers. He wants to help us and provide for us. This was such a strong testimony to me that He listens to our prayers. It wasn’t just coincidence that this happened. I know the Lord heard my prayer and knew my frustration. D&C 6:11 "And if thou wilt inquire, thou shatl know mysteries which are great and marvelous..."

Receiving Personal Revelation

Nov. 22, 2009 Stake Conference: Elder Spencer V. Jones of the First Quorum of the Seventy came to speak to us. Paul and I attended the adult session the evening of Nov. 21, 2009. He spoke about receiving personal revelation. He said that revelation that comes to the mind is specific counsel. For example, if a thought comes to our mind to visit someone in particular, or where to find something that is lost, or how to handle a situation. If a feeling comes to the heart, it will be general. For instance, a feeling of peace, guilt, comfort or joy. I thought about that and realized that I have had quite a few promptings from the spirit that I haven’t recognized. I need to be more careful about listening and acting immediately. Recently, Paul and I have been praying about what to do with our career. There have been many changes in this last year that has led us to start looking for other options. I continue to have the thought that Paul needs to do something with his teaching degree. Each time I have prayed about it, that’s the idea that comes to mind. We are currently moving forward with this prompting and having faith the Lord is leading us in the right direction. Ephesians 1:17 "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him."

Priesthood Authority

Nov. 20, 2009. My Grandma Fielding was put in the hospital in the ICU with an enlarged pancreas, gall stones, and a slightly deflated lung. She had been on a respirator and feeding tube and had been sedated so her body could heal. The doctors asked her if she had a will. She gave power of attorney to my uncle Brian, her youngest son. Her body was retaining fluids and not passing them through her system. She was even getting fluid in her lungs. Things were not looking good for her. Grandpa passed away almost exactly 2 years ago now and she’s been very lonely. I believed her will to live had diminished significantly. Mom and dad were on their mission in Tallahassee, FL at this time and it had been extremely hard on mom not to be able to be there for her. All her siblings had been able to go and be with her. Also, that same week, my sister Annika’s brother-in-law Paul Niederer, was in a four-wheeler accident and was also in the ICU. I was in the same stake as them. That weekend he was in the ICU was stake conference. Our stake president, Randy Sutton, and the General Authority who was here for it, Elder Spencer V. Jones of the 1st Quorum of the Seventy, asked Eva if they could go to the hospital to give Paul a blessing. Of course Annika and Trevor went to the hospital to assist in the blessing. While there, Annika asked if would be too much trouble if they gave Grandma a blessing as well. Elder Jones blessed her with a longer, healthy life. 2 days later, she was able to eat some regular food, the respirator and feeding tube were taken out, and she was moved out of ICU. She was still in the hospital through Christmas but was able to come home a few weeks later. She got stronger and through several weeks of therapy, she was finally able to walk without a walker, and was able to drive again. I guess I’m just selfish, but I wasn’t ready to have her leave us just yet. The Lord is merciful and hears our prayers. Sometimes we don’t like the answer but he always answers if we’ll listen. D&C 121:36 That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness."

Dirty Feet

I have a huge testimony of Priesthood Blessings. It was the summer of 1984 and I was just a few months shy of turning 4. We lived in a red brick house about 2 miles South of Ririe, ID. I remember having a barbeque one night and we roasted hotdogs and marshmallows. The next day I remember wanting to get my feet dirty so I was playing around near the fire pit in some fluffy dirt. I saw the ashes and they looked just as fluffy so in I went. The next thing I remember is sitting on our front steps with my feet in a large bowl of ice water waiting for my mom and dad to get home from the hospital from a surgery mom had. I remember them pulling into the driveway. Next I remember lying down on a hospital bed in the emergency room. I remember looking at my toes and not being able to see them because the blisters were so big. I had 2nd and 3rd degree burns on both feet. I remember that when I started to heal I had to wear slippers on my feet because it hurt to wear shoes. I was given a priesthood blessing from my dad and I know that it’s because of that that I don’t have a single scar. There are no signs that I was ever burned that bad. D&C 1:38 "...whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same."

Burned

When I was 8 years old, sometime in either 1988 or 1989, I was chasing my brother Clifton through the house. We ran into the kitchen where my mom was just pulling a pot of boiling gravy off of the stove. She was turning around to put the pot on the other side of the kitchen on the counter when I ran into her. The gravy ended up being spilled on the right side of my face, up over my nose, and just under my left eye. I remember leaning over the bathtub and applying a cold washrag to my face. We rushed to the emergency room. I was given a Priesthood Blessing because of the 2nd and 3rd degree burns. I remember laying in the ER looking up at the lights crying. One night shortly after that, we were at my Grandpa and Grandma Fielding’s house. I wanted so badly to jump on the trampoline with my cousins. I asked my mom if I could. I remember her telling me that I had to be careful so that no one touched my face. Sure enough, my cousin accidentally hit my cheek with her hand. Skin came off of my face and onto her hand. The Lord blessed me tremendously. I don’t have any scarring on my face from the burns. I can’t imagine how different my life might be if I had burn scars on my face. I am so grateful for the power of the priesthood. It is real! I am proof of that. One would never be able to guess that I had that experience. With burns like the ones I had, I should have scars but I don’t. Because of the priesthood, I was healed. I will never deny that truth and that power. 3 Nephi 7:17 “…And Nephi did minister with power and with great authority.” (Jan 2009)

Multiple Tender Mercies

1 Nephi 1:20 "...But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance."

It's so wonderful to recognize the tender mercies of the Lord. While in NYC, June 2009, my mom and dad and I experienced a few of these.
#1. The night before flying out, mom, dad and I were staying in a hotel in SLC. I was really nervous about flying and I knew mom was worse off than me. While saying my prayers that night I explained to the Lord how nervous I was and how bad I just wanted to be comforted that the flight would go well and we would be safe getting to and from NYC. In that exact instant, the Spirit said to me as plain as day, "All will be well." At that exact moment, my stomach stopped churning and I was comforted. On the flight the next day and on the flight coming home when I would start to get a little nervous, that same thought came to my mind and I calmed down and was comforted.

#2. Rebekah listened to the Spirit and brought extra batteries and sunscreen in her backpack into the city. That same day, Mom's camera batteries died and she thought her batteries were fine. I had forgotten to pack my sunscreen for Lincoln.

#3. We went to the grocery store to get sunscreen, baby food, etc and I realized I was out of formula also. I was saying how I didn't want to pay the high price for it there in NJ and wished I could get it at Sam's Club from home for cheaper. I was stressing about the price when Rebekah remembered that the day before, she, very randomly, got a sample can of formula in the mail. I asked her what kind it was and it happened to be the exact kind I use for Lincoln. Her youngest is 5. There was NO logical reason for her to get that sample in the mail.

#4. Right as I was leaving to drive to mom and dads so we could drive to SLC together to catch our flight, the thought came to my mind that I needed some cash. I mentioned that to Paul and he ran in the house to get some from our rainy day stash (since it was Sunday and we weren't near an ATM). He brought me way more than I thought I'd need since I had my credit card. On our first day in the city we were at the Empire State Building and I lost my credit card. I noticed immediately and I called my bank to cancel my card. It was a good thing I had all that cash for the rest of my trip.

#5. I was sitting in the airport waiting for my flight. Lincoln was fussy. I had his car seat, my purse, the diaper bag and a small suitcase for me to carry on the flight. (I was putting my purse and diaper bag in the suitcase as my one carry on.) I was praying that I would be able to get everything onto the plane OK. I really didn't have enough hands to take it all and was stressing a little about it. I said a silent prayer for help. Just as we were about to board, a man came up to me and asked if he could help me. I was instantly comforted and was calm that he was sent to help me. He asked what seat I was in and it ended up that we were sitting behind/in front of each other. I was also praying that at least 1 woman was sitting next to me in case I needed help with Lincoln. Both seats next to me ended up being occupied by women. Another prayer answered. I asked the man if he was going to Salt Lake because he was from there or for business. He said he's actually from Eastern Idaho. I said I was also. He was from Blackfoot and I told him I was from Rexburg. He said that his wife got stranded on the freeway a couple years ago and a nice couple stopped to help her and waited with her for 2 hours for a tow truck. He said he owed it to help someone else out so he saw I needed the help and that's why he asked. Through conversation I found out he was of my same religion so I knew that the Lord had directed him to help me.

It's always so humbling to me when I realize that listening to the Spirit brings such wonderful results. Another experience occurred before my trip that I didn't realize was a blessing until after my trip and I was so grateful that the Lord saw fit to have it happen. I won't go further into detail about that experience since I don't want to include names but the Lord foresaw an experience that would have been very hard for me to face if it had occurred differently than it did.

I am so grateful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I am grateful for the blessing of being Temple worthy and being able to attend the Temple. I'm grateful for the blessing of having the Spirit as my constant companion. Even when I don't listen, He's always there. I could not and will not ever deny the power of the Holy Ghost or the presence of the Lord in my life. The Lord lives. There is no doubt in my mind about that. I can't wait until the day when I can see Him again and have Him say to me, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Well done." I know I'm not perfect, but I strive to be and hope someday I can be.

Joseph

Follow good examples. Learn from bad ones. Genesis 37-46 His brothers threw Joseph, the son of Jacob, into a pit because they were mad that their father favored him over them. They sold him into Egypt as a slave and led Jacob to believe that wild animals had killed Joseph. Potiphar, an Egyptian leader, bought Joseph and eventually let him take care over his entire house. Joseph is faithful but is wrongfully accused by Potiphar’s wife of doing evil things. She has Joseph imprisoned. While in prison Joseph interprets the dreams of Pharaoh’s Butler and Baker who are in prison. The prophecies of those dreams are fulfilled. Pharaoh has dreams that he tries to have interpreted by someone else but are unable to do so. He hears of Joseph and asks him to interpret his dreams. With the Lord’s help, Joseph does and together with Pharaoh, they act on the meaning of the dream and prepare for 7 years of famine. Through this experience, Joseph becomes the 2nd most powerful man in Egypt next to Pharaoh. During the 7 years of famine, Joseph sells the grain to those who need it. Jacob’s sons go to Egypt to buy grain where they unknowingly, meet their long lost brother, Joseph. They don’t know anything about his life since they sold him into Egypt so many years before. Joseph recognizes them and inquires about his father without revealing who he is. Joseph eventually reveals himself to his brothers who tell their father that he is still alive. Jacob and his family move to Egypt to be reunited with Joseph.
There were many times in Joseph’s life when he could have turned his back on the Lord because of his trials. Instead, he kept his faith in the Lord and sought guidance. He was blessed tremendously for it and was eventually rewarded. And so it is with our lives. If we also continue to seek the Lord’s guidance through our trials, we too will be rewarded. Maybe not in this life, but definitely in the life to come. We must have patience with the Lord because He has his own timetable and knows what’s best for us.

Answer to a Prayer

One of the most distinct answers from the Holy Ghost that I have received is when I was kneeling in prayer, asking Heavenly Father about my decision to marry Paul. For 2 year prior to meeting Paul, I had been writing a missionary and I just knew at that time, that I wanted to marry him. He and I never discussed marriage but at that point there was no one else I could see myself marrying. Well, I met Paul about 6 months prior to the missionary coming home. That changed everything. When the time came that Paul and I were very serious in our relationship, I had to make a decision. Do I wait for the missionary to see what may happen or continue my relationship with Paul? At this point I was very in love with 2 different men. I never thought that could happen. One day as I was kneeling in prayer, an image came into my mind of that missionary and the last time I had seen him. It was that image that made me realize that yes, I still loved him, but it was Paul who my heart felt it couldn’t live without at that moment. The Lord was making it very clear that both men were a good decision, but only one was the right decision. I decided then and there, that it was Paul that I wanted to marry. I asked the Lord if this decision was correct. The answer that came to my mind, as plain as day, was just 2 words: “Have patience.” Wow! I never knew I could receive an answer from the Lord as clear as that. I knew I was going to marry Paul but I needed to be patient. I’ll never forget how strong that answer came. I didn’t love that missionary any less. I just knew that Paul was the right answer and that I loved him just as much. The Lord needed me to have patience at that time because Paul hadn’t received his answer yet like I had. The spirit doesn’t always answer with such a strong, straight forward answer. Sometimes it’s just an idea, or a simple thought. It’s that we recognize it as the Spirit that counts and also when we act upon that impression immediately. St Mark 1:10 "...he saw the Heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him."

Forgiveness

Forgiveness was a hard thing for me in High School. During my freshman year, a friend of mine had hurt my feelings pretty bad. She had been one of my best friends before the incident. She was the one who got me to love to read as much as I do now. She and I played at each other’s house all the time. We ran together in track. I had a very hard time forgiving her for this thing she had done. I wouldn’t talk to her at school anymore. I wouldn’t invite her over. The summer shortly after this, she was killed in a car accident. It didn’t take long for that forgiveness for her to come. The hardest part after that was forgiving myself for the way I had treated her. Matt: 6:15 “But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” It took almost 10 years after the accident that I finally realized that I had to forgive myself for the way I had treated her for the things she had done to me. Up to that point I was filled with the guilt that I had allowed such a trivial thing to come between us. I don’t remember exactly when, but one day I finally realized that life is too short. I had to forgive myself for the way I had acted and I had to move on. No, I couldn’t ask for her forgiveness in person, or to even tell her that I forgave her for what she had done. I prayed so hard that she would forgive me and I begged for forgiveness from her. I knew in my heart that she had forgiven me even though she wasn’t here to tell me herself. So, it was time I forgave myself. I think that too many times in our lives, we are too hard on ourselves for something we have done wrong. D&C 64:10 “I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.” I believe that this scripture means to forgive ourselves as well when it says “ALL men.” I’ve learned from that experience. It’s not worth it to hold a grudge. You never know when something may happen that will cause you to not be able to confront that person and ask for their forgiveness. Ask it NOW! Don’t wait. Get over it!

Angels

I remember a time when my family was together at my parent’s house. My niece, Hunter, was about 4 years old at the time. She was playing out in the yard with her cousin Elizabeth who was the same age. Elizabeth came running into the house saying, “Hunter fell in the ditch!” Panicking, Annika, Hunters mom, and the rest of us went running outside. On the way out, Hunter was already climbing out of the ditch soaking wet. We asked her how she got out. She said that a man had pulled her out. We questioned her as to who it was or what he looked like. She described the man and we thought it might have been her great grandpa Summers who had passed away about 3 years before. Annika showed her a picture of him and asked if that’s who it was. She didn’t confirm it. About 6 months later, Annika was taking the picture of Christ depicted at the Second Coming, coming down from Heaven in the clouds, out of a box. Hunter saw it, and exclaimed loudly, “Mom! That’s the man who pulled me out of the ditch!” I truly believe that the Lord will help us in times of need and that may be by sending Heavenly help. Jacob 7:5 “…for I truly had seen angels, and they had ministered unto me…” (Jan 2009)

Serve The Lord

All growing up my mom taught us that we should never turn down a calling. It comes from the Lord so He obviously has faith in us that we can fulfill that calling. When Paul and I lived in the Rexburg 4th Ward in about 2005 I was serving as the Primary Secretary. Our president was moving to Idaho Falls. I knew the calling would be given to the 1st counselor because she was such a spiritual giant. I knew she would serve well as the new president. About 2 weeks after the current president had moved out of our ward we still didn’t have a new one. Up to that point I kept thinking that I could never fill those shoes and I wondered who would. One day a thought occurred to me; what if the Lord wanted me to fill that position and not someone else; someone who I thought was more spiritually worthy than me? That thought troubled me because I knew I was too inadequate for the calling. After a few more days I finally prayed to the Lord that if I were the one to fill that calling, then I would accept it and try my best to do a good job. That following day the Bishop called me to ask if he could come visit with Paul and I in our home. He extended the calling to me.
I did my best to listen to the spirit and to fulfill that calling to the best of my ability. My family and I were greatly blessed because of it. I grew to love those children so much that when the time came for me and my family to move out of that ward, I didn’t want anyone else to take my place. I wanted to take them with me! I wanted to make sure they continued to receive the gospel lessons as we had taught them. I knew though that my successor would do a wonderful job because the Lord was on her side. D&C 4:2 “Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.” (Jan 2009)