Help us to understand them

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Priesthood Session of the April 1985 Conference.

President Kimball wasn't able to speak at this conference, apparently (it sounds like he was present, but not well enough to speak?), but Elder Marvin J. Ashton gave a talk about President Kimball's life and example which I really liked. One thing that struck me was this:

Very often the Twelve and the First Presidency pray together. When President Kimball takes his turn to be voice, he generally includes this phrase in his prayers: “Bless our enemies. Help us to understand them, and them to understand us.”

I don't know that I have ever prayed this in my life. But it seems like a great idea! And I like the humble way he says it—asking for both sides to have more understanding. If anyone could have been righteously sure of his own high ground, he could have been! But he allowed room for God to increase his own growth and perspective as well. I could definitely learn from that. Theoretically, I KNOW my own certainty is no guarantee that I'm right in any given instance. I can't even count the number of times I've been SO SURE I put something somewhere. 100% sure. I'll send one of my kids to get it for me—"It's just sitting there right on my nightstand!"—and then get mad at them when they can't find it. And then an hour later I'll find it somewhere else and remember sheepishly, "Oh yeah. Now I remember. I DID move it there." So I should be well aware that feeling "100% sure" doesn't mean much. But it's hard to transfer that humility to things that you feel really deeply!

And, even when you ARE 100% sure you're on "God's side" in a dispute (which I assume President Kimball was, nearly all of the time)—I love this reminder that praying for increased love and understanding of those on the other side isn't a weakness, but a strength.

Other posts in this series:

Stories are the best sermons—by G
Pleasing Heavenly Father by being more good—by Jan Tolman

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Brighton Lakes and Wildflowers

We've been hiking to Catherine Pass (up Little Cottonwood Canyon) every summer for years now, and from Sunset Peak you can look down and see Lakes Mary, Martha, and Catherine all lined up in a row. For years now I've been saying "Someday we'll do THAT hike from the other canyon, and see all three lakes"— but then I love the Catherine Pass hike so much that I can't bring myself to do anything different. 

But. This year was the year. We decided to start from Big Cottonwood and do the other end of the loop, hopefully ending at the same place: Lake Catherine. You're going to think this is weird, but I was actually quite nervous about it as I fell asleep the night before. Our time that week was really limited (we were getting ready to go out of town, along with a bunch of other things on the schedule) so we didn't have time to do both hikes, and I was feeling worried that we'd be disappointed and wish we'd done our same old favorite.

Well. I needn't have worried, of course. Our mountains never disappoint!

We left our house at 5:30 a.m. so we could get going early. It was worth it, because for most of the way up, we were the only ones on the trail! It gets really busy this time of year, so we were happy to have it to ourselves. The three girls came with me, as they always do, and Teddy wanted to come this year too! He was such a good hiker when we were at Snow Canyon, I knew he could do it, and he DID. He pretended that he had his imaginary bunny friend with him ("Buttercup"), and he was so cheery and brave, even when he fell and scraped his hand! Sweet good boy. 

I do sort of miss the times when ALL the kids used to hike this with me. But the older boys are too busy now (and honestly, they never cared about the wildflowers quite as much as I did…), and I have to confess it is really much easier NOT to have to bring a baby in the hiking backpack!

It was really pretty when the sun started to hit the tops of the peaks.

You start this hike at Brighton, and the trail winds up under the ski lifts for awhile. (Teddy was very interested in those.) Right away there are lots of wildflowers all over the meadows.

The bluebells were amazing this year! There were huge swaths of them growing all over the hillsides. It reminded me of England!

Pretty sure this is Single-head Sunflower here. There were huge fields of this.

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The joy of parents

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Saturday Afternoon Session of the April 1985 Conference.

I liked this quote from Elder L. Tom Perry's talk (but I think he was quoting David O. McKay?):

Our home joys … are the most delightful earth affords, and the joy of parents in their children is the most holy joy of humanity. It makes their hearts pure and good; it lifts them up to their Father in heaven.

It sometimes takes an effort to feel joy in our children. But when we do, it's good for us.

Other posts in this series:

Guidance for those who seek—by Jan Tolman

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An education that includes God

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Saturday Morning Session of the April 1985 Conference.

Just a quote this week, from Elder Russell M. Nelson's talk called "Reverence for Life". I have always liked this scripture about "enough and to spare," but I really how he uses it here:

Another excuse some use to justify abortion relates to population control. Many in developing nations unknowingly ascribe their lack of prosperity to overpopulation. While they grovel in ignorance of God and his commandments, they may worship objects of their own creation (or nothing at all), while unsuccessfully attempting to limit their population by the rampant practice of abortion. They live in squalor, oblivious to the divine teaching—stated in the scriptures not once, but thirty-four times—that people will prosper in the land only if they obey the commandments of God. 

How can God fulfill his promise to prosper his children in obedience if they worship idols or destroy life created by him—destined to be in his very image? 

They will prosper only when their education includes faith in and obedience to the God of this world, who said, 

“I, the Lord, … built the earth, my very handiwork; and all things therein are mine. And it is my purpose to provide. … But it must needs be done in mine own way. … For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare.” (D&C 104:14–17; italics added.)

Other posts in this series:

To boldly stand for truth and righteousness—by Jan Tolman 

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She was to write

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Women's Session of the October 1984 Conference.

Speaking of doing things "before we are ready" (as we were…uh…several months ago, but it feels recent) I liked this statement from Sister Dwan J. Young about learning to be a responsible member of the Lord's church. It's a good reminder that it's not really that important if we FEEL ready for new responsibilities. Instead, we should be seeking to become ready when the Lord wants us to.

It is the Lord’s will that children at the age of eight begin to be responsible for the kind of lives they lead. You girls who are ten and eleven, and all of us, must assume this same responsibility. In so doing we are becoming a Zion people, which the Doctrine and Covenants says are people who are “pure in heart.”

I also loved President Hinckley's talk to the women. He used the revelation to Emma Smith in the Doctrine and Covenants (Section 25) to pull out some counsel that is relevant to all women. I have always liked that section (and of course, it does specifically say, "What I say unto one, I say unto all"). One of my favorite bits of advice (probably because it's something I like doing—ha ha—but also something I'd like to do more of) was this:

She was to study the gospel. She also was to study the things of the world in which she lived. That was made clear in subsequent revelations applicable to all of us. She was to devote her time “to learning much.” She was to write, giving expression to her thoughts. 

To you women of today, who are old or young, may I suggest that you write, that you keep journals, that you express your thoughts on paper. Writing is a great discipline. It is a tremendous educational effort. It will assist you in various ways, and you will bless the lives of many—your families and others—now and in the years to come, as you put on paper some of your experiences and some of your musings.

Good motivation not to give up on journals and blogs! I like that he includes "musings" among the writings that have value—since I often feel like it's pointless to write down such badly-formed thoughts as I can put together in my fragmented free moments. But if I wait to think of insights that seem profound, lucid, and posterity-worthy—I will be waiting forever. And he's right that expressing even our more…er…disorganized thoughts can provide "discipline" and "assist [us] in various ways"—I've found that myself.

Other posts in this series:

All of us striving together—by Jan Tolman

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