Ordinary believers

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Sunday Morning Session of the April 1997 Conference.

Ah, Elder Ballard and the pioneers. I'm sorry to say there was a stretch of years there where I tuned out his talks because I assumed they were all going to be about "boring pioneer stuff." So what happened to make me feel differently? I guess an increasing realization that the pioneers were real people like me, and a decreasing sense of my own role in any of my blessings. Sometimes I look out over Salt Lake Valley now and feel almost overcome with how much I've inherited—spiritually, yes, but even just physically!—from the people who built this place. And as I've watched my children start to become adults, I have a new perspective on the longing for one's descendants to receive—really receive—the gospel for themselves.

I think I'm also better now at listening to what Elder Ballard and the other leaders were actually saying about the pioneers. This, for example:

Those 19th-century pioneers to whom we pay special tribute during this sesquicentennial year never set out to be heroes, and yet they accomplished heroic things. That is what makes them Saints. They were a band of believers who tried to do the right thing for the right reasons, ordinary men and women who were called on to perform an extraordinary work. At times, they gave in to discouragement and allowed themselves to murmur and complain. But ultimately their faith in God and the man they sustained as their prophet and leader prevailed, and they righted their vision and attitudes along with their wagons. In the process they found joy amid the hardships and trials of the trek.

It sounds so relatable (giving in to discouragement! Allowing themselves to murmur and complain!) and I love the idea that ultimately these ordinary, imperfect saints could "right their vision" and press on. I want to be someone like that, finding joy amid trials and walking with faith—all those phrases that used to sound like clichés to me, but have taken on real meaning through life experience.

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Never let the power lie dormant

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Priesthood Session of the April 1997 Conference.

I've been watching our lawn the last several weeks as it comes out of dormancy. It's so interesting as it changes—first it is SO brown and dead it looks like it will never come back! And then little patches become greenish, and then larger patches—and finally it's all green and growing like crazy, so fast you can hardly keep it mowed! (And then the summer heat comes and sometimes some of it dies again. But we won't talk about that.)

I thought about that when I read President Faust's talk. He says, "Brethren, we must never let the great powers of the holy priesthood of God lie dormant in us."

I think it applies to women too, as we exercise the power of the priesthood that comes through our covenants, and the power of faith that President Nelson has been trying to teach us about. And I like that way of saying it, because it implies that it's already there, waiting and ready to be accessed! We just have to activate the power by keeping our covenants and being willing to act.

I recently got a new calling in my ward (Primary President), so I've been thinking about how often that faith-based action is something we have to pretty much initiate ourselves. Heavenly Father doesn't seem to want us to wait to act until we know what to do! Ha. It seems backwards, and I guess sometimes we do get instructions, but many times we have to get the ideas for our initial fumbling steps just in the midst of our own uncertainty. Every day I think, "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing next! But…I guess I could try making a list of the children…" or whatever comes to mind as I'm casting confusedly about. And then as I act on that, I start to feel more confident, and I begin to get inspiration on the next thing to do. 

Did I already talk here about the "ready, go, set" mentality Sam teaches his students about in Animation? He teaches them that you can't get everything in place, perfectly lined up and conceived and planned, before you start working on a project. You can do some planning, but after that, the only way to progress is to just START! You can't actually be successful until you start, falter, fail, make course corrections, improve, and keep moving forward toward your goal.

Heavenly Father seems to have something similar in mind for us by having us do SO many things before we feel ready. Baptism, temple covenants, marriage, parenthood, and callings all come before we're fully "prepared." We have to start trying to figure things out, start having experiences, before we can really learn anything useful! It goes against my nature—I would really rather wait to be Primary President, or any other thing, until I knew how to do it well! But that's not how it works, apparently.

President Faust brings up this same idea when he says:

Many years ago we were taught by President Harold B. Lee a fuller meaning of the direction from the Lord: “Let every man stand in his own office, and labor in his own calling.” He said: “It becomes the responsibility of those of us who lead to let, to permit, to give opportunity for every man to learn his duty. …Help is not helpful if we assume the prerogatives that belong to that individual.” This fuller understanding also means that presiding officers of the Church should be careful not to usurp the responsibilities and duties of those they are called to direct.

And why shouldn't we "usurp" the responsibilities of those we lead? I think it's because they, too, won't learn until they act! I've been thinking about this with myself and my primary presidency, and it makes me want to think about how I can "give opportunity" for my own children to do more in their "own offices," too. It wouldn't be good for them if I allowed the power of their faith "go dormant" by denying them the chance to act for themselves!

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The cruelest month

Just a few little things that have been happening…

Making churros for Family Home Evening. They were tasty, if a little…wiggly. It's hard to squeeze the batter out evenly!

Sweater-dress twins

Daisy flying her kite, with siblings looking on

Marigold and Clementine, with daffodil

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That should rivet our attention

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Saturday Afternoon Session of the April 1997 Conference.

I really liked Elder Eyring's talk in this Conference, about following the counsel of prophets. I'm constantly gaining a stronger testimony of this principle myself. Elder Eyring says:

In our own time, we have been warned with counsel of where to find safety from sin and from sorrow. One of the keys to recognizing those warnings is that they are repeated. For instance, more than once in these general conferences, you have heard our prophet say that he would quote a preceding prophet and would therefore be a second witness and sometimes even a third. Each of us who has listened has heard President Kimball give counsel on the importance of a mother in the home and then heard President Benson quote him, and we have heard President Hinckley quote them both. The Apostle Paul wrote that “in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” (2 Cor. 13:1). One of the ways we may know that the warning is from the Lord is that the law of witnesses, authorized witnesses, has been invoked. When the words of prophets seem repetitive, that should rivet our attention and fill our hearts with gratitude to live in such a blessed time.

I knew about this principle of witnesses already, and I think Elder Bednar even talked about it within the last couple years, but I hadn't extended it to the idea of a prophet quoting another prophet. Of course they quote each other all the time! I never thought to classify those quotes as second witnesses, and it makes me want to pay more attention when it happens. As Elder Eyring said, that kind of repetition really warrants our notice! 

He give a pretty stern warning here:

When we reject the counsel which comes from God, we do not choose to be independent of outside influence. We choose another influence. We reject the protection of a perfectly loving, all-powerful, all-knowing Father in Heaven, whose whole purpose, as that of His Beloved Son, is to give us eternal life, to give us all that He has, and to bring us home again in families to the arms of His love. In rejecting His counsel, we choose the influence of another power, whose purpose is to make us miserable and whose motive is hatred.

 I also thought this was great:

Sometimes we will receive counsel that we cannot understand or that seems not to apply to us, even after careful prayer and thought. Don’t discard the counsel, but hold it close. If someone you trusted handed you what appeared to be nothing more than sand with the promise that it contained gold, you might wisely hold it in your hand awhile, shaking it gently. Every time I have done that with counsel from a prophet, after a time the gold flakes have begun to appear and I have been grateful.

I'm still working on this, but I like the idea of "holding close" the counsel that we don't understand, with hearts that trust in God's ultimate plan.

Other posts in this series:

Take your pick—by Rozy

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He has not relinquished his parental interest

 This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Saturday Morning Session of the April 1997 Conference.

This week, I liked Sister Patricia P. Pinegar's talk about caring for the souls of children. Here are a couple parts that stood out to me:

To all fathers and mothers of the Church, tell your children that you love them and that you are so happy to have them in your family. Prepare yourselves spiritually to receive the guidance through the Holy Ghost. As you prayerfully study the scriptures and “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” listen and respond to the promptings of the Spirit. Be aware of Satan’s influences. Where do the feelings come from that make you feel that your efforts in the home are not fulfilling or important? Where do the feelings come from that make you feel unappreciated? Rejoice in this preparation for godhood. Rejoice in the opportunity to teach your children the truths of the kingdom, and help them experience the peace and joy that comes from following these truths.

I could do more of that telling the children "we are so happy to have them in our family." I really am! We couldn't do without a single one of them! And I want them to see me "rejoicing" in parenthood at least most of the time!

I also liked the reminder that while we may at times truly be "unappreciated" (I suppose every parent is at some point!), it's Satan that wants us to dwell on FEELING that way. I've found that no good comes of me internally cataloguing the wrongs or injustices done me. I'm working on stopping those self-pitying thoughts the moment I have them, because I can feel that they aren't from the Spirit!

Sister Pinegar also quoted President Hinckley as saying:

“Never forget that these little ones are the sons and daughters of God and that yours is a custodial relationship to them, that He was a parent before you were parents and that He has not relinquished His parental rights or interest in these little ones. Now, love them, take care of them. Fathers, control your tempers, now and in all the years to come. Mothers, control your voices, keep them down. Rear your children in love, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Take care of your little ones, welcome them into your homes and nurture and love them with all of your hearts.”

I was told something much like this ("Heavenly Father had these children before you did, and they're his as much as yours") in a blessing not too long ago, and it was so comforting to me! In the quote above it could be taken as a sort of warning, like "watch what you do with the children you've had entrusted to you, because God will hold you accountable!" But I think in reality it's much more merciful—more like, "You don't have to do all this alone. You don't have to worry alone. Heavenly Father has these children under HIS care and that can make up for all the mistakes you make along the way."

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A rosy Easter

Easter is always so nice. Bless Old Navy for making matching dresses for Big and Baby Girls! And bless Target for Bunny Sweaters. Some people asked me if I had made the dresses. Heavens no! Wouldn't that be lovely if I had or could, though?

I love the bunnies I've been collecting over the years. Coincidentally, these bunnies stayed in place and did not arrange themselves in impossibly precarious towering formations this year. It can't have anything to do with Abe being gone, can it? Surely not. Also, a lady in my ward was over at my house and admiring these bunnies. She said, "I love bunnies, but my husband would never let me have so many." It had not occurred to me that anyone would ever NOT like so many, but I guess I should add it to the list of things I'm grateful for about Sam! Bunny Tolerance.

These mossy bunnies are so sweet, too.

And this fluffy wreath, which is a Christmas wreath, but looks so Eastery, we use it for both!

For our Passover Dinner on the Thursday night, I usually try to do a simplified Seder plate of some sort, and make something semi-Middle-Eastern, and lamb if I can manage it. I couldn't manage it this year, so we got takeout from an Indian place—lamb coconut kurma—and I made tzatziki to go with it. It was SO good I wonder if we'll ever do it any other way again?

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A remarkable life

When I was 18, I got to go with my friend Rachael (you know Rachael! My favorite co-author! :)) on a trip to Germany with her grandparents. It would have been amazing in any case, but it was particularly amazing because Rachael's grandpa was Gail Halvorsen, better known to you as "the Berlin Candy Bomber." We got to attend wreath-laying ceremonies, eat at fancy banquets and a cocktail party in back of a C-54, visit Gail S. Halvorsen Elementary School, and in general bask in the reflected glory of this famous man. Everywhere we went, people loved him.

But who was watching over Rachael and me all this time, keeping us out of trouble and putting up with our constant giggling? Getting us on the right trains, buying us ice cream, taking us on tram rides over the most beautiful vineyards in the world? Well…that was Rachael's grandma, Alta. And even though she doesn't have a wikipedia page or a Congressional Gold Medal or an honorary elementary school…she was an amazing woman in her own right.

I saw Alta (I called her Sister Halvorsen, of course) in just about every situation you could think of, not just in Germany. Rachael and I visited the Halvorsens in St. Petersberg, Russia, when they were on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We went camping with them in Zion National Park. We frequently ate meals with them, rode horses and played on the hay bales at their farm in Spanish Fork, and in college we even lived in their house for a semester while they were away. All those years, through delayed flights and rain-soaked hikes and muddy shoes and freezing temperatures and power outages and dirty apartments and traffic jams…I can't ever think of a time when Alta was anything less than gentle, calm, and gracious. I loved her. 

But she was quiet and modest, and her husband was funny and outgoing and famous, so it's not surprising that her life was mostly one of unseen and unfailing behind-the-scenes support. That's how she wanted it. But don't you wish you could know more about this peaceful, intelligent woman? 

Well…you are in luck! I am SO HAPPY that Rachael has written a book about her Grandma and Grandpa's love story! How they met. Who they were and who they became. So many of their real letters. Historical notes so you know exactly what happened when. It's beautifully written, of course. It's interesting. But most of all it's fun and inspiring and satisfying and you will love it! Of course you'll love Hal Halvorsen, because everyone does. You can't help it. I can't even count the number of times I heard him tell about those fateful days in Berlin. "And to think, it all started with two sticks of gum!" I know it so well I could tell it in my sleep. That's a great story, and you will find it in this book too. But I think Alta is the true star of this love story, and it's about time you get to know her better!

You can buy Rachael's book here on Amazon. I'm so proud of her! It was so fun to edit the book and see it as it took shape from beginning to end, but my favorite part was getting to know Hal and Alta when they were young. Now I feel like they were my friends as well as my grandparents! :)

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Adults of God

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Relief Society Session of the October 1996 Conference.

I found such a great quote from Sister Aileen H. Clyde! It is such a sober and clear call to action, especially contrasted with the world's norms in our day. I have been supremely bothered by the sort of smug refusal to grow up that's popular in some circles (I won't subject you to the popular word, but you've heard it…it means "acting like an adult" but put in the most annoyingly juvenile of terms)—because, although I sympathize with the desire to avoid hard things, I also WANT to grow up and be a functioning, contributing member of God's kingdom!

Here's the quote:

As women in the Church, we have knowledge many others lack; consequently we remind ourselves our work is not dedicated to triviality or entertainment. We have all been blessed with the truths we feel when we sing “I Am a Child of God,” but we need to remember in our hearts that our experiences here require us also to be adults of God. Again, the scripture verifies the maturing required of us: “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became [an adult], I put away childish things.” We do not seek to lose the fresh teachableness of children; we seek to claim steadfastness and the courage to act on our hard-won convictions.

It reminds me of another quote I've always liked, from Eliza R. Snow:

Women should be women and not babies that need petting and correction all the time. I know we like to be appreciated but if we do not get all the appreciation which we think is our due, what matters? We know the Lord has laid high responsibility upon us, and there is not a wish or desire that the Lord has implanted in our hearts in righteousness but will be realized, and the greatest good we can do to ourselves and each other is to refine and cultivate ourselves in everything that is good and ennobling to qualify us for those responsibilities.”

It's just so bracing to be spoken to like that! I like a good "you're doing great!" as much as the next person, but I do feel in my heart this is true—if things are hard, oh well! I need to be a woman and square my shoulders and press onward, knowing that God will bless me as I do so!

Other posts in this series:

"The Divinity Which is Within You"—by Rozy

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