A Broken Heart and a Contrite Spirit

Hi hi! On November 29th, 2020, I spoke in my ward's sacrament meeting! Yay! It had been a while since I'd presented at our podium, so I was excited to be given the opportunity again! 😀

To prepare for my big 12(+/-) minutes, I spent a few days listening to General Conference talks and reading the scriptures. I had an overall idea of how I wanted my talk to go, but then came the time consuming part of putting it all together!

I spent about two days writing, reading, editing, and practicing my talk in my basement. It was a fun endeavor because I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and His Church sooo much! 💗 But I was also tired while working on everything because Thanksgiving was the day before I actually started writing my talk; I was worn out from a busy week and a full day of cooking! #colormetired! 😂

I felt the time crunch—hello adrenaline! 😁—but finished writing my talk with plenty of time to get everything ready for Sunday morning—and I got to workout to one of my faaavorite fitness videos on Saturday night! Yeah yeah yeah! It was such a great workout, it made me smile my guts out! Plus, after sitting at my computer for pretty much two days straight, I needed some serious physical activity! On Friday morning, I went walking with Greg for 38 minutes and did stretching yoga for 40 minutes before I started writing, but by Saturday night I was super antsy to get my body moving!

And now, here's my talk! 😀

A Broken Heart and a Contrite Spirit

Adrie Peterson

11/29/2020

In 3 Nephi 12:19, Jesus Christ teaches us, “And behold, I have given you the law and the commandments of my Father, that ye shall believe in me, and that ye shall repent of your sins, and come unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.”

In 3 Nephi 9:20, He further teaches, “And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost…”

At times, it may feel difficult to humbly approach our Savior with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Younger Saints might not know exactly what it means to have a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Others may wonder if it’s really necessary to possess either.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught that a broken heart is a repentant heart, and a contrite spirit is an obedient spirit—that “it is the gift of [ourselves]—what [we] are and what [we] are becoming.”

Elder Bruce D. Porter explained that “Those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit are willing to do anything and everything that God asks of them, without resistance or resentment. We cease doing things our way and learn to do them God’s way instead.”

In the Church’s Gospel Topics, the section on sacrifice describes a broken heart and a contrite spirit as “a willingness to repent of sins and a desire to follow Jesus Christ and align one’s life with His commandments.”

So why should we desire and strive for a broken heart and a contrite spirit? In our beautiful sacrament prayers, we are taught that if we “…are willing to take upon [us] the name of [Jesus Christ], and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given [us]; …[we will] always have his Spirit to be with [us].” That alone is a beautiful promise!

Yet in 2 Nephi 2:6–7, we are further taught that “…redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth. Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.”

Thus we see that in Jesus Christ’s extraordinary sacrifice of not only redeeming all of humanity—so that we may live eternally with our dearest loved ones—He is also willing to be with us spiritually each and every day of our lives! Through the spectacular gift of the Holy Ghost, Jesus Christ can absolutely influence our lives for the best! We simply must freely give our whole hearts and souls to Him—and ultimately to our Heavenly Father—because as Jesus tells us in John 6:38, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”

Despite the marvelous promised blessings that come from giving ourselves so completely to the Lord, at times we may struggle.

In 3 Nephi 11:11, Jesus Christ gives us some pretty important reasons as to why we should not only want to give ourselves to Him, but why we should happily jump at the chance! He shared His perfect heart with us when he vulnerably said, “…behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.”

Wow. That clears things up pretty quickly, doesn’t it? Thinking of our perfect Savior suffering for the benefit of everyone makes His thought-provoking request not only logical, rational, and reasonable, but a true privilege and honor to willingly participate in.

So what does that mean for each of us individually? How do we implement this wonderful, life-changing idea into our lives? For a little more motivation, Elder Porter beautifully said, “The Savior’s perfect submission to the Eternal Father is the very essence of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Christ’s example teaches us that a broken heart is an eternal attribute of godliness. When our hearts are broken, we are completely open to the Spirit of God and recognize our dependence on Him for all that we have and all that we are. The sacrifice so entailed is a sacrifice of pride in all its forms. Like malleable clay in the hands of a skilled potter, the brokenhearted can be molded and shaped in the hands of the Master.”

I become a little teary when thinking of all the utterly unexpected ways I’ve been molded and shaped in my life by the hands of the Master. Every single experience I’ve been given has greatly improved my soul. I’m so thankful I’m willing and open to learn from all of my trials and challenges—for I absolutely would not be who I am today without them!

Elder Porter shared that “a broken heart and a contrite spirit are also preconditions to repentance,” and that “when we have received a forgiveness of sins, a broken heart serves as a divine shield against temptation.” The protection of a divine shield sounds pretty great to me! 😀

President David O. McKay taught (as quoted in President Thomas S. Monson's General conference talk), “There is one responsibility that no one can evade. That is the effect of one’s personal influence.” 💛 That is such a vital message for everyone! Our life missions are meant to be unique, but each of us has the glorious opportunity to make a significant difference in our world if we are simply willing to be fully open to what our Heavenly Father has in store for us.

Having a close relationship with our Heavenly Father through the Holy Ghost is yet another major reason to connect with Jesus Christ through our own broken spirits and contrite hearts. When we break down the walls surrounding our individual wills, we basically become unlimited in the ways Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ can utilize us for the benefit of those within our circle of influence! It’s beyond exciting to think about how each of us can reach our highest potential and simultaneously bless the lives of others!

I absolutely love this thought that President Thomas S. Monson wanted each Latter-day Saint to internalize,

“The Redeemer chose imperfect men to teach the way to perfection. He did so then; He does so now. 

“He calls you and me to serve Him here below and sets us to the task He would have us fulfill. The commitment is total. There is no conflict of conscience. 

“As we follow that Man of Galilee—even the Lord Jesus Christ—our personal influence will be felt for good wherever we are, whatever our callings.”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland shared a sweet story about a man he felt prompted to call to a stake presidency in Latin America. The brother owned a bicycle, but no automobile. Elder Holland said, “Many leaders across the Church don’t have cars, but I was nevertheless worried about what that might mean for this man in this particular stake. In my terminally-ill Spanish I pursued the interview, then said, ‘[Brother, don’t you have a car?]’ With a smile and not a second’s hesitation he replied, ‘[I do not have a car, but I do have feet and I do have faith.]’ He then said he could ride the bus, ride his bicycle, or walk…he smiled—‘like the missionaries.’ And so he does.”

We each need to remember that outside of the fundamental principles, ordinances, and doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, don’t have a list of requirements as to how our lives should look. There is no standard checklist of worldly accomplishments or endeavors to which each of us should be checking boxes. Instead, we should individually be striving each day to be inspired by the Holy Ghost to live the lives that our Heavenly Father envisions for us—the ones that Jesus Christ died and was resurrected for! Our gift to Them in return is then following through on the inspiration we receive—regardless if we like the answer, or not.

In helping us achieve our goal of desired closeness to God and Jesus Christ through the Holy Ghost, Elder Christofferson wisely shared, “As a first step, you must lay aside any feeling of pride that is so common in the world today. By this I mean the attitude that rejects the authority of God to rule in our lives. …You hear it expressed today in phrases such as ‘Do your own thing’ or ‘Right and wrong depend on what I feel is right for me.’ That attitude is a rebellion against God…”

Throughout our wonderful marriage, Greg and I have experienced so many crossroads where we knew without a doubt that our Heavenly Father had different plans for us than what we wanted or expected. Each time we realized—through amazing spiritual confirmations—that our carefully prepared plans needed to change, there was inevitably a grieving period involved. Yet after we let ourselves mourn our wishes and dreams for a little while, we eventually came full circle and were in harmony with Heaven. Hindsight being 2020 (sorry, I couldn’t resist! 😄), we clearly saw each and every miracle that was brought into our lives simply because we followed the inspiration and revelation we received through the Holy Ghost. The simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ is truly beautiful!

One recent example of this happened in September 2019 when Greg was hired to do his dream job. It was such a miraculous happening in our lives, there’s zero doubt that divine intervention was involved! Thus, we weren’t thrilled when a few weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic, Greg was notified that his salary would be reduced by 20%. Even worse, just one short, blissful week after his salary was returned and we thought life was happily trending toward “normal,” Greg’s company let their employees know of the upcoming merger with a competitor. They were transparent in the fact that every employee could possibly face a layoff.

At that point, I was beyond disappointed because Greg had already been through two major layoffs with previous companies—I knew all too well what could be coming to our family, and I was worried about the potential upheaval. I spent the next four months planning and preparing to the best of my abilities for the possibility that Greg would have to start all over again in his career for the third time.

As Greg and I patiently waited for the “layoff ball” to be dropped in our laps, we received a surprise knock at the door. It was our ward mission leader with our stake's two full-time missionaries! As we chatted with them, Greg shared that he was waiting to see if he would be laid off the next day. Our ward mission leader instantly got a sad look on his face for our situation. After we talked about it some more, I said to the missionaries, “…so please put us on your prayer list and pray that Greg keeps his job!” They enthusiastically agreed and said they would pray for us. We set up an appointment to do another Zoom meeting with the missionaries, and they went on their way.

What those kind men don’t know is our very happy history with the Church’s missionaries as a whole, and their positive influence in our lives. While Greg and I have always been so strong in our testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ and His Church, we have still been helped by the missionaries throughout our time spent living in Colorado, Texas, and Utah. Thus, when the missionaries unexpectedly showed up on our doorstep the very night before Greg was to find out if he would keep his dream job or be laid off, we took it as a blessed sign from Heaven that regardless of the outcome, the Lord was aware of us and He had a plan for us. 💛

The happy ending to that story is that Greg was one of the lucky ones who kept his dream job—for now. He knows that as the merger of his two companies continues, there is a possibility that his responsibilities and job title could look different. My heart aches for Greg’s coworkers and their families who didn’t experience the same positive outcome as we did. Yet in that same breath, I have full faith that there is a plan for each of those former employees, too. I know they will be cared for, led, and directed on the path the Lord has for them! While we never know what’s coming our way, we can and must have faith that we will be taken care of regardless of what happens.

This life is meant to challenge and change us for the best! 💗 One of our goals should include not only enduring life’s challenges, but enduring them well—to the best of our abilities. I wholeheartedly believe that if we are willing to stay close to our Heavenly Father by being dedicated disciples of Jesus Christ, we will not only become strong in our trials, but we can find joy as we struggle through our challenges.

As we choose to give our broken hearts and contrite spirits to the Lord, He promises us marvelous additional blessings found in Ezekiel 36:26, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.” Oh, how I love that scripture!

(Bear testimony.)

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 😀

**********

So, there you have it! I wish I would have finished writing this blog post sooner, as I've forgotten most of what happened after I gave this talk. In my defense, there has been a lot going on in our COVID-19-pandemic-mess-of-a-world, so I've been a little distracted over the past six months! 😄

I do remember that my talk was received positively, so that was a huge relief! I more than loved getting such kind text messages, phone calls, and emails from people who watched my talk (online and in person) and gained something beneficial from it. It really meant a lot to my happy soul! 💛

Lastly, it's super fun that my official YouTube debut was giving this talk in my ward's sacrament meeting! Ha ha. 😄 Yay yay for all of this amazing technology that continually blesses our lives! I hope you have a wonderful day! 😁

Home Church and the Book of Mormon

Happy Sunday, everyone! 😁 I hope you are all doing well on this lovely sabbath day! As with every Sunday, I have church on my mind! Boy oh boy, do I love all things related to church, spirituality, divinity, and religion! 😇

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, my family and I have mainly been doing home church since March 15th. That said, on May 19th (The 23rd anniversary of when my darling Gregor proposed to me!! 💕💍💖), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announced: "we now authorize some meetings and activities to be resumed on a limited basis using a careful, phased approach." Yay yay happy day! Hip hip hooray! #clapclap 👏

Thus, on June 21st, we so very happily celebrated our return to worshiping with our ward members in our actual church building! It was such an exciting event! We've been on a rotating schedule of doing home church on the first, second, fourth, and fifth (if applicable) Sundays of every month; we have in-person sacrament meetings with our wonderful ward members on the third Sunday of every month. Our second in-person sacrament meeting was this past Sunday, July 19th—it was so great, I loved it so much!

While I dearly miss regular in-person church, my family and I have been having some absolutely amazing and profound home church experiences together!

I began having my family focus our home sacrament meetings on the brilliant Come, Follow Me program that was introduced to the Church's membership in July, 2018. It's absolutely not a coincidence that the Church implemented their "home-centered, Church-supported" study program in January, 2019—one year before COVID-19 became a global pandemic. It's fully amazing that we had had an entire year of studying the Gospel of Jesus Christ at home together with our families in greater depth than we ever had before.

Talk about inspiration! 💛 They didn't know it at the time, but the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were unknowingly preparing Church members for the worldwide pandemic that would paralyze our entire planet just one year later. It truly blows my mind when I think of their level of inspiration! 🤯

After the first couple of weeks of our family home church—consisting of opening and closing prayers, studying Come, Follow Me, and partaking of the sacrament, I felt greatly inspired to have us start watching the Book of Mormon Videos on one of The Church's YouTube channels. I told Greg of my feelings, and he agreed with me. Yay! 😍

Each week after that, my family has had opening/closing prayers and partaken of the sacrament as usual, but I've now included having us watch and discuss a couple of Book of Mormon videos, followed with our stake leadership's weekly YouTube video message—which we've sometimes discussed, but sometimes those talks stand on their own and they haven't needed further discussion. Oh, and to make our experience even better, I signed into my YouTube account through our Roku YouTube app so we can watch the Book of Mormon together on our big-screen TV—which is so cool cool cool! 🤩 *Bonus points if you know what "cool cool cool" is from! 😄

It's been utterly astounding to me how greatly the Book of Mormon Videos have enhanced our home church! They instantly and fully bring the Spirit into our home! They give fresh insight, important context, and beautiful, tender feelings to the stories we've read and studied for years—I've had little tears while watching them more times than I can remember! 🥺 They show great examples to my family that I will be forever grateful for! 💗 And they always lead to wonderful, faith-filled, hopeful discussions about this life and eternity. They succeed at what movie makers for generations have tried to accomplish: positively impact audiences in ways they'll never forget! The Book of Mormon Videos evoke such depth of emotions that totally complement the way one feels while reading the actual book. 📘

I still absolutely love reading, studying, and listening to the scriptures. Watching the Book of Mormon Videos will never take the place of traditional scripture study by book. I know beyond any doubt that the Holy Ghost gives us the gift of vital truths when we sincerely read and study the scriptures. The holy scriptures are there for our benefit and use—every single day of our lives! Yet the Book of Mormon videos are one more brilliant way to really come to understand and love the messages that the Book of Mormon prophets, writers, and contributors are trying to convey and help us implement into our lives.

When I knew that the Lord wanted me to show all of the Book of Mormon Videos to my family, I decided to create a private playlist on my YouTube account. You see, The Church's YouTube channel has a ton of Book of Mormon Videos: longer videos, and snippet videos of particular stories that are also part of the longer videos.

While it's helpful to have so many excellent videos—especially for when you're teaching a specific principal found in the Book of Mormon, it's also a little confusing to know if you're re-watching snippet videos that you've already seen in the longer videos. Trying to navigate which videos my family should watch for our home church was a little time consuming; I clicked on too many videos, wondering if we should watch that snippet video, too, or if we'd already seen it.

Thus, I created my first-ever playlist on YouTube! 👏😃 You laugh, but that was quite the momentous occasion for me! It's taken me many years, but I am finally an active participant and huge fan of all the goodness that YouTube has to offer. And of course, I stay away from all the weirdo, strange, and trashy videos out there. #nothankyou! 👎

I'm sooo grateful to my beloved church and its participating members for creating such lovely, spiritual masterpieces that will positively affect countless souls and bless humanity forever! Or, at least for as long as technology survives! 😄

I can't wait until all of the Book of Mormon Videos are completed and released! 2021 can't come soon enough, and it's not just because we want the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic to finally end! Ha ha. I hope that The Church will one day release a full-length Book of Mormon Movie with all of their fabulous videos rolled into one big cinematic masterpiece for the world to enjoy in movie theaters! Wow, can you imagine how spectacular that would be?! 😁

But back to the inspiration of The Church's leadership...again, I'm amazed at the perfect timing of the release of the Book of Mormon Videos. They were given to us exactly when we needed them: less than six months before COVID-19 upended our lives. Just wow. I'm super thrilled that even more of their wonderful videos are coming 👏—they will continue to support and inspire us through these crazy changes we're experiencing on nearly a daily basis! #pandemicfatigue 😟

Today, I decided it was time to release my playlist publicly(!) so that others can enjoy it, too! Yay! I reviewed all of the videos in my playlist, and they are all up to date. 👍 I'll update my playlist every time The Church releases a new video.

Without further ado, here is my beloved playlist of The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ! I dearly hope you'll press play many times and let your soul go on a life-changing journey that will bring you joy! 😇 

*As with anything, having the right mindset before participating in an activity makes all the difference. If you can watch the Book of Mormon Videos with an open heart and mind, your experience will be that much better. I highly recommend praying before watching them for the first time: pray that your heart and mind will be open to the Spirit; pray that you'll understand and internalize the many great truths being offered; pray that your soul will be willing to make those changes that will bless your life and others; pray that you'll have a soft heart toward things you might not understand or agree with.

Please know that I love The Book of Mormon with my whole heart and soul! It has been a fixture in my life for as long as I can remember. Yet I'm most definitely not simply just a "blind" follower of my religion. I have spent uncountable hours upon hours studying, researching, and praying about all things related to Heaven. I have spent my entire life desiring to be extremely close to God, our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ—the literal Savior of our world and all of God's children. I have done everything possible to cultivate a working, successful relationship with the Holy Ghost who allows me that closeness with Them and Their angels. I continually choose to allow Them into my life to influence me for good—even though the outcome of whatever comes my way might not be exactly what I wish for or desire at the time. The Gospel of Jesus Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are two of the most important aspects of my life and who I fundamentally am—I love them and refuse to ever be separated from them! As the saying goes: I am true blue, through and through! 💙😊

Photo Credit: Gospel Media Library, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Finally, I must share this fascinating tidbit: as I was writing this blog post today, I received an email from my ward's clerk. In it, our ward was told about our new in-person sacrament meeting schedule. Much to my delight, my ward now gets to meet more often than we have in the month of June and July! Yay! We're not back to in-person sacrament meetings each and every Sunday, but I'm so grateful we get to at least meet together twice a month now! 👏😀

Some may be skeptical, but I truly believe my ward's news that was delivered today is a beautiful tender mercy just for me! Yes, this updated sacrament meeting schedule will benefit our entire ward, but today's announcement was an incredible reminder to me that my Heavenly Parents, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost dearly love me and are very aware of the desires of my heart! And yes, I am super cheesy today! Okay, let's be realistic: when am I not cheesy?! 😂 I can't help but relish the overwhelming feelings of love from Heaven that are sent directly to me. And it feels really good. 💛💛💛

"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."

– 1 Nephi 1:20

*If you'd like to read, listen to, and study the Book of Mormon in its entirety, download the app! 😀

• Android

• iOS

If you'd like to read the Book of Mormon online, please click here and have a happy day! 🤗

Be One: Being One with the Saints

Hi! 😀 Yesterday morning, I was a speaker in my ward's sacrament meeting! I had several friends ask if they could have a copy of my talk, so I decided to publish it here on my blog! 😃 While I had such a great time researching and writing my talk (I would have enjoyed the process even if it was only for me!), I'm so very happy others found my words to be helpful! 💛 I hope you enjoy them, too! 😘 Have a wonderful day! 😁

✯✯✯✯✯

Be One: Being One with the Saints 
Adrie Peterson
03/17/2019 

Good morning! 😀 I’m super excited with the topic I’ve been asked to speak about, which is: Be One: Being One with the Saints. 

To begin, let’s discuss what it really means to be considered a saint. We’re not talking about the worldly view of sainthood—you know, the one that engenders the image of perfection with a halo on top—rather, the true, foundational definition of saints contained in the scriptures.

While summarizing the Book of Acts with my daughter for her World Religions class, I enjoyed knowing that the first disciples of Christ—the believers—were always called saints—even though they fumbled their way through everything and frequently made mistakes. In the Bible Dictionary, it clarifies that in the New Testament, saints are all those who entered into the Christian covenant through baptism. In Guide to the Scriptures, a saint is defined as a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ. Mosiah 3:19 explains that we becometh saints through the atonement of Christ the Lord. Romans 1:7 tells us that those who are “beloved of God” are “called to be saints.”

From these examples, it’s evident that if we’ve been given the gospel of Jesus Christ, and we’ve been baptized in His name, and we’re striving our best to be His disciples, and we’re faithfully utilizing His Atonement, and we are obviously “beloved of God,” then we, too, are called to be saints—the latter-day version! 😊

Okay, so now that we know all current members of the Church of Jesus Christ are called to be Latter-day Saints, why is it important that we continually be one with the saints?

As you well know, we are currently living in a fallen world where things are definitely less than celestial.

Journalist and author, Sebastian Junger, has written a book that talks about how our modern society—while great for ease, convenience, physical health, safety, affluence, and other positives—is actually causing us significant psychological problems, which include increasing rates of depression, PTSD, and suicide.

He points out our great need for belonging in tight-knit communities that highlight loyalty, meaning, and opportunities to help others. He explains that when humans don’t have those close, interpersonal relationships with opportunities to participate, collaborate, and be involved in others’ lives, we will absolutely not do well. He further states that, “Humans do not survive alone in nature—they don’t survive psychologically, and they don’t survive physically—they die in every sense.”

He also writes about how contempt is especially corrosive to the unity we humans are seeking and yearning for because it implies that one group doesn’t deserve society’s benefits.

All of that said, Mr. Junger shares this good news: that being embedded in a close community buffers people from their psychological problems. He absolutely believes that the way to save humanity begins at the community level.

I couldn’t help but associate all of that information with the significant benefits of being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It’s amazing to see how our Church—and all it encompasses—meets every one of his criteria for psychological health and well-being. We just have to be willing to fully participate in the Church—to the best of our abilities! 😊

To further back up my feelings, I’d like to share a little of what I’ve been learning through my study of positive psychology—which is defined as: the scientific study of the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive.

Positive psychologists have found that the ancient Greeks were right in their definition of happiness, which is: the joy that we feel in striving for our potential. Researchers have also found that joy is inextricably linked to meaning, and happiness is linked to the way we live our lives. They’ve concluded that real social connection is as predictive of how long we’ll end up living as obesity, high blood pressure, and smoking. Their findings prove just how much we genuinely need each other!

After all I’ve experienced and researched in my life, I can’t think of a better place where people can go to strive toward their potential, find meaning, and experience happiness, than our Church. Truly, living the gospel of Jesus Christ is our Heavenly Father’s great plan of happiness! 😊

For years, scientific studies have found that when people practice and experience more gratitude, they report feeling happier, healthier, and more connected to others. Grateful people also feel humble and have a larger response in the brain toward charitable giving.

Positive psychology research also shows that when meditation is combined with gratitude, the body relaxes, breathing is regulated, and the brain experiences feelings of safety and love. And those benefits last longer the more a person practices it. In fact, if a person meditates on gratitude for less than two minutes every morning for 21 days, they will become happier and more optimistic!

While that happy information is fantastic all on its own, neuroscientist Andrew Newberg has found through his research that prayer is much better and more powerful than basic meditation or mindfulness training. He has proof that when athletes—who believe in God—pray, something happens in their brains that actually improves their athletic performance!

But let’s take all of that information a spiritual step further. I find it fascinating that in our Church, we know through revelation that the second step of prayer—after lovingly addressing our Father in Heaven—is to express gratitude and thanksgiving. It’s wonderful that, from day one, we are taught the four principles of prayer. Yes, Heavenly Father created His plan so that every one of us will succeed in happiness throughout our entire lives if we will simply pray with gratitude every day! 😊

“Happiness researchers” have also discovered that when people write in their journals about gratitude—including reflecting on all the people and even their ancestors who helped them get where they are in their lives—their brains show a greater neural response to giving, their gratitude increases, and their overall happiness increases, which helps them rise to their challenges of daily living.

They also found that when people write in their journals about one meaningful experience they’ve had over the past 24 hours, their brain doubles the value of that experience. If they do that journaling exercise for 21 days, they’ll find an upward trajectory of meaning in their lives which results in greater happiness!

That reminds me of our Church leaders’ continual counsel to keep a journal, and the power that accompanies our writing efforts. It’s not a coincidence that the scriptures contain verses that urge record keeping. And just think about the amazing opportunity we’re given to do temple and family history work because of our Church. The blessings of turning our hearts to our fathers and mothers are legitimate!

I could go on for days about the scientifically-proven physical and emotional benefits of exercising! Every day, our bodies are meant to move at whatever level of ability we’ve been given. When we follow the crucial health principle of physical exercise, our brains understand that our behavior matters—which is optimism—which causes us to create an entire constellation of positive habits around us. And this falls right in line with the scriptural teaching that each of our precious bodies are temples of God, and we must care for them as such.

Positive psychologists have also found that random acts of kindness are happiness multipliers. Not only do random acts of kindness make the receiver happy, but as soon as the giver starts talking about those acts, or thinking back on them, they immediately start to smile. Random acts of kindness also show us how powerful we are—that we have the power to change the reality we see around us; that we can improve the lives of others!

Obviously, we can choose to do random acts of kindness for others every day of our lives—it’s exactly what Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want us to do! But again, we have so many additional opportunities to bless the lives of others because of our membership and dedicated service in the Church.

I enjoy knowing that the science of positive psychology is now validating what many souls have found in religion for thousands of years. Science keeps showing that the things religious traditions have been teaching are actually valid. Oh how I would love to introduce those researchers, psychologists, and scientists to the benefits of membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

But wait! There’s more! 😀

While researching stem cells, I came across a study that floored me. Dr. Omar Yilmaz, a gastrointestinal pathologist and professor, has discovered that a single 24-hour fast dramatically improves the function of stem cells and their ability to regenerate—regardless of the age of the patient.

I’ve personally experienced and witnessed the awesome and humbling miracles of following the Lord’s commandment of fasting, but this new information about stem cells was positively thrilling! And just as a side-note reminder from President Joseph F. Smith, “There is such a thing as overdoing. A man may fast and pray till he kills himself; and there isn’t any necessity for it; nor wisdom in it.”

Last year, I was excited to learn of the scientifically-proven physical and emotional benefits of singing in a choir which include: strengthened feelings of togetherness; regulated heart rates; reductions in stress levels and depression; improved symptoms of Parkinson’s and lung disease; improved feelings of social well-being; and increased life expectancies.

I’ve always loved singing in ward choirs because each musical experience fills my soul—so I would have kept participating regardless of what the research shows. But you must admit how fun it is that science is now backing up what D&C 25:15 has taught us for years: “For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads.”

Yet, when we really think about it, should any of this wonderful news I’ve shared today surprise us? Because as we know from Moses 3:5, “...the Lord God created all things…spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth.” Of course, our Heavenly Father knows what is best for us! He has clearly told us that His work and His glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of men and women—He has fully provided our way to happiness! All we have to do is follow His plan!

Three days ago, I was introduced to the amazing conversion story of Dusty Smith on one of my favorite podcasts, “This is the Gospel.” As I listened to his testimony of how he became a member of our beloved Church, was subsequently excommunicated, and ultimately and humbly came back into the fold 26 years later, I was overcome with emotion! His utterly miraculous story shows just how much Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love each and every one of us, and how intimately involved They are in our lives! Brother Smith’s incredible experiences remind us how vitally important it is for each of us to be one with the saints.

Finally, we are taught in 1st Corinthians 1:10 and Ephesians 2:19–20 that we should strive to have no divisions among us, be perfectly joined together as fellowcitizens with the saints, and be of the household of God who are built upon the cornerstone of Jesus Christ.

What it all comes down to is that our Heavenly Father dearly loves each of us and wants us to be like Him! He wants us to experience true joy through continual learning and personal growth. He wants us to follow the supreme example of Jesus Christ and return home to His eternal family. 💛

I encourage each of us to follow Elder Quentin L. Cook’s wise words. He said, “As individuals, we would do well to evaluate our effort[s] in pursuing missionary work, temple and family history work, and preparations to meet God.” Yes, truly, this life is our time to prepare to meet God! 😊

I have a great love for our Heavenly Parents, our Savior, and His Church. I am a true believer in every sense of the word. I am enthusiastically and gratefully all in the gospel of Jesus Christ. 😊

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 💛

Daughters of God—Be a Force for Good!

On March 12th, 2017, I taught my ward's Relief Society lesson, "Daughters of God." Unfortunately, I was unable to give my entire lesson because our opening exercises—with our ward's darling young women in attendance—ran extremely long.

Normally, I wouldn't care in the least that I had less time to present my RS lesson, but this was a very special lesson that was jam-packed with goodness in every section! Because of our lesson's phenomenal nature, and my desire to share all of its amazingness, I'd spent a lot of time preparing it. To say I was seriously bummed that I wasn't able to share everything I had prepared would be an understatement! 😢

I find it super interesting that "Daughters of God" is one of the longest RS lessons I've seen in 2017—so I was sort of "doomed" from the beginning 😉. In my defense, I didn't realize just how long it truly was until I began preparing my next RS lesson, "The Whisperings of the Spirit," that I taught in April!

Yet how could I not share such wonderful thoughts and heavenly principles with my dear ward sisters?! I had oodles of information to present, and I really wanted to hear what my lovely ward sisters had to say!

Because I was so disheartened that my RS lesson didn't go as planned, I decided to turn my heartache into something better! 😀 I'm so happy to finally be sharing my thoughts about the wonderful Daughters of God lesson right here on my blog! Yay!

Not only do I feel better in finally sharing everything I prepared for my lesson, but I would absolutely love it if someone here in Internetland finds my post helpful! 💕 The funniest thing is, I actually began writing this blog post clear back in March(!), but the months dashed away from me like a scene from "The Incredibles"! Hey, better late than never!

Daughters of God

Let's start by reading part of the introduction on page 95:

"Throughout his life, Gordon B. Hinckley expressed appreciation for the abilities and contributions of women. He also expressed his strong witness of the importance of women in God’s eternal plan. He delighted in women’s increasing opportunities, as well as in their faith in the Savior and their devotion to their families and the Church."

I can so attest to this wonderful truth about President Hinckley! He was always sincerely praising and honoring women. He made sure all women felt unending and unconditional love from Church leadership!

I loved reading about Gordon B. Hinckley’s sweet mother, Ada (introduction, page 95). She was bright; educated; loved literature, music and art; raised eight of her husband’s children and five of her own(!); learned to manage a large household; had a tremendous influence on Gordon, and was a force for good throughout President Hinckley’s life 😊 I'm truly in awe of Ada Hinckley. Certainly her accomplishments are impressive, but what sticks with me most is the impact she had on President Hinckley. Because of Awesome Ada, millions of people throughout this entire world were and are positively affected for the best through her son, Gordon B.!

Gordon B. Hinckley’s wife, Marjorie (introduction; page 95), was a very strong woman devoted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. She had extraordinary faith and a cheerful disposition. Marjorie loved life, was quick witted, and very wise. She was a voracious reader and an intense seeker of knowledge. Best of all, Marjorie was down-to-earth—she connected well with everyone, yet she was confident, alert and refreshing throughout her life! 😊

I love these paragraphs from section 1 (pg. 96–97):

"Each of you is a daughter of God. Reflect on all the wondrous meaning of that one paramount fact. 

"If you live up to your privileges, the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates. 

"You are very precious, each of you. ... You occupy a high and sacred place in the eternal plan of God, our Father in Heaven. You are His daughters, precious to Him, loved by Him, and very important to Him. His grand design cannot succeed without you. 

"Let me say to you sisters that you do not hold a second place in our Father’s plan for the eternal happiness and well-being of His children. You are an absolutely essential part of that plan. Without you the plan could not function. Without you the entire program would be frustrated."

During my RS lesson, I wanted to ask many questions, but I was only able to get to a few of them. I didn't personally answer all of those wonderful questions here in my blog post, but I'm sharing them anyway. I hope we ladies will contemplate these questions to help remind ourselves of our great worth and importance!

Question: Why is it important for us to understand the "high and sacred place" of women in God’s eternal plan?

Question (section 2; pg. 97): Let’s review the Lord’s advice to Emma Smith found in D&C 25: 1–16. What can we learn from those verses about being an elect lady (ourselves)?

Here's what I came up with after studying D&C 25. These points are my opinion, not Church doctrine—each of these points are separated out by the corresponding verse:

1. Listen to the Lord; if we receive the Lord’s words, we’ll be sons and daughters in His kingdom.
2. Be faithful and walk in the paths of virtue; if we do those things, we’ll be preserved and receive an inheritance in Zion.
3. Our sins can be forgiven; we can all be elect ladies.
4. Don’t murmur about the Lord regarding things we haven’t seen or don’t understand; everything will be revealed eventually.
5. Support our husbands (if we’re married); speak kind words; be humble.
6. *This wasn’t written in the verse, these are just my thoughts: we should write about our marriages and our family history.
7. Read/learn from the scriptures; share what we learn at church—as we are inspired by the Holy Ghost.
8. Utilize the gift of the Holy Ghost; we should spend much of our time writing and learning things of the gospel and about the world.
9. Don’t ever feel undervalued in The Church; our husbands and other priesthood brethren support us; have faith.
10. Don’t be hyper-focused on worldly issues; seek the best things in life that enhance our spiritual progression; I believe Luke 10:38–42 goes perfectly with this verse:

38 ¶Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. 

39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. 

40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. 

41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 

42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

11. We don’t have to write hymns, but we should use our musical abilities and share our talents.
12. We should sing uplifting spiritual music—we’ll be blessed when we do.
13. Be happy; look at the bright side of life; keep the covenants we’ve made.
14. Be humble; don’t be prideful; delight in our husbands; be close with our husbands; support our husbands; The following isn’t in the scripture—they’re my thoughts: If you don’t have a husband yet, live your life worthily so you’ll be ready for celestial marriage when the opportunity presents itself—which could be in this life, or in the world to come…remember, the Lord keeps his promises!
15. Keep the Lord’s commandments; if we keep the commandments, we’ll receive a crown of righteousness (We’re daughters of a king!); we’ll also be able to be with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ again one day.
16. The Lord's voice is for all sisters, not just Emma.

Question: What aspects of the Lord’s counsel to Emma Smith are especially helpful to you?

I love all of those recommendations—every single one of them are helpful to me! It's like the perfect recipe for a successful, happy life!

Question (section 3; pg. 99–101): What are your impressions as you read President Hinckley’s following counsel to mothers? (I totally enlarged all of the text because it deserves to be emphasized! 😊)

"The true strength of any nation, society, or family lies in those qualities of character that have been acquired for the most part by children taught in the quiet, simple everyday manner of mothers. 

"It is the home which produces the nursery stock of new generations. I hope that you mothers will realize that when all is said and done, you have no more compelling responsibility, nor any laden with greater rewards, than the nurture you give your children in an environment of security, peace, companionship, love, and motivation to grow and do well. 

"I remind mothers everywhere of the sanctity of your calling. No other can adequately take your place. No responsibility is greater, no obligation more binding than that you rear in love and peace and integrity those whom you have brought into the world. 

"Rear your children in light and truth. Teach them to pray while they are young. Read to them from the scriptures even though they may not understand all that you read. Teach them to pay their tithes and offerings on the first money they ever receive. Let this practice become a habit in their lives. Teach your sons to honor womanhood. Teach your daughters to walk in virtue. Accept responsibility in the Church, and trust in the Lord to make you equal to any call you may receive. Your example will set a pattern for your children. 

"God bless you, mothers! When all the victories and defeats of men’s efforts are tallied, when the dust of life’s battles begins to settle, when all for which we labor so hard in this world of conquest fades before our eyes, you will be there, you must be there, as the strength for a new generation, the ever-improving onward movement of the race. Its quality will depend on you."

Isn't President Hinckley's advice amazing?! I love his words so much! He's such a happy, inspiring guy! 😀

Question: For parents, why is "no obligation more binding" than rearing their children "in love and peace and integrity"?

For me, the answer is obvious. Parents have been given the ultimate responsibility in the creation of the bodies and the raising of Heavenly Father's children! He's literally allowing us to act in place of Him! Thus, we must do our very best to accomplish His heavenly goals for His children...our children! Oh, how grateful I am to have been given the heavenly opportunity of being a mother! Children are a most wonderful gift! 💛💙💚💜

Question: We have all seen marvelous examples of women in the Church with "strength and great capacity." What are some ways that we women can help bring to pass "the immortality and the eternal life of all of the sons and daughters of God"?

To help answer that, let's read from section 4, page 101:

"God has given the women of this church a work to do in building his kingdom. That concerns all aspects of our great triad of responsibility—which is, first, to teach the gospel to the world; second, to strengthen the faith and build the happiness of the membership of the Church; and, third, to carry forward the great work of salvation for the dead."

To go along with that, I found this great quote while researching Susan Easton Black Durrant. (She spoke at my stake's 2017 Women's Conference, and I wanted to find out more about her.) Susan said,

"Many people leave the Church because they have so many questions, but we have stayed because we have received so many answers."

Amen, sister! I couldn't agree more with you! We must stay and help build God's kingdom!

Continuing on, let's read some more of President Hinckley's fabulous words (section 4; pg. 101): {Isn't this fun?! 😁}

"Women in the Church are associates with their brethren in carrying forward this mighty work of the Lord. 

"We expect leadership, and strength, and impressive results from your management of the organizations for which you are responsible. We uphold and sustain you as daughters of God, working in a great partnership to assist him in bringing to pass the immortality and the eternal life of all of the sons and daughters of God."

Question: Why is it important that men and women work together to move the Lord’s work forward?

As I've said many times before, I believe men and women need each other. Men are not better than women! Women are not better than men! We are supposed to work side by side with each other because we each bring something important and different to the table. 😊 The Lord needs all of us to help be his "hands" here on Earth!

I read the other day about a great, new scientific discovery: Stars are born in pairs!  Interestingly, when stars are created they aren't identical to each other, but they're definitely companions! Just like each amazing star in the heavens is created with a companion star, men and women are created to have a companion—and it all started with Adam and Eve! Heavenly stars and Heavenly Father's children are not meant to be alone! 🌟⭐

Yes, men and women are meant to influence each others' lives for the better!

Moving right along, let's read the following (section 5; pg. 101–102):

"The women of the Relief Society are literally encircled eternally in the arms of our Lord. In my judgment, this is the greatest women’s organization in all the world... 

"Who, even in the wildest stretch of imagination, can fathom the uncountable acts of charity that have been performed, the food that has been put on barren tables, the faith that has been nurtured in desperate hours of illness, the wounds that have been bound up, the pains that have been ameliorated by loving hands and quiet and reassuring words, the comfort that has been extended in times of death and consequent loneliness?"

For those of you who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, ponder to yourselves: What blessings have come to you from the efforts of Relief Society sisters, including those who are serving in Young Women and Primary?

For those of you who aren't members of the LDS Church, I highly recommend looking into the benefits that Relief Society can bring to your life! 😇

For me, the Relief Society has been my anchor ⚓ throughout my adult life. Every move my family and I made to a different city was made easier by my association with wonderful Relief Society sisters! No one is perfect, but the sisters of the Relief Society truly and continually try to help others in Christlike ways! 💛 I am grateful for my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and my subsequent access to the Relief Society!

Question: How can we each strengthen the Relief Society in our own wards?

Here are some ideas found in section 6 (pg. 103–104):

"No one can calculate the tremendous force for good that you can become. 

"I feel to invite women everywhere to rise to the great potential within you. I do not ask that you reach beyond your capacity. I hope you will not nag yourselves with thoughts of failure. I hope you will not try to set goals far beyond your capacity to achieve. I hope you will simply do what you can do in the best way you know. If you do so, you will witness miracles come to pass."

I love how President Hinckley clarifies that we sisters are not supposed to sacrifice ourselves to the point of destruction. Yes, there's a fine line between doing enough and overdoing it. We must be aware of our human limitations, but we be must also be willing to push just a little further to improve in tiny increments! 😀

In "Preach My Gospel," there's a wonderful section that helps us identify if we are doing "enough":

"You can feel certain that the Lord is pleased when you feel the Spirit working through you." (The Spirit is also called the Holy Ghost.)

Isn't that idea so beautiful?! It's the perfect way to gauge our efforts! (I didn't include that part in my lesson because I just found it today. Oh, how I love finding new gems of jewels!)

Questions: How can we gain a better vision of what God sees our potential to be? How can we progress toward reaching our potential?

Obviously, those questions will be answered differently by everyone. For me, the way I learn more about myself and what Heavenly Father knows I can become is by searching and seeking. I'm constantly reaching out to our Heavenly Father through prayer, scripture study, endlessly researching gospel topics, going to church every Sunday, serving others, attending the temple, etc.

The way I progress toward reaching my eternal potential is, first, by having endless faith that Heavenly Father loves me(!), that He will answer me (eventually!), and that He will help me every step of the way!

Secondly, I never, ever give up! Even when I make mistakes or sin, I never stop striving to become what our Heavenly Father knows I can be/achieve. I always try to think of and thank our Savior for the marvelous opportunity He has provided for me to be connected to heaven!

If I ever start feeling down about myself, I pray pray pray! 😀 Then I listen for inspiration/revelation from the Holy Ghost, and I act on what He tells me.

Now I'd like to share a little homework assignment! 😁

Susan Easton Black Durrant spoke at my stake's Women’s Conference about wonderful, prominent LDS women who did extraordinary things in their lives. It really was amazing to hear of those phenomenal women's contributions. While the majority of us will never become "prominent Mormons" in terms of the public spotlight, that doesn’t mean we can’t be prominent to our families, or the people in our communities! 😊

*By the way, I searched on LDS.org about the current membership numbers of the Church. As of March, 2017, MormonNewsroom.org showed that The Church has 15,634,199 members throughout the world. When I did a Google search about the number of prominent Mormons, the biggest website I could find listed 857 members of The Church on it. So, our chances of becoming "prominent Mormons" are a measly .00006%! That's quite the statistic! The good news is, each of us have at least a 50% chance of being important to our families! Of course, that all depends on what we choose to do with our lives! 😉

Thus, I want all of us to ponder President Hinckley’s statement and think about when we have seen examples of the "marvelous … power of women of faith." What can we learn from those great women that will help us in our own lives?

Let’s all take the opportunity to write in our journals—or a blog (Yay! #EnthusiasticFantastic! 😄), or some other form of social media—about the kind of women we want to become. Let’s really evaluate ourselves with an honest heart (our strengths and weaknesses) and set realistic goals to achieve our desired potential—as well as our heavenly potential!

At the end of my lesson, I handed out this 3.75 x 3.75 card to all of my ward sisters to help remind us of our great potential and capacity! (I created it in black and white because my printer is a basic laser printer, and I wasn't really planning on sharing it here on my blog! Ha ha.) It makes me happy every time I read it!

Well, friends, we've finally made it to the end of my lesson! It feels great having shared it with all of you(!)—especially since I was just recently released from being a Relief Society teacher. I was immediately called to be a Sunday school teacher (there are two teachers; we alternate teaching every other Sunday) for the 12–13 year-olds in my ward.

I'm truly excited for this new opportunity(!) as I've never been a Sunday school teacher before! I'm fully prepared and ready to teach my first lesson tomorrow—which feels great! Let's just hope my 12-year-old son is okay with me teaching his class! 😂 #sayalittleprayerforme! 😊

His Grace

Yesterday, I was given the wonderful opportunity of teaching the lesson, "What is Grace?" to "my" Mia Maid class. (I'm the first counselor in my ward's Young Women Presidency.) While I won't go into all of the lesson details, I want to share a smidgen of my experience. I found the following to be highly interesting:

• The young woman in our Mia Maid class presidency who chose this lesson is named Grace.
• Grace wanted to learn more about grace. :)
• Grace specifically wanted me to teach the lesson.
• There are four leaders who teach the Mia Maid class (we have many active members in our ward!), thus, we rotate through a monthly teaching schedule and never know where we'll fall on that schedule, due to others being out of town, etc.
• As I prepared our class' lesson schedule, I was amazed that my turn to teach happened to fall on the "What is Grace?" lesson, :)
• Yesterday just so happened to be the very last Sunday that Grace's family attended our ward because they are moving to a new home.

I didn't know that last bullet point was happening yesterday. I knew her family was moving, yes, but I thought it wouldn't be for at least another month. Thus, even before I went to church yesterday, I was simply excited that "our" Grace was able to have the lesson she wanted taught, by the teacher she wanted to teach it!

When I heard that Grace would be leaving our class, tears came to my eyes. This darling and mighty talented girl has contributed so much to the fun factor in our Young Women! The tears were also there because of the fact that Grace was able to have her very last lesson in our ward be taught about the topic she wanted to know more about: grace! Thus, I was so happy I prepared well for our lesson. I spent a lot of time researching, listening to the talks and creating my handout (below).

Late Saturday night, I felt inspired to print out g r a c e in very big, bold letters to put on our classroom's chalkboard. (Actually, it was very early Sunday morning, due to Daylight Savings, but to me, it was still Saturday night!) Before I created it, I thought, "I've never done a chalkboard printout like this before, why should I do it now? I already have the beautiful handout I spent so much time designing. Why should I do more? And I have my cute little easel to put my handout on, and my favorite picture of our Savior to display. Isn't that enough?" (I wish I could share my picture here, but due to copyright restrictions, I can only share the name: "Christ and the Rich Young Ruler," by Heinrich Hofmann.)

But the thought of g r a c e wouldn't leave my mind, so I knew the chalkboard sign was supposed to be a part of my lesson. I logged back onto my computer and began creating g r a c e. I made the font as big as would possibly fit one letter to a page and cut out the letters so they were almost circular. They were simple, but looked pretty cute—if I do say so myself! :) I packed everything up in my "Time Out For Women" tote and got ready for bed.

So it was really no surprise when we found out it was Grace's last Sunday. I thought to myself, "Ah ha! Now I get it!" I knew right then and there that Heavenly Father was giving Grace (and the rest of us) a little sign {g r a c e} that He is very aware of each and every one of us! I knew that He wanted Grace to feel just how loved she is by Him and our ward's Young Women organization. He wanted Grace to know that He knew of the importance of the lesson she wanted taught...by the teacher she wanted to teach it...on the very last day she would be able to attend the ward she was raised in!

This event was no small matter, and I made certain my Mia Maid class understood that as I was putting g r a c e on the chalkboard with magnets—Grace loved seeing her name up there! :) Of course, I made sure that all of my Mia Maids know they are equally loved and important! (But none of them will be going through as huge of a life change this week as Grace—leaving the only home she's known since birth.)

Here are the amazing talks I listened to this past week—I'm certain I'll listen to them again!

The Gift of Grace

By President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Second Counselor in the First Presidency

Bear Up Their Burdens with Ease

By Elder David A. Bednar

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Each of those talks brought tears to my eyes as I thought about the eternal love our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ have for each and every one of us! It blows my mind! :)

While I wasn't able to delve into the above-listed talks in class as much as I wanted (due to time constraints), I felt happy that (I think!) my Mia Maids left our class with a better understanding of His Grace. I also found no coincidence in the fact that the closing song of our sacrament meeting was "O Savior, Thou Who Wearest a Crown"—it was meant to be! I shared these lyrics with my Mia Maids, for they went along perfectly with our lesson!

"No creature is so lowly,
No sinner so depraved,
But feels thy presence holy
And thru thy love is saved.
Tho craven friends betray thee,
They feel thy love's embrace;
The very foes who slay thee
Have access to thy grace."

Yes, we all have access to His Grace, and for that, I'm incredibly grateful! As much as I understand grace (sorry, I won't write more about it here because I need to go eat dinner with My Gregor!), I know my soul will only fully comprehend the magnitude of His Grace once I get to the other side. I expect that to be true for everyone. Until then, I'll be focused on this glorious scripture that is beloved across eternity!

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." – Philippians 4:13

I love it!!!