First Christmas in Castle Valley

This year we had the entire immediate family together for the Christmas holiday. Each family member was present and appreciated. We spread a blanket on the family room floor and enjoyed our Nazarene dinner (foods like Jesus would have eaten) for Christmas Eve, and everybody contributed.

Grandpa Stucki vicariously delivered the Christmas story with the family through a digital recording (8 min 30 sec into the recording). In his closing remarks, he shares the following quote by Patrick Henry: "I have now disposed of all of my property to my family. There is one more thing I wish that I could give them, and that is the Christian religion. If they had that and I had not given them one shilling, they would have been rich. And if they had not that and I had given them all the world, they would be poor."

The abundance we have been blessed with is obvious both in worldly property and faith in God and in His Son Jesus Christ in the Christian religion to guide us through our lives. So indeed, we are rich. We must stop and recognize from what source we receive so many blessings. The Lord has seen us through good times and difficult times.

One more highlight this year was that I received an afghan from Granny that she had given me many years ago one particular Christmas when worldly possessions were scarce for a time. The Salt Lake City house hadn't sold and thousands of dollars had been spent to purchase and develop the farm, so the Christmas of 1976 was scarce. That year she promised me an afghan which she had been working on. This year she fulfilled that promise as she spent two months and a great deal of effort completing the gift despite her arthritic hands. So in appreciation for these blessings, I thought I would share again the story of our first Christmas in Castle Valley:

We moved to southern Utah to a new farming community and began developing the land, digging a well, building roads, fences, out sheds, and of course a house. The log cabin structure was new to us and the skilled labor included Grandpa and most of the boys in the family. Our home in SLC didn’t sell right away and our funds were running short, but to us children we were in the country, raising farm animals, and connecting as a family like we never otherwise could.

We worked and played throughout the summer, but when school started we found ourselves still living in the bunkhouse/tent structure nestled in the trees of the farm. Our well was dug up on the main level of land closer to the pastures, but we did run a pipe down to a hydrant near the bunkhouse. That made access to water from our living quarters much easier and became my shower where I could run cold water over my head before catching the bus and going to school each day. The fall weather brought cooler temperatures, so we hastened our building efforts. It would be so nice if we could get into our new home before Christmas.

Granny would read to us at night, since there was really nothing else we could do, because we didn’t have electricity and lights or buildings yet wherein we could find shelter and warmth. Instead, we huddled together in the bunkhouse while Granny read from House of Many Rooms, a story about a family out in the country doing all the things we hoped for, dreamed for, and worked and sacrificed for. We would lie in our sleeping bags on the bunks or huddle around the electric heater to keep warm and listen to Granny’s calming voice resonate the dream for which we had given up everything else. I remember one evening as Granny read, somebody yelled “The drape is on fire!” and sure enough the heater had become too close to the material and caught the drape on fire which was hung to divide the room to provide some measure of privacy. It was quickly extinguished but made for an exciting evening and a memorable story. I dreamed for the days when our newly-planted trees would bear the fruit we would use to make peach and apple pies. I longed for the time when our efforts on the farm would produce pork and chicken and beef and berries...it was almost too much to think about. Well, we did get the roof on and that little log cabin opened up into an enormous house for us when compared to the tent-like structure we had been living in. The plumbing and electricity were not all finished yet, so the first showers we took in the home were from warmed pans of water from the stove dumped on our heads while we stood in the shower stall, but it was delightful and heavenly. I remember thinking I hadn’t had a real shower for months. It was so nice, and we giggled and mused that we had it so good. We were used to lots of presents, even though we had a big family (eight children) by worldly standards. But we knew our parents were giving us something money could not buy, and they were doing their very best. At the time, there were many from Salt Lake that said we were crazy, but Granny and Grandpa were undeterred and moved forward. The house continued to grow and near completion. Grandpa built all the outside doors, completed the wiring and plumbing, and that was just the first year we lived there. Over the next thirty or so years we lived on the farm, our wildest imaginations became realities. And we are now all recipients of the many blessings so abundantly awarded us.

What can we learn from all this? I have drawn many lessons from the experiences I have had in Castle Valley and my growing up years, but just two I will mention now include 1) the Lord will not forsake us. Though we face many challenges, if we align our lives and actions with Him, we will be able to overcome the hardships of the present time. I think back now and marvel at what Granny and Grandpa accomplished and the risk that they took in behalf of our family. The lessons I learned there have served me well throughout my life and continue to strengthen me through the obstacles of our day. 2) This is part of the great plan of happiness of which we are all part. It requires effort and hard work. But the rewards today in this life are many. And the eternal reward for those who endure to the end is indescribable. 1 Corinthians 2:9

You will continue this legacy and testimony in your homes with your families and your accomplishments and happiness will far exceed your wildest dreams. I have no doubt. Thank the Lord for the many blessings you have of home, family, security, abundance, happiness, and love. The greatest gift we can give you is to acquaint you with His Son and live exemplary lives as a testimony of what He did. Jesus Christ is the source of all happiness, joy, and hope.

It is through Him that you will obtain your greatest joys!

Romans 8:35-39

2 Nephi 19:6

1 John 4:9

We love you,
Mother and Dad

Faith

The first principle of the gospel is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We all know that. But when times are hard, it can be difficult to have a positive attitude. That's when we really demonstrate faith, however.

This life is not supposed to be easy. Adam learned "by the sweat of thy brow wilt thou eat thy bread," and so it is in our day. Success and life in general take hard work. Often the obstacles we face are measures the Lord allows so that we can learn important lessons that prepare us for life's future situations. Yet despite hardship, evidence has shown over many years, the Lord has our welfare in mind.

Such is the case this evening. I just accepted a job offer from a company called Seamless. Its claim to fame is that it is the Fastest, Easiest, and Smartest Way To Order Delivery Meals Online! The company started in 1999 and has grown in leaps and bounds. It wants to be the most trusted source of local restaurant information in the industry for dining in, pickup, and delivery--so it is growing.

That's where I come in. I will develop and manage it's QA department, processes, and technology. Now I am going to make some waves...and delicious ones at that.

But it couldn't have happened without the Lord's help. And as we follow and have faith in Him, He will see us through.

With God, nothing is impossible Luke 1:37

Overcoming hardship

I know that the Lord will provide a way for you to accomplish the things He has commanded you. I have seen the evidence of that many times throughout my life. We have had a number of challenges that we have been able to overcome because He will see us through if we keep His commandments and have faith in Him.

Now I want to tell you a short story shared years ago shortly after I graduated from high school by President Marion G. Romney, then Second Counselor in the First Presidency. He told of the following experience:

Several years ago while the president of one of our missions in Mexico was sitting in a barber chair, the barber began to talk to him about his finances. He asked the mission president for his advice. The barber was having difficulty paying his bills with his small income. The mission president said, “Well, I can tell you what I’d tell members of my church, and what I do tell them when they ask me this question—I tell them the first thing to do is to pay their tithing.”

“What’s tithing?” said the barber. After listening to the mission president’s explanation, he exploded, “Well, that’s just great, isn’t it! I come to you with a question as to how I can pay my bills with the little I make, and you come up with a fancy idea of how I can spend the first 10 percent of it!”

A Divine Obligation and a Blessing
Well, we can understand the reaction of the barber all right, but if he had understood and had had faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ, he would have recognized the wisdom in the mission president’s counsel. He would have known that in paying tithing he would be complying with a divine law, upon compliance with which great blessings are predicated. He would have known that in paying tithing he would have been discharging an obligation which his maker, the Lord, has put upon every one of his children.

There are numerous stories of the divine help rendered when we face challenges that seem far above our ability to overcome. Learning a language, moving our home, facing health concerns, starting a business, dealing with the challenges of a recession--the one thing I know is that if we follow the exhortations given us through living prophets and keep the commandments, we will have abundance and to spare.

I love the words and example of King Benjamin. He labored for his own welfare rather than placing burdensome taxes on his people. Further, he knew we owe everything to our Heavenly Father and taught this concept beautifully in second chapter of Mosiah. I exhort you to read the whole thing, but in particular read verses 19-24.

He has commanded us to follow Him and promised blessings to those that do. You needn't approach life's challenges alone, but you can be equipped with the armor of God and the promise that He will help you successfully overcome your challenges, even when it seems impossible. David and Goliath, the Israelites escaping Egypt, a few crusts of bread and five fishes feeding 5000--these are but a few of the miracles He wrought. With God, nothing is impossible. Even in our weakness, He can make us strong.

Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things. Jacob 4:6-7

You can overcome whatever challenges you are called to face by putting your faith in Him and keeping His commandments. I know from personal experience this is true.

Again, I refer to the wise words of King Benjamin in the last verse of the second chapter.

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

The commandments are given specifically to bless you. Decide now to receive the benefits of obeying the commandments. The Lord will see you through.

Through the Lord Jesus Christ I am strong

This job change has been a roller coaster ride. At first you cast your net out as broad as you can as you are hoping for a quick turnaround. But the timeline of the employer is often far different (slower) than your own. But no matter...you have lots of possibilities and chances are very good that you are going to land something right away. But then you begin taking favorites and hoping for the best possible outcome. Perhaps it's because of the amount of effort you have made or the passing weeks or the struggles you have faced even securing an interview. Every letter, every job interview, every conversation with potential employers dominates your thoughts and begins to control your life if you let it. Often I am up at 5am and continue working long after the others are in bed for the night. It's not uncommon to spend 18+ hours during the day and weekends looking for work or preparing letters, resumes, and other documents with an occasional break here and there. Looking for work can be the hardest job of all--that's what I have found.

So why do I elaborate on the challenges one might face during a job search? It's because this is not unique to finding a job. We face many obstacles, and adversities are part of life's tests. I have listed just a few below that have come before our family:

• house sale
• relocation to Washington
• health challenges
• mission / marriage / relationships
• family hardship
• numerous vices and struggles

The point is that you face many obstacles in life that take all your attention and focus for a period of time, if you let it. So I have found that there are some regular strategies that alleviate allowing those concerns to overwhelm the more important things in your life:

• Show gratitude. Especially thank the Lord for walking with you through life's trials
• Make a concerted effort to help others. I found the most satisfaction from sending leads to others looking for work and helping them progress in other ways, too
• Read the scriptures and fill your mind with inspirational thoughts. That will give you renewed perspective and grounding
• Keep your covenants and follow the commandments to the best of your ability

These aren't new ideas. These are principles from the gospel of Jesus Christ. As we align ourselves with Him and keep His commandments, our problems are given proper perspective and our capabilities are expanded to satisfy the demands placed upon us.

As an afterthought, I would like to share with you one of my favorite quotes. Although President Kimball was talking about visiting teaching at the time, the following excerpt applies to many situations in our lives when the Lord guides our efforts, and it certainly does in my case today:

It is easy to get discouraged. It is easy to quit, but you must not fail. You remember how Nephi went into an impossible situation and couldn’t get the plates. His brothers couldn’t. They couldn’t buy them. They couldn’t bribe them out of the hands of Laban. They couldn’t force their way in, and their lives were hanging on a thread. In spite of all that, here comes one boy, unarmed, who walks into a city through a wall that was closed to him, through gates that couldn’t be opened, into a garden that was impenetrable, into a vault that was locked, among soldiers that couldn’t be bypassed, and comes out with his arms full of records to keep his posterity and others from perishing in unbelief. (See 1 Ne. 3–4.) source

Our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ will succor us through all our challenges and beckon to us to allow them to help.

20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and ^aopen the door, I will ^bcome in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. source

I testify that promise is true!

The Good News

What if I could show you how you could get a hole-in-one every time you played golf? Or perhaps a perfect score of 36 on the ACT test--my plan could do it for you. Well, as incredible as that sounds, it doesn't end there. What is your fondest dream? If it be right, this plan can help you achieve it.

Well, of course, it isn't my plan alone or any other man's plan or scheme or strategy. It's the work of our Heavenly Father and the good news of His Son Jesus Christ. This has been demonstrated repeatedly over the nearly 50 years of my life and ions before that.

Furthermore, I needn't rely solely on past experience for this witness, but I have had it confirmed by the power of the Holy Ghost. (Moroni 10:5)

And not just me, but Grandpa knew. WHY? Because Grandpa has an abiding hope in the Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 1:2), which carried him through the challenges he faced. He knew of the triumph we receive through Christ. And I do too.

The Savior has wrought the Atonement in our behalf. He suffered our pains and is already victorious! Why is that significant to you and your problems and challenges today? Because He is the Author and Finisher of the plan. It's His plan, so we know that whatever challenges or obstacles or hardships we face, we can overcome them with His help. When Christ wins, all those who follow Him win, too. He has overcome the world, and through Him, so shall we (Doctrine and Covenants 50:40-42)

I could tell you countless stories of instances in my life and yours when the Lord has intervened to guide and direct us along the trail of life. Even in the good times, and especially in hard times, His watchful care ensures we are safe from destruction and assures our victory. Note that I did not say it frees us from hardship, but I said that plan is devised to help us through the hardships of this life that we will come out on top. I can say that with certainty because the Savior is already victorious.

I liken this to watching a sporting event, say football, on tv. When a fumble or a blocked kick happens or the competitor runs up the score at the beginning of the game, it's easy to get discouraged and lose hope in our team. But if you already know the outcome of the game, like in the case of a re-run, you needn't fear or even get nervous, because you know the outcome in the end. We know the end! Christ's team is already victorious!

Every hardship, every vice, every challenge or addiction or failure is temporary and will be overcome as we align ourselves with Him and partake of this perfect plan. Our confidence grows, our worries are eliminated, and our fear turns to faith, because we know that He will not forsake us, and as long as we are on His team, our victory is assured. That's the hope we have in Jesus Christ.

His plan is perfect. We have multiple shepherds watching over us to help us through life's obstacles. Today, we can go nearly anywhere on earth and have a bishop, elder's quorum president, relief society president, other leaders, home teachers, and visiting teachers already organized, ready, and willing to help us. The Good Shepherd is pleading our cause with the Father, and He visits us in our time of need. (Mosiah 24:14)

Whatever challenges we are called to face, we can overcome. Real confidence is ours for the taking (Doctrine and Covenants 121:45,46) I am not worried about my recent job loss. Why should I be? I am a member of the winning team and cannot fail. The Lord's plan is fail safe if we will but let Him influence and direct our lives. (Revelation 3:20)

This life is full of hardships. Adversity may be a constant or an occasional companion. We should not expect anything differently. Today is our time to prepare to meet God (Alma 34:32). But we needn't worry or fear or get depressed. God's perfect plan cannot fail. As we align ourselves with Him, then we too will be victorious in all things.

That really is good news!

Behind the scenes

Have you ever wanted to be one of those people that could donate millions to charity? I expect you have. Me too. And someday, we will be able to do just that, but in the meantime, there is a lot we can still do.

I have always loved the story of the widow's mite. The rational is pretty simple. One reason is that it gives me hope that even the small things that I can do now are recognized and appreciated by our Heavenly Father. And together, the little that we each do becomes significant. Many doing a little makes a world of difference. And sometimes, even our small decisions have enormous impact. I think of the choices of Grandpa John Stucki. His life must have seemed small and simple to him at the time and his decisions inconsequential. But now we can look back and see the significance of his good choices, which directly impact our lives now. Thousands upon thousands will be blessed. I have always loved the story of the starfish.

You can't do everything. That's ok. You need do only what you can do. That's another beautiful truth of the widow's mite.

Edward Everett Hale said “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do. What I can do, I should do. And what I should do, by the grace of God, I will do.”

Today is Fast Sunday. We heard beautiful testimonies that witnessed of God's grace. A couple significant thoughts that struck me this morning follow:

• Murmuring blinds us of Heavenly Father's tender mercies in our behalf. Don't ask "why is this happening to me," but instead "what can I learn from this?"
• Suffering let's us better know, appreciate, and love the Savior for the suffering He wrought in our stead to bring about our salvation
• Our challenges are blessings in disguise. Did you ever think of Castle Valley as our wilderness? It occurred to me that the similarities are remarkable between the events surrounding Lehi leaving his riches and taking his family into the wilderness and our family following Mom and Dad after they received inspiration to take our family to Castle Valley (the wilderness). In both cases, difficult obstacles were overcome and resulted in many blessings (the promised land). And so it is in each of you. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ won't forsake us if we will but follow him. Grandpa has said so well what is in my heart today: Grandpa's testimony

Your gifts are significant. What you have to offer others far outweighs the millions donated to charity. Generations untold will call your name blessed for your good choices.

Receiving strength through Christ

You have all heard this story told by Grandpa, but it bears repeating:

Our Moab seminary teacher and his wife spoke in the Castle Valley branch some time ago. Her talk was on a matter I have long been concerned about. The problem comes into perspective at a sacrament meeting: Adults as well as children give tender loving praise for bishops, teachers, neighbors, and the prophet etc. But too few feel and express it for the Savior. We are not achieving our most important goal until we have established in the hearts of our children and the saints, an even greater love for Him. Friends may betray us, spouses may leave us, health may fail, and our possessions burn up. But Christ, His promises, understanding, and love will never fail us. With some trials and most tragedies, only this can get us through. When we can take a thankless, demanding calling; give up something we wanted greatly, so we can pay our tithing; or help out someone who has badly hurt us ... and say "I wouldn't do that for anyone, except I'll do it for Christ!" ... then the power for good He can have in our lives is becoming a reality. He must be the foundation of our lives.

This is the key to doing hard things. Then difficult tasks can be overcome and aren't so challenging. If you can't do it for yourself, do it for Christ, and He will bless you many times over. I have seen that repeatedly during my life:

1) Following the Savior brings happiness Alma 41:10 wickedness never was happiness

2) Prayer provides strength Romans 5:1-2 access to the Father through Christ

3) Obedience brings blessings D&C 130:20 law irrevocably decreed in heaven

4) Faith in Jesus Christ to believe that He has the power to do what He says He can do

That will make you much more effective and confident and happy. You can overcome hardship, reach your goals, achieve academic success, and develop eternal relationships.

You can because the Savior teaches us that through Him, we can overcome all things. D&C 75:16 the faithful shall overcome all things

I know you can!