It was the best of times...

Our Heavenly Father saved a royal generation to come to earth in the last days when the fulness of the gospel extends throughout the earth. Tremendous hardship and challenges face the world in our day, as well.

That is why your being where you are when you are needed is such a testament to your value and important roles as disciples of Jesus Christ in our day. Prophecies fill the scriptures of the great and terrible events to occur right before the Second Coming of the Savior Jesus Christ. You were saved to be tools in the Lord's hand to fulfill these promises and to bring about His purposes in this day. What an honor to have the privilege of rearing each one of you to this great purpose: ushering in the Second Coming of the Son of God. Your mother and I are humbled to be associated with you. You are the royal generation.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair; we had everything before us, we had nothing before us; we were all going directly to Heaven, we were all going the other way."

Thus, Charles Dickens opens his novel The Tale of Two Cities. I would say that it articulates the confusion that was not only rampant at that time, but today as well. But my message to you is that despite the uncertainty that exists in our day, we needn't be confused or unsure of the direction we should go. We have living apostles and prophets to guide us, leaders to help us, and parents and family to support us...each of these blessings testify of the love our Heavenly Father has for us and the blessed gift of his Son.

I have included a sermon from President Faust at the end of this message. He delivered this address in 1984 (28 years ago). The counsel he gives was appropriate for that time and warned people from falling into the the deceptive temptations resulting in debt and hardship. The principles are just as true and appropriate today as they were in the time when these words were spoken. They persist throughout the gospel of Jesus Christ--the principles were true when they were first delivered, they are true today, and they will be true long after our time. The longevity of the truths of the gospel are a testament to their validity.

One more thing...standing tall in the face of difficulty gives us the opportunity to demonstrate our love and allegiance for the Savior Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. The story of the widow's mite taught this principle. (Mark 12:41-44) When we have little, that which we give means even more. And the law of tithing helps prepare us for a life time of service and giving that takes place within the Church. I testify that our sacrifices for the work of the Lord are a privilege to pay and the reward is far greater.

I have seen the fulfillment of that principle many times. We are living witnesses of that.

Take time to read the following article. You will be glad you did.

Doing the Best Things in the Worst Times



http://mathewstucki.blogspot.com

Click away

Your mother shared an interesting article with me. The commentary was really worthwhile and the concept inspiring. Read it.

We can choose to view the beautiful, the good, and the uplifting, or we can choose to see something less. The circumstances needn't change, but we can still focus on the good. Why would we choose to see less?

My favorite part is when she talks about during the week of counting her negative thoughts she clicked 145 times in one day. Then, her attitude changed, and she switched to counting positive thoughts, she found she had clicked 1,262 times, and 330,952 times at girls camp.

When we focus on the good, there is so much for us to see and an abundance of joy waiting for us to feel and enjoy. Mosiah 2:41

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Phillipians 4:8

I love it when people take responsibility for their own happiness. Check this out. Pass it forward. Start counting your blessings today. It will change your life.

The Living Bread

Life is full of choices. How does one make decisions with confidence?

There is an experience in the Book of Mormon when Limhi’s people were in bondage and had their fill of Lamanite abuses. They went against the Lamanites in battle three times but were defeated. Heavy burdens were laid upon them. Finally the people of Limhi humbled themselves and cried mightily unto the Lord that He would deliver them. The Lamanites began to ease their burdens; yet the Lord did not see fit to deliver them immediately out of bondage because of their iniquities.

The second story is similar in many respects but also different in significant ways. The Lamanites began to impose their will on the people of Alma and placed heavy burdens on them to bear. However, the people of Alma were delivered from the hands of the Lamanites and safely made their way back to be united with the people of Zarahemla.

What was the difference between the people of Alma and the people of King Limhi? Obviously, there were several differences: the people of Alma were peaceful and more righteous; they had already been baptized and entered into a covenant with the Lord; they humbled themselves before the Lord even before their tribulations started. The Lord delivered them in a miraculous way from the hand which kept them in bondage. And the Lord has promised us this same blessing. Mosiah 24:13,14

I love the scripture about the woman at the Jacob's well. (read this scripture John 4:6-14 now, then continue)

The woman from Samaria couldn't understand why Jesus asked her to draw water since Jesus was a Jew, and Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus' answer is classic.

"If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water."

But the woman didn't understand and politely responded that he had nothing to draw water from the deep well.

13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

The Lord can lighten our burdens and provide deliverance from our bondage, whatever it be. Just like the people of Alma, the Lord can lift our burdens as we submit to His will and believe in Him.

15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord. Mosiah 25:15

So let's return to the question that started this discussion: How does one make decisions with confidence?

45 Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. Doctrine and Covenants 121:45

13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. 1 Corinthians 13:13



“He Hath Filled the Hungry with Good Things” (read, listen, or watch. You'll be glad you did.)

http://bcove.me/64th4wx8

Eclipse

We are experiencing this weekend something very unique, and perhaps a once in a lifetime occasion for this particular area--a solar eclipse. From our viewpoint, the moon blocks a portion of the sun in this unique event. This is fascinating and rare in our skyline. But in one of John Bytheway's talks, he discusses not allowing anything to obscure the Son, meaning the Son of God.

When you see the eclipse tonight on the web and in the news, think of the following scriptures:

44 But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator. Alma 30:44



41 But, behold, I have all things as a testimony that these things are true; and ye also have all things as a testimony unto you that they are true...? Alma 30

This chapter talks about an anti-christ named Korihor. Alma testifies of Jesus Christ's existence and his power to inflence men for good. To his testimony, I add mine:

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. Jesus Christ is our Savior. Through him, the Great Plan of Happiness will come to pass.

We shall be found on His side in this great and [terrific] day. Of this I testify.

Dare to Stand Alone

We had a inspiring sacrament meeting a few weeks back. One young man shared the following witness by Gordon B. Hinckley:

"In the Church we sing a stirring hymn, 'We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet.' It is distinctive with us. As a people, we sing some hymns that have come from other churches, and others sing some of ours. But only we can properly sing, 'We thank thee, O God, for a prophet to guide us in these latter days.'

It was written more than a century ago by a man of humble circumstances who lived in Sheffield, England. He worked in the steel mills and was discharged because he joined the Mormon Church. But there burned in his heart a great and fervent testimony; and out of an overflowing spirit of gratitude, he penned these moving lines. They have become a grateful expression of appreciation for millions over the earth. I have heard them sung in many different languages as a reverent prayer of thanksgiving for divine revelation.

How thankful we ought to be, how thankful we are, for a prophet to counsel us in words of divine wisdom as we walk our paths in these complex and difficult times. The solid assurance we carry in our hearts, the conviction that God will make His will known to His children through His recognized servants, is the real basis of our faith and activity. We either have a prophet or we have nothing; and having a prophet, we have everything."

You have all heard the story of Naaman. He was a “captain of the host of the king of Syria.” He was a “great man with his master [the king], and honourable [and] a mighty man in valour” (2 Kgs. 5:1). The problem was that Naaman also had leprosy. He sought intervention from God's prophet, Elisha. But when Elisha said through his servant, Gehazi, “Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean” (2 Kgs. 5:10), the mighty Naaman was taken aback and confused. He had anticipated that the Israelite prophet would work a miracle on the spot—calling on the name of the Lord and in a sweeping demonstration of great power, “strike his hand over the place” to cure his leprosy (2 Kgs. 5:11). He became upset and in a fit of anger stormed away from Elisha’s house.

But then Naaman's servants approached him and said in essence if he had commanded you to do "some great thing" wouldn't you have done it? How much easier it would be to do a small or simple thing, like bathing in the river Jordan? The now humbled Naaman accepted his enlightened servants’ advice and, in an act of great faith, chose to obey. “Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean” (2 Kgs. 5:14).

Of course, Naaman was delighted, and he returned to the house of Elisha and tried to give him a gift, but Elisha would receive none, and Naaman departed. Well, Gehazi followed Naaman and told him a lie that Elisha had sent him to get money and resources. Naaman happily consented. But it wasn't long before Gehazi's deceptions were discovered, and he was cursed with the leprosy that had been Naaman's.

How close Naaman came to not receiving this great blessing. To be dishonest is cheating yourself. Follow the prophet. Be true to his words, for they speak the will of God. And our Deliverer waits to give us with bounteous blessings in return for our obedience.
In closing, I want to share with you the story of Conrad N. Hilton of the Hilton Hotel chain who said "I have been taught that there is one person in the world you never want to fool, and that is yourself, because that is plain stupidity."

Mr. Hilton told about a plain bar of iron being worth about five dollars. But that same iron, if made into horseshoes, would be worth $10.50. If it were made into needles, it would be worth $3,285. And if turned into balance springs for watches, its worth would be over $250,000.

On Cheating Yourself (take time to read this article by President Spencer W. Kimball)

You have been promised wealth untold if you are obedient.

Obedience will make you happier, stronger, and better--just like it did Naaman.

Your blessings await you.

I love you, dad

More reading:

Obedience--the Path to Freedom (James E. Faust)

A Contrast in Obedience (Ralph Hardy)

Holidays 2012

Mom kind of wants to shake things up a bit this year. I talked with the girls about going to a cabin or even the Stein Eriksen Lodge or Park City for Christmas, but they didn't sound too stoked about that. Usually we are home as a family for the holiday. I'm not opposed to that either. Mom has always wanted to do Hawaii, but this is very out of the ordinary, so I'm not sure how everyone is feeling. We could schedule this around Christmas or Thanksgiving without planning it on those very holidays. But again, we are just throwing things around at this point.  So the sky is the limit. Share your thoughts in comments below...

Mother Dear

My children play a joke on me occasionally, which is of particular significance today. They will ask me "Dad, if you had to give up one of your children, which one of us would it be?" To which I respond that I could never give up any of them. Could another child be loved less? I think not. How could that be? It doesn't make any sense. Our love is not an account from which we can draw resources until it is depleted. On the contrary, our love is magnified and grows in size and depth as we give it away to others.

Perhaps that is what Jesus Christ meant when he said "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." He also said "This is my work and my glory to bring to pass the immortablity and eternal life of men." So it makes sense that if our Father's work and glory is directed toward his family, then our focus and happiness should be centered around our families as well. And as we give of ourselves to bring joy into the lives of family members, our happiness grows and develops beyond anything we thought possible.

That's the significance of today's message. Your mother loves you more than you can understand at this point in your lives. She gave you life and spends her days trying to make your life better and your joy complete. Fathers get a unique perspective on how much mothers suffer to bring children into this world. Their every moment is consumed with the welfare of their family and especially their children. And that sacrifice is why a mother's love is akin to God's love.

So my next message is to the men of the family: to my son, my son-in-laws, my brothers and all my nephews.  Like unto the counsel Nephi gave his own sons, I exhort you to be men of courage and a sound mind. Recognize the great gift and blessing your mothers are for you. I have always admired the Stripling Warriors for their courage, dedication, and commitment to do what is right despite unimaginable odds, because they listened to and believed their mothers. Then they fought to protect them from harm or shame, and they won. And so can you.

Keep your mother's and sweetheart's reputations untarnished. Be a strength and a great support to them. And most of all, love them and treat them like queens--because that is exactly who they are.




Quotes for mother

Perfect Hope

I love an optimistic and positive attitude. We all do. Despite the challenges we must face--good, wholesome, uplifting messages and encouraging perspective provide sustenance.

  

I remember President Hinckley sharing the following words of Jenkins Lloyd Jones, which he clipped from the newspaper some years ago. Said he:

“There seems to be a superstition among many thousands of our young [men and women] who hold hands and smooch in the drive-ins that marriage is a cottage surrounded by perpetual hollyhocks to which a perpetually young and handsome husband comes home to a perpetually young and [beautiful] wife. When the hollyhocks wither and boredom and bills appear the divorce courts are jammed. …

“Anyone who imagines that bliss [in marriage] is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed.

“[The fact is] most putts don’t drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. …

“Life is like an old-time rail journey—delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed.

“The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.”

Life is hard. Beautiful vistas are fleeting and should be enjoyed while they last. But we can live with hope--Perfect Hope.

We are never alone. That is a wonderful blessing in times of trial and difficulty.

If we have faith in Jesus Christ, the hardest as well as the easiest times in life can be a blessing.

Read the entire article here