Messenger of His Love

I would like to speak with you tonight about loving your students and concentrating on their needs.

Sister Stucki and I taught the 13-14-year-old class a short time ago…Maddy and Tristan and Eliza and Shaun, two Sydnees and Josh and Trevor… I remember we heard a story about a Sunday School teacher that told the students “I love you” each week. Sister Stucki adopted that strategy and our class blossomed.

• Recognizing their interests
• Showing concern for what’s important to them
• And loving each one of them … (how do you spell love? TIME)

A friend of mine explains how he interacts with his students each week. Finds out about their activities. Discusses their interests. Then, when he teaches the lesson, he can make application to his students’ lives and draw conclusions that are significant and relevant to them.

During a severe winter several years ago, President Boyd K. Packer noted that a goodly number of deer had died of starvation while their stomachs were full of hay. In an honest effort to assist, agencies had supplied the superficial when the substantial was what had been needed. Regrettably they had fed the deer, but they had not nourished them.

When I was an impressionable young man in a small community down in Southern Utah our Moab seminary teacher influenced my whole life. Brother Salmon and his wife spoke in our branch some years 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. 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 that he can have in our lives is becoming a reality. He must be the foundation of our lives." 1 Corinthians 2:2,5

• Listen to the Spirit
• Call them by name
• Pray for each one of your students
• Love them and tell them that you love them
• Testify of the Lord’s matchless love for each one
• Feel the Spirit together “that all may be edified” Doctrine & Covenants 88:122

Nephi taught that he knew “that [God] loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.” Your students need to know that he Lord loves them and that He sees the good in them especially during tough times. Feeling His love encourages us to press forward, reassures us that we are His, and confirms to us that He cherishes us even when we stumble and experience temporary setbacks.

You’re His messenger. You can change their lives—you will change your life—by loving your students and concentrating on their needs. That’s the gospel of Jesus Christ in its pure and undefiled form.

I know that Someone is waiting there for you and for me with arms extended still.

http://broadcast.lds.org/PTH/AuxTrainingVideos/SS_2010_03_00_AnnMadsen_eng.mp4

The best decision I ever made

Every once in a while you choose a course of action that blesses you over and over thoughout your life. I'm sure we can all look back with gratitude and think of situations where we made the right decision:

• I am so glad I didn't end up buying that jelopy
• Deciding to move changed my life (for the better)
• Saving for a rainy day has really blessed me

Hindsight is 20-20 or so they say. We make millions of decisions in our life time. So what is the best decision I ever made? That one is easy. The best choice I ever made was to marry your mother in the right place, at the right time, by the right authority. Hands down that was the best decision of my life. Buying that business, choosing that major, going on a mission, and getting an education were all important decisions, but each one pales in comparison to the best choice.

I could go on and on about the wonderful family your mother has given me, our beautiful home, her constant love and support, her patience with my shortcomings, and her love and support amid challenging times. But to list all the ways she has blessed my life would fill volumes. She is exempliary in so many ways.

She recognizes the importance of family and spending time together as loved ones here and now. She insists on including everyone in the family where possible, and she is never happier than her saddest child. It's fun to be with her. It's great to have her here at my side. You never know when the time you say goodbye to someone important to you will be your last. Your mother is the one that initiated the if-you-love-em-tell-em attitude within the family of always saying "I love you" upon departing. It's wonderful. I love that about our family.

Yes. Your mother is the best thing that ever happened to me. That good decision will bless me forever. I love you, Linda.

Motivation

You know that I am a quote nut. Carefully placed phrases, articulate ideas, and prose give me a thrill. Is that weird? Well maybe, but it's still true.

It may be hard to believe at first, but a powerful concept, a clearly expressed idea, or the turn of a phrase can change your life. I’d like to share a couple of my favorite selections with you. Then afterward, I will tell you why I like them:

Aristotle is credited with saying "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

The following quote came from President Uchtdorf's conference address The Most Powerful Motivating Force. (audio)

The testimony of the truthfulness of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is the most powerful motivating force in our lives. Jesus repeatedly emphasized the power of good thoughts and proper motives: “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not” (D&C 6:36).

Now some words from Grandpa's testimony
"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."

So putting this altogether,

• We are the product of our habits.
• The gospel of Jesus Christ is the most powerful force in our lives.
• Especially when we face tough decisions, our love for the Savior Jesus Christ can propel us to make the good choices.

"I wouldn't do that for anyone, except I'll do it for Christ!"

Live that concept everyday, and it will change your life.

Jesus Christ Is the Way

Fam,
Perhaps you have heard the story about Albert Einstein when he was teaching physics at Princeton. A graduate student was carrying the tests back to class after he had just delivered a final. And the graduate assistant was looking at the tests and noticed that this test looked like one previously administered. So he said "Hey Dr. Einstein, isn't this the same test that you gave last year?" And Dr. Einstein said "Yeah. That's the same test." Amazed at that answer, he exclaimed "How could you give the same test two years in a row?" Dr. Einstein replied "Because since last year the answers have changed." That's how it is with science and physics and astronomy and stuff like that. Just wait a year and the answers will change.

Where do we go for answers that don't change? The scriptures give us truths that have stayed relevant for thousands of years. They are eternal principles that apply today in our lives just as they have in generations past. What do we hold on to when we face challenging times in our lives? The Iron Rod, which is the Word of God, leads to the tree of life (the Love of God). But until we feel the Love of God in our lives, we can hold fast to the Rod of Iron to guide us through difficulty.

In 1 Nephi 11:16 the angel asked Nephi a question "Knowest thou the condescension of God?"

And in the next verse Nephi answers with something he knows and something he doesn't know. He said "I know that he loveth his children. Nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things." (1 Nephi 11:17)

If you really know that God loves you, boy that helps when the tests, trials, temptations, and tragedies happen in life, because your questions change. If you're not sure that God loves you then you might say things like "Why did this trial happen to me? I guess God doesn't love me," or "Why is God mad at me?" or "Why is he doing this to my family?" But if you really know that God loves his children, then you can say "Though I don't understand why, I do know that God loves me and will help me in my time of need." When tragedies happen, you may ask "Why did that happen? I don't know. But I do know for sure from a place the answers don't change that God loves me, and because of his Son, we will again see God and be reunited with our loved ones." That's the hope we have in Jesus Christ.

To me that emphasizes the need to read the scriptures daily and learn of the love and comfort available to us:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:35-39)
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13)
How is it thou canst weep (Moses 7:26-33)
Ye may also enter into that rest Alma 13:10-13
My peace be unto thy soul (Doctrine and Covenants 121:7-9)

The last verse of the reference in the Doctrine and Covenants above refers to Job, who lost his family and possessions and whose friends turned against him, but Job remained faithful. Why do bad things happen to good people? There is quite a commentary here.

I think of Dad's testimony in this regard and the hope we have because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ for which I am so thankful.

Jesus Christ Is the Way.

I love you, dad

Am I my brother's keeper?

Fam,
You all know the Parable of the Good Samaritan. He served when others ignored or altogether avoided the situation. He gave time, effort, and money to help this unfortunate man, expecting nothing in return. The injured man probably never even knew who it was that helped him in his time of need. Watch this...



Did you ever stop to think that this poor man was someone else's husband, father, and son? How do you think the good Samaritan's actions affected these people?

We don't have to do something miraculous or life changing. We can serve in small ways, too. Change a flat tire. Smile and share encouragement. Drop an extra coin in a beggar's cup. Can you see how making a concerted effort to serve others will change your life and others?

The words you say, the feelings you express, the sacrifice you make will change lives...beginnning with you own.

I love you, dad

Climbing up

Fam,
When I was a young man living down in Castle Valley, I had the opportunity to do some rock climbing with a good friend of mine. To me, it was all pretty new, but we were young and energetic and excited about trying out this new experience. Rock climbing has always been popular down in Moab and throughout Canyonlands generally. But in recent years, the sport seems to have taken on new interest and a fascination of its own. Bouldering, free climbing, rope soloing, even indoor climbing, and many other types of rock climbing are popular activities.

Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing competitions have objectives of completing the route in the quickest possible time or the farthest along an ever increasingly harder route.

However, you're safe because you're on belay. The belay anchor system is the crux of climbing. It allows falls with impunity - almost. The person running the rope does so to protect the climber. Belaying has brought Alan Czenkusch [leader of Whistepig Climbing School of Del Norte, Colorado] his best and worst moments in climbing. Czenkusch once fell from a high precipice, yanking out three mechanical supports and pulling his belayer off a ledge. He was stopped upside down 10 feet from the ground when his spread-eagled belayer arrested the fall with the strength of his outstretched arms. " Don saved my life," says Czenkusch. "How do you respond to a guy like that? Give him a used climbing rope for a Christmas present? No, you remember him. You always remember him."

To me, that reference has special significance when I consider our reliance on the Savior Jesus Christ for our welfare, safety, and utlimately our salvation. Because despite our best efforts in this life, we will fall. And often the consequences are severe in nature and recovery can be very difficult. But we are not alone. He has provided for us a way.

President Packer states "...there is no habit, no addiction, no rebellion, no transgression, no apostasy, no crime exempted from the promise of complete forgiveness. That is the promise of the Atonement of Christ. …

“… Do not give up if at first you fail. … Do not give up. That brilliant morning will come.”

Love is a necessary precursor to being able to forgive oneself. As we develop an overpowering love of and gratitude for Jesus for His willingness to forgive us, we earnestly desire to come unto Him—to study His life and teachings and act upon them so that we become more like Him. As we do that, our own capacity to love grows to the point that we can indeed love and forgive ourselves and others."

When we fall, with the Lord's help we can climb back up.

It starts with always remembering Him.

I love you, dad

Turn to the Lord for comfort

Dear Family,
I am thinking today about an interesting phenomena which we have all experienced. It happens when you are driving down the road at 80 miles an hour for an extended period of time. After a while, it seems like you are barely crawling along. We can all remember a time we were driving on the highway down near Las Vegas. Soon the long, straight stretches of road appear to barely pass beneath the wheels of the car as we get adjusted to the speed. Before long it doesn't seem like we are going fast at all.

Well that phenomena manifests itself in other ways as well. The day Steven got home from his mission will forever be etched in my memory. After spending two years with the good people of Argentina who had so little in comparison with the bounty afforded us, he walked into our home shaking his head in amazement with our blessings of a large home and abundance that the Lord has granted us. And we all see it regularly when we walk into Costco or Walmart or the mall and see food, supplies, and clothing from floor to ceiling. Incredibly, we begin to take this bounty of blessings for granted because abundance is so common for many of us in our day.

Today's generation is blessed with so much that our expectations even in hard times exceed the wildest dreams of others in previous generations and those in many locations around the world even today.

Our cupboards are filled with food.
Our driveways are covered with cars.
Our home are littered with luxuries.
And still the Lord offers us more, if we will but follow Him.

So how do these things all apply to this phenomena? Today, we have such wealth in the gospel and among Church members that it is easy to forget that it wasn't always this way. I believe that is one reason the brethren tell us to seek out our ancestors, so by seeing their hardship and sacrifice, we can come to appreciate the bounty we have been given.

That knowledge helps us be more appreciative of what we have today in our homes, families, communities, both in this country and around the world.

Opposition is a good thing. And recognizing the plethora of gifts the Lord has given us helps us get through life's challenges, which will certainly come.

We are not alone. Heavenly Father blesses us in our time of need. The greatest help we will have is to know and follow the doctrines of the Savior, Jesus Christ and rely on him to help us.

"The grave hath no victory and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ." Mosiah 16:8

That's the hope we have in Jesus Christ.

I love you, dad