I just had my 66th birthday. There are plenty of pages in my personal book of history that have smudges. At the end of my earthly life, I hope that others will judge the end result of me as a person, not the dirty marks and dog-eared pages of the earlier chapters. I’m not proud of some pages of my history, but it is the most sullied pages that taught me the greatest lessons. Dirty history is the result of every life, every country, and every church. We are imperfect human beings who make mistakes. As we do, we learn and grow. Isn’t that the purpose of coming to earth?

Part of my own growth as a person has been to realize that when I die, my own children will sit around my kitchen table and talk about me—they may even label me as “mean” when they think about how they were raised. The pages of my history they will remember will be the rough-around-the-edges, tough broad who laid the law down, didn’t pull any punches, and was brutally honest. They will completely gloss over the pages where I made a conscious decision to make my parenting style about playing good cop/bad cop with me always being the bad cop. I chose that method because I love my husband, and I wanted him to have a good relationship with his children.

My husband was a very insecure person in those early years. He brought to our marriage a heavy load of baggage from a failed first marriage. His role with his son was the occasional dad from a distance, and he was never really allowed the opportunity to have the father/son relationship they both deserved. I was determined that my husband would have the perfect father/daughter and father/son relationships with our children. My decision placed me as the disciplinarian and Dad as the big lovable teddy bear. The pages of my history my children won’t see are the conscious daily decisions to play bad cop—even when it hurt.

Studying history—be it personal history, the history of a country, world history, or church history—is tricky. The only fair way to judge history is to place yourself in that time period in that exact situation. Since we don’t always have all the facts to know the pressures and exact situations of that time period, the only fair thing to do is to give people the benefit of the doubt. It’s also important to realize that everyone makes mistakes. It’s not fair to hold someone to a higher standard than we do for ourselves.

There is also a great danger in trying to whitewash history. We are seeing this in the United States right now. While there are many things in the history of the United States that should make us proud, there are also many troubling pages of our history. We have a choice to make. We can take the smudges and learn from them, creating cleaner pages in the future, or we can remove all evidence of the smudges, pretend they didn’t exist, refuse to teach our children about them, and then repeat the mistakes of the past.

One of my children had a high school history teacher who refused to teach anything about World War II (even though it is in the school district curriculum) because the United States dropped two atomic bombs to end the war. I submit that the better choice would have been to teach truth and learn from it. Why was that decision made? Did it bring the war to an end? Did it save lives? Were there consequences that resulted in many years of cold war? What would happen if any country decided to drop an atomic bomb today, or in the future? There are lessons to be learned from history, and it is dangerous to whitewash it.

To read more of Tudie’s articles, click here.

For instance, I would love to see two statues placed side by side for children to learn about. If we placed a statue of General Robert E. Lee next to a statue of General William Tecumseh Sherman, we could teach my grandchildren a whole lot of lessons about the American Civil War. There were two sides to the civil war, so let’s teach both sides. Let’s delve into all those dirty pages and learn what we did right and what we did wrong so that we can do better next time.

My hope is that as we study Church history in 2021, we will look at the smudges with new eyes. Let’s judge the end result of those dirty marks and resist the temptation to condemn the people who made them. I hope we will see people in Church history as human beings with human frailties. They were not perfect; nor are we. It’s not fair to lay out the perfect blueprint in hindsight and then say, “Why didn’t you follow the blueprint?” We can see the end result that they did not have the opportunity to see. Let’s not judge history and people from a blueprint created after the fact.

In theory, I knew the way to stay warm involved layers, but since my winter sporting mainly consisted of trying not to slip on the ice in the Walmart parking lot, I had never embraced the act of donning multiple sets of clothing. But when my toes grew numb and the wind left my ears aching, I decided to give layers a whirl. Fleece-lined leggings under my jeans and a sweater beneath my coat were my first additions. A second hat under my hat kept my ears from freezing. I doubled up on socks and sometimes on gloves as well.  

On days when the temperatures dipped especially low, I opted for the goose down coat that hangs in the family closet. It hangs to my knees and the sleeves engulf my hands, but the toasty level of protection it provides can’t be bested. Even with my breath freezing in my nostrils and sub-zero frost clinging to my hair, I managed to stay warm.   

We all hope our lives will be filled with sunshine and happy days, but we also know we will sometimes be hit with storms. The car breaks down, a child gets sick, a job is lost, a loved one leaves, we face a death or a devastating medical diagnosis. Sometimes we get through one crisis only to be faced with another. At times the challenges seem to drag on longer than our strength to endure. We feel overwhelmed, unloved, or forgotten. Our faith may waver. We are left shivering in the cold.  

So how do we equip ourselves to handle the deep snow and icy temperatures that are an inevitable part of life?

The apostle Peter wrote, “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity” (2 Peter 1:5-7).  

We add layers.

Spiritual layers. 

We start wherever we are and begin building. We add to our layers each time we pray in earnest. Every time we open our scriptures and partake of God’s word, we add a layer. Each time we fast, do family history, minister, spend time in the temple, attend church, follow a prompting, we add layers, layers, layers. 

Building layers takes time. The Lord doesn’t expect us to do it all at once. In Isaiah 28:10 we learn, “For precept must be upon precept . . . line upon line . . . here a little, and there a little.”

Bit by bit. 

Little by little.

Layer upon layer. 

Our efforts may seem small. Simple. But “by small and simple things are great things brought to pass” (Alma 37:6). By consistently repeating our small and simple efforts, we build great layers. We make the effort to read His word over and over. We find a way to serve others again and again. We turn to Him in prayer every day, multiple times a day. As we do the work day by day, our layers grow thick and strong. 

There will be times when our layers won’t be enough, when even through our hard built protection, the cold creeps in. That first winter, the cheap boots I owned left my toes cold no matter how many layers of socks I wore. To keep my feet from freezing, I had to invest in higher quality footwear. 

When we face especially difficult challenges and our regular spiritual layers feel inadequate, we need to invest more. 

Investing in spiritual layers requires putting in greater effort. That doesn’t necessarily mean more time. It does mean expending more mental effort. Pouring out our souls in prayer rather than simply speaking words. Seeking to have the Spirit teach us from the scriptures rather than just reading words. Striving to know our Savior rather than simply knowing of Him. 

It means putting more trust in our Father in Heaven. More faith in His timing.

Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught, “As we come to trust God, sometimes through pleading in our darkest, loneliest, most uncertain moments, we learn He knows us better and loves us more than we know or love ourselves” (Gerrit W. Gong, “All Nations, Kindreds, and Tongues,” October 2020). 

To read more of Cami’s articles, click here.

As we invest deeply in our spiritual layers, our efforts will bring us closer to the Savior. His power, His grace, His love will shelter us through the difficult trials. 

Nothing will stop the storms from coming, but as we build our relationship with Jesus Christ, we will feel His love wrap around us, engulfing us, providing the strength we need to weather whatever storms come our way. 

Our Savior Jesus Christ walks beside us through every storm. If we turn to Him, rely on Him, work to know Him day by day by day, no matter what frosty conditions swirl around us we will stay protected in His warm embrace.

Sometimes though, you have to watch amazing accomplishments from the sideline. That’s true for a number of activities I have wanted to participate in during my life. I have noted below just a few of them:

Slacklining

Of course, at my age, my balance, strength and stamina are probably not my strong points. That’s okay. I am really glad someone made this video, however. I feel it is as close to slacklining as I will ever get. On a slackline at least a couple hundred feet above the ground is somewhere I never expect to be, but I love the idea. The thrill of slacklining is surely real.

Insane Base Jumping

I asked one of my friends to share with me his favorite video. I am not sure what I was expecting from him, really, but when I saw the video he sent me (linked above), I knew he was young at heart if not young in years. He regularly rides his Harley on long distance trips as well. He has been to Alaska, all around the United States, and has a trip planned for Yosemite in a couple weeks. I’m cool with enjoying base jumping at a distance!

Snowboarding

My son likes to snowboard—all my children do, really. We together skied when he was a boy, and it was more me trying to keep up with him than the other way around. He would tell you otherwise, but I am still trying to keep up with him. I have always wanted to be a really great skier. But try as I might, I have never really become an expert. I am good enough, however, to ski on occasion with my family. That is fine.

Extreme Rock Climbing

https://youtu.be/eI0nt3UEjlE

It gets worse… Or should I say better? It totally depends on your perspective. I am not advocating these sports or activities. I am just saying that at my age, they are probably not on my bucket list anymore. But if I had the opportunity to try these out as a younger man, I would have done so, I think.

One time when I joined a few boys on a scout camp down near Dead Horse Point, I was invited to go skydiving by a pair of excitement-seekers. I declined. I thought, “I have a wife and six children, so this is probably not a responsible thing to do at my age with no advance training.” Maybe you agree. It is possible that you disagree. Either way, we all have to set limits on the things we will and won’t do throughout our lives.

When I was a young man, sometimes life’s opportunities presented situations where I had to face my fears. That is true for all of us; we have to overcome or at least deal with our fears. I can tell you now that many of the videos above sketch me out, and I am legitimately terrified to try them. Some people have the courage and dexterity to complete these amazing tasks; others do not.

But even if we get the opportunity, we still have to decide what we will do given the situation. Based on the above videos, you may think these situations come around only in rare circumstances and involve death-defying activities. Perhaps, but they also come about in everyday situations as well.

It is not easy to face the obstacles in our day. Many change their appearance and pose extreme makeovers as the measure of a man or a woman and their level of courage, wealth, or agility. Others stealthily persuade us to believe we are not good enough. The effects show up as low self-esteem, anxiety, or gloomy self-worth. These incorrect and deceptive beliefs limit what we think we know and what we are destined to do.

Then I saw this powerful video:

It takes place in an old building with massive windows. The sun shines through the panes of glass and casts shadows across the hardwood floor. The shimmering rays pierce through the windows and captures the beauty of the space.

You might think it strange when I tell you one of my favorite parts you may not even remember. It’s only about two seconds long. The camera pans to the floor of the room, which is scratched and uneven, not perfectly smooth and certainly not flawless. I love it. The beauty of the building was in its imperfections, uniqueness, and character.

To read more of Walter’s articles, click here.

Could that be true for us as well? I guarantee that it is.

I told you that there are some other benefits that come from age, and that I would tell you about them in a minute. I am telling you now that you are beautiful and unique just the way you are. Sure, you will have time and opportunity to change and develop and become better, but that doesn’t make your beauty less now. We come with flaws, scratches, and uneven features; we’re not perfectly smooth and flawless, not yet. But we will be if we endure to the end and let the Maker do what He does best—make us flawless.

“Our self-perceptions are generally kind of harsh and unbecoming when really that’s not how the world sees us” says one participant in the video. “We spend a lot of time as women analyzing and trying to fix the things that aren’t quite right, and we should spend more time appreciating the things that we do like.”

This is true for both men and women. We can all be pretty tough judges, but we can also change our perspectives and show appreciation for the strengths God gave us. Others can help us see that. 

And we too can help others see their good features and help magnify them.

I see this more clearly every day, especially when I admire my grandchildren.

The gap between how we see ourselves and what our Father understands about us is limitless. If others can see the good in us, we should certainly take another look at ourselves.

All of us have some work to do on the perceptions of ourselves.

We are the handiwork of God.

I thought I would love not having to get ready for church meetings. I admit that holding sacrament meeting at home has been interesting. I enjoy holding the priesthood so I can bless and administer the sacrament for my family. Our musical qualities have a lot to be desired. My wife and I don’t play the piano, but we could always listen to the hymns with our phones. Our children play the piano, but they are in their own homes now. We have had the privilege of attending church meetings with them and their families in their homes. It has been a great experience. On occasion we still have children with us. The grandkids come to visit on occasion as well. These are special Sundays for all of us on.

Talk about special Sundays — we all have them. I have been in the Church my entire life. I can’t say that I am surprised with the recent changes in the Church and around the world. These modifications are needed and have reason, and I believe that they are ushering in the Second Coming. I hope so.

The pure love of Jesus Christ sustains and lifts us from the challenges of our day.

I remember going to church before the 3-hour block. And now we will all tell the story of attending church with face masks — but this is not the end, not yet.

We have peace despite the chaos in the world.

If you think this article is about sports or war, I can’t blame you. But the real message is that we can have peace in Christ and are all in this together. Our success is assured, if we simply endure to the end.

To read more of Walter’s articles, click here.

We are at war figuratively, especially in light of the coronavirus outbreak that seems to influence everything we do or don’t do right now. But we can’t forget the victory has already been determined, and none of this can frustrate God’s work.

I almost send this article to our editor numerous times, but the Lord was not finished with it yet. And He is not finished with any of us yet, either.

Incredibly, this apparent hardship too will promote His work and glory as well. His timeline is not ours.

Just watch. “Prove me now herewith” is the way that He put it.

Better yet, become deeply involved in the work — it will improve your life today just as it has for so many others.

Just watch.

Additional Readings: 

Triage of the Soul

Really Great Cathedrals

Calling an Audible: Finding Peace in Christ

I Was a Stranger

In Good Hands

The Greatest Comeback Ever

Don’t Miss This

Pandemic

At New Year’s 2020 none of us saw the pandemic becoming such a disruption to our lives. I have never seen illness so widespread.

So many people lost loved ones, jobs, and their way of life was seriously disrupted. We have many industries that took a serious hit. I must acknowledge all these things before going on. I don’t want anyone to think I am minimizing the pain of 2020.

Despite the terrible challenges the pandemic brought into our lives, we are resilient. The human family learned and adapted, and today life is much more stable than when the whole world shut down. Many have commented that they are sure that 2021 will be the year that COVID goes away. And I truly hope that is true. But even if it isn’t, we will manage well because we have already learned all we need to do to cope.

Earthquakes

There have been many major earthquakes in the world in 2020. I have family in the Salt Lake valley, and even though the place is riddled with fault lines, Salt Lake had never had a major quake until 2020.

Many historic buildings were shaken, and the Angel Moroni on the Salt Lake Temple lost his trumpet. The quake came right after lockdown and really disrupted life for weeks with aftershocks.

But there is good news in this. Earthquakes are now no longer something they have never experienced. Everyone knows how to handle it and have had practice in earthquake proofing. And if another big quake comes it won’t be the end of the world. Because we will know what to do, and we are already prepared.

Food shortages

Part of the fun of a pandemic and lockdown is food shortages. The strangest things were gone off the shelves. Ramen noodles ran out completely in my grocery store. That is one thing I never expected to miss either.

And Gluten free pasta was really hard to find. So now I have a stockpile if we ever run short again. But in the shortages we got used to trying new foods and eating out of the garden. I think that change was good for us.

We even did something to prevent another toilet paper shortage from effecting our family. We got a bidet! My son loves it, and I love how much cleaner it leaves you than toilet paper. Sometimes challenges like a pandemic give us new solutions to problems we didn’t even know we had.

Wild Fires

What was with all the fires this year? It seemed like the whole world was burning! Poor Australia and a chunk of the western part of America burned in 2020.

My neighbor’s 5-year-old was devastated when he realized Koala Bears were suffering. He prayed for them every night. And the whole world prayed for those who had lost everything.

I haven’t figured out a solution or a comfort to the fires. We definitely are praying they do not return with 2021. But in the process of praying for so many people in 2020 we got really good at it. So the up side here is that our prayer muscles and our faith grew in 2020. And we will be better prepared for 2021 because of it.

Quarantine

Quarantine threw me for a loop. I remember driving to the store during that time and being shocked that every parking lot EVERYWHERE was totally empty.

I was one of maybe 5 cars on the street in my large town. Prior to the lockdown my husband traveled at least 60% of the year for his job. He would leave Monday morning and fly home on Thursday night.

But when all the borders closed some of his co-workers were almost trapped in other countries. So his company changed their plans and all travel will be remote till mid 2021. It has been a HUGE change for him. But we love the extra family time we get with him home. And even though I think most of us went a little crazy in quarantine, the blessings of renewed family relationships were much needed.

Working from home

When the lockdown happened many people suddenly had to change how they did their jobs. One of the wonderful things that came out of the pandemic was the new trend of working from home.

Some of my friends worked in places that would just pass germs around in a cycle that never ended. But now they are all working remotely and are much healthier for it.

My family is working from home too. And we have never been healthier. Although the worry of COVID hangs over every person in the world, at least we haven’t been in contact with others to catch our usual colds and flu. This social distancing is a blessing for that reason. I do miss seeing people, but it makes those I get to see matter that much more.

School at home even in 2021

And finally, one of the hidden blessings of 2020 for our family has been school at home. I have known for years that my son would only truly thrive if he schooled from home. But I was afraid of failing him as a teacher, so I never tried as hard as I should have. With 2020 and schools needing to close, and when they opened they were only at partial capacity, homeschool became our answer.

To read more of Abby’s articles in her Living in Harmony column, click here.

We really gave long term homeschool a try and found it to be exactly what he needs. For the first time in his life, he hasn’t burned out before the semester ended. He is excited about school and reminds me of lessons.

His stress levels are much lower, and I am not having to medicate him for his ADHD. We just work around it and take many breaks. It is amazing to see him thrive.

Many are speculating about what 2021 will look like. But I think that even if 2021 is exactly the same as 2020, we will be ok. Because the lessons we have learned and the changes we have made will make us stronger for anything it may throw at us.

Me jumping off 30-foot Waimea Rock into the ocean

For various reasons, I knew some fears festered in my psyche so I created a Fear Bucket List and set out to conquer my fears.

I jumped off cliffs, swam with sharks, tried scary-looking foods, did a hike I didn’t think I could do, kept my nerve as I fought through a riptide (I didn’t do that purposely, but it had been a fear), and various other typical fear things. I came to a point a couple of years ago where I couldn’t think of anything else to do.

Had I really conquered all of my fears?

I sat the checked-off Fear Bucket List on a mental shelf and went on with my life.

Short List of Mutual Interests

In one of our marriage chats, Anthony and I made a very short list of mutual interests. The ways we relax are totally different. What we need to fill our souls is totally different. So instead of dwelling on how we’d evolved over the years to have nothing in common, we identified and celebrated the things we do have in common.

Riding motorcycles together is one item on that list. Before moving to Hawai’i, we always had a bike we rode together. For many years I had my own bike.  We loved our motorcycling adventures.

I had a lingering medical issue where I’d black out and experienced that while riding my motorcycle to work through an intersection.  Totally freaked me out. I didn’t ride by myself for a while.  Someone approached us to buy my bike when we were moving, and we sold it.

Impact at Applecross

One of Anthony’s dreams was riding Applecross in the Highlands of Scotland. Having served my mission in Scotland, I’m always willing to return. So in 2009 we booked our trip, planned a stay on Skye where we rented two motorcycles from an amazing chap, and from there set out on our Applecross adventure.

Applecross from applecross.uk.com

I’ve written about that experience several times.  For the point I’m making here, suffice it to say that I crashed dramatically in front of Anthony on a switchback on Applecross.  He thought I was dead and going over the side of the cliff, so did I. Conveniently, I lived.

We’d had a scooter store, so still had a favorite nimble red scooter we took with us to Hawai’i.  I’d go visiting teaching on it with my companion who also had a scooter.  We thought we were so cool.  At the time, we lived in Punalu’u on the North Shore of O’ahu which has basically one road to ride on.

While riding my scooter on Kamehameha Highway, I’d flashback to the crash. I felt fear grip my chest and look for escape routes. Well, there weren’t any escape routes aside from plunging into oncoming traffic or the beach or ocean. I stifled my fears and ultimately felt I’d overcome them.

We sold the scooter and Anthony’s motorcycle when we moved from Hawai’i to Salt Lake City, Utah. He soon felt the need for his cycle therapy and bought another bike in Utah. I said I’d rather spend the money elsewhere so we didn’t buy me a bike.

During this time in Salt Lake City, I climbed the suspended-in-space ladder and created my Fear Bucket List. After moving back to Hawai’i, I felt like I’d checked everything off the list.

Adding to the Fear Bucket List

Then we landed in Lubbock, Texas, with the small list of things we like to do together.  Anthony actively searched for a motorcycle for me to drive or one to ride with him.  He kept asking if it was something I wanted. I knew we both loved it and said, yes, but didn’t feel drawn to rush out and buy anything.  Plus, I’m often freezing and riding in the cold does not interest me. That’s one thing I kept repeating.

Anthony went to look at bikes.  He took me back to test ride a big bike with the cushiest passenger seat I’d ever experienced.  But it wasn’t the right bike for us.

Anthony found a Harley Davidson Sportster in excellent condition with low miles and scheduled a time to see it. Since it would be my bike, he asked if I could go with him. I told him I would but I would not test drive the bike with an audience. I trusted his opinion on its rideability.

Wow, what an awesome bike! He said it rode well. I sat on it to make sure the stance worked for me. It did. And we drove away.

At home, he asked about my reticence.  It confused him. We talked about Applecross and how I hadn’t really operated a motorcycle since then. I realized I felt some trepidation at the prospect of riding by myself again.

On Monday, he messaged me to see if I wanted the bike. It was still available.

That evening, we bought the bike. I didn’t get out of the truck. (It was cold!) Anthony had cold-weather gear and rode the bike home in 30-degree temperatures. He was giddy pulling into the garage.  It rode well and was nimble.  He said it handled better than my Honda did.

Back on the Horse(power)

The next afternoon was a respite from the freezing temperatures.  When he got home from work, I was ready to ride the bike.

We have a really long driveway from the back of the house to the street. I felt comfortable testing out my skills on the driveway and then progressing when ready.

I excitedly got on the bike.  I felt its power rumbling beneath me and I suddenly skidded across the Applecross asphalt again.  The force of feeling took my breath away.  I didn’t turn off the bike, but I just sat there for a moment. I told Anthony what I was experiencing.

He’s so compassionate and patient. “When you’re ready” was all he said.

“This isn’t Applecross,” I told myself.  I saw myself climbing down that ladder and climbing out of shark-infested waters.  I could do this! I let out the clutch and began to move.

I thought I’d be able to quickly overcome the fear once I got on the bike, but actually, I worked up gradually to the road.  When I hit the asphalt and felt the acceleration and the wind hitting my face and hair again, I shouted out loud for joy, remembering all the awesome years of riding!

I felt so free.

I still felt flashbacks;  the Applecross experience seriously traumatized me. But I didn’t consciously realize how that one experience bound me until I faced operating a motorcycle again. And when I made the conscious decision to shake off what bound me, I immediately felt free.

This is what each new year, each new day offers us.  We have an opportunity to face triggers and fears, even when we don’t recognize them as such, and find a freeing fresh wind against our faces. We can be free from the things that bind us if we use those opportunities as opportunities.

Good luck in conquering anything that binds you.

Discussing the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ and acknowledging appreciatively His life and mission among mankind seems natural this time of year, of course. But the carols we sing to the King last much longer than the month of December alone. 

Some may ask how we can sing praises to Him the whole year through. Let’s take a bit of advice from the Book of Mormon, which we are completing in our Gospel Doctrine classes this year. In the first chapter of the book of Moroni, the prophet states that he has unexpectedly decided to write a few more words hoping they will be of worth to his brethren, the Lamanites, in some future day. Moroni writes for the benefit of the Lamanites—the enemy. How can he do this? The Nephites who will not deny Christ are put to death around 400 A.D.

Now I, Moroni, after having made an end of abridging the account of the people of Jared, I had supposed not to have written more, but I have not as yet perished; and I make not myself known to the Lamanites lest they should destroy me.

 

For behold, their wars are exceedingly fierce among themselves; and because of their hatred they put to death every Nephite that will not deny the Christ.

 

And I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ; wherefore, I wander whithersoever I can for the safety of mine own life.

 

Wherefore, I write a few more things, contrary to that which I had supposed; for I had supposed not to have written anymore; but I write a few more things, that perhaps they may be of worth unto my brethren, the Lamanites, in some future day, according to the will of the Lord.

(Moroni 1:1-4)

Moroni prepares the Book of Mormon to be hidden.

Moroni was running for his life. Lamanites pursued him with the intent to kill. Maybe that’s why the book is relatively short and the first chapters are only a few brief paragraphs. (This is totally conjecture on my part, but he is on the run, so it makes sense why the first few chapters in the book of Moroni are relatively short in comparison to other chapters in the Book of Mormon.) Moroni addresses some very important subjects, however, like the Holy Ghost, the priesthood, the Spirit of Christ, faith, infant baptism, and the words of his father. Lastly, he outlines the steps for all men to get a testimony of the Book of Mormon. But he is on the go and has to move fast.

Cali Black writes the following in her Come, Follow Me study material:

Mormon had just finished telling his son Moroni about the terrible things that were going on with the Lamanites and Nephites, and what tragic futures were to come.

 

But then he reminds his son:

 

Don’t let these things weigh you down.

 

Don’t let the evils of others bring your spirit and your faith down.

 

Don’t let the wickedness of the world dim your light.

 

Don’t let other people’s poor decisions linger in your mind.

 

And instead?

 

Let Christ lift you up.

 

Let your knowledge of His atoning sacrifice bring you hope.

 

Let His mercy linger in your mind.

 

Let His goodness be a powerful example to you.

In addition to her thoughts, I respond that the principle of allowing Christ to raise our sights, heal our relationships, and pick up the pieces from our lives gone awry is the answer to our pathetic attempts to lift ourselves from this shortfall and allow Him to change our otherwise eternal position of inadequacy. Without Jesus Christ, we can never be enough. With Him, we cannot fail.

Every year, people sing songs like “The First Noel” around Christmastime, and you might wonder what the word “noel” even means. In French, joyeux noel is said to mean “Merry Christmas.” Without going into the etymology of the word, most use the term to recognize and herald the birth of Jesus Christ as God’s good news to the world that a Savior has been born.

To read more of Walter’s articles, click here.

According to the website Got Questions:

“Our English carol ‘The First Noel’ was first published in a book titled Carols Ancient and Modern, edited by William Sandys in 1823. The message of the song is the joyous pronouncement that the King of Israel has been born. When we sing the song or wish someone a joyous noel, we are following the example of the angels, announcing the good news that Jesus Christ was born, not just for Israel, but for all mankind, so we could receive forgiveness of sins through Him.”

That means when we sing “The First Noel,” we are really declaring the good news of Jesus Christ—that He has been born of Mary and has come to earth to save all men from sin and death.

Hallelujah.

“Thomas, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. Thus the other disciples said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:24-25.)

“And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, . . . and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:26-29.)

Although there was momentary doubt in the heart of Thomas, and even “unbelief” among the other apostles, they all had a foundation of faith in Christ, for they believed and followed Him during His mortal life; thus, seeing the risen Lord reaffirmed their faith in Him.

In contrast, for those who fail to nurture even the smallest seed of faith, time and again the conclusion comes: seeing does not directly bring believing.

Think of the thousands who stood in the very presence of the Son of God, and yet could not perceive His divinity; they had eyes but could not see their Savior — they were spiritually blind. Consider those who have seen angels or a spectacular fireball from Heaven, and yet would not believe based upon a compelling visual witness. Isaiah explains the cause of spiritual blindness:

“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, . . . The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: . . . we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night” (Isaiah 59:2,8-10).

Clear and complete spiritual discernment comes as we repent of our sins, and the separation between God and the natural man is removed; thus, He draws near to us as we draw near to Him (James 4:8); the Lord liberally gives His witness and wisdom to the penitent–He gives “grace unto the humble” (James 4:6).

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor 2:14).

Just as the risen Lord showed Himself to His apostles at Jerusalem, in like manner the resurrected Christ appeared to His “other sheep” of ancient America, and invited them to see and feel His body which was bruised for their sake:

“And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto them saying: Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world. And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; . . . And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did worship him” (3 Nephi 11:13-17).

These people of ancient America did not believe in Christ just because of the visual evidence of His tangible presence; these were the more righteous followers of God whose lives were spared amid great destruction prior to Christ’s glorious appearance. They were previously faithful to the witness of the still small voice, and looked forward to the coming of their Savior.

Twelve days before he died, a latter-day Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, Bruce R. McConkie (1915-1985), gave this witness of Him at a general conference of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

“The most important doctrine I can declare, and the most powerful testimony I can bear, is of the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. . . . I testify that he is the Son of the Living God and was crucified for the sins of the world. He is our Lord, our God, and our King. This I know of myself independent of any other person. I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears. But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God’s Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way.”

As to evidence of eternal truth, better than seeing with mortal eyes is the spiritual vision given by the Spirit of truth — a sure witness revealed to faithful followers, the humble and penitent believers in Christ.

This article was originally published in December 2007. Minor changes have been made.

I wanted friends who understood me, who shared my values, but I always had to keep my guard up. When you are the only one with the values of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there is always something coming up. With the Word of Wisdom particularly, most of the world is very different with their values.

Value your values

Especially in high school it was hard to find friends who shared my values. But I had goals to be married in the temple, and to be someone I could be proud of. I knew my Heavenly Father wanted me to succeed too. So, I leaned on Him often.

I would pray in my heart as I walked the halls of the school. I said silent prayers when I was on a date. Any time I felt like I needed His guidance or strength, I said a prayer. I often prayed to find good friends who would help me keep my values and my covenants. And the Lord guided me to find many of them!

Movie disaster

One time I remember being at a party and the kids there wanted to watch a movie. So, we went to rent one and I decided I needed to be part of the decision-making process so maybe I could steer them away from anything rated R.

Despite my best efforts they decided on an NC-17 movie. UGH!! I really liked these kids, but there was no way I could stay and watch that movie. So, I called my mom, and she came and got me.

Even though I was embarrassed I knew I had chosen wisely. The next Monday at school everyone who had been at the party told me how glad I should be that I went home. They said the movie was awful and they didn’t know what they were thinking choosing to watch it.

One gal even told me that she wished she had the courage I did to leave the party. It was at that moment that I learned there are those of other faiths who value our values. And in keeping my values high I was making it easier for them to do the same.

Gaining strength to keep your values strong

And nobody held it against me that I didn’t stick around for the show. It was eye opening! I could be friends and still keep my covenants! Because real friends valued me just for being me.

And each time I kept my promises to myself I gained strength to keep them more easily the next time. The scriptures talk about this in Alma 32: 27-29.

27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than ^adesire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.

 

28 Now, we will compare the word unto a ^aseed. Now, if ye give place, that a ^bseed may be planted in your ^cheart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your ^dunbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to ^eenlighten my ^funderstanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

 

29 Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge.

Growing your faith

I love how the Lord assures us that even having a desire to know, or a desire to have faith, is enough to help it grow. And as it grows, and as your strength grows, so does your closeness to God.

I found that visualizing my goals helped me keep my values and stay on the covenant path. I got my endowments in the Washington DC temple when I was 21, with no plans to go on a mission. I wanted to be sealed in the temple when I got married. So, I kept a picture of the temple on my dresser.

Then as I was dating guys more seriously, I found another reminder to keep my values in clear sight. I used my favorite sealing room in the DC temple as inspiration, and made a bracelet out of the colors in the room. They were lavender and cream, and so gorgeous. Looking at it and feeling it on my wrist brought my goals of temple marriage mind. I still love that temple and the strength it gives me.

You can do it

Everyone will face challenges to their resolve in their lives. That is part of the opposition in all things that this earth is particularly good at giving us. But the Lord has not left us to fend for ourselves. He has promised that He will make up the difference. All we need to do is want to succeed, want to have faith, and He will help us with the rest.

To read more of Abby’s articles in her Living in Harmony column, click here.

We can pray, set reminders around, and even wear reminders. And when the moments of decision come, we must act. It is in those moments we will see what we are made of.

We will gain strength as we keep our promises to ourselves and to the Lord. And as we surround ourselves with others who are trying to stay close to God, and keep on the covenant path, this will be easier. You will never regret keeping your values high.