Cottage to Castle

I absolutely love this quote. Ponder it for a while, and I think you too will be struck with the poignant analogy as it applies to your own life.

"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of--throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself."

-C. S. Lewis

A Principle of Power

"The Prophet Joseph...explained that 'faith is not only the principle of action, but of power also, in all intelligent beings, whether in heaven or on earth' (Lectures on Faith, 3). Thus, faith in Christ leads to righteous action, which increases our spiritual capacity and power. Understanding that faith is a principle of action and of power inspires us to exercise our moral agency in compliance with gospel truth, invites the redeeming and strengthening powers of the Savior's Atonement into our lives, and enlarges the power within us whereby we are agents unto ourselves (see D&C 58:28)."

-David A. Bednar, "Ask in Faith," Ensign, May 2008, 95

I love learning about the way that our faith is strengthened through our actions, not prior to them. It is amazing that faith is a principle of power also-each of us is filled with this power that we merely need to tap into through the development of our faith in that which is true.

Calming the Storm

Where can I turn for peace? Where is my solace,

When other sources cease to make me whole?

When with a wounded heart, anger or malice,

I draw myself apart, searching my soul?

Where, when my aching grows--where when I languish?

Where, in my need to know, where can I run?

Where is the quiet hand to calm my anguish?

Who, who can understand? He, only One.

He answers privately--reaches my reaching,

In my Gethsemane, Savior and Friend.

Gentle the peace he finds for my beseeching.

Constant he is, and kind. Love without end.

Hymns, Where Can I Turn for Peace?, No. 129

Text: Emma Lou Thayne

These beautiful words are sung with a yearning spirit about them in many meetings across the world. In times of trial, in times of uncertainty, in times of heartache and sorrow, these words remind me of the patience and love of our Eternal Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, who suffered for us all. In the words of Isaiah, "Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows" (Isaiah 53:4).

I am so grateful for my Savior, who truly did suffer for my every sorrow, who felt my every pain. I know that He truly can understand and comfort us if we will but come unto Him.

For Time and All Eternity

I mentioned below that my family ties can be perpetuated beyond the grave as a result of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I proclaim that I will be able to partake of these blessings as I have the singular opportunity of being sealed in the Holy Temple to my best friend, my advocate, my companion that I will be with forEVER! I love him so much-I can't imagine an eternity of happiness without the knowledge that I will be by his side. I am so grateful for the emphasis on the family the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has! For some heart-warming clips that demonstrate this so beautifully, see the link below:

http://www.mormon.org/homefront/0,15902,3865-1,00.html

My fiancee and I will be married for time and all eternity in the Mount Timpanogos LDS Temple on December 27, 2008. I am so grateful for this opportunity, and I look forward to an eternity of happiness with him.

The Common Link

Everything of value in my life has come as a result of the Gospel. Below is a small sampling of these good things and their significance.

Family: Through the blessings of the temple, my family can be together in this life and through the eternities. Through our faith in Jesus Christ, we are able to resolve our differences and work together to create an unbreakable union.

Faith: Obviously, my religion is the Gospel. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I proclaim that it is TRUE! That faith gives me the courage to carry on, even when times are difficult or I feel discouraged.

Scriptures: The scriptures give me answers to problems or questions, strength when I am weary, and happiness when I am sad. As I turn to the scriptures and reflect on their teachings, I come to a greater recognition of our Heavenly Father's Plan and my role in it.

Prayer: I know that through prayer I can grow closer to my Father in Heaven. I have come to develop a more personal relationship with Him. Prayer is my opportunity to commune with the Creator of everything, the Master, the omnipotent, omniscient Being. And the miracle of it is that He knows me personally, and He knows you personally. Through Him we can do all.

School: My educational pursuits at Brigham Young University are paid for through means provided by the Church. The school's high academic standards and focus on learning are accomplished simultaneously with spiritual development. Being schooled here helps me see the link between the secular and the spiritual more clearly.

Friends: Everywhere I go in the world, I know I will have friends with the Gospel. Wards, branches, and stakes gather together with the knowledge that we are all brothers and sisters. They welcome me with open arms and hearts. Some of my closest friends have come as a result of the interactions we have at Church.

Music: My involvement with music began primarily as an attempt of my parents to train their children to learn to play the hymns of the Gospel. Because of that training, I have become involved with music in a way that has helped me mentally, emotionally, and financially. My favorite forms of music revolve around the Gospel.

The Temple: The temple is my reservoir of strength and security which shines as a beacon to all, beckoning them to come to the Lord. The purity of the temple gives me the cleansing strength to keep my priorities in line.

Beauty: My appreciation of the beauty that surrounds me in nature, in people, in life, is increased by the knowledge of the Hand that is behind it all. The Creator's love is manifest in His works of wonder.

Although only a few examples are discussed, it becomes clearly evident as I analyze my life that the Gospel brings happiness!

A Timeless Cure

We sang this song in a meeting yesterday, and I was touched by the beautiful message and felt compelled to draw the attention of others to it. Please enjoy.

Hymns, Be Thou Humble, no. 130

1. Be thou humble in thy weakness,
And the Lord thy God shall lead thee,
Shall lead thee by the hand and give thee answer to thy prayers.
Be thou humble in thy pleading,
And the Lord thy God shall bless thee,
Shall bless thee with a sweet and calm assurance that he cares.

2. Be thou humble in thy calling,
And the Lord thy God shall teach thee
To serve his children gladly with a pure and gentle love.
Be thou humble in thy longing,
And the Lord thy God shall take thee,
Shall take thee home at last to ever dwell with him above.

Text and music: Grietje Terburg Rowley, b. 1927. © 1985 IRI

Kirtland, the Amazing

And indeed, it is.

As I walked into the Kirtland temple, the rich history and magnificence of the edifice was apparent. As the tour guide ushered us through the building and briefly spoke of its history, I was filled with wonder. But one thing was quite minimal in the setting: the presence of the Spirit.

We continued our journey through Kirtland and went to the Visitor's Center in the LDS owned portion of the town. The second I stepped through the door, anticlimatic though it may have been, the Spirit's influence was palpable. This exquisite feeling of peace and joy that filled my heart was intensified within the small room of the School of the Prophets. It was there that we learned of visitations of both the Father and the Son in that humble setting. Upon learning of that fact, I determined that I should research it further to find another witness of it, seeing as how I had not heard of another appearance of God the Father to men on Earth after the First Vision. While searching LDS.org, I came across the following:

"Other Saints in Kirtland also witnessed visits of heavenly beings. Zebedee Coltrin, who had attended the School of the Prophets in Kirtland, later recalled that on 23 January 1833, during one of their meetings, those in attendance experienced a similar manifestation:

'A personage walked through the room from east to west, and Joseph asked if we saw him. I saw him and suppose the others did, and Joseph answered, ‘That is Jesus, the Son of God, our elder brother!’ Afterwards Joseph told us to resume our former position in prayer; which we did. Another person came through; He was surrounded as with a flame of fire. [We] experienced a sensation that it might destroy the tabernacle as it was a consuming fire of great brightness. The Prophet Joseph said this was the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. I saw Him.'"

The beautiful city of Kirtland still holds the Spirit of God within its sacred places. I am grateful for the opportunity I had to experience it.