Perfect Is As Perfect Does!

Life is not perfect! I think I tried hard to be the perfect child, nurse, wife, mother, to no avail! I seem to have a knack for accidents, making mistakes, saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, being human! I remember how the movies and television were and are, the epitome of an unrealistic world. I was reminded of a book I read as a child called "Sweet William", the cover picture showing him with his socks hanging down, looking so rumpled, always in some scrape or another, and the PBS show where Elizabeth  would get so nervous around Hyacinthe, she was always spilling her tea or dropping the teacup.

  I realized as life continued, that I was on a fruitless errand,  especially when I read in the scriptures. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect". The translation plays a role as the footnote is the key that tells us the Greek meaning is, "complete, finished, fully developed".  That it is not just "doing" or the "outer appearance" of our actions, but how we feel in our hearts. As we progress line upon line, applying the Savior's grace, we can  become perfect in Him.  " Yea come unto Christ and be perfected in Him...that by His grace ye may be perfect Christ".( Book of Mormon, Moroni 10:32). So when I fall I pick myself up, repent if I need to, forgive if I need to, especially myself for not being perfect, and continue on. The Savior takes not only our sins, but our mistakes, anger, fear, loneliness, pride, sadness, sorrow and our hearts that  become "softer" as we walk the Gospel path in doing the best we can.


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Born Free!

  Nobody is ever free, yes we are a free country, we do not have restrictions on: how many children to have, if we can travel to another country  or what we can see on the Internet, etc. We still need a civilized society, with laws to follow, traffic lights, guidelines at school, fireman to put out fires, police to keep our neighborhoods safe etc. or anarchy and chaos follow. Some children  rebel against any parental restraints for their good, but that would only lead to unhappiness and misery.

   With all that is going on in the Middle East, the sacrifice of Christians and others, even women and children,  I  think about them and pray for them. My mother had a problem with the concept of, "why do bad things happen in this life? Why did the Holocaust occur, look at all the terrible things that go on, if there is a God, why would He let it all happen?" I couldn't answer her then, but maybe now I have an idea from the scriptures and the prophets.

Alma and Amulek his companion, had gone to Ammonihah to preach the Gospel to the people there, the people did not receive the word of God and cast them into prison.  There were believers of the word of God among these people and they were thrown into a fire along with their women, children and their records. They brought Alma and Amulek to the place of martyrdom to witness the event. As Amulek saw the pains of the women and children consuming in the fire he was pained, and said to Alma, "How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames? But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgements which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea and cry mightily against them at the last day." ( Book of Mormon, Alma 14: 9-11, chapters 9-16)

Spencer W Kimball has said, "If we looked at mortality as the whole of existence, then pain, sorrow, failure and a short life would be a calamity. But if we look upon life as an eternal thing stretching far into the premortal past and on into the eternal post-death future, then all happenings may be put in proper perspective... If all the sick for whom we pray were healed, if all the righteous protected  and the wicked destroyed, the whole program of the Father would be annulled  and the basic principle of the gospel, free agency would be ended. No man would have to live by faith... only satanic controls." ("Faith Precedes The Miracle",  pp 97-98)

" No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expand our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of:God..." (Orson F. Whitney, Ibid:p 98)

Those concepts reassured me as I continued to find  truths to hopefully increase my faith in Christ and be able to endure my pain and afflictions (sometimes) patiently!

Wars And Rumours Of Wars

     There has always been a war or wars going on since I can remember. I remember walking to the far end of our street with my sister and looking at the huge crater in the road a Japanese submarine had left behind. I don't know if anyone in any surrounding homes were killed, it seemed the homes were untouched, a blessing if so. Our family then, seemed to constantly be in a war, with my parents in an ongoing battle and my sister and I arguing over who would wash and who would dry dishes!  Even so we still had some fun memories too. I didn't seem to know then what peace was, I was always looking at  people, places and things for enlightenment! As I understood more of what the "Good News" really was, I began to understand how to find peace in this turbulent world. I was mostly living the "schoolmaster" of the law, not feeling the "spirit" of the law.

     I  was able to attend a Stake Conference one time to hear a talk by Elder Jeffrey Holland. I always loved his talks, he always spoke with feeling and enthusiasm, he was President of  BYU before being called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ. I would listen to the BYU devotionals on radio. In this talk he quoted from John 16:33 " These things I have spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
Now where have I've been all these years? I even had that scripture outlined! Sometimes the light bulb of our minds goes on when understanding flows in, the spirit of truth! I have always felt peace, but in the past I was on the run with my growing family, supporting my husband with work, school and his and my church callings and activities. Now as I have got older, I have the time to really ponder, pray and feel more at peace, even in ill health.

     The Savior  said, "And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diver's places. All these are the beginning of sorrows...But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." Matthew 24: 6-8,13; " Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not." Doctrine and Covenants 6:36; "... but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear." D&C 38: 30, (both temporally and spiritually).

How grateful I am for these truths; holding fast to the iron rod of Lehi's dream, (the Word of God); being steadfast in living the Gospel; by doing this we can have eternal life, the greatest gift of all!

Ere You Left Your Room This Morning

The hymn "Ere You Left Your Room This Morning", was one with which I was familiar,  but somehow in the midst of busily helping my husband, raising seven children and experiencing health challenges, prayer seemed to be devoid in my life. At least in the mornings. One day after a frazzled day with the children, these very words came to my mind. No I hadn't! So I made a commitment to remember to pray the next morning, which I did. The results were amazing! Did I solve all my problems? Were the children turned overnight to angels?  No, but somehow the day went more smoothly so I was converted. Then the thought came, "you wouldn't send your children out the door without their winter coat, so why not help them put on the 'Armor of God' by having prayer with them?"  Another bit of inspiration to help me to find peace amidst the chaos!

I Become A Mormon

As I get older, what  legacy will I leave?  Times are changing, especially the technology and my mind is now somewhat cloudy when it comes to the computer! However I've conquered worse things with the Lord's help and strength, and my faith in Christ is strong!

I became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ (the Mormons) when 16 years old, being introduced whilst  in a pre-nurse training program. A missionary had spent some time in the hospital and as I observed his devotion to reading the Bible  (and later on I found out The Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ) I was impressed, he seemed so much kinder and considerate than the young men I knew. Later he gave me a copy of The Book of Mormon and as I read I was touched by the Holy Spirit that this was indeed the word of God another witness of Jesus Christ from prophets who had lived on the American Continent long ago.

So began my journey through life as a Mormon!