Can a Mother Forget Her Child

1 Nephi 21:

15 For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel. 16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

One of the greatest blessings of the scriptures that we witness as important,  even to Lehi's group, as they are reading Isaiah's words in these chapters is : that  God loves us. 

I know to some degree about both of these examples given concerning God's love in comparison to the love felt in these examples.

I remember when my little Will was not even one year but he was waking every hour at night. It was not because he was hungry that he would wake. I would try to nurse him and he would just cry. Those days were so difficult for me. Everyone told me just let him cry, but I, as his Mother, felt such a connection with his feelings that I knew that was not the answer. I physically was connected to him because of my milk and because of my heart. I knew how he felt and I knew some thing was wrong. I did find out about his extreme allergies later, but I will never forget how I would have done anything you help him feel better, and when I found out that he may never have an ice cream or pizza in his life, I decided that I wouldn't either, or at least so that I could nurse him without him being itchy and uncomfortable. Those kind of sacrifices are nothing when taking into consideration how much a parent loves their child. I can see how God will do anything to help us be happy in this comparison in my life. 

I also feel the deep love God has for  us as I hear that our names are written on his hands. I understand that this is because He paid for all of our sins, and the marks in His Hands are a reminder of that.

I too love so many people that I must write their names on my hands often. I literally write names on my hands because I do not want to forget to help them and show them love amongst all ther other things I must do. 

I am thankful God knew what would help us come to learn, and become more like Him as we love others and follow His example. He has given us great learning environments to do this in our families.

As I understand better how much He loves me, I am better able to submit to His will in my life because I trust and appreciate Him. 

I am thankful for the scriptures that teach us this and that I can relate to some degree as a Mother of my own children. 

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Graven Images

I have been considering all the ways that I can learn from Abraham following the directions from the Lord to leave Ur.  As I sit in my car giving my son a few more min. Of sleep before I walk into the Liberty Jail Site, I reflect on not just Abraham but Moses, Lehi, and all the New Testament Apostles, plus our beloved Joseph Smith. Each disciple of Christ has a commonality  that allows them the ability to not just inwardly manifest their devotion, but also outwardly manifest their love and devotion to Him, through following His Divine instructions that sometimes require extreme hard ships. Genesis 12: 1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee. What is the commonality? They loved God with a desire that led to action. Actions that drove them to follow His instructions.  My daughter Brooke explained this exactly right this morning upon finding out that we were going to visit church sites. She was hesitant. She explained that she did not want to see the places that our pioneers of our church died. She said " that is sad, I think it would be better to just read the Doctrine and Covenants and show them we care about them by reading what came of it, the scriptures." She understands and has the kind if love for God that leads to action. The actions of following the commandments and doing things that are difficult, but none the less directed by God, is how we honor Him best, just like she thought that would honor them best...by reading their scriptures. A talk titled " Refusing to Worship Graven Images Today " explains the cause of loving God less than we should: The second of the Ten Commandments the Lord gave to Moses is “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.” (Ex. 20:4.) While this commandment was initially given to fortify Israel against the idolatry rampant in the land of Canaan, it has great application for us today. Since the Lord has not rescinded the commandment, we need to look at our lives and see if we are worshiping graven images. There are “golden calves” all around today—tangible images like cars, and others that are more intangible. When anything wastefully dominates our time, compromises our loyalty, or confuses our priorities so that God and his work become second, we are flirting with idolatry. “The phrase ‘before me’ in the familiar translation ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me’ is the Hebrew phrase‘al-panai, which means ‘in front of’—either to the exclusion of another or ‘in preference,’ or ‘in addition to.’ The meaning is clear: those who worship the Lord should not make or adopt any other object to worship.” 1 In both the first and second commandments, we are taught not to put anything above God in our lives. We understand, of course, that the Lord is pleased to bless us with material necessities and pleasures. The problem comes when we worship the created instead of the Creator. What, then, are the consequences of modern idolatry, and how can we guard against breaking this commandment? Golden Calves Today President Spencer W. Kimball wrote: “There are unfortunately millions today who prostrate themselves before images of gold and silver and wood and stone and clay. But the idolatry we are most concerned with here is the conscious worshiping of still other gods. Some are of metal and plush and chrome, of wood and stone and fabrics. They are not in the image of God or of man, but are developed to give man comfort and enjoyment, to satisfy his wants, ambitions, passions and desires. Some are in no physical form at all, but are intangible.” 2 Too often people make men their graven images. Because we are afraid of the opinion of others, we won’t serve others or be kind to those society looks down on. We worship others’ praise and honor; we desire above all else the prestige others can give us. We want the right titles and awards. We want to wear the right clothing. We want to fit in. Emphasis on personal appearance could lead to a form of idolatry. While a clean and healthy body is important, some people go to extraordinary lengths to emulate the models fashioned by the world. Our society too often equates personal happiness with its definition of personal beauty. Beautiful men and women smile from advertisements in magazines, in newspapers, and on television. Trying unsuccessfully to emulate these unrealistic images, many people live in a state of perpetual discontent.  Money is one of the most common images that people bow down to today. They bow down by giving up their integrity and honesty in dealing with others in order to obtain it. They bend their principles as they are bowing down.” When we truly love God we do not pit anything else before Him and that means that we do not spend more time on Him than we do our hobbies or pursuits in life.  I think the fact that I have been coming to Missouri for the past ten years and I had been afraid to offend someone if I took l time away to see church sites tells me that I did not put God first in the past.  I am so thankful for the examples of the prophets and apostles whom loved God enough to sacrifice their lives for His cause. I love each of them and my hear t aches for their sorrows and  today especially for Joseph Smith, but I will not let their examples of having no idols before God go to waste and I will let my love lead me to action in trying to serve Him through the things that I choose to spend my time on.  I say this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Kite Analogy to the Commandments

In 1 Nephi 20 the Lord explains that the commandments are meant to bless us as He says:

 18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments—then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.

My favorite analogy about the commandments helping us be happy is this story told by General Primary President as she says :

(Sister Patricia P. Pinegar,  general president of the Primary)

A little boy went to the park with his father to fly a kite.

“The boy was very young. It was his first experience with kite flying. His father helped him, and after several attempts the kite was in the air. The boy ran and let out more string, and soon the kite was flying high. The little boy was so excited; the kite was beautiful. Eventually there was no more string left to allow the kite to go higher. The boy said to his father, ‘Daddy, let’s cut the string and let the kite go; I want to see it go higher and higher.’

“His father said, ‘Son, the kite won’t go higher if we cut the string.’

“‘Yes, it will,’ responded the little boy. ‘The string is holding the kite down; I can feel it.’ The father handed a pocketknife to his son. The boy cut the string. In a matter of seconds the kite was out of control. It darted here and there and finally landed in a broken heap. That was difficult for the boy to understand. He felt certain the string was holding the kite down” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1999, 84; or Ensign, Nov. 1999, 67–68).

        How exactly are commandments like kites, you may be asking? The string along with the tails and drogues keep the kite flying high and in control, just as the commandments help us to live happy and controlled, or protected lives.

“Cecil B. DeMille, producer of the movie The Ten Commandments, made this observation:

‘Some, who do not know either the Bible or human nature, may see in the orgy of the Golden Calf only a riot of Hollywood’s imaginations—but those who have eyes to see will see in it the awful lesson of how quickly a nation or a man can fall, without God’s law.

“If man will not be ruled by God, he will certainly be ruled by tyrants—and there is no tyranny more imperious or more devastating than man’s own selfishness, without the law.

“We cannot break the Ten Commandments. We can only break ourselves against them—or else, by keeping them, rise through them to the fullness of freedom under God. God means us to be free. With divine daring, He gave us the power of choice.’ (Commencement Address, Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year, Provo, 31 May 1957.)” (LDS Old Testament Student Manual, pg.127)”

In my own life there have been times that I have strayed from the truths of the gospel that I knew. From experience I can testify with assurance that living a life with effort to keep the commandments and follow the counsel of the Prophet and church leaders - is not just happier, but also much more meaningful, exciting, lasting, peaceful, joyful, and overall allows for greater accomplishment in all areas. 

I am thankful that God has given us guidelines and commands to follow while still allowing our agency for us to choose for ourselves. These blessings we have show me just how much Father in Heaven loves us. 

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

Trials Create Spiritual Traction

As I read in 1 Nephi 20 I am reminded that our Heavenly Father knew that there would be many of His children that would not listen to His prophets, the scriptures, or even believe in the miracles that He produced within His patterns of teaching.

 And so, He said that He will not be angry but instead He will choose to save us anyways....He would choose us in the " furnace of affliction ". 

 8 Yea, and thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time thine ear was not opened; for I knew that thou wouldst deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb. 9 Nevertheless, for my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain from thee, that I cut thee not off. 10 For, behold, I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. 11 For mine own sake, yea, for mine own sake will I do this, for I will not suffer my name to be polluted, and I will not give my glory unto another.

Being in a hot furnace full of problems does not sound like something a person would do in order to save someone? Or in His words to " Choose " them? However, it is very much so His plan to save us by allowing us to have trials, that we may learn to listen to Him more easily, because we will be humble and ready to hear. 

Elder Bednar gives a wonderful explanation of how trials, or being in a hot furnace of problems, can help us to create the spiritual traction that we need in order to grow and become more like our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. 

He states in his talk titled " Bear up their burdens with Ease " , April 2014 : 

"Shortly after taking possession of a new vehicle, my friend wanted to demonstrate the utility of the truck and validate his reasons for wanting to purchase it. So he decided he would cut and haul a supply of firewood for their home. It was in the autumn of the year, and snow already had fallen in the mountains where he intended to find wood. As he drove up the mountainside, the snow gradually became deeper and deeper. My friend recognized the slick road conditions presented a risk, but with great confidence in the new truck, he kept going.

Sadly, my friend went too far along the snowy road. As he steered the truck off of the road at the place he had determined to cut wood, he got stuck. All four of the wheels on the new truck spun in the snow. He readily recognized that he did not know what to do to extricate himself from this dangerous situation. He was embarrassed and worried.

My friend decided, “Well, I will not just sit here.” He climbed out of the vehicle and started cutting wood. He completely filled the back of the truck with the heavy load. And then my friend determined he would try driving out of the snow one more time. As he put the pickup into gear and applied power, he started to inch forward. Slowly the truck moved out of the snow and back onto the road. He finally was free to go home, a happy and humbled man.

Our Individual Load

I pray for the assistance of the Holy Ghost as I emphasize vital lessons that can be learned from this story about my friend, the truck, and the wood. It was the load. It was the load of wood that provided the traction necessary for him to get out of the snow, to get back on the road, and to move forward. It was the load that enabled him to return to his family and his home.

Each of us also carries a load. Our individual load is comprised of demands and opportunities, obligations and privileges, afflictions and blessings, and options and constraints. Two guiding questions can be helpful as we periodically and prayerfully assess our load: “Is the load I am carrying producing the spiritual traction that will enable me to press forward with faith in Christ on the strait and narrow path and avoid getting stuck? Is the load I am carrying creating sufficient spiritual traction so I ultimately can return home to Heavenly Father?”

Sometimes we mistakenly may believe that happiness is the absence of a load. But bearing a load is a necessary and essential part of the plan of happiness. Because our individual load needs to generate spiritual traction, we should be careful to not haul around in our lives so many nice but unnecessary things that we are distracted and diverted from the things that truly matter most." 

Our Heavenly Father loves each and everyone of His children. He knows that if we will but hear and follow His counsel through the prophets and the scriptures we will be most happy. He is prepared to provide us other means to become happy through Him when we do not listen to His words as He allows us to have the trials that will give us the experiences that we may need in order to hear and desire to follow Him with more conviction in our actions. I am so thankful that He is ever merciful and loving enough to choose us, by giving us additional chances to learn and grow, even when our life could have been much easier and more pleasant for both Him and us if we had but listened to Him the first time. 

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

My Miracle

In 1 Nephi 20 from the words of Isaiah, I ask myself some questions as the the Lord says that He showed His miracles, or fulfilled His words " suddenly " that people could not profess that their idols had made the miracles or fulfillment happen.... In my life ; As I have seen the fulfillment of His prophesies in the scriptures, or as I have seen miracles, I consider if I account them as  coincidence, chance, or perhaps I give the credit to another person besides God?  When miracles, manifestations of fulfillment, answers to prayers, or good things happen , do I allow my faith to grow because of them?  When I am given a tender mercy do I allow it to ignite a stronger effort to serve my God whom has been so merciful to me? Do I know that it was God, give thanks and share in order to help grow others faith as well?   3 Behold, I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them. I did show them suddenly.  4 And I did it because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;  5 And I have even from the beginning declared to thee; before it came to pass I showed them thee; and I showed them for fear lest thou shouldst say—Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image hath commanded them.  6 Thou hast seen and heard all this; and will ye not declare them? And that I have showed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them. I was given a marvelous miracle that was a blessing and tender mercy in my life recently.  The way that this blessing came was sudden and in a way that I could not deny that God was involved. It has grown my faith and I document in hopes to ignite us all with desires that lead to the action of showing Him that we love Him through behavior. On a recent visit to SLC I was walking across the street and I was stopped abruptly in thought that " You know that person". I asked the person his name which had come to my mind before he said it and at that moment a small connection was made that weeks later would allow a desire of mine to be fulfilled.  After talking with childhood friends about this mutual past acquaintance of ours,  they told me of his great character and mentioned that he outwardly professed a love for scriptures as I do on FB. We became friends on Face Book and I learned that he is friends with Elder Callister.  On the exact day last week that I realized that I should have my friend pass a thank you letter onto Elder Callister, this friend ran into him on the street and decided that he should allow me to talk to Elder Callister on that very day over the phone. He called me and handed the phone to Elder Callister. It is not chance that the very day that I had been preparing a thank you letter in my mind, I was able to talk to Elder Callister by phone and thank him by speech and with response instead. I  thanked Elder Callister for his worthiness to receive promptings from the spirit for his writings and talks that have changed my life.  I know that my loving Father in Heaven allowed me to be prepared for that short conversation and that He knew would strengthen my faith.  I feel the hand of God in my life daily and I desire to show Him through action just how thankful that I am by praying sincerely out loud and with listening ears, and by keeping the priority of teaching the gospel to my children first and foremost. Lastly and most important by keeping my temple covenants. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Calling ourselves holy requires sacrifice

As I read the words in 1 Nephi 20, which I have been reading over and over the past couple days, I have felt that I should break these verses up for the many messages that I hear. I love the words of Isaiah because his words transcend every era of time. Though Lehi's group benefited from his message so do we as the Lord speaks through ISAIAH to us as well. He says: Listen, those of you who have been baptized  And have taken Jesus Christ's name upon you with a promise, yet you are not keeping your promise to be righteous. As you do not those things you promised, you live not in truth.  You call yourself holy, but you do not do those things that would make you holy. I have given you the scriptures; I have prophesied and shown miracles in them, yet thou still do not believe. 1 Hearken and hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, or out of the waters of baptism, who swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, yet they swear not in truth nor in righteousness. 2 Nevertheless, they call themselves of the holy city, but they do not stay themselves upon the God of Israel, who is the Lord of Hosts; yea, the Lord of Hosts is his name. 3 Behold, I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them. I did show them suddenly. 4 And I did it because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; There are many times in my life that my husband whom has not taken upon himself promises to be a witness if Christ behaves in a more righteous way than myself, yet I have promised to be righteous and I am not supposed to just be called a saint or holy; but I am supposed to be that way. I am blessed as I am reminded that I have to be a better example at all times in order that I may lead with patience showing my children and those that I deeply love how witnesses of Christ should behave. We have great duties as members of Jesus Christs church that come along with the great blessings. We must remember our actions show how deep our faith is and how much it is that we love our God. Joseph Smith said, "A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary [to lead] unto life and salvation." (Lectures on Faith, p. 58.) I say this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Our Choices Affect Others

As I have been pondering upon the favorite childhood account in 1 Nephi 18 ; Nephi's brothers making themselves merry and disrespecting God in their behavior On the ship,  I thought upon the fact that Nephi was so righteous and so were his parents, yet they had to suffer the consequences of Laman and Lemuel as the sea became frightfully rough and the Liahonna stopped working. Our choices can either influence others for good or bad. The wonderful thing that we witness however is the fact that eventually The Lord was able to give Nephi and His parents the blessing of getting to the Promise Land. I am certain that if Nephi had the choice, he too would have chosen the storm and loss of directions through the Liahonna, if there was a chance that his brothers would learn and be changed from the consequences.  Likewise our Savior suffered so much in order for us to be able to learn the things that we need to. I find great inspiration in Nephi's example of patiently suffering the consequences of his brothers actions in order that they may have chance to learn. I admire his faith to endure well and I see the truth in God helping make up for what was lost as they eventually nade it to the Promised Land.  I hope and pray that I will be an influence for good and that I do not cause any ill consequences for my brothers and sisters that I love.  I say this in the name of Jesus Christ.amen.  20 And there was nothing save it were the power of God, which threatened them with destruction, could soften their hearts; wherefore, when they saw that they were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea they repented of the thing which they had done, insomuch that they loosed me. 21 And it came to pass after they had loosed me, behold, I took the compass, and it did work whither I desired it. And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord; and after I had prayed the winds did cease, and the storm did cease, and there was a great calm. 22 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did guide the ship, that we sailed again towards the promised land. 23 And it came to pass that after we had sailed for the space of many days we did arrive at the promised land; and we went forth upon the land, and did pitch our tents; and we did call it the promised land.

His Own Purposes

As we read in 1 Nephi 19 we can learn important things about the way that our Father, God works with us. 

We read that Nephi said he made an additional record even before he was commanded...

Therefore, the Lord used what Nephi had already done for His own purposes. 

Sometimes the Lord can out right give us personal revelation on what we should do and sometimes He uses what we are already doing on our own accord to work for our good , or in this case to work for the good of all mankind , as w e do know the Lord was aware that Martin Harris would lose pages of the Book of Mormon in which case the additional record allowed for the preparations of this event. 

I am reminded of one of my favorite talks by Neal A Maxwell a he states:

"Recall the new star that announced the birth at Bethlehem? It was in its precise orbit long before it so shone. We are likewise placed in human orbits to illuminate. Divine correlation functions not only in the cosmos but on this planet, too. After all, the Book of Mormon plates were not buried in Belgium, only to have Joseph Smith born centuries later in distant Bombay. The raising up of that constellation of “wise” Founding Fathers to produce America’s remarkable Constitution, whose rights and protection belong to “every man,” was not a random thing either (see D&C 101:77–78, 80). One historian called our Founding Fathers “the most remarkable generation of public men in the history of the United States or perhaps of any other nation” (Arthur M. Schlesinger, The Birth of the Nation [1968], 245). Another historian added, “It would be invaluable if we could know what produced this burst of talent from a base of only two and a half million inhabitants” (Barbara W. Tuchman, The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam [1984], 18). Yet some still settle for an inconsistent or incapable god. We can be so provincial and so self-concerned. God, who oversees the interlacings of galaxies, stars, and worlds, asks us to confess His hand in our personal lives, too (see D&C 59:21). Have we not been reassured about the fall of one sparrow and that the very hairs of our heads are numbered? (see Matt. 10:29–30; D&C 84:80). God is in the details! Just as the Lord knows all of His vast creations, He also knows and loves each in any crowd—indeed, He knows and loves each and all of mankind! 

(see 1 Ne. 11:17). " 

( Encircled in the arms of His Love )

I have felt God use my life for His purposes. At the moments that I feel the confirming joy that the spirit brings, along with deep peace that my actions were being used by Him I have only since desired to be worthy of such a blessing again. 

I feel the hand of God in my life daily through the spirit and through the actions of  others. 

Through these scriptures and my experiences I know that even in a troubled world , we have nothing you fear, only the great  privilege to be His servants.

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/19.1,2,3?lang=eng 

 1 And it came to pass that the Lord commanded me, wherefore I did make plates of ore that I might engraven upon them the record of my people. And upon the plates which I made I did engraven the record of my father, and also our journeyings in the wilderness, and the prophecies of my father; and also many of mine own prophecies have I engraven upon them. 

2 And I knew not at the time when I made them that I should be commanded of the Lord to make these plates; wherefore, the record of my father, and the genealogy of his fathers, and the more part of all our proceedings in the wilderness are engraven upon those first plates of which I have spoken; wherefore, the things which transpired before I made these plates are, of a truth, more particularly made mention upon the first plates. 

3 And after I had made these plates by way of commandment, I, Nephi, received a commandment that the ministry and the prophecies, the more plain and precious parts of them, should be written upon these plates; and that the things which were written should be kept for the instruction of my people, who should possess the land, and also for other wise purposes, which purposes are known unto the Lord.