Being Intentional With Our Life

Sooooo, as you know I've been doing A LOT of family history work.  Right now my mom and I are on a mission to clean up the records on my dad's side of the family.  We've never really had to do a lot on that side.  Pioneers.  Lots of people working on those lines over the years. We've been putting the histories and pictures of people that we have onto Family Search and its been fascinating!

As a result I've been reading a lot of biographies and obituaries.

A granddaughter wrote this of her grandmother, Elizabeth Mathews Campbell and an obituary of Elizabeth's granddaughter in law follows it,

Through my memory peers the face of a woman which portrays that character of which type is of most use to mankind.  To me it is a face which beams with devotion, portraying that most noble character, "Mother."  It is a face, perhaps a little tired of its hard struggles; a face full of thankfulness for her all, and which shows a willingness to give, to serve, and do all in her power for the benefit of mankind.  It is the face of my Grandmother, my ideal woman, and no living should could help but love and cherish her.  Although this noble character has not been placed into a worldly history, she will never be forgotten by those who knew her and who were fortunate to enjoy her presence.

Lucille ...(98) passed peacefully on ..., She married her lifelong sweetheart, ....in the Logan LDS Temple. They spent 75 wonderful years together until Theron's passing....

Lucille enjoyed her life very much. She loved her friends and loved the association she had with them. She loved her beautiful gardens especially her roses. Her vegetable garden was amazing and always plentiful. The fruit room proudly displayed all of her frugally preserved produce. She loved to work with her hands whether it be in her gardens, knitting, quilting or crocheting. She was a lifelong avid reader and particularly enjoyed biographies and historical fiction. As a child, in her fathers orchard, she would climb a favorite apple tree to read. She and her husband traveled to Europe and Canada visiting children.

She was educated in Cache Valley schools graduating from South Cache High School in... and graduated from the USU LDS Institute later in life.

She was a charter member of the Modern Mothers Club of ...., a captain of the Elizabeth Mathews Campbell camp of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, and a member of the Women's Literary Club. She was a devout member of the LDS church fulfilling many callings through the years--Gospel Doctrine teacher for 11 years, Relief Society President, and a Temple worker.

 
A little voice as been playing over and over in my head.  How do you want to be remembered?  When they write your obituary what are they going to say?  Is that what you want said?  These motivational quotes are going over in my mind:

"Ask yourself if what you are doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow?"
"Whatever you do, do it well."
"The secret of change is to focus all your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new."
"Do something today that your future self will thank you for."

And my favorite (for today):

"If you change nothing, nothing will change."

So my question to myself is if nothing changed in my life would I be where I want to be at the end of it? Would my obituary say what I want it to say?  Or do I have to change some things?  I took some time to write down what was really important to me, mainly character and skills(talents), and I was surprised with some realizations I had.

I invite you to make sure you are being intentional with your life. Are creating yourself into the person you are supposed to be?

Journey on my friends.

Is the Glass Half Full or Half Empty?

Recently I was out visiting some women as a Relief Society Presidency.  I love making visits because the Spirit continues to testify to me of the greatness of the women I'm surrounded with. Making visits helps me to love them more, understand them and appreciate them.  One sister we were visiting said that she has always been a person who finds that the glass is half empty.  She said she has had to fight this negative thinking every day of her life.

This statement started me thinking.  I used to be a person who viewed life as a glass half empty, but I don't generally now.  What happened? When did it happen? How did it happen?  Somewhere along the way I stopped being a pessimist.  Many people tend to view life in a negative way.  If you do and would like to see how I changed some of my attitudes then reader, read on...

*Please note: In saying that the glass is half full it is suggesting that a person view's life and life's experiences in a positive way.  Viewing life with a half empty glass is attributed to looking at life and life's experiences in a negative way.  Here is a short article on this idiom. Another. And one more.

These thoughts came:

1. For me living with a glass half empty was part of my natural man, or our 'earthly man' as President Kimball taught us. He said, "The 'natural man' is the 'earthly man' who has allowed rude animal passions to overshadow his spiritual inclination."  So living with a glass half empty or being a negative person is kind of the way I naturally want to go.  But of course we can overcome the natural man.  The natural man dwells in negatives, but God is about positives.

2. Living with a glass half empty is also a sign of fear.  I used to think nothing good would ever happen. Nothing good could possibly come out an uncomfortable situation.  I tended to assume the victim role, the whinny role and will everyone please notice me role.  All signs of fear.  If I'm living in fear and not with faith then I need to repent.

3.  Perhaps living life with a good and happy attitude is a gift of the spirit.  I know I say everything good and positive is a gift of the spirit.  Maybe it is and maybe it isn't.  I know this though: all good things come from God.  So in a way they are gifts.  Call it what you may.  I also know that if we ask for a gift and it's a good gift the Father will give it too us. (D & C 88: 63-64) We are all born with a couple specific gifts.  I think of them as freebies that we get to keep as long as we stay worthy.  The rest we have to work for.  But, we can claim them.  Some of us may be born with an innate sense of worth, a happy cheery heart, the ability to be a peace maker, a heart of gold, a strong testimony, etc.  We all have our freebies.  Just because some of us might not be the glass is half full kind of girl doesn't mean we can't become one.

Okay, so this is what I try to do everyday:

1.  Praise God.  Everyday I need to thank Him for His blessings. I try to notice all the wonderful blessings God has given me.  We are all so blessed.  Sometimes I make lists.  Sometimes I write them down in my journal.  Some people write them on their blogs.  Whatever.  I try to notice my blessings and express gratitude for them. Doing so has changed my life!!!! The Lord teaches us:

"And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea more."

2. Serve Others.  Talk to people in the store.  Say hi to people.  Notice people.  Visit a widow.  Make cookies  for FHE and then share half with the neighbor.  Call our visiting teaching sisters even if you have already "seen" them for the month.  Do some indexing.  Send a happy text to a friend out of the blue telling them how much we appreciate them and we hope they are having a great day.  Make our child's bed.  Just once.  Just because.  The point is to stop thinking about myself.  The more negative I feel myself getting in a day the more I realize that I've just been thinking about myself.  I perceive my problems as great.  But the moment I focus outward is the moment I realize I'm okay because the Spirit comes.  The Spirit brings peace to my heart and I know God is taking care of me.  My problems aren't that bad. Trust. Smile.  Breath. Think of the big picture.

It's in those service moments I'm also reminded, "oh yeah, I came to earth to be tested."  God's not punishing me.  He's helping me strengthen my heart and my testimony.  Where is my heart? Am I God-centered?  Or am I me-centered?  If I'm God-centered then I'm progressing and coming closer to my heavenly home.

3. Change my thoughts.  I wrote all about that here. This past week something happened to someone else that made me a little CraZy.  Mainly I was just irritated about the situation.  It came down to the fact that I kept replaying the situation over and over in my head. Basically I was judging someone over and over.  I kept thinking, "really, that's how we act now?"  It was on replay.  Finally after a day or do I snapped out of it and said, "enough!"  I prayed, repented of judging them and some other bad thoughts, and spend the rest of the week rejecting Satan's attempts to keep me thinking about it.  It's been tough.  But I have to reject the lies and quote the truth. My natural man so wants to dwell on it. Grrr.

4.  Repent.  Yeah, I always come back to this one don't I? I think the gift of the atonement is the most amazing thing ever.  Repenting doesn't mean we were bad, are bad or are forever to be bad.  Repenting means, "Hurray, I'm coming closer to the Savior today because I've recognized some sins and I'm changing them with Christ."  Elder Bednar said,

"Every appetite, desire, propensity, and impulse of the natural man may be overcome by and through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We are here on the earth to develop godlike qualities and to bridle all of the passions of the flesh."

(Love the absolutes in that statement). So yes, we are natural men and women with a propensity to sin and feel sorry for ourselves, but through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can overcome all those propensities.  How sweet is that?

I believe absolutely that any weakness we have, like looking at life believing that the glass is half empty, is something we can change.  As I have overcome this weakness my life as changed so much.  I feel freer, happier, my faith is stronger... Life just becomes that much more awesome.

What ideas would you add that have made your life a 'glass half full' one?

A Sense of Worth

The last couple of years I have noticed when I talk to other women or read women’s blogs there is an undertone of lack of worth among the sisters of Zion. Why is that?  Of course that can be traced back to Satan.  President Joseph F Smith said that the women of the church need,

“to lead the world and…especially the women of the world in everything that is praiseworthy, everything that is God-like, everything that is uplifting and this is purifying to the children of men.”

If we, as women of Christ, feel a lack of value we won’t be able to fulfill our purposes in the last days, we will be distracted by feeling unneeded and inadequate. (Which is Satan’s plan). That is why I wanted to write this.  To tell you how I finally came to believe I had worth. 

I used to be a person that didn’t think I was ever good enough for anything.  A great very many of us I think felt or feel like this.  I do think some people come to Earth with an innate sense of their worth however.  I believe this is a gift of the Spirit.  One reason I believe this is because my husband and a couple of my children intrinsically know they have value.  While some of my other children cry and pout at any side ways glance because “they know” someone is mad at them or whatever the grievance may be.  Some of us aren’t born with a sense of worth burning as brightly as others. I have come to realize that it is a gift of the spirit we can claim.   It is a gift we must seek if we want to fulfill our purposes here in the last days.

One day while pondering in the early morning hours a couple of years ago it came to me that I am here on Earth and there are two channels.  One channel (which is quieter) is from my Creator and He sends messages of light, truth and love.  The other channel (this one screams) is from my would-be Destroyer and the messages are darkness, lies and hate.  I came to realize that everyday my self-worth channel was set on the lying channel.  These are some of the messages on the two channels:

Creator:

You are a child of God.

Your life has meaning and purpose.
You have a divine nature.
I want you to come home to me.
The worth of souls is great.
I need you.
 
Destroyer:
You are worthless.
You can’t do anything right.
You’ll never be good enough, so don’t try.
You’re a fool.
You’re family and friends think you are ridiculous.
You are not needed for anything.
 
The lying messages are easier to receive because no effort is required.  It is a “path of least resistance” message.  It is easier to listen to these messages the same way it is easier to eat candy and junk food.  We feel sick afterwards but we keep eating because some how we think it is feeding us and it is an easier message to partake of.

When realization dawned, I realized I wanted and needed to change the frequency.  Of course I want life and not death.  But how do you change 30+ years of entrenched messages of lies?  I realized it was like loosing 50 pounds of fat (or maybe a lot more!).  I realized I had to change, but it was still overwhelming.  It is so much easier to keep indulging.  (Or so I thought of course).  So what was the answer?

Repentance.  It was not the answer I wanted to hear.  But it is always the answer.  I believed Satan.  I had put my trust in Satan.  I had let him be my god for sending me self worth messages.  I had been deluding myself into thinking I wasn’t sinning, but as a daughter who had made baptismal and temple covenants I did know what the truth was.  I just wasn’t believing it before.  I realized that not trusting in God was breaking the commandments.  The first commandment is to love God.  The God.  Of course it didn’t make me evil or awful.  It simply meant I couldn’t progress like I wanted to until I changed.  It meant I wasn’t able to receive the light I wanted until I realigned myself to God.  Elder Cook said in the last conference, “When our commitment is diminished for any reason, part of the solution is repentance.”

So I prayed.  I was sorry.  I wanted to listen to light and truth.  I realized that I needed to exercise faith.  After all the years of gospel teaching the plain and simple truth was applying the first principles of the Gospel.  Faith.  Since I didn’t have a testimony of my own self worth I had to start with a particle of faith.  I had to trust God when he taught that I really was a child of God and He needed me.  I had to believe the message He was sending.  I had to believe they were the truth.  I had to exercise my faith and believe Him.

Then came the work.  Because that is what faith is: ACTION.  It becomes a time to act and not be acted upon.  It becomes time to give up on the path of least resistance. It was time to take the higher road, do an about face, and turn to God. 

I had to reject the messages.  Simply quoting President Uchtdorf.  “STOP IT !”  Stop listening to the lies and the darkness.  Stop believing that Satan is telling the truth.  To do this each time a lie came in to my mind I had to reject the lie and quote the truth.

“You are stupid…….stop……wrong message…….I am a child of God and He loves me.”

“You will never be good enough for exaltation…stop…..wrong message……I have a divine destiny….my life as meaning and purpose…..”

Again.  Reject the lie. Quote the truth.  And believe it.  It is hard at first.  I was amazed how often the lies stream in through out the day and I didn’t even realize it.  It is easier to wallow in a lie from Satan about ourselves than it is to listen to a message of truth.

After you reject the lie and quote the truth you need to redirect yourself.  It’s time to stop thinking about ourselves. The treatment is the same as those struggling with angry thoughts or pornographic images.  We could “hum our favorite tune,” praise God, count our many blessings, and/or we can go serve some one.  We get our minds off of the train of thought we were going down.   We get our minds off of ourselves.

The miracle is that as you reject the lie, change to the truth channel and think about others your seed of faith grows until you KNOW.  You know and now you have a testimony.  You know you are a child of God.  You know you do have individual worth.  You finally really believe your life has purpose.  People do like you. And you know God loves you.

And then you live.  You discover greater depth to your relationships.  You feel a greater capacity to love other people.  You feel joy.  You grow.  You receive personal revelation. In a nutshell you soar with God.

Thoughts from Spring 2012  General Conference on this subject:

Elder Hales, “…a life of joy and happiness, is an essential part of Heavenly father’s plan for each one of us…As our spiritual desires increase, we become spiritually self-reliant….the sacrament gives us an opportunity to come to ourselves and experience ‘a mighty change’ of heart-to remember who we are and what we most desire.”

Elder Soares, “To sow in the Spirit means that all our thoughts, words, and actions must elevate us to the level of the divinity of our heavenly parents….the natural man, which allows people to be influenced by passion, desires, appetites, and drives of the flesh instead of looking for inspiration from the Holy Ghost…Therefore, our daily question must be, ‘Do my actions place me in the Lord’s or in the enemy’s territory?”  JUST READ THIS WHOLE TALK.

Elder Scott, “One must be ever mentally and physically clean and have purity of intent so that the Lord can inspire….The more closely you follow divine guidance, the greater will be your happiness here and for eternity-moreover, the more abundant your progress and capacity to serve.”

Brother Ochoa quoting Elder Holland, “I am looking for men young and old who care enough about this battle between good and evil to sign on and speak up.  We are at war.”

President Uctdorf, “This ‘mighty change’ of heart is exactly what the gospel of Jesus Christ is designed to bring into our lives.”

Elder Nelson, “Spiritual progress is attained through the steps of faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end, including the endowment and sealing ordinances of the holy temple.  Just as the body requires daily food for survival, the spirit needs nourishment as well.  The spirit is nurtured by eternal truth.”

Read Sister Beck’s talk.

The Blessings of Being God-Centered

I had a ‘lovely’ post almost ready for publication when “poof” off went the computer and gone forever (for whatever reason) went the ‘lovely’ post. Sigh. I wrote about the purposes of Relief Society and how important it is to incorporate them into our lives. It was really just another way of saying the same things I said in a previous post, “Mom, Needs Headgates Too!” So since I have already said that I’ll move on to some fresh thoughts.


I need to let you in on a little secret. For years and years I have not felt self-worth. So dumb huh? How could I feel that when I grew up with “I am a Child of God” and the Young Women’s Program? I think that it’s because I was seeking my worth from the world. I have always been a stay home mom that has tried to do the right things. Somehow though I kept worrying about what the world was thinking about me instead of God and my husband. Let me tell you that in the world’s eye a stay home mom doesn’t earn any prizes. That was the last place the world wanted me.

I’ve mentioned many times that the last two or so years I have diligently worked on submission to my Heavenly Father. Line upon line and precept upon precept God has taught me. (See Elder Bednar’s recent Conference talks to learn more about this wonderful principle). It has just been in the last couple or so months that I have really began to see I truly do have self-worth. I no longer beat myself up about all the things I can’t “do right.” I have come to absolutely love being a nurturer. Love it! I am happy. I have peace. I have a hope in a glorious resurrection.

I have wondered how this happened. I came across a paper when cleaning out things recently and it said this,

What happens when I am temporally (or self) centered?

1. Life is not fair.
2. I am not sure I will qualify for the Celestial Kingdom.
3. I do not have enough time to get all things done.
4. I am overwhelmed.
5. I feel pressure most of the time.
6. I am not sure when the Holy Ghost is with me.
7. I rely on others to make me feel of worth.
8. I feel like a taxi cab driver.
9. My life is not mine.
10. I only enjoy the weekend.
11. I do not feel forgiven.

What happens when I am spiritually (or God) centered?

1. I feel closer to Heavenly Father.
2. I have great hope to be raised unto Eternal Life.
3. I receive more revelation.
4. What I do each day is now worthwhile.
5. I have less stress.
6. When my children make mistakes, I can handle it.
7. My feelings of self-worth have increased one hundred fold.
8. I feel free.
9. I am able to get all things done.
10. I enjoy each day.

As Elder Bednar has taught us we must submit line by line and precept by precept. As we act in faith and go through this process one day we will wake up and we will realize that we are changed. It will be a gradually change that will be so imperceptible that it seems that growth is not happening. But it is!

I have realized that little by little God has been changing me. I have been changing from a life that was temporal or self-centered to a wonderful new life that is now spiritual or God centered. I am becoming that spiritually centered person. Perhaps a number 11 could be added. I feel joy.

A life of submission is a journey that requires a lot of patience with ourselves. It requires a lot of repentance. It requires a willingness to play by Heavenly Father’s rules and not our own. Our progression is not always measurable. But it is worth it. I have a long way to go in my life, but I am beginning to truly see the blessings of submission.

My worth is no longer determined by the world’s standards or ideas. The world’s plan to push entitlements and worldly lust and pleasure on me is rejected. I know that I must stay centered in Jesus Christ. And bit by bit I can remove their damning influence in my life. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

AND I can enjoy Mother’s Day this year without a twinge of guilt or spending the whole day in tears. I am doing what my God wants. I am a mother in Zion that it building up the kingdom of God.

The above list was found in a workbook entitled, “Becoming Spiritually Centered and overcoming the World,” written by James B. Cox.

Walking to Zion: Restoring Gender to the Family

This topic may seem the most surprising of my goals in Walking to Zion. Through the years I've come to see it as a serious problem infiltrating society today.

In the second paragraph of the Proclamation it reads, "Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose." Initially when I read this line of the Proclamation I always thought it was interesting that they included it in there. Of course gender is important. Recently however, I have come to see (of course) their divine wisdom in including this in a manifesto on the family.

I am amazed at the changes racing through our society. When we go to "town" my children often remark, "Is that a boy or a girl?" It is becoming harder and harder to tell. We are on a collision course in the world of a people that are unisex. This is manifested in many ways. Men are feminized and women are masculine. Women can work in any job, including front line combat while men are transitioning to stay at home nurturers. Women are crude and men wear make-up.

I see this "unisex" world having two parts. The first is that we are unisex is dress and the second we are unisex in action.

Speaking of the first the Lord told the children of Israel in the Law of Moses, "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do are abomination unto the Lord thy God." (Deuteronomy 22:5)

I have been pondering on this scripture for a long time. I have realized that we are dressing like men today! I have thought about my jeans, my pony tails, my tennis shoes, my baseball caps, my t-shirts, my sweatshirts….Ugh!!! In my state of 'frump' I have dressed like a man. Why? That's what they sell first and that's what everyone else wears.

Another tidbit is the slogan of, "Tough enough to wear pink." I know that breast cancer awareness is important. However, I don't think that feminizing our men is the right way to do it. Very subtle.
I'm sure the junction to not dress like a man only applied to the Law of Moses and the Children of Israel anyway. The law of was fulfilled so it doesn't have anything to do with me today. Whew! (Yeah, I wish that was true). Something to think about.

So besides the fact that we are dressing like men (or the men like women) we are not teaching masculine and feminine roles. We are teaching our children that they can do anything and be anything. The church understood the need to make sure parents teach their children correct gender roles by creating a section specifically aimed at this in the booklet, "A Parent's Guide," published in 1985. Here are some of their thoughts:

"Considerable controversy has been aroused of late around such terms as sexism, feminism, and machismo, as if there is something wrong with being too male, too female, or too virtuous. President Kimball said, 'I sincerely hope that our Latter-day Saint girls and women, and men and boys, will drink deeply of the water of life and conform their lives to the beautiful and comprehensive roles the Lord assigned to them.'

"But members of the Church must not be deceived about one immutable truth: there is eternal significance in being a man or a woman. The history of the gospel from Adam to this final dispensation documents equal respect for the roles of men and women and the need for all men and women to develop their gifts to the utmost through living the commandments of God. But within that same gospel framework are some realities about differences between the two genders. This means that there are some exclusive things men are to do and some that women are to do. A most appropriate time for this development is the interlude between early childhood and adolescence. President Kimball clarified the eternal significance of gender identity when he said:

"'Some people are ignorant or vicious and apparently attempting to destroy the concept of masculinity and femininity. More and more girls dress, groom, and act like men. More and more men dress, groom, and act like women. The high purposes of life are damaged and destroyed by the growing unisex theory. God made man in his own image, male and female made he them.'

"Girls ought to be taught the arts and sciences of housekeeping, domestic finances, sewing and cooking. Boys need to learn home repair, career preparation and the protection of women. Both girls and boys should know how to take care of themselves and how to help each other. By example and by discussion, both sexes need to learn about being male or female, which in summary, means becoming husbands and fathers or wives and mothers, here ore hereafter." (Pages 25-29)

Here are some general goals we have been working on:

1. For the women/girls of the family to dress feminine.
2. For the men/boys of the family to dress masculine.
3. Create a culture saturated with men acting like men.
   1. Be around other families where the men/boys act like men/boys.
   2. Read books (and other media choices) where there are strong, tough men who protect women.  We enjoy the the books of the author Louis L'Amour.
   3. Men/boys expected to work and protect women including open doors, helps with coats, and talk respectfully around women.
   4. Learn masculine skills.
4. Create a culture saturated with women acting like women.
   1. Be around other families where the women/girls act like women/girls.
   2. Read books (and other media choices) where women are feminine from books written by Louisa May Alcott, L.M. Montgomery, etc.
   3. Women/girls are expected to feed, clothe, and encourage their men.
   4. Learn feminine skills.
5. Learn and study what nurture, preside, protect, and provide really mean.

I think that it is important that we reclaim our families from the unisex culture that is threatening our destruction.

Susanna Wesley

Susanna Wesley by Kathy McReynolds

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Studying the lives of the great reformers of Christianity is paramount. Included in these biographical sketches we need to include the lives of the great women who nurtured these great men as mothers and wives. In their steadfast faith we can find example in how to raise our own hero generation.

I have long wanted to read a biography about the great Susanna Wesley. I was happy with the book by Kathy McReynolds. I had done some research into the biographies of Susanna and many of them focused on her being dominated by men and other worldly trumped up interpretations instead of narrowing in on the very hope of her life-her faith in Jesus Christ and her dedication to her family.

Susanna Wesley was born in England in 1669; the 25th child in the family. She was the mother of John and Charles Wesley who were later dubbed the founders of Methodism. Charles Wesley’s hymns have found their way to all Christian hymnals. Some of his more famous hymns include, “Rejoice, the Lord is King!,” “Jesus, Lover of My Soul,” and “Hark the Herald Angles Sing.”

Susanna was fiercely dedicated to Christ and the Bible. She was extremely well read and self-taught that was encouraged at an early age by her famous father. She left behind a large legacy of letters and writings that continue to impact people today. As her children grew and attained adulthood she continued to teach them through letters. She bore her testimony constantly. The object of all her letters was to make sure they were living by the Bible.

She gave birth to 19 children in 21 years. She outlived two of her adult children. Ten of her children died young, one of which it believed to have been killed by persecutors. They lost their home to fire twice; one of the fires was believed to be intentionally started. Their fields were also set on fire, their cattle stabbed and their dog’s leg was brutally cut. The persecutors “shouted out obscenities to them and fired their guns in front of their home during all hours of the night.” All of this occurring while her husband sat in prison.

She was revered by her husband and her sons spoke highly of her. She also understood her role as wife and mother and was devoted to them.

Susanna is also famously known because she homeschooled all of her children. Her tenants and practices on child rearing are well known. She expected strict discipline out of her children but also smothered them with love.

Susanna Wesley is a woman worthy of emulation and study.

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Recovering the Lost Arts

I am repeatedly hearing that the homemaking arts of sewing, crocheting, quilting, canning, gardening, etc. are dying out because they have not been passed on by the previous two or so generations. This knowledge was once held by virtually everyone. Not only did everyone know these skills three generations ago, but all were experts in these arts.

I have spoken at length to older members of my community (over 80 years old) about this and found that there was indeed a universal knowledge of all of these arts. "Of course I know how to do that, everyone in my generation did," seems to be the universal response among the people I have visited with.

As I have pondered on this through the years I have made an effort to teach my daughter these arts that are disappearing from the earth. I am far from proficient in them and some I don't even know. I have been seeking out older mentors not only for my daughter but also for me; that way I can help teach the next generation including my grandchildren. This requires a conscious effort.

In reflecting on this I've also realized that the basic arts for men are also fast fleeing our society as well. These arts would be: handling a gun, auto repair, animal husbandry (chickens, livestock, etc), home repairs and maintenance, farming, landscaping (fruit and ornamental trees), changing water, building and carpentry, woodworking, leatherworking, carving, etc. There are many things that go on this list. I've noticed that as a general rule more and more men are either not doing the above things or are outsourcing it when there is a problem in the home. These arts must be reclaimed as well.

I believe that these arts that are necessary, whether in the role of man or woman, have been downplayed and carefully removed by socialists from our society in an effort to reduce the impact made by those correctly living their gender role. This is done through the media and the feminist movement. The strong protector is now a "chauvinist pig" and the feminine female is now a "victim of white man supremacy who should take her 'rightful place' among the men in the workforce." Remember the goal of socialists is an amoral society. That means that not only do they remove morals but they create a society where there are not males and females, but a society that becomes "its." I believe that this goes back to Satan wanting us to be "miserable like unto himself." President Packer recently stated that "Satan is impotent." Therefore he doesn't want us to fulfill our gender roles since he cannot either.

Some thoughts from Joseph F. Smith from Gospel Doctrine page 344-347:

"And here, also, a word to parents who have daughters. Are you fitting them for the practical duties of mother and wife, that they may in due time go out and make homes what they should be? Or are you training your daughter to play the lady by making them accomplished in flourishes, and expert in ostentatious embellishments?....We should not fail to insist that they shall to do the practical things, and they do not despise the common labors of life. Any other course toward them is an injustice to the boys and girls, as well as to ourselves and the community in general.

"I believe the morals of the people will improve as skill in workmanship and productive labors is acquired. Parents, too, will find it easier to govern and control their children, if these are trained in usual manual labor…

"There are but a few of our boys who take the hammer to the anvil and to those pursuits of labor that are essential to the permanence of any community in the world and that are necessary to build up the country…

"I would like to say to this congregation, and to the world, that if I possessed millions of dollars I would not be satisfied or content in my mind unless my boys knew how to do something that would bring them in a living, how to handle a pitchfork, or to run a mowing machine or reaper, or how to plow the ground and sow the seed; nor would I be satisfied if my daughters did not know how to keep a house. I would be ashamed of my children if they did know something of these things. We need manual training in schools instead of so much booklearning and the stuffing of fairy tales and fables which are contained in many of our school books of today. If we would devote more money and time, more energy and attention to teaching our children manual labor in our schools than we do, it would be a better thing for the rising generation."

I am making a greater effort to recover the lost arts in our society by learning them myself and passing them on to my children. In this way I believe we will live fuller lives as we embrace and reclaim our inheritance.

Sewing within Relief Society

Quoting directly from the book, "The History of Relief Society: 1844-1944" it says:

"Sewing for the needy has been a function of Relief Society from its beginning. At first, individual members did sewing and knitting in their homes for the Society, working on materials and used clothing which had been contributed and also materials purchased from donated funds. The clothing and bedding provided in this way were issued by the Society for the benefit of the men giving volunteer service in the building of the Nauvoo Temple and their families, as well as for others in need of these supplies. Phebe M. Wheeler, the assistant secretary proposed in the meeting of October 14, 1843, "That a sewing society be appointed that garments and bed coverings may be made and given to such as are suffering cold an nakedness," and a time was appointed for this purpose. This service became a regular feature of Relief Society.

"A sewing service given by Relief Society women in the early days was the lining and covering of caskets. Also a part of Relief Society sewing service in the earlier days in Utah was the making of clothing for the Indians. A nine-month report of the Nineteen Ward Relief Society in Salt Lake, published in the Woman's Exponent, October 1, 1875, showed that "twenty-four yards of linsey and twenty-eight and one-half yards of carpeting have been made by the Society, and two suits of temple clothes and ten pair of garments for the Indians…" The Exponent for April 1, 1876, reported that the Goshen Relief Society had fulfilled an assignment "to make some good strong durable clothing for the Indians."

"Since introduction of the Church Welfare Plan in 1936 and the subsequent establishment of stake and regional bishops' storehouses, Relief Society women have generously and voluntarily assisted at stake and regional sewing centers. In addition, many local Relief Societies haven given sewing service in their regular ward sewing meetings on articles which have been turned into bishops' storehouses for distribution….bundles of cut articles were distributed through the stakes to the various wards for completion in the monthly sewing meeting and were then returned to the Bishops Central Storehouse for distribution to needy families on bishops' orders. Altogether, 4,000 pieces of clothing for men, women, and children were made in the tree regions during 1941-42, and average of 2,000 women at each monthly sewing meeting giving 15,400 hours of sewing service on this special work."

Again, what does this have to do with me and you? Will we go back to a time when we will have to do our own sewing? Are they hinting at this by having us read the history of Relief Society? Perhaps. It's very likely, but I wonder if that's only a partial answer. I think we must look at everything from a spiritual as well as a temporal standpoint.

For me one simple answer is that I (women) need to spend time thinking about and doing things for other people. Joseph Smith told the sisters, "Said Jesus, 'Ye shall do the work, which ye see me do.' These are the grand key-words for the society to act upon." When I am thinking about those in need (and fulfilling my baptismal covenants) it is a whole lot harder to feel depressed, fat, lonely, overwhelmed, and/or worthless. When I think of others the Spirit of the Lord will penetrate my heart and many of the "blah" feelings that I may feel will be evaporated. For you and I shall be about our "Father's business."

Not only was much of this sewing about serving others, but I also think there is an important element of creating involved. Women thrive in creating; we are at our best and happiest when we are creating and shaping. We create children, we create plans for their growth and their lives, we create and do things that add beauty to our homes, we create foods in the kitchen, we create new thoughts when we read and study, we create systems in our home, we create plans in our callings, the list goes on and on. Yes, we sisters love to create. When we are creating things that are worthwhile and that bring a sense of wholeness to our families lives and to others lives we are happy. The sewing projects that these early Relief Society sisters embarked on were about creating something for others who lacked. When we create we find our wholeness and purpose. So, to me, sewing isn't so much about sewing as it is about becoming who we are meant to be; creators who know and believe they have worth.

A third thought that I will let you ponder on yourselves is that after Adam and Eve had partaken of the fruit "they sewed fig-leaves together and made themselves aprons." Later, after the Lord spoke to them and right before He cast them out of the Garden He himself made "coats of skins, and clothed them." (Please see Moses 4:13 & 27 (12-32) and Genesis 3:7 & 21 (6-24)). The first thing Adam and Eve did after they discovered their mortality was sewed and the first physical gift the Lord gave Adam and Eve before He cast them out of His presence was to make them clothes.

Yes, sewing is important on a physical and spiritual level. I pray I can learn to appreciate and develop this skill so that I can find wholeness and purpose in my role as nurturer in Zion. We have much to do sisters.

The Relief Society’s ‘Mother’s Classes’

Thoughts taken from "History of Relief Society: 1842-1966." Published by the General Board of Relief Society in 1966.
 In my reading about Relief Society I learned that from the very beginning the Relief Society Sisters were always learning and seeking to be educated. In fact Joseph Smith said, "I now turn the key in your behalf in the name of the Lord, and this Society shall rejoice, and knowledge and intelligence shall flow down from this time henceforth; this is the beginning of better days to the poor and needy, who shall be made to rejoice and pour forth blessing on your heads….as far as knowledge is concerned, it may extend to all the world." (History of the Church, IV:607)

I have always heard about Joseph Smith "turning the key" in behalf of the sisters. I have understood more clearly that he did use the priesthood and unlock the powers of heaven for these women and for us today. The history says that the women had to learn how to preside, how to present a problem, how to make and put a motion, how to pray and speak in public. It was noted in the book that this was an "all-encompassing event in the history of women's spiritual and intellectual advancement in the last dispensation. The key in very truth opened a door to reveal the radiance and eternal possibilities of woman's place in the gospel plan-in the home, in the Church, in the community and in those 'courts on high,' so eloquently described in later years by Secretary Eliza R. Snow." (page 21)

In the early days of Utah the women were encouraged to take an interest in educational matters. President Zina D. H. Young said, "In all things possible, let us endeavor to cultivate our home talent and stimulate our sisters to read, and to write, that they may be intelligent wives and mothers; read good books especially the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants." (Women's Exponent, Vol. 17, No. 22, April 15, 1889, p. 172).

At the turn of the century formal "Mother Classes" were set in place. The sisters loved to gather and bear testimony, sing together and then listen to a lecture. The sisters would meet together once a week and discuss business and have these classes. The first week was devoted to theology or later named Spiritual Living. The second week was designated homemaking. The third week was literature, later changed to Cultural Refinement, and the fourth week was Social Science later named Social Relations classes. Here is a breakdown of the topics for the year they studied as well as an overview of their general aim.

Spiritual Living
Studying theology and bearing testimonies was of great interest to the sisters. They used this week to increase their religious and spiritual development as well as to understand the doctrines of the church and to strengthen their testimonies. As you will see there was also a heavy emphasis on Family History work. Courses studied through 1966 were:

1914              Genealogy
1915              Gospel Themes and Genealogy
1916              Women in the Bible and Genealogy
1917              How and Where the Women of the Bible Lived and Genealogy
1918-1920     Book of Mormon and Genealogy
1921              Salvation for the Living and Dead
1922-1923     Phases of Practical Religion
192                The Parables of the Savior
1925-1928    Gospel Dispensations: Pearl of Great Price
1929-1931    Book of Mormon
1932-1936    Doctrine and Covenants
1936-1938    The Ministry of the Savior
1938-1940    The Ministry of the Early Apostles
1940-1941    The Restored Gospel Dispensation
1941-1944    Articles of Faith
1944-1947    Church History
1947-1951    The Life and Ministry of the Savior
1951-1957    Characters and Teaching of the Book of Mormon
1957-196?    The Doctrine and Covenants


HomemakingSewing was always the primary purpose of homemaking meeting. (I don't know how many times I read that. Sew. Sew. Sew.) The sewing program consisted of quilt making, hand and machine sewing, dressmaking, remodeling, millinery, darning, etc. There were other types of handwork that were included such as knitting, crocheting, weaving, painting, and flower-making. The purpose of the sewing was to brighten the homes of the women as well as provide useful skills. A good amount of time was spent making sure the sisters all new how to sew and do handwork. Also the ongoing humanitarian projects were always in progress for local needs (needy families, Indians, burial clothing, casket linings, newborn babies, etc.) as well as needs on a national or international scale that the general Relief Society asked them to participate in. Besides giving the sewn items to needy situations the completed sewing projects were used to raise money for a variety of reasons.

This weekly meeting also included a lecture to improve homemaking skills and problem solve with sisters. Here is a sample list of subjects studied:

• 1935-1936    Consumer Problems
• 1939-1940    Selection and Preparation of Food for Proper Nutrition
• 1941-1942    Better Buymanship
• 1942-1943    New-Fashioned Thrift
• 1943-1944    Modern Housekeeping Methods
• 1951-1952    Sewing-The Art of Mending
• 1953-1954    Family Money Management
• 1954-1955    Selection, Care and Use of Household Equipment
• 1958-1959    Managing a Home
• 1961-1962    Attitudes and Manners
• 1965-1967    Development Through homemaking Education 

Social Relations
This class was a focus in home economics but I think there was some cross over with the homemaking classes. Examples of these classes include:

• 1919-1921     Health and Sanitation
• 1926-1927    Child Welfare
• 1930              The Field of Social Work
• 1930-1932    Personality Study
• 1935-1938    A Study of Civic Sociology As a Foundation for Intelligent Living
• 1941-1942    Education for Family Life-Foundations of Successful Marriage
• 1942-1944    What "America" Means
• 1944-1945    Modern Applications of Ethical Principles
• 1950-1953    The Progress of Man
• 1961-1962    The Place of Women in the Gospel Plan
• 1962-1965    Divine Law and Church Government
  

Cultural RefinementThe purpose of this class was to study good literature. The hope was for the Relief Society members to deepen their appreciation for as well as to develop "discriminating reading tastes." Relief Society sisters were to see the enlightenment, spiritual uplift and enjoyment that comes from studying literature. Later the course included studying music and art. Here is another list for you:

• 1914        Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
• 1917        Literature for the Home
• 1920        Studies of Tennyson and Browning
• 1921        Our Latter-day Saint Hymns and Their Authors
• 1922        Latter-day Saint Hymns and Hymns of Christendom
• 1923        American Literature: Colonial, Revolutionary, and New England Periods
• 1924        American Literature: New England Period
• 1925        Later American Poets, Including World War Poets
• 1926-1927    Canadian Poets of World War, and American Novelists and Poets
• 1928        Modern poetry
• 1929        Modern Drama
• 1929-1930    Biography
• 1930-1932    The Short Story
• 1932-1933    The Delight of Great Books
• 1933-1935    Life and Literature
• 1935-1936    Adventures in Reading
• 1936-1938    Biography
• 1938-1940    The Advance of the Novel
• 1940-1941    The Modern Novel
• 1941-1942    Humor in Life and Literature
• 1942-1944    The Bible As Literature
• 1944-1945    New Testament
• 1945-1946    The Bible in Our Literature
• 1946-1947    America As Revealed in Its Literature
• 1947-1948    Literature of the Doctrine and Covenants
• 1948-1949    Literature of the Latter-day Saint
• 1949-1956    The Literature of England
• 1956-1958    Shakespeare in Our Lives
• 1958-1964    America's Literature
• 1964-1966    The Individual and Human Values As Seen Through Literature
• 1966-1967    Ideals of Womanhood in Relation to Home and the Family

Okay, really though. What does this have to do with anything? First it's just plain interesting to me and maybe it is for you also. The second is that this is our Relief Society History that Sister Beck asked us to study up on so here you go.

But what are we going to learn from it? For me I learn that God wants me to educate myself. I see that He wants me to tackle hard subjects and learn and DO hard things. He wants me to THINK and use my brain. It's about always progressing and improving yourself. This is done no matter what stage of life you are in. Whether we have littles or bigs or no kids at home at all these classes were useful to all of the sisters.

From this I see, like I've mentioned before, what I can focus on with my daughter. I see the subjects that are the most important for a woman in God's kingdom. It all comes back to nurturing in our role as wife and mother. All those skills and lessons helped those early sisters to magnify their calling and life's mission.
I believe that when we focus on what God wants us to do we will have confidence in our identity of being a daughter of God, wife, mother…. We will be filled with the Spirit and will happily and cheerfully serve our family and fellow mankind with a willing and joyful heart. We will not have place in our hearts for Satan's evil messages to take root. His message to us of pacification, entitlement and apathy will be easily rejected and we will not be led by his awful chains down to hell.

Sister Beck said, "Relief Society clarifies our work and unifies us as daughters of God in defense of His plan. In this day of mistaken identities, confusion and distraction, Relief Society is meant to be a compass and guide to teach the truth to faithful women. Righteous women today seek an outpouring of revelation to resist distractions, fight evil and spiritual destruction, and rise above personal disasters by increasing their faith, strengthening their families and providing relief to others." (Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society, Oct. 2010).

I pray I can choose God's plan for me each day and each moment. I pray I can reject Satan's lies. I pray I can choose to engage, for the time of passive warfare must end.

The History of Relief Society

"An answer has come that the sisters of the Church should know and learn from the history of Relief Society. Understanding the history of Relief Society strengthens the foundational identity and worth of faithful women."

This answer came to Sister Beck in her plea "to help His daughters be strong in the face of the 'calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth.'" When Sister Beck gave this moving talk in October at the Relief Society General Meeting I wasn't entirely sure how it could help me but I took it in faith. Besides I love history and know there is much we can learn from history. While I took it in faith and believed her I didn't too much about it until this past week.

This past week I was able to get my hands on two histories of Relief Society. The first was the Centennial History of Relief Society, 1842-1944. The second book was called, "The History of Relief Society, 1842-1966. I devoured these books and then I studied again and again Sister Beck's words. I am seeking to learn what personal messages the Lord has for me that I can be "strong in the face of the 'calamity which should come.'" Through this pondering many thoughts have come as well as actual action steps.

The first was to share my find with my mother and sister. My sister immediately latched onto the idea of using the Centennial History for her book at our Relief Society Book Club Meeting. Now the book would be passed among a few more in our ward, success! This led to much discussion and memories among the three of us. We remembered the "old Relief Society scrapbook" that was at the church. A plan was made to redo it digitally and make a hard copy thereby securing the old pictures and histories. Permission was given from the Bishop and a counselor.

This week I have worked on retyping the histories and my mom will scan the pictures when I finish. This has been a wonderful project so far. I am a third generation resident of this town and so I have heard of these wonderful sisters from long ago through stories through the years. They are coming alive to me as I learn about the history of the Relief Society in my little community and see their pictures. They are real people.

From these combined histories I am coming to see who I am and what I need to do as Sister Beck taught. I have learned and have been reminded that Relief Society has always been about serving others. The early sisters did this by sewing for the temple workers, sewing the temple veil, making burial clothing and sewing for the Indians as well as needy families. They were innovative in solving problems and had keen eyesight to recognize potential problems and plan for them. They worked hard to promote home industry for the needy and encourage those able to add their talents to fundraising and bazaars. They were proponents of mother and children's health; working to establish nursing education and creating hospitals. They worked tirelessly during the War Years to support the troops through bond sales and soap donations. They instituted the Visiting Teaching Program to reach out to all sisters. They loved music and organized "Singing Mother Groups" through the Stakes of Zion. Perhaps my favorite was their dedication to mother education through weekly classes.

On my local level in my ward I have read of their tireless fundraising projects to build a large ward building to meet in. They worked hard to provide the weekly classes and provide social events for the sisters in our town. They walked miles to complete visiting teaching appointments and visit the sick. They provided meals to the church farm workers and supported the priesthood brethren in their assignments. They helped prepare bodies for burial as no funeral services were available. They also put in hours and hours of sewing time to make clothing for those in need and to prepare bazaar items for fundraising. They never seemed to stop working hard to bless others.

While studying I noticed some thoughts that currently stand out:

• They sewed A LOT
• Mother Education was extremely important to them and this included Literature such as Shakespeare, biographies, lots of poetry, American Literature, modern drama……
• Developing talents of: sewing, knitting, quilting, weaving, crocheting, flower-making, writing, singing, painting, teaching, event planning, leading, etc.
• Encouraged nurturing and creating
• Sisters needed to gather together often to socialize
• The R.S. goal of helping sisters find joy and testimony in their role of wife and mother was vital

I have pages and pages of notes. So much to think about! One thing that is very clear is that their focus is now my focus on how I live my life and how I raise our daughter. This focus includes serving others, educating self and developing our talents. This is the curriculum. This is what is important to me now. Yes, that includes lots of sewing. Those who know me well are laughing because this is so painful to me. However, I've been repenting and we have been sewing up a storm in this house the last couple of months, really you would be surprised! The amazing thing is that I'm so happy now when I do it. I think that is because I'm focused on nurturing others when I'm sewing and striving to fulfill my role brings the Spirit (which yields peace and happiness).

Learning the history of Relief Society has unified me in heart to the sisters I know now and also to those who worked tirelessly before me and left me a great legacy. I realize that I am not alone in this great work. There are many who have worked, are working and will work in the future to prepare the earth for the Savior to return. There are many more that are side by side me both in Spirit and in body than I had realize. Through this I have come to see that I can change to become even more who the Lord wants me to become. I can fulfill my mission and be a strong wife and mother during this day when Satan tries to beat the door down on me and make me become as "'silly women' who worships a variety of 'strange gods.'"

I add my testimony to Sister Beck that learning our history through the Relief Society will help us to become strong against the "growing climate of entitlement, excuse, apathy, and enticement."

All quotes are from Sister Beck's October 2010 talk.

Developing Our Talents

We recently had a lesson in Young Women’s about developing our talents. I have been thinking all week about what my talents are. I know I don’t want to bury my talents, I know I want to use them. What are they though?

Sometimes in our sacred role as “nurturer” it may seem that anything we are good at has to take a back burner. While that may be true I believe that it is embracing our role of nurturer that we truly begin to recognize what our talents are and the things that we are passionate about. Too often I have thought that I need to separate myself into being “Deanna, the organizer,” from “Deanna, the nurturer.”

I have learned that when I submit to my role as nurturer (wife, mother, sister, friend, daughter) I have found along the way that I do have multiple talents and abilities. Not only have I come to recognize talents but I have come to find out that I am able to magnify them more fully while I am submitting. The moment I say, “eureka, I have a talent” and try to separate it out for selfish gain or glorification I fall on my face. However, when I use a newly discovered talent to further my role as a mother or wife I see that I am progressing and increasing.

That’s where I have to stop and sigh. It just always seem to fall back to submission. In order for me to progress I simply (yes simply) have to submit to God’s plan for me. (Which God’s plan for me is to be a wife and mother). The world wants me to think I need to be more than this or that I deserve to be and do other things too.

 Elder Maxwell, gave this marvelous quote,

“The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. It is a hard doctrine, but it is true. The many other things we give to God, however nice that may be of us, are actually things He has already given us, and He has loaned them to us. But when we begin to submit ourselves by letting our will be swallowed up in God’s will, then we are really giving something to Him” (Insights from My Life, Ensign, Aug. 2000, 9)

What I learn from this is that it’s “nice” for me to do the things I want and create the things I want, but my true submission comes when I let God’s will truly become my will. I have already learned from the Proclamation that my role is to nurture along with multiple other things like: replenish the earth, chastity, love and care for my children, teach my children to love and serve one another, have our foundation be Jesus Christ, respect each family member, and pursue wholesome recreational activities….

David McConkie said in this last conference, “Brothers and sisters, it is contrary to the economy of heaven for the Lord to repeat to each of us individually what He has already revealed to us collectively. The scriptures contain the words of Christ. They are the voice of the Lord. Studying the scriptures trains us to hear the Lord’s voice.”
I take this to mean the Lord has already established my mission and what I need to submit too. I can learn more about my mission and hence my talents as I submit to His plan by reading His word.  As I do so the still small voice of the Spirit will distill upon me as the dews of heaven and I will see clearly His will for me and the talents He has given me.

I have gone in this essay from a + b + c…. How do I get this back to a? Talent acquisition comes in submission, by submission we learn we need to read the scriptures, in the scriptures we learn our mission, while learning our mission we recognize the talents we have inherently already been given and how we can magnify them so we are not burying our talents. Make sense? I think it’s interesting that submission includes the word mission. We discover mission (and talents) as we submit.

That’s of course not saying we are all the same. Each of us have unique families and personalities. As I’ve submitted to my role of mother for example I have learned that I have a talent for organizing, multi-tasking, doing hard things, teaching, testifying, being on time, efficiency, and personal discipline for example. I think many of us have learned these things. That’s what moms do. In the past I looked beyond the mark and thought that my talent acquisition required great and grand things that had to be done outside my home.

I believe that God's plan is truly marvelous.  As we submit we become much more than we would be on our own.  The ability to do hard things and easily testify to others are not unimportant things.  They are vital talents that I must continue to develop in order to successfully navigate myself through this life.

I am grateful for the knowledge of scriptures and prophets which teach and inspire me in the way of these principles.  I am grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost that allows further clarification and personal revelation in my own life. 

I have seen that personal submission to God is the way to true happiness.  Happiness in my life has not been found as I've submitted to the world's plan for me.  Sometimes it his hard to find value in what we are doing or that our mundane tasks are the seeds to our great talents. 

In the book "Addiction Recovery Program: A Guide to Addiction Recovery and Healing" written by LDS Family Services available through the Church Distribution Center it says,

"As Elder Maxwell observed, this submission to the Lord is hard doctrine.  It requires us to rededicate ourselves to His will at the start of each day and sometimes every hour or even from moment to moment.  As we are willing to do so, we find the grace, or enabling power, to do what we could not do for ourselves." (pg. 14)

I seek to purge out the world's version of developing my talents.  I choose to stay focused on Christ and allow Him to define my talents and mission.

Greatness

Over the course of the last two weeks my family and I were able to see and experience some pretty remarkable things.  Some things we had seen before and others we had not.  Each day as I was personally enriched by my experiences the word "greatness" kept resonating through my mind.

I saw and felt greatness as I gazed at the tombs of George and Martha Washington, I saw greatness-or the potential for greatness-in the Senate Gallery at the United States Capitol building, I felt greatness when I stood in the room where the thoughts leading to the Constitution of the United States were realized, I felt greatness as I gazed at the gravesides of James and Dolley Madison, I felt greatness when I gazed at the Washington, DC temple and watched my husband and daughter go in and return from it, I felt greatness when I gazed over DC from the Washington Monument, I felt greatness when I reverently looked over the flag that hung so bravely over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 that Francis Scott Key saw and was inspired by, I felt greatness as I looked at the top hat of Abraham Lincoln, I felt greatness as I stood before the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, I felt greatness as I stood in Thomas Jefferson's home and looked at his books and realized the ideas of freedom penned in the Declaration of Independence were conceived there, I saw greatness in God's creations as I watched the ocean roar over and over, and I felt greatness when I watched dolphins swim 100 feet from my children every day they played in the ocean.

The word that over and over came to mind was profound greatness.  Our country is built on great men and men, our nation is great and it is powerful, the creations of God are truly great and temple's are another sign of God's greatness.  What was interesting to me was that while I thought of the word greatness I never thought of the word greater.  While they were great I realized they were not greater than me or anyone/thing else.  They were simply filled with greatness.

At Mount Vernon I over heard a conversation with a tour guide and a visitor.  The tour guide was commenting on how brilliant and great the Founding Fathers were.   He sighed and said sadly, "Our country will never again be blessed with that kind of greatness."  The first thought that came to me was how some believe that there would never be any more revelation in the Last Days either.  With both thoughts I boldly say, "No!" We have had greatness and revelation and we will continue to have greatness and revelation.

How is greatness to be realized? What does it look like?  The first point is that all can be great.  God's plan isn't a plan of competition or of who is better.  I think that greatness is achieved as we individually fulfil our mission that we were sent here to do.  This will look different for everyone.  Some will be popular, some will be national heroes, and some will live quiet lives never going far from home but making a difference where they stand by their quiet acts of service.

Another point begs to say that we must,

"...Be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all." Mosiah 5:15

What was interesting was that while I was impressed with the great houses the true power and testimony of their greatness came when I came to their graves/tombs.  They had fulfilled the measure of their creation.  They had done what they were asked to do.  They had achieved greatness.

Greatness can be achieved by you and I as we seek to fulfill the measure of our creation.  As we accept the call from the Lord and from the prophet to embrace our role as mothers in Zion we will receive the best reward possible.  We will obtain greatness and be able to stand with the other great men and women of the ages who also embraced their roles.  We will not be better than them and they will not be better than us.  We will all be great.

 

Embracing the role of motherhood requires that we do without some things.  It requires that we think of others.  It requires us to be okay when we don't get our way.  It requires us to gain a testimony in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Redeemer so that when the world tells us that we are fools for choosing to submit to motherhood we will stand on solid ground and know we are doing the right thing.

Sister Beck said this about mothers who know,

"Rather than listening to the voices and partial truths of the world, she knows that gospel standards are based on eternal, unchangeable truths. She believes that to be “primarily responsible for the nurture of [her] children” is a vital, dignified, and “sacred responsibilit[y]” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Liahona, Oct. 1998, 24; Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102). To nurture and feed them physically is as much an honor as to nurture and feed them spiritually. She is “not weary in well-doing” and delights to serve her family, because she knows that “out of small things proceedeth that which is great” (D&C 64:33)." A Mother Heart Ensign May 2004.

Sister Beck also said,

 "Mothers who know do less. They permit less of what will not bear good fruit eternally. They allow less media in their homes, less distraction, less activity that draws their children away from their home. Mothers who know are willing to live on less and consume less of the world’s goods in order to spend more time with their children—more time eating together, more time working together, more time reading together, more time talking, laughing, singing, and exemplifying. These mothers choose carefully and do not try to choose it all. Their goal is to prepare a rising generation of children who will take the gospel of Jesus Christ into the entire world. Their goal is to prepare future fathers and mothers who will be builders of the Lord’s kingdom for the next 50 years. That is influence; that is power." Mothers Who Know, Ensign November 2007.

As I think about the things I felt with my family back east and as I think about the words of Sister Beck last night at our Relief Society Meeting  I feel empowered to continue to claim that greatness through fulfilling my great role of wife and mother in Zion.  The glories of the world and flatteries from the large and spacious building will pass quickly and soon I can stand with my family crowned with eternal happiness and peace.  I can smile at Eve, Sarah, Hannah, Mary, Sariah, Emma, Lucy, Martha, Abigail, Dolley,.... and I can know that choosing God's plan for women was the path to take.

Modesty and Virtue

I have really enjoyed listening to the thoughts and dialogue occurring at Mysfit Cygnet in regards to being modest in our society.  I have been think a lot about these new ideas and trying to organize my thoughts.  What is modesty?  How can I be more modest?  How can I be feminine and godly?  What can I wear then? Here is my attempt to work through these ideas. 

The first thing I did was define modesty.  The online dictionary defines modesty as:

1. the quality of being modest; freedom from vanity, boastfulness, etc.

2. regard for decency of behavior, speech, dress, etc.

3. simplicity; moderation.
 
Some thoughts.  Modesty includes not only our dress but also our speech and actions.  Modesty also seeks to avoid pride.
 

In For the Strength of Youth some of the key points under the "Dress and Appearance" section are:

"Your body is God's sacred creation.  Respect it as a gift from God, and do not defile it in any way.  Through your dress and appearance, you can show the Lord that you know how precious your body is.  You can show that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ....The way you dress is a reflection of what you are inside.  Your dress and grooming send messages about you to others and influence the way you and others act....{Dressing immodestly} sends the message that you are using your body to get attention and approval...."

Thoughts.  A reason to dress modestly is to show that I respect my body, God's sacred creation.  When I dress immodestly I may be trying to get attention and approval from others.

For the Strength of Youth identifies some basic ways that we can be modest.  They are broad but include:

"Immodest  clothing including short shorts and skirts, tight clothing, shirts that do not cover the stomach and other revealing attire....All should avoid extremes in clothing, appearance and hairstyle.  Always be neat and clean and avoid being sloppy or inappropriately casual in dress, grooming and manners...Show respect for the Lord and for yourself by dressing appropriately for Church meetings and activities, whether on Sunday or during the week."

More thoughts.  I need to avoid being extreme. Dress appropriately, avoid being sloppy not only in dress but also in grooming or manners.

Now I need to make a list to gather my ideas.  I love lists.  It is how I think.  I wanted to make a list first of the principles.  With these principles I can ask myself if certain clothing is appropriate.

1. How do I feel when I wear this outfit? (empowered, frustrated, lazy, tired, fat, mad, constricted, ambitions, worldly, sexy, woman power, happy, etc) Are those feelings appropriate for this situation?
2. What are my thoughts in this outfit? Are those thoughts appropriate for this situation?
3. Who was the maker of this outfit? What were their intentions with this outfit? Who were they targeting?
4. Do I attract attention to myself? What are my accessories saying about me?  What type of attention are my accessories drawing to me?
5. Do I feel feminine or masculine?
6. Do I radiate light? Do I bring honor and glory to God? Do I feel wholesome?
7. Am I bringing honor to my body with this outfit by remembering that my body is God's greatest creation?
8. Is this outfit appropriate for this activity?  Am I too sloppy? Frumpy? Too casual? Over dressed?
9. Will this outfit draw others to my as a source of light that they feel comfortable approaching me as a fellow sister or brother? Or do I appear trendy, stuck up, superior to them? Thus making them not want to approach me.
10. What does this outfit say about my thoughts and inner feelings?
11. Am I wearing this outfit because I want to fit it and have others like me and look at me?
12. Does this outfit help me to remember to have proper speech and actions?

That list of questions ended up being bigger than I thought it would.  I think that everyone would come to different conclusions.  I think that body type, color choices and daily activities would cause us to choose different things.  I believe though that God wants us to be beautiful.  If our bodies are temples, we can look to the temple as a pattern for us.  Time for another list.  Temples:

1. Beautiful
2. Simply adorned
3. Elegant
4. Contain high quality materials
5. Basic, non-shocking colors
6. Draw others to Christ and God
7. Radiate the Spirit

I have been thinking perhaps modesty is our outward actions, behaviors and words while our inner thoughts and behavior are identified as virtuous. Virtue, as defined in Preach My Gospel, is "a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards."  

I think in order to become wholly pure and clean we need to include both modesty and virtue in what we choose to wear, think, say and behave.  Perhaps this will be a life time pursuit.  The thing that has been striking to me is that I don't want to wear masculine things any more.  Here are some thoughts I've had today.

• I want to wear less denim. Unless I working outside (for now) or hiking.
• I want to wear less t-shirts and more blouses or nicer shirts.
• I want to wear tennis shoes less unless I'm outside working or hiking.
• Stop buying my clothes in the Junior Miss section of the store. (Targeted to teenagers)
• I am going to stop uses slang words and speak more godly.
• I am going to sit up more, stop slouching and lounging so regularly.
• Stop judging others whether they are modest or not based on my definations.  As I do so the Spirit will radiate from me and I can have appropriate patterns of thought and behavior.

And finally:

• I want to pray about each item of clothing I have and be totally honest with myself and ask the hard questions.

I have been grateful for the opportunity to reflect on what it means to me to be modest and virtuous.  How does this look for you?