February '13 Discussion

Here's the link to this month's discussion piece: Can Ye Feel So Now? by Elder Cook.

Reading through this talk and it's corresponding passage in scripture, Alma 5, springs forth a desire to search for this 'song of redeeming love.'  Everyone makes mistakes and errors and repentance brings the arms of redemption around us, but I feel that it's a practiced skill to feel those arms.

Elder Cook quotes C.S. Lewis from Mere Christianity: "When you know you are sick, you will listen to the doctor."  Knowledge of sins is a necessary step in the repentance process.  But the recognition of my own sin is not enough to feel this comfort of which Alma speaks.  To call upon Him who is Mighty to Save, to give up all my sins to know Him, to recognize the fault and correct it;  this washes the garments clean in His blood.  He has forgiven and forgotten...but what about me?  Have I forgotten?

Not only does the atonement of Christ wash away the sins, but it also is meant to wash away all the guilt as well.  When we repent, we need to perform all the steps and forsake the sin, but then we need to forget it: He has.  I think this is what Alma was referring to: recognizing the Lord's full atonement acting in our lives. 

(Be sure to post in "comments" so we can have the topics organized.  That way all the comments to each topic will be grouped together.)

Line upon line

Thanks for this prompt, dad. Since getting married I've been trying to be really good at being patient with myself and patient with finding balance. For years I've been good at saying my personal prayers and really studying my scriptures - somehow all these years of habit meant nothing and I was happy if I even read my scriptures once a week. I am a little proud of myself that I didn't let this eat me up inside, I had to consciously remind myself that I had to again learn to walk before I ran and that the balance of couple spiritual stuff and personal spiritual stuff would come.
As I read this talk I really felt like my time of patience with this thing was up and that my grace period was over. Basically, time to get my spiritual act together! So my story isn't anything grand at all, just a course correction and nudge to be who the Lord expects me to be. I really have a testimony that the Lord is patient with us and I feel that He was patient with me as I adjusted to being married, but I was beginning to waste the blood of His Son. Everything is line upon line and precept upon precept and I feel like with reading this I received and answer that it was time to move up to the next line and be responsible for higher things.

I think all of you know about Felix. He is my co-worker, great friend and one of those people who should be Mormon. I am working to change the wording of that last fact from ‘should be’ to ‘is a’. I have shared all the missionary lessons with him and have frequent gospel conversations (just on my own, he wasn’t interested in meeting the full-time missionaries). He is intrigued intellectually and interested because it is something important to me, which I am grateful for. 

One way I used to share the gospel was to give him a copy of my Sunday school lesson outlines. We would discuss the content, my teaching style and he would share related scriptures. I stopped sharing at some point, though. Why? Because of laziness (had to make sure the outline had complete thoughts, no shorthand), because I didn't want to appear as a show off, because I worried that he felt burdened by obligation. And I wondered if efforts were really bringing forth fruit. After reading Dad’s question I re-thought all these reasons for stopping. I decided the reasons I gave were either lame or assumptions and should not be what motivates my actions. What did I do? I sent Felix my last outline, studied his input, and had a conversation. Even if he does not come closer to becoming a member of our faith, these conversations will bring both of us closer to our Savior, which is fruit. 

This story ended up being an example of doing what the Lord expected of me, then wasting His Blood, then using His atonement to repent and once again do what the Lord would want me to do. Dad, thanks for asking the question that prompted me to change my actions.

january topic

I am moved by Elder Holland's talk in the last conference...It is on conversion, and the question, "are we doing what the Lord wants/expects"?
    Please read the article, and give an example of a choice you have recently made where you had to think..."is this what the Lord bought with His blood".  I of course assume you will all give good examples, and not how you wasted the Blood.
   My example comes from our visit to Yellowstone last Sept.  We were out looking for wolves...sort of a chilling, time consuming, "are you kidding me...we waited 2 hours for that?" type experience. Many people were at the spot....we were engaging in pleasant conversations, such as "where are you from, why are you here, and where are you going next."  Anyway, a couple were talking about being from back east...and how they were going to xyz next, and they would have a layover in Salt Lake City for one day.  They asked the group in general..."what is there to do in SLC for one night?"   No one was answering...but I felt a couple of others there were indeed members of the church (I do not know this for fact...it just makes the story better) So, never being one who could be confused as opinionless, I said..."If you only have one night.afternoon, you should go to Temple Square...it is beautiful and you will see so many interesting things...I really like it"  So these travellers said they would do it.
   The jist of my story is I stood up and encouraged someone to do something I know will have an impact on them. I have faith that people who visit the Square will be affected by the spirit.

   Please give examples where you have recently said or done the right thing (and no, "I went to church today" doesn't cut it)

    If you can not think of a thing, then maybe that is a lesson enough to you...you can pledge to get out of your fishing boat now.

Love Dad

Hands....continued

I am an incredibly emotional person, and those emotions generally filter any circumstance (not that I'm unique in this). Right now my biggest emotion is hollowness. I don't mean any melodrama with this; I simply feel very hollow after taking AJ to the airport today. I'm missing something huge and vital in my life. This is the lens through which I read this talk just now.

So the things that come to mind are instances where AJ has been the Lord's hands for me. AJ loves me unconditionally. AJ is always on my side--which does not mean that he thinks I'm always right. It means that when I'm wrong, he reasons with me, and does it in a loving manner: he's on my side, so he's always rooting for me, never trying to prove me wrong or waiting to see me fail. He's always encouraging, always supporting, always loving. And by always, I mean 98% of the time. He's not perfect at it, but he's awfully darn close to perfect and a whole lot better than I am.

I love you all, and maybe I can try another post (not that this one isn't valid, it just simply didn't go very far) when it's not as late and not the day I had to walk away from AJ.

Love,
Emily Kate


(By the way, it says this posted at 6:30. Not so. That's when I started, which was not late. I finished the post at 10, which is late.)

the hands thingy

So, mom and I read the talk...and pondered how to serve better...we understand the "can make poems, songs, sermons etc" part (not a very direct quote mind you, but ya'll know what part I am talking about)....and we know the message of serve better, love unconditionally, don't judge, etc. And we realize that we have work to do (speaking for my half at least). It does take constant thought and work to make sure you are NOT treating someone as 2nd rate. (even fat smelly people who cut their own hair with scissors and talk to themselves) It is not "natural" to want to spend time with wackos.

So, I have work to do.

A couple of examples of people giving service to us (our family)

While working at Equitable (not much money), the Raemakers brought over a food basket...just garden produce and stuff so they could help out.

Members helping with both Moe's and Elizabeth's missions

The Millers willingness to do a family service project...and retrieve a busted Volvo from Rye Patch...a two hour drive out and two hours back....then jumping to help when Stella tried to swim through a puddle.

Sister Crabtree (an old lady...actually the wife of one of the counsellors in the bishopric in Auburn) sitting us down and telling us how AJ needed to be taught reverence...and how to do it.

All of these examples have one thing in common....My first thought was I don't need your help...or this much help, or I can do it myself. But because of love and a willingness to serve...they helped. So, mom and I have made a simple plan to bring people over for dinner so we can say we helped....no wait, that wasn't it....so we can learn of people to help, and so we can share with others...we already have the first two families picked.

I also have increased our fast offerings....many people need help, and we CAN help that way.

Love you all

PS, AJ really needed to be taught how to be reverent.:)

You are My Hands

By President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Last week in Relief Society we had a lesson on this conference talk. As we discussed it, a memory was brought to the front of my mind.

My junior year at BYU was a hard one. My best friends had all left on missions and I was alone. I also was very confused. I had some big decisions I continually prayed about but couldn't seem to receive answers to. One night I cracked. I had come home from a ward activity to a dark, empty apartment 40. A place that just a year before brought me so much joy was now the catalyst to my tears. Lost, lonely and confused I cried. I was so confused and lonely that I could not even feel my Father's love…or rather I didn't know how to calm down to feel his loving arms. I needed something though. What? "Call your brother," came to my mind. I did. All I said was, "AJ, can you come over?" He came in 30 seconds. He walked in, saw me, said nothing, and wrapped me in his arms. He just held me as I wept. That day AJ became the Lord's arms and hands for me. Today, I know that the Lord loves me. That day, I did not. Because I could not feel him he sent my earthly brother to act in His stead. AJ comforted and loved me as the Lord would. Thank you AJ for being sensitive to the spirit, thank you for being such a good brother and thank you for being His Hands when I needed them.

This talk is so beautiful! After reading it share an experience where you have felt someone else act as the Lord's hands in your life