Finding the Good...
Today, I was sitting in my third period algebra classroom absorbing the lesson. I had gotten up late (as I do… every day) and wasn’t exactly tuned into the Spirit. I’d forgotten to say my prayers this morning, and likewise hadn’t read my scriptures the night before. In a sense, I was lacking spiritually. I went into my first two classes feeling as I do most days—tired, a little droll, but I slowly gained energy as I wandered into my math classroom for the third class of the day.
Math is not my subject. I’ve always managed to stay on level, but barely. Numbers and graphs and functions drive me completely insane—I can’t easily grasp the concepts that are taught to me, and all things I do are done slowly and with careful thinking. I procrastinate excessively when it comes to math. I have absolutely no desire to work on it (until I have a C+ and I’m frantically trying to raise my grade two weeks before the term is out). My teacher is a smart man, but he does not do well in teaching me the concepts, so I’m generally turning to other, more advanced students for help.
Today, about halfway through the class period, my teacher was writing something on the board and misspelled a word. I carefully corrected him (with his consent… I’m not a snobby know-it-all because, quite frankly, I don’t know it all). He continued with the lesson and we forgot the small ordeal. As he continued, my brain began to hurt and I felt overwhelmed with the things I was being taught. I was not understanding anything, and the words he spoke throbbed in my head. I leaned back, trying to zone out for a moment, when it hit me…
I’m fantastic at writing essays. Literacy, English, analysis…I’ve always had a very good way with words. I was born with the ability to spell almost anything. If I hear a word, my brain forms it into a certain spelling and I can almost always spell things correctly, even if I’ve never seen them before. I enjoy writing papers and stories and I’ve always received extremely high marks for my English and history exam papers. As I sat and thought about it, these were all gifts given to me to replace what I cannot do.
Not everyone has everything. Some are good with numbers and math and sciences, but may struggle with reading and writing and memorizing. Some may be strong, filling, and brilliant athletes, but lack the social skills that many have naturally. Some may be beautiful and flirtatious, but struggle with learning and education.
There really is no such thing as a perfect person. God gave us all weaknesses to keep us humble. You may not know yours now, or you may even see a person and believe they have none, but I promise that they’re there. Weaknesses are everywhere. Learn to appreciate the strengths you have, and work to strengthen your weaknesses. He did give them to us, but He never said they were unchangeable.
This has helped me love myself.
blessings-and-honour Asks:
littlegoodthings Said:
I would be more than happy to answer these questions for you to the best of my ability! :)
“What happens after death?”
My belief and the doctrine of the Church teaches about a Plan of Happiness created by Heavenly Father. Before we came to earth, we were in the pre-mortal life. That’s where we chose whether or not to follow Satan or Jesus Christ. I won’t expound too deep into this premortal existence, but in a sense, our Spirits left the pre-mortal life and came down into our physical bodies when we were born.
The process of “death” is very different to a believing Mormon, actually. We believe that part of the Plan of Happiness is that after we die, our spirits are sent to the Spirit World—an earth-like world in which only our Spirits can live. When Judgment Day comes, we will then be separated into three kingdoms according to how righteous we were on earth.
So death, in fact, is viewed as something strictly physical. It is only possible for our bodies to die, but never our spirits—once we all die, we will see each other again in the Spirit World. Losing a family member is always sad and terrifying, but Mormon culture does believe in eternal life and this usually brings out the most humbling side of ourselves. Christ has also taught that children who die younger than 8 (the age of accountability) are sent straight to the Celestial Kingdom due to their worthiness and devotion proven in the premortal life. This also applies to handicapped and disabled people of all ages. The fact that we will see each other again, despite the circumstance of death on earth, is truly remarkable.
“How can we obtain eternal life?”
There are so many different ways to “obtain” eternal life, but these ways must all come together as one. There are examples in the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants that relate, like D&C 50:5 “But blessed are they who are faithful and endure, whether in life or in death, for they shall inherit eternal life.”
Also, D&C 98:13 states, “And whoso layeth down his life in my cause, for my name’s sake, shall find it again, even life eternal.” This is almost the epitome of what we believe will grant eternal life—following Christ with a full heart, doing His work and following His commandments, and always having faith. Faith is a huge partaker.
D&C 20:14 “And those who receive it in faith, and work righteousness, shall receive a crown of eternal life”
Obtaining eternal life is following the principals of the Church. If you have faith, do His work, and follow the guidelines that He’s given us, you prove your dedication and desire to return to Him. This, therefore, grants you eternal life.
Everybody makes mistakes, that’s a given. All people sin, but that is why we have the Atonement—we can be forgiven and still achieve eternal life if we change our ways and look toward Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ.
“How does the hope of eternal life give meaning to a Mormon’s life?”
This is a given: the fact that our actions on earth affect our eternity…well, that’s the reason. Eternal life makes earth life so meaningful. This is where we have the opportunity to prove our faith and worthiness to God. This is where we must work the hardest to see our Heavenly Father. Earth life is a test—truly, it’s a test to see which of us are strong enough to receive eternal glory. If you want eternal glory, why not take this small portion of eternity and make it good?
Eternity makes us want to serve others, it makes us feel the desire to bring others to this miraculous Gospel; it makes us want to prove to Heavenly Father that we are worthy and grateful for eternal life, and so we go to every extent that we can to make it that way. Living with God for eternity? Does that not sound tempting?
It gives meaning because it gives us incentive to live righteously. The hope of eternal life is a tempting thing… having the opportunity to be at God’s side endlessly, with all those you love and hold dear…. maybe it’s just me, but I would do anything to devote 80 or 90 years on earth to Heavenly Father if it means spending an eternity of bliss with all those I love.
I hope that answers your questions. Sorry for the length… but again, thank you for giving me this opportunity as well to write about my beliefs. Sometimes it helps me to recognize them once more.
There are never enough things we would do to bring our loved ones back. If one among us dies, there is nothing more heartbreaking than the feeling of never seeing them again. It gnaws at you for the rest of your life—the dull tugging on your heart. I used to imagine a world where nobody would ever see their loved ones again; a world where all who died simply just disappeared.
And then I learned more. I learned that Christ will give us all the opportunity to live again, and be with our families, and what a reunion it shall be. Our life on Earth is not very long, but our eternity is so much larger, and when the day comes that we meet with our lost loved ones again, there will be no words to fulfill the value of that tender moment.
Read the story of Elle Evans, the story that has changed and inspired my life COMPLETELY. Every word has brought tears of gratitude, joy, heartbreak, and peace to my life. Take a moment and read the story of the strong family who lost their beautiful, young little girl in a tragic accident. I was a witness upon this event and it has changed me completely.
"I'll lend to you for a little time,
A child of mine," He said,
"For you to love the while she lives
And mourn for when she's dead.
"It may be six or seven years
Or twenty-two or three,
But will you till I call her back,
Take care of her for me?
"She'll bring her charms to gladden you
And should her stay be brief,
You'll have these precious memories
As solace for your grief.
"I cannot promise she will stay
Since all from earth return.
But there are lessons taught down there
I want this child to learn.
"I've looked this world over,
In my search for teachers true.
In the crowds that throng life's land,
I have selected you.
"Now will you give her all your love
Not think the labour vain,
Nor hate me when I come to call
To take her back again?"
It seems to me I heard them say,
"Dear Lord, thy will be done.
For all the joys a child shall bring,
The risk of grief we'll run.
"We'll shelter her with tenderness,
We'll love her while we may,
And for the happiness we've known
Forever grateful stay.
"And should the angels call for him
Much sooner than we've planned,
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes
And try to understand."
"Let the little children come to me and do not forbid them;
for such is the Kingdom of God." Mark 10:14
If you haven’t read the post below this one (My humbling experience, 1) then do not read this until you’ve read that one. The conclusion of this will not make sense, but be equally painful, as I continued from where I’ve left off.
Isaiah 41:10
That’s the scripture that my sweet Sister Tuckett, my previous Mia Maid leader, gave me. She smiled kindly and held my hand as I cried on her shoulder—crying for baby Elle, whose family was so perfect and lovely. We received news following church, however, that her condition was hopeful. She had regained consciousness, was no longer on life support (a miracle), and had been awake long enough to look her mother in the eyes and say, “I love you.”
My mood was lighter. Although I continued to shed helpless tears alongside the friends in the ward, the hope of seeing baby Elle at church again brought me brief joy. The rest of the day didn’t seem so hard.
Monday, February 6, 2012 around 2:00pm, Elle’s condition began to falter. Her chance of survival became less hopeful, but still persistent. Monday was a very hard day for me as I awaited updates on the baby girl’s conditions, but none came. Tuesday morning, terror struck. I learned in a very heartbreaking message that Elle had suffered a severe stroke the night before, leaving her paralyzed on her left side, and causing constant damage to her brain. She was now only surviving on life support and the family was now facing very difficult decisions.
I received a message at school the following day, February 8th, that Elder Bednar had come to see the family after learning of Elle’s condition. He had come and spoken to her parents, giving them what is possibly the most humbling and tender hour of their lives. Our ward waited anxiously for any news of Elle, but at the same time, a situation of comfort and peace seemed to overwhelm us all during that time.
That day, after school, Elle’s sweet mother announced that she would be passing away that evening after being taken off of life support.
That is a “moment” in life that is never forgotten. The thought of that baby girl—the girl who I spent time with, who I loved because her family was so genuinely happy; the girl whose sister I spent time with and danced with and hung out with constantly and shared so many inside jokes—it broke me. It tore me apart.
How can God take children so young? How can He take these precious, innocent lives when they are too young and pure to know the difference? How can this damage come upon such an innocent family?
Here is the answer:
God’s Loan"I'll lend to you for a little time,
A child of mine," He said,
"For you to love the while she lives
And mourn for when she's dead.
"It may be six or seven years
Or twenty-two or three,
But will you till I call her back,
Take care of her for me?
"She'll bring her charms to gladden you
And should her stay be brief,
You'll have these precious memories
As solace for your grief.
"I cannot promise she will stay
Since all from earth return.
But there are lessons taught down there
I want this child to learn.
"I've looked this world over,
In my search for teachers true.
In the crowds that throng life's land,
I have selected you.
"Now will you give her all your love
Not think the labour vain,
Nor hate me when I come to call
To take her back again?"
It seems to me I heard them say,
"Dear Lord, thy will be done.
For all the joys a child shall bring,
The risk of grief we'll run.
"We'll shelter her with tenderness,
We'll love her while we may,
And for the happiness we've known
Forever grateful stay.
"And should the angels call for him
Much sooner than we've planned,
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes
And try to understand."
"Let the little children come to me and do not forbid them;
for such is the Kingdom of God." Mark 10:14
Her name was Isabelle, but her family called her Elle. She was four years old, and in church I’d sit behind her and she’d sing really loud and climb up on the chairs to hug her older sisters. She had a best friend named Cam, and he was her brother, only a year older than her. She’d play Barbies with her oldest sister Kenzie, who had just signed four years away at BYU-H and would be leaving in the summer for college. She’d dance with her sister Mia, who was a really good dancer and taught her so many things. She was the youngest of six children, followed by three young boys with much anticipation of a little sister.
She was walking home from her neighbors house two doors over, where her little friend Sienna lived. Sienna and Elle were going to marry Justin Bieber, they’d established that months ago. Sienna’s sweet mother turned to Elle and said, “It’s time for you to go home, Elle.” And Elle listened and say goodbye and left. As she was almost home, her next-door neighbor, a father of a few children, anxiously hurried everyone into the car and pulled out of his driveway. Poor little Elle was walking behind his car when he left, but she was not in his sight, of course. She was merely four years old, too small to be seen.
He backed directly over her, crushing her shoulder, lungs, and almost every major vital organ in her body. Elle threw up blood due to internal injuries, and spectators anxiously rushed to her and called police. Sweet baby Elle fought hard for those few hours, and even days, but her Spirit belongs to Heavenly Father.
At the funeral yesterday, the family was in a complete state of purity and calmness. They were dressed in white and pink, and spoke highly of Elle and reminisced through letters from each child of their personal relationship with their baby sister. The testimonies were unbelievable. Over 600 people showed, and every pink flower and picture and song brought in the spirit of little Isabelle Marie, who never left the room. Her Spirit was there that day, watching her little body be buried as she comforted her family, who remained at peace as they laid to rest their beautiful heavenly angel.
Isabelle Marie Evans, her obituary was beautiful and loving. She was a beautiful little girl, and now gets to watch over and protect her family from above, as she reigns with Heavenly Father in the Celestial Kingdom.
This week I’ve lacked in posting due to a significant and tragic event that has forever changed my life. Last Saturday, February 4th, I was driving my brother and cousin home from grocery shopping. It was around 4:15pm, so the sun was timidly starting to fade to gold and the skylight was dropping. The entire world seemed to be slowly progressing into nighttime.
We were driving on a rural road when I could see in my rearview as police were rushing up the street, their sirens blazing, followed by several firetrucks and ambulances. Hastily, I pulled out of the way and let them pass, but the road was empty of almost all people, and they were heading in the same direction. I silently vowed that no matter my curiosity, I wouldn’t follow them.
I started out directly behind the last police officer, and gained speed behind them. We rushed past homes and through the streets. We began to approach the cutoff that leads to my ward boundaries and my home. I planned on turning into my street and watching the police drive on, but to my surprise, they took the same direction toward my home.
Immediately I felt prompted to follow—any previous thoughts against it were forgotten. I hastily turned onto my street and passed my home, following the cops and ambulances as we climbed higher and higher into my ward boundaries. Fear and heartache began to build up—this is my ward. These people are my stronghold. We really are all a family, each of us neighbors. The worry that thronged within me seemed to only get stronger and harder and more painful to bear.
I could see from a distance now where the accident was. There were very few cars lined up, but instead police officers, two firetrucks, and two ambulances. It didn’t seem to be a car accident, which only made me more nervous as I watched from a distance the mere frantic group of people, the scads of firemen and policemen running about. I took a more remote, back road over to the opposite side of the accident and parked, frantically running out to find many members of my ward huddled in the driveway of a more recent family who I didn’t yet know well. Only five to ten feet from the close group of people laid a little baby girl, her beautiful white-blond hair strewn around her white face, and blood dripping from her small mouth.
There were two moments for me then. Two very distinctive “moments” that I will never forget. For the first moment, I saw my baby sister, Isabel. My sweet, two-year-old sister Isabel lying on the ground. Baby Isabel, the one who dances for our family, and laughs her head off, and kisses us when we’re crying, and sings to us every night. My innocent, beautiful baby sister was lying on the ground, covered in blood, as ambulances and firemen and police officers swarmed her, trying hard to keep her little heart beating.
And then I saw an angel. I saw a beautiful, innocent angel sleeping on the ground. Her white hair was in ringlets, and her white cheeks were flushed pink. She was beautiful, and she seemed to glow with health and bloom. She was too good for this life, I thought. That moment was comforting, and gentle, and kept me at peace. But this angel wasn’t there yet—she was just asleep. And true as it was, she was unconscious. A helicopter landed nearly twenty yards from me and I watched as her helpless little body was lifted and sailed away.
The image became implanted into my brain. All night, I cried for her and for her family, who reminded me so much of my own. They were beautiful and selfless and happy, and now their sweet baby girl was in the hospital, dying. The following day, Sunday, was the humbling day for me.
I woke up with no drive to attend church. I had no feelings inside of me that said, “Ah, church, yes.” Having 8:00am church usually restricts that on a weekly basis anyway, but it was different on February 5, 2012. I slept in—I didn’t attend my first two hours, but nearing the third, I began to feel the emotional upheaval subside and I heard a voice tell me to go to church. You cannot disregard those voices.
I went to Young Women’s. The moment I walked in, I was stopped by the mother of one of my friends, who asked me about the event that went on the night before. With my heart aching, I told her. I explained everything, and the spiritual outpour fell from me like a heavy weight. I could no longer carry this burden. Following my conversation with her, I went to my classroom to find my next-door neighbor, who is like a second mother to me, teaching a lesson on Happiness and Joy. Despite the upheaval and terror that struck us all—and each person cried throughout the lesson for the pain of possibly losing little baby Elle—we were blessed. We felt at peace. My previous Mia Maid leader leaned into me and said, handing me tissues and holding my hand tightly, “Your smile has always lit up my classroom. Each time I taught, I’d look at you, for the privilege of feeling so much better and having the confidence to keep teaching, and to teach by the Spirit.”
…..I’ll conclude my story in the second part. I just want to give people incentive to read both instead of admiring a post from a distance and deciding it’s too long.
I don’t know who will read this, or how they’ll feel about what I’m sharing, but I feel inclined by the Spirit to let you all know that Satan is hard at work.
He does not love you—he’s using you to go against God. You are on God’s side through every aspect of this journey of life. Satan has no respect for God, so he’ll do anything to manipulate us into joining him and proving God wrong by all of the modern sins we face today.
God will always win. God is perfect, and His army is stronger. Satan will NEVER WIN. He never will. So why do you do his work when God’s is so much greater?
Just a thought that I had today.
justsimplymyself Asks:
littlegoodthings Said:
Anytime! I’ve found that by having this blog, it’s almost like a journal for me. I really do feel the Spirit when I’m writing on here, and I love it, so I tend to do it often. Thank you so much, I hope you continue to be inspired by me and many other people! Thank you for your words! <3
ordinary-faith Asks:
littlegoodthings Said:
Of course, I’m always more than willing to share my thoughts on the Gospel and the Church. Let me just start off by saying that this Church has made me happy in every way—I’ve learned and experienced the greatest moments of my life through this Church, and I mean this sincerely. There were slums in my life where I wasn’t willing to turn to the Lord and I wasn’t putting my focus on Him, or living the standards that this Church has outlined for me. These times of my life made me unhappy and discouraged. I was confused and didn’t find a purpose to my life.
I’ve come back to the Church stronger than ever. I’ve sat myself down and let the Lord come to me and speak to my heart…what you’re hearing in your heart is exactly what I heard in mine. The Lord wants you and needs you—you’re a vital part of His plan. The calling that you feel in your heart to investigate is Him seeking you out, because you’re going to play a magnificent role in either this life or the next one. In that, I’m confident.
About the Church… I love it. I’ve already mentioned that it makes me extremely happy and this is true, but it is ultimately based on your own personal faith and desire. I’ve come to points in my life where I have to hand myself over to the Lord and say, “I know that you will do this for me.” I’ve experienced miracle upon miracle, and all of those things are blessings from my faith.
One of the greatest things about the Church are the people—the teachers and leaders are completely forgiving and nonjudgmental. Every week I feel the Spirit from their words. I’ve developed everlasting friendships and bonds, I’ve used terrific resources to get jobs, my education has been supported and uplifted, and on the whole, I’ve never been alone. In every situation, I’ve been able to find so much help from my Church friends and leaders. They come at me with so much respect and willingness, that I do feel the Spirit with them. I feel God’s love through other people—the Mormon Church is not just about people, and words, and laws, and commandments. It’s about inspiration, emotion, and sharing this Gospel with other people, and knowing for ourselves if Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father are real. I’ve learned how to develop a sincere relationship with them. It’s incredible to see what I see.
Also, the Church makes sense. We learn about how Heavenly Father created us and does want us to return, but there are many obstacles (trials) that we have to overcome to determine how willing we are to accept God and dedicate our lives to Him. Not many other religions talk on God’s personal, individual love for us and how he really, truly wants us to come home to Him. The Book of Mormon makes sense in relativity to God—many people believe Mormonism is anti-Christian, but one of the books that we put our course of study and base our lives from is all about how the work of God was fulfilled before He came to the earth. It all makes sense—it all comes together so well!
The Church is reasonable in this way too… it supports our real life on a whole, if that makes sense. Heavenly Father wants us to dedicate our life to His gospel, but He wants us to live well in the world. The Church absolutely encourages education, marriage, careers, and activities. I’ve been taught through the Spirit by my leaders and teachers to gain an education, because that’s important to the Lord, and the same goes for marriage and careers and doing sports and being a part of things.
However, it does take a lot of dedication, but if you have that desire to return to God and live forever, is it not worth it? So far, I’ve “missed out” on drinking, and smoking, and premarital sex, and drugs, and cheating on tests, and swearing. But by leaving those things out of my life, I’ve also “missed out” on being arrested, having lung and heart problems at a young age, getting STDs or teenage pregnancy, losing my life to drugs or being held prisoner by addiction, risk getting caught and losing my education, and potentially offending or making myself personally unhappy because of my language. But you know why the Church is so great? Because, unlike many other religions, they don’t immediately tell you that you’re going to be damned and put you through an entire public repentance system. The Atonement, where Jesus Christ sacrificed himself for us, allows so that we might be able to live again, and repent of our sins personally. Nobody has to know—it’s between you and God. And that way of life is so much better than any other. God forgives us, and loves us, and the ability to communicate through prayer and repent makes me feel so much better. Mormon’s sin all the time. I’ve cheated on tests before, and I’ve let a word or two slip, but does that mean that I’m a bad person? No, because I’ve repented and turned myself over to the Lord. And this is fully supported by the Church. Even heavy sins such as premarital sex and drug addictions can be turned over to your Bishop and through him, you can return to the Lord.
I love this. I love being a member of this Church—no matter how hard the temptation is, I can always close my eyes and turn myself over to the Lord. He loves me, and I’ve felt that through this Gospel. It’s truer than any other that I’ve heard, because I’ve felt it within my heart. Sure, there are a lot of rumors and stereotypes regarding Mormonism, but if I know they’re not true, and God knows they’re not true, then there’s not need for me to fight against them. I am confident in this Gospel—it’s a lighthouse in the midst of a storm. Following all of the guidelines and rules has become my decision, and I’ve been in a place where those guidelines weren’t my first choice…it wasn’t good for me. I wasn’t happy and I was in a potential danger zone almost every day. After those experiences began to wear thin, I began to return to the Gospel and start doing little, good things to keep myself close to Him. Never, in my life, have I been happier and more confident. With God on my side, I can do anything.
That is my testimony to you. I hope this helps you in some way. The Church is a miracle itself, and every teaching is personal and influential and allows me to be more free than I ever have been. Try going to www.lds.org, I think if you search things and look hard enough, you’ll find exactly what the Spirit guides you to. Just have faith.
Good luck.
I’m talking about the Mormons.
They are some of the most honest, hardworking people I have ever known. They are spiritual, probably more than most other so-called religious people I have encountered. They study the Bible and teach from it as much as any Christian church ever has. They serve their religion without pay in every conceivable capacity. Not one of their leaders, teachers, counselors, Bishops or music directors receive one dime for the hours of labour they put in.
The Mormons have a non-paid ministry - a fact that is not generally known. I have heard many times from the pulpits of others how evil and non-Christian they are and that they will not go to heaven. I decided recently to attend one of their services near my home to see for myself.
What a surprise!
What I heard and saw was just the opposite from what the religious ministers of the day were telling me. I found a very simple service with no fanfare. I found a people with a great sense of humour and a well-balanced spiritual side. There was no loud music. Just a simple service, with the members themselves giving the several short sermons.
They urge their youth to be morally clean and live a good life. They teach the gospel of Christ, as they understand it. The name of their church is “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints. Does that sound like a non-Christian church to you? I asked them many questions about what they teach and why. I got answers that in most cases were from the New Testament. Their ideas and doctrines did not seem too far fetched for my understanding. When I read their “Book of Mormon” I was also very surprised to find just the opposite from what I had been told I would find.
Then I went to another church’s pastor to ask him some of the same questions about doctrine. To my surprise, when he found out that I was in some way investigating the Mormons, he became hostile. He referred to them as a non-Christian cult. I received what sounded to me like evil propaganda against those people. He stated bluntly that they were not Christian and that they did not fit into the Christian mold. He also told me that they don’t really believe the Bible. He gave me a pile of anti-Mormon literature. He began to rant that the Mormons were not telling me the truth about what they stand for. He didn’t want to hear anything good about them. At first I was surprised and then again, I wasn’t. I began to wonder.
I have never known of a cult that supports the Boy Scouts of America. According to the Boy Scouts, over a third of all the Boy Scout troops in the United States are Mormon.
What cult do you know of that has a welfare system second to none in this country? They have farms, canneries and cattle ranches to help take care of the unfortunate ones who might be down and out and in need of a little help. The Mormon Church has donated millions to welfare causes around the world without a word of credit. They have donated thousands to help rebuild Baptist churches that were burned a few years ago. They have donated tons of medical supplies to countries ravaged by earthquakes.
You never see them on TV begging for money.. What cult do you know that instills in its members to obey the law, pay their taxes, serve in the military if asked and be a good Christian by living high moral standards? Did you know that hundreds of thousands of Mormon youth get up before high school starts in the morning to attend a religious training class? They have basketball and softball leagues and supervised youth dances every month.
They are recruited by the FBI, the State Department and every police department in the country, because they are Trustworthy. They are taught not to drink nor takedrugs. They are in the Secret Service - those who protect the President. They serve in high leadership positions from both parties in Congress and in the US Senate, and have been governors of several states other than Utah. They serve with distinction and honour.
If you have Mormons living near, you will probably find them to be your best friends and neighbours. They are Christians who try to live what they preach. They are not perfect and they are the first to admit this. I have known some of them who could not live their religion, just like many of us. The rhetoric which is spread around against them is nothing more than evil propaganda founded in untruths. (Others) had successfully demonized them to the point that the general public has no idea what they actually believe and teach. If you really want to know the truth, go see for yourself. You also will be surprised.
When I first moved here some 25 years ago there were five Mormon wards in Santa Clarita, Calif. Now there are 15. They must be doing something right.
“The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything. …. They just make the best of everything.
MICROSOFT FOUNDER, NFL OWNER, PAUL ALLEN
(He wrote this editorial in the Santa Clarita, California newspaper)
(via ishouldbeelliott)
Dieter F. Uchtdorf… his talks are inspiring. They are beautiful and wise and understandable for the youth. I always find myself captivated by his words. One of the greatest ways to feel the Spirit is by listening to him.
Today I am brave…
Today I am going to put my total trust in the Lord. I’m going to the share the gospel, even if I am afraid, with a prayer of courage. If the Lord tells me to do something, I’m going to swallow my pride and do it… for Him. It’s going to take all the courage I have, but isn’t it worth it?
How true this is
