Brigham City Temple

This coming Sunday, September 23, the Brigham City Temple will be dedicated.  Our normal Sunday services have been cancelled so that we can all attend (or watch) the dedication ceremony.  We have only been able to attend (at our Stake Center) one other dedication and it was amazing.

Once the Temple is dedicated only members of the LDS faith who hold a current temple recommend can enter the Temple to partake of the blessings, and be sealed for eternity.  With this important day coming and the closing of the open house, where anyone can enter and tour the Temple.  I wanted to share some pictures.

Aunt Kathryn took this picture.

Brides Dressing Room from LDS church website.

Celestial Room from LDS church website.

I love the beauty and peace that is found within each Temple.  I just had to add some of that to my life today.

Life Coaster - Faith

This last week has been relatively quiet in my life other than having the same head cold that everyone else has in our County. However, that is not our normal.  I have really liked our last week and will take my head cold with all of it's phlegm and snot included.  I have visited with friends and family and read their postings on their blogs and Facebook and found out that they are all having so much stress that they're just hanging on.  I'm in shock that I'm not part of all the stress that everyone else is facing and it hurts my heart to know that so many people that I love are struggling and hurting.

I normally refer to my life as a roller coaster ride and even found this Thrill Scale and if I use this rating system to rate my normal life I think I'm somewhere between In(tense) and Ex(treme).  I will admit that there are times that this is a self imposed situation.  I know that my decisions impact my life and cause a lot of my drama.

I read a Blog that was recommended by my cousin that is written by her friends husband. He does an amazing job sharing his feelings everyday and most of them are based on his faith.  We belong to the same religion. I was raised within this religion and when I reached adolescence I began to question parts of my religion. Over the years I have had several times when both my husband and I have questioned our beliefs.  I enjoy reading other blogs and other posts on Facebook where people are so sure of their beliefs. I sometimes wonder how they can be so strong and never waver in their faith.  Never (as far as I know) question some of the commandments that we are to follow within our faith.

Why am I sharing this?  Because I am trying to make myself fit within this little box where I should be this perfect little member and even though this is the decision that we have made, I am still sometimes struggling with things. Many people will say that I am going through this because I don't have enough faith. Others will say that I am letting Satan influence my decisions and that is why I am struggling, that he is playing off of my weaknesses.  No matter what anyone else says or thinks about me, my problem is that I let their comments or what I think they might be thinking of me influence my choices.  This is when I start down the extreme life coaster (no wheels, thus life coaster instead of roller coaster) and stress myself out. I also missed church today because we are all still sick and so the guilt starts to set in.

No matter what I chose to do at this stage in my journey, there are truths that I know and will never deny. I know that  am a child of a loving Heavenly Father. I know that Christ suffered, died and was resurrected for me. I know that I need to have God in my life and a way for me to feel his presence in my life everyday. I know that there is a difference between taking a step back and becoming apostate.  I know that the scriptures are here for us to use in our lives. They help us and guide us through each of the ups and downs that we face.  I know that through Christ's Atonement that even when I struggle or question that as long as I'm doing everything I can to become a little better each day he will help me to find answers to those questions and fill in the rough spots.  He will not let me fail.

I spend so much time being so hard on myself and expecting perfection from myself even though I know, somewhere in here, that I'm not that far along in my journey to really expect that of myself. There is still so much that I have to learn and I need to be patient while I go through all the steps to get to a place where I can understand the answers that go with the questions that I have. At some point I need to understand that one of my challenges is that I was absent when patience was handed out.  I may always have some questions and things that I don't understand.  I will probably (okay, most likely) never learn how to ease up on myself.   But maybe, just maybe, if I keep reminding myself of what I do know then one day it might not be so hard to fit within my little box.  I already know that I find much happiness here and as long as I keep moving forward I hope to find more happiness.

Story From Church

While I was at church yesterday, one of the speakers shared this story.  It really touched me and is a story that I don't want to forget.  I'm sharing it here, not only for all to read, but so that I can have it easily accessible or myself so that I can turn to it when I need a reminder of what our Savior has, and is, willing to do or all of us.

The Room – Story about what Jesus does with our Sins

In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features save for one wall covered with small index card files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endlessly in either direction, had very different headings.

As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read “People I Have Liked.” I opened it and began flipping cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one.

And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn’t match.

A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching. A file named “Friends” was next to one marked “Friends I have Betrayed.”

The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird. “Books I Have Read,” “Lies I Have Told,” “Comfort I Have Given,” “Jokes I Have Laughed At.” Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: “Things I’ve Yelled at My Brothers.” Others I couldn’t laugh at: “Things I Have Done in My Anger,” “Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents.” I never ceased to be surprised by the contents. Often there were many more cards than I expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped.

I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived. Could it be possible that I had the time in my short life to write each of these thousands or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed this truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my own signature.

When I came to a file marked “Lustful Thoughts,” I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded.

An almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated my mind: No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them! In an insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn’t matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards.

But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it.

Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh. And then I saw it. The title bore “People I Have Shared the Gospel With.” The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than 3 inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand.

And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that the hurt started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key.

But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him. No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus. I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn’t bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did He have to read every one?

Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn’t anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things. But He didn’t say a word. He just cried with me.

Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card.

“No!” I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find to say was “No, no,” as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn’t be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood.

He gently took the card back. He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards. I don’t think I’ll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, “It is finished.”

I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written.

Read more at Story : The Room – Jesus and Our Sins 
Above is the link where I was able to find the story but I just looked for the story, past that I didn't look at the website.  Just so you all know.

Saturday at Temple Square

We were able to spend today together as a family and took the opportunity to visit Temple Square.  We first went to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building where they have the Legacy Theater and watched the movie that they are showing right now.  It is Joseph Smith, the Prophet of the Restoration.  It was amazing to watch all that he went through so that we can enjoy the blessings that come from our loving Heavenly Father.

The Joseph Smith Memorial Building is so beautiful.  It used to be a hotel and then a few years ago the church went through and did a big makeover and changed it into more of a very nice reception building.  It also has the theater, several dinning rooms, some different restaurants and a family history center.

The front of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

This is the inside of the lobby.  I love all the chandeliers.  When we went today they had a wedding display in the center of the lobby where the flowers are in the picture.  It was so fun to see the wedding dress and read some of the stories.  We enjoyed watching the movie and it was nice to share in seeing so many people in there that were touched by the spirit.  It was one of those inspiring moments.

After the movie we took the boys over to the Salt Lake Temple so we could do Baptisms.  This was Taylor's first time going to the Temple and Kelton has always wanted to go to the Salt Lake Temple.  It was a moment that I will always remember and one that I would never have imagined possible when I was younger.  I am so happy that we were able to go as a family to do Temple work and to enjoy the blessings of the Temple that come from keeping our covenants that we have made.

Taylor and Kelton in front of the Salt Lake Temple

Forget Not To....

I have pondered on the post that I posted earlier today and decided that even though I still agree with what I wrote that it was just so serious and negative.  A change of perspective was needed.

Looking through some of my pictures I kept coming back to this picture that I bet most of you have seen on Facebook.  It is from a talk given by President Uchtdorf during the General Relief Society Meeting.  The entire meeting was so uplifting and positive and I left feeling that I had the whole world in front of me and I could do whatever the Lord needed me to do.  For days I kept singing in my head the primary song "Nephi's Courage".

I love that someone put this picture together, it is perfect!  There is no way for me to fully express the joy and love that I felt and continue to feel when I remember this talk.  There is no way for me to sum up President Uchtdorf's talk and do it any justice.  I have added the link to his talk below.  I hope anyone who reads it is able to feel of their Saviors love for them.

http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/forget-me-not?lang=eng

Young Men's Camp

This year the young men's presidency planned a more fun type camp instead of a rigid watch your clock and pass of as many badges as possible. Sometimes if you plan it to tight you suck the fun out of what you're trying to teach the youth. I'm pretty sure we could have gotten most of the kids gear over to the church in one car, but we would have had to leave the kids at home. In order to pack everything they would need for all week last week (7-18 to 7-22) we had to use both cars.

Kenny's back seat with Kelton's gear. Of course no one was on the same page, so some people were told to be at the church at noon (us) others at 1 pm. We husled to get the cars loaded, me ready to drive and get to the church on time.

This is my trunk with both of the boys bikes in there. Kenny did some creative loading to fit 2 mountain bikes into our trunk.

My back seat with Taylor's gear. I love how he has his new fedora on top of his bag with his glasses. He also had a goodie bag that was never out of his sight. Kelton's was always in sight, but a little less conspicuous. Taylor had on the fedora, glasses and goodie bag protected under his arm.

Last, but not least, Kenny's trunk. He had all the bedding, foam sleeping mats and camp chairs in there. I know it doesn't sound like much, but he doesn't have much of a trunk. Most of the "usable" space is being taken up with one of Kenny's hobbies.

Kelton testing out his bike before they go. We took it to Taylor's Bike Shop on 5400 south and they did an amazing job. They did a complete overhaul on this bike (it is the one that Kenny got hit on). Their work is amazing and they went above what we asked for and their prices are very reasonable. Even with what Kenny already has so he can do his own tune-ups on his bikes, he couldn't buy the parts or the one other tool that he needed for less than what they charged us.

Taylor trying out his bike. They had both been in storage for a while and I think that it was good for them to both try out their bikes before leaving.

Taylor's bike was having some problems that Kenny needed to fix. We had plenty of time to use the parking lot while it was empty since we were there at noon! I just couldn't help taking a picture of Kenny on a little bike :)

Brother Bigelow is the person who has the membership up East Canyon where they went for their camp. He is also the proud owner of this boat. He took the boys out water skiing. I didn't hear how that went but I do know that some of them were also pulled on intertubes. They all had so much fun. Taylor went out on one of the tubes and had a blast.

These are the boys that are closer to my boys ages and who they mostly hang around with. They are all really good boys. One has a little bit of an attention issue, but I told my boys that maybe if all 4 of the other boys invite him to more things and try to befriend him and teach him a few things that he might be just fine and a lot of fun to be with.

This is the Suburban that our boys quickly disappeared into to leave. I had horrible mom guilt all day that I didn't do the whole hug and I Love You thing before we left.

I can't remember who this Brother is but he was a hoot. He ended up with all the older boys in his car together and he was teasing them that he didn't want them all in one car. As he was pulling away it could be heard by all around, this Brother announcing, "I already need a Valium!"

Of course there were some bumps in the road. Kelton broke his brother's sleeping bag and then gave it back to him and took the non broken sleeping bag. Yes, there was a discussion when he arrived home. I've been a little out of it, but I do know that they went swimming in the swimming pools and in the lake. They also did a downhill mountain bike ride that resulted in many bruises and a broken helmet. That was just what happened to Taylor.

I have to add Taylor's bike ride because it is classic Taylor. I guess he walked his bike for a little bit and thought that it had leveled out a bit so he got on his bike and started down, mind you never having gone mountain biking. He soon went over his handlebars, landed on his head and went skidding down the mountain for quit a ways (his sound effect: ugugugugugugugugugugug). Taylor totally broke the front of his helmet, gashed open his elbow and has "road rash" all down his right side. He has some narly bruises. Taylor jumped up once he stopped sliding and said, "that was so cool!"

Even though they both called once to come home, they made it until Friday and came home safe and only a little damaged. In all fairness, we would have gone and gotten them earlier but with my complications everyone was already run down and couldn't drive up to get them. Sorry boys, it was because of me and now you will have something really juicy to talk about in therapy.

Religion & Politics

I'd like to say that I try to stay away from controversy, but in reality, I really do like to stir the pot. Playing devil's advocate and twisting things so that it makes someone look at things a different way is one of the actions that I delight in. I have learned a lot about my children by doing this and have realized how I have really raised them to think. I'm hoping it's not to late to change some of that, but unless I change then I doubt I will change them. They have some strong opinions about immigration, religion, politics, and I'm sure there is more but I should probably leave a few secrets about my family :) Like that's going to happen.

http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Defense-of-Mormons-Jeremy-Lott-05-18-2011.html?sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4ddfd61a02ade82e%2C0

The link above is an article entitled "In Defense of Mormons" and the author does a really good job in pointing out that you need to look past just someone's religion or some other label when you are deciding on who to vote for. I didn't appreciate the comment about the funny underwear, but I understand how he would use that as one of his examples.

I really liked how he had facts to back up what he wrote and not just opinions. I should usually do that more but that would require doing research and I usually just like to write about what I'm feeling. Note for later, do research. I would agree with Mr. Lott on many of the reasons that he had in his article why people need to look past the label of any religion and look at how that person that is running for any office votes and if they have the same values as you do. Just because Romney and Huntsman are LDS like I am, it does not mean that I would vote for them. It is my responsibility to do my research and make sure they have the same views for the Country as I do. There could be many reason's why I might lean toward another candidate. The same goes for Sarah Palin, I wouldn't just vote for her because she is a woman or because she says that she is a conservative. There are many things that I don't agree with that is part of her platform.

Did I vote for President Obama because I felt like he just deserved it because of the color of his skin? No, I felt as though he was the lesser of 2 evils. After reading through a lot of crap, I truly felt that he would do the least damage to our Country. Am I always happy with the direction our Country is going in? No, I'm not; I don't appreciate the way President Obama has done some things (cancelling Egypt's debt, bailing out the auto makers, bailing out the banks, bailing out everyone but the middle class). I can see why he felt that was what needed to be done but I also can see how it has hurt our economy. It has hurt our moral and for me how I trust the Government (I don't). I'm also willing to admit that we all make "on the job mistakes" we just don't have the entire world watching us as we do it. Every President that we have had has had both good moments and bad. They are all human and make mistakes. I have to go with the thought that they did the best they could. I always have to have that hope.

It always has been and always will be our responsibility to do our homework and find the candidate that best represents and will do what is the best for us as a people and our Country as a whole. I am so grateful to have been born in this Country and in my semi safe little Utah bubble. I am thankful that I can write this and not have to worry for my families safety. Even though I wish all of our troops could come home, I am so thankful for their service so that I can enjoy my little bubble. I'm also glad to have the illusion that my vote does count and that I have any say in how things are going to happen in our Country.

And, Really? Is it really time for us to have to deal with all this crap already? Didn't we just vote? Really!?

Easter

"Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen."

(Luke 24:5-6)

I love easter and all that this season brings. I love seeing the green grass, the flowers starting to bloom and time to remember all that my Savior has done for me. I know that Christ was resurrected and that he lives. I know that through him I will be able to live again as well. I am always amazed at how deep my feelings run when I think of Christ suffering and dying for me. He was willing to go through all that pain so that little ol' me can one day return to live with him again. I know that I will be blessed to spend all of eternity with my family. I am blessed to have been able to gain this knowledge through prayer and the quiet whisperings of the Holy Ghost.

Christ freely did this for each and every one of us! I am so thankful that we have such an amazing big brother who is the perfect example for us to follow. I'm thankful to be able to repent when I make a mistake. I am also thankful for a loving Father in Heaven who not only provided a Savior for us but the knowledge that he knows our names and our needs. It is comforting to know that I can turn to him in prayer and know that he knows me and hears me. I am so thankful to have God in my life and to receive all of the blessings that he blesses me and my family with every day.

My Palace

I read a quote in Church yesterday that has just stuck with me...It is from C.S. Lewis in his book, Mere Christianity.

"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what he is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that he is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace."

There are times when I can feel that changing happening inside of me and it makes me scared because it's not what I'm used to. I'm used to being that little cottage. It's modest and doesn't bring a lot of attention. I need to learn to not fear because I know that He is always with me, guiding me.

This also reminds me of another quote from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf in his talk, Happiness is your heritage.

"Think about it - your spirit body is a masterpiece, created with a beauty, function, and capacity beyond imagination...."

I love both of these quotes because they both help me to know that I am a masterpiece and if I will not fear, the Lord will help to make me into a beautiful palace. I need to take the time to focus more on the inside and remember that it doesn't really matter what the shell is that holds that masterpiece because if I'm working on fulfilling my mission, that masterpiece will show through.

I just felt as though I needed to share this with you because I know how hard I can be on myself. I'm not always good at remembering my own self worth. I hope these quotes can help someone else as much as they have helped me.

Giving a Talk

We were asked to give talks tomorrow in church and so the only writing I have done this week has been to write my talk. I have always been afraid to speak in front of people but I think that as I have finally started saying yes to speaking that I'm slowly getting better. I kept going back and forth on if I should just post my talk and I think I finally decided to post it for everyone to read.

I do want to let everyone know what I was thinking as I wrote this so that everyone is on the same page. I really wanted to make sure we all know to use our resources the right way so that we can work to become closer to our Heavenly Father. I'm hoping that it helps us to remember to set small goals that we can attain and use those goals to get to know our Saviour better. The only thing that you will miss is the part when I add in little personal things as I feel that they need to be added while speaking. But the bulk of what I will be sharing is here.

I may be opening a can of worms here that I might not be ready for, but if someone could give me some good feedback I would appreciate it. I am really trying to work on my writing and feel like I could use some direction (good and bad). Just be gentle if it's bad :)

Sorry for the length, I tried to attach this as an attachment but it didn't work so I had to copy and paste.

Setting Spiritual Goals

First introduce our family J

I found most of the information for this talk in an article by Dean L. Larsen titled “Some thoughts on goal – setting.” This was originally a talk that he gave at a Brigham Young devotional on May 13, 1980. I will be quoting this article a lot along with a few ideas from another article titled “setting priorities” by Elder Won Yong Ko.

When setting personal and family goals, it is important to not just focus on the outcome that you are working toward; we need to be setting small attainable goals all along the way. A personal story that I would like to start with, doesn’t have anything to do with spiritual goals, but it does have some of the same ideas that we need to follow.

We had spent months planning our first vacation in years. We had set aside the money to pay for our little trip. I had contacted the owners of the cabin that we wanted to rent and sent them the money. I even confirmed with them that they had received our money and that our reservation was still good. We made a partial list of what we needed to pack; it was partial because so much of what needed to be packed was so obvious. We had everything ready so we could leave after church and spend our Sunday afternoon driving. Once we got home from church, we started checking our “list” and hauling everything we needed out to our truck. I was in the house loading up the food and filling the coolers with everything we bought for the week. We knew we had everything and set off. Our cabin was at Moon Lake and it takes several hours to get there. They do have a little store at the lodge that is stocked with a few necessities. We soon learned that we needed several of those necessities due to only making a partial list. As soon as we went to eat dinner the first night there we discovered that we forgot our roasting sticks. We just cooked the hot dogs in the little kitchen and it wasn’t the same but it worked. The next day is when we started realizing everything that we missed; I missed shampoo, body soap, flour, chicken for our second dinner, and I’m sure there was more but these were the really important ones that I missed packing. We were so excited to get to our final destination that we forgot all the little things in the middle that needed to be done so we would be properly prepared.

I can look back and list several things that I did that were the wrong way to prepare my family for our trip. I didn’t focus on the little things that we would need, like soap and shampoo so we could shower after playing at the beach. I knew what we were cooking; I didn’t need to look at the list of food that we bought because I knew what went into each meal. I knew how we were going to do everything and so I didn’t need to refer to anything to remind me of what was needed. The first and most important thing I lost was my humility.

We need to make “an important distinction … between the potentially confining aspects of setting specific goals and the much more encompassing need of having a general purpose in life. This distinction is more than a play upon words. One’s purpose in life has an overriding influence on what he does with his time, energy, and resources. It can also have a profound effect upon how he relates to other people. Without this sense of purpose, life has no compass. Within the framework of such a purpose, there is an acceptable place for much spontaneity and flexibility. Indeed, without this freedom, life can become stilted and sterile, and much of the potential for inspiration and renewal can be thwarted.

Unless the goals and objectives an individual works toward are harmonious with his general purpose in life, a devastating kind of internal conflict can develop which is destructive to happiness and personal development. Appropriate, useful goals and objectives must be a direct outgrowth of one’s perceived purpose in life. Otherwise they can lead to a random expenditure of effort and resources that may not contribute effectively to long-range progress.”₁

So, what are the goals that we need to be setting? What are some of the short goals we can focus on? What is our long range goal? These are questions that we can ask in all areas of our lives. Referring back to what I just said, if we aren’t clear about what we are working towards then it,”can lead to a random expenditure of effort and resources that may not contribute effectively to long-range progress.”₁ One example of this is the college student who is going to school and doesn’t know what they want to do. I’m sure we all know someone who has turned into a career student. It ends up being a waste of effort and resources and can lead to large loans to repay if they couldn’t pay as they went.

When we are speaking of our spiritual goals, one thing that can help us to achieve our short term and long term goals is to “picture yourself on one side of a stream and on the other side is your eternal happiness. You need to have some stepping-stones in your life to get across. For example, choose to go on a mission, to be married in the temple, and to have a family. As you prepare for each of these events, you will be on track to reaching your ultimate goal.”₂

“When we set priorities, we can manage our problems.” We all know that we are going to stumble sometimes on those stepping-stones, but if we are prepared and know our course it’s easier to catch ourselves and not let that stumble become a total fall. “Once you have that mindset, then your heart is peaceful because you are doing what is right. Keeping our commitments or covenants is not easy and requires a lot of sacrifice, but when we do, the blessings we get will be a lot more than what we sacrificed.” As we “set intermediate stepping-stones in our lives they will give us help and protection. I know that as we are faithful to our covenants, then our lives will be more worthwhile and we will be blessed.”₂

We know that this is all worthwhile and we will be able to see the blessings that will enter our lives, but not everyone in the world will be able to understand or notice the blessings that are lifting you up and keeping you going toward your goals. “Spiritual qualities do not necessarily develop in the same environment as that which fosters the attributes esteemed in the material world, nor can these spiritual qualities always be accurately measured in a quantitative way. The qualities of the spirit are susceptible to assessment, but they must be assessed by spiritual means. True, they often are reflected in individual lives in observable ways (through feelings, attitudes, commitments, and perceptions), but they are not always easily measured in a quantitative way at arbitrarily established audit periods.”₁

“The same is true of one who experiences conversion to the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This conversion process can be a lengthy one, and it can have a profound effect upon one’s purpose in life. But its progress cannot always be accurately assessed by measurable performance at arbitrary points in time.”₁ As we grow spiritually it is often a gradual process and it may not be until we look back over our lives that we can see those changes or when someone points out an attribute that we have gained without realizing it.

Elder Larsen also offers a warning about being careful when setting goals. He states, “There is sometimes the danger that the true purpose of an endeavor can be lost in the compulsion to make the records look good. As an example of this, I cite an incident recently related to me by a young wife who had just gone through the trauma of losing a baby through premature birth. Throughout the month of semiconfinement that preceded the misfortune, members of the Relief Society in this sister’s ward made frequent calls on her to comfort her, to bring meals for the family, and to be of general assistance. Their caring concern and attention had been much appreciated.

Following her release from the hospital, this sister deeply felt the need to spend some private time with her scriptures and in prayerful quest for understanding. She reported that on a day at the close of the month she was at home alone, particularly impressed and inspired by some part of the scriptures she had been reading. A sweet spirit of peace and consolation rested upon her, and she felt a closeness to the Lord and the reality of his love in a way she had never experienced before.

She was absorbed in this experience when the telephone rang. She reluctantly answered. On this occasion the call was to solicit a time during the day when an official Relief Society visit could be made to present the lesson for the month. When the sister asked to forego the lesson in view of the fact that the visiting teachers had already been in her home several times during the month, and more especially because she did not wish to have her refreshing interlude with the scriptures interrupted, she was reminded that this was the last day of the month. On the earlier visits the official lesson for the month had not been presented. Therefore, the visits could not be counted.

Reluctantly, the sister left her scriptures and cleaned her house in preparation for the visit of the visiting teachers. The spirit of the morning was lost and was replaced by a feeling of resentment and hurt. The visiting teachers’ perfect record remained intact—but at what cost?”₁

Along those same lines, I have received an email from a friend that shows the different types of visiting teachers that will only come to the door, that will come in and see your chaos and leave, and the ones that come and take over when you don’t need that. I know I have had the one that only came to the door. Even when Taylor had surgery and she brought dinner over she stayed at the door and was in and out. I think we all get the idea though, that it is more important to remember the original idea of the goal. If it is to get your visiting/home teaching done every month, make sure you are meeting the needs of the family and not your need of meeting your goal. If your goal is studying the scriptures, it’s like what we were asked in Sunday school a couple of weeks ago. Do you read for 10 min and say good enough, goal met; or do you read to be edified and attain answers that you may be looking for.

All of these questions can be used in any of our goals that we are working toward to be able to return to our Father in Heaven. We don’t want to waste our time setting goals that will only make us move backward when our time here is limited. We want to use our time wisely and pick our stepping –stones carefully when making decisions concerning serving a mission, getting married, starting a family, or any other decision that can help us to stay on the straight and narrow path (of stepping-stones).

I would like to share one last thought from Elder Larsen, “As members of the Church and human beings in general reach for a higher level of moral and spiritual attainment, they will be required to more clearly define the principal purposes in life. They will need to be motivated more toward the qualities of life associated with moral and spiritual growth than toward producing or acquiring quantities of things. Historically, people have always achieved their highest levels in material things as a by-product of their attainment of high spiritual and moral qualities. It has never occurred in reverse order.”₁

I know that when we set goals and keep them in the front of your mind, you will reach them. One goal that we had set was to be sealed in the Temple on year after being married. I think everyone we knew decided to die that year and we faced the hardest year of our lives. However, no matter how mad I got or how hard I tried to fight and say that going to the Temple was not what I wanted anymore. I knew it was what I wanted and we did keep that goal. I know that when we reach for worthy goals that our Heavenly Father will help us to reach them.

Continue as guided by the spirit!