Thoughts on Being Mormon: The One Thing I Can Give God

Thoughts on Being Mormon: The One Thing I Can Give God

Mosiah 4:22 says “And if ye judge the man who putteth up his petition to you for your substance that he perish not, and condemn him, how much more just will be your condemnation for withholding your substance, which doth not belong to you but to God, to whom also your life belongeth; and yet ye put up no petition, nor repent of the thing which thou hast done.”

God Bless Us, Every One

It occurs to me that others will think I am remiss if I don't say anything about the horrific shooting that happened this week in Connecticut. I do kind of feel guilty about continuing to write on my blogs as though it didn't happen, but I also don't like to profit (so to speak) from others' tragedies. I suppose I ought to chronicle a little here, though, as blogs are modern-day journals.

I can't effectively express the depth of my sorrow at all those sweet children and educators being brutally murdered. My heart aches, physically and emotionally, imagining what those families and community are feeling. I will add my prayers to the thousands more being offered for them. I don't know any of them and I have been on the verge of tears all weekend. I know God is watching over that community as they mourn, and I'm so grateful to know that our Savior welcomed those babies home to joy and love and eternal glory. 

This beautiful painting circulated on Facebook, and I liked it, so I'll share it here in a slightly more permanent place:

It's Christmas time-- I hope you take a moment to reflect on the love Jesus has for you and for the blessing of agency. Even when it is abused by wicked or deranged people, it is the greatest gift we have. As you hug your children tighter this season imagine a loving Heavenly Father, longing to put His arms around you, and let Him into your heart. 

In the immortal words of Charles Dickens' Tiny Tim: "God bless us, every one."

Ten Rules of Maturity

1. Never, ever start a sentence with "No offense, but..."
2. Ask for what you want. Always and without fear! No one can read your mind except God and even He wants you to ask so you can get to know Him! You never know whether you can have something unless you ask. (This includes applying for jobs, requesting training or schedule changes, asking the waiter for a take-home glass because you hate for them to dump out that refill of strawberry lemonade that you really didn't need and requesting a discount on... anything!)
3. Be okay if the answer is "no". It's usually for the best.
4. Be kind to everyone. Especially your spouse.
5. When you have to say no, say no. Don't dither or string people along. Just be clear and kind.
6. Wisdom comes through mistakes. If you aren't making mistakes, you aren't trying hard enough.
7. Allow others to make their own lives-- you actually can't control any other person.
8. Tolerance is not embracing or adopting others' choices. Rather, it's understanding, accepting and defending their right to make them.
9. The most important things in life are relationships. The second great commandment was to love each other. The first was to love God.
10. Live life like you mean it. You aren't the center of the universe, but everything you do matters.

David Archuleta

Yesterday, David Archuleta left for his 2-year LDS mission to Chile. I really admire a young man who loves the Lord enough to put his career on hold; who is willing to sacrifice and dedicate two years of his time and talents to serving others, to teaching what we believe and to prayer and communion with God.

Last night, KSL news flashed photos of three other LDS celebrities who chose to serve "in their profession" instead of leaving on a 2-year mission. While I respect their decisions, I also think it's a shame they missed the opportunity to truly devote two whole years to God.

Archuleta is a shining example to all the young men of the church who aren't sure they want to serve. I'm so proud of him, even though I've never met him. I wish him all the best and I expect his career will be waiting for him when he gets back. I appreciate that he's 22, not the standard 19. In his profession, in his situation, that is totally understandable, and frankly, makes it all the more commendable that he's going! I imagine that he has taken the time to really ponder this decision, to really be prepared.

So good for David! I look forward to seeing what the future holds for this genuine, kind, talented young man.