Happy Sabbath!

Sometimes we want to accept Christ in our lives on our own terms instead of His. With all the things

going on in the world, I would much rather have Him in my life on His terms, no matter what they are, because when I need help, as a beggar, I can't be choosy. I love Him too much to ever go there.

The Savior's Promises

“On that very night, the night of the greatest suffering that has ever taken place in the world or that ever will take place, the Savior said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you... Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27) I submit to

you, that may be one of the Savior's commandments that is, even in the hearts of otherwise faithful Latter-day Saints, almost universally disobeyed; and yet I wonder whether our resistance to this invitation could be any more grievous to the Lord's merciful heart.”~Jeffrey R. Holland

I've been pondering this quote, and in my pondering, I have discovered a truth that brought a sense of guilt and a firm resolve to heed the Lord's counsel and believe His promises. The Lord never makes a promise without fulfilling it, providing that we do our part.

Something to remember.

Woman of Faith

Since I'm finishing up my short story of a modern-day Ruth, this amazing woman has been on my mind constantly, and I just love her so much and desire that kind of faith and strength. I thought I would share my thoughts on Ruth and how her example has affected my life.

Ruth

“Blessed be thou of the Lord.” ~Ruth 3:10

“For whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.” ~Ruth 1:16

Even though I knew bits and pieces of Ruth’s story, it wasn’t until this past year or so that I truly came to learn of her, and love her.

Facts we know about Ruth:

First: She was a Moabite who married one of the sons of Naomi and Elimelech, an older Israelite couple who moved their family to Moab because of a famine in their own country.

Second: Within ten years, Elimelech, as well as both of Naomi’s sons, Mahlon (Ruth’s Husband,) and Chilion (Orpah’s husband,) were dead.

Third: When Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem, Ruth vowed to go with her.

Fourth: To feed herself and Naomi, Ruth gleaned the barley fields of Naomi’s kinsman, Boaz.

Fifth: Ruth’s kindness won her the heart of righteous Boaz, he married her and raised up seed in her deceased husband’s name according to Levirate law–to help preserve the family name (a redeemer.) And through Ruth came King David, through whose lineage came Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer.

Ruth is the perfect example of the power of faith, hope, trust, and devotion. Because of her love for her mother-in-law, Naomi, and trust in a God that was once foreign to her, she was infinitely blessed beyond all possible measure through God’s mercy and grace. The meaning of the name Ruth is friend/companion, which is a perfectly fitting description of this righteous, godly woman.

It is obvious that Ruth had a great deal of respect for Naomi, as well as a deep love, as evidenced by Ruth heeding Naomi’s counsel that she go to the threshing floor where Boaz slept, uncover his feet, and then lay down. (Ruth 3:4) It was a righteous petition for his care, and just as righteously, Boaz blessed her for it because he knew she was a virtuous woman. (Ruth 3:9)

Ruth’s action was one that many of today’s worldly women have been taught to frown upon, because it displays dependence upon a man. The world teaches that men are not needed, and that a woman’s strength is in her independence, that she can handle anything on her own; she can replace a man in the workplace, and if she wants children, she does not need a husband to have them–in fact, she can have them and be both mother and father to them. Sadly, many of today’s worldly women would consider Ruth’s act of righteous petition a weakness.

This thinking could not be more wrong. If anything, Ruth’s act demonstrated a humility beyond words. Hers was a heart full of faith in God, obedience to Him, and boundless compassion and concern for the welfare of her mother-in-law, as well as a strong discernment that spoke to her spirit of Boaz’s goodness and holiness.

To possess a heart like Ruth’s would truly give others around the bearer a glimpse into the heart of Christ. Therefore, it is fitting that it is through her lineage that the Savior came.

There is so much more to Ruth’s story, and so much more that we can learn from it. The thoughts I have shared are only a glimpse of her life. I’ll leave it to you, the reader, to read the Book of Ruth that you might savor in full, a life that was truly blessed by the Most-High.

Be His

I frequently ask the Lord to bless me with more opportunities to share my testimony of Him and His gospel with others, and He always answers my prayers by placing those opportunities before me. He brings people into my life that have such kind hearts and that share a mutual love for the Savior. I am blessed to come in contact with others who are striving to live for the Lord on almost a daily basis.

And I am gifted with the privilege of reaching out to wandering souls every hour of the day, be it in person or online. My heart is also touched by these amazing individuals through the sharing of stories and experiences.
Another way I come in contact with new acquaintances is through our children. Some of these are lost, some are found, but all are struggling in one way or another to navigate through this journey we call life. Each of us are on different levels, nevertheless, being brothers and sisters in the eyes of God, those of us who are grounded in Christ should be holding the hands of the floundering, sharing the Lord's love in word and deed, being an example for Him, and proving our love to Him by sharing that love with others.

Too many in this world of "me, me, me" do just the opposite. We have no time for each other, we ignore, we belittle, we gossip, we hold onto anger instead of forgiving. We deceive, we tell half-truths, we want more than our neighbor has, we compare ourselves to others, sometimes believing we are better because of our possessions.
Then there are those of us who ARE the belittled, who hide our light, too afraid to share it, or feel too unworthy to share what the Lord has put into our hearts.

The bottom line is this: We were all created by the same God, we were all bought and paid for by the same Savior, and we are all indebted to Him whether we want to be or not. Whether or not we accept this truth is up to us. The question is, will we be open enough to do what is required of us? Will we become the holy people we need to be in order to do what we need to do? Will we open our hearts fully to the Lord and say to Him, "What will you have me do, Lord?"
The answer to the last question is always the same: Learn of Him, obey Him in all things, and emulate Him in all areas of our lives. This is no small task, but it can be done. It must be done! And the beauty of it is, when we are earnestly striving to do all those things, even if we fall off the path for a season, even WHEN we fall short, HE will make up the difference.
God's truth is truly a beautiful thing.
Happy Sabbath.

Woman of Wisdom

I have been pondering again the women in the scriptures, specifically the four that I have tried pattern my life after, desiring to be closer to Christ and become like Him. I felt inspired to post the thoughts from my booklet, Women of Wisdom, Courage and Virtue. Today, I will share my feeling about Eve:

Eve

“The mother of all living.” ~Genesis 3:20

“Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption” ~Moses 5:11

Before being blessed with the gospel of Jesus Christ, my knowledge of Eve was limited to these general facts, according to the world:

First: She was the first woman on the earth.

Second: She was tempted of Satan and partook of the forbidden fruit.

Third: She gave the fruit to Adam and he ate.

Forth: They were then made mortal, cursed, and expelled from the garden.

Now, sadly, the world’s view of this whole scene is one-sided. Eve is blamed for everything. She is considered the weak link in the chain so to speak, because while Adam refused Satan, Eve was deceived and ate, and in turn, gave the fruit to Adam, causing his downfall, as well as the downfall of the coming human race. Does that sound about right? It is sad, but this is the way many in the world think, and they blame Eve for bringing opposition and hardship into the world.

While some cultures rank women as second-class citizens to be ruled over by men because of Eve’s transgression, true students of the gospel of Jesus Christ know that Eve was wiser than her years, and Adam and Eve’s choice–according to God’s plan–righteously perpetuated the peopling of a world, a world created for the sole purpose of man one day returning to God through their love of Him and their wise exercising of agency.

Eve’s place in this world was foreordained. She was chosen by Heavenly Father to be “the mother of all living,” and our very existence hinged on Adam and Eve’s choice in the garden. Because of their choice to enter mortality, to learn by experience and grow in knowledge and understanding, we were able to enter mortality, that we may learn by experience and grow in knowledge and understanding.

I love Mother Eve just as I love Father Adam, and I revere them both, just as the righteous hosts of heaven do. They were one in purpose in all things. Partaking of the fruit wasn’t just her choice, it was their choice. They shared the consequences of that choice, as well as the joys. And the eternal blessings they will receive for the righteous lives they lived are endless.

One of the most important things I have learned from Eve is that righteous procreation within the bonds of marriage is vital. In her wisdom, she came to know this. In order to obey the command to multiply and replenish the earth, she and Adam had to choose. They had to fall, and contrary to what some believe, this was the way God intended it to be. This was God’s plan and it could not be frustrated.

The world also teaches that because Adam and Eve partook of the fruit, they were cursed, which was not the case. The serpent was cursed and the ground was cursed for their sake. Nothing would be easy for them, and they would need to learn to lean on the Lord–something they could not have learned any other way, and neither could we. And what was their first lesson? That there was no apron of fig leaves big enough to cover their nakedness–their sin. Only Christ could do that. They learned that man is nothing without the Lord. As He strengthened them in their trials, so, too, does He strengthen us. We must understand that their choice wasn’t just about them, it was about all of us.

Adam and Eve were eternally bound, and together they created life. Nothing could come between them, including Satan and his assured multiple attempts. They were righteous, a royal son and daughter of a Heavenly King, and through them each of us shares in that lineage. They were created in the image of God, and so were we.

Eve was full of faith and intelligence, and striving to acquire her attributes is a glorious goal that will most-assuredly lead to the ultimate goal of becoming like the Savior.

Behind every righteous man is a righteous woman–a royal daughter of Eve, a woman who exemplified righteousness.

How we should love her for it!

The Continuing Battle

There is a prayer I repeat constantly, each and every day throughout the day:
"Father, please help me to let virtue, righteousness and holiness garnish my thoughts, my mind, and my heart unceasingly. Please fill me with the pure love of Christ." Many times I fall asleep with this quest, and sometimes I wake up with it in my mind. I repeat it over and over, and though my thoughts stray here and there, they always returns to this plea, and that helps me to refocus.

Mastering our thoughts is sometimes very hard to do in a world that bombards our spirits with evil left and right. Sometimes I want to cover my eyes and plug my ears or, better yet, stay in my house and shut out the world. And while I know I can't do that literally (because there would be no spiritual growth,) I can always work on mentally and emotionally shutting those things away by avoiding the very appearance of evil. This is what the Lord asks of us and it is no small thing.
The following anonymous quote bears great truths:
"The enemy is not after your money or stuff. He wants your mind. Your attitude. Your heart.Your faith. Your peace. Understand that you're not being attacked over tangible things in your life. The enemy is fighting you over the things you can't see."

In other words, this is spiritual warfare in its most aggressive form, and keeping our thoughts focused on worldly things instead of the things of God is a powerful weapon that Satan uses over and over. That's why it is so important to bind Satan in our hearts and homes, to keep him from having power over us.
This is my goal. I pray that it will be yours too.