Hope and Change

There has been a lot of talk in these last few years about hope.  So much so, that I almost cringe whenever I hear the word.  It's on bumper stickers and billboards and t-shirts.  It's been on campaign signs and in headlines.  There was a time, in the not so distant past, where it seemed I couldn't go an hour without hearing the word hope.

The kind of "in" thing has been to put the two words, "hope" and "change" together.  I've just found this so frustrating.  How can things change if I only hope they'll change?  Don't I have to put forth some sort of effort in order to bring about real and lasting change?  I learned today, while reading, that hope really is an action verb. 

Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.  (Ether 12:4)

Real hope, true hope, comes from a foundation of faith.  A faith in the only One who has the power to effect real, positive change in our lives.  Faith leads to hope.  Hope leads to steadfastness and good works.  Steadfastness and good works lead us to glorifying God, which adds to our faith.  It is one eternal round.

©Darrell Wyatt

This is the Lovejoy fountain in Portland, OR.  Ever since the first time I saw this photograph, I have been taken with it.  The way the water flows over and around each of the sculptures is mesmerizing to me.  The fountain would likely be beautiful without one or more of the formations, but it would be much different.  Each pile of stones is placed in a way that the flow of the water will change as it hits it.  I can't help but liken these three rock sculptures to faith, hope and charity.  We are as the water, moving through our daily lives toward some distant destination.  As we let ourselves become impacted by faith and then hope and then charity, we cannot help but feel a change.  We are changed. 

Hope, true hope, is not a bumper sticker.  It is not a campaign slogan.  It is not a catchphrase.  True hope is a catalyst for real change.  As Moroni said, true hope is "an anchor to the souls of men".

Some may find true hope to be elusive.  To them, I say, in the words of Moroni:

And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever. Amen. (Ether 12:41)

Click here to read what I read today: Ether 11

Click here to read what I read today: Ether 12

Footsteps

©Darrell Wyatt

I read a quote this week that really got me thinking.  It was by James Baldwin, an American author, and he said, "Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them".  So very, very true.

As we sit as a family and read scriptures each night, my kids all want a marking pencil in their hands.  They watch me intently to see which passages I am going to highlight, and they will not continue reading until they have highlighted all the same verses that they saw me mark.  It is times like this that I don't mind the six little copycats that follow me around the house.  On the other hand, every time that I watch my oldest daughter send her younger brothers and sisters down to her room to fetch something or speak to them in a less than kind voice, I am reminded that these kids aren't just picking up my good habits.  They're picking up on everything that I do and say and storing it in their sweet little heads for use at an appropriate (or inappropriate, as the case may be) time.

Now the people of Akish were desirous for gain, even as Akish was desirous for power...(Ether 9:11)

If there is a recurring theme in today's chapters, it's that wickedness begets wickedness and righteousness begets righteousness.  There was a lot of kingdom overthrowing going on in these chapters.  Sons removing their fathers from the throne, brothers fighting to restore their fathers.  The kingdom was most always passed down to a righteous son who would be overthrown or killed by a wicked family member.  When a righteous ruler would take the throne again, there was usually peace for few years before the cycle started again, because the new king would "fill the steps of his father"(Ether 9:15, 23).

As I am raising my kids, as much as I try to make the right decisions, I will make mistakes.  I will leave footsteps for them to follow in that may not be exactly what they should be.  I can only hope that they can look past the imperfect steps and choose to follow in the righteous ones.  I just need to make sure that the good footsteps far outnumber the faulty ones.

Click here to read what I read today: Ether 9 

Click here to read what I read today: Ether 10 

We CAN Do Hard Things!

©Darrell Wyatt

Thanks to my fabulous mother-in-law, all of my kids have their own set of scriptures now.  This seemed like a great reason to get back to our nightly family scripture reading routine.  We read the Book of Mormon as a family a few years ago, and it was very challenging.  Four of the kids were under eight years old, which posed some interesting struggles.  It was really tough to get them all to sit still and read when it was their turn.  Three of the kids weren't really reading well yet, and so we would whisper in their little ears and they would repeat the verse out loud.  Sometimes the chapter seemed to drag on forever.

So, now that the kids are older and they are all proficient readers, this nightly reading stuff should be a cinch, right?  Um, no.  There are unique challenges to every age, I'm discovering.  The older kids are off doing what pre-teens and teens do best - running between sports practices and friends' houses.  The younger kids are just running.  Everywhere.  When we do finally manage to reel everyone in, my autistic son is usually angry because his nightly routine has been ruined.  We try to make scripture reading at the same time every night, but it rarely happens the way we want it to, leaving my son's perfectly scheduled night in shambles.

So why do we do it?  First, because we've been instructed to.  We've been told time after time of the blessings that we'll receive from family scripture study.  Elder Howard W. Hunter said, “Families are greatly blessed when wise fathers and mothers bring their children about them, read from the pages of the scriptural library together, and then discuss freely the beautiful stories and thoughts according to the understanding of all.” (Ensign, Nov. 1979, p. 64.)   We frequently stop during our reading to discuss a certain story or verse and how it applies to our personal lives.  There is no better feeling that a parent can get than the feeling that comes when a teenage daughter volunteers her experiences, unprompted.  Or when a son remembers something that he has learned in primary that is applicable to our discussion.  It really is a feeling unmatched by any other.

The other, and probably more important, reason that we read is for the same reason that the ancient prophets kept the records in the first place:

Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved. (Ether 8:26)

What more, as a mother, could I ever want for my children than for them to be free from Satan's grasp, doing good continually? This is the greatest blessing that comes from teaching them correct principles and taking the time to do the important things - the hard things - like nightly scripture reading.  It definitely makes the chaos worth it.

Click here to read what I read today: Ether 7

Click here to read what I read today: Ether 8

Lifeguard on Duty

I just had a visit from my wonderful visiting teachers. The message this month is entitled "The History and Heritage of the Relief Society" - a great topic.

As we were talking, my mind returned to some of my very first experiences with Relief Society.  I was very young when I got married - just a couple of months out of high school.  I moved away from my family, leaving me without the influence of my mother and sisters.  My mother-in-law had passed away a few months earlier, and so I really did feel alone. I almost felt as if I were drowning.  I had this new life, and I was the one in charge of running my household.  It was very daunting. 

I was, at first, a little hesitant to attend my Relief Society meetings.  After all, everyone seemed so much older than me.  It didn't take long, however, until I was fully immersed in all that is the Relief Society - visiting teaching, charity, cooking classes, organizational classes, and of course crafting.  Before I knew it, I was fitting right in.  Although nothing can replace the comfort and closeness of a mother/daughter relationship, I found that I had many surrogate mothers.  The Relief Society was an invaluable asset to the beginning of my new married life.

When Relief Society functions in an inspired way, it lifts women up...into a way of living that prepares them for the blessings of eternal life. (Sister Julie B. Beck)

If I had felt as though I were drowning during those first few months, the Relief Society was definitely one of the life preservers that Heavenly Father threw my way.  I'm grateful that I grabbed on with both hands and allowed that incredible organization to take hold in my life.

©Darrell Wyatt

There have been, since then, so many different times that I have felt that same sense - that I was drowning.  Whether it's been bringing children into the world or facing financial or health difficulties, sometimes life can get can get very overwhelming.

...therefore when they were encompassed about by many waters they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters. (Ether 6:7)

There has never been a time when I have felt overwhelmed and remembered to turn to the Lord, that he did not comfort me.  He hasn't always taken the troubles away from me, but he has always brought me back to the surface where I could breathe again.  I am so incredibly blessed to constantly feel of His love for me.

Click here to read what I read today: Ether 6 

Me and the Boys

Paul told the Corinthians that "in the mouth of two or more witnesses shall every word be established"(2 Corinthians 13:1).  Moroni wrote to the future translator of the plates with the same command:

And in the mouth of three witnesses shall these things be established; and the testimony of three, and this work, in the which shall be shown forth the power of God and also his word, of which the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost bear record - and all this shall stand as a testimony against the world at the last day. (Ether 5:4)

©Darrell Wyatt

We know now that those three witnesses were Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and Martin Harris, all of whom went into the woods and fervently prayed, along with Joseph Smith, that the promise that they had translated would be fulfilled and that they would be able to view the plates.

And we declare with words of soberness, that an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon; and we know that it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that we beheld and bear record that these things are true.  And it is marvelous in our eyes. (The Testimony of Three Witnesses, Intro. to the Book of Mormon)

There were also eight other witnesses that, although not in the presence of an angel of God, were able to see and touch the plates.  These men also bore witness as to the authenticity of the plates that Joseph Smith translated from.  "And we give our names unto the world, to witness unto the world that which we have seen. And we lie not, God bearing witness."(The Testimony of Eight Witnesses, Intro. to the Book of Mormon)

There is some comfort, as a reader of the Book of Mormon, to know that there were a dozen people in these latter days that were able to actually see and authenticate the origin of the book.  However, the real witness comes in the form of personal revelation.

Although the Three Witnesses and the Eight Witnesses are in a class by themselves...there are or will be 10,000 times 10,000 other witnesses to testify with equal surety of the truth of the Book of Mormon.  Every person who will abide the law entitling him to know of the truth of this Nephite record shall gain personal revelation from the Holy Ghost of its divinity, thus becoming a personal witness of its truth. (Mormon Doctrine, McConkie p.843)

I am honored and humbled to join the company of these men and lend my personal witness to the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.  I know it to be true with every fiber of my being.  I have, on many occasions, felt the spirit that can only come from reading a work of truth, written by divine inspiration.  I have been blessed with the desire to continue to learn and grow from these truths.  I know that it is another witness of Jesus Christ, and I am so grateful to have it continually bless my life.

Click here to read what I read today: Ether 5

Click here to read what I read today: Intro to the Book of Mormon

Revelation

©Darrell Wyatt

 And then shall my revelations which I have caused to be written by my servant John be unfolded in the eyes of all the people.  Remember, when ye see these things, ye shall know that the time is at hand that they shall be made manifest in very deed. (Ether 4:16)

I've done a lot of studying this weekend.  I had never read the whole book of Revelation before, just chapters and verses here and there, until this weekend.  The Savior told Moroni that the revelations that he gave to John would be "unfolded in the eyes of all the people".  I felt that I needed to familiarize myself with the revelations if I were to ever know that they were unfolding.  I can't say with any confidence at all that I now feel certain that I will recognize each of the signs of the Apocalypse, but I did learn quite a bit.  I also realize that I've got much more to learn, so I will keep studying.

All of this reading about the things that the Savior revealed to John and to Moroni and to others throughout the scriptures really made me think.  I truly believe that divine revelation is still very much present today.  Having a living prophet is a blessing and evidence of an open connection between God and His people.  However, the real blessing to each of us is that we are promised that we can receive personal revelation according to our faith.

But he that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear record...(Ether 4:11)

Personal revelation comes to me in different ways.  When I prayerfully ask my Father in Heaven, in Jesus' name, for help in raising my children or solving a problem, the revelation can come as a thought in my mind.  I also get promptings from the Spirit that help me to make the right choices.

A few days ago, I was frantically searching my desk drawers for an important piece of paper that I was sure I had just tossed in instead of filing it where it should be.  I haven't found that paper yet, but I did come across my patriarchal blessing.  I was flooded with emotions as I read this wonderful document that detailed revelation given to me directly from God through his servant, Don Marley.  It was just a few days after my seventeenth birthday that I received my blessing.  I remember driving to Brother Marley's house and waiting nervously for him to be ready to give me the blessing.  I was excited, but I also wondered what kinds of things the Lord had in store for me - what path my life would take if I were an obedient daughter of God.  I can still remember his warm hands on my head and power with which he spoke the words.  

Prior to this, it had been a few years since I read my patriarchal blessing, and it was amazing to me how much I had forgotten.  There are things that I was blessed with that have indeed come to fruition, like my temple marriage to a worthy holder of the priesthood and having children.  There are things that I have not yet seen happen, like increasing my education in my chosen field.  There are some things that don't so much reveal a part of my life, but instead direct me in how I should carry myself and commandments to do things like read my scriptures and fast and pray and magnify my callings - especially that of wife and mother.  

Sometimes I get stuck in such a rut, feeling like I do the same thing day after day after day, that I forget that being a wife and mother really is a divine calling.  Reading the words of the Lord - words meant just for me - has reminded me of that fact.  Marriage and motherhood are both callings that need magnified, even more than any of my other callings.  

How grateful I am today for revelation.  I'm grateful for the revelations that God commanded John to record, that we may have a way to see the signs of Jesus Christ's return.  I'm grateful for the revelation that our living prophet, Thomas S. Monson, receives on our behalf.  But most of all, today I am grateful for a loving Father in Heaven who reveals to me the things that He knows I am in need of.

Click here to read what I read today: Ether 4 

Click here to read what I read today: Revelation 

That Ye May Have Light In Your Vessels

©Darrell Wyatt

 
I want to revisit yesterday's chapter just for a moment.  There was so much in it that I knew I wouldn't be able to do it justice with just one post.

The Lord had prepared a promised land for the Jared and his people - "a land choice above all other lands"(Ether 2:7).  The problem was that it was across the ocean from the wilderness in which they had spent the last four years, and they needed a way to get there.

And the Lord said: Go to work and build, after the manner of barges which ye have hitherto built.  And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did go to work, and also his brethren...(Ether 2:16)

Go to work.  Could the Lord have provided the way for them?  Absolutely.  But this is, once again, a supreme example of leadership and love.  And it didn't stop there.  The Jaredites built the barges to the specifications given them by the Lord, but there was no way to light them.

And he (the brother of Jared) cried again unto the Lord saying:  O Lord, behold I have done even as thou hast commanded me; and I have prepared the vessels for my people, and behold there is no light in them.  Behold, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that we shall cross this great water in darkness?(Ether 2:22)

There is a valuable lesson to be learned in the Lord's answer to the brother of Jared:

And the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?(Ether 2:23)

Now, we all know that He could have provided the answer to the brother of Jared.  He could have told him exactly what to do.  He could have just given the light to him, but he did not.  The Lord made the brother of Jared come up with a plan on his own.  He helped him to learn.  He helped him to be self-sufficient.  The brother of Jared did come up with a solution to the problem and, as a result, saw Jesus Christ's spirit body.  What a blessing this was to him.  One that would not have occurred had the Lord simply solved the problem for him.

I love the phrasing that is used by Him in this verse: "That ye may have light in your vessels."  There is an almost physical change that comes upon a person who has turned his or her life over to God.  It sounds corny and cliche, but there is an actual glow to one's countenance when they are making the right choices and when they are at peace.  A light in their vessel.

I believe that we have a loving Savior who is ready and waiting to bless us, if we but ask.  Whatever trials or adversities that we are facing in our lives, he wants to help us.  He would say to each of us, "What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessel?"  It is up to us to bring our worries to His feet and then accept that light that He has to offer.

Click here to read what I read today: Ether 2

Click here to read what I read today: Ether 3