A friend of mine shared some thoughts that have gotten me thinking.

She talked about how much she loves nature. She and her husband love to take walks outside (when they were younger, they hiked a lot). As for so many of us, she finds being in nature soothing to her soul.

For those of us who believe in Jesus Christ, He is found in nature. He is the Creator of the earth. He is the Creator and source of light in sun, moon, and stars. The peace we can find among His creations is His peace.

My friend built on this idea and made a spiritual connection to the notion of the tree of life. She explored the idea of staying at the tree — like the one mentioned in the Book of Mormon in Lehi’s vision of the tree of life.

The tree there represents Jesus Christ. To stay at the tree — to be a tree-hugger spiritually — is to stay by Jesus. That vision given to Lehi has many elements to it, and staying at the tree is one of the key protections against things like mocking voices and the shame that can come from listening to them. (I think about how easy it is to listen to shame from hamster-wheel thoughts in my own mind; I don’t need external mocking voices to feel toxic shame. Keeping Jesus close in my thoughts can help, especially when I remember that His voice is one of love and care and gentleness.)

Reflecting on my friend’s thoughts made me think of John 15 (see also Isaiah 27) about Jesus being the true vine. To truly stay by the tree is to be connected to Him as the Source of life (both now and forever). He is the Source of breath for our bodies. He is the One who makes resurrection possible for us all. His life as the True Vine showed us the Way, and His death (on a tree, as it is sometimes said) and resurrection made the Way for us to be forgiven and someday to return back to our Heavenly Parents.

My friend also talked about her love of family history. More trees to hug! I, too, love doing family history and discovering more about my family tree, and helping use the wonders of technology to build family trees in tools like FamilySearch and Ancestry. When I do family history, I feel like I sometimes can get a glimpse of how personally each of us is known to God. Even in a few records, I can learn more about a person — what they looked like, what their profession might have been, perhaps where they lived and how they died. When I find someone in the records who hasn’t yet been represented on a family tree, sometimes I stop and just say their name out loud. “I see you.” I sometimes wish I could give them a hug! But helping their stories be told feels like a way to show love for them. These people are not dead to God, and building family trees in records helps me remember that. Like in the Disney movie Coco (about el Día de los Muertos — a movie about family history!), they need not be dead to us. We benefit when we remember them and tell their stories (and let records help us do that).

For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, building family trees in records also connects us to the temple. My friend talked about this, too — about the peace she finds in the rootedness of the temple. In the temple, sacred ordinances are performed to bind families together. The crowning ordinance performed therein is called the sealing ordinance — where husband and wife can be married for time and eternity — not just “until death do us part.” The authority to bind families together in this way was committed to Joseph Smith shortly after the dedication of the Kirtland temple when Elijah the prophet — the one who spoke anciently of hearts of fathers turning to children and children to fathers — came (just as other ancient leaders had done earlier to restore the power to baptize (John the Baptist) and to confirm the Holy Ghost (Peter, James, and John).

Once people receive temple ordinances for themselves (some of them symbolic of ordinances received in ancient times), then we can act as “proxies” for those who have passed on. In a favorite film of mine, called “The Mountain of the Lord,” President Wilford Woodruff is portrayed speaking to a newspaper reporter, who scoffed a bit at this idea of doing proxy work for the dead. I like how President Woodruff’s response to the reporter was represented.

“Many people believe in some form of vicarious work for the dead. The Atonement of Jesus Christ was a vicarious work. Whoever accepts Jesus as the Savior also accepts the principle of vicarious proxy.”

Since these ordinances require a physical body, we who have physical bodies act as proxy for those who do not have bodies anymore, as death separates body and spirit until the time of resurrection. And then those who have had ordinances performed on their behalf have the opportunity to choose to accept or reject them.

You can learn more about Jesus’ visit to the spirit world after His death (as referred to in 1 Peter 3:18-19), in Doctrine and Covenants 138.)

I love patterns and symbols, and appreciated my friend’s invitation to think about trees today, and all the many ways I can be a tree hugger.

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Hino: Creio em Cristo: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/music/library/hymns/i-believe-in-christ?lang=por

A Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Últimos Dias: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/?lang=por

A Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Últimos Dias no Brasil: https://br.aigrejadejesuscristo.org/

A Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos Dos Últimos Dias no Portugal (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/IgrejadeJesusCristoPortugal/

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P I C T U R E T H I S

You have a question, and it’s been weighing on your mind for a while now.

Everywhere you turn for answers, leaves you with more confusion. Darkness. Until one day you read these words in the scriptures, and you feel a spark of light:

“If any of ye lack wisdom, let him ask of God.”

You could definitely use some wisdom. So you decide to ask God….

“Ask of God.” and He will answer. Think of a question you can ask your Heavenly Father in prayer, and then ask it – today!!

In an ever darkening world, there is… right in front of us…L I G H T.

From Followers of Christ in South Miami

Learn more about how this scripture in James changed the life of one young man…and changed the world: Jesus’ Church Restored

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The gospel of Jesus Christ is simple. But sometimes the questions we have about it are not.

If you’ve learned about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints you probably have questions. Perhaps you have questions about why traditional marriage matters in our Church, about the priesthood, or about the plausibility of God and Jesus Christ really talking to a farm boy in New York.

And trust me, you’re not alone. People within and outside of the Church have faced various kinds of questions. I’m a lifetime member of the Church and I ​still​ have questions.

Since I believe that God wants His children to seek knowledge, let me make three suggestions for how you can find answers to your most difficult gospel questions.

1. Use Trusted Resources: This is number one on my list for a reason. Many people, when searching for answers about the Church of Jesus Christ, will turn to whatever sources they can find. Google is usually the most popular. While Google can bring up some helpful information, there is also no credibility filter. As long as someone has figured out the intricacies of search engine optimization, they can get their information out their in front of the public. This makes search engines a questionable place to seek spiritual knowledge.

In reference to God’s admonition in James 1:5, Elder M. Russell Ballard said, “God did not say, ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him Google!’” [M. Russell Ballard, “The Opportunities and Responsibilities of CES Teachers in the 21st Century,” 26 February 2016]

If you are seeking answers to life’s most important questions, it is important to use only the best and most trusted resources. So what are these resources? Well, it’s different depending on what your question is. If you’re trying to find out if the Book of Mormon is true, one of the best places to find that out is by engaging with​ the Book of Mormon. Read it. See what it feels like as you prayerfully study it. Does it draw you closer to Christ? Does it make you want to be a better person?

What if your question is about living prophets? Read and listen to their words. What type of counsel do they give? Does it align with what you know God’s prophets have said in the past [in Biblical times]? Do the words of modern-day prophets make you want to be better and draw closer to God?

If you have a question about Church history, go to a reputable source. The Church has multiple essays and resources, and there are many faithful scholars who might be able to help shed light on this. You can also search through historical records and witnesses who lived during the time that you are concerned about. However, searching a random blog will likely not provide the best answers you can find, nor will searching “anti-Mormon” literature.

Find information from the most reliable sources you can and then go to the ultimate Source — God — for the final answer on what is true and what is not. He is a Source you can absolutely rely on.

2. Go Back to the Basics: One of the things that people find most unbelievable about the Church of Jesus Christ is that God and Jesus Christ would really appear to a farm boy in New York. When friends ask me about this, I don’t testify to them about Joseph Smith. Instead, I like to answer the root of their question, which is really about ongoing revelation and the nature of God.

● Is God the same yesterday, today, and forever? Yes.

● Has God revealed himself to humble servants in the past? Yes.

● Does God love His children and reveal His gospel to them? Yes.

If I believe and understand those things, then it is easier for me to accept the account of Joseph Smith seeing God and Jesus Christ. It will still require prayer for me to know if it really happened, but getting to the root of the question helps me settle some of the concerns I might feel about even considering it.

This is true for almost any question you can ask. If you are concerned about the Church’s policies then you should get to the root of that question, which might look like considering the following: Does God lead the Church through a living prophet who speaks His word? Asking why bad things happen to good people may be more a question of whether God is real and has a plan for each our lives and if He has made provisions for the difficulties and tragedies of life. (He has through His Son, Jesus Christ!)

Over time, as you continue asking questions, you will find that most of them may boil down to just a few root questions:

1. Is God real?

2. Does He have a plan for His children?

3. Is the Atonement of Jesus Christ real?

4. Does God still speak to His children through prophets?

5. Do prophets have the authority to speak in God’s name?

I have come to know that almost every single question I have about the Church can be answered by revisiting the answers I have received to those five root questions. Perhaps the same can be true for you.

3. Hold On To What You Do Know: If you come upon a new question about the Church that you can’t find an answer to, don’t give up what you already know simply because you don’t understand everything right now. Do you believe that Jesus is real? Hold onto that! Do you believe in God and that He can answer your prayers? Hold onto that! There are so many in the world who don’t believe those things, who can’t say that they know or even believe that God and Jesus Christ are real. So hold onto what you know and realize that you can know even more.

If God chose to reveal to you His reality and the reality of His Son, then He can reveal much, much more. It may take time–it probably ​will​ take time. But this is a quest to know things of eternal value, so it is worth it. Wait patiently until further light comes and hold on tightly to what you already know.

I can personally testify of the value of seeking for spiritual knowledge. I have spent a lifetime earnestly seeking to know if the Church of Jesus Christ is true. I have asked so many questions, and have found the answers for myself. I know God will answer your questions, if you seek him diligently and if you truly want an answer, He will speak to you.
 

Postscript: Some references you can read that relate to the three points above.

• Is God the same yesterday, today, and forever?

Hebrews 13:8

1 Nephi 10:18

● Has God revealed himself to humble servants in the past? Moses “slow of tongue”; Fishermen apostles 

● Does God love His children and reveal His gospel to them?

Isaiah 6:5

Matthew 5:8

1 Kings 11:9

● Is God real?: https://www.comeuntochrist.org/beliefs/god/is-god-real 

● Does He have a plan for His children? https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/topics/plan-of-salvation/earth-life?lang=eng&old=true 

● Is the Atonement of Jesus Christ real? https://www.comeuntochrist.org/beliefs/jesus-christ

● Does God still speak to His children through prophets? https://www.lds.org/manual/gospel-principles/chapter-9-prophets-of-god?lang=eng

● Do prophets have the authority to speak in God’s name? https://www.lds.org/manual/gospel-principles/chapter-9-prophets-of-god?lang=en

● Hold Onto What You Know: “Lord, I Believe” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/lord-i-believe?lang=eng; “You Know Enough” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2008/10/you-know-enough?lang=eng

● Closing testimony in the Book of Mormon about God’s ability to answer prayer: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/10

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I’m sitting here after watching “Meet the Mormons” for the second time (was able to see a preview screening and then went with two of my children tonight — the show came out a day early where I live). I’ve got many thoughts swirling around in my head. What can I share about the experience I’ve had with this film?

Because, you know, I’m Mormon (a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). So what else would I say on a Mormon website except that I liked the film?

Let me say this. Honestly, I went in a little skeptical, maybe even nervous. I wasn’t sure what to expect. A movie about Mormons on the big screen? Would I like it? What if I didn’t? (That’d be awkward, being a Mormon blogger and all.)

I loved it. (And I loved it even more the second time around.)

I am a fan of documentaries, so that may have something to do with it. The cinematography is breathtaking, especially in the scenes of Costa Rica and Nepal. The stories are real and diverse. They capture the fact that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is an international faith.

As I’ve read reviews, I have seen people echo what I have felt — that “I think the [stories and the] challenges were diverse enough that somebody could identify with just about any one of them.” (There are some other gems from that article from “famous Mormons” that resonated with me as well.)

But the main reason I loved the film is because of how it made me feel. My son said something similar: “Mom, I didn’t have any major spiritual experiences with the movie, but I just felt good through the whole thing. That was evidence enough to me that truth was being shared.”

What kind of truth? Even if you take out the “Mormon” element (which is more understated than I expected it to be), the film explores the importance of family and the joy in and need for service to others. It encourages not giving up in hard times, and living life wholeheartedly. For Mormons, these principles connect to our faith in Jesus Christ, but these are true principles that can inspire regardless of religious belief, or even if you don’t identify yourself as a person of faith. They connect to so much of what it means to be human.

I left this film the way I feel when I engage with inspiring narratives. I left wanting to be a better person. I left wanting to face my own challenges with more hope. I left wanting to hear more stories!

And yes, I left feeling more surely the reality that God knows and loves all of His children. Tonight, as I watched the film, I felt that in a personal way — that He knows me. I was reminded, again, that He really is intimately involved in our lives — even when we don’t know it, see it, or even believe it. The last story about Dawn, in particular, really hit that truth home to me.

There is a very real message that we all matter to God, and that we each have something to offer this world. The song at the end of the documentary (“Glorious,” sung by David Archuleta) also reiterates this reality. The song in context of the film was one of the things my daughter loved most. She’s usually one who shares a lot with me, but Mary-like, both times we watched the film, I could see that she just wanted to ponder what was left in her heart after experiencing it all. (In fact, the first time she asked me kindly but directly to stop asking her what she thought!)

I hope you will take the opportunity to experience the film if it is in an area near you. (If it isn’t, you can request it here.) In my opinion, the film is not pushy or preachy. It’s informative without being impersonal. I do think that most people will find something that resonates, in the stories and/or in the simple yet powerful principles that are reflected in the narratives.

Note: All proceeds of the film will be donated to the Red Cross.

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On two different days this week, I wore purple. I don’t usually do things like this, so I wanted to write why I did.

First, read this post.

I wore purple to celebrate brave women like  TC who are talking about the struggles they have, and who are strengthening others through such vulnerability.  

I wore purple because I struggled with an eating disorder for over a decade of my life. I have touched on that here in other places (and I also found out that an essay I wrote about my experience got published in a book).

But I also wore purple because I think an awful lot of women struggle with what TC wrote about — the core of what eating disorders are often about. We don’t need to have an eating disorder or end up in the hospital or an inpatient facility to have this be a REAL and devastating illness amongst us as women. (I know men struggle, too, but I do think that this struggle runs deep with women.)

TC writes:

“I spent a lot of time listening and learning about how so many dynamic, smart, happy, lovely, fun, beautiful women ended up with eating disorders that were drastically affecting their lives.  In my experience, the universal problem was that we all trusted lies.  Every single one of us, on some level, believed lies.

 “The lies I trusted had a lot to do with being worthy.  I absolutely believed that I was unworthy… of everything.  I was unworthy of God, of love, my family, my friends, my children, my marriage… everything!  I believed that I could and would never be worthy, that nothing and no one could possibly EVER love me, simply because I was unlovable, I was unworthy of love.  And I believed this with all of my heart.  To me, this was reality. “

My dear sisters, your Heavenly Father loves you—each of you. That love never changes. It is not influenced by your appearance, by your possessions, or by the amount of money you have in your bank account. It is not changed by your talents and abilities. It is simply there. It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there.

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More thoughts to come on this…. Here’s the link to the official statement.

On December 20, 2013, a federal district judge in Salt Lake City issued an order legalizing same-sex marriage in Utah, striking down century-old state laws and a state constitutional amendment that defined marriage exclusively as between a man and a woman. The United States Supreme Court has put that ruling on hold pending consideration of the issue by an appellate court. During the interval between the district court ruling and the Supreme Court stay, numerous same-sex marriages were performed in Utah. Legal proceedings and legislative action in some other states and countries have given civil recognition to same-sex marriage relationships.

As we face this and other issues of our time, we encourage all to bear in mind our Heavenly Father’s purposes in creating the earth and providing for our mortal birth and experience here as His children. “God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Genesis 1:27–28). “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Marriage between a man and a woman was instituted by God and is central to His plan for His children and for the well-being of society. Strong families, guided by a loving mother and father, serve as the fundamental institution for nurturing children, instilling faith, and transmitting to future generations the moral strengths and values that are important to civilization and crucial to eternal salvation.

Changes in the civil law do not, indeed cannot, change the moral law that God has established. God expects us to uphold and keep His commandments regardless of divergent opinions or trends in society. His law of chastity is clear: sexual relations are proper only between a man and a woman who are legally and lawfully wedded as husband and wife. We urge you to review and teach Church members the doctrine contained in “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.”

Just as those who promote same-sex marriage are entitled to civility, the same is true for those who oppose it. The Church insists on its leaders’ and members’ constitutionally protected right to express and advocate religious convictions on marriage, family, and morality free from retaliation or retribution. The Church is also entitled to maintain its standards of moral conduct and good standing for members.

Consistent with our fundamental beliefs, Church officers will not employ their ecclesiastical authority to perform marriages between two people of the same sex, and the Church does not permit its meetinghouses or other properties to be used for ceremonies, receptions, or other activities associated with same-sex marriages. Nevertheless, all visitors are welcome to our chapels and premises so long as they respect our standards of conduct while there.

While these matters will continue to evolve, we affirm that those who avail themselves of laws or court rulings authorizing same-sex marriage should not be treated disrespectfully. The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us to love and treat all people with kindness and civility—even when we disagree.

As members of the Church, we are responsible to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to illuminate the great blessings that flow from heeding God’s commandments as well as the inevitable consequences of ignoring them. We invite you to pray that people everywhere will have their hearts softened to the truths of the gospel, and that wisdom will be granted to those who are called upon to decide issues critical to society’s future.

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This week here at Mormon Women, we’ve been exploring some of the concepts surrounding the doctrine of the priesthood – priesthood keys, authority, and power. We’ve shared a little about the Church organization and the purpose of the restoration of keys and authority to and through the prophet Joseph Smith and how those keys and authority are operative today. We’ve shared what I believe to be insightful reflections from the Relief Society training on the reality of priesthood power and the blessings of priesthood that are available to all of God’s children through receiving the ordinances of the gospel and by keeping gospel covenants in faith.

I’ve also shared some personal insights about asking questions in faith…about the divine process of asking, seeking, and knocking (see Matthew 7:7-8).

I hadn’t planned on sharing content on these topics a week ago, but now it seems as though these two concepts deserve some shared, colliding space. That is the purpose of today’s post.

First I want to say that I do plan to share more links and posts about priesthood here over the coming weeks. It’s a topic that is both simple and yet also layered and deep and rich. It’s a topic that our Church leaders clearly want Church members to understand more (e.g., see the Worldwide Leadership Training or Elder M. Russell Ballard’s recent Conference talk). It’s a topic I’ve spent a good portion of my life studying and seeking to understand, and the more I study and ponder it, the more I cherish the doctrine.

And yet, I understand that priesthood in the context of Mormonism is also a topic that makes some people uncomfortable. It raises questions. (Some see that as a bad thing. I believe it can be a good thing. It is okay to have questions!) Because only men hold priesthood office in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, on the face of it, the topic of priesthood in Mormonism doesn’t necessarily match the world’s definition of “gender equality.” Equality in cultural, social, and political terms tends to focus on limited opportunities within organizational structures and equality in other more mortally- (by mortals) measurable ways.

Some even within our church insist that the Church is wrong to not ordain women. It is probably clear from the tone and content of this site that I (and those who sponsor this site) do not share this point of view. Future posts may explore more of my personal feelings on this topic, but for now, I want to say that I do understand and sympathize with the pain people may feel about topics related to gender. And while I disagree with translating personal questions and struggles into public activism to try to change the Church, I respect that personal, sacred process of asking questions. And I think it’s important to acknowledge that the questions exist. (As a side note, I think our leaders have made it clear that they know they do. People may not always like the answers they give, but I do believe they know the questions are there.)

I also want to say that our intent here at Mormon Women is not to ignore or mock the pain some may feel with relation to gender issues or other charged topics. Neither do I want to be misunderstood as thinking that such questions can (or even should) be quieted through simple, pat answers.

But I do not believe that the doctrines and teachings of Jesus Christ are facile or “pat answers.” I believe the doctrine of the restored gospel and the power that comes of making and keeping gospel covenants is what can unlock the answers to the deepest questions of the soul — whether those questions be about gender issues or about the purpose of life or the reality of God or why bad things happen to people who do and are good (or why good things happen to people who are doing bad things).

I will take it a step further and say that I think sometimes the very issues that seem to bring the most questions and tensions are the ones that can provide the most opportunity for us to come to understand more about God’s plan for and love for us. I believe it’s often in the process of leaning into tensions and pain that we can find more about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and His grace, and about our eternal destiny and divine, individual worth and potential as children of heavenly parents.

But strong feelings about my faith aside — even if you do not currently believe in or are currently struggling with Mormonism — my hope is that wherever you are, whatever your questions may be, however you may study the questions out in your mind, go first and most often and boldly to your Father in Heaven. He is real. He knows you. He loves you. Take to Him the questions or concerns or frustrations or fears or pains that may exist in your life. Share your joys, too, and your gratitude for the good you see and feel. Pray vocally. Pray in your heart. Pray through the written word. Pray through song. Pray through other means of expression that resonate with your soul. Pray with attention to detail about what you are thinking, wondering, feeling.

I believe we learn the most from God not when we have answers and comfort, but when we have questions and struggles. And we learn when we act on whatever answers He may give.

I know from personal, repeated experience that that He is real and He listens to and answers prayers. Some — many– of those prayers have never been uttered. Some are so deep within me that I can’t find words for them, just as Paul acknowledges can happen (see Romans 8:26). I have found that the process of having answers distill can take days, weeks, months, years, even decades. I believe coming to know God and to recognize what God’s answers feel like and look like in our lives is the journey of a lifetime.

But oh, what a journey it is.

God bless you in your own journey of faith, whatever that path may look like for you. God bless you in your process of asking questions of and seeking wisdom from Him.

I know He will, in His way and time.

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To get a sense for what is talked about at our LDS General Conferences, Connor Boyack makes a Wordle every six months after the General Conference transcripts are made available. Here is one of the Wordles:

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