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The Power of Creation 

~by Michelle

I was in quite a rut — mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually — when I read the talks from the Saturday afternoon session of the 1971 LDS General Conference for our General Conference Odyssey project. I was also in a writing rut. What would I share? I like to wait for inspiration when I write, but none was coming.

The headlines as of late haven’t helped, of course. And I have my own imagined headlines that run in my brain, a mental marquis of negative messages that has been consuming a lot of my energy (and making it hard for me to feel the Spirit).

This is not uncommon for me (I deal with anxiety and dysthymia (a form of depression) and OCD) but the familiarity of it doesn’t make it any easier to sit in it when it comes. Those of you who struggle with anxiety or depression or other mental illnesses may understand what I mean.

But God showed me this weekend that even when I feel stuck, the Spirit does have a way of getting through in ways I can hear, and that — as Elder Bednar shared so beautifully on Sunday at the Christmas devotional — we do worship a Savior who is our Light.

Late Sunday evening, I had a prompting to visit a friend and take her a copy of a book I’m reading (more below). I fought the prompting for a bit but finally decided to send my friend a text. She was willing to have me come drop off the book.

I’m so glad I acted on that prompting. Not only did I get my spark of inspiration for this post, but after a 3 1/2-hour conversation with my friend (“that was a long ‘drop-off’ visit, Mom”), I also had a weeks-long prayer answered.

The prayer that was pressing on my heart is hard to put into words, but it went something like this:

Father, I have to believe that pain and suffering aren’t the only ways you teach us as Thy children. I know I need to be submissive and willing to learn from whatever may come in my life, but there is so much fear in me and it is blocking my view of Thee, and hindering my ability to feel Thy love. Can you help me?

I brought this question to my awesome therapist (I gave him an assignment, actually, to consider times in his life when God taught him through good stuff). I was grateful that he took my request seriously and came back with a second witness to insight that had come to me as well: that even the good things in life come with challenges, that “There must needs be opposition in all things.”

But there was something still unsettled in my soul. Sunday, the seed for a turning point was planted as I was reading in Wendy Ulrich’s book, The Temple Experience: Passage to Healing and Holiness: She touched on the concept of opposition as well, but there was more to her message. Writing about the creation story and the separation of — and necessity of — darkness and light, Sister Ulrich rejoices in the truth that we worship a being who is the Great Creator — and reminded me that as children of Heavenly Parents, we have the seeds of godliness in us. We have the power and potential to create.

“The temple and the scriptures tutor us in our godlike capacity to create…. Gratefully, the creation story reminds me that, even for God, creation proceeds in steps, with alternating periods of pondering from a cerebral distance and descending into the chaos to get our hands dirty…. We spend much of our creative time in the dark. And we need help from others along the way….”

God really got my attention with this statement, though:

“Some people become fascinated with [or mentally stuck in] the dark side and focus too much on the inevitability of overwhelming struggle, forgetting there even is Day. They may have learned by hard experience to be suspicious of of hope, proactivity, and vision for fear of disappointment.” (p. 84)

This described my current rut (and really, some of my lifelong mental marquis messsages) to a T! But rather than try to talk me out of the darkness I was feeling, Sister Ulrich (or, better said, the Lord, “The Generous One,” through her) gently urged me to trust my process, a process that of necessity does include some darkness:

“While we accept the rhythms of light and dark in the natural world, we tend to resist our own dark hours of descent, trying to always stay above it all, in control, happy, knowledgeable, and safe. But darkness is an inevitable starting point. Darkness can give depth and grounding to our souls and our creativity. In fact, even after the Lord brings light to the earth, light and dark alternate in regular rhythms throughout its existence — and ours. We are meant to spend some time here in the dark.” (p. 86)

The Lord also He let me know that it’s ok to need others’ help in the dark:

“But most of us get nervous in the dark. We need others to go with us when the darkness is vast and the elements unstable so we don’t get lost out there. ” (p. 86)

No wonder He inspired me to visit my friend.

As I sat on my couch reading some of these passages from Wendy Ulrich’s book to my friend, and as we discussed the principle of creativity, suddenly Elder Sterling W. Sill’s 1971 talk was thrown into my consciousness. I sat upright as I grabbed my phone to read some of his words to her. And I was suddenly snatched out of my spiritual slump as I realized God was answering my prayer.

Elder Sill said:

“The purpose of the Church is to help us translate the principles of the gospel of Christ into constructive, meaningful human experience,”

When I’m in my dark place, not a lot of my experience feels meaningful. Elder Sill gives a warning very similar to what I had read in Sister Ulrich’s book:

“Because we draw so much from the rebellion, weakness, and evil with which we are surrounded, we tend to load ourselves up too heavily with guilt complexes, mental problems, insecurity, and mediocrity.”

(Guilty as charged. And he (He) wasn’t done gently calling me out, yet.)

“I recently heard of a man who compounded the problem by hoarding his mistakes. He often referred to the fact that his D.F.T. drawer was the largest file in his office. Someone once asked him what these file letters stood for, and he said they identified a collection of the damn fool things that he had done. Most of us are not bad people—we just let our D.F.T. files get too large.”

(When I read this the first time, I laughed out loud. With this General Conference project, I expected my primary purpose would be to look for prophetic patterns across decades, and because that is one of my personal passions, that is already true. But I was delighted to realize that there will be things in the messages from decades past that will stand out as different, and God can use those things to get my attention, too. Delightful — even sometimes disarming — surprise is one way that God reveals to me that He is at work in my life.)

As a recovering perfectionist (I’ve written before that I have been doing 12-step work for years to help me with my anxiety, perfectionism, and OCD), Elder Sill’s words were a good reminder to surrender my mortal weakness to God and let Him worry about that. My job is repent of sin, and to rejoice in goodness! — not to waste time and energy obsessing about the fact that I make mistakes constantly (that is what it means to be human, after all). (This is another important principle about which Wendy Ulrich writes extensively. See, for example, this April 2015 Ensign article, “It’s Not a Sin to be Weak.”)

God was not done surprising me, with Elder Sill’s words, though. His suggested antidote to the D.F.T. File has left me pondering more about how obsessing about my weakness or trying to fix myself gets in the way of a particular, powerful kind of gratitude.

Recently a group of bishops were asked for a report on their work. They were told not to discuss their problems, but to describe what they did better than anyone else. This philosophy of excellence was demonstrated by the artist Whistler, who once painted a tiny picture of a spray of roses. The artistry involved was magnificent. Never before, it seemed, had the art of man been able to execute quite so deftly a reproduction of the art of nature. The picture was the envy of the artists who saw it, the despair of the collectors who yearned to buy it for their collections, but Whistler refused steadfastly to sell it.

“For,” said he, “whenever I feel that my hand has lost its cunning, whenever I doubt my ability, I look at the little picture of the spray of roses and say to myself, ‘Whistler, you painted that. Your hand drew it. Your imagination conceived the colors. Your skill put the roses on the canvas.’ Then,” he said, “I know that what I have done I can do again.”

Then he gave us a great philosophy of success. He said, “Hang on the walls of your mind the memory of your successes. Take counsel of your strength, not your weakness. Think of the good jobs you have done. Think of the times when you rose above your average level of performance and carried out an idea or a dream or a desire for which you had deeply longed. Hang these pictures on the walls of your mind and look at them as you travel the roadway of life.”

When we recount the good that we’ve been able to do, the successes we have had, we can show a special reverence to God and to Christ, because They are the Givers of all good things.

Here was part of the answer to my prayer. It really is good to recount and celebrate the good in my life (and others’), and deliberately declare it good. To acknowledge the good in me and my work, boldly and specifically. Ironically, part of perfectionism is to be convinced that nothing is ever good enough — exactly the kind of mental marquis message Elder Sill was warning about!

(Interestingly, I’m just now connecting all of this with how Sister Ulrich invites engaging in a similar exercise at the end of the chapter I read Sunday. “Acknowledging goodness. Take a few minutes to consider how you created your life today….Which of the choices you have made today can you acknowledge as good?” (p. 98, emphasis in original) Again, God’s pattern of creation is instructive for us: At every stage along the process, He declared His work to be good.)

I have to chuckle again at how Elder Sill delighted me even further as he modeled what this kind of creative gratitude can look like:

Now I am not going to burden you this afternoon with the contents of my D.F.T. file, but I would like to tell you about some of my great experiences. Great experience number one is that I managed to get myself born.:

[He later quips that “In my own case, I didn’t find out that I had been born until quite a long time after it happened.”]

“Henry Thoreau, an early American philosopher, once said that we should thank God every day of our lives for the privilege of having been born. And then he went on to speculate on the rather unique supposition of what it might have been like if we had not been born. Just suppose that you had never been born or that your parents had never been born. Think of all of the excitement and opportunities you would have missed as a consequence. What Mr. Thoreau may not have known was that one-third of all of the children of God never were born and never can be born because they failed to pass the requirements of their first estate. And yet, every spirit child of God hungers for a body. We remember the unembodied spirits who appeared to Jesus in his day who preferred to have the bodies of swine rather than not to have any bodies at all.”

Just being born is a success to celebrate! But, of course, there are so many other ways the gifts God has given us are manifest.

After reading Elder Sill’s words to my friend, I felt prompted to verbally claim some of the creative things I have done in my life — even in the face of opposition. It felt powerful and good to acknowledge this divine part of my being. I am a creator!

[I encourage you to try this exercise. Don’t only list the ways you have seen God bless your life, but humbly yet boldly list the successes you have experienced that reflect His creative power in and through and because of you. If you are feeling brave, share it out loud with someone. I realized how powerful it was to use my voice — as God did — to declare my/God’s work good.]

I can’t end this (admittedly long) post (which is, for me, more of a journal entry) without sharing the interesting contrasting-and-yet-still-consistent principle that Sister Ulrich shared at the end of this chapter I read.

She writes about a time when she was in a rut herself — just recovering from a long illness, buried to the brim with a suddenly-increasing workload. In the midst of this time of exhaustion and overwhelm, the prompting came to make a gift out of wood for a friend. With what time? (She seemed to have none.) With what skills? (“I knew almost nothing about woodworking and even less about painting,” she writes.)

And yet, she followed that prompting, despite “all the ‘Very Important Work’ I would have to ignore and all the humiliation I would undoubtedly suffer in the process….” (p. 95) (Interesting once again to reflect how promptings really can come even when we feel distant or discouraged — often in surprising ways.)

She had friends help her set up a shop in her garage, teach her how to use the tools, and show her some painting skills. (Isn’t it lovely that the prompting prompted her to ask for help?)

In the process of vulnerably entering a space in which she had no prior success and no expertise, she discovered another delightful facet of the principle of creation, which was shortly thereafter confirmed by the words of two senior Church leaders. “[I]f we wanted to keep our creativity alive and our spirits growing, we need…to try utterly new things….”

She concludes:

“Creativity is not always about what we produce [or, I will add, what we do well]. Sometimes it is simply about whom we produce. Who would have thought power tools could be catalysts of God’s healing blessings and so much joy”? (p. 96)

I close with the words of Dieter F. Uchtdorf (for there is power in patterns!):

“[R]emember that you are spirit daughters of the most creative Being in the universe…We were created with the express purpose and potential of experiencing a fulness of joy. ⁴ Our birthright—and the purpose of our great voyage on this earth—is to seek and experience eternal happiness [or, as Elder Sill would say, to seek Great Experiences]. One of the ways we find this is by creating things….Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before—colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter….

“The more you trust and rely upon the Spirit, the greater your capacity to create. That is your opportunity in this life and your destiny in the life to come. Sisters, trust and rely on the Spirit. As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and helpfulness, you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you.”

What will you create today? What have you created or done in the past that you can gratefully reflect upon? What do you hope to be able to create in the future?

– – –

Here are the other bloggers’ links for this week’s reading. (As a note, we’re each engaging these talks in our own way, and sometimes we may not always all agree re: our interpretations of or experiences with the talks. So links won’t always imply endorsement or complete agreement amongst ourselves, but rather, they reflect our shared desire to become more familiar with past prophets’ words.

Good Timber Does Not Grow At Ease

LDS Conference April 1971 – The Sexual Revolution and Entertainment Media

“Satan” – Moral Agency and the Problem of Evil

Being Slow to Anger

When Thou Art Converted

Warnings from Warnings from the Past

The Adiabolist, or Jihad of the Heart

The General Conference Project: Controlling the Hulk, Believing the Devil, and Cussing GAs

58 years of General Conference: What can we learn?/Messages on morality, religious freedom, and the Sabbath from 1971

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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.

The post Thoughts about the Meet the Mormons documentary appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

I have a very dear friend named Deanne Walker that I admire so much. She is a woman full of faith and perseverance. Her husband Doug is her equal in all things. They are parents of 18 children. They have nine biological children and nine that they have adopted. The adopted children are from different countries: the US, India and China. Eight of their adopted children have special needs such as a learning disability, a drug baby, a Down syndrome, one with mild Cerebral Palsy, one with moderate  Cerebral Palsy, Amniotic Bandind, a severe heart defect, and emotional and sexual abuse. They just lost their little three year old boy, Gideon following open heart surgery for the severe heart defect. He passed away on February 13^th, 2014.

All of these children have been sealed to them in the temple for time and all Eternity. They are an eternal family.

At this time they have three married children with 3 grandchildren, one of which was born on February 19^th. One son is home from his mission and going to school at BYU. Their biological children are mixed in between their adopted children. You will find that the older children are always helping the younger children. I love to watch them during our church’s Sacrament meeting. They take up an entire long pew about 3 – 4 rows back from the front.  You hardly ever see them take a child out. They are a very reverent family. Their children are polite, kind to others, very loyal and loving with each other.

Recently, while the parents were with their little son at the hospital, I had the opportunity to care for 7 of their children. A few of them I know well. It was an amazing morning. They were completely organized and had scheduled times for their morning activities. When relating this to my friend, she herself was surprised that they had organized their day so well. They all had chores and the home was in perfect order.  The oldest ones in charge were just incredible. Two of the older children made lunch and cleaned up afterwards. What a joy it was to serve them and especially to watch them serve one another.

One might ask why anyone would want to adopt that many children and especially children with special needs. I think as you read their family blog you will see how passionately they are about caring for and adopting children. You will feel their desire to raise a large posterity unto the Lord. You will walk the path with them as they go through the adoption process in China. You will learn of their challenges when picking their children up on China. You will read of their loving care for their special needs children.

You will read about each of their precious children and the love they have for each and every one. Their faith and testimony in the Lord Jesus Christ and the Plan of Salvation is firm and steadfast.

You will read the emotional account of the last day with their sweet little son Gideon that passed away in Primary Children’s hospital after open heart surgery on February 13^th. You will read of their testimony of life after death and of this son’s purpose in passing on.  They bear a strong testimony of Eternal Families. You will be greatly blessed as you read and follow their remarkable journey in raising a family such as this.

Here is their blog profile information:

We have been married for 27 great years. We have 18 children with 9 adopted and 9 biological. We have children from the US, India and China. We have been greatly blessed to be trusted to raise our Father’s children. Each one is unique and has their own strengths. We love to be together as a family and support one another. I wouldn’t trade what we have for anything in this world. It truly is “A Wonderful Life”.

Here is:  “It’s A Wonderful Life”.

Deanne wanted me to also share the following links. She States these links are mainly China centered but they address things in adoption in general, like what special needs there are and adoption stories. Three of their boys came through a program named, Love Without Boundaries. They aren’t an agency but a nonprofit organization that supports the orphans of China.

http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/
http://www.lwbcommunity.org/why-international-adoption-still-matters-2

www.nohandsbutours.com

http://www.rainbowkids.com/

– – –

LeAnn is a wife, mother to 6 children, 30 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild.  She is a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She loved the occupation of nursing but most of all being a mother and grandmother.  She presently serves in the Jordan River Temple one day a week. She enjoys writing histories and pursuing her ancestors through genealogy research. She loves to enjoy the moments of her life. She blogs at Living Waters

The post It’s a Wonderful Life — a Mormon family and adoption blog appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

I’m not really sure how to write this. I only ever discuss controversial things with my husband because I know that he will still love me and not think worse of me. But my heart has been stilled and I think now is the time to attempt to find words for the thoughts in my heart. I hope that my friends are still friends, even if we now find ourselves in opposite fields of view.

I believe in love, that it is our guiding force, our most prized possession, and one of the most inspiring emotions. I guess that is why this debate is so close to our hearts. We don’t want anyone to feel hate. We want to give our love wings and not have to admit that sometimes our imperfect human love can be wrong. I have loved the wrong people in my life. Love in and of itself is not wrong, but can be misplaced and misused. Love can be a strong willed emotion and run away with our hearts.

I hold a strong belief in my God and what he has spoken to me. He has spoken to me in many ways and we’ve discussed many things. I also know that not everyone has heard Him. If I had not heard Him I would believe many different things than I do now.

So I can see how I would think if I did not know the things I do. I believe that all men are created equal. I believe that people should be treated equally. Equality is a sentiment that speaks to the godlike qualities in all of us. But I know that though mankind is inherently good, our knowledge and understanding is limited. We have been given wonderful gifts to be able to reason together and find truth in the world, but we have only found a tiny portion of the truth that is out there to be told. We cannot understand all things, but we must stand by the things we know and allow ourselves the room and the time to be able to learn the rest.

I do know beyond anything I can form into words that God loves His children and desires for them all to be happy. All of them. Every single one. I also know that he wants us to feel love for another and experience the beauty and strength of family through the sacred institution of marriage between man and woman.

For some of you those two concepts seam mutually exclusive, but to me they coexist peacefully. Please do not think that I believe that some deserve happiness and not others. Please do not think that I believe that some are more worthy of love than others. Please do not think that I believe that some should have more rights than others. Please do not believe that I do not understand why others feel differently or that I can not respect them and their beliefs. I believe that people are created differently with separate and glorious traits and wonderful but different roles to fill and challenges to face. Each is an individual and deserves to be treated uniquely, not exactly the same as every other, but with respect to their own challenges and successes, according to their own needs.

I want to love everyone. I have troubles sometimes, but the great commandment to love your neighbor as yourself is one of my favorites. It is hard to disagree with someone you love, to risk losing relationships with best friends, ex-lovers, neighbors, and friends because you stand for different things. But my hope is that just as I respect any person who stands up to protect and honor another person, they will respect me for standing for what I believe what I believe will protect my family. I have respect for those that wish to formally acknowledge the sacrifice of committed relationships. However, I have greater respect for the Creator who knows all truth and created all people. He can tell how all things work and I cannot, so I must rely on His guidance to navigate the murky water of mortal experience and cling to the truth I do know.

I know that families matter and must be protected. So I stand with the family, for traditional marriage, and for the divine roles of men and women.

I hope my friends are still friends. I hope we can stand for different things and still stand next to each other, that we can hold our beliefs and still hold each other in our hearts. We each must choose what we believe will bring the world closer to whatever heaven we seek. Hopefully we can still travel along with each other and one day learn from our Father just how this all fits and how much He truly loves us.

Monica Lynn is wifey and momma dedicated to making life beautiful. You can follow her adventures at {domestic artistry}

From the February 2014 Ensigns article “Get Informed, Get Involved”:

As the ways of the world become increasingly distant from the Lord’s ideals, members of the Church will find themselves needing to speak up on issues of common concern. President Gordon B. Hinckley warned that a small minority may “make their voices heard until those in our legislatures may come to believe that what they say represents the will of the majority.” He reminded us that “we are not likely to get that which we do not speak up for.

“Let our voices be heard. I hope they will not be shrill voices, but I hope we shall speak with such conviction that those to whom we speak shall know of the strength of our feeling and the sincerity of our effort. Remarkable consequences often flow from a well-written letter and a postage stamp. Remarkable results come of quiet conversation with those who carry heavy responsibilities.”⁹

Such a proposition may be daunting—to voice unpopular views and to stand up for our opinions and beliefs when others may disagree—but when we stand with the Lord, we never stand alone.

Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: “My challenge is that we join with people of all faiths who feel accountable to God in defending religious freedom so it can be a beacon for morality. We caution you to be civil and responsible as you defend religious liberty and moral values. We ask that you do this on the Internet and in your personal interactions in the neighborhoods and communities where you live. Be an active participant, not a silent observer.”¹⁰

The post How I Stand for the Family — by Monica appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

A news station in Arizona (ABC 15) recently did a four-part special showing the inside of a Mormon temple (temples are the most sacred buildings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). The temple featured in this news story is the Gilbert, Arizona temple. [An open house for the public will be held from January 18 – February 15 (see GilbertMormonTemple.org for reservations for free public tours).]

In this story, ABC 15 reporters talk about each of the main rooms used in every temple: a baptismal font, instruction (endowment) rooms, the celestial room, and marriage (sealing) rooms. They interview members and leaders within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for insights into what temples mean to Mormons. Hear a story, for example, of a family who lost a teenage son to cancer and how the knowledge of God’s plan and the doctrine of eternal families helps them find peace.

They get thoughts from leaders of other faiths as well.

They also talk about genealogy (family history) — and the free, open-to-the-public family history libraries available to anyone who is interested. (See how the reporter was able to find records of her ancestors as part of her report!) Volunteer missionaries can help people cull through the millions of family history records, even those usually only available through paid subscriptions.

They feature youth and their involvement in temple baptisms by proxy for the dead. They also talk about the youth celebrations that take place before temple dedications. This event in Gilbert will include 12,000 youth. Celebrations include singing, dancing, and cultural and historical celebration.

Speaking of celebrating the local area, even the design of each temple reflects a respect for the local area and/or history. In the Gilbert temple, the agave plant is a symbolic thread throughout the temple’s design, and on the temple grounds. Hear more about why the agave plant was chosen.

Thanks to ABC 15 for the thorough and thoughtful video series.

The post Inside a Mormon Temple appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

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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I’m sitting in my living room next to our lit Christmas tree, amid the cluttered remains of our family Christmas gift exchange. (We don’t usually clean up the wrapping paper for a day or two. There is a bit of a reason for that, which I hope to write about soon.)

I’m always a little bit sad when Christmas ends. It seems like the world just wants to hurry onto the next reason for sales and whatever else.

But I want to linger a little longer in the wonder of the season.

A couple of days ago, my husband’s extended family had a party. We gathered in Salt Lake City at the Church History Museum. Wandering the floors of the museum was part of our celebration. We also got to see the lights at Temple Square, which was fun (something I haven’t done for years).

But one of the things that stuck out to me the most was a passing moment: my sister-in-law leaned over to me and commented on a favorite painting of mine by Rose Datoc Dall that was on display in the museum store window.

Flight by Rose Datoc Dall*

It got me thinking. How often do we stop to consider what happened after the marvelous and miraculous Christmas story?

The event depicted in Flight came at a horrible time in the history of the Savior’s homeland, when King Herod had ordered the death of all children in that area. It’s almost too much to imagine what it must have been like to live through this horror.

Warned by an angel, Joseph took Mary and Jesus away from their home and the people they loved and knew — knowing what the fate of other children and their families would be.

I know most of us are likely already familiar with this story, but it really gave me pause to think about it again, to realize that really bad things happened to a lot of really good people. Children died and parents and communities in general must have suffered immeasurable grief, fear, and confusion. I even wonder if Mary and Joseph may have suffered through later years as they mourned with other parents whose children were killed.

When I thought of the story this week, I thought of the sobering message of it all. God did not protect other children and their parents from this horrible fate — just as He doesn’t always shield us and our children from hard (and sometimes horrible) things.

But He did deliver His Son and guide Joseph to carry Him into Egypt — so that Jesus could later fulfill His mission to deliver us.

The story of this little family’s flight into Egypt is a hard story, a painful story. But it’s also a hopeful one to me when I reach into my heart for my faith. It invites me to ponder more about God’s plan and His big picture, and urges me to seek for more of that kind of eternal perspective in my own life.

What events after the Nativity inspire you to ponder more of what God has done for us through His Son? What art inspires you in your quest to maintain perspective, faith, and hope?

*Image used by permission.

The post After the Nativity appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

I recently had the opportunity to read Sheri Dew’s book, Women and the Priesthood: What One Mormon Woman Believes. (You can read some of my reflections on the book as part of a series recently published at LDS Living.)

I should note that I don’t usually share book reviews on this site; we have made a deliberate decision to make this a non-commercial space. But I am making an exception for this book because I believe the doctrine of the priesthood and the doctrines that surround it are so priceless and important. I have long had a deep passion for the power of womanhood in God’s plan (hence the creation of this site!). It is my hope that sharing about her book can help someone want to do more to study and ponder “life-changing, mind-expanding eternal principles” (p. 10) that relate to and bump up against the questions that many people have about why Mormon women aren’t ordained to the priesthood.

In fact, one of the things that sticks out most to me about the book is that Sister Dew wrote it with the hope that “it will spur men and women alike to study, ponder, pray, discuss, and seek revelation for themselves” (again, p. 10) on doctrines related to the plan of salvation and women’s role in that plan.  (At the back of the book are blank pages for writing notes and reflections — a nice touch.)

Sister Dew writes, “My prayer is that what follows will either stand as a second witness to what you already know to be true or propel you forward in your own journey of spiritual discovery” (p. 14). 

For me, reading this book was more of a “second witness” experience. At the same time, the way Sister Dew organized and developed her ideas was not what I was expecting. As I read, I was intrigued and delighted by how her book invites the reader to take several steps back from the question of why Mormon women don’t hold priesthood office to consider more fully doctrines such as the reality of God and Jesus Christ and the Restoration, the importance of personal revelation, the eternal nature of our existence, the central role of motherhood in the plan of God, the critical place of the temple and its ordinances, and the importance of conversion (and more).

These are doctrines those of us who are members of the Church both need to have more deeply rooted in our hearts and need to share more with the world.

I would like to invite Mormon Women: Who We Are readers who are members of the Church to “join the conversation” (to use words from Elder Ballard) about important doctrines such as these. As Elder Ballard said in an Education Week talk earlier this year:

We need now for you women of the Church to know the doctrine of Christ and to bear testimony of the Restoration in every way that you can. Never has there been a more complex time in the history of the earth. Satan and his minions have been perfecting the weapons in their arsenal for millennia, and they are experienced at destroying faith and trust in God and in the Lord Jesus Christ among the human family.

All of us—men, women, young adults, youth, and boys and girls—have the Lord and His Church to defend, to protect, and to spread throughout the earth. We need more of the distinctive, influential voices and faith of women. We need you to learn the doctrine and to understand what we believe so that you can bear your testimonies about the truth of all things….

In the spirit of hoping to facilitate a little of what Elder Ballard has invited us to do, and in the spirit of Sister Dew’s hope for her book, I asked the publisher of Women and the Priesthood if I could give away a copy of the book. They have agreed to send a copy to one of our readers. Again, this is not my usual modus operandi, but I am excited to give someone the opportunity to read it.

AND the invitation I would then extend is for the receiver of the book to share some thoughts here (or on a personal blog or Facebook wall) about some of the doctrines explored in the book and/or to simply share personal testimony about the Savior and the Restoration of His gospel. 

To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment here or on our Facebook page sharing a snippet of your testimony and/or something you hope to be able to understand a little better by reading Sister Dew’s book.

OR if you have a personal blog, you could also write something there and then link back to it either here in the comments or on our Facebook page. (We’d love to help you get more traffic to your site as you seek to share your testimony with others.)

OR you could submit a guest post if you prefer.

The goal is obviously to invite sharing and discussion and testimony building about the doctrine of Christ, the doctrine of the priesthood, the reality of the Restoration of the gospel, the way questions asked in faith can lead to personal revelation and insight…. Let the Spirit guide. But join in the conversation!

Deadline to be entered into this giveaway is Saturday night at midnight, MST.

I am grateful to Sister Dew for taking and making the time to gather her thoughts and numerous quotes and teachings about such important, powerful doctrines. These doctrines mean everything to me; studying and pondering them throughout my life has enriched my life immensely. I look forward to hearing more of what you have to share about your faith and testimony, or about the questions you may have that you hope the Spirit can help you understand more fully. 

Warmly,

Michelle

Managing Editor, Mormon Women: Who We Are

The post Mormon Women and the Priesthood appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

I have been thinking a lot about the issue of Mormon women and the priesthood, and how some of my sisters and brothers in the Church feel that the only way that women’s worth can be fully proven (or their talents fully utilized) is to have women ordained to the priesthood. I’ve even heard it said that women are only getting crumbs at the table in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because they don’t have the priesthood. This honestly breaks my heart to hear women say. I can understand the desire for institutional similarity in roles and responsibilities, but I simply disagree with this kind of assertion about what women can and do experience in the Church.

Ultimately the Church is not about who does what, it’s about providing the means whereby we can access the power and blessings that come from the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

As I thought about this notion of crumbs at the table last night, I was reminded of a phrase that I love from S. Michael Wilcox: “What we must understand about our Father in Heaven is that He only gives bread; He never gives stones. He only gives fish; He never gives serpents. He only gives eggs; He never gives scorpions.”

And He never gives just crumbs. God gives the Bread of Life to all who seek it. The Master’s table is spread, and we are all invited to partake.

In the context of talking about the misperceptions about the role of women in the Church that are often perpetuated on the internet, Elder Ballard recently plead with us to “be cautious and wise to ever keep uppermost in our minds the simple doctrine and gospel of Christ.”

The doctrine of Christ is powerful and beautiful. And it really is simple. All who desire to partake of His grace may come to Him through “faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance of sin, baptism by immersion for the remission of sin, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end” [also from Elder Ballard]. There is no inequality in God’s eternal plan. There is only Bread. The reality that “all are alike unto God” is demonstrated by the fact that He has provided a way for all who are living and all who have ever lived to “come to [Christ] and partake of His goodness.” That goodness includes the peace of His power in our lives now, the grace to be forgiven of sin and covered in our weakness, and the promise of life after death.

And, as Elder Neal A. Maxwell once said, “In the world to come, to these, the most faithful, our generous Father will give “all that [He] hath” (D&C 84:38). Brothers and sisters, there isn’t any more!” (From the talk “Apply the Atoning Blood of Jesus Christ.”)

What does the doctrine of Christ mean to you? How have you felt the power of the Savior’s atonement in your life? How have you seen His power and grace in the lives of those you love?

The post On Mormon women and the priesthood: God does not give crumbs appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Well-Behaved Mormon Woman

Chocolate on My Cranium

Mormon Mommy Blogs

[Read the Proclamation to the World on the Family]

So far, here are posts that have been published:

The Prophetic Family Proclamation by Michael W. Towns

Glorious Womanhood by Stephanie Dibb Sorensen

Cherishing Our Individual Roles in the Eternal Plan by Laurie White

Printable of the Proclamation to the World on the Family created by Lolly Jane

The Importance of Family by Jimmy Lewis

Every Child Deserves a Mother and a Father by Amelia Summerhays 

(if you haven’t heard this young woman bravely talk for children about the rights of children, she’s worth a listen)

Confessions of a Fear Monger by J.

A Blessing at Midnight by Meredith

Sleeping in the Temple Parking Lot by Michele

See past years’ Family Proclamation Celebration posts

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