Many thanks to Pauline Colton for sharing this beautiful watercolor painting with us. Below, she shares some of her thoughts about the painting, and a few of the many scriptures that came to mind as she was working on this piece. We first shared this in 2009 but the image was not accessible. We figured it was a great opportunity to re-share. Please note the image is copyrighted, and shared with permission. More information below.

Alma 37:6 “Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.”

The greatest of all the gifts of God is His Son. Christ willingly and lovingly makes the blessings, the healing and the power of the atonement available to each of us. Only by small and simple means can I be in a position to partake of the atonement.

As I worked on the drawing and design of this piece, I had many scriptures come to mind. By taking note of each scripture as I recalled it, I ended up with six pages of scriptures. I categorized the scriptures by elements in the painting. Here, I include only one reference for each category:

1. Being partakers – Alma 5:62

2. Fruit – 1 Nephi 8:10-12

3. Tree – Revelation 2:7

4. Oil – D&C 33:16-17

5. Support for the lamp – Isaiah 41:10

6. Drop by drop – Deut 32:2

7. Light of the World – John 8:12

8. Light of Christ given to man – D&C 84:45-46

9. Clay lamp – Isaiah 64:8

10. Being invited – Revelation 3:20

<font=size=”1″>Copyright Pauline Colton. Picture may be reproduced and used for for personal, non-profit use.</font=size=”1″>

The post “Be Partakers” – a watercolor painting about oil in our lamps, the light of Christ, the tree of life, and more appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

I have been participating in the Mormon blogosphere for several years now, and there is a theme that shows up often that has niggled at me for a long time: It is that “Mormon culture” has this or that problem (which sometimes it does). Mormon culture is often talked about in context with feminist conversations/conversations about “women’s issues” in the Church.

I joke in the image for this post about green Jell-o, and in using that image I do not mean to mock or minimize the reality that cultural issues can have a real impact on us humans. It is the nature of our existence to be constantly challenged by such things.

But that’s the thing. A continued focus on the alleged problems (some of which, again, are legitimate and sometimes very poignant concerns) in our culture is that a focus on the problems only gives more power to those problems. In my view, when it comes to cultural concerns that concern women, such a focus risks making women objects, passive participants to be acted upon by the culture — victims, even.

It is something about Mormon feminism that I do not understand. You do not empower a woman by waiting for things around her to change. You empower her by teaching her truth that she can act upon and be changed by — regardless of what may or may not happen in the culture around her.

One of my favorite quotes that I think is relevant to this topic of Mormon culture is from President Ezra Taft Benson, former president and prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums [or try to change their culture]. Christ takes the slums [or the effects of the culture] out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature.

This is why I love being a Mormon woman — because the doctrine of Mormonism teaches us who we really are. (This is one reason why “Who We Are” is part of our site’s tagline.) Mormon doctrine teaches us what life is really about. And most of all, it teaches us about the Savior of the World, who enables us to overcome the problematic effects of cultural trends, be they general or unique to Mormonism.

Through His prophets, Jesus teaches us that opposition exists to help us exercise agency to be able to access His power to overcome the effects of our fallen natures and the forces around us. We don’t need to be afraid of or angry about cultural issues. We can transcend them through the Savior. And, the more women who are championed by Christ, the more change I believe we can see in Mormon culture and in the culture at large.

To those of us who believe in the power of womanhood: I’d like to suggest that we commit to not talking about the problems we may see in our culture without always, always talking about the truths of the doctrine of Christ that can empower us to not be victims to it and to be agents of change within it in ways that the Lord invites us to help people change…especially by helping people come unto Him and His truths, commandments, and ordinances.

p.s. I really don’t much care for green Jello. For the record.

The post The problem with (too much focus on) Mormon culture 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.

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I love it when I find out about Church resources from my daughter! She’s a passionate media follower and she introduced me to these videos that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently released several new videos that give some summary information about our faith.

What do Mormons believe? The video at the end of this post explains some of our basic beliefs. Following is a summary of what is shared in the video.

We believe in God, the Father, and that we are all His children. The reality and power of this doctrine is so simple, and yet it has the power to change individual lives and relationships. Simply knowing we are loved by our Father in Heaven, and that ALL of His children are loved by Him, is a doctrine that is an anchor in our lives.

We believe in Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, our Savior and Redeemer. Everything we do and believe centers on Jesus Christ and His role in Heavenly Father’s plan for His children. We know that it is only by His grace that we have the opportunity to live and breathe and learn and grow and repent and potentially live with God and our families again after this life.

We believe in the scriptures. We love and use the Bible (both the Old and New Testaments) and gratefully proclaim that the Book of Mormon is also a testament of Jesus Christ.

We believe in living prophets, in latter-day revelation just as in the days of ancient prophets where the Lord spoke to and reached out to the people through prophets like Moses, Abraham, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and then Peter and the apostles in the New Testament. (To read more about the experience depicted in the photo above, see this post by Becky called Meeting the Prophet on the Roadside in Gila Valley.)

We also believe in personal revelation — in being able to connect directly with God in prayer and to have Him answer prayers through the voice of the Holy Spirit and through tender mercies that happen in our lives.

We believe in seeking to follow Jesus Christ, to serve and love others. We believe in seeking to live what we believe. We know we aren’t perfect at that, and we definitely know we aren’t the only ones who care about serving others, but the bottom line of our faith, as Clayton Christensen explains in this video, is that it moves us to want to help others.

There’s a funny story from a talk given by President Henry B. Eyring that comes to mind.

I was part of the crew of Latter-day Saints who spent a number of nights putting in landscaping. I remember the last night, standing next to the husband of the family as we finished. He surveyed our work and said to us standing nearby, “This is the third yard you Mormons have put in for us, and I think this is the best.” And then he quietly but firmly told me of the great satisfaction he got from membership in his own church, a conversation we had often in the years he lived there.

In all that time, the acts of kindness extended to him and his family never ceased because the neighbors really came to love them.

We are encouraged, as described on this LDS Humanitarian Services website page, to be proactive about seeking opportunities in our communities to help and serve. (I didn’t know that in the U.S. one can call 211 in most metropolitan areas to find out about community service opportunities!)

What do Mormons believe? You can find out more about our beliefs at Mormon.org.

The post Learning more about the Church — What Mormons Believe appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

This video explains some of Mormon doctrine about the purpose of life, about the role Jesus Christ plays in God’s plan, and about our identity as children of God. Read more about Mormon doctrine on this topic at the following pages:

The Purpose of Life: Mormon.org

• What is the purpose of my life?
• Where did I come from?
• Why am I here?
• Where am I going?

The post Mormon Doctrine: The Purpose of Life appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

A few years ago as we were finishing up driving kids to school, my four year old piped up from the back seat:

“Mom, if I die, I’ll be with Jesus, and Elvis, and Donny Osmond’s dad, and Donny Osmond’s dad’s wife.”

It wasn’t a question — he had just explained with conviction what he had come to know (or always knew, or hadn’t forgotten yet) was true.

The Book of Mormon prophet Alma taught that same truth to his son Corianton in Alma 40:11.

Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.

I know how it feels to wonder what happens after this life. My first experience with death came when I was 10 years old. We had lived with my grandparents for five years when my grandmother developed cancer and passed away. I wanted to know if she was okay, if she was really in heaven as I had been taught, and so I prayed.

As I walked through our apartment later, I smelled my grandmother’s perfume. I asked my mother if she had brought home any of Grandma’s clothes or anything. She said she hadn’t. I knew then that Heavenly Father had heard my prayer, and that He had sent that little miracle to let me know that Grandma was okay.

A few decades later my other grandmother started talking about her family and childhood each time we would talk on the phone. I could feel her great love for them, and her longing to be with them again – they had all died before her.

Not too much later, she suffered a massive stroke, and we were told it wouldn’t be very long before she passed away. My aunt called me from the hospice, and asked if I would like to talk to Grandma – she said she would put the phone to Grandma’s ear.

As I talked to her, reminding her of her family, it was as if I could see the great family reunion she would experience on the other side of the veil that separates this life from the next. I knew that her parents, brothers and sisters, and the ancestors she had told me about were excitedly awaiting her arrival.

I know that joyful family reunion happened when she passed on!

After experiencing the death of his wife, Robert Blatchford learned this truth, too. He explained, “Death is not what some people imagine. It is only like going into another room. In that other room we shall find the dear women and men and the sweet children we have loved and lost.”(More Things in Heaven and Earth: Adventures in Quest of a Soul (1925), 11, quote by President Thomas S. Monson in “I Know That My Redeemer Lives!“)

In late August, 2005, our neighborhood was deeply touched by the accidental death of a small boy. I know it was no coincidence that in the unusually early September issue of the Ensign magazine President Thomas S. Monson reassured us of God’s mindfulness of those who remain:

God in His infinite mercy has not left grieving loved ones to wonder. He has provided truth. He will inspire an upward reach, and His outstretched arms will embrace you. Jesus promises to one and all who grieve, ‘I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.’ (John 14:18)

There is only one source of true peace. I am certain that the Lord, who notes the fall of a sparrow, looks with compassion upon those who have been called upon to part—even temporarily—from their precious children. The gifts of healing and of peace are desperately needed, and Jesus, through His Atonement, has provided them for one and all.

The Savior Jesus Christ gave us this beautiful promise as recorded in John 14:1-3:

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

In my Father’s house are many mansions: …. I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

At that beautiful family reunion!

The post That Great Family Reunion appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

I know this is the true Church of our Savior Jesus Christ and that we are led by a living prophet, Thomas S. Monson.

My story:

My life challenges started at a very early age. I was eight years old when I was first molested. He was a friend of the family and I had a child’s love for him. He broke my heart and severely injured my spirit. Unable to tell my parents, my trust of people around me was shaken. I became very insecure and frightened of life. When I reached my teens, my insecurities and lack of participation in school activities became evident and a concerned counselor started drawing me out and I felt comforted by his concern. But, once again my life was jolted when he betrayed my trust. One day he offered me a ride home. I accepted his kind gesture. I soon realized he had other intentions. We took a ride into the hills near our town and the unspeakable happened. Once again I was shaken to the core and afraid to go to my parents. I had no idea how to deal with any of this and so I pushed the thoughts and feelings deep inside. I didn’t have any close friends at school and my insecurities became overwhelming.

I started going to a neighborhood church and felt some comfort but still I had no answers to why bad things were always happening to me. I was convinced that bad things only happened to bad people ant that I was being punished. I met a boy who belonged to another church and we started dating. School became increasingly harder for me to deal with. When I was sixteen and my boyfriend nineteen I convinced my parents to allow me to get married. I was then dropped out of school.

A couple of years into my marriage my husband and I started having very heated arguments. We were both so young and immature. It became an abusive relationship with my husband using physical force. After our son was born, I decided that the best thing for both me and my son was to leave this marriage. I was more fearful for my son than for myself. Once again I was left with the thought and feeling that I was a bad person.

It was very hard being a single mom at the young age of nineteen. I started having severe migraine headaches that often made it hard for me to go to work, or be a mother. I started suffering with depression as well. I had long since stopped going to church, I couldn’t see the point. My friends changed and my lifestyle became one that I am now ashamed of. And soon drugs became an escape from all my worries. At least I thought so at the time.

Even though this was a time of spiraling out of control, I did meet a man who was stable and who had healthy life goals and was willing to be a father to my son, and so, we were married and a year later we had a daughter. I still suffered with migraines and depression. I was also still painfully insecure and that was a problem for my very outgoing, enthusiastic husband.

At some point all of these physical, mental and social challenges became too overwhelming. Prescription drugs and illegal drugs became a part of my life again. I was what you would call a “functioning addict.” My marriage of seventeen years ended and I really went into a tailspin. I became so frightened of life. I was completely convinced that my life had no worth.

Mid-October 2004 I tried to end my life. I was found unconscious, barely breathing and rushed to the hospital. I was put on a respirator. My two sisters, one in California, and the other in Utah, were contacted by my former husband who is a doctor. They have since told me they thought they were coming to bury me.

After five days I regained consciousness and was taken off the respirator. My two sisters were standing by my bedside. Both my sisters have been members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since they were in their teens. One of my sisters reached over the safety bar on the bed and laid her hand on my arm and asked me if I would like a priesthood blessing. At the same time that she asked that question there was a whisper in my other ear. Jesus whispered, “Are you ready to do it my way?” I knew it was Him because of how specific those words were to me. I also knew it was Jesus because of the love, warmth and comfort that fell on me. I have never felt such love in all my life! Such pure love! I said yes to both questions. Any questions I had about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were answered in that moment.

It’s my testimony that Jesus lives and his Atonement will make everything right. Heavenly Father’s love has healed me. I do not suffer from depression, overwhelming insecurities, nor do I feel like I’m a bad person. As my faith grows and my knowledge of the gospel grows I realize that bad things happen to good people. We are here to be tested. Our lives are subjected sometimes to those who choose to use their agency in a negative manner. When those times befall us, He will comfort us.

Before I was baptized, I worried about forgiveness. I worried about whether Heavenly Father would forgive me if I couldn’t forgive those who had trespassed against me. Matthew 6:14-15, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” I talked to Elder Hansen (who was the missionary teaching me and who would be baptizing me) about my concerns and he suggested that I fast and pray. I also talked to the local Relief Society President. Sister Hunt loaned me her scriptures and showed me how to use the Topical Guide and the Bible Dictionary. I took her scriptures home, fasted, prayed and read scriptures that night and the next day. I can’t really say that I had any earth shaking revelations, but at some point, an indescribable peaceful feeling came upon me. I no longer had any ill feelings left and I was able to pray sincerely for those who had hurt me. I then felt like I could enter the baptismal waters and enter into those sacred covenants and start my journey of enduring to the end.

I know I’m not alone on this journey. I know that I can call on Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, to help me through any challenge and he will give me the strength to endure.

—

Editor’s note: This post originally appeared on this site on June 12, 2008.

The post When Bad Things Happen to Good People: One woman’s journey to overcome the effects of abuse and addiction appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

For a visual snapshot of what topics were discussed (larger words were used most often) see this Wordle below. (For more word clouds from past conferences, see here.)

Wordle courtesy of Connor Boyack, via LDSMediaTalk.com

The post April 2010 LDS Conference Themes At a Glance; Text of Talks Available appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

I believe that there is a God.

No, it’s more than a belief for me.

I know there is a God.

Everywhere I look I see evidence of  a God.

I see evidence of God in the sunset. In the clouds and in the stars. I see evidence of God in the ocean and on the land.

I see evidence of God in nature. In seasons. In trees and flowers. In mountains and valleys.

The scriptures tell us that “all things denote there is a God.”  From the earth, to the sun, to the solar system.  (See Alma 30:44)

God shows that He loves us continually. He has given us this earth, and our bodies and so many other things. The greatest example of His love for us is found in John 3:16:

“For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

I feel the love of God and I know that you can too. Take simple steps to know God and you can feel His love.

For example, you could do these simple things:

*Believe that He lives and that He loves us (Mosiah 4:9) – Plant that seed of faith and let it grow.

*Study the scriptures (2 Tim 3:14-17) – Learn of the creation, the life of the Savior, His visit to the Americas and learn of His prophets.

*Pray to Him (James 1:5) – Talk with Him.  Share your day with Him like you would a trusted friend.  Seek His help and His comfort.

*Obey His commandments (John 14:21-23) – Learn what His commandments are, in the scriptures and from living prophets. And then seek to follow those teachings. Love God. Serve others. Be kind. Be honest. Be pure. Have integrity.

My knowledge of God and seeking to follow His ways brings me great comfort and peace and hope.  It can bring you those feelings too.

—

For more We Believe posts, click here.

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~by Kathryn

I asked my primary class to bring a family pioneer story to share.  I broadened the definition of pioneer to include any family conversion story. Twelve-year-old Paige brought her mother’s conversion story:

When my mom was in college, she went on vacation with a friend to Virginia Beach, USA.  While swimming in the ocean, they lost all of their cash in a plastic cylinder.  Fortunately, my mom’s phone number was in the cylinder and it was found several miles up the coast by a 10-year-old boy who was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS).  He was excited to find the 200 dollars, but he had been taught to be honest by his parents and Primary teachers, and so he returned the money after his dad contacted my mom.  Along with the money he included a copy of the Book of Mormon and a letter asking her to read it and pray about the promise in Moroni.  My mom didn’t read it at the time, but was very impressed by the honesty and integrity of this 10-year-old boy.

Three years later my mom moved to Utah to go to graduate school.  She met many wonderful people in Utah who were LDS.  They never pushed her to join the Church, but instead impressed her with their fellowshipping and examples of righteousness.

While working as a nurse, my mom met my dad who was in medical school.  He too impressed her with his love for the Church.  She finally decided to find out for herself what made it so great.  She took the missionary discussions, read the scriptures assigned to her, and prayed fervently.  She had always wanted religion in her life, and attended another church sometimes, but felt something was missing.  Now she knew…it was the Spirit!  Late one night she prayed, then sat in her bed thinking, and suddenly was overpowered with the feeling that she should be baptized.  It felt so wonderful to know for herself at last that the Church is true.

So my mom was baptized, and when the missionaries found out about the boy from Virginia, they urged her to contact him.  By this time, he was fifteen and living in Utah, so the Church contacted his parents and they arranged a surprise for him during a sacrament meeting.  The bishop [lay leader of a local congregation] told the story of the money, then announced to everyone that my mom was in the chapel that day.  A lot of people had tears in their eyes, and later my mom finally got to meet the boy.  He was embarrassed by the attention, but very happy.

I feel my mom is a pioneer because she was brave enough to move to Utah all alone, and because she had the faith to join the Mormon Church when no one in her family had ever been very religious.

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