For my soul delighteth in plainness; for after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men. For the Lord God giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding. -2 Nephi 31:3

One of the things that is amazing about the work of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that the scriptures and teachings of living prophets are translated into so many different languages, and that missionaries are serving around the world, learning to speak the native tongues of the people among whom they serve. To me, this is a fulfillment of prophecy that the Lord’s anointed would go into every nation, kindred, tongue and people and that He speaks to men in language that they can understand.

I also have a personal belief that this notion of God speaking to His children in language they can understand isn’t only about native tongues and language translation, but also about the many ways God can and does reach out to His children, based on His intimate knowledge of where each of us is in our personal journeys.

For example, I read a post last night from someone who left the Church for a time. (You can read more of his personal story in that post and in the links he provides.)

His name is Jeff. Jeff has since come back, and spends a decent amount of time sharing about the snares that caught him and kept him away from the Church.

He also talks about what helped him come to himself.

“I began to read Hayek, MacIntyre, Rorty and Gouldner…. I wrote [thoughts] in a moleskin notebook that I kept with me at all times.”

These are names with which I am not familiar, because I do not speak the language of philosophy. But God knew that my friend does.

“Hayek chipped away at my welfare liberal convictions, MacIntyre shook my confidence in modernity, Rorty undermined my scientism and Gouldner exposed the dark side of my intellectualism.  These all set the stage for a reevaluation of my reasons for leaving the church.”

I do not know what it is like to leave the Church but I do know what it is like to feel God’s loving arms reaching out to me through a variety of means, including the works and words of those who are not of my faith (and perhaps sometimes of no faith at all). I have also witnessed God’s hand in others’ lives through so many means that, at the moment, may not include the fullness of the restored gospel.

I believe wholeheartedly in the restored gospel and in the Church. But I’ve also become more willing to see that God is the One who guides each person’s journey. If now is not the time for the gospel in their lives, just as He did with Jeff, He will work in His own way and time — and in a language they can understand — to reach and teach them.

I share these thoughts for two reasons. One is that I know that there are many who have loved ones who have left the Church and/or are struggling with it. Please don’t dismay. He is mindful of them, and will reach out to them as much as they will let Him, in a way that they can understand that will only reflect how personally He knows them.

Secondly, I know there are some who at times may struggle with language used in gospel/Church teaching. I have had my own challenges with this over the years, strong testimony notwithstanding.

I wonder if those of us who grew up in the Church might be particularly susceptible to this. Sometimes unhealthy patterns of thought and behavior can be intertwined with gospel language. As such, at least in my experience, it can sometimes be difficult to tease out what is truth and what is tradition of the fathers or culture or unhealthy personal thought patterns that no one ever knew to help redirect.

For me, for example, somehow I internalized a view of a God who is mean and vengeful. I was always an obedient, “good” child and I think I thought I had to save myself through perfect performance. Some would like to say this is a Mormon problem, but  research is showing that shame and perfectionism are human problems, not just Mormon problems. (Thank you, Brené Brown!)

We are each continually being given opportunities to learn to choose between light and truth and darkness and error. And it takes practice. We make mistakes. That is why there is an Atonement!

And in the meantime, God will never stop trying to reach out to us, however we may be ready and willing to hear Him and receive His light and love.

I rejoice not only that God has restored the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth, but also that through people in various spheres, He brings light and truth to those who seek, in a language they can understand. Languages in fields such as philosophy and psychology and science and sociology and leadership and healthy living and myriad other spheres are incomplete and imperfect to be sure, but I believe there are people being led to light in a variety of ways, all that can play a part in the whole of bringing people closer to God, “line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little” (2 Nephi 28:30).

For me, in addition to the foundation of light and truth that has been part of my life because I believe in ancient and modern prophets, life-altering light and truth has also come through people like Beattie and Brown, Cloud and Townsend, Tolle and hundreds of people in various 12-step programs. (Hi, my name is Michelle, and I’m a recovering perfectionist, and yes, I do 12-step work to help me with my tendency toward shame and blame.) My faith is stronger because of people who are filling the measure of their creation in their professional and ministerial work, even as they don’t share my specific religious beliefs.

Whether you are someone personally seeking to better understand God, or you know someone who is struggling or who has wandered for a time, I testify of a God who will speaks to each of us in ways we can understand as we seek Him — and sometimes even when we don’t. He is always, always at work for our good and the good of those we love.

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In the United States, today is the day of LOVE. It’s Valentine’s Day! Truth be told, it’s never been my favorite holiday, but I do think we can’t talk enough about LOVE — and who doesn’t need a nudge to show that love to people they care about?

The title of this post comes from a classic scene in The Princess Bride where the evil Humperdink is faking love for a woman in order to get her to marry him and help him take over the kingdom. If you have seen the movie, you know how hilarious the scene is because the priest’s voice is so unexpected.

But tonight I’m sitting here thinking about how tragic the scene is, too. Humperdink has no time for the sermon the priest wants to give on true love and what it means to truly cherish someone else.

Sounds a bit like what is happening in our culture. It seems so much of our world has little time or interest in divine truths about marriage, about sexual purity and high moral standards, about honesty, about respect. More and more we see pornography pushed and peddled not on the fringe where it belongs, but in previews at wholesome movies, in stores where you buy milk and shoes, and continually through our TVs and various modes of product marketing. That normalization is now including mainstreaming what has to this point only existed in the shadows of society — violent, sexist, abusive sexual relationships. (Yes, especially today, I’m looking straight at you, 50 Shades. 100 million copies in multiple languages? Has our society gone mad?)

So I just wanted to put my voice out there today on the day of love to celebrate what love is. To me, love includes things like respect (for self and the other), honor, virtue (in marriage, too!), truth-telling, and truth-living.

Perhaps if we can fill the world more with pictures and words and videos and movies and quotes of what love really is, the counterfeits will be recognized more readily by more people.

So, what does “wuv, twue wuv” mean to you? I invite you to include a photo, video, or post through your own social media connections about what true love looks like. Of course, this applies to love in marriage, but can also apply to family relationships, friendships, and even the loving actions that exist between strangers.

Let’s celebrate true love today. Happy Valentine’s Day!

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This is a great thought from Clayton Christensen (renowned Harvard business professor, who is also a Mormon (member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Professor Christensen’s thoughts were recently summarized by Andy Proctor here.

“[Clayton Christensen has] referred to heaven as an immense library that was [and is!] full of books and that those books had [and have!] the answers to all questions. Yes, ALL questions. We just had to request the books and we could find the answers. He used this example to teach about the restoration of the gospel – that up until the time of Joseph Smith, no one believed that we could ask questions because they supposed all the answers had been given. So people stopped asking questions. And they stopped receiving answers.

Then Joseph asked.”

(For more information about Joseph Smith and the restoration of the gospel and the answers that came to his heartfelt questions, see Mormon.org.)

I’ve had the opportunity to hear Brother Christensen talk about this. He testifies that God desires with all His heart to give us answers, but if He were to give us answers where we don’t have questions, those answers wouldn’t have the same meaning and “sticking power.” We have the opportunity have to create spaces in our minds and hearts and spirits so that the answers have a space to be received and to stay and take root.

How often when we have questions do we, instead, turn to Google or Facebook for answers? (See Andy’s post for some stats that show the kinds of questions people take to the internet.)

The blog post author continues:

“When was the last time you asked God a question?

When was the last time He answered?…

[T]here is an actual library that you can go to and that there is information just waiting to be checked out or in our digital lingo, queried. We cannot ask too many questions nor can we query heaven too much. There is no heavenly query limit. No server downtime. No system errors and we all have free access to the largest database of information in the universe. Do we believe this? Because this is true. There is no limit to the revelation that we can receive from heaven.”

Read more http://www.thereturnedmissionary.com/heaven-is-a-library-check-out-more-books/

I know from my own personal experience that this pattern of asking and receiving answers is real. God hears prayers and questions can be answered. He gives some of those answers through living prophets and through honest seekers of truth. Answers often distill over time — like when you go to a library to do extensive research. It’s a thrilling process to discover how close truth really is when I’m willing to seek, ask, knock — and then receive and act upon what answers come.

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One of the reasons we are grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ is because the truths of the gospel help give us hope and perspective, strength to face the challenges of life. Enjoy these words of wisdom from Elder Quentin L. Cook, from his October 2008 General Conference talk entitled: “Hope Ya Know, We Had a Hard Time.”

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I recently had the honor to speak with Debbie over the phone for over an hour and we were able to make a real connection. We had never met or spoken before this time, and it was amazing to me that two women on opposite sides of the earth speaking about marriage, children, and faith can bridge the gaps in time and space so easily over the phone. I was impressed by Debbie for so many reasons, and I’m anxious for all of our readers to get to know a little about her.

Debbie started attending the Mormon church when she was four or five and her mother and sister were baptized when she was six. Her family was later sealed in the temple when she was seven years old.

Debbie is from Reno, Nevada. Her would-be husband, Mark, would come to Reno every summer to work for his uncle’s water ski business. After serving an LDS mission, he was eager to come back to Reno to work for his uncle — mostly because he loves to water ski. It was during this time he met Debbie.

Now, many years later, they are the parents of eight children:  a 22 year-old-son who just returned from serving a full time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Houston, Texas (USA), a 21-year-old daughter who is currently serving a full time mission in California (also in the USA), a 17-year-old who has an international driver’s license, a 13-year-old, a 12-year-old, a 9-year-old, and two babies at the end, ages two and one.

Debbie and her family currently live in Doha, Qatar! Her husband has worked for the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) since before they were married, and “loves the international thing.” When he first got his job with the FBI, Mark immediately applied for an international assignment, but he didn’t get an assignment internationally right away. In fact, it was after 18 1/2 years of working for the FBI when he finally was selected for an assignment in Chile.

Debbie says, “I was so scared to go to Chile. We talked it over as a family and prayed a lot. As soon as we made the decision to accept this assignment we had the great excitement to go. When we got there, I was scared at first. It took me about a year before I felt like I could make it. I had this view of learning the language that it would just be easy. I had seen many missionaries learn the language so fast. I just thought if you live there and are immersed in the language it would be so easy to pick it up. I have learned the hard way that it takes a lot of time and effort to learn a foreign language.”

But after living in Chile for four years Debbie came away with a love for the people. “Going to Chile was a magnificent thing. A fantastic experience! The best part was getting to know how wonderful the Chilean people are. My husband was called as the Bishop of our ward and so we worked closely with the missionaries assigned to our ward. We had the wonderful experience of teaching the Gospel in our home.”

While in Chile, Mark and Debbie had six children but wanted to have more. Near the end of their time in Chile, Mark applied and was accepted to work in Senegal, Africa. In their preparation to go to Africa from Chile, Debbie found out she was pregnant with her seventh child. The nurse who was administering Debbie’s shots in preparation for life in Africa felt uncomfortable giving a pregnant woman the yellow fever shot. After much heartache, they decided that it would be best for their family if they just went back to the United States so Debbie could have her baby there.

While back in the United States, they also had their eighth child. But, they knew they still wanted to work internationally after having such a good experience in Chile. At first they applied for a position in Estonia, but the position was canceled and then an immediate opening was available in Doha, Qatar. Mark applied, and got the job. They have been there for about two months.

Debbie asked her husband for a priesthood blessing prior to moving to Qatar. In it she was told to “Open your heart and love the people and you will be happy.” And that is just what she is trying to do. She loves all the diverse cultures of the people she is meeting. People from all over the world congregate there for business. Almost unbelievably, Debbie’s next-door neighbors are a Latter-day Saint family there with the military. They have two teenage sons and two children under eight, which is great for Debbie’s children — they have friends to hang out with.

Church is held in a large local villa, about 25 minutes from where she lives. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has rented the villa for  church services as well as midweek activities. Currently two wards [congregations] meet there. Debbie attends the international ward, but there is also a Filipino ward that meets in her same building. Her daughter’s youth leaders include women from the United States, South Africa and Nigeria, all currently living in Qatar with their families.

I asked Debbie if she had an experience she could share with our readers of a time when she knew God had answered her prayers. She thought for a while, and decided on this one. “When I was 23 years old, I had already been married for a while and had two children. I had been baptized and been a member of the Church since I was eight. I had attended seminary and read the Book of Mormon as asked. I kept hearing people say in church, ‘If you ask you will receive an answer.’ I just wanted to know for myself that the Book of Mormon was true.

“At that time my husband was working nights and so I decided that after I put the babies to bed I would read the Book of Mormon. The first night I knelt down and prayed, ‘I have heard my entire life that if I ask that I will know if the Book of Mormon is true. Please send the Holy Ghost to be with me and testify to my heart the truth of the words that I read.’

“I started reading nightly after I put my children to bed. At first it was drudgery but I thought, I am going to keep going because I need an answer. I felt I could not go on any longer without knowing the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon for myself. I continued to read. And the more I read, the more I couldn’t wait to read. It got to the point where I couldn’t wait to read after the children were asleep. After nights and nights of reading like this I got to Alma 32:28 which says:

Now we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good see, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves- It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea it beginneth to be delicious to me.

“When I read that scripture I felt my mind being filled with light. I felt that my understanding was being enlarged. I felt like my heart was filling up to overflowing with understanding. And every word began to be most delicious thing I had ever tasted. That was my absolute witness. Wave after wave of amazing joy lasted with me for a very long time. I knew that Heavenly Father really heard me and was giving me a testimony that the Book of Mormon was true and every word was His.”

At the end of our conversation, Debbie thanked me for interviewing her. She said, “About a year and a half ago I wanted to start a blog so I could put my testimony on the Internet so it could help other people. And now, here you are interviewing me and putting my testimony onto the Internet. Thank you for helping me do something that I have wanted so much.”

———–

For more Portraits of Mormon Women, please click here.

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My kids have a favorite Strawberry Shortcake book. We picked it up at the Deseret Industries [the Church’s thrift store — more info here]. It’s called Strawberry Shortcake and Sad Mr. Sun. The Strawberry kids write a heart-shaped note to the sun because he’s grumpy and hasn’t been shining in their valley for a while.

It says:

For days, and days,

We’ve missed your warm rays.

We thank you, dear Sun,

For all that you’ve done.

It’s been a trial –

Come back, and we’ll smile!

There was a while there recently when we had a lot of cloudy weather, and I didn’t really realize how much I had missed the sun when it came out. I’m a pretty content person in whatever circumstances I find myself in, but those couple of days with sunshine were amazing. I felt brighter, more ambitious, more perky. The kids played outside with reckless abandon. We walked to preschool. There was a spring in our step that was directly related to that dear sun shining in the sky. (Not having to worry about coats, hats, boots, gloves, etc. helped, too!)

It makes me think about my relationship with the Son. I think it’s very similar. I’m pretty content and upbeat by nature, but when I really focus on Christ and bask in the warmth of His Spirit, there’s a new level of happiness that I can enjoy. The great thing about Christ’s light, too, is that it’s available year round, regardless of the season.

So, if I could write a note on a heart-shaped leaf and send it to the sun on the string of a balloon, I would. Instead, I’ll refocus and show my thanks to Heavenly Father for His Son, and for this season of the year and this season of my life.

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Inside are our family scripture study materials. Every night at the dinner table we study the scriptures while we eat. It was hard to find another time when everyone was home and awake so during dinner time I pull down the treasure box from atop the fridge and we discuss one scripture a night. My kids are still very small, so I found that focusing on one scripture a night allows us to keep their attention and have time to start a lively discussion about gospel principles. My oldest daughter is seven, so we have her try to find the highlighted verse in the actual scriptures so she can get a feel for how to use the scriptures. I placed our scripture study materials into a treasure box to reflect the truths in the following scriptures:

Treasure up in your minds the words of life. D&C 84:85

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matt 6:21

Treasure up these words in thy heart. Be faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God, and I will encircle thee in the arms of my love. D&C 6:20

Right now we are studying in the Book of Mormon. I use the Scripture Mastery scriptures from the Seminary program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for our study material. I printed each scripture on a different piece of colored paper to pull from each night. This is what our study print outs look like, but the picture below is from the New Testament scripture mastery program.

Since my children are still small, they are very receptive to my husband and me teaching them the scriptures. After reading the scripture aloud, and putting the meaning into our own words, we ask them to think of real-life examples that apply to the principle taught in the scripture. I have been astonished by the wisdom and understanding of my children.

Dinner time is still crazy. Milk gets spilled all over the floor regularly. Somebody always complains about the menu and our baby is always climbing on top of the table to grab food off of a sibling’s plate. But adding family scripture study to our family dinner has helped us “feast upon the words of Christ” and has brought us closer together as a family.

Modern-day prophets and apostles have stressed the importance and benefits of family scripture study. Here are some quotes that helped me decide that family scripture study was worth introducing into my home.

Scripture study as individuals and as a family is most fundamental to learning the gospel. Daily reading of the scriptures and discussing them together is a powerful tool against the temptations of Satan. This practice will produce great happiness and will help family members love the Lord and his goodness. Home is where we become experts and scholars in gospel righteousness. President Spencer W. Kimball

Do you understand that we emphasize the teaching of the scriptures because they are the constant? From them we learn the purposes of life, the gifts of the Spirit. From them we learn about personal revelation, how to discern good from evil, truth from error. The scriptures provide the pattern and the basis for correct doctrine. From doctrine, we learn principles of conduct, how to respond to problems of everyday living, even to failures, for they, too, are provided for in the doctrines. Elder Boyd K. Packer

Never let a day go by without holding family prayer and family scripture study. Put this, the Lord’s program, to the test; and see if it does not bless your home with greater peace, hope, love, and faith. I promise you that daily family prayer and scripture study will build within the walls of your home a security and bonding that will enrich your lives and prepare your families to meet the challenges of today and the eternities to come. Elder L. Tom Perry

If you would like to read more about our beliefs about the benefits of family scripture study, please follow the following links.

Family Scripture Study

How to Make Family Scripture Study Fun, Interesting

A Discussion on Scripture Study – Elder Henry B. Eyring

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Something I appreciate about the Mormon faith is the constant search for truth. While I am not familiar enough with other religions to know how this compares, I’m encouraged as a member of the LDS church to find the truth and feel it in my heart. We are told not to exclusively rely on others to counsel and guide us, but rather to have our own personal relationship with God, through which we can receive encouragement and guiding counsel.

There is a constant reminder in the church to read our scriptures and pray daily. Some feel this is overly demanding or a source of coercion. In fact, I feel that reading my scriptures and praying gives me greater strength and access to God so that I can make decisions based on truth, rather than being unnecessarily swayed by misinformation (even if well-intended). In reading my scriptures I learn about principles that are true and that can be applied to life regardless of the age of human history. This is one of the definitions of a true principle, that it remains true regardless of circumstances. Our lives can become a real-life laboratory in which we can test principles for truth. (The following scriptures help us find and discern truth; Matthew 7:17-19, John 7:17-18, Alma 32:28, Moroni 7:15-17.)

Prayer, besides the obvious benefits, allows me to think through truths and their relation to what I’m striving to do in my everyday life. I try to make my prayers more than, “Thanks for this, Gimme that.” I do say ‘thanks’ in a reverent way, but try to thoughtfully consider the ‘gimmies’- to reason out in my mind those things I desire. Are they righteous desires, are they things that a holy God would want his child to have to further their growth? Are those things I ask for things of truth and virtue? If not, I shouldn’t be asking for them. This is part of discerning truth from error that is a part of our mortal experience.

Men can find some truth through the laboratory of life without religion but it seems a lot like driving cross-country without a map. You can do it, but it is much harder and takes more time. I feel that religion can inform you of truths that are eternally true. Truths given to us by a loving Heavenly Father who knows how the universe works and wants to give us, his children, help through life. His commandments are not just made-up rules, they are immutable truths through which we can receive blessings and learn. God isn’t up there just waiting to punish us, instead he is hoping that we will listen to him. That we will find the truth and live it so that we can be happy and successful in life.

As I learn more about life and the gospel of Jesus Christ I find that the truth fits together like an eternal multi-dimensional puzzle. I can find a piece of the truth in Sunday School, while talking with a friend, or while reading a good book (LDS article of faith 13). I don’t have all the answers, or pieces, to this puzzle right now, but I have enough that connect to build my life upon and have a simple view of where I am going. The more I learn about the truth, the better I see the big picture. 

Everyday I am grateful for a religion that believes in truth, that we should gather truth from wherever we can to make our lives rich and full. Our former prophet and president Gordon B. Hinckley said:

We invite all, the whole earth, to listen to this account and take measure of its truth. God bless us as those who believe in His divine manifestations and help us to extend knowledge of these great and marvelous occurrences to all who will listen. To these we say in a spirit of love, bring with you all that you have of good and truth which you have received from whatever source, and come and let us see if we may add to it. This invitation I extend to men and women everywhere with my solemn testimony that this work is true, for I know the truth of it by the power of the Holy Ghost.

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For more We Believe posts, please click here.

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