Reason vs. Faith

How often do we struggle with the reason of the world verses our faith in Christ. Its in our inherit nature to need reason and logic to explain everything. But in reality, God is not bound by man's personal knowledge and understanding.

Think for a second about this struggle.

Moses struggled with it on his seemingly suicide mission. He lead the Israelites into the wilderness with the Egyptian armies on their heels. He was leading them right towards the Red Sea with no reasonable possibilities of escape. There is no doubt that him and his followers were struggling with the logic of their situation and having faith in God that he would deliver them.

Peter experienced it. He was fishing for days with no success when the Savior approached him and said to throw in his net into the water. He replied, "We have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing." This response is not surprising, for I would have said the same. How ridiculous was this suggestion. Especially coming from a carpenter.

Think of Job who lost everything. He never lost his faith, even when it was easy to.

Nephi showed the same faith. What an obscure request he was given by his father. But still he followed the request in complete faith with no knowledge of where to go, what do to, or how things would turn out. 

Tad R. Callister in 'The Infinite Atonement' addresses this topic. "Each of us faces the time when the powers of reason come in direct conflict with faith. All the logic, all the understanding of men may swell on unison, and there alone, in opposition, stands faith - unalterable, unassailable, unmoveable - the anchor to our souls. The tides of trial can come, the ocean waves of worldly reason pound against our souls, the current and popular trends tug with all their mighty sway, but there unmoved, unfazed, unharmed is the soul that is anchored by faith."

Love, 

Jm

"O world, thou choosest not the better part!

It is not wisdom to be only wise,

And on the inward vision close the eyes,

But it is wisdom to believe the heart. 

Columbus found a world, and had no chart,

Save one that faith deciphered in the skies;

To trust the soul's invincible surmise

Was all his science and his only art. 

Our knowledge is a torch of smokey pine

That lights the pathway but one step ahead

Across a void of mystery and dread. 

Bid, then, the tender light of faith to shine

By which alone the mortal heart is led

Unto the thinking of the thought divine."

- Philosopher George Santayana

Be Brave and Give In

One of my favorite bible stories is of Peter and Christ when Peter was walking on the Sea of Galilee and started to sink and Christ grabbed his hand to lift him back up. Usually we look at this story as a lack of faith on Peter's part. But after reading the book When You Can't Do It Alone by Brent L. Top, it opened my eyes more to the story. Brent L. Top says, "The focus should not be on Peter's sinking but on Christ's lifting". He then continues on later stating, "What a great learning experience for Peter and each of us. When walking on water by yourself, you will always sink, but when you focus on Christ, take hold of His outstretched hand of grace, and walk with Him, you cannot fail."

How true is this? How many times do we try to walk on water, think we can do it all on our own, and then end up drowning? I know I try too many times. Or how many times do you think the Savior has stood there in hopes we would reach up, when we just end up drowning... probably more than we know. I believe even multiple times a day.

Every time, we need to do all we can and then leave it up to the Lord. Some see this as a weakness of 'giving in' when in reality it is not. It is a way of courage. Giving in and giving it all up to the Lord is a way to exercise and show your faith in him. It is the key that unlocks the door of divine help and intervention.

How many times a day can we look to him and let him lift us up, like really look and let him lift?

With love,
jm

"For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned. It is in dying that we are born to eternal life." St. Francis of Assisi

Some Sweet Advice

Just some advice from this young genious. Listen intently and open your heart to what he has to say. ;)

http://youtu.be/l5-EwrhsMzY

Love,

Jm

“Don’t stop believing, unless your dream is stupid… then get a better dream and keep going, keep going, keep going…” - The Kid President

“If everybody’s good, then it gives the world a reason to dance… so get to it!” - The Kid President

God and The Laws of Science

I believe God works through and by logic and the laws of science. Everything from the creation of this world to how he blesses us have some kind of science and logic behind them. I believe that he is bound by these laws or ways of thinking. Just like how we are bound by the law of gravity and so many others that we face every second of everyday.
Stephen W. Hawking said "It is a matter of common experience that disorder will tend to increases if things are left to themselves. (One has only to stop making repairs around the house to see that!)" Life has a way of just going wrong. Things have a natural way of just falling apart. Hawking continues, "The explanation that is usually given as to why we don't see broken cups gathering themselves together off the floor and jumping back onto the table is that it is forbidden by the second law of thermodynamics. This ways that in any closed system disorder, or entropy, always increases with time. In other words, it is a form of Murphy's law: Things always tend to go wrong! An intact cup on the table is a state of high order, but a broken cup on the floor is a disordered state. One can go readily from the cup on the table in the past to the broken cup on the floor in the future, but not the other way around." How true is this?! I can't even grasp the idea of the broken cup fixing itself. It is just not possible. Because this is not how 'the laws of the universe' work.
John Taylor said, "These laws (which govern the universe) are under the surveillance and control the great Law-giver, who manages, controls, and directs all these worlds. If it were not the case, they would move through space in wild confusion, and system would rush against system, and worlds upon worlds, would be destroyed, together with their inhabitants."
This to me is proof that there is an intelligence running everything. A god-like being that created this world and still has his hand in it now. The laws of science prove it. There would be no way that we could be created, with the great lives we have, with the knowledge and possibilities we have right now and in this moment. It just is not possible.

With love,
jm

"This disorder, or condition of progressive randomness, would proceed uninterrupted unless there were an intelligent, powerful force in the universe that could somehow reverse this natural course." - Tad R. Callister; The Infinite Atonement

The Complete Realist

One hang up a lot of people have about Christ and His Atonement is the idea that he did not struggle with temptations because he never indulged himself in sin or even anything close to a sin. Then because of this he truely doesn't know how hard it is to deal with temptations. 

This is false. 

In the book "The Infinite Atonement" by Tad R. Callister, he states, "He was as vulnerable to suggestions and impulses coming into his mind from his mortal nature, a nature inherited from his mortal mother, has any of us. He simply paid no attention to those suggestions, and he immediately put them out of his mind. The ability of the flesh to suggest, to entice, was the same for him as it is for us, but unlike the rest of us, he never responded to it. He didn't ponder, deliberate, or entertain the sinful options even as theoretical possibilities - he gave no heed to them."

Hebrews 2:18 states, "In that he himself had suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted." And C.S. Lewis elabotates this statement. "No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you find out the strength of the German army by fighting it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives into temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to find it: and Christ, because he was the only one man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means the only complete realist." 

What an idea to ponder over! What an example to follow! What an amazing Savior we have! 

Love, 

jm

Pep Talk

Need a Pep Talk? Check out this little man. He is my favorite...

http://youtu.be/l-gQLqv9f4o

Love,

Jm

“What will you create that will make the world more awesome… nothing if you’re just sitting there” - The Kid President

“You were made to be awesome” - The Kid President

An Exercise and Opportunity for Greater Happiness

Something I have been thinking a lot about is the blessings we are unaware of. The things that we have access to, but maybe have no idea how to access them or maybe have no knowledge that they are even there. Happiness that we could have right now if we would just reach and work a little harder for it.

What made me think of it is this...

I have been trying to eat as healthy as I can and exercise hard every day. I have been trying to cut out bad food, or at least minimize how much I consume these foods (more than I have in the past that is). The results of being consistent for just even a few weeks have been incredible. I have more energy, more mental clarity, I look better, I feel better, I'm happier... This list could go on and on. It is just incredible! But here is the 'kicker'... I would never know truly how this feels without going all the way and staying consistent. 

Pondering over this for a few days and realizing all that I have missed out on (and what others are missing out on), I realized the parallels between this and the gospel. We really do not know all the of the blessings our Father in Heaven has in store for us. We could never know... unless we exercise faith and obedience to his laws and ordinances. Once we make the decision to go full steam ahead and stay consistent, it is only until then that we will be worthy to receive and experience all that he has in store for us right now. Ya... right now! He has many blessings that he is holding for you. All we have to do is ask, have faith, act, and continue to do so. I can't even imagine the happiness he has in store for me that I have access to right now if I just reach a little farther for it.

We truly will never know unless we simply make that decision, try, and... test it out.

See how it works, then expect results.

With Love, 

jm

"It should be no surprise that as we become more godlike we become more powerful. Knowledge brings power; purity brings power; love brings power. The acquisition of each divine trait brings power. Power and godhood are directly related...One of the ironies of life is that we acquire love as we give it away; we increase in knowledge as we dispense what we have. And so it is with certain powers. As we exercise power in righteousness, we acquire more power. As we exercise power in unrighteousness, we lose even more than we gave away." - Tad R. Callister, The Infinite Atonement

Ask and Ye Shall... Achieve Greatness

Growing up I was so afraid to ask questions in fear I would be asking a dumb question or just look stupid all together. But then I realized if I never ask questions, I will never learn anything and I would then literally sit in stupidity, never knowing about the things going on around me.

Asking questions is something that I have learned and am still learning to do. When someone speaks up about a topic I am not familiar with I try to jump at the opportunity to ask more about it. What a great opportunity it is to learn from those around me. Everyone around us has something they are experts at that we are not. We can learn something from everyone! How truly incredible is that?!

Joseph Smith was the "master asker", as Tad R. Callister says in his book The Infinite Atonement. He says, "His queries triggered the First Vision, the Word of Wisdom, the revelation on celestial marriage, the vision on the three degrees of glory, and in truth, almost every other notable revelation in this dispensation."

Oh how true is this? If it was not for Joseph Smith inquiring about which church he should join, acting upon what the scriptures teach by asking in prayer, we would not have the knowledge of the church that we do now! My life would be completely different!

Think of someone great... Aristotle, Isaac Newton, Einstein, Da Vinci, etc. ALL of these people asked questions. They all had questions about the things going on around them and they all achieved greatness by asking questions and chasing after the answers.

The beginning of our greatness is simply in this idea... ask questions and you will gain knowledge. There is no doubt about it.

Love,
jm

"Take those chances and you can achieve greatness, whereas if you go conservative, you'll never know."
-Danica Patrick

"To avoid critisim say nothing, do nothing, be nothing." -Aristotle

Why seek after these things?

Have you ever wondered why we should learn of the church, men and women in history, or something even as simple as health or math?

In Tad R. Callister's book The Infinite Atonement he explains the answer to this question. He says, "With increased vision can come increased motivation."

Along with this statement he includes a story about Florence Chadwick who had swam the English Channel. The water was freezing and the fog was thick. She recalls on her experience swimming the English Channel and explains how thick the fog was. Close to her destination she almost quit. She stopped swimming and looked up at her father in a nearby boat to take his hand and turn herself in. He then pointed to the shore, which was not far away. With that vision and new motivation, she then became the first woman to swim the English Channel.

How many things can we learn of that we do not know about? How many things can we become more familiar with to ease the pain or anxiety of it or the responsibility that comes with it? How many times have we missed an opportunity to learn of something, and because we did not, we were left with only anxiety for it or with no motivation to move forward?

If we learn of something, reflect upon it, study it, and embrace it then we will only grow closer to it and grow a love for it.

Going back to Callister's book, he parallels this to the Savior. If we learn of the Savior we will grow more love and motivation to become like him. Becoming like him will be easier for us. And isn't that the ultimate goal? To become like Him and obtain salvation to then be able to live with him again?

Love,
jm

"We become like those things we habitually love and admire. And thus, as we study Christ's life and live his teachings, we become more like him." -Tad R. Callister

Do YOU trust God?

The book of scriptures are amazing things! They are words written and handed down over centuries that were meant for us and our day. How incredible is that? How can someone not believe in God after witnessing a book such as the Bible or Book of Mormon? To me there is no way.

I love the scriptures so much and everything that they bring. I especially love the Doctrine and Covenants for they are written for our day as well! and... usually a little easier to understand.

D&C 84 has some good insight on the priesthood and those who receive it. It reads:

"And also all they who receive this priesthood receive me, saith the Lord; For he that receiveth my servantsreceiveth me; and he that receivethme receiveth my Father; and he thatreceiveth my Father receiveth my Father's kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him. And this is according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood. Therefore, all those whoreceive the priesthood, recieve this oath and covenant of my Father."

I have italicized words Sister Dew points out. In "The Beginning of Better Days: Divine Instruction to Women from The Prophet Joseph Smith" she shows how many times also all they andreceive is mentioned. She said that all they seems to be talking not only to the men, but to women as well. Then, along side that, the wordreceive usually means "to obtain", but in the scriptures it can also mean "to believe" or "to accept as truth". For example when the Lord spoke to the Nephites he said, "I came unto my own, and my own received me not".

Sister Dew then explains her feelings on the possibility of this meaning:

"As I pondered the secondary definition of receive, I found myself wondering if the promises of D&C 84:35-40 might refer not only to those who receive the priesthood through ordination but also to those who receive it by believing that the priesthood is the power of God, by accepting the manner in which the Lord has organized His kingdom, by sustaining those who hold priesthood keys, and by honoring priesthood power as the power of God. If so then is it possible that the blessings of the oath and covenant of the priesthood are efficacious in the lives of both men and women?"

I believe it is! We have access to all the blessings that the priesthood has in store for us. Even if we do not have a worthy priesthood holder in our house, that does not mean that we do not have the literal priesthood, meaning the power of God, in our home.

The men who hold the priesthood hold the keys to exercise the powers of God. They hold the keys to unlock this priesthood power. Just because us, as women, do not hold these keys does not mean we are denied access to all of the blessings it has in store for us.

There are still a lot of questions, I know. It is not a bad thing to ask questions. Questions bring knowledge and understanding. There are accounts of women and the laying on of hands in the history of the church. There are still many questions on why men can exercise these powers and women cannot. There are things we do not know and may never know in this lifetime.

It then becomes a matter of our faith. Faith in how He has organized our church and how He gives us revelation line upon line, precept upon precept. This is the way the church has been organized thus far.

The question then is: Do you trust God?

There will be times where we will be faced with questions on this very subject. The world is headed in a downward spiral and the worthy priesthood holders and virtuous women will be the only ones standing strong on the front line of the battle field. We need to know what to say and how to act when those times arise.

This is the time to prepare.

With Love,
jm


"Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things that ye should do. Wherefore now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock;...For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do." 2 Nephi 32:3-5

"I am a Mormon Because I am a Feminist"

In the church the fact that women cannot hold the priesthood has been a hot topic lately. The world is changing and equality among men and women is becoming more intense.

I would like to share one of my most favorite articles with you. My husband shared this with me before we were married and I can't but help myself to pass it along.

Where ever you stand on this subject I believe this article by Dr. Valerie Hudson Cassler will become of some interest to you. You will be fascinated by the way the roles for men and woman are played out and examined. It will open your eyes. I guarantee it.


"I am a Mormon Because I am a Feminist"
http://mormonscholarstestify.org/1718/valerie-hudson-cassler


With Love,
jm

Women and The Priesthood

It has been a big topic in the church and media recently regarding women and the priesthood. There have been a lot of women fighting for more equality within the church, and with Sheri Dew being such a strong exemplar for women in the church it would seem fit to have her discuss the topic of women and our roles. She just came out with a new book called "Women and The Priesthood" and I am excited to say it has been added to my to read list! ;)

In "The Beginning of Better Days: Divine Instruction to Women from The Prophet Joseph Smith", Sheri Dew explains how women of the church have complete access to the priesthood.

I first want to highlight what Sister Dew explains in "The Beginning of Better Days" as the proper way to define the priesthood. She explains that the priesthood is God's power which heals wounds, cleanses from sin, comforts, heals the sick, and so on. At one time or another all of us women have prayed for these things and have received answers to those prayers.

Also, think of the power which comes in the gifts we have been given. The gifts our patriarchal blessings talk about and the gifts that others say that we have. We have been given so many and to each of us different ones.

Bruce R. McConkie states, "Where spiritual things are concerned, as pertaining to all of the gifts of the Spirit, with reference to the receipt of revelation, the gaining of testimonies, the seeing of visions, in all matters that pertain to godliness and holiness and which are brought to pass as a result of personal righteousness-in all these things men and women stand in a position of absolute equality before the Lord."

Aren't those gifts from God? Gifts that work within God's power? And if the priesthood is literally "the power of God Himself", then aren't we working with the powers of the priesthood?

Joseph Smith taught, "While the sisters have not been given the Priesthood,...that does not mean that the Lord has not given unto them authority. Authority and Priesthood are two different things. A person may have authority given to him, or a sister to her, to do certain things in the Church that are binding and absolutely necessary for our salvation, such as the work our sisters do in the House of the Lord."

Sister Dew goes on explaining how it is incorrect to say, "We would like to thank the priesthood for setting up the chairs" or "I'm so grateful to have the priesthood in my home". She says these statements do not do the priesthood justice, for the priesthood is not the men in our church, it is the power of God. We need to keep this in mind.

Just think, every man in the church has to hold the priesthood in order to have a calling, attend the temple, etc. Women do not. Us women have been blessed with other enate gifts such as charity, love, and a natural need to nurture. Most of these gifts come so naturally for us and they benefit us and others in so many ways.

Boyd K. Packer said, "however much priesthood power and authority the men may possess-however much wisdom and experience they may accumulate-the safety of the family, the integrity of the doctrine, the ordinances, the covenants, indeed the future of the church, rests equally upon the women."

And to end, all I can do is quote Sister Dew because she says it so beautifully: "Gender is not, and has never been, a qualifier for receiving the blessings of priesthood power."

With Love,
jm


"Neglect not the gift that is within thee." 1 Timothy 4:14

"For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God. To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby." D&C 46:11-12

Becoming Our Husband's Solace

This photo below is one of my most favorite things EVER! I find it so adorable. Or maybe it is just because I am in love with the 1950's. I dream of becoming the cute house wife Doris Day portrays in all of her movies.



After reading this I think of how different times have changed since then... We now have women standing up for more women equality, women fighting for the priesthood, gay marriages, and so much more. Women are now working more than men and it is very seldom you see a full 'traditional' family with a mother and a father with children from the same set of parents. Times are much different.

The reason I love this newspaper clipping so much is not only to see how things have changed in 50+ years, but also to see something else...

How much of an opportunity we have to serve our husbands.

The clipping above might be a bit extreme, but I believe there is nothing better that can uplift a husband's spirit than to have his own wife serve him with love.

Joseph Smith said, "Treat (your husbands) with mildness and affection. When a man is borne down with trouble, when he is perplexed, if he can meet a smile, not an argument, if he can meet with mildness, it will calm down his soul and soothe his feelings. When the mind is going to despair, it needs a solace."

We as wives can be our husbands solace. We are the ones preparing the home to be a temple. We are the peacemakers of our home. We are the the ones who have prepared our homes to be a place for love and we have the power to make it how we would like it.

In "The Beginning of Better Days: Divine Instruction to Women from the Prophet Joseph Smith", Sister Pearce says, "In our society, men often feel constrained to always seem strong, to never look as if they feel inadequate, to talk as if no mountain is too steep or too difficult. But in the sacredness of a covenant relationship, a man's perplexities and troubles-even despair-can find expression. And it is our supreme privilege to reassure, support, and offer our undying love and loyalty."

Times have definitely changed since the 1950's, but the covenants we have made and the love we need to show our husbands have stayed the same.

With Love,
jm


"Wherefore, lift up they heart and rejoice, and cleave unto the covenants which thou hast made. Continue in the spirit of meekness, and beware of pride. Let they soul delight in thy husband, and the glory which shall come upon him." D&C 25:13-14

Creating 'Joyful' and 'Productive' To Do Lists

We are men and women living in a fast paced world... are we not? I cannot even begin to explain how I have trouble slowing down. I have my to-do list and each task has a due date. I constantly run from one thing to another in hopes to get it all done in time. And I don't even have any kids yet... So who knows how I will be when I have other human beings to look after besides myself and my husband.

It is so easy to get caught up in the little things on our to-do list. My husband always says, "There is a difference in being busy and being productive." OH it is so true... I can be so busy all day long, going from one place to another, and somehow never getting anything important done. How can this be?!!

Something I need to work on is keeping the right perspective. Having an eternal perspective can be hard and challenging.

Virginia H. Pearce in "The Beginning of Better Days: Divine Instruction to Women from the Prophet Joseph Smith" said she "came to appreciate more fully the reality that we are each in a mortal moment-with a pre-mortal history behind us and a glorious future ahead". Oh how important it is for us to do so. She then goes on explaining how we should be more careful with our to do lists. How we should be more prayerful about what goes on them than helping us get it all done.

This opened my eyes tremendously! Every morning and night I pray for help to accomplish all of the things I need to accomplish that day or the coming day. When in reality I should be praying to be inspired on what to accomplish that day. For it is the day the Lord has given me right? I owe it to him to make it his day in completing things he would have me do.

President Henry B. Eyring said, "The promise to you and me in the last days is that after seeking God and serving his children with unwearyingness, we will come to know his will. The promise is not just that I will have the power to do what's on my list of tasks but that I will know what to put there. On those occasions when I have known what should be there, I've found myself glancing at the list as a source of joy, not anxiety."

What an amazing blessing would that be...?! To be able to glance "at (our) list as a source of joy, not anxiety."

With Love,
jm


"Nevertheless, it is now restored unto you again; therefore see that you are faithful and continue on unto the finishing of the remainder of the work-Do not run faster or labor more than you have strength and means provided-Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work." D&C 10:3-5

Happy New Year!

It would only seem necessary, on this day, to post my new mission statement for 2014 as well as the list of my new year resolutions.

Mission Statement - 2014

I am steadfast, immoveable, strong, and successful.

I have the ability to be consistent and balanced in all that I do.

I have the power to use all energy, whether positive or negative, for adrenaline

to move forward and be excellent in all of my responsibilities.

I am confident and proactive in every task I encounter.

I will give it my all. Then, once I have given my all, I will give more.

I will take every day as a new and glorious day that is filled with light, excitement, and possibility.

I choose to be happy and I will hold on my way.

New Year Resolutions - 2014

* Read 30 Minutes Every Day

* Read Two Non-Fiction Books a Month

* Wake Up Every Week Day at 6:30am

*Make Frequent Phone Calls to Family and Friends

* Make Birthday Phone Calls

Now, it is your job to hold me accountable. ;) 

With Love, 

jm

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments." -Jim Rohn