Will Your Voice Make a Difference?

Will Your Voice Make a Difference?

My voice is for the family, the eternal unit in God's Plan. My voice is for marriage as God designed it to be, between a man and a woman. My voice is for keeping covenants made with God. Because I’ve entered into covenants with Him, it cannot be any different.

The Building Up of Zion depends upon my voice being in favor of the family. How can anyone join in The Lord’s Prayer, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done” while supporting worldly views that oppose His Kingdom?

Yes, there is agency, and rightly so. God offered us the Gift of His Son to insure agency. And currently, there is religious freedom in our country; but, it is fast slipping. Just as Satan did in our pre-mortal realm, he is doing here on earth. What’s that? He is trying to take away our agency and our freedom of worship by mixing up eternal concepts of truth and clouding people’s minds with a false sense of equality. All choices are not equal. And wickedness never leads to happiness or freedom.

While in heaven, a third the host of heaven followed Lucifer and became fallen angels. The very fact that we are all here on earth is evidence that we did not follow Lucifer in our pre-mortal realm of existence. We did not. We were not swayed by his delusionary tactics, but we trusted in our Heavenly Father’s plan and accepted His Son as our Savior and as the One who would redeem us through faith in Him.

Why has traditional marriage existed for so long and been the standard? Marriage is ordained of God and it always has been, even since the first man and woman, our first parents, were married by God in The Garden of Eden. Why has it prevailed throughout the centuries? I believe it is because we are all born with The Light of Christ, so inwardly, we know that it is God’s way.

Why has marriage and family been under attack during my entire lifetime, and why have the tactics become so charged strategically against the commandments of God and the traditions of our fathers? We live in a fallen world. But it is a world that has been redeemed by Jesus and we become part of that redemption when we believe on Him, accept Him as our Savior, make covenants with Him, and persist in striving to keep His commandments. Satan wants us to remain fallen and join his host of fallen angels. The time he has left to claim us as his is short. So his efforts have increased manifold. Satan’s lies of relative truth and equality have become rampant to ease the choices of the sinner and to seduce the valiant into a sympathetic stupor. Satan is using the eloquence of the educated elite to add sophistry to sin.

Malachi, as God’s prophet, foresaw the great turmoil that the world would suffer in the last days. He knew that strong opposition to the family would be prevalent, so the warning was issued, along with the hope of redemption:

Malachi 4:

1. For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

2. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

3. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.

4. Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with statutes and judgments.

5. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:

6. And He shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to the fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

The turning of the hearts in families has to begin with our acceptance of God’s Design for the family, with a husband and wife, a mother and father, the children being an added blessing sent from Him. The turning of the hearts to the family means letting go of selfish appetites and desires for the greater good of family, society, and our very physical and spiritual survival.

It is evident that the courts will make legal what they will make legal with or without my voice. But that will not make it lawful. Both scripture and time tested values bear the evidence of lawful marriage, commanded and ordained by God. No human has the power to make any other relationship lawful, even if they legalize it.

Will my voice make a difference? Will my voice be heard? My voice will make a difference and it will be heard. God will know my choice to keep His commandments and to support His plan. My voice makes a difference to Him, and He makes the difference in me. My voice will make a difference in my own circle. I have little control in this world, because everyone has agency to make his or her own decisions; but, that does not mean that I have little influence. While I have a voice, I will use it to declare my Savior, who will help all who come unto Him forsake the things of this world in favor for the riches of His kingdom and eternal life with Him.

“Thy Kingdom Come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Will Your Voice Make a Difference?

                                                 

Marriage is Ordained of God:
http://heidisommerfeldstevenson.blogspot.com/2012/06/marriage-is-ordained-of-god_09.html

Marriage and Family #1

The Family: A Proclamation to the World is important to me; actually, it is important to all of us, whether we accept it yet or not. I have felt impressed to write my thoughts and feelings concerning this document one paragraph at a time. In this post, you will read the first paragraph, as presented by The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; then you will read my thoughts concerning the paragraph, which support why I believe their words and also why I claim them to be true:

“WE, THE FIRST PRESIDENCY and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children (See The Family: A Proclamation to the World)."

As a Latter-day-saint, I believe in the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In saying this, I acknowledge that I believe in the following away that way prophesied by the Apostle Paul (See 2 Thessalonians 2:3), and in the restoration of all things as prophesied by the Prophet Peter, and many others (See Acts 3:19-21). I do not claim any superiority for my beliefs, and I value deeply my relationship with Christians and righteous people of all faiths that seek to follow all of the commandments of God, particularly as they have been taught in the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible.

Since I do believe in the restoration of the gospel, I also believe in the books of scripture that have come to us in this last dispensation: The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ; The Doctrine and Covenants; and The Pearl of Great Price. In all the books of scriptures, those from The Bible and those found in modern-day scriptures, we find the commandments of God, the plan of salvation, and examples of those who are blessed or those who are cursed depending upon their adherence to God’s laws, His commandments, and the words of the prophets whom he sent to the various people.

I believe in prophets. Whenever there has been a dispensation of the gospel upon the earth, there have been prophets. Adam, the first man, was also the first prophet. We know that Elijah was a prophet. Noah was a prophet. So were Melchizedek and Abraham. In reading the Old Testament, you will find the words of God spoken through many prophets. This continues in the New Testament. John the Baptist was a prophet sent to prepare the way for Jesus Christ.

There were also prophets in the Americas. Lehi was a prophet who left Jerusalem with his family and sailed to the New World. Many of his descendants were also prophets, and they testified of the coming of Jesus Christ, just as the prophets in the Old Testament did. That is a prophet’s main role, to testify of Jesus Christ.

I believe in the structure of Christ’s church, with Jesus Himself being the Chief Cornerstone (See Ephesians 2:19-20). "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13)." I believe that the keys of the Priesthood were restored to the earth again through the instrumentality of angels of God to the Prophet Joseph Smith and others. Today we have the Church of Jesus Christ again on the earth, with the structure of apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ being the Head of the Church.

With my belief in both ancient and modern scripture, along with my belief in modern-day spokesmen for God, I must and do believe in the words of our modern-day prophets and apostles. I also believe that God is unchanging, and His laws are eternal and everlasting. If He were to change, He would cease to be God (See Mormon 9:19), and this He will not do. From the very beginning, He commandment both the man and the woman to leave both father and mother and cleave unto each other and to none else (See Genesis 2:24). Adam and Eve were married, and since then, this has been the pattern. God’s law is that marriage is to be between a man and a woman. He ordained it to be so. I do believe and trust in this. But if I did not believe it, it would account for very little, because God’s laws are fixed.

I am thankful for the words of our prophets and apostles in these the latter days when there is so much confusion in the world. As we follow the prophet, we can find safety in troubled times, and we can have the ever-present blessing of the Holy Ghost in our lives to comfort, reassure, and sustain us. We are truly blessed when we follow the commandments of God and are faithful to the covenants and ordinances that we receive (See Doctrine and Covenants 82:10).

A husband and wife legally and lawfully wedded can be blessed to be co-partners with God in bringing His spirit children into the world and housing them with mortal bodies. What a blessing! While children can be born outside of the matrimony of husband and wife, this has never been the ideal, and aside from the commandments of God, studies have proven that children in a stable home with both father and mother fair the very best.

God has ordained it to be so, that fathers and mothers rear the children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (See Proverbs 22:6). As we teach and prepare our children, we and they gain the experiences that we need in order to become more like our Heavenly Father so that we can one day return to His presence and be like Him. Families give us the opportunities to put aside selfishness and work for the common good and progress of the group as a whole. As Malachi taught, there must be a welding link. Fathers’ hearts must turn to their children, and children’s hearts to their fathers (See Malachi 4:6). Since God sent His Son to be our Redeemer, it is our goal and purpose that this gift of redemption be available to all, especially to our own families, and considering that we are all posterity of Adam and Eve, to the whole human family. The only way that the chain can remain unbroken is to have God-ordained marriage firmly in place so that God-ordained families can continue.

God indeed has a plan for our eternal destiny. As stated before, our hearts must turn to our family members past, present, and future; the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers (See Malachi 4:6). Heavenly Father prepared all things for us to live together in family units while here on earth, designed after the order of His Family in heaven, of which we were all a part. God's whole plan, his entire purpose, is for us to grow to become like Him. Indeed, children naturally become like their parents. Our Heavenly Father's mission plan is found in Moses 1:39:  "For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." While this seems like an impossible task, with Him and because of His love for us, we can become like Him. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved (John 3:16-17)." No matter where we have strayed from the commandments of God, He invites us back; and we can again become members of His family through faith in His Son; repentance from our sins; being baptized by immersion by someone who has been called of God and ordained with proper priesthood authority; and through receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, also by one who has been ordained with the authority to do so (See Articles of Faith 1:4-5).

I personally know that these words are true and faithful. I know because of the many times that I have read God’s words and found harmony in all of His teachings found in various sources of Holy Writ and spoken by His prophets. I know because the Holy Ghost has borne witness to me that they are true. I know because I trust in the living prophets and apostles and know that they have been called of God and speaks His words, and His words are truth. You can know too; but, only through studying His words, living His laws, keeping His commandments, and asking Him in faith. Don’t hesitate. He loves you, and He will lead you aright.


Marriage and Family #1

Working on a Latter-day Saint Marriage

What does love mean in a Latter-day Saint relationship?

Because we believe in an eternal covenant of marriage, love means being true to our spouse not only after we make that covenant with him or her, but it means being faithful and practicing fidelity before we ever even meet.

Because we believe that we are literally the sons and daughters of God, and we believe that our bodies are gifts from him and tabernacles for our spiritual bodies and also for the Holy Ghost, we would never want to do anything to violate the law of chastity, which would mean that we are violating ourselves and those who we take advantage of outside of a marriage covenant.

Because we believe that a marriage should last forever, we do not believe that courtship should ever end. In fact, the leaders of the church recommend a weekly date night. On top of that, a weekly family night should also be in place to help develop and maintain the integrity of the family unit.

Because we believe that we are accountable to God and that our marriage covenant is a three-way covenant, we include God in the decisions that we make, and we act as equal partners in both our marriage and the rearing of our children. Because we believe we are children of God, we think that it is inappropriate to be sarcastic or cutting to each other; and we feel that it is expected for each of us to be supportive and cooperative to each other’s desires, needs, and wants. We strive not only to be our best selves, but to help each other be his or her best self. There is not room for competition, envy, and malice within a Latter-day Saint marriage.

Because we literally believe that we are to become like our Heavenly Father through faith and obedience and that we can become joint-heirs with Christ, and because we truly believe that the man is not without the woman nor the woman without the man in the Lord, we work diligently to be one in purpose, one in testimony, and one in our path to happiness.

Quick thoughts here for a friend who is gathering information. If you have any other thoughts, please comment. Thanks.

Marriage is Ordained of God

I love my family. I am thankful for a husband who loves me and tells me what a good person I am. A special thanks to my children for teaching me how to be a mom. It's taking me many years, but I'm happy with the privilege that I've been given to be yours. And even though it's taking me years, that's okay because we have the promise of Eternity.

I recently read an article somebody posted on Facebook. 

Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher

Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher live in North Carolina. They have been married nearly 86 years. Zelma is 101 and Herbert is 104 (at the time of the article). For Valentine’s Day, they were willing to answer some questions about their lives together. Because of their commitment to the Lord and to each other, divorce was never an option or even a thought in their marriage. They were best friends before they married. They have done what was needed for each other and for their family. To those who are losing hope in finding a marriage partner, they said, “He/she is never too far away, so keep the faith—when you meet him, you’ll know.” The best marriage advice is to respect, support, and communicate with each other. Be faithful, honest, and true. Love each other with all of your heart. Zelmyra said that her husband is a hard worker and a good provider. He’s a good man. They looked for ways to serve each other and they celebrated each other’s successes and shared their accomplishments. They grew together. Their most important reward is their legacy of 5 children, 10 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandchild. With their children grown, they enjoy visiting together on the porch. They have always remembered that God put them together on the same team to be winners. Marriage is not a contest. They learned to compromise and work together. 

In the beginning God created man and woman (See Genesis 1:27, Matthew 19:4-5). Because of agency, Adam and Eve were allowed to enter mortality and become our first parents. God ordained that they be married and that their union be blessed with children, even all the families of the earth. In Genesis 2:24 we read, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” The same scripture is repeated in Matthew 19:5. Prophets today have also repeated these fundamental truths held by all former prophets in The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Because they have the spirit of revelation and the testimony of Jesus Christ, they were able to foresee the dilemma that would develop in our world over the issue of traditional, God-ordained marriage. 

Adam and Eve were good, faithful people chosen by our Heavenly Father in pre-mortality to be our first parents. Like Adam and Eve, all of their children have been given agency. Agency gives us the ability to make choices within the constructs of law to which we are all subject. Agency does not give us the ability to choose the consequences which follow our choices, nor does it give us the right to alter God ordained law.

There are those who have and will call me unkind because I believe that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God. They have the sophistry of the day to support their logic. I have my testimony in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and God’s Plan of Happiness for His children. Acting superior by pretending to be magnanimous does not prove one believes in equality. True understanding must stem from having in place a deep-rooted belief system that although we are all children of God, He knows and loves us better than we do ourselves, and although He knows that obedience to His laws is what will bring us happiness, He will not personally impose discipleship. While He must certainly expect that His children also not impose obedience on each other, He most assuredly does not condone the repealing of His laws.

If the world was created, there is a Creator. If the universe is governed by law, there is a Law Giver. I believe that God is the Creator, and I believe that He is also the Law Giver. As His child and His creation, I have no power to re-create Him or to redefine His laws.

This life is a period of testing. It is a time for us to learn how to obey and to learn to walk by faith. It behooves us to do all that we can to strengthen our testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel so that we can help others to also walk by faith. It is only through keeping the commandments that we can gain a testimony of the sacred nature of each commandment. Obedience, or faithfulness, is what produces faith. We cannot expect the faithless to understand faith without inviting them to practice the principles that lead to it. But when one truly understand the promise of the gift of Eternal Life and that it is available to all, then putting our lives in harmony with God’s laws seems like a most favorable choice. I personally am in favor of conforming my life to His will so that I can receive the promised blessings, and I also desire that my brothers and sisters be allowed this choice. We cannot pretend that it’s all right to chase fabricated rainbows for non-existent pots of gold.

Because this life is a period of testing, we all have individual trials and challenges with which we must deal. We all have our quirks; we all have our problems; we all have our temptations. While it is true that God created us initially, he did not mean for us to stay in our infant condition, nor did He create us without the ability to choose. Within us are the seeds of godhood. One of the greatest gifts we have is agency or the freedom to choose. Each day we can redefine and recreate ourselves by the choices that we make, by our thoughts and our actions. To say that we are the way we are because God made us that way seems to be more of a copout than saying the devil made me do it. But life’s challenges are difficult, and we need to be loving and kind, and forgiving of ourselves and others. We need to be patient and we need to be accepting. We need to learn to embrace our brothers and sisters without embracing the actions that we know to be wrong. If we all tried to be more loving and accepting and less judgmental and offish, the world would spin ever more nicely on its axis and follow its orbit with greater ease. To some degree, we are all recovering sinners, in need of guidance, love, and forgiveness. It would be a wonderful thing to have our chapel filled with more sinners. The Lord didn’t come to call the righteous to repentance, but the sinners (See Luke 5:31-32). Because we have agency, we can choose our own attitude each day even when our challenges seem insurmountable. The Lord is always there to help us, and His hand is stretched out still. 

Testimony of the Savior, the Plan of Salvation, and Marriage that is Ordained of God:

I know that the Savior lives and He loves me, and He loves you. He has sent His peace and His comfort to me through the power of the Holy Ghost many times. I have felt His presence with me when I have needed Him here. I know that He is with all of us when we need Him, because He atoned for each of us and He knows and loves us personally. We can take our worries and our troubles to Him (See Matthew 11:28). He will sustain us despite our sins and weaknesses. He will provide a way for our progress and our deliverance. We can and should also turn to our ecclesiastical leader so that he can offer us help and direction in our times of spiritual need. When the dark of night overtakes you, look to the source of all light, Jesus Christ. He will again carry you through to the light of day.

I know that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God. We have the choice and opportunity to follow God’s laws and to follow His prophets. I know that God is not a respecter of persons and that He loves us all. I know that there are actions, behaviors, and choices that the Lord cannot condone, nor can the Lord’s servants. This is not because He and His servants do not love God’s children, but it is because they do love us. They understand His great Plan of Happiness and they understand the far reaching power and effects of the Atonement. 

I know and understand that there are urges, temptations, and attractions with which many people struggle. Indeed, none of us is free from temptation in our lives. I also know that the Lord has promised us that if we are humble and we turn to Him that he will make weak things become strong unto us (See Ether 12:27). Of this I have a testimony. Some of us may struggle with the same problems and temptations our entire lifetime, but with good attitudes and faith in the Lord, the Lord will carry us through, give us hope, and help us on our journey to become like Him. He has said, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for my yoke is easy and my burden is light and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:28-30).

I understand that many people have struggled with same sex attraction. The problem is very real, and many are confused about the choices and eternal consequences that are available to them. I do not think that I am showing anyone great love or proper respect by making them believe that same sex relationships are acceptable. I, in essence, feel that if I were to do this, I would be denying the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Plan of Salvation and Exaltation that are made available through the Atonement. I believe the Savior’s words to be true. We all must take up our crosses, whatever they may be, and follow Him. If we endure to the end, we shall have Eternal Life which is the greatest gift of all (See Doctrine and Covenants 14:7). Why would I want to deny anyone the opportunity for that gift by telling him or her that whatever lifestyle they choose is correct and acceptable when the Lord and His prophets have said that this is not so?

I am thankful that I personally heard and answered a prophet’s call. Make no mistake, the LDS Church did not write Proposition 8. The people of California did that. And the majority voted for and passed both Proposition 22 and Proposition 8. But when a prophet asked us to support Proposition 8 with our time and our money, my husband and I were happy to do so. We did not need to question if it were the right thing to do, because our testimonies were firmly planted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and in His restored Church. We did not have to take a new look or assess if we needed to take a different stand, because we know that the Lord said in His own Preface to the Doctrine and Covenants, “Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same” (See Doctrine and Covenants 1:38). We also realized that what the prophet asked us to do was in harmony with the gospel of Jesus Christ according to all the scriptures, with which we are familiar, and the voices of past prophets. 

Will we be asked to do the same thing again? I do not know. But I know that we will be asked to do things that are seemingly just as difficult or even much more difficult. Although many people of all different faiths made up the majority who voted in favor of Proposition 8 and who also donated money and time to this cause, many were offended with our Church’s involvement, among whom were members of our Church. (Some of these have used this issue to become disaffected from the Church and justify their choices to forsake their beliefs and disobey the commandments. Some now fight actively against Christianity altogether.) We need to make certain that the challenges of today do not have the power to make us feel conflicted too long, that they do not have the power to pull us away from the Savior. We have the choice to be humble and prayerful, to seek the Spirit and to remain faithful. 

What are all of us willing to do to make sure that we stay on the Lord’s side in these last days? What do you need to do personally? If you do not have a firm testimony of Jesus Christ, get one. Pray with all earnestness of heart. Read your scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon and the New Testament. Find out who Jesus is—He is your personal Savior and Redeemer; and He is mine. Once you know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and that He atoned for you, pray to know that His restored Church is true. Pray to know that Joseph Smith was the prophet of the Restoration and that Thomas S. Monson is the Lord’s prophet today. Continue to study the Book of Mormon and the New Testament, and begin to read and understand the Doctrine and Covenants. As you read this book, you will hear the Lord’s voice, because it is His book (See Doctrine and Covenants 18:33-36). Talk to the Bishop, set goals with Him and make promises to your Heavenly Father. Partake of the Sacrament worthily each week. Truly strive to remember the Lord in all that you think, do, and say (and write). Keep the commandments. Stay close to the Spirit and heed His counsel and His warnings. Know that if something is not in harmony with the teachings of the Lord as found in the scriptures or from the words available through modern day prophets, then that thing is incorrect. Use the scriptures, the words of our prophets, and the Spirit of the Holy Ghost as your guide. Do not let lesser sympathies or misunderstandings take charge of who you are or what you can become or of who other people are and what they can become. The Lord is faithful, and great blessings and promises are in store for all of His children who are faithful. 

(Written 1-27-12)