Do You Hug With Respect?

Do You Hug With Respect?

I have been flabbergasted at how many times I have read lately that everybody wants and needs hugs, and that hugs are necessary for our daily maintenance. Some of these posts include how many hugs one must receive in order to be healthy and that the length of a hug should last for 20 seconds, so that you’re body can produce oxytocin and, as a result, blossom in rich abundance of good feelings. What?

To say that everyone needs a prescribed amount of hugs for a specific amount of time is pretty much like saying, “I will buy everyone a plastic, long-stem, pink rose for Christmas because I liked it when someone gave me a plastic pink rose, or I have read on many posts that everyone likes plastic pink roses.” I think of a hug as a more precious gift; perhaps, even as an extension of my soul. Hugs themselves lose their meaning when we attach such a silly prescription of one size fits all, to be engaged in 8 times per day.

I, therefore, would like to submit that everybody desires and needs respect. If you know someone values hugs and that hugs help to recharge their inner being, go ahead and give that person a hug. If you know that someone is not a touchy-feely person and would rather receive a handshake or even a smile and a nod, do not hug that person. You are not their personal doctor or therapist, and who gave you the right to decide that everyone wants the huggy-type of attention, just because someone said it’s what everybody needs or because you like it yourself.

I personally feel like my space is being invaded if I receive unprecedented or unwelcome physical contact. I don’t think that I necessarily hate hugs, but I think hugs mean more than, “Oh, you’re here and so am I, so let’s hug.” For me to freely receive or give hugs, certain conditions must be met. Namely, I need to feel a spiritual connection with the person I am hugging; and, if it’s a person outside of my family, I usually have not seen that person for an extended period of time; or, I see a person who is in great spiritual need, and I feel drawn to offer help to them; and a hug becomes, in part, a gift from my soul; in which case, it is like an assurance that I am available to help. In much the same way as a handshake can convey the meaning of a contract or a social bond, a hug can relay the message of commitment to extend caring and friendship.

Respect is so lacking in society. In my own home, our family rules revolved around the need to be respectful. I soon found that whenever there was misbehavior of any kind, the real offense came from a lack of respect. That certainly would often be because the children were young, and the parents were also young, and there was both lack of understanding and some selfishness involved. It is no wonder that the two greatest commandments are to “Love the Lord” and to “Love your Neighbor as Yourself.” As we learn to remember the Lord first off, and develop a love for Him, because of all the love He’s given us and the great and many blessings we receive from Him every day; it helps us to learn, in turn, to love ourselves as His children and to love our fellowmen, who are also His children and our brothers and sisters.

Our family rules consisted of having respect for God, having respect for parents, having respect for others, having respect for self, and having respect for property. Knowing that one of the greatest ways to show love is by being vigilant in showing respect, these rules seemed like the best way to teach our children. They certainly worked better than punishment for behaviors we didn’t like; these rules taught expectations for appropriate behavior. More than anything, these rules taught our children that everyone is valuable and worthy of respect and that their efforts in work and production were worthy of respect, and that rights of ownership also deserved respect. These rules should have been developed sooner and adhered to more fully, but I know that they were valuable for our family.

I am thankful that I had really great interactive, loving, lively children. But, even so, each one was different and had different needs. To think of parenting each child exactly the same would not have been respectful. To demand that each child have the same exact social behavior, meaning that each would have to value togetherness time and down time to the same degree would be unfair. I’m certain that there are things that we could have done better in some situations. But children, like the rest of the population come with a variety of characteristics on an every changing continuum. To demand an autistic child, for example, to interact in a noisy, highly active and unorganized social setting would not only be disrespectful; it would be harmful. I think for the most part parents try to learn about their children’s natures and nurture them according to what they deem is best for them.

We really should extend that same courtesy to each other. It’s pretty easy to read body language if we pay attention and if we desire to know the wants and needs of others so that we can treat them with respect. Hugging without respect is really a self-fulfilling activity at best; at worst, it is a weapon. Human contact should mean more than imposing ourselves on one another. Truly, a genuine hug, where the giver is also a recipient, and the recipient is also a giver, can produce oxytocin and endorphins that stimulate well-being; but an unwanted hug can have the opposite effect, causing a rise in anxiety, the production of cortisol, and a breach in trust that can take a long time to regain. I know that from personal experience.

At the same time, I try to not have the common reactions, which I am wont to have, when I know that others are not meaning to be disrespectful, but are just acting according to their own make-up, personality, and cultural and social upbringing. Even though I grew up in a home with two parents both reared in Europe, who were not extremely demonstrative in hugging and physical contact, I have a sister who has always been extremely huggy. In part, we are a product of our social and cultural upbringing; but, when it comes to physical contact, some of us just like it, or need it, more than others of us do. It doesn’t mean that some of us are flawed and some of us our healthy. It just means that we are diverse in our wants and our needs, and in order to be respectful of that, we need to learn a bit about each other before we start hugging everyone. So I hope that next time you or I hug someone else, we are not only thinking of showing affection, but of extending respect. I think that all of us want, need, and deserve more respect.

Where Does our Country Go From Here?

10-13-13

Where does the Country go from here?

We see news; we see protests; we see ideas. But now what? Just seeing glimpses of what the government is doing, or not doing, and then glimpses of those who are acting in their own good faith to preserve, or to regain, the freedoms outlined and promised in the Constitution does little more than make us all a tad more aware of our own discontent or sleepy acceptance. What can those who have patriotic stirrings in their souls actually do? Where do we go from here?

I've followed the bikers' march and the truckers' march and their efforts are exemplary. They have shown our veterans respect and devotion. But we know that the mainstream media is ignoring them or undermining their efforts by saying that they are tea party lunatics or such. So are we going to let the liberal media and the liberal educators continue to write our history? In 20 years from now, what will the school buddy history books say about today? I'm afraid that if we all don't get involved in some logical, unified way, these efforts will be buried or be perversely documented as lunacy. So how do we help focus these efforts into true directives? How can patriots gain a unified voice and a united vote in order to change the direction we are heading? What are we willing to do as a people to preserve those things which we claim to be precious?

These marches have to be the beginning of bigger things. Who else values our service men and women? Who else values our veterans? Who else values our Constitution and the legacy of the founding of the greatest country ever? For those who think that the last statement is prideful nationalism--No, it is humble gratitude to God for helping to establish a country devoted to freedom and progress of individuals and families, who could pursue their dreams and seek happiness in their fulfillment. It is acknowledging the wisdom of our forefathers in trying to keep the federal government’s power to a minimum in order to preserve personal freedoms and state freedoms. And, it is showing gratitude to those who developed and gave us a good America and a good childhood, and having the desire to pass that America on to our children and our posterity, instead of the parallel universe that has been erupting alongside it. One has to die and the other remain. Which one are we seeking to preserve?

I can’t think about patriotism, defense of country, and preservation of country and Constitution without turning my thoughts to God. We have to be disciples of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Without His aid, we are doomed to fail. The Lord Jesus Christ is both our spiritual and our temporal salvation. We need to acknowledge Him, and we need to acknowledge that we need Him now. To become strong again as a nation, we need to become strong again individually; and that strength needs to begin with our spiritual selves.

Today, the speaker in church noted some things that we should be doing to become better disciples. These are the very things that we must also do to become better citizens, so that we can ask God the Father in the name of His Son Jesus Christ to aid us in our quest for freedom from both spiritual and physical bondage. To say that we are not in bondage currently in our nation is either a lie, or else we are too spiritually dead to notice. We are indeed in bondage to our national debt and to a government that is not representing the people who voted them in office.

Steps outlined by Bishop Johnson:

1) Have daily prayer and scripture study.
To this, I would add, study the Constitution and the history of the rise of this great nation.

2) Take time to ponder. Think about your prayers and listen to the Spirit for insights and promptings. Think deeply about the things that you read and incorporate the things that you learn into your life.

3) Don’t raise your voice. Practice diplomacy and patience. You can’t enforce your will, but you can use gentleness, persuasion, and love unfeigned.

4) Be in control of your appetites and passions. Make the necessary day-to-day choices that will help you gain self-mastery.

5) Be active in church and in the gospel. Remember that your church should help you live the gospel of Jesus Christ. Attend your meetings.

6) Be humble. Accept righteous counsel.

7) Serve others and forgive. Especially, remember the two great commandments: to love the Lord with all your might, mind, heart, and strength; and to love your neighbor as yourself.

In reviewing the above seven points, I can’t help but think that Benjamin Franklin would endorse these himself. He practiced these principles of self-discipline in his life, and his wisdom helped guide and bring about the birth of this nation.

Back to the beginning question: Where does the Country go from here? We do not have any extra time to dally and play with sin and destruction. We don’t. Individually, we need to devote ourselves to God and to Country. I know that I am going to do better. We need to seek righteous leaders and we need to constantly seek to redress wrongs. And if called upon by the Spirit of God and by the wisdom of righteous men and women, we need to be prepared to defend our Country and its Constitution. The question still remains. I don’t have the answers. But I know that our safety and our preservation lies in the righteousness of each individual citizen.

No trust for current media or government

A Few Thoughts on the Atonement

I most likely will not understand the Atonement during my mortal life. I don’t understand it, but I accept it. While it is difficult to comprehend anyone suffering to an infinite degree for me and for all humanity, I can comprehend His love for me, because I can feel it. I have felt the Savior’s love for me many times; I have felt His forgiveness and His acceptance. His promise of sending His Spirit and giving His peace is a reality for anyone who seeks after Him.

I Feel My Savior's Love

I feel my Savior's love

In all the world around me.

His Spirit warms my soul

Through ev'rything I see.

Chorus:

He knows I will follow him,

Give all my life to him.

I feel my Savior's love,

The love he freely gives me.

I feel my Savior's love;

Its gentleness enfolds me,

And when I kneel to pray,

My heart is filled with peace.

I feel my Savior's love

And know that he will bless me.

I offer him my heart;

My shepherd he will be.

I'll share my Savior's love

By serving others freely.

In serving I am blessed.

In giving I receive.

Words: Ralph Rodgers Jr., Newell Dayley, and Laurie Huffman
Music: K. Newell Dayley, b. 1939

Text and Music

I even have difficulty contemplating His suffering, His death, and His resurrection. No wonder His disciples fell asleep in the garden of Gethsemane as Jesus suffered for all of us. It was too much to witness; it was too much to take in. So while I know that the sacrament is a time to remember Him and honor His gift to me, often I fall short in my re-dedication and let my mind wander. But He is ever understanding, and He still accepts my meager attempts to covenant with Him, to keep His commandments, and to always remember Him.

The greatest testimony to me of the goodness of Jesus Christ is that I am happiest when I am trying to be like Him, when I am serving others. When I am guided by His love to extend that love to others, it is manifest in my own heart to an even greater degree. This is healing; this is light; this is the love of Jesus.

In my moments of greatest sorrow, I have not been cast off. I have been embraced in the warm of His love. As I look at pictures of Him that express sorrow, I am reminded that He is the Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief; and to become like him, I must also experience sorrow, but I am not left to do so alone. So even amidst the greatest sorrow, I have felt peace, and I have felt joy.

One of my favorite hymns expresses so clearly my thoughts concerning the Savior’s love for me in extending to me the gift of His Atonement:

I Stand All Amazed

I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,

Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.

I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,

That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.

(Chorus)

Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me

Enough to die for me!

Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!

I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine

To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine,

That he should extend his great love unto such as I,

Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.

            (Chorus)

I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt!

Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget?

No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat,

Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.

(Chorus)

Text and Music

Text and music: Charles H. Gabriel, 1856-1932

I love the Lord. I can see this, because I have felt a connection with Him and acceptance from Him. This is because He first loved me. While I do not fully comprehend the Atonement, I do understand and accept that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and I can return to my Heavenly Father because of Him. Truly, I stand amazed. 

Thoughts on Diastrophic Dysplasia in our Family

One of the main reasons that I wanted to be married is that I wanted to be a mother. When Bob and I found out that I was expecting the first time, we were both extremely happy. We were like most young couples: young and nearly penniless and in school, but very happy.

Ultrasounds were fairly new and were not given routinely, and so I never had an ultrasound while I was expecting Cathy. I have heard of many parents who despair that something may go wrong, or that their child will be born with something wrong, especially with their first pregnancy.  I never had any of these concerns. I was just happy to know that I would have my own little baby, whether it was a boy or a girl.

During labor and delivery, Cathy was posterior and was not dropping very fast. Ultimately, they needed to use forceps to help extract her.  Since it was after 1 a.m., and since I hadn’t slept much the night before, I was really tired. They worked on her quickly, but I didn’t get to hold and cuddle her, because they hurried her off to I.C.U. The doctor only told me that her legs seemed a little short, but he seemed bright and happy, and I felt fine about everything.

It wasn’t until much later that I found out that Cathy needed to be in I.C.U. because she had swallowed meconium stool. (It wasn’t related to her dwarfism, but everyone seemed so concerned about that, so no one let us know any differently. The obstetrician left the hospital for vacation, and the communication to us as parents was nil until I spoke to him much later.)

Bob went with those who took Cathy to the nursery. When he returned, he just looked like a happy, ecstatic father. When I asked if her legs were too short, he just smiled and said “No.” (In reflection, I am certain that Bob knew there was something skeletally wrong with his daughter, because he had studied sciences; but, to both of us, Cathy was perfect.)

During the night, multiple hospital personnel and medical specialists visited my hospital room. I was tired and wanted to sleep. The pediatrician that we had took it upon himself to call genetic specialists without our knowledge or consent. (I am glad that we did have insurance.) The pediatrician told us quite bluntly that Cathy had a condition called pseudo-diastrophic dwarfism. Whereas, the geneticists were not quick to diagnose, and waited to give her dysplasia a name until after they had shared the x-rays and photographs at three different conventions. The name they attached her condition is diastrophic dysplasia. (We were told that it was a recessive disorder, meaning that Bob and I have a common gene, and that with every pregnancy, there would be a 1:4 chance of having a child with a similar condition. At that time, the gene had not been pinpointed. Since then, it has.) The pediatrician also told us that we wouldn’t know until later if Cathy were retarded or not. We did not like the arrogant manner of this young doctor and changed pediatricians as soon as possible.

We took Cathy to the pediatrician that I had when I was growing up. He also saw us while she was still in the hospital and he was there for his own patients. He asked why Cathy was in Continuing Care. When I said her limbs were a little short, he said, “Oh, like me.” He was a man that was about 5’6”. It is much better to deal with positive people.

While in the hospital, the floor psychologist also came to speak to me. I thought that what she had to say was really weird. She said that she was sure that I was wondering, “Why did this happen to me? Why didn’t I have a perfect baby?” No, I never really did wonder that. But I did think to myself, “What is your problem? Cathy is a perfect baby. What do babies do? They eat, they wet, they sleep, they cry. Yes, she is a perfect baby. She may have some problems in the future, but we will wait and see and deal with them then.” I also remember wondering if she had scoliosis. She did not as a baby, and inwardly I knew that was a good thing.

The psychologist also asked strange questions about my family. My mother did not visit Cathy in the ICU nursery, because she had had some dental work done, or an abscess or something, and she did not want to take infection into that environment of tiny babies. But it was clear that the psychologist was concerned that Cathy wouldn’t be accepted by her grandmother. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

I know that my husband’s and my faith in Jesus Christ and the Plan of Happiness has had a lot to do with our attitude is facing any of life’s challenges. We have never regretted having Cathy as part of our family, and we have truly been blessed by all the many gifts and talents that she brought into our home. I really never have wondered “why me,” but sometimes I have wondered “why her?” I don’t really know why we have the individual challenges we have in this life (other than that we live in an imperfect world), but I know that Cathy has always been super intelligent and coordinated and blessed beyond her years. She is an old, wise soul who has taught all of us very much, and she has navigated life well. I don’t believe that she has ever really thought she is so different than anybody else.

We took Cathy home from the hospital when she was three days old. She had a healthy, happy childhood. She smiled quickly, talked quickly, and learned quickly. I remember when I talked to my sister soon after Cathy was born. I said that I just didn’t want other children making fun of her when she went to school. My sister told me that all moms worry about that with their children, and I have found that to be true. We all have differences, but the things that we have in common always outnumber the differences.

I think that because I was young, I felt that if I fed Cathy well, she could catch up some. Every parent wants the best for their children. I have always had faith that she can be healed, but I know that it will happen in the Lord’s timing. I know that will be an exciting day.

Cathy started communicated in short sentences and recited nursery rhymes between 12 and 18 months. She was an early talker and singer and problem solver, that’s for sure. One of the saddest memories I have is after Cathy’s brother John was born. Soon Cathy realized that John’s fingers worked normally, while some of her finger-joints didn’t bend. One day when we were all in the car, Bob and I heard Cathy say loudly in frustration, “Fingers, bend!” She was 22 or 23 months at the time.

Cathy never really crawled, probably because her arms were short. But, I have never seen a child that could roll across a floor faster than Cathy could. If she wanted a toy, she would find out how to get it. Then she learned to sit on her bottom and shuffle herself quickly across the floor while she was sitting. She began walking at about 14 ½ months and mastered that within a month.

Even though Cathy has never had full dexterity in her fingers according to the norm, she has always found a way to be good at things. She could tie her shoes when she was younger than any other of our other children. She could pump herself on a swing at 4-years-old as well. Her hand-eye coordination is phenomenal, so it is best not to challenge her at computer games. She is also a great pianist.

Cathy had surgery on her right hand just before she turned four. That was a challenging experience for all of us. I don’t believe that the doctor ever described what post-surgery would be like. As a young parent, it was difficult to have to wrap Cathy’s fingers down with Coban, hoping that the joints would become more dexterous and not fuse stiff; but Cathy’s fingers hadn’t healed and it was very painful for her, so she fought having it done. It was very sad, and I didn’t handle it well. It is hard to see a child lose faith that the world is a kind place where you can always trust your parents and other adults when she is only four-years-old.  But we did get past that.

The surgery made her right hand be positioned differently, and I think that it was a help as far as aiding Cathy with writing and such things. But it did not make her joint-spaces all work normally. And we found that she compensated equally well with her left hand and opted to not have surgery done on that hand.

Cathy did have occupational therapy through Easter Seals for a year or so. More than anything, she enjoyed the interaction with another adult. It was almost like pre-school. I know the therapists enjoyed Cathy, too, because she was so intelligent.

At the end of first grade, Cathy’s one knee turned in greatly, and her lower leg turned outwards. Her orthopedist was planning on performing a surgery. As her parent, I really didn’t feel like this was right for Cathy at this time. We exercised faith and prayers and asked for Cathy to receive a special priesthood blessing from a leader in our Church. The surgery became unnecessary, and the orthopedist told us that Cathy was breaking the rules. We all knew it was a gift from God at that time.

Cathy fell off the top of a ladder to a slide while at school in third grade. She broke her collar bone.  Because she was already a patient at an orthopedist clinic right by our home, we took her there. These are normal childhood accidents that can happen to anyone, and Cathy healed from that quite well.

The other surgery that Cathy had was to prevent her scoliosis from getting worse. When she was five or six, Cathy started developing scoliosis. She wore orthopedic braces to help her grow as straight as possible. The doctor said that he should not do the surgery until at least a year after she started menstruating, so that Cathy could reach her full potential height. So at age 13, she had surgery. 

The orthopedist tried first to put a rod in Cathy’s spine, but she immediately lost mobility. So he rapidly took that out, so that there would not be permanent damage. Then he took some bone from her hip to fuse different areas of her spine to hold it from further curvature.  (She later had a surgery to revise the scar between her shoulder blades, but it widened again, due to its location.)

I could write about all of Cathy’s wonderful accomplishments, but that would take a long time. And I don’t think it’s necessary for this book. So I will just list the major ones, so that people will know that having a small stature does not limit one’s possibilities for success.

Cathy graduated as Valedictorian in her 2000 class. She received straight A’s all through middle school and high school. She received a full-tuition scholarship to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah; plus, she received several lesser scholarships. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from BYU, majoring in German teaching, and minoring in Russian. She then served a full-time 1 ½ mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Family History department. She is currently working full-time for the church and is also taking classes part-time to finish her master’s degree in Library Science.  She is an independent young lady. In fact, she has helped family and friends financially when they've needed help.

Cathy had a brother who was also born with diastrophic dysplasia. He did not live long past birth because he also had a condition called Potter’s Syndrome. We know that he returned to his Heavenly Father, but Cathy especially missed getting to know her brother. One day she will, as will the rest of our family.

Cathy also had a brother who had a leg-length discrepancy. It looked like he was developing scoliosis; when, in fact, during his pre-puberty and puberty years, it became quite apparent that his right leg was longer than his left. (He also has an underdeveloped rib.) He had surgery to slow the growth of the longer leg, so the shorter could catch up. Now instead of having a 1 ½ inch discrepancy, there is only ½ inch. (The reason I bring this up, is that the genes that contribute to diastrophic dysplasia have to do with growth plates as well. I haven’t had anyone confirm that his condition could also be an outcome of the same genes or not, but I find it interesting. )

There truly is no pure gene pool in the world today, but we have found that there are many unseen disorders and problems that are far more debilitating than dwarfism. Cathy has brilliantly learned to compensate to make her life’s journey both successful and joyful.

(A post concerning Cathy's youngest brother Robby: http://heidisommerfeldstevenson.blogspot.com/2010/02/happy-birthday-robby.html)

Times of War and Blood Redemption

Those who would throw away our freedoms, do not understand freedom and the price that's been paid. Loss of freedom is not easy to regain; and redemption often requires the shedding of much blood.

Our Founding Fathers were willing to help this Country gain her Independence. Being united was essential to their success. Like Benjamin Franklin said, "We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately." And with trust in Israel’s God and with trust in the rightness of their cause, they brought about our freedom. But, there had to be bloodshed.

Then, in the Civil War, brother fought against brother. We couldn’t allow the Southern States to remain separate, or our country would not survive. As time went on, Abraham Lincoln knew that it was most certainly time for slavery to be completely abolished. For this country to survive, we all must be brothers and sisters, not slaves and slave owners; not industrialists and farmers, not workers and non-workers. The cost in blood was great; but the country was again redeemed.

Then the World Wars came. And we continued to see that freedom for all versus power of the few is really an issue of good versus evil. The Great War, or the War to End All Wars, failed. There was so much hate still alive, so much greed, and so much desire to prove superiority, that the Second World War was even bigger. The cost in human suffering and bloodshed was enormous. But our own Country was strengthened as we banded together to preserve our freedom and protect the freedom of others.

Then the Cold War ran hot. And with the ever present threat of devastation, we witnessed another kind of warfare, intellect posed against intellect in a race to see who was bigger and badder.

And all the other wars. Petroleum. Greed. Real Estate. Greed. Political machines. Greed. Power. Dishonesty. And those who are willing to fight and die for freedom are called blood-thirsty. Why? They are the ones that love their brothers and sisters the world around. They are the ones who understand our Country’s history and her divine destiny and love it. The blood-thirsty ones are the ones who are seeking to make the Country weak by enslaving us economically and morally. Lovers of freedom love the truth; while lovers of power love the lies that weaken the masses and feed their greed.

Where is the strength that we need? It can only be found in turning to our Country’s God, the Lord Jesus Christ. When we follow Him, He will lead us! He will lead us through every crises and every battle. He will sustain us in our weaknesses, and He will make us become strong in Him. But then must be a return to morality and honesty. When we are whoring in our personal lives, we are warring against Him and against each other in our public lives and in our Country. And we must be united in righteousness and in following the commandments. We will never be able to see eye-to-eye without every person being committed to personal integrity. And that wholeness can only be found in Christ.

Blood redemption. Jesus Christ is our Redeemer, and He has paid the price for redemption for every human soul: those who have passed on, those who live now, and those yet to be born. Yes, His sacrifice was in response to a war, the war waged in heaven. Lucifer was fighting for our souls then; and he continues to fight for our souls now. But Jesus has won the victory through His atoning sacrifice for us. We all have the gift of redemption if we so desire it. Through repentance, we can rely on His sacrifice instead of paying the debt ourselves. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:13-14). So to win this war, Jesus laid down His life, hoping that some of us would choose to be His friends. He also commissioned “That ye love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12).

So in these winding up scenes, let us make certain that we are doing what we can to bring about the Lord’s purposes. The battle really is to those who are swift to be righteous. We can help to build up Zion, and we can work to tear down evil and hate through a righteous outpouring of love. “Brethren [and sisters], shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren [and sisters]; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free” (Doctrine and Covenants 128:22). Winning the battle ultimately depends upon us being washed clean through Jesus Christ, whose blood was spilt for all humanity. Winning the battle depends upon us living the gospel and keeping our covenants, and hastening the work by spreading the gospel among the living and the dead. We are in the winding up scenes. Let’s be on the Lord’s side. His blood is sufficient for our salvation individually, and His help is needed for the salvation of this Country.

Servants in the Lord's Church

In the Lord's Church, callings and positions of authority are not sought after. But individuals are blessed with different talents and abilities, and they are trained and seasoned through years of education and service. Even then the tutoring and reliance on the Lord are great when one is set apart to fulfill assignments from the Lord. There is no self-positioning, nor campaigning; but individuals are called by revelation from God. Humble servants feel the gravity of their position and seek to magnify their service by seeking direction from the Lord and doing only those things which will please Him.

I am thankful to all those who have served the Lord and His congregations, including me, with such diligence and love. I know that they are my brothers and sisters, who feel inadequate at times, but who also trust in the Lord who is behind their callings and behind them. They receive no monetary gain, but the Lord blesses and refines them into His beloved people.

There is no greater calling and assignment that we will receive in this life than to be good husbands and wives and good parents. How we love and serve each other is of utmost importance to the Lord. “No other success can compensate for failure in the home” (David O. McKay). By the same token, no monetary success alone can measure up to the growth and satisfaction that we receive when we are in the service of the Lord; and we can be in His service in His Church and in all our daily endeavors as we submit ourselves to Him and seek to do His will. “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God” (Mosiah 2:17).

So, although church callings and appointments are not sought after, those who are called to the Lord's work, submit themselves to the will of the Lord, and they do so willingly and cheerfully. We should not only sustain them when we raise our rights arms to the square in Sacrament meeting; but, we should sustain them with our prayers, our conversations with one another, and with eagerness to pitch in and help further the kingdom of God by being united in our service to Him. We should also show our support and gratitude by expresses thankfulness to the Lord and to His servants for the jobs that they are doing.

This Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, don’t forget to thank the Lord for His goodness in providing you with earthly parents and servants in His church who are there to aid you in your progress to return to Him. They love you and want you to succeed, and they are a witness of the extension of the Lord’s love to us in providing us His Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, along with the Restoration of His Church, with the keys, the Priesthood, the Sacrament, the sealing powers, and those who have been given the authority to preach the gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof (see Article of Faith 1:5).

See also Talk by Boyd K. Packer

I'm Thankful for Mom

I am thankful that Mom converted to the Church at 16-years-old. I am thankful that she already had studied the Bible and recognized the truth. I am thankful that she left old family traditions that were detrimental in that past and carried good family traditions with us into the future.

I am thankful that Mom answered the many questions that I had as a followed her around the house. I am thankful that Mom taught me how to work in the house and in the yard. I am thankful that she taught me the importance of play. I am thankful that she always offered ways to earn some extra money when we wanted it for something good.

I am thankful that Mom was careful when necessary and daring when adventures were necessary. I am thankful that she jumped off the cliff into the Green River, so that I had to do so, to prove that I wouldn’t be outdone by Mom in front of my peers. I am thankful that she dove off of high dive, so I would, too. I am thankful that she made me speak for myself on the phone and at other times.

I am thankful that Mom took me to Church. I am thankful that Mom encouraged me to learn, but never pushed me too hard. I am thankful that Mom believed in Mental Health Days and allowed me to spend time at home with her when I didn’t really feel like being at school. (No, this didn’t happen too often; but back then, the school districts did not claim ownership of the child.)

I am thankful that Mom sought out ways to give me opportunities that she never had herself, and she made them happen. I am thankful that Mom let me make my own choices and choose my own friends. I am thankful that Mom taught me to see the value in all people.

I am thankful that Mom has always loved me. I love you, Mom.