Covering sins...

Today I was intrigued as I studied Helaman 1-2 in the Book of Mormon and saw how the Gadianton robbers tried to cover or hide their sins. Many of us try do do that in one way or another. I think it is because we do not understand or accept the mercy and grace of Jesus. My thought tonight is that we all need to understand more fully what the real covering for us can be. I share that by sharing an article from the July 1990 Ensign by Hugh Nibley discussing the meaning of Atonement.  Here is the portion that really blessed me today:

"The basic word for atonement is kafar, which has the same basic meaning in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic--that being “to bend, arch over, cover; 2) [to pass over with one’s palm &c., to wipe out, rub] … to deny, … to forgive, … to be expiated, … renounce.”3

The Arabic kafara puts the emphasis on a tight squeeze, such as tucking in the skirts, drawing a thing close to oneself. Closely related are Aramaic4 and Arabic kafata,5 meaning a close embrace, which are certainly related to the Egyptian hpt,6 the common ritual embrace written with the ideogram of embracing arms. Hpt may be cognate with the Latin capto7 and the Persian kaftan,8 a monk’s robe and hood completely embracing the body.

Most interesting is the Arabic kafata,9 as it is the key to a dramatic situation. It was the custom for one fleeing for his life in the desert to seek protection in the tent of a great sheik, crying out, “Ana dakhiluka,” meaning “I am thy suppliant,” whereupon the host would place the hem of his robe over the guest’s shoulder and declare him under his protection. In one instance in the Book of Mormon we see Nephi fleeing from an evil enemy that is pursuing him. In great danger, he prays the Lord to give him an open road in the low way, to block his pursuers, and to make them stumble. He comes to the Lord as a suppliant: “O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies!” (2 Ne. 4:33.) In reply, according to the ancient custom, the Master would then place the hem of his robe protectively over the kneeling man’s shoulder (kafata). This puts him under the Lord’s protection from all enemies. They embrace in a close hug, as Arab chiefs still do; the Lord makes a place for him (see Alma 5:24) and invites him to sit down beside him--they are at-one.

This is the imagery of the Atonement--the embrace: “The Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.” (2 Ne. 1:15.)

“Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.” (Alma 5:33.)"

I concur! Let's remember and accept the mercy and grace of Jesus as it is so fully proffered to us!

Mom, you should call Dad...the food eater!

In high school I was often referred to by my peers as, "the garbage disposal" because of my ability to consume large quantities of food despite my comparatively small size (about 5' 8" and 150 lbs in high school). At work I have always gotten all of the comments about how much food I bring because my wife is so good to me and gives me wonderful leftovers for lunch every day. In fact, just today I was taunted because of the way I hold the spoon when I eat...I hold it like a real man...not some dainty. Now tonight my four year old Taft has officially joined the peanut gallery in his comments about my eating habits. He has now affectionately termed me "the food eater."  I don't mind a bit :-)

Tonight Taft did his FHE lesson on Elder Quentin Cook's talk, "Lamentations of Jeremiah". He did a wonderful job if I do say so myself. I was thoroughly impressed that he could describe the definition of words like "bondage" and "freedom" on his own after a little bit of help while he studied the talk. Having this discussion on the subject of avoiding bondage and religious freedoms has renewed my gratitude for the founding fathers and for all of those who have given so much (in many cases their lives) so that we could have religious freedom. My hope and prayer is that we can keep those rights and uphold the freedom of conscience so that we can pass those same privileges on to our children.

Ultimately it makes me grateful for The Lord Jesus Christ who was willing to give all so that we could have the privilege of free will and be able to be tried and tested in this life to have the chance to receive the gift of eternal life through His sacrifice. For God so loved the world that he gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosever believeth on Him might 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).

A child's prayer...

So tonight I was putting Corban to bed and he was saying his prayers and after thanking Heavenly Father for Layton and Shaina (they came over for dinner tonight), he said, "thank you for a good day." I hope that I can be more like him. Sometimes I get caught up in all of the things that we need that I ask for and I forget that sometimes I just need to be grateful for a good day. I wonder if maybe a simple prayer where I say that and mean it would be more pleasing to God than a lot of prayers that I say...don't get me wrong, I am confident that God is happy to hear from us in any way, shape or form...but I am sure that He is more pleased with a simple prayer of gratitude than with my "Christmas list" prayers where I ask for everything that I want.

Tonight let me just say that I am grateful for a good day. A day where I got to read the scriptures, teach the gospel, enjoy my family, a beautiful sunset and a sacred prayer with my son. Thanks for a good day is a good way to sum it up!

Dad, do you know what my most favorite food is?

Tonight was my "date night" with Taft, my third son (who is currently 4 yrs. old).  He wanted to go to McDonald's, so despite my pleas to go somewhere else, that is where we had dinner.  As we sat at a table enjoying each others company, Taft looked up from his chicken nuggets and said, "Dad, do you know what my most favorite food is?"  Expecting that it would have something to do with the McDonald's food he was eating, but going along with the game I told him I didn't know and asked what it was.  He responded, "Dad, you know what it is!"  I told him no, I really didn't know.  He then informed me that his favorite food was the fruit from The Tree of Life, because it was better than any other fruit!

I don't know that there are many comments that could make a dad happier!  We had discussed Nephi and Lehi's visions of the Tree of Life a couple months ago in scripture studies and talked about how the fruit was sweeter than anything else.  I was grateful to hear that something had stuck with him.  I want him to read this 10 or 15 years from now, remember what he knew then, and be able to say the same thing...but this time with the deeper understanding of what that fruit really is...the Love of God...or in other words, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (see John 3:16).

When he reads this I want him to remember that he has already identified spiritual experiences and ways that he knows that God is real, as have his older brothers.  Those experiences were real and not something that I conjured up on their behalf.  These experiences leave an undeniable witness for me that God is real and loves us as His children and that the Savior lives and loves us and is involved with the details of our lives, helping us every step of the way.  I have felt that love and that help in real, tangible ways that are unmistakable and undeniable.

Tonight as I came down to my desk to write this post, Trenton and Trey were in playing and joking and giggling with each other (when they were supposed to be asleep).  It brought joy to my heart to hear them enjoying each others company and I hope that they will continue to do that for the rest of their lives and beyond, and remember the joys that come through our families.  These joys in family life are one of the simplest but most powerful ways that we experience the fruit of the tree of life (the Love of God).

Feeling old

Yes I am feeling old...first of all because my knees and shoulders creak and hurt (especially in the morning), but especially today after I found out that I have a second student in one of my seminary classes who was in my ward while I was growing up...or rather they were born when I was in high school! It's enough to make you feel old! But it is also fun to see how small the world is when you're a Mormon.

One other thought for today...THE BOOK OF MORMON IS THE WORD OF GOD! As I have studied it these last few weeks in particular I have noticed things that I learn about Christ that there is no way a farm boy in upstate New York in the early 1800's could have just made up. It is absolutely the work of God. No doubt about it. If you haven't read it yet, read it! Find what I have found...that the Book of Mormon can bring you closer to Christ and bless your life with spiritual power that you can't find in other ways. 

Tonight we went to see the Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hofmann and Frans Schwartz exhibit at the BYU museum of art. It was amazing to see the dedication to Christ that these artists had and the abilities which The Lord blessed them with to create such fantastic art. There was a great spirit there as we had a chance to reflect on the Savior's life with the kids...even though half the time we were just trying to make sure that our kids weren't touching the priceless works of art! I love the Savior and I love those who love the Savior enough to give so much of their time and talents to Him and His cause. I hope that more people are brought to Christ through the works of these men and other men and women of faith around the world.

Trey's Connection

So we have been trying to do a discussion on core doctrines of the gospel each night at dinner and have really had some cool experiences with the kids. Tonight Trey made a great connection as we discussed the fall of Adam and Eve and the Atonement. We discussed the basic ideas that the fall brought about physical and spiritual death and as we talked Trey interjected and basically said something to the effect of, "so if Jesus had not done the Atonement then as soon as we sinned we would die and be lost forever?" (See 2 Nephi 9:7-9) I responded in the affirmative and told him how impressed I was that he had made that connection.

It is so cool to see even children understanding gospel principles and doctrines. It is a testimony to me of the power of the Holy Ghost and how God works with us and speaks in our language and according to our understanding (see 2 Nephi 31:3). He truly is aware of all of us!

I'm pretty good at this...

No, I am not talking about my blogging skills...those are certainly lacking...this has reference to a direct quote from Trenton this afternoon as I pitched him some whiffle balls. After cranking out a few, he told me just how good at baseball he really was. Then he wanted to play catch and picked up on that pretty quickly as well. I really enjoyed spending time with the kids today...nice to have Presidents' Day off. 

We also went to the dinosaur museum and Amber enjoyed how intrigued Trey and Trenton were and how many questions that they were asking. Their little minds are inquiring more and more which is good. Taft and Corban loved the wet sand play place and little Audrey just enjoyed making her dad chase her all over the museum giggling the whole way.

We went to Cabelas after the dinosaur museum and we definitely have to go camping and fishing this summer. The kids were entranced with the tents at Cabelas and thoroughly enjoyed watching the fish. I just enjoyed watching them while wishing I had about $1,000 in my wallet to be able to burn there ;-)

Then tonight for our FHE activity we watched part of chitty chitty bang bang and then did some push ups and pull ups together. It's fun to see how all of them want to join in on the exercise once I start (which isn't often unfortunately). Even Audrey joined in and hung from the pull up bar for a minute.

All in all it is just one of those days that tells you that you will miss this when it passes. I hope I can do a better job of taking advantage of the here and now and enjoying the kids while they are young. I thank The Lord for His tender mercies allowing me to be a part of their lives! 

Five thousand six hundred million...

Five thousand six hundred million...according to Taft, this is the number of hours that his broth Trenton has been on earth. Don't think I want to do the math or that the number is even realistic, but it's fun all the same!

Today we went to Amber's parents house and on the way home we had a discussion about service and following the promptings of the Holy Ghost. The boys all expressed their desire to serve and to follow the impressions of the Holy Ghost in one way or another...Corban by informing us that he would "give his money to the Holy Ghost"...doubt that is what the Holy Ghost wants, but it think that the way Corban's heart is right now is certainly the way that God wants our hearts to be...willing to do anything asked of us.

Trey is really growing a lot lately. He is developing a greater desire to be baptized come august. He insists that he wants to do it now, but we need to wait, I certainly want him to have a better understanding as to what he is committing to do when he enters the waters of baptism. It is fun to see him learning and growing closer to that knowledge though. He is such a good boy and I am so grateful that he is our oldest. He is so willing to do anything that he is asked to do and has a great desire to be good and become better.

I think that is about all for today...God is good and so is life...when we mix the two together it makes for a really great life!

Happy Valentines Day!

The day started off well enough with a good class in early morning seminary and got a little valentines gift from the national honor society which had some notes from students that made my day. Amber worked hard all day to provide a candlelight dinner for the whole family because the kids were so excited about the holiday. Everything was going swell until the kids started to complain about dinner. Bummer to see Amber work so hard only to see her hard work be complained about. I am reminded about how Heavenly Father must feel when we are ungrateful for all that He does for us. I hope to do better on that. Dinner was nice anyhow and we enjoyed spending some time together. Here are some lovely pics of the setup before dinner began:

"The value of a country rests upon the values of its people..."

This quote is from Elder Charles Didier from April 1976 General Conference and I think is a thought that needs  no deeper explanation...only personal reflection to what it means for us individually. What values do we need to realign with God to have our country be more valued? 

The Good Shepherd

Tonight Trenton gave the family home evening lesson on being a "good shepherd" like Christ was. As usual I was amazed at the depth of their understanding at such an early age...to make the connections from a simple shepherd story that Trenton started out with to applying it to ourselves and the people I our lives that we need to be shepherds to. I was very impressed as they discussed shepherding family members, friends, and those who do not yet know about Christ. Trey was very thoughtful and talked about that if someone was lost that a good shepherd would go after that one who was lost...and I don't know that we have ever discussed that biblical scripture story before!

All of this was a testimony to me of the fact that we existed before this life and that we were in our Heavenly Father's presence being brought up and taught by Him (Proverbs 8:22-31). It is a testament that the Holy Ghost was bringing things to their remembrance that they had previously heard in the courts of God prior to this mortal existence.  Just another witness to me of the reality of God and His unending love for His children.

Taft's Prayer

In our house we take turns praying to avoid having issues with fighting over who says it.  Tonight was Taft's turn to pray.  We pray right after we do family scripture study. Lately we have been doing scriptures from the children's version of the Book of Mormon and tonight we read about Alma and Amulek and their mission to the Zoramites.  They had lost their faith in Christ and were having problems with faith. Taft obviously picked up on a lesson from the story because without any prompting he asked God to help us have faith in Jesus Christ and to never give up that faith. He asked that we would be missionaries and that we could help others know about Christ and have faith in Him as well.  Grateful to have the Book of Mormon to teach us these important life lessons and grateful for a son who listens and learns and wants to apply the teachings/lessons.

The day started out great with homemade waffles and buttermilk syrup that Trey and Trenton helped make. We added a little vanilla ice cream and fresh strawberries to top it all off. Quite delicious! Then Amber helped the boys make valentines boxes to put their valentines in. It was quite the time consuming effort.  I am always so impressed with how willing Amber is to give so much of her time (as in...like all of it) to the kids. It is amazing to watch. Family truly is central to the Creator's plan for all of us!

The miracle of life

So today we got to see our newest child via ultrasound. So I know that it might seem like old hat by baby number six, but I never ceased to be amazed at the miracle of life. As soon as we find out she is pregnant I just feel the power and blessing of a new life being created.  As I watch this new life grow in my wife, I am reminded of the words of Elder Russell M. Nelson, "It is not a question of when “meaningful life” begins or when the spirit “quickens” the body. In the biological sciences, it is known that life begins when two germ cells unite to become one cell, bringing together twenty-three chromosomes from both the father and from the mother. These chromosomes contain thousands of genes. In a marvelous process involving a combination of genetic coding by which all the basic human characteristics of the unborn person are established, a new DNA complex is formed. A continuum of growth results in a new human being. The onset of life is not a debatable issue, but a fact of science.

Approximately twenty-two days after the two cells have united, a little heart begins to beat. At twenty-six days the circulation of blood begins." (April 1985 General Conference).

It is amazing to me that God gives us this precious power to create life.  I feel so grateful to be able to see this miracle occur. The other part of the miracle is watching my wife give so much to bring a new life into this world.  The strains that her body, mind and spirit go through in the process of growing this new child within her and bringing that new child into the world will never stop being anything less than amazing to me. Surely there is not a greater example of Christlike love than that of a mother who gives everything for her child to have life, just as Jesus gave His all so that we could all have life.

It makes me so excited to see my baby girl in June! Meanwhile I will enjoy the tender moments when I can put my hand on Amber's tummy and feel the baby kick and later on in the pregnancy when we can literally watch a gymnastics show right inside of her stomach. So grateful for each one of the kids that we have and for the miracle that each of them are in our lives. So grateful to a kind and loving Heavenly Father who allows us to receive the joy that comes along with being a parent!

The hand of God

So I decided to write briefly tonight about how I have seen the hand of God in my life today. First is just that waking up every morning next to my wife is a testament to God working in my life. I was living in Orem and she was living in Layton at the time we met.  I don't believe in the whole soulmate philosophy but I do believe that God puts people in our paths that will bless our lives and Amber is surely one of those people for me. I can't imagine being with anyone that would make me any happier than she does. She is beautiful in every sense of the term.

The next thing is to look at my kids. To think that God trusted me with the power to assist in creating a life is just incredible to me.  I feel very blessed every day to be able to be with them and enjoy their special spirits.  They bring more joy to my life than I ever could have imagined.

I also see His hand in my life at work every day. It is certainly a privilege to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ every day to groups of youth. I am continually impressed by their faith and dedication to The Lord. The little opportunities to get to know them better each day and to see a glimpse into their life and feel of their faith is truly a blessing that could only come from God.

I also felt His hand today as I studied the scriptures. I saw and felt that His hand was there in the writing of the words and also in helping me understand them. They are truly the words of God and have blessed my life more than I can express.  His hand is over us all!

All Are Alike Unto God

Lately as I have been studying the scriptures, I have been particularly impressed with our Heavenly Father's care and concern for each one of His children.  It is something that testifies to me of the perfection of God.  He doesn't care where you live, how big your house is, what color your skin is, what disabilities (or abilities) you do or don't have.  He just cares for you because your His son or daughter.  I have felt His care, love and concern for me and have seen it demonstrated in the lives of others many times.

I am particularly struck by this characteristic of God as taught in the Book of Mormon.  "The Lord esteemeth all flesh in one" (1 Nephi 17:36).  "He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and the good" (3 Nephi 12:45).  "The one being is as precious in His sight as the other" (Jacob 2:21).  "The Lord will be merciful to all who call upon His name" (Alma 9:17).  "He remembereth every creature of His creating" (Mosiah 27:30).  "The word of God was liberal unto all" (Alma 6:5).  "God is not a partial God, nor a changeable God" (Moroni 8:18).  "God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth" (Alma 26:37).  

And the "grandmaster" scripture on this doctrine is found in 2 Nephi 26:33, which reads in part, "
he (the Lord) doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he ^ainviteth them ^ball to ^ccome unto him and partake of his goodness; and he ^ddenieth none that come unto him, black and white, ^ebond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the ^fheathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile." (https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/26?lang=eng)

Latter day prophets teachings match the message:

“No man who makes disparaging remarks concerning those of another race can consider himself a true disciple of Christ. Nor can he consider himself to be in harmony with the teachings of the Church. …
“Let us all recognize that each of us is a son or daughter of our Father in Heaven, who loves all of His children” (“The Need for Greater Kindness,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2006, 58).

This talk from April 2006 General Conference by Elder Dallin H. Oaks shows it well:
"Note that these promised manifestations of the Lord are to “ every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.” Today we are seeing the fulfillment of that promise in every nation where our missionaries are permitted to labor, even among peoples we have not previously associated with Christianity.

For example, we know of many cases where the Lord has been manifesting Himself to men and women in the nation of Russia, so recently released from the long grip of godless communism. While reading critical or mocking articles about Mormons, two different Russian men felt a strong impression to search out our meeting places. Both met missionaries and joined the Church. 2

A medical doctor in a village in Nigeria had a dream in which he saw his good friend speaking to a congregation. Intrigued, he traveled to his friend’s village on a Sunday and was astonished to find exactly what he had seen in his dream—a congregation called a ward being taught by his friend, who was their bishop. Impressed with what he heard in repeated visits, he and his wife were taught and baptized. Two months later over 30 others in their village had also joined the Church, and their clinic had become the meeting place.

A man I met from northern India had never even heard the name of Jesus Christ until he saw it on a calendar in the shop of a shoemaker. The Spirit led him to conversion in a Protestant church. Later, during a visit to a distant college town, he saw an advertisement for an American group called “The BYU Young Ambassadors.” During their performance, an inner voice told him to go into the lobby after the program and a man in a blue blazer would tell him what to do. In this way he obtained a Book of Mormon, read it, and was converted to the restored gospel. He has since served as a missionary and as a bishop.

A little girl in Thailand felt a memory of a loving Father in Heaven. As she grew older, she would often pray and counsel with Him in her heart. In her early 20s she met our missionaries. Their teachings confirmed the loving personal feelings for God she remembered from her childhood. She was baptized and served a full-time mission in Thailand.

Only 5 percent of the people in Cambodia are Christians. A family in that country was searching for the truth. While their 11-year-old son was riding his bicycle he saw some men in white shirts and ties showing someone a picture and asking who it was. He felt he should stop. As he watched, he was prompted to say, “That is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and He came to save man.” Then he rode away. It took the missionaries a month to find him and his family. Today, the father is a counselor in the mission presidency.

Last June, a family of five visited the open house for a new chapel in Mongolia. As the father walked through the door a powerful force went through his body, a feeling of peace he had never experienced before. Tears flowed. He asked the missionaries what that amazing feeling was and how he could feel it again. Soon, the entire family was baptized."

Our Heavenly Father is concerned with our happiness and joy.  His goal is to give us all that He has.  All His time is spent on us...loving us, guiding us, carefully correcting us into patterns and paths that will lead to our growth and benefit.  We are all precious in His sight, every one.  As the Book of Mormon prophet Alma explained to his son Corianton, "is not a soul at this time as precious unto God as a soul will be at the time of his coming?"  No matter where you live or what situation you find yourself in, know that there is a loving God who cares for you, and a loving Savior (Jesus Christ) whose love for you led Him to lay down His life on your behalf.  My testimony is that of Paul's in Romans 8:35-39 (KJV):

 35 Who shall separate us from the ^alove of Christ? shall ^btribulation, or distress, or ^cpersecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are ^akilled all the day long; we are accounted as ^bsheep for the slaughter.

 37 Nay, in all these things we are ^amore than ^bconquerors through him that loved us.

 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to ^aseparate us from the ^blove of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Why do we need Jesus?

I have heard this question asked multiple times in a variety of circumstances.  I remember discussing it with a young man of the Muslim faith while I served my LDS mission in Columbus, Ohio.  The question is sincere and needs an answer.  A complete answer would require more time and knowledge then I possibly have...but allow me to offer a couple simple reasons why we NEED Jesus.

I don't know about you, but I have a tendency to make a lot of mistakes in a day.  I am getting better, but I am so far from perfect that it isn't even funny.  Having 5 children in my home all aged 7 and under sometimes makes for opportunities for me to be short with those that I love most.  When I make a biting remark, or react in anger, that action wounds the person that I act against.  Call it an emotional, mental or spiritual wound...call it what you will, but it is a wound all the same.  One that I have inflicted and that I am totally incapable of completely healing.  I don't know exactly how they feel and thus I don't know how to fix it on my own.

One of the reasons why we need Jesus is actually for others.  What I mean by that is that Jesus is the only one who was capable (as an infinite being born of a mortal mother and an immortal Father) of suffering through everything we suffer through.  Isaiah teaches that He bore our griefs, our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and through His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53, see also Mosiah 14 in the Book of Mormon).  The prophet Alma in the Book of Mormon explains that Jesus suffered in the flesh for our pains, afflictions, temptations and sicknesses.  Jesus suffered all of this so that He might know how to help us (Alma 7:11-13).

Without His knowledge of everything we have experienced, nobody would truly know how we feel.  Thus nobody would truly know how to find total and complete healing.  We might find some small, insufficient ways to bear with our problems, but complete healing would never be possible.  One reason why we need Jesus is because of that...without Him there could not be complete healing.  The healing can come to both parties in any situation where hurt occurs.  What a precious blessing to not have to carry these burdens!

The list could go on and on, but allow me to mention briefly a few other reasons why we need Jesus Christ:
He is the Creator.  Without Him our world would literally not exist.  He is the light and life of the world! 

He has redeemed us from the Fall of Adam and Eve.  Because of His act of redemption, we all will be resurrected and live forever in an immortal state.  In addition, we will all be brought back into the presence of God to be judged.

He paid the penalty for the eternal laws we break.  Our Heavenly Father has eternal laws that have been established that He asks us to live by.  It is a fact that all of us break those eternal laws.  The punishment for that broken law is "endless and eternal punishment" (see Doctrine and Covenants 19:10-20).  Jesus Christ took that punishment on our behalf so that we would have the opportunity to repent and be justified and sanctified through His grace and mercy.  My previous post with the story of Big Tom and Little Jim I think illustrates this point, and demonstrates what I hope is my gratitude to the Lord for His infinite sacrifice on my behalf.  I will love Him forever for it!

Finally, it is because of Him that we can have peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come.  I have felt my burdens lifted by my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  I have felt Him take the burden of sin, of illness, of temptation and of countless other things.  It is a real, tangible feeling.  He is real and He lives today!  He is the Creator of worlds without number, the Redeemer of all mankind, my Savior and my Friend!

The best way to sum up why we need Jesus is to use the analogy of Noah and the ark. Let's put us all in the time period of Noah and let's compare Jesus Christ to the ark. Why did the people in Noah's time need the ark? Hope that answer is pretty obvious. Why do we need Jesus? For the very same reasons as those people needed the ark! He quite literally saved us from everything in the world, including sin and death. We need Jesus because He is the only one capable of being the ark for every human that is willing to see the need and come to Him!

Dear Heavenly Father, thanks for the jello

The title of this post is the way my three year old son's prayer began tonight at the dinner table.  He followed with "thanks for the potatoes and thanks for our cars, and thanks for Trenton Menton (insert giggle here)." Something about the sweet innocent prayers of a young child that just melts my heart!

It's Super Bowl Sunday and wouldn't you believe it? We didn't watch the Super Bowl! Not a surprise I suppose since I have never seen a Super Bowl game in my entire life... We played games with the kids, watched a few Mormon messages and a few Kid History videos on YouTube and I wouldn't have traded it for anything! 

Amber stayed home from church with the three youngest kids today since they were sick. It was weird sitting in church and not having all of the noise and commotion of five kids...the two oldest are pretty reverent nowadays...some peoples talk about and wish for the day when they won't have to wrestle their young kids during church and just be able to listen...that's not my wish! Although I freely admit that I sometimes get frustrated with my kids, I don't want this time of my life to end. My kids are excited to see me every day when I get home and want to spend time with me and think that I am cool...May not always be this way so I will enjoy it while I can thank you very much!

So we have tried chopping up a little doctrine as we sit at the dinner table the last few days. The kids seem to be getting something from it. Taft has asked about the atonement of Jesus Christ multiple times and exactly what Jesus felt for us...the response is of course that he felt everything and can help us with anything. 

This morning we did a little doctrinal discussion at breakfast and I told them the story that President Hinckley tells in this talk http://www.lds.org/ensign/2000/12/the-wondrous-and-true-story-of-christmas?lang=eng about Big Tom and Little Jim. Here is the account as he told it:

"I have a simple story I would like to recount. It is something of a parable. I do not have the name of the author. Perhaps it will have special interest for our children. I hope it will be a reminder for all.

“Years ago there was a little one-room schoolhouse in the mountains of Virginia where the boys were so rough that no teacher had been able to handle them.

“A young, inexperienced teacher applied, and the old director scanned him and asked: ‘Young fellow, do you know that you are asking for an awful beating? Every teacher that we have had here for years has had to take one.’

“‘I will risk it,’ he replied.

“The first day of school came, and the teacher appeared for duty. One big fellow named Tom whispered: ‘I won’t need any help with this one. I can lick him myself.’

“The teacher said, ‘Good morning, boys, we have come to conduct school.’ They yelled and made fun at the top of their voices. ‘Now, I want a good school, but I confess that I do not know how unless you help me. Suppose we have a few rules. You tell me, and I will write them on the blackboard.’

“One fellow yelled, ‘No stealing!’ Another yelled, ‘On time.’ Finally, ten rules appeared on the blackboard.

“‘Now,’ said the teacher, ‘a law is not good unless there is a penalty attached. What shall we do with one who breaks the rules?’

“‘Beat him across the back ten times without his coat on,’ came the response from the class.

“‘That is pretty severe, boys. Are you sure that you are ready to stand by it?’ Another yelled, ‘I second the motion,’ and the teacher said, ‘All right, we will live by them! Class, come to order!’

“In a day or so, ‘Big Tom’ found that his lunch had been stolen. The thief was located--a little hungry fellow, about ten years old. ‘We have found the thief and he must be punished according to your rule--ten stripes across the back. Jim, come up here!’ the teacher said.

“The little fellow, trembling, came up slowly with a big coat fastened up to his neck and pleaded, ‘Teacher, you can lick me as hard as you like, but please, don’t take my coat off!’

“‘Take your coat off,’ the teacher said. ‘You helped make the rules!’

“‘Oh, teacher, don’t make me!’ He began to unbutton, and what did the teacher see? The boy had no shirt on, and revealed a bony little crippled body.

“‘How can I whip this child?’ he thought. ‘But I must, I must do something if I am to keep this school.’ Everything was quiet as death.

“‘How come you aren’t wearing a shirt, Jim?’

“He replied, ‘My father died and my mother is very poor. I have only one shirt and she is washing it today, and I wore my brother’s big coat to keep me warm.’

“The teacher, with rod in hand, hesitated. Just then ‘Big Tom’ jumped to his feet and said, ‘Teacher, if you don’t object, I will take Jim’s licking for him.’

“‘Very well, there is a certain law that one can become a substitute for another. Are you all agreed?’

“Off came Tom’s coat, and after five strokes the rod broke! The teacher bowed his head in his hands and thought, ‘How can I finish this awful task?’ Then he heard the class sobbing, and what did he see? Little Jim had reached up and caught Tom with both arms around his neck. ‘Tom, I’m sorry that I stole your lunch, but I was awful hungry. Tom, I will love you till I die for taking my licking for me! Yes, I will love you forever!’”

To lift a phrase from this simple story, Jesus, my Redeemer, has taken “my licking for me” and yours for you.

Declared the prophet Isaiah:

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: …

“… He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:4–5)."

The Holy Ghost bore witness to all of us of the truthfulness of Jesus' sacrifice. Taft was in tears at the end of the story and you could see that it impacted all of them. We talked about what we could do in order to  show our gratitude to the Savior for His sacrifice and it was really a wonderful experience...something I will never forget...and we should never forget that He took our licking for us and that we should show our gratitude in word and deed! Praise our Heavenly Father for the divine gift of his son! "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."

Poured out my soul...

Amber had read the story of Enos to the boys the other day and tonight Trenton came to Amber and said, "Mom, I need to whisper something to you." Amber asked him what it was and let him whisper it to her and he said, "Mom, tonight I prayed so long to Heavenly Father that I poured out my soul to Him." Such a good boy! Such good desires! Hopefully we can all have those same good desires towards God and all focus a little more on pouring our souls out to God!