Thursday, December 11, 2014

Jesus is working!

So I try to remember the sweet moments from my kids. The way I have been doing it a lot of the time is by writing about them on this blog. I have been very grateful as I have been able to look back on the last couple of years and see how God has blessed my life. I also like to look at what lessons I can learn from my sweet children as I reflect on these stories. Tonight I want to share two stories...one from Corban and one from Audrey.
I will share Audrey's first. We were at our friends baptism the other night and Audrey was being a bit loud during the service. I took her out into the hall to allow her to be her loud self without disturbing others. Amber ended up out there with Evelyn as well (at least our boys got to enjoy the whole service!). After a few minutes Amber and I ended up switching kids and Audrey and Amber ended up down the hall in front of this picture:
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Sunday, November 30, 2014

It's great to be a dad!

So I just wanted to write down a couple of reflections on fatherhood and being a dad tonight before I go to sleep. First of all I just want to say that probably the majority of the time I fail at parenting. Let's have a moment of brutal honesty here...having six kids eight and under can sometimes get under my skin and my temper gets the best of me and I don't treat my kids the way that they deserve. They are amazing young sons and daughters of God and sometimes I forget that and don't give them the respect and love that I need to. I hope that God will cut my kids some slack when my shortcomings cause them to be affected negatively in some way or another.  A lot of the times I feel like a failure and wonder if I am doing much good with my kids. It's no fun to feel what way. However, with that being said, the times when things go right just more than make up for any of the wrongs. I am grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ that will allow all of the things that my kids experience negatively that were not their fault to b made up for.  Tonight I want to share a couple of very personal things that went right in the parenting world over the last month or two.
The first occurred during scripture study a month or so ago as we studied Alma 26 as Ammon praises the Lord for His goodness and excellency. He talks about how the Lord is aware of everyone at the end of that chapter.  Ammon says, "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" http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/26?lang=eng
After we read the verses I asked my kids if they knew that God was aware of them and loved them. Taft responded with kind of a cute, typical five year old response, and then my two oldest boys responded that they couldn't think of something specifically where they had come to know that. I invited them to pray that night and ask Heavenly Father to tell them that He loved them and knew them.  They said they would. I told them that I didn't know exactly how He would respond, but that I knew He would.
That night as they got ready for bed, I talked to them briefly about making sure that they gave Heavenly Father Time to answer their prayer before they got back up from praying...to make sure that they didn't just say a prayer and move on, but that they should listen for an answer from God. They both knelt down and started to pray.
At this point it is important to know that my two oldest boys are 8 and 6 respectively. To have them pray for longer than 15-20 seconds is a minor miracle. Trenton got up after about 3 minutes or so, which was quite a bit longer than his normal prayers, so I figured something good had happened. I asked him to come and tell me about his prayer and he came over and explained that he had a warm feeling come over him and I asked him what God was saying to him and he said that God was telling him that he loved him. I told him to never forget it and then gave him a hug.
Trey was still praying at this point and I was honestly beginning to wonder if he had maybe fallen asleep or something. However, after about 6 minutes or so, he got up and his countenance was clearly different than it was before his prayer. He had a very serious look about him that I will never forget. I asked him to tell me about his prayer and he got a little choked up and said, "Dad, I just got this feeling..." I asked him what the feeling was and he said that God was telling him that He loved him. He was very impacted by this and I just gave him a big hug and we just sat their hugging for a couple of minutes and I told him to never forget what had happened and that the most powerful being in the universe had taken the time to tell him that He loved him and knew him.  When I am stinking it up as a parent, those are the times that I have to remember.
Another thing I wanted to mention was how even after my niece Brooklyn passed away that we are still a family.  Each night, we have a little "family hug" where all of us tell each other that we love each other. Kind of cheesy, but you can see the impact that it has, even on my two year old daughter, Audrey. She gets a huge smile on her face and is just beaming as she hears everyone else in her family express their love for her.
Anyway, my kids have wanted to include Brooklyn ever since she passed away because they want her to know that she is still part of our family and still loved. So we always tell Brooklyn that we love her each night. I am certain that she hears it more often than not. Audrey especially is insistent on making sure that we include her cousin.  It is a great reminder that the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ and that He provides that hope of eternal life and eternal families.
Trenton is also very aware of Brooklyn as well as of Layton and Shaina. We all try to remember them in our prayers, but Trenton is definitely the best at it. Last night he said the prayer and I thanked him for always remembering Layton and Shaina in his prayers. He said, "Do you know why I always remember them?" I responded, "why?"  He then explained how uncle Layton had asked him to pray for him and Shaina because they were in a lot of pain after Brooklyn died. He said that he wanted to help them and so that is why he makes sure to keep them in his prayers. It was just a testimony to me of the goodness of these kids and how sweet and pure and innocent they are.
The last thing that I wanted to say is just simply how awesome it is to be a dad. I took Corban to the store the other day after work, and I was just walking into the grocery store with him hand in hand and I just felt an overwhelming sense of peace and joy in being a father. I feel so blessed that God has seen fit to bless Amber and I with these special little ones to grace our home.  I wouldn't trade anything for the little moments like that, or when I come home from work and they run up and give me a big hug. Truly the greatest joys in life come in families. So grateful for our Heavenly Father, that He has a plan that includes families and that He has given us the gift of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to help us and to be there for us when we are stumbling, and ultimately to save us. God be thanked for the gift of His Son that provides all of these wonderful blessings and more!

http://www.mormon.org/christmas He is the gift!
Because of Him we have all of this! http://easter.mormon.org


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Sunday, November 16, 2014

"The leaders of the Church are honest but imperfect men"

Elder Neil L. Andersen explained this in October 2012, "The leaders of the Church are honest but imperfect men. Remember the words of Moroni: 'Condemn me not because of mine imperfection, neither my father … ; but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been.'"https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/trial-of-your-faith?lang=eng  I put this quote on Twitter the other day  with the #polygamy and got the following response, "what happened to the prophet will never lead you astray?"  Unfortunately my response to the tweeted question cannot be summed up in 160 characters or less, so I am doing the next best thing and I will tweet the link to this blog post.

I will regularly hear or see detractors of the LDS church posting or tweeting random snippets from early church leaders and talking about how the LDS church is changing their doctrine or how weird (or evil) we are because of our beliefs.  I think that it's important for everyone to understand what a prophet is, what a prophet does, and what actually constitutes doctrine in the LDS church.

What is a prophet?  A prophet is a spokesman for God.  When God tells Moses to go get the Israelites out of bondage, Moses questions a little bit.  After Moses sees some manifestations of God's power, he then questions his ability to speak, because, he says, "I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue."  The Lord responds by saying, "Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord?  Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say."  God calls Aaron to be the spokesman for Moses and teaches him the following, "he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God."

In more modern times, the Lord has taught us the following about prophets, "What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same" (D&C 1:38).  He has also taught that:
“Thou shalt give heed unto all his (the prophet's) words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me;



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The Mormon church admits that Joseph Smith had 40 wives?

I saw the headline everywhere this week.  From the right (Fox News) and from the left (CNN), and everywhere in between.  For once all the headlines were the same.  Everyone was interested in the big "revelation."  The church has released several scholarly articles over the last year that detail polygamy in the early church, and the most recent articles discussed Joseph Smith's polygamy in detail, which is why these news outlets decided to release their articles (interestingly enough all on the same day for the most part.  It is also interesting to note that these articles came out well over 2 weeks after the church actually published the latest article).  I am sure that for many people this was a "revelation", but I hope to take a few minutes to debunk a couple of blatant lies located in the headlines and articles.  I will address the following two points:

This was NOT a new revelation or an "admission", we have known about this for over 150 years.

 Referring to all of the women as "wives" does not mean what most people seem to think it means.

Please recognize that this is NOT an official church publication, and is nowhere near a comprehensive explanation on the subject.

Number one:  This was NOT a new revelation.  This was not an "admission" from the church about Joseph Smith's polygamy.  At worst, this was a clarification of issues that may have been muddy in people's minds in the past.  At best, it is a place for all people (church members and non-members alike) to come and find a well-documented essay with linked in sources that will allow people to do an intelligent study on the issues surrounding polygamy.  The church issued an official response detailing the reasons for their essays here:  http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/church-provides-context-gospel-topics-pages

I hate to break it to all of the people who saw this as an "admission" of some sort of "guilt" of the prophet Joseph Smith, but we have known that Joseph Smith was a polygamist since the revelation on plural marriage was released publicly to the church in 1843.  The journalists who are reporting this as a new revelation, or as an admission by the church are sadly uninformed and showed an incredible lack of journalistic effort.  It doesn't take too much research to find that LDS canon has been teaching this for over 150 years.  You can find the revelation here: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/132?lang=eng

It is apparent as you study this section that Joseph Smith didn't just receive the revelation, but was commanded to live the principle of plural marriage.  The fact that the Doctrine and Covenants was canonized in 1835 (http://history.lds.org/event/doctrine-and-covenants-canonized?lang=eng) and that this revelation was added to the canon of scripture clearly indicates that there has been no effort by the church to conceal Joseph Smith's polygamy.  The fact that church members are not only encouraged, but commanded to study these revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants is further proof of this (see DC 1:37-28 and https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1987/04/the-book-of-mormon-and-the-doctrine-and-covenants?lang=eng) If you are trying to hide something and don't want people to find out about it because it would make your prophet "guilty", I don't think that you put it in your scriptural canon and encourage members and non-members alike to make a careful study of it.

Do the new articles clarify information that many members were likely not aware of?  Absolutely!  Is there new information that was never available before?  Not really.  The essays are years of research filed down to one article.  The information isn't necessarily new, just placed in one convenient location.  This was absolutely, positively not a "new revelation" or an "admission."  It is simply clarification and convenience for church members to understand the doctrines and the history.  Calling it an "admission" infers that there was something wrong with it.  While I understand that prophets are also human and there could have been some mistakes made here and there within the practice, the doctrine of eternal marriage and plural marriage taken as a whole was not a mistake, and Joseph Smith living the doctrine was not a mistake either.

In addition, I might add that any "mistakes" made can be easily understood as you understand the process of spiritual learning.  We each learn spiritual truths step by step, and we may well understand one spiritual truth in one way at a point in our lives, and then find later on as we learn more that the way we understood that spiritual truth was not entirely accurate.  President Dieter F. Uchtdorf explained this in his last conference address:  "As an airline pilot, I flew numerous hours across continents and oceans during the darkness of night. Watching the night sky out of my cockpit window, especially the Milky Way, often made me marvel at the vastness and depth of God’s creations—what the scriptures describe as “worlds without number.”1
It was less than a century ago that most astronomers assumed that our Milky Way galaxy was the only galaxy in the universe.2 They supposed all that lay beyond our galaxy was an immense nothingness, an infinite void—empty, cold, and devoid of stars, light, and life.
As telescopes became more sophisticated—including telescopes that could be launched into space—astronomers began to grasp a spectacular, almost incomprehensible truth: the universe is mind-bogglingly bigger than anyone had previously believed, and the heavens are filled with numberless galaxies, unimaginably far away from us, each containing hundreds of billions of stars.3
In a very short period of time, our understanding of the universe changed forever.
Today we can see some of these distant galaxies.4
We know that they are there.
They have been there for a very long time.
But before mankind had instruments powerful enough to gather celestial light and bring these galaxies into visibility, we did not believe such a thing was possible.
The immensity of the universe didn’t suddenly change, but our ability to see and understand this truth changed dramatically. And with that greater light, mankind was introduced to glorious vistas we had never before imagined." https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/receiving-a-testimony-of-light-and-truth?lang=eng

I hope that you will see as you continue to read, that many of the complicated issues surrounding Joseph Smith's polygamy came because a spiritual truth was revealed, perhaps not understood in its entirety, but acted on with the best available current knowledge.  This issue will have much to do with our understanding of what these "wives" really were (I might also add here that 40 is definitely the most generous estimate on the number of "wives" Joseph had).

Joseph Smith had received a revelation regarding the sealing of husbands and wives and the sealing of families.  In essence, the sealing simply means that husbands and wives (and their families) are bound together in the eternities.  This is one of the most appealing doctrines to most church members and many who investigate the church.  Further explanation of our current understanding of sealings is located here: http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/sealing

Because this was a new concept to early church members who primarily came from traditional Christian backgrounds, their ideas of what sealings were intended to do were based on their cultural context.  As a result, many people were being "sealed" to Joseph Smith because of how they thought sealings worked.  This is one of the possible reasons why Joseph Smith was sealed to so many "wives."  One of the important things to understand is that there were many of these "wives" that there was never even a sexual relationship with, which is important to understand because of how many detractors of the church accuse Joseph Smith of being a sexual predator.  The church's essay is extremely well written when it comes to this particular point, I will offer an excerpt here to explain in detail sealings and why Joseph was sealed to so many women:
"During the era in which plural marriage was practiced, Latter-day Saints distinguished between sealings for time and eternity and sealings for eternity only. Sealings for time and eternity included commitments and relationships during this life, generally including the possibility of sexual relations. Eternity-only sealings indicated relationships in the next life alone.
Evidence indicates that Joseph Smith participated in both types of sealings. The exact number of women to whom he was sealed in his lifetime is unknown because the evidence is fragmentary.24 Some of the women who were sealed to Joseph Smith later testified that their marriages were for time and eternity, while others indicated that their relationships were for eternity alone.25
Most of those sealed to Joseph Smith were between 20 and 40 years of age at the time of their sealing to him. The oldest, Fanny Young, was 56 years old. The youngest was Helen Mar Kimball, daughter of Joseph’s close friends Heber C. and Vilate Murray Kimball, who was sealed to Joseph several months before her 15th birthday. Marriage at such an age, inappropriate by today’s standards, was legal in that era, and some women married in their mid-teens.26 Helen Mar Kimball spoke of her sealing to Joseph as being “for eternity alone,” suggesting that the relationship did not involve sexual relations.27 After Joseph’s death, Helen remarried and became an articulate defender of him and of plural marriage.28
Following his marriage to Louisa Beaman and before he married other single women, Joseph Smith was sealed to a number of women who were already married.29 Neither these women nor Joseph explained much about these sealings, though several women said they were for eternity alone.30 Other women left no records, making it unknown whether their sealings were for time and eternity or were for eternity alone.
There are several possible explanations for this practice. These sealings may have provided a way to create an eternal bond or link between Joseph’s family and other families within the Church.31 These ties extended both vertically, from parent to child, and horizontally, from one family to another. Today such eternal bonds are achieved through the temple marriages of individuals who are also sealed to their own birth families, in this way linking families together. Joseph Smith’s sealings to women already married may have been an early version of linking one family to another. In Nauvoo, most if not all of the first husbands seem to have continued living in the same household with their wives during Joseph’s lifetime, and complaints about these sealings with Joseph Smith are virtually absent from the documentary record.32
These sealings may also be explained by Joseph’s reluctance to enter plural marriage because of the sorrow it would bring to his wife Emma. He may have believed that sealings to married women would comply with the Lord’s command without requiring him to have normal marriage relationships.33 This could explain why, according to Lorenzo Snow, the angel reprimanded Joseph for having “demurred” on plural marriage even after he had entered into the practice.34 After this rebuke, according to this interpretation, Joseph returned primarily to sealings with single women.
Another possibility is that, in an era when life spans were shorter than they are today, faithful women felt an urgency to be sealed by priesthood authority. Several of these women were married either to non-Mormons or former Mormons, and more than one of the women later expressed unhappiness in their present marriages. Living in a time when divorce was difficult to obtain, these women may have believed a sealing to Joseph Smith would give them blessings they might not otherwise receive in the next life.35
The women who united with Joseph Smith in plural marriage risked reputation and self-respect in being associated with a principle so foreign to their culture and so easily misunderstood by others. “I made a greater sacrifice than to give my life,” said Zina Huntington Jacobs, “for I never anticipated again to be looked upon as an honorable woman.” Nevertheless, she wrote, “I searched the scripture & by humble prayer to my Heavenly Father I obtained a testimony for myself.”36 After Joseph’s death, most of the women sealed to him moved to Utah with the Saints, remained faithful Church members, and defended both plural marriage and Joseph." https://www.lds.org/topics/plural-marriage-in-kirtland-and-nauvoo?lang=eng#25

Hopefully this clarifies and enlightens people on what this was really about.  I have to add my own personal thoughts on the issue.  Forgive my directness, but I think that is really the only way I know how to talk.  For those of you who may see Joseph as some sort of sick predator, I might ask you a few of the following questions to explore your line of reasoning:  Does a predator ask permission of a 14 year old girls parents?  Does a predator seal himself to other men's wives in hopes for intimate relationships while asking permission of her current husband prior to doing so?  Please think through the logic of your accusations.  The burden of historical evidence indicates that this practice was far from being a pursuit of physical gratification.  This was an effort by a man, imperfect though he was (he himself said, “I never told you I was perfect; but there is no error in the revelations.”), who was trying his best to live a principle as he currently understood it given to him by the Lord.  As Elder Neil L. Andersen testified in this last general conference, "
I give you my witness that Jesus is the Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. He chose a holy man, a righteous man, to lead the Restoration of the fulness of His gospel. He chose Joseph Smith.
I testify that Joseph Smith was an honest and virtuous man, a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ."https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/joseph-smith?lang=eng

I add my witness to his.  I know that Joseph Smith was not perfect.  I never claim that, nor does any sane person.  The Lord Jesus Christ was the only perfect man to live out His mortal life on this planet.  However, Joseph Smith was indeed a righteous and virtuous man who was called by God to do His work in these days.  He is absolutely a man of God.  He is a prophet just as much as Moses, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (who were also documented polygamists I might add).  I encourage people to make a careful study of the teachings that were restored through Joseph Smith, rather than searching through sketchy third-party historical records which might have SOME truths in them at best, and might be filled with outright lies at worst.  Jesus taught that "if any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." (see John 7:17).

If you will make a careful study of LDS doctrine, you will find teachings that guide your life to become the kind of person that God wishes you to be.  You will find that the teachings are centered on Jesus Christ and His infinite sacrifice.  That through Him we can find forgiveness of sin and eternal life.   You will find Jesus' grace, that enabling power that helps us to become more than we could ever be on our own.  You will find the doctrine of eternal families, and how your family can find joy and peace in this life and the life to come.  You will find Christ.  I have found it and have found peace that has helped me through many trials and struggles, including depression, the loss of loved ones, feeling like I am not enough, etc.  "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." (see John 8:32)

For more detailed information on polygamy and related issues, please visit the church's official site and official essay:  https://www.lds.org/topics/plural-marriage-in-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints?lang=eng&query=polygamy
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Sunday, October 12, 2014

Open letter part 2: God's plan for us, "The Plan of Happiness"

Hebrews 12:9 teaches that Heavenly Father is the Father of our spirits.  Obviously we have tangible physical bodies here in this life.  The implication then is that our spirits existed before this life.  The idea that we existed before this life must have been taught to the apostles as they referred to it in John 9 as they come across a man “born blind.”  Let’s pick it up in verse 2: “And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?  Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”
It is apparent that both Jesus and His apostles understand that it was possible for this man who was born blind to have “sinned” in some previous estate.  This estate is referenced in Proverbs 8:22-31. God is speaking of “wisdom” in these verses and says, “The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.  I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.  When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.  Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.  When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:  When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:  When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:  Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;  Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.”
If we did not have verse 31, which explains that wisdom existed WITH the sons of men (us) before the foundations of the world, then we could dismiss this passage as a description of one of the characteristics of God, but it is very apparent that we were existent with wisdom (and thus with God), before the Earth was formed!  
Thus, before the Earth was formed, God, as our Father, created our spirits, of which Jesus was the firstborn (Spirit Creation: Numbers 16:22 & 27:16, Ecclesiastes 12:7, Zechariah 12:1, and Hebrews 12:9… Christ as Firstborn: Colossians 1:15-16, Psalms 89:27, Romans 8:29, Revelation 3:14).  The spirits were created with gender as an essential characteristic.  Our Father instituted and taught us a plan whereby we might be able to receive the joy and happiness that He has and wanted us to have.  He wanted (and still wants) to give us all things (Romans 8:31-32).  We were taught that we could come to this mortal Earth and be tried and tested to see if we would do everything He asked of us.  Both males and females were to have specific powers and responsibilities in God’s plan.  They are to work together in concert to bring as many of God’s children as possible to receive all that God has in store for them.  When we heard this plan, we “shouted for joy.” (Job 38:7) We were made to understand that we would not be perfect in mortality.  We would have free will, choice or “agency” as Latter Day Saints call it.  We could choose between good and evil, light and darkness.  We would make mistakes.  We would separate ourselves from God through sin.
Sin led to the consequences of physical death (the separation of the immortal spirit from the mortal physical body) and spiritual death (separation from God).  These consequences were and are such that we could not overcome them on our own.  Our Father taught us the need for a Savior and Jesus responded that He would fulfill that role in the plan.  Jesus would show us how to live, but even more than that, His mission was to overcome physical death through His own conquering of that enemy (1 Cor. 15:20-22).  His gift of immortality is to be given to all, regardless of the lives that they lead here (John 5:25-29).  Another part of His mission was to suffer for our sins in order to give us the opportunity to be forgiven of those sins, be cleansed to be able to exist in the presence of God.  His mission is so important, that I will be adding a whole separate post to discuss His role in greater depth later on.
There were those who opposed God’s plan.  Foremost among them was Lucifer, or Satan. (Revelation 12, Isaiah 14, D&C 29, Moses 4)  Satan wanted something different and led many after him.  John taught that Lucifer drew away a “third part” in this pre-mortal conflict between good and evil (Revelation 12:4-10).  All those who chose to follow God’s plan were given the opportunity to come here to earth to prove themselves (Abraham 3:22-26).  They were able to overcome the efforts of Satan “by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.” (Revelation 12:11)
This mortal life that God gave us would provide tests, trials and difficulties.  The rain would come on both the just and the unjust.  We would be subject to all of the natural consequences of a natural world.  Our efforts here should be directed at following the example of the life and teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.  These verses describe in detail the purpose of mortality (2 Nephi 2:21-27, Alma 12:24, Alma 34:32-34, Abraham 3:26, Article of Faith 13).
Families are “central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.”  Our families are to help us as we “obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize” our “divine destiny as heirs of eternal life.”  God’s “plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave.”  (https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation ).  The greatest  joys in this life come in these family relationships.  I can personally testify to that, and if you read other posts on this blog you will hopefully see why I feel that way.
To find this true joy and happiness in family life, we must base our efforts “upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.” (https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation )  Truly, God’s plan and organization can lead to great joy in this life, even in the midst of pain and sorrow.   Elder Richard G. Scott provides an excellent summation of mortality in the 2003 New Era when he said, “No one escapes suffering in this life. We all go through some pain, sadness, and adversity. God allows us to go through trials so we can be tested and have our agency.
Bad things can happen to good people when people misuse their agency. Those who make poor choices hurt themselves and sometimes other people, even good people. Crime and divorce, for instance, are often the result of poor choices.
But poor choices don’t cause all suffering. Difficult circumstances like disease, accidents, starvation, or natural disasters are a part of mortal life. Difficulty rains “on the just and on the unjust” (Matt. 5:45).
The most important thing is to trust God and obey His will. Suffering in this life will eventually come to an end, and God’s perfect mercy, justice, and judgment will resolve all the “why’s” we wonder about now. The Lord loves us and sees the eternal view, so we can trust Him to guide our lives. He promises that our trials and difficulties can work for our good if we’re trying to live the right way (see D&C 90:24; D&C 122:7). He promises us peace that transcends the evil of the world (John 16:33). Psalms 34:19 says, ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.’”https://www.lds.org/new-era/2003/07/qa-questions-and-answers?lang=eng
The knowledge that Jesus has overcome death and that we will continue to exist after this life brings great comfort.  As the prophet Joseph F. Smith once said,
“All fear of this death has been removed from the Latter-day Saints. They have no dread of the temporal death, because they know that as death came upon them by the transgression of Adam, so by the righteousness of Jesus Christ shall life come unto them, and though they die, they shall live again. Possessing this knowledge, they have joy even in death, for they know that they shall rise again and shall meet again beyond the grave. They know that the spirit dies not at all; that it passes through no change, except the change from imprisonment in this mortal clay to freedom and to the sphere in which it acted before it came to this earth” (Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 428).
After death, we enter a realm called “the spirit world” where we continue our existence as spirits even as our mortal bodies are laid in the grave.  It is apparent that there will be those who do not hear the saving message of the gospel of Jesus Christ during their mortal existence.  In the spirit world, all who have not yet had the opportunity to hear the gospel will be taught it (1 Peter 3:18-19; 4:6 and DC 138).  In the mercy of God, none of God’s children will be judged on something that they did not even know about (Mosiah 3:11).  What a blessing to know that God loves ALL of His children, regardless of race, religion, etc., and will give ALL of them an opportunity to choose to hearken to the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  This quote encapsulates this idea:
“In the justice of the Father, he is going to give to every man the privilege of hearing the gospel. Not one soul shall be overlooked or forgotten. This being true, what about the countless thousands who have died and never heard of Christ, never had an opportunity of repentance and remission of their sins, never met an elder of the Church holding the authority? Some of our good Christian neighbors will tell you they are lost forever, that they cannot believe in the grave, for there is no hope beyond.
“Would that be fair? Would it be just? No! The Lord is going to give to every man the opportunity to hear and to receive eternal life, or a place in his kingdom. We are very fortunate because we have had that privilege here and have passed from death into life.
“The Lord has so arranged his plan of redemption that all who have died without this opportunity shall be given it in the spirit world. There the elders of the Church who have died are proclaiming the gospel to the dead. All those who did not have an opportunity here to receive it, who there repent and receive the gospel, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2:132).

This doctrine brings great peace and reaffirms the perfect justice and mercy of our loving Heavenly Father.  He will give every one of His children the best opportunity to learn, grow, receive the gospel and become what He knows they can become.

Following this "Spirit World" existence is a 1,000 year period on the Earth termed the "Millennium."  The righteous (good people from both within and without of the church) will be resurrected and enjoy this peaceful time.  This period will begin with the Lord Jesus Christ coming a second time in great power and glory (Matt. 16:27-28; Matt. 25:31).  The Lord will reign personally upon the Earth for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4, Article of Faith 10).  During this time, Isaiah describes, there will be no pain, sickness, war, etc. (Isaiah 2:4, 11:9, 35:2, 65:17).  The work for those who didn't have the opportunity in mortality will be completed during this time.  Parents who lost children during mortality will have the opportunity to raise them from the precise age that they lost them.  Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all things will be made right. 

John the Revelator describes this time as follows: "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

As Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught earlier this year, "the Savior makes all things right. No injustice in mortality is permanent, even death, for He restores life again. No injury, disability, betrayal, or abuse goes uncompensated in the end because of His ultimate justice and mercy." https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/the-resurrection-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng

Everyone will be resurrected (spirit and body will be reunited in perfect form, to never be separated again).  All will live forever because of the marvelous grace of Jesus Christ that comes in and through His infinite Atonement for all of us.  These quotes help explain/illustrate the doctrine:
  • “What a glorious thought it is, to me at least, and it must be to all who have conceived of the truth or received it in their hearts, that those from whom we have to part here, we will meet again and see as they are. We will meet the same identical being that we associated with here in the flesh—not some other soul, some other being, or the same being in some other form, but the same identity and the same form and likeness, the same person we knew and were associated with in our mortal existence, even to the wounds in the flesh. Not that a person will always be marred by scars, wounds, deformities, defects or infirmities, for these will be removed in their course, in their proper time, according to the merciful providence of God. Deformity will be removed; defects will be eliminated, and men and women shall attain to the perfection of their spirits, to the perfection that God designed in the beginning” (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 23).
  • •“Every creature that is born in the image of God will be resurrected from the dead. … But just as sure as we go down into the grave, through the transgression of our first parents, by whom death came into the world, so sure will we be resurrected from the dead by the power of Jesus Christ. It matters not whether we have done well or ill, whether we have been intelligent or ignorant, or whether we have been bondsmen or slaves or freemen, all men will be raised from the dead” (Joseph F. Smith, in Millennial Star, 12 Mar. 1896, 162).

At this time, all mankind will be judged according to their works, words, thoughts and desires by the Lord Jesus Christ (John 5:22, Matt. 16:27, Revelation 3:15-21, Romans 2:1-13, James 2).  This judgment will not be a tallying of good and bad marks, but is described by Elder Dallin H. Oaks: "the Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become."

The judgment will most certainly be perfect.  As The Prophet Joseph Smith once taught that “He [God] holds the reins of judgment in His hands; He is a wise Lawgiver, and will judge all men, not according to the narrow, contracted notions of men, but, ‘according to the deeds done in the body whether they be good or evil.’ … He will judge them, ‘not according to what they have not, but according to what they have,’ those who have lived without law, will be judged without law, and those who have a law, will be judged by that law. We need not doubt the wisdom and intelligence of the Great Jehovah; He will award judgment or mercy to all nations according to their several deserts, their means of obtaining intelligence, the laws by which they are governed, the facilities afforded them of obtaining correct information, and His inscrutable designs in relation to the human family; and when the designs of God shall be made manifest, and the curtain of futurity be withdrawn, we shall all of us eventually have to confess that the Judge of all the earth has done right.” (History of the Church, 4:595–96.)

Following the judgment,  we will be assigned to a degree of heavenly glory, based on what we have become.  Although the degree of glory we will receive depends upon our own personal works, we are only able to receive this degree of glory because of Jesus Christ's grace and mercy provided through His Atonement.  We did nothing to earn the gift, He gives it to us and it is up to us to receive it.  "What doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift?  Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift." (DC 88:33).

Those who have received this gift in its fullest sense will have become like God (Romans 8:16-17, Revelation 3:20-21, Luke 22:29, Psalms 8:5-6, Matt. 5:48, Acts 17:29, Galatians 4:7, 1 John 3:2). 
They will have the privilege of living eternally in family units (DC 131:1-4, 1 Cor. 11:11).  This is a doctrine that brings great peace to myself and my family.  Knowing that God promises that we can be together with the ones who we love most.  "The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally."  https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation  These families will receive all that God has (Romans 8:31-32, 2 Tim. 2:11-13).  Others will be assigned a degree of glory based on their words and works and what they have become (1 Cor. 15:40-42, 2 Cor. 12:2, John 14:2).  Only those who have committed the unpardonable sin will not receive a degree of heavenly glory (Luke 12:10, Mark 3:28-29, Matt. 12:31-32). 

This doctrine is more fully explained in the Doctrine and Covenants (section 76), as those who committed the "unpardonable sin" are "the only ones who shall not be redeemed in the due time of the Lord, after the sufferings of his wrath.
 39 For all the rest shall be brought forth by the resurrection of the dead, through the triumph and the glory of the Lamb, who was slain, who was in the bosom of the Father before the worlds were made.
 40 And this is the gospel, the glad tidings, which the voice out of the heavens bore record unto us—
 41 That he came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness;
 42 That through him all might be saved whom the Father had put into his power and made by him;
 43 Who glorifies the Father, and saves all the works of his hands, except those sons of perdition who deny the Son after the Father has revealed him.
 44 Wherefore, he saves all except them—they shall go away into everlasting punishment, which is endless punishment, which is eternal punishment, to reign with the devil and his angels in eternity, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched, which is their torment

Truly this is the gospel!  The good news!  The glad tidings!  That because of Jesus Christ, death is overcome and that we have the opportunity to overcome our sins through His sacrifice and be with our families forever.

Great are the promises of our Heavenly Father to us.  His love is incredible and how He provides for all of His children shows that love. 
“The [Doctrine and Covenants] explains clearly that the lowest glory to which man is assigned is so glorious as to be beyond the understanding of man. It is a doctrine fundamental in Mormonism that the meanest sinner, in the final judgment, will receive a glory which is beyond human understanding, which is so great that we are unable to describe it adequately. Those who do well will receive an even more glorious place. Those who dwell in the lower may look wistfully to the higher as we do here. The hell on the other side will be felt in some such way.
“The Gospel is a gospel of tremendous love. Love is at the bottom of it. The meanest child is loved so dearly that his reward will be beyond the understanding of mortal man.” (Message of the Doctrine and Covenants, p. 167.)



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Saturday, October 11, 2014

Angels

Angels are of course, an intriguing subject.  In the world at large, we often portray them as beings with large wings and halo's over their heads, as if they were quite a different species than us.  We speak of guardian angels that protect people.  We even make movies about them...as far back as the Christmas classic "It's a Wonderful Life."  What is an angel really?  Do we really have guardian angels?  Is all of this simply a figment of our individual or collective imaginations?  Perhaps some of the ideas we have about angels are a bit far-fetched, but angels truly are real beings with real interests in our lives.  As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland once taught:
"From the beginning down through the dispensations, God has used angels as His emissaries in conveying love and concern for His children...Usually such beings are not seen. Sometimes they are. But seen or unseen they are always near. Sometimes their assignments are very grand and have significance for the whole world. Sometimes the messages are more private. Occasionally the angelic purpose is to warn. But most often it is to comfort, to provide some form of merciful attention, guidance in difficult times. When in Lehi’s dream he found himself in a frightening place, “a dark and dreary waste,” as he described it, he was met by an angel, “a man … dressed in a white robe; … he spake unto me,” Lehi said, “and bade me follow him.” 7 Lehi did follow him to safety and ultimately to the path of salvation."
"In the course of life all of us spend time in “dark and dreary” places, wildernesses, circumstances of sorrow or fear or discouragement. Our present day is filled with global distress over financial crises, energy problems, terrorist attacks, and natural calamities...But I testify that angels are still sent to help us, even as they were sent to help Adam and Eve, to help the prophets, and indeed to help the Savior of the world Himself. Matthew records in his gospel that after Satan had tempted Christ in the wilderness “angels came and ministered unto him.” 8 Even the Son of God, a God Himself, had need for heavenly comfort during His sojourn in mortality. And so such ministrations will be to the righteous until the end of time." https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/the-ministry-of-angels?lang=eng

What are these angels?  Who are they?  Are they mortal or immortal?  Are they merely spirits or physical beings?  When do they come to us, if they do at all?  The Book of Mormon is replete with references to angels.  Elder Holland mentioned the angel that guided Lehi through a dark and dreary waste.  Nephi boldly taught that "Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ (2 Nephi 32:3)."  The prophet Moroni quoted his prophet-father Mormon regarding angels in Moroni 7 and explained that they do the work of the Father, and that they testify of Christ.  Elder Holland continued in his same address referenced earlier to discourse on angels:

"...when we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with—here, now, every day. Some of them reside in our own neighborhoods. Some of them gave birth to us, and in my case, one of them consented to marry me. Indeed heaven never seems closer than when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind."

Abraham Lincoln would agree with Elder Holland, as he once said, "all that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother."  We all owe much to our angel mothers.  I know I do.  My angel mother has been that for me, for our family, and for all those that she comes into contact with.  She has lifted and served in unbelievable ways.

If you have ever wanted to see angels in action, the week of Brooklyn's passing brought them out in numbers.  Two of them spoke at Brooklyn's funeral a couple of weeks ago.  My Mom and Layton stood up and taught powerfully of God's plan of salvation for His children.  They spoke by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is how angels teach/speak (2 Nephi 32:3). 

Other angels were in action as they brought food and words of comfort to my family.  One angel invited another angel to paint a picture of little Brooklyn being held by the Savior.





So many angels showed their love and kindness, demonstrating God's love through their kind actions.

Besides the mortal angels that bless our lives so frequently, President George Q. Cannon also taught that, “There is not one of us but what God’s love has been expended upon. There is not one of us that He has not cared for and caressed. There is not one of us that He has not desired to save, and that He has not devised means to save. There is not one of us that He has not given His angels charge concerning. We may be insignificant and contemptible in our own eyes, and in the eyes of others, but the truth remains that we are the children of God, and that He has actually given His angels—invisible beings of power and might—charge concerning us, and they watch over us and have us in their keeping.”

These angels include family members who have passed, as Elder Russel M. Nelson taught, "As a special witness of Jesus Christ, I testify that He lives! I also testify that the veil of death is very thin. I know by experiences too sacred to relate that those who have gone before are not strangers to leaders of this Church. To us and to you, our loved ones may be just as close as the next room—separated only by the doors of death."https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1992/04/doors-of-death?lang=eng

Elder Holland also taught that "When doubt or difficulty come, do not be afraid to ask for help. If we want it...humbly and honestly...we can get it. The scriptures phrase such earnest desire as being of “real intent,” pursued “with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God.” I testify that in response to that kind of importuning, God will send help from both sides of the veil to strengthen our belief."https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/lord-i-believe?lang=eng

The angelic help from the world of spirits includes family members:
"Brothers and sisters, one of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so. His solitary journey brought great company for our little version of that path—the merciful care of our Father in Heaven, the unfailing companionship of this Beloved Son, the consummate gift of the Holy Ghost, angels in heaven, family members on both sides of the veil, prophets and apostles, teachers, leaders, friends. All of these and more have been given as companions for our mortal journey because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of His gospel. Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are. Truly the Redeemer of us all said: “I will not leave you comfortless: [My Father and] I will come to you [and abide with you].”" https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2009/04/none-were-with-him?lang=eng

I share my fervent witness that these things are true, and echo Elder Bruce C. Hafen's words about angels and when they come.  After citing many examples, both ancient and modern, Elder Hafen writes the following:
"When do the angels come? If we seek to be worthy, they are near us when we need them most."

This is true.  Angels have been there to bear us up in the most difficult moments of our lives.  Our Heavenly Father's love is what brings these angels to our aid.  I am grateful to have felt the power of angels in my life, both mortal and immortal, and invite all of us to keep our spiritual senses aware so that we can recognize their presence more often.


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Sunday, October 5, 2014

But Mom Does It!

Listening to conference today and little Corban is playing with his baby sister Evelyn...he loves doing it and she adores him, so it works out well...most of the time.

This time there was a slight problem... Corban had decided to go ahead and use his own little three year old finger as Evelyn's new pacifier.  I look over from watching Elder Packers talk and I see a brief vision of all of the nasty germs that are probably on my sons hands that are not going in my baby girls mouth...not a pretty vision I assure you!

I quickly inform Corban that he needs to remove his fingers from her mouth, and he, sensing my frustration, replies, "but Mom does it!"

I had to chuckle a little bit, because it was true...sometimes Amber will put her finger in Evelyn's mouth and allow her to gnaw on it for a bit. The difference is obviously that Ambers hands are much cleaner than Corban's...but he doesn't understand that...he just knows that he sees a Mom do it.

It got me thinking a lot about things.  Interesting thing was that earlier in the conference I had the spirit whispering to me about making sure that everything I do would be something that I would want my kids to do, because they will do whatever they see me do.  I think it is safe to say that is true. Jesus taught in John 5 that He only did the things that He saw His Father do. Our kids are the same way. They will do the things that they see us do.

Unfortunately this makes me feel a little guilty...I am far from perfect and I hope that my sons are about twenty times the father that I am, but it does make me want to recommit to do the things that I would want to see them do. I hope that in the future that I can be more like my Savior and more like my Heavenly Father in my actions so that I can feel more comfortable with my kids saying, "but Dad does it", and not feel bad that they are doing it. Hopefully they are getting those good things that my wife does (such as demonstrating how to soothe and take care of a baby) to even out the silly things that I often find myself doing. Hopefully I can recommit to being the father that I should be as I recognize the importance of the example that I set.
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The good ship Zion

So after the last two days of wrangling with kids through four two-hour sessions of general conference, I was wondering if any of my kids heard a single word from church leaders, let alone words that stuck with them. I will be honest, between church meetings, family nights and daily prayers and scripture study, I often wonder why we make the effort to do it. It seems like most of the time it is more fighting with the kids then it is worth.  Let's be real...most of the time I feel pretty hopeless about it.  However, every once in awhile you will have a "pay day." Tonight was one of those.

We are on our second time through the Book of Mormon as a family. Over 9 years I know that sounds pretty lame, but I feel pretty good about it given the fact that we are doing this with little kids. Anyway, we are currently in Alma 23 where it is talking about all the Lamanites that were taught by Mosiah's sons. These converts were pretty good. We learn in verse 6 that, "And as sure as the Lord liveth, so sure as many as believed, or as many as were brought to the knowledge of the truth, through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, according to the spirit of revelation and of prophecy, and the power of God working miracles in them--yea, I say unto you, as the Lord liveth, as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away."

So as we were studying this verse tonight, I said something to the effect of, "did you hear that? None of them left the church after they joined!" Trenton responded with the pay dirt comment.  He said, "so none of them fell off of the good ship Zion?" 

I will be frank...my mind was blown. I thought Trenton was too busy coloring his pictures to listen during Elder Ballard's talk today...but apparently not only was he listening, but he also made the connection between the verses we were discussing and the exact doctrine that Elder Ballard was teaching.  To say I was ecstatic is the understatement of the century. I pray that my kids will get the word in their minds and hearts, so on those rare occasions where I feel that Amber and I are successful in our efforts, I feel a lot of gratitude all around.

Elder Hales taught in October 2013 conference that we make a big mistake if we think our kids our too young to get something out of conference, and tonight I saw the truth of his words. Thank goodness for the Holy Ghost and that He can get the words into the hearts of my kids so that they can understand and also be converted to the Lord so that they too, just as the Lamanites, never will fall away.  That is my prayer... That they can be converted to the Lord Jesus Christ and never fall away from that sure foundation that the Savior provides. 

So to all you parents out there who have similar experiences as me where you feel like you are getting nowhere with your efforts to get the gospel in your kids' hearts', just let this little story give you a little hope to get you through the hard nights to the rare golden one, because they do come as we give our best to our kids.
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Friday, September 19, 2014

Words to Heal the Wounded Soul

Elder Quentin Cook once said, "Events often occur that rob us of peace and heighten our sense of vulnerability."  Such an event occurred in our family yesterday.  Brooklyn Renae Mansfield, sweet daughter of Layton and Shaina Mansfield, passed away yesterday morning.  Her sweet smile will always warm our hearts.  We love her and will miss her until the day that we meet again.  We know we will meet her again, and for Layton and Shaina the assurance is that "arms now empty will be filled."  The day will come that you will experience all of the joys with your little girl.  Our loving Heavenly Father will give you the blessing and the privilege of raising her from the age that she passed on.  You will not miss a second.  You will have the joy of watching her grow to adulthood and experience the joys of life without the influence of the adversary.  Jesus will reign personally on the Earth during that time and will compensate you for all of your losses.  As the prophet Joseph Smith said, "“All your losses will be made up to you in the resurrection, provided you continue faithful. By the vision of the Almighty I have seen it.” Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith (1976), 296.




Photo


Early in the Book of Mormon, the prophet Jacob was called to teach the people and warn them because they were "beginning to labor in sin."  Jacob began his address, by teaching the people that the words of God have power to heal "the wounded soul." Without a doubt, each member of our family, especially Layton and Shaina, are experiencing wounded souls.  I don't know if I am writing this to work through my own grief and pain, or in hopes that these thoughts will lift others, but I think it is probably a little bit of both.  Somehow, in some way, my hope is that these words will bring comfort, peace and healing to the souls of my family, and any others who may read this who are experiencing difficulty, grief or pain.

Often in our faith, we refer to our Heavenly Father's plan for us as "the plan of happiness."  It is at times like these that the phrase is particularly poignant.  The hope of seeing Brooklyn again and being with her bring happiness, but the devastation of not seeing her smile again for some time is, to be frank, quite unbearable right now.  Despite the pain, I am finding solace in the teachings of Jesus Christ, and knowing that, "the Savior has suffered not just for our sins and iniquities—but also for our physical pains and anguish, our weaknesses and shortcomings, our fears and frustrations, our disappointments and discouragement, our regrets and remorse, our despair and desperation, the injustices and inequities we experience, and the emotional distresses that beset us.
There is no physical pain, no spiritual wound, no anguish of soul or heartache, no infirmity or weakness you or I ever confront in mortality that the Savior did not experience first. In a moment of weakness we may cry out, “No one knows what it is like. No one understands.” But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He has felt and borne our individual burdens. And because of His infinite and eternal sacrifice (see Alma 34:14), He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy. He can reach out, touch, succor, heal, and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do relying only upon our own power." https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/bear-up-their-burdens-with-ease?lang=eng

Despite the fact that I feel like my heart has been torn out of my chest as I watch my little brother and his sweet, innocent wife experiencing unimaginable pain, I have also felt the Savior's grace lift and comfort and heal at the times where I have felt that I couldn't bear the pain any more.  It is a real feeling.  Not imagined.  Impossible to reproduce on command, but available at the times when God knows that I can't do it alone.

God's plan of happiness has always existed and our part in this great plan had no beginning and will have no end.  We have always existed.  We are eternal beings and existed with God.  Because we have always existed, we will never cease to exist (93:29).  Our Heavenly Parents created our spirits from this eternal material and we came into being as their spirit sons and daughters.  Our Heavenly Parents were different than us, in that they possessed glorified, immortal bodies of flesh and bone (DC 130:22).  Our Heavenly Father presented a plan whereby we could receive a body, experience a mortal existence, learn, grow, progress, and through the merits, mercy and grace of Christ, become like Him and experience the joy He had and has. (2 Nephi 31:17-21)  When we taught us this eternal plan, we "shouted for joy" (Job 38:7).

While we understood the potential for joy, we also understood that we would need a Savior, to redeem us from physical and spiritual death, and provide compensation for the injustices of life that occur as a natural result of simply living in a world where choice (agency) exists and where terrible things can happen to even the best of people.  "The Savior’s suffering in Gethsemane and His agony on the cross redeem us from sin by satisfying the demands that justice has upon us. He extends mercy and pardons those who repent. The Atonement also satisfies the debt justice owes to us by healing and compensating us for any suffering we innocently endure." https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/redemption?lang=eng

Elder Quentin Cook also said this of our understanding, "We all participated in the councils of heaven that provided for moral agency, knowing that there would be mortal pain and even unspeakable tragedy because of the abuse of agency. We understood that this could leave us angry, bewildered, defenseless, and vulnerable. But we also knew that the Savior’s Atonement would overcome and compensate for all of the unfairness of mortal life and bring us peace. Elder Marion D. Hanks had a framed statement on his wall by Ugo Betti: 'To believe in God is to know that all the rules will be fair, and that there will be wonderful surprises.'"

There will be wonderful surprises, although this mortal life is not fair.  I don't know why God took my 3 month old niece at this time, but I do know that the principle of compensation and its associated doctrines are what are giving hope to me right now and providing the hope that I have for Layton and Shaina that, "the Savior makes all things right. No injustice in mortality is permanent, even death, for He restores life again. No injury, disability, betrayal, or abuse goes uncompensated in the end because of His ultimate justice and mercy." https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/the-resurrection-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng

This principle of compensation has been taught by President Faust as well.  "All of us benefit from the transcendent blessings of the Atonement and the Resurrection, through which the divine healing process can work in our lives. The hurt can be replaced by the joy the Savior promised. To the doubting Thomas, Jesus said, “Be not faithless, but believing.” 5 Through faith and righteousness all of the inequities, injuries, and pains of this life can be fully compensated for and made right. Blessings denied in this life will be fully recompensed in the eternities...our suffering in this life can be as the refining fire, purifying us for a higher purpose. Heartaches can be healed, and we can come to know a soul-satisfying joy and happiness beyond our dreams and expectations." https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1996/10/woman-why-weepest-thou?lang=eng

This power and ability to compensate us comes from Jesus because He, as God, suffered for each one of us in the Garden of Gethsemane and again on the cross (Luke 22:39-44, Matt. 27:46) as he suffered for our sins, griefs, sorrows, etc (Isaiah 53:3-5, Alma 7:11-13).  Elder Merrill J. Bateman described this intimate experience and its meaning for us as he said, "For many years I thought of the Savior’s experience in the garden and on the cross as places where a large mass of sin was heaped upon Him. Through the words of Alma, Abinadi, Isaiah, and other prophets, however, my view has changed. Instead of an impersonal mass of sin, there was a long line of people, as Jesus felt “our infirmities” (Heb. 4:15), “[bore] our griefs, … carried our sorrows … [and] was bruised for our iniquities” (Isa. 53:4–5).
The Atonement was an intimate, personal experience in which Jesus came to know how to help each of us.
The Pearl of Great Price teaches that Moses was shown all the inhabitants of the earth, which were “numberless as the sand upon the sea shore” (Moses 1:28). If Moses beheld every soul, then it seems reasonable that the Creator of the universe has the power to become intimately acquainted with each of us. He learned about your weaknesses and mine. He experienced your pains and sufferings. He experienced mine. I testify that He knows us. He understands the way in which we deal with temptations. He knows our weaknesses. But more than that, more than just knowing us, He knows how to help us if we come to Him in faith." https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2005/10/a-pattern-for-all?lang=eng

The Savior spent time in the garden with Layton, Shaina, and each one of us individually so that He would know how we feel and know exactly how to comfort us in our times of need.  I am a witness that what Jesus did is real, and that He truly can help us as we come to Him in faith.  I have felt His grace lift me from the lowest of lows and buoy me up in the times of my greatest difficulties.  His infinite sacrifice, knowledge and ability are very tangible and real.  To access this power simply requires the asking (DC 4:7).

With that being said, am I calm and untroubled at this time?  Absolutely not.  My heart is aching and I feel like someone has torn my insides from me.  I feel most for my brother and his wife.  It's times like these that I have to ask, just as the Savior did while on the cross, "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46)

Fortunately, I have felt just enough comfort and reassurance to know that He hasn't forsaken me.  He is with me, strengthening me with His Grace.  Elder Holland explained the Savior's experience as He cried our in anguish this way, "Jesus held on. He pressed on. The goodness in Him allowed faith to triumph even in a state of complete anguish. The trust He lived by told Him in spite of His feelings that divine compassion is never absent, that God is always faithful, that He never flees nor fails us. When the uttermost farthing had then been paid, when Christ’s determination to be faithful was as obvious as it was utterly invincible, finally and mercifully, it was “finished.” Against all odds and with none to help or uphold Him, Jesus of Nazareth, the living Son of the living God, restored physical life where death had held sway and brought joyful, spiritual redemption out of sin, hellish darkness, and despair. With faith in the God He knew was there, He could say in triumph, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” 
Brothers and sisters, one of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so. His solitary journey brought great company for our little version of that path—the merciful care of our Father in Heaven, the unfailing companionship of this Beloved Son, the consummate gift of the Holy Ghost, angels in heaven, family members on both sides of the veil, prophets and apostles, teachers, leaders, friends. All of these and more have been given as companions for our mortal journey because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of His gospel. Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are. Truly the Redeemer of us all said: “I will not leave you comfortless: [My Father and] I will come to you [and abide with you].” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2009/04/none-were-with-him?lang=eng 

He never leaves us comfortless.  There are always those there who can help us and lift us along the way.  Our family has also experienced the loss of three boys and one girl (Remington, Promise, Trenton and Teancum).  Despite their not being there physically every day, there have been times where there has been a sure witness that they have been there to help me along the way.  Real, tangible experiences that I felt deep within my soul.  Real, tangible witnesses that I could never deny.  To paraphrase what the prophet Joseph Smith once said, I know it, and I know that God knows it, and I cannot deny it.  Knowing this gives me the knowledge that Layton and Shaina will surely experience times when they feel Brooklyn there as a help from the other side of the veil.  Her sweet and strong spirit will be strengthening and blessing them when they need it most.

 


(As a side note, a sign of God's mercy and hand in this was that another family moved their baby to a different plot last week, and so little Brooklyn will get to be buried near her aunt and uncles)

So what will we need to hang on to when the days get dark and when we feel alone and forsaken?  The scriptures teach of an iron rod as the word of God (1 Nephi 8, 11 and hymn #274).  This iron rod (the word of God) is what we have to hold onto when the darkness descends, and even in the glorious light of dawn.  It is what we have to hold on to no matter what and no matter when, and the word of God concerning Brooklyn is this, "little children are alive in Christ", and, "all children are alike unto me; wherefore, I love little children with a perfect love; and they are all alike and partakers of salvation." (Moroni 8)

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that, "“Would you think it strange if I relate what I have seen in vision in relation to this interesting theme? Those who have died in Jesus Christ may expect to enter into all that fruition of joy when they come forth, which they possessed or anticipated here.So plain was the vision, that I actually saw men, before they had ascended from the tomb, as though they were getting up slowly. They took each other by the hand and said to each other, “My father, my son, my mother, my daughter, my brother, my sister.” And when the voice calls for the dead to arise, suppose I am laid by the side of my father, what would be the first joy of my heart? To meet my father, my mother, my brother, my sister; and when they are by my side, I embrace them and they me......All your losses will be made up to you in the resurrection, provided you continue faithful. By the vision of the Almighty I have seen it.More painful to me are the thoughts of annihilation than death. If I have no expectation of seeing my father, mother, brothers, sisters and friends again, my heart would burst in a moment, and I should go down to my grave.The expectation of seeing my friends in the morning of the resurrection cheers my soul and makes me bear up against the evils of life. It is like their taking a long journey, and on their return we meet them with increased joy.  God has revealed His Son from the heavens and the doctrine of the resurrection also; and we have a knowledge that those we bury here God will bring up again, clothed upon and quickened by the Spirit of the great God; and what mattereth it whether we lay them down, or we lay down with them when we can keep them no longer? Let these truths sink down in our hearts, that we may even here begin to enjoy that which shall be in full hereafter."
He also explained, "why it is that infants, innocent children, are taken away from us, especially those that seem to be the most intelligent and interesting. The strongest reasons that present themselves to my mind are these: This world is a very wicked world; and it … grows more wicked and corrupt. … The Lord takes many away, even in infancy, that they may escape the envy of man, and the sorrows and evils of this present world; they were too pure, too lovely, to live on earth; therefore, if rightly considered, instead of mourning we have reason to rejoice as they are delivered from evil, and we shall soon have them again. …
“… The only difference between the old and young dying is, one lives longer in heaven and eternal light and glory than the other, and is freed a little sooner from this miserable, wicked world. Notwithstanding all this glory, we for a moment lose sight of it, and mourn the loss, but we do not mourn as those without hope.”5
“A question may be asked—‘Will mothers have their children in eternity?’ Yes! Yes! Mothers, you shall have your children; for they shall have eternal life, for their debt is paid.”6
“Children … must rise just as they died; we can there hail our lovely infants with the same glory—the same loveliness in the celestial glory.” https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-joseph-smith/chapter-14?lang=eng

Layton and Shaina and all of us are in a bit of a dark place right now.  Elder Hafen described the scenario that the prophet Lehi found himself in:  "In his dream of the tree of life, Lehi found himself in a dark and dreary wasteland and saw others surrounded by a great mist of darkness. The pathway home from this darkness was the way to the tree of life—the same tree, I suppose, as the one from which Adam and Eve were barred until they, too, had walked the trail Lehi took. The path was marked by the iron rod, the word of God. (See 1 Ne. 8:7–30.) Holding fast to this rod in the mists of darkness, we, as did Lehi, grope and move our way homeward. As we do, we are likely to find that the cold rod of iron will begin to feel in our hands as the warm, firm, loving hand of him who literally pulls us along the way. We find that hand strong enough to rescue us, warm enough to tell us that home is not far away; and we summon our deepest resources to reciprocate, until we are again “at one” in the arms of the Lord." https://www.lds.org/ensign/1990/04/beauty-for-ashes-the-atonement-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng

His hands will be there for all of us pulling us along as we hang on to the word.

Knowing this brings comfort.  Knowing that we will all be compensated for all of our losses gives us faith and hope to move forward.  Elder Wirthlin gave 2 different addresses that bring comfort at this difficult time.  He taught in October 2008 that, "The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude.
One of the blessings of the gospel is the knowledge that when the curtain of death signals the end of our mortal lives, life will continue on the other side of the veil. There we will be given new opportunities. Not even death can take from us the eternal blessings promised by a loving Heavenly Father." https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/come-what-may-and-love-it?lang=eng&query=compensation

Elder Wirthlin gave the following words of comfort and counsel after losing his wife of 65 years.  The excerpt is a bit "long", but there can be no shortage of comfort at times like these.  He taught, "it is a devastating, consuming thing to lose someone you love. It gnaws at your soul. He was right. As Elisa was my greatest joy, now her passing is my greatest sorrow.
In the lonely hours I have spent a great deal of time thinking about eternal things. I have contemplated the comforting doctrines of eternal life.
During my life I have heard many sermons on the Resurrection. Like you, I can recite the events of that first Easter Sunday. I have marked in my scriptures passages regarding the Resurrection and have close at hand many of the key statements uttered by latter-day prophets on this subject.
We know what the Resurrection is—the reuniting of the spirit and body in its perfect form. 1
President Joseph F. Smith said “that those from whom we have to part here, we will meet again and see as they are. We will meet the same identical being that we associated with here in the flesh.” 2
When Christ rose from the grave, becoming the firstfruits of the Resurrection, He made that gift available to all. And with that sublime act, He softened the devastating, consuming sorrow that gnaws at the souls of those who have lost precious loved ones.
I think of how dark that Friday was when Christ was lifted up on the cross.
On that terrible Friday the earth shook and grew dark. Frightful storms lashed at the earth.
Those evil men who sought His life rejoiced. Now that Jesus was no more, surely those who followed Him would disperse. On that day they stood triumphant.
On that day the veil of the temple was rent in twain.
Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Jesus, were both overcome with grief and despair. The superb man they had loved and honored hung lifeless upon the cross.
On that Friday the Apostles were devastated. Jesus, their Savior—the man who had walked on water and raised the dead—was Himself at the mercy of wicked men. They watched helplessly as He was overcome by His enemies.
On that Friday the Savior of mankind was humiliated and bruised, abused and reviled.
It was a Friday filled with devastating, consuming sorrow that gnawed at the souls of those who loved and honored the Son of God.
I think that of all the days since the beginning of this world’s history, that Friday was the darkest.
But the doom of that day did not endure.
The despair did not linger because on Sunday, the resurrected Lord burst the bonds of death. He ascended from the grave and appeared gloriously triumphant as the Savior of all mankind.
And in an instant the eyes that had been filled with ever-flowing tears dried. The lips that had whispered prayers of distress and grief now filled the air with wondrous praise, for Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God, stood before them as the firstfruits of the Resurrection, the proof that death is merely the beginning of a new and wondrous existence.
Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.
But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.
No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come." https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2006/10/sunday-will-come?lang=eng

I believe Elder Wirthlin's words.  Because of the merits, mercy and grace of Christ, I am confident that the promise of eternal family felicity will be given to Layton and Shaina with their little Brooklyn, and that they will have the privilege and opportunity of being with her, raising her in the millennium, watching her find a man to spend eternity with, and have the privilege of being with and associating with her through the endless ages of eternity.  "peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment.  And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes." (DC 121:7-8). Sunday will come!  Until that day, we can hang on to our hope in the Savior, and the iron rod that He provides, finding joy in our journey back to Him so that we can be prepared for the glorious reunion with our loved ones!  SUNDAY WILL COME!!!




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