"Wherefore, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do" (2 Nephi 32:3)

As a mother I want my children to know where to turn for the best advice. I hope and pray they they will come to know and understand from themselves that the best advice comes from the living prophet and from the scriptures (I'd like to think it is me, but reality is what it is). The Lord said, "Wherefore, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do" (2 Nephi 32:3). I know this is true.

At the end of any day, these words are perfect: "Cease to be idle, cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another (that is perfect for everyone to follow! We have no idea what is going on within the private lives of people, and all we really need is love and caring!!!); cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early ( I am so needing sleep and I am ready for bed! great advice!!!), that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated" (D&C 88:124). I do find that when I go to bed early I can get up earlier and I get so much more done and accomplished. My mind is more alert and my body is in better condition. I also find that I don't make dumb mistakes when I go to be early. It is just wise advise. 

So, my heartfelt love to you today is: feast upon the words of Christ and live them. I promise life is so good when you do...not that I am perfect at it. (I have said I am a practicing Christian, not a perfect one.) That's why I can say I testify of the grace of Christ~ it is powerful and real and it will help you change! Love you!!!  

"Charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with them." Moroni 7:47

"I feel my Savior's love in all the world around me," and it feels so good! I see the beautiful mountains and feel the warmth of the sun. I look upon my children's faces and see their smiles and their innocence (even as teenagers) and their goodness and desires to do what is right and feel the love of my Savior even more. I see the green, almost red tomatoes out on the vine in my ever so small garden and know that there is so much love in those tomatoes all the way from the tiny seeds, to the planting and watering, to the weeding, and from the sun kissing them and helping them turn red and soon will come the harvesting, and then the eating. I see all the pine needles that have blown from my neighbors yard onto my lawn waiting for me to pick them up so I can attempt to make a pine needle basket and there is SO much love that has been spread across my yard. From the wind that blew the needles, to the rain and sprinklers that fed the roots so those needles could grow and the sun and the wonderful neighbors who have fertilized and pruned, all the way back to the original planting and the tiny seed. Love is every where! And it feels SO good!

So I ask myself, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come. Nor heights, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:35-39) We are "killed", the natural man  must be "killed" (see Mosiah 3:19) all the day long, or we will miss all the incredible love of Christ that is present all around us and there for us to partake, even when we are faced with tribulation, or nakedness, or peril, or even the sword.  We must practice living in His grace. For we are not only saved by His grace, but we are changed by His grace. It really is that simple. "Charity is the pure love of Christ and it endureth forever." (Moroni 7:47) Don't separate yourself from the love of Christ, let it fill you up. Open your eyes and your heart. It is all around you and it feels great! Christ says, "Peace I leave with  you; my peace I give unto you: not as the world give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27).

These aren't just pages on a book that I read. They are scripture, words from prophets who testify of Jesus Christ and His power, life and love. I, too, testify that Jesus is the Christ and loves every one of us~ for "God is no respecter of persons." (Acts 10:34) His love is all around us, in everything we see. Feel it. Live it and pass it on. It is awesome!!!

"I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint..." 2 Nephi 32:9

(This scripture is for my children: Whom I love more than words can express, more than ideas can form, colors change, or I can even begin to explain. They are incredible beyond anything to me. Please know, Lara, Stockton, Ethan and Slade, that Heavenly Father is always available!) 

Scripture of the day is pretty straight forward: "Pray without ceasing." 1 Thess.5:17 But how does one do that without stopping everything and kneeling down and closing your eyes and praying? Well, it's really simple. You can talk with Heavenly Father in your mind, just like you talk with me. God is the only one that can know your thoughts and intents of your heart. D&C 6:16 That is right. No one else can know what you are thinking in your heart or mind. Only you and God have this special bond. This is a great blessing and a protection. 

So, you can be walking around in class, or in a store, or driving around in a car and praying for someone or praying for yourself even and having a conversation with God. You don't even have to close your eyes. He wants us to talk with Him and to communicate with Him about everything. He loves us and cares about us. I testify from my own experiences that He hears and answers even the shortest and sincerest of prayers. He hears us and is listening. I also know that He would prefer to actually have us talk with Him rather than have us rattle of some list of rote items we need and then end the conversation. 

One of our prophets, President Hinckley once said, "The trouble with most of our prayers is that we give them as if we were picking up the telephone and ordering groceries--we place our order and hang up. We need to meditate, contemplate, think of what we are praying about and for and then speak to the Lord as one man speaketh to another." Improving our Prayers, Joseph B. Wirthlin 

I promise you, if you take the time to actually talk with Him, don't just say something that is memorized, or things out of habit, but talk with Him from your heart and you will come to know, for yourself that He is there and that your prayers are being answered all of the time. He will help you with school, with your family, with anger, with pain, with loneliness, with your friends, with everything. He loves you. For you are His child. We are His children. This I testify.

"Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you;" (D&C 68:6)

Some days are just harder than others. Things just don't go as smoothly. Kids don't cooperate or do things that just don't make sense (perhaps I was like that as a teenager more often than I would like to think I was), meetings go longer than expected, headaches happen. Some days are just harder. And some days, I know that there is no way I can do these things alone. I can't be my children's mother alone. And I am not alone. 

Just as Christ was about to be taken by the Pharisee's to "trial" he told his apostles, "Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me." (John 16:32) Even as Christ was preparing to be taken to his death, he knew he would be abandoned by his mortal friends, but not his Eternal Father in Heaven. We too are never alone. I know this is one of the very reasons why the word REMEMBER is in the scriptures so often. Remember, you are never alone.  

Christ told his apostles, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) In Christ we can and will have peace. It is that simple. Be of good cheer! Christ again says to us: "Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you" (D&C 68:6). Things work out and there are always blessings at the end of hard days...even when I can't see them or don't receive them immediately, they are there. I know there are many hard days ahead, that's just the nature of things to be. Tribulations, trials, challenges, life happens. But what I get to choose, thank heavens, is to "Be of good cheer"~ no matter what! Because you and I are never alone. This I testify.  

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance" (John 14:26-27.)

I have been rereading the Book of Mormon with these questions in mind: "Who am I so that I can know Christ better?" and "What do I need to know about Jesus Christ so I can grow closer to Him?" I want to know Jesus Christ. I want to follow His teachings and become more like Him and the only way I know how to do this is to read and know his teachings through reading and studying scriptures and then to act. 


As I am doing this I have had the most calm and peaceful feeling come into my life. School has started again, and usually for me, it isn't a time of peace at all, but a time of stress and worry because I know that things are going to go crazy and fall apart pretty soon. But this time, even though I know things will go crazy and there is going to be a falling apart, I am not afraid. There is this peaceful feeling that is pervasive in my life that I want to stay and never leave. The biggest difference is that I am seeking and asking these questions as I read each day. I am amazed at the answers I am receiving. 


Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ confirms the teachings of Christ in the Bible, that Christ lives, and loves all of us, yes, every single soul on the earth, no matter their religion. He wants everyone to hear the gospel and to live it because it is "the manner of happiness" (2 Nephi 5:27). "There is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ. Behold, he is the life and the light of the world. Behold, he is the word of truth and righteousness" (Alma 38:9). 


Interestingly enough, Testament in the archaic definition is "a covenant between God and the human race" (merriam-webster). In the Book of Mormon, God makes the same covenants He made with the people He did in Jerusalem, they followed the Mosaic Law and when He appears to them on the American continent after He has been resurrected, He makes the same covenants with them He teaches and gives in the New Testament. It is beautiful and wonderful to know that He teaches the same things to all people. He loves us no matter when we live or lived. 


As I am reading the scriptures, the feeling of peace over wells me. Christ said, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:26-27). I know as I seek His truth, not the worlds truth, I will be taught by the Holy Ghost and I will continue to have peace. It feels so good! 


The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ is true. It testifies of Christ and of His life and teachings. The Holy Ghost "will teach you all thing"- This I testify.