~by Melanie

I love to listen to men sing. This Sunday, I heard the best men’s choir ever. I was ironing my son’s white shirt and my husband was helping our boys, ages 4 and 7, get dressed for church. The three of them were singing “How Firm a Foundation” which is a Hymn that the children learned in Primary last year.

“How firm a foundation, ye Saints of the Lord,

Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!

What more can he say than to you he hath said,

Who unto the Savior, who unto the Savior,

Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?

Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,

For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.

I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,

Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous,

Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.”

(LDS Hymn #85)

It was sweet to listen to my husband teach my children through song the things that he and I both know: that if we have faith, we can turn to our Savior for refuge when times are tough. And times will be tough. I can’t even imagine the challenges and evils that will face our children as they grow into teenagers and adults. My husband and I hope that as they are young, we will be able to give them a “firm foundation” in the gospel.

We hope to send them out into the world with the knowledge that they are children of our Heavenly Father, who loves them and that even when times are hard or we make mistakes, He wants us to come to Him in prayer and He will comfort us. It is a huge responsibility that we have as parents and so we teach them often. We hold Family Home Evening, daily family scripture study and prayer. But just as important are those unplanned times, when they have questions or when we feel prompted by the spirit to share our testimonies with them about the gospel.

And sometimes the teaching simply comes when we’re getting ready for the church and a song pops into our heads.

My husband and I had the unique opportunity to live in Brazil from 2004 to 2009. Our time there left us intimate witnesses to the blessings of that country – and also the trials.

Carnival is by far the biggest holiday in South America’s largest country. While it might have started out as a religious celebration, most people will tell you it is now as earthly and carnal as possible. Pleasure in all its forms is highly encouraged and acceptable. And for the suggestible teenagers of the church, it can be devastating.

For many years now, the church has encouraged holding their annual Girls Camp during Carnival as a way to get them “out of the world.” Now, that includes a Young Men’s Camp as well. (Keep in mind they don’t have the scouting program down there like we do in the United States; no High Adventure Camp!)

As bishop, my husband got to know and love these fabulous young men individually – and I did too. The contrast between what THESE teenagers were doing during Carnival compared to MOST teenagers in Brazil … it’s astonishing.

Can I mention that nearly ALL of these boys were recent converts in this picture?
Can I mention that eight months before this picture was taken there were only three young men in the ward?
Can I mention that there are young men pictured who have stopped drunken fathers from killing frightened mothers?
Can I mention that there are young men pictured who have been held at knife point while their step-father attempted to rape their sister?
Can I mention that there are young men pictured who have to deal with drug dealers at recess?
Can I mention that there are young men pictured who walk 3km on dirt roads to get to the bus stop that takes them to church?
Can I mention almost all of them are the only members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in their family?
Can I mention that I get goosebumps every time I see them in white shirts and ties, when I think of how they looked like gang members not long before I met them?

Can I mention that my heart wants to explode every time I look at this picture?

Some of my friends have thoughtfully picked out words or quotes to inspire them for the New Year. I think this is a fun idea, though I hesitate to pick one for myself. I don’t know why. Maybe I’m just not that organized. Maybe things have just been so crazy for us the last few years that each year feels kind of like ten. Maybe I just don’t ever know what’s going to happen next.

My friend, Megan finally pushed me over the edge and made me really think about it. She picked the word RELAX. I really like that. In fact, I was just going to go ahead and steal it from her and make it my word, but something else kept popping into my head.

It’s that scripture–you know, the one in Psalms 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God.”

It also shows up in Doctrine and Covenants 101:16: “Let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God.”

Of course what kept coming to mind was “relax and know that I am God.” Not exactly accurate, but I think that’s one way of interpreting those verses. The more I thought about it the more I realized that this scripture is really what I need to think about and remember for the next year. We’re going to be moving across the country (again). We’ll be buying a business and taking it over (if all goes well). We’ll have to find a new house in a new place. We’ll have to find a new school for our son, Max and go to a new ward (again).

It’s all really scary. And intimidating. It makes me feel tired and frightened.

BUT. If I can think about it all in regards to these scriptures then I can think about it in a different way. If I can be still and know that Heavenly Father is God and that He is watching out for me then I don’t have to be so scared, or maybe scared at all. I’m not the only one watching out for me and my little family.

So maybe these big things we have to do can start to look exciting and adventurous instead of so scary.

The fact that I can’t ultimately control what happens in my life can be okay. There are divine beings watching out for us. Ultimately even if bad things happen we have hope that all will be ok and that we will be able to be together in the end.

I’ve just got to have faith. Relax, have faith and do the work.

One of my favorite men in the world, Jeffery R. Holland wrote the following in a wonderful article in the Ensign this month:

“Some of you may wonder: Is there any future for me? What does a new year or a new semester, a new major or a new romance, a new job or a new home hold for me? Will I be safe? Will life be sound? Can I trust in the Lord and in the future? Or would it be better to look back, to go back, to stay in the past?
“To all such of every generation, I call out, “Remember Lot’s wife.” Faith is for the future. Faith builds on the past but never longs to stay there. Faith trusts that God has great things in store for each of us and that Christ truly is the “high priest of good things to come” (Hebrews 9:11).”

Could that be more perfect and appropriate?

He writes and speaks so well. Just listening to his words brings me comfort.

“Be still and know that I am God.”

OK, I’ll try. I’ll try my best.

I love restaurants. Really love them. In fact, I love pretty much any kind of food I don’t have to make myself. I’ve been known to fantasize about being given a job where I’m an undercover restaurant critic who writes articles for the newspaper about local restaurants. They pay my bill, and I spout off brilliant analytics of menu, food, service and ambiance. That would be SO cool. I’ve never been a huge fan of buffets, but once children came along, buffets became the compromise. I still didn’t have to cook, the kids could eat quickly and pick what they want, and it was one step above the drive-thru window on the food chain. (For the record, we don’t eat out nearly as much as I’d like to.)

Unfortunately, it’s very easy and very common to carry this buffet attitude into other aspects of our life. We are our own boss– we have freedom of choice– and all too often, our choices are based solely upon what we want and what we don’t want. My husband and I have discussed the danger of “selective obedience”: picking and choosing the commandments we like while ignoring the ones we’re not so fond of. I’ve seen this in my own children. If I ask Clark to help me set the table, he’s usually quite compliant and jovial even, because he knows it means dinner’s on its way. But if I ask him to pick up the scattered pile of paper scraps left over from his scissors’ frenzy, it’s likely that there will be at least twenty minutes of repeating over and over again, “But I don’t waaaaaant to!” Sometimes they’re even polite about it: “Natalie, will you put on your shoes so we can pick up Grant from school?” “No thanks.” And Grant loves to give me the (lame) reason why he’d rather not do something I asked, “But mom, my legs are just too tired to put my backpack away.”

I imagine that if I’m going to be completely honest with myself, I could improve in my obedience too. Have you ever been to those enormous buffets in fancy hotels? They have their foods sectioned off by categories. So imagine the following three sections of the “Obedience Buffet”: 1) There are the things we know we should do because Jesus laid it out quite plainly in the scriptures– like forgive an offender, pray daily, or put the kingdom of God first on our priority list. 2) There are the things the living prophets counsel us to do– get out of debt, share the gospel with others, do regular personal and family scripture study, etc., and 3) there are also things that the Holy Ghost whispers to us that we should do– get off the computer and attend to your children, stop watching that one reality show that’s your guilty pleasure, or look for the good in this moment and try not to lose your temper. How often do I respond with “I don’t want to,” or “No thanks,” or “But….”?

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin said:

“You cannot approach the gospel as you would a buffet or smorgasbord, choosing here a little and there a little. You must sit down to the whole feast and live the Lord’s loving commandments in their fullness. You have been taught the commandments. You know what to do: pray, study the scriptures, fast, pay your tithes and offerings, attend your meetings, partake of the sacrament, magnify your callings and serve others, sustain your Church leaders, make and keep sacred covenants, share the gospel, be honest, true, chaste, benevolent, and virtuous.”

So basically, this is the one time that we are allowed– no, actually encouraged– to pig out! Take it all in because each commandment comes with a blessing, and passing it by means rejecting the power and joy it could bring.

Matthew 5:6 says, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

I tell my kids all the time, “I’m not asking you if you want to, I’m asking you to do it.” I can just imagine Heavenly Father saying the same thing to me: Just go say a prayer, Stephanie, you’ll feel so much better. I know you’re tired, but your children need you to love them and teach them right now. I will bless you and strengthen you. Stop focusing on all that stuff that doesn’t matter, just do what I asked and you’ll be fine.

“If you will follow the Christ, follow his prophet, and follow his Spirit, you will always choose the right. As a result of your wise choices, your testimony will grow stronger, and great blessings of joy, happiness, and peace will be yours.” –Elder Wirthlin

And let’s face it, that’s way better than what I could cook up on my own.

Juli is a returned missionary who served a full-time mission in the Arequipa, Peru mission in 1982-84. She is 48 years old with two beautiful teenage daughters. Juli says this about her stage of life, “Actually, I wish I could go back to my mission days, they seemed far less stressful and carefree, but I wouldn’t trade having my kids and husband!” Juli loves crafts, and wishes she had more time to do them. Juli also love home decorating, fitness and nutrition, and spending time with her family.

When asked how she prepared for her mission Juli responded. “I did a lot of soul searching and wondering, ‘Am I cut out for this?’ After much prayer and scripture study, I thought, ‘Yes I am!’ I felt a calm reassurance. When I got my mission call, I thought I had to be this perfect person who knew all of the scriptures and be super spiritual. I thought, ‘How am I going to measure up and be able to be a good example and teach these people when I am unsure myself?’ But, when I got to the Missionary Training Center in Provo, UT, I felt so much at home even though I was thousands of miles away. I felt such a strong bond to the people preparing to serve with me. I had a hunger and need to get out in the mission field. I am that type of person that once I set my mind on something, I go for it whole heartedly and give 100%. That is how I felt about my mission.

“When I got to Peru, I knew I was supposed to be there at that EXACT moment. My mission call came during the Christmas season. My mom was disappointed. She asked if I couldn’t postpone it until after the New Year. I said, ‘Absolutely not!’ I had an undeniable feeling that I should get all of my affairs in order and go on my mission at my appointed time. Actually, if I could have, I would have liked to have gone sooner.”

When Juli was asked what made her decide to serve a mission she said, “I had attended a singles retreat [the Church has a program for young single adults, providing spiritual gatherings, fun activities, opportunities for service, etc.] where a lot of young adults where there as well as several men and women who had previously served missions. I could feel their energy and their love for their missions, and that made me feel like there was something missing in my own life. Many of my friends were either getting married or going on missions. I had completed nursing school and was working at a nearby hospital, but felt like I wanted something more in my life at that time. I went into my Bishop’s office and inquired about the possibility of going on a mission. He jumped up and said, “When can we start filling out the papers?” That’s all it took, and with the support of my Bishop, my congregation and my family I went forward.”

When asked if there was a time where she knew God answered her prayer while on her mission Juli responded, “I would have to look in my missionary journal, but there was a time where my comp and I usually took a certain route home, and this time, we had decided to take an alternate route, on the road we met a man who was selling pots and pans (of all things.) We said we didn’t need any, but that ‘We are representatives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, would you be interested in hearing our message?’ He said ‘Yes.’ and during that conversation we made an appointment for our 1st discussion with him.”

Juli has since enjoyed keeping in contact with the people she met while serving in Peru through her mission’s website.

If you have served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and would like to share some of your experiences with our readers, please email us at mormonwoman (at) gmail (dot) com. Or, if you would like to share your conversion story, please email us at the same address.

For more Missionary Mondays articles, see here.

Hermana Olmos converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints when she was 10 years old along with her family. Reflecting on that time, she says:

“The first time the Elders knocked on my door they asked for a glass of water, which my mother gave them but when they wanted to share the message my mom said, ‘No thank you. I’m OK with my religion.’ The second time the Elders came, my father let them in. My mom was mad. But she must not have been so mad because she met the Elders in December and was baptized in February.” Hermana Olmos smiled at the memory.

Hermana Olmos loved studying with the Elders when they came to her house. She especially loved the part when they said that families can be together forever. I thought, “I want to live with my family forever.”

On Hermana Olmos’ baptismal day, she was baptized in a small local lake in the town of Zicatepec along with her 8-year-old sister. Her parents had previously been baptized. “I felt so good when I was baptized. I felt I was on my way to having an eternal family.”

In Mexico, Sister Olmos attended the Calipan Branch [a branch is a small congregation in the Mormon faith, smaller than a ward] in Calipan Mexico. There were 20 – 24 members in her branch and they met in a member’s home. While there, Sister Olmos served as a Counselor in the Young Women’s program. For activities, the leaders took the girls to LDS dances in other cities, played sports and went camping.

When asked why she wanted to serve a mission Sister Olmos said, “Always when I was learning the Gospel I saw that the Elders were happy teaching the Gospel. I thought I would want to teach the Gospel like them. When I was 20, I felt scared during my interview to serve a mission. Then I read in the Doctrine & Covenants 82:10 “I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.” I wanted the blessings of serving a mission so I had to serve. Also, I really know that families can live together forever. I want all families to know that.”

When asked if there was a time when she knew God answered her prayers Sister Olmos said, “All the time. When I was flying to the Missionary Training Center in Utah, I did not understand any English. I thought AAAAH! I want to return to my house. So on the plane, I prayed and read the scriptures in Spanish. The person sitting next to me said something to me in English that I understood a little. Then he talked to another person and she spoke to me in Spanish. This made me SO HAPPY, because I knew that Heavenly Father loved me.”

One Saturday evening, I went down to the temple in St. George, Utah (45 miles (approx 72 km) from my home). My husband stayed home with the kids so I could attend an endowment session. It was lightly raining when I left my home. Seven miles into the drive, the rain started pelting the windshield. It was coming down so hard it was drowning out my music (believe me, that is LOUD). If it had been hail, it definitely would have broken my windshield. I couldn’t see the road in front of me very well; I immediately slowed down to 40 mph (approx. 64 kph) (the speed limit is 75 mph (approx. 121 kph)).

Many cars had pulled off to the side of the road. I didn’t feel safe pulling off because I couldn’t see those cars until I was practically on top of them. I even started hydroplaning a couple of times. The sky was near black. And I was scared. I thought to myself, “It’s not worth it! I’m not going to the temple. Driving in this weather is too hard and scary.”

I pulled off at the next exit, and decided to call my husband at home, where he could look up the weather on the internet and tell me what the next 34 miles (approx. 55 kilometers) would look like. I said, “Honey, this weather is bad. I’m scared. Will you please look up the radar and tell me if it is safe to go on? Or should I just come home?” He looked up the weather and said, “Oh wow. You just went through a couple of red cells (really, really bad rain). There is one more dark green cell about three to five miles away from where you are, but then right after that it is clear. The whole rest of the drive looks great.”

I decided it would be best to continue on.  If I turned around now, I would have to drive through the terrible rain storm again to get home.  I really wanted to go to the temple, and I was glad to know that it wouldn’t be too bad for the remainder of the trip.

The weather let up for about a mile, and then it got really bad again. It was almost as bad as before, and I was a little scared – but not as scared as before, because I believed what my husband told me on the phone. I noticed a few more cars pulled off to the side of the road, but I kept going.

About one mile past where those cars had pulled off, it was like a wall where the rain stopped and once I drove through it, I didn’t even need my windshield wipers anymore. And eight miles (approx. 13 km) later, the sun came out shining so brightly it almost blinded me.

As I had been praying to make it through this bad weather safely, and especially after the rain stopped right when my husband said it would, I saw meaning in my experience:

All of us go through difficult times in life, whether it is depression, family difficulties or other trials and tribulations. I saw the people pulled off to the side of the road, seemingly giving up. As I had faith in the guidance of someone one who knew more than I did, I was able to make it safely through.

But for a moment, it seemed to get worse before it got better. I had to keep going, no matter what. And then when the sun started blinding me, I saw the calmness and peacefulness after the storm.

I learned a lot on that Saturday night.

For more First person essays, please click here.

[B]ecause 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].” -Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “None Were With Him” (videos in Spanish and English here)

For more Videos, please click here.

Walking with Two Sisters
Faith walks before me,
Holding up her lamp
As I try not to stumble in the ink-
dark hours before the dawn.
Her light illuminates
One step and then another
Beside me, Hope, arm linked
with mine, encourages and
steadies.
Sometimes in the tedium,
Distracted by the pain,
My mind begins to wander, then
my feet. I hesitate.
Unsure, I look to Hope.
Her hand takes mine.
The touch reminds me of another
hand held out to me,
One pierced and scarred
Yet oh so tender
Lifting me and blessing me when
I had fallen and despaired.
Remembering,
I move ahead
Buoyed up by Hope, who sees
the end with perfect clarity.

Please share your thoughts on this poem, and if you wish, share any thoughts or experiences you have had with hope.

For more Review, Reflect, and Return posts, please click here.