Learning through the Spirit

Learning Through the Spirit
By Sheridan Murray

The ways in which we learn here at Brigham Young University are different from any other institution. This wondrous place of knowledge is dedicated to learning through the spirit. How do we learn through the spirit? Well there are certain things that need to happen on both the students end and the teachers.
I would like to start out by saying that all things should be learned through the promptings of the spirit, and that without the companionship of the Holy Ghost, there is something lost in the learning. “For when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men”(2). The Holy Ghost can carry it unto our hearts, but we have to let it in and let it influence us, it can have no effect if we do not do our part.
We keep our hearts open to the spirit through keeping the commandments of the Lord. As we strive to follow Christ’s example and keep our hearts open to him we are able to learn his teachings more easily. “For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more” (2). When we show our willingness to submit to his will he blesses us with more knowledge and responsibility. The more we recognize his hand in our lives the more he blesses us with his love and shares with us his knowledge.
Our search for knowledge does not only have to be for spiritual knowledge. We are to learn things that will help us progress in this life in this bustling world. There were not many LDS people in any of my schools growing up. The few of us that were there were really close and we took every opportunity we could to share the Gospel whenever possible in our classes. I would, however, often find myself wanting to do assignments in a way that was pleasing to the teacher, not necessarily to the Lord. I often had opportunities to share what I believe in papers or presentations, however many of my teachers disagreed with my viewpoint and it would often end up with a grade that I felt was less than I deserved. Many times it was hard to not let myself just give in and tell the teacher I shared the same opinion, but each time I did make the effort to prove myself it was well worth it. These words from Nephi were often comforting to me, “Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life” (2). I knew that if I stuck to my guns, Heavenly Father would bless me in my testimony and in other aspects of life, even if I did not make the grade I desired on certain assignments.
When we believe in Christ and lean on him for our understanding, he blesses us beyond measure. Here at Brigham Young University we are blessed to be surrounded by people with our same beliefs. “ Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea”(2). President Jay E Jensen of the Presidency of the Seventy said, “Because we are spiritual beings, it is essential that we learn by the power of the spirit. (Any) message can be different and tailored by the Spirit to the needs of the individual” (1). Through searching the prophet’s words and in being open to the spirit of revelation we can do anything through the Lord who strengthens us.

1 Jay E. Jensen of the Presidency of the Seventy
2 The Book of Mormon

He is My Salvation –by Lindsay Chandler

No matter where I go in life, or what happens to me, I always know that the Savior is guiding me. One of my favorite hymns is #89, “The Lord is my Light” [1]. The first few lines read,
“The Lord is my light, then why should I fear?
By day and by night his presence is near.
He is my salvation from sorrow and sin.
This blessed assurance the spirit doth bring.”
I love this message because the knowledge that I have a loving Savior always by my side is incredibly uplifting. He is the light that guides us all, and with him we need not fear the uncertainties of this world. A similar message is found in Psalms 27:1, “The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” [2] It takes a great deal of courage and faith, but when I trust the Lord, I know that I need not fear any mortal being or temporal problem. I often wonder how people can go through life without having a testimony of Christ. I think that if I did not know my Savior, I would feel awfully alone and defenseless.

I believe that the Lord can be our salvation, and wants to be our salvation, but we need to open the door for him to enter our lives. I am reminded of an experience that I had at my family’s ranch in the Utah mountains. Without electricity and nearby city lights, night is darker than anything you could imagine. Sometimes I would stay in the main cabin until they turned off the electricity for the night, and I would be forced to find my way to my family’s tent in the vast void of night. Even though I’m not afraid of the dark, this blindness was frightening. When I was really young, my family would sometimes sleep in a room in the cabin instead of the tent, and I was sure to have a flashlight by my bed in case I ever woke up. One night, I reached over to pick up my flashlight and accidently knocked it to the ground. I was startled, and suddenly the darkness seemed so much more intimidating. Frightened, I began crying to myself. I felt so helpless and alone, powerless against the all-encompassing darkness. Finally, my dad heard my cries and came over to help me find my source of light and comfort. This can be like our relationship with the Savior. At many times in our lives, we feel like we are sinking in the endless darkness, alone and without a source of light. But if we reach out to our Savior, he will help us find the light, and bring us back where we need to be. He is always willing, and always capable of saving us, if we allow him to.

Salvation is a simple thing to say, but such an amazing blessing. In fact, this is such a profound blessing that Heavenly Father has made it possible for all of his children to receive it. The scriptures say that “in the fullness of time he cometh to bring salvation unto men. The way is prepared from the fall of man, and salvation is free” [3]. Salvation is free! Heavenly Father is not saving salvation for a specific number of righteous individuals. He may require great sacrifices on our part, to ensure that we are ready for the blessings, but he will never deny salvation to a willing soul. In fact, “his salvation [is] offered to every soul, without exception” [4]. It is terrible to think that there are so many souls that are not taking advantage of the miraculous blessing of Christ’s salvation, when it is offered without exception. But at the same time, this gives me hope, that if I ever feel myself slipping away from the Lord, he will not deny my cries for help. Another verse in 2 Nephi illustrates this idea, that Christ “commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation.” He says, “Come unto me all ye ends of the earth, buy milk and honey, without money and without price” [5]. Christ is the ultimate giver. He has already sacrificed so much and given us so much, but he offers the incredible blessings of salvation at no cost other than our faith and obedience.

If salvation is such a desirable blessing, then it should be the desire of our hearts to extend this gift to as many as possible. The fist presidency issued a statement on March 26, 1907, saying that “we contemplate the human race-past, present, and yet to come-as immortal beings, for whose salvation it is our mission to labor; and to this work, broad as eternity and deep as the love of God, we devote ourselves, now and forever” [6]. Salvation is not something to hold onto for ourselves, it is something to share. Heavenly Father has not restricted these blessings to us, and he will offer them to those who did not receive the message on earth, but it is still our responsibility to share his gospel with the world. I believe that in these last days, it is of the upmost importance that we extend the blessings of God’s salvation to all the world. Whenever I go to the temple to perform baptisms for the dead, or share the gospel with those around me, I feel like I am contributing to a great work. I hope and pray that someday I can say, as it says in Psalms 40:10, “I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation” [7]. This is our mission, and I believe that the salvation that we extend unto others will also be offered to us. By saving our brothers and sisters, we inevitably save ourselves.


Christ is our salvation. It was his mission to come to Earth and save us from the chains of spiritual death, and that mission did not end with Calvary. He still saves us today. While reading Exodus 14:13 in the Hebrew Bible alongside the English-translated version, I noticed that the Hebrew word for salvation (yeshû‘ath) is very similar to the Hebrew word for the Lord (yehvah) [8]. I believe that the reason for this is that Christ is the provider of salvation. If we believe in his name, and keep his commandments, we will be saved. After all, it is by grace that we are saved after all we can do. Christ’s sacrifice and atonement will make up the difference that we cannot, so we must rely on him if we desire eternal life. I am eternally grateful for Jesus Christ’s atonement and that it provides us with the opportunity to partake of his salvation and live forever with our loved ones. I know that he will guide and bless our lives if we are receptive to his spirit.

Works Cited:
[1] LDS Hymnal. (89, the Lord is my light)
[2] Psalms 27:1
[3] 2 Nephi 2:2-3
[4] “The Redemption of the Dead and the Testimony of Jesus,” D. Todd Christofferson, Liahona, Jan 2001, pg 10-13.
[5] 2 Nephi 26:24-27
[6] Improvement Era, May 1907, p. 495
[7] Psalms 40:10
[8] Exodus 14:13
The Holy Bible. King James text: LDS version. Salt Lake: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1979.
The Book of Mormon. Salt Lake: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981.
Painting: Forgiven by Greg Olsen

Delight in the Things of the Lord--Lindsay Kendrick

Possibly one of the greatest things in life is to find something you delight in—whether it be sports, music, family, or anything else that may bring you joy.  But do we tend to overlook the things we are meant to delight in because they may be difficult, challenging, or an inconvenience? Perhaps we are far too quick to overlook the things asked of us because we have become comfortable in our ways, not wanting to spread out and do other things. D&C 76:5 states, “For thus saith the Lord—I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end” (1).  Susan W. Tanner said, “When we delight to serve Him, our Father in Heaven delights to bless us” (2). Both of these quotations show us that the Lord is ready and willing to bless us if we do what he asks of us. He delights in blessing us. Do we delight in what he asks? It is my testimony that, though it may be hard at times, we need to delight and find joy in everything. We need to delight in trials, in service, and in Christ. We need to delight in all things asked of us.

When we hear the words “trial,” “affliction,” and “bad day,” often the thoughts “grouchy,” “frustrated,” and “I give up,” come to mind. To rejoice in trials is not an easy thing by any means. But we are meant to delight in all things—even trials. It is our duty to know how to find this delight, how to rejoice in our times of afflictions. One of the things we can do is to pray for guidance, help, comfort, and support. Hymn no. 140 beautifully sings, “Ere you left your room this morning, Did you think to pray?...When your heart was filled with anger, Did you think to pray?...When sore trials came upon you, Did you think to pray?” (3) This hymn counsels us to pray always, to pray in all things, for all things. D&C 10:5 states, “Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work” (4). Here again we are told that we must pray, we must turn to the Lord. We cannot go through this world alone. And when we turn to the Lord, He will strengthen us in our afflictions. One of my favorite scriptures is found in Joshua 1:9 which says, “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest” (5).  This scripture has always said to me that it does not matter what is going on in the world, the Lord will always be there for you, lifting you up, giving you comfort, teaching you what you need to know and learn. Along with this favorite scripture is another tender scripture that is near and dear to my heart. It is found in D&C 84:88 which states, “And whoso recieveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up” (6). Here, again, is another scripture telling us that everything will be alright, we just have to trust that the Lord will not leave us to deal with our afflictions alone. We need to delight in our trials and see what we can learn from them. Richard C. Edgley, second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric at the time, stated, “For the faithful, the normal tests and trials of life need not be the enemy of faith. The faithful do not pray to be spared the trials of life but pray that they may have the strength to rise above them” (7). As I have pondered this quote and this topic of delighting in trials, I cannot help but think of my ankle. A few years ago, I had quite the mishap and broke my tibia near my ankle badly. Not only is the bone that I broke the large bone in the leg, but I also greatly damaged tendons and ligaments around that region. It was, obviously, very painful. Trying to fix it was even worse. But worst of all, I think, in this whole experience was what this accident kept me from doing. I have always had a deep passion for dance. At the time of my accident, I was deeply involved in Ballroom and Latin dancing, and also took part in an Irish Clogging class. It was a great joy for me. I found at a very young age that I could escape from the world when I danced—nothing else matter. The test I had that I was worried for could be put on pause; the paper I wasn’t sure how to write could be put on the back burner for just a moment; all other stresses and worries could simply wait. I had truly found my passion in dance, especially Ballroom and Latin dancing. Needless to say, I was more than disappointed and dismayed when I could not dance when I so badly broke my ankle. After eight weeks of babying my casted ankle, I started physical therapy to help gain back the strength I once had. After weeks upon weeks upon weeks of this ever painful and hated process, I was told I could slowly return to dance, but was told to realize it was never going to be the same. I knew it would not be the same, but that I could at least start working back up to where I was. My personality, however, does not include patience. I am patient with little children and almost nothing else. I like things to just happen and do not like to wait. I prayed to my Heavenly Father that I would be able to grow in dance as I had in the many years previous. I returned to dance with great confidence that I could, one day, be dancing like I had been before. However, my first day back, I was almost in more pain than when I first broke my ankle. Thinking this was just part of the process, I dried my eyes and put on a tough face. I do not like to complain or talk about pain with others. I feel that others have pain of their own. I would much rather help someone else than to dwell on my own pains. I knew that this was what I wanted. I wanted to dance more than anything. I prayed to the Lord that my ankle would no longer cause me pain and that I would be able to quickly return to my dancing, my delight, my escape from the world. However, after ignoring the ever-growing pain far too long and far too many weeks, I had to return to the doctor. I was told my ankle had not healed as well as they had thought or how they wanted it to. My tendons and ligaments were so badly damaged that there was really nothing they could do—surgery could not help. My ability to balance was greatly hindered. The scar tissue I had developed was becoming an issue as well. All in all, it was not a good report as there were even more problems found. Refusing to let something get in my way, I decided I was going to prove my ankle and the doctor wrong—I was going to get better. I prayed again that my ankle would no longer hurt and that it would not get in the way of my dancing. This prayer was in my morning and nightly pleas to the Lord. I continued to try to get back to where I had been—in dancing and even in something as simple as walking with little to no pain. I tried everything I could think of to make it better. I took it easy, I pushed it, I did my own physical therapy exercises, and I danced every now and then. But the pain was unlike anything I had ever felt. If I took a break from working at it, it was as if I had never tried to fix it in the first place. If I did not take a break from working at it, I felt like dying. I was in an ultimate loose-loose situation. I remember thinking that I had prayed—I had turned to the Lord. Wasn’t that what I was supposed to do? I had prayed that my ankle would heal and I had had a good feeling about it. Then one night as I knelt to pray, my thoughts started drifting in a different direction. After a few moments of quiet pondering, I said a completely different prayer. I no longer prayed that my ankle would heal and that I could return to dance. I instead prayed, with tears falling down my face, that I would be strengthened through this obstacle. I prayed that I would be comforted. I prayed that I would learn patience. I prayed and pleaded with the Lord that I would grow above and overcome my dancing, to find another passion, to not feel as if I needed dancing so much. I prayed to see the light at the end of this dark and long tunnel. As I ended my prayer, I felt a peace that I had never felt with my other pleas to the Lord. And though it was still not easy, I was able to keep hold of that peace. I still have trouble with my ankle. I still have great amounts of pain at times, especially if I fall or loose my balance, which tends to happen quite often. My ankle swells up to the size of a softball on far too many occasions. It has been almost four years since I broke my ankle, and the last time I tried to dance was over a year ago. I would be lying to say I do not miss dancing. However, I believe that I was meant to learn patience from this trial, to learn to let God take it all in his hands and to follow with faith that things will work out the way they are meant to be. And though I may have lost my delight in physically dancing, I have found my delight in learning directly from the Lord. I have delighted in my affliction. I have trusted in the Lord.

We are not only asked to delight in our trials, but also in our service. Mosiah 2:17 says, “And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God” (8). When we are asked to serve someone, we may not always do so very willingly or with a humble heart. We may feel that it is an inconvenience.  We want to take care of our things first, then we can go help someone else…maybe. This is not as it should be however. We are counseled and learn that we are to willingly serve others long before we serve ourselves. Then, and only then, we will see that both the one giving service and the one receiving the service are greatly blessed.  Within the first week of moving out to Utah to attend BYU, I was called to be my ward’s Relief Society President. I was shocked, surprised, grateful, and stressed all at the same time. I did not know what to do and if I could even do it. I went from watching over myself to watching over 97 other girls all within a matter of minutes. I am a people person and love getting to know everyone. I have grown to love each and every girl in the ward. Since my calling, I have had 4 AM phone calls, long walks after church, and multiple knocks on my door with girls in need of help and not knowing where else to go. It would be very easy for me to complain about the time I must spend on my calling, both inside church meetings and out. But that is not how I feel. Yes, it can be trying. Relief Society President is a big calling that is associated with large amounts of responsibility and accountability. However, I love every minute of it.  I feel a deep connection with all the girls. I feel deep sorrow when they come to me in tears or in times of great stress and anxiety. I laugh, cry, joke, and pray with them, and I would not want it any other way. I truly delight in this service. I delight in my calling. Another form of service, in relation to Relief Society, is Visiting Teaching. I have been a visiting teacher since February and have grown to love it. Sometimes it is very hard to find the time to prepare a lesson and set up an appointment, but it is always worth it. Back in my home ward in Minnesota, I was assigned to be the visiting teacher to a 24 year old that had fallen away from the church when she was in the Young Women’s Program. I knew their family and, therefore, kind of knew this girl. She had made a lot of decisions in her life after leaving the church. One of these decisions lead to her having a child out of wedlock. While pregnant, this girl decided she wanted to start attending church again. I was very excited to be her visiting teacher. My companion and I visited her every month. She came to church almost every week and was eventually called as the Young Single Adult Family Home Evening Coordinator. Her and I became very close and we developed a deep friendship. A few months after returning to church, this girl had a beautiful baby boy who she had blessed in Sacrament meeting by her father. She grew to love the church again and started making a lot of personal changes. Since I have come out to BYU, I have found out that she is engaged to a man and they are planning on getting married in the temple. I was so excited to hear this. I am not saying that because I was this girl’s visiting teacher that I lead her to become active again and to live in a way that she could get married in the temple. I acknowledge with great reverence that the Spirit is what moves people to change. But I do have a testimony that both this girl and myself have benefited as we would visit with each other and as I did things for her when she needed the help. It was such a delight to serve her in this way. It is such a delight to see her being blessed for her love of the Lord and her willingness to change. It has been such a delight to see how she affected me and taught me, even though she didn’t know it. We both benefited from just this little act of service, and we both benefited from our deep friendship from each other.

By finding delight through our trials and through our service, we are finding the greatest delight through Jesus Christ. As stated in the opening paragraph, the Lord is ready and willing to bless us—he “delights to honor those” who follow him (1). Among our service and positive attitudes in trials, there are other things we can, and must, do to delight in God and our Savoir Jesus Christ. We must follow the commandments and strive for righteousness. In 2 Nephi 9:49, Nephi says, “…and my heart delighteth in righteousness; and I will praise the holy name of my God” (9). We must learn to follow God, to praise God, and to stay on the path that will lead us back to him one day. It is not an easy task—Heavenly Father knows we will mess up at times but we are able to repent and keep trying. Psalms 37:4 states, “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (10). The Lord is ready and willing to give us the righteous desires of our hearts if that is what he sees for us. We need only to ask him with real intent and true faith. We must also read the scriptures and learn of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Nephi knew this was a very important aspect of following Christ. In 2 Nephi 4:15 he wrote, “For my soul delighteth in the scriptures” (11). In the scriptures we find the plain and precious truths of the gospel—truths that we are to learn and live by. We can follow Christ only through these principles. We also must rejoice in Christ. One of the most widely known scriptures related to this is found in 2 Nephi 25:26 which says, “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins” (12). By rejoicing in Christ, we will be on the path to doing all that we are asked to do. We will be following his commandments, we will love all who we come in contact with, we will be reading the scriptures, we will be feeling of the spirit, and so many other things. When we truly delight in our Savior and all that he has done for us, we are well on our way to returning to live with him and our Father in Heaven. This is our ultimate goal, a goal I hope we all are continually striving to obtain.

Delighting in things that are not always the easiest thing to do can be a difficult and trying task at times, but it is not impossible. We all need to look at these “difficult” things and ask ourselves what is making them so trying. When we finally humble ourselves to the point where we see that it is our attitude making them so difficult, we can then change that aspect of ourselves and grow to be more Christ-like. We need to delight in all things asked of us—even when our trials seem to weigh more than the world, when serving others may not be the most convenient thing for you, and when we forget simple, yet dramatically important, things such as reading our scriptures on a daily basis. It is my testimony that the Lord will bless us when we find these delights. We will learn to find blessings that we never even dreamed of. The Lord is waiting to bless us; he delights in blessing us. It is our turn to find delight. It is our time to start delighting in the ways of the Lord.

 

Works Cited:

[1] Doctrine and Covenants 76:5

[2] Susan W. Tanner, “My Soul Delighteth in the Things of the Lord,” Ensign, May 2008, 81–83

[3] “Did You Think to Pray” Hymn #140

[4] Doctrine and Covenants 10:5

[5] Joshua 1:9

[6] Doctrine and Covenants 84:88

[7] Richard C. Edgley, “Keep the Faith,” Ensign, May 1993, 11

[8] Mosiah 2:17

[9] 2 Nephi 9:49

[10] Psalms 37:4

[11] 2 Nephi 4:15

[12] 2 Nephi 25:26

 

Delight in the Light- Amy Symmes

The word delight has the word light in it, so I believe that things of light will bring people delight. God is light. God will bring us the greatest delight. So what things of light bring God delight, that can also bring us delight as we search for these things and follow his example? Proverbs 15:8 says that “the prayer of the upright is his delight.” So God delights in the prayers of the honest. Praying to our Heavenly Father morning and night is a simple thing that we can do to bring much delight into our lives. It brings our Heavenly Father happiness to hear from us when we pray. He wants to hear our hopes, desires, troubles, and our gratitude for all that he does for us. So when we pray faithfully and in all honesty God will feel delight. Then we will not be able to escape feeling delighted ourselves because our souls truly yearn to make our father happy. We will be reaching a spiritual goal through prayer which is a key action to receiving joy.
Service is another key action to receiving joy. Susan W. Tanner said “When we delight to serve Him, our Father in Heaven delights to bless us.” Everyone enjoys blessings. Blessings are a gift upon condition. When we serve others, God cannot withhold his blessings from us. God loves giving unto us good things, so if we serve, he can give us good things, and then he feels delight. We then reap the benefits of it. Have you ever been told when you were in times of sorrow to forget yourself or your problems and go serve another? And have you done it? What was the result? Usually, it is that you feel so much better about your own situation even though you were helping someone else. This is because God blesses us in an oxymoronic way. It seems odd that by serving someone else, you can feel better about yourself but it really does happen. There is something about helping others that always brings delight to the giver, and the receiver. This is because it is a Christ-like action. And God looks upon it with delight.
One thing that God loved about Nephi was that his “heart delight[ed] in righteousness (2 Nephi 9:49).” When we make righteous decisions, like Nephi did, God is pleased. In any situation when we choose God’s way over Satan’s way, God will be so happy. Especially, if by doing so it makes our hearts delight in righteousness, just as choosing the right did for Nephi. There are many times in our lives where we are presented with hard decisions but because we are all given the light of Christ and the knowledge of good and evil, if we are in tune with this we can make righteous decisions. And when we make righteous decisions, we find delight in them because good consequences will follow for choosing righteously. And yet again, when we choose righteousness, God is pleased, and therefore we can feel his delight for our good choices and our hearts delight also.
In 2 Nephi 4:15, Nephi says, “For my soul delighteth in the scriptures.” If we follow Nephi’s example and the scriptures, in faith we can also feel delighted when we read them. The scriptures teach us about Christ. And knowing about Christ is the ultimate joy because he is our Savior, our redeemer, who has saved us from sin and death. By reading the scriptures we can internalize this truth and it will bring us joy as we come to know our savior through reading the pages of holy books. We will not be able to feel the delight that comes from scripture reading if we do not read them. So reading the scriptures regularly is key to feeling delight, joy, and happiness in our lives. It takes action, and habit to do it, but it will be well worth the effort in the end. And God will delight in the fact that you are reading his true and holy words, and following the great example of a prophet that he loves.
God loves to be merciful. In Micah 7:18 it says “he delights in mercy.” This statement rings true to my soul. At one time in my life I did some things that hurt my best friend deeply, to the core. My best friend was so disappointed in me for some bad decisions I had made that had directly affected him. He was sorrowful and angry but he was also merciful towards me. Instead of telling me he would not be my friend anymore, he decided we should go to the temple every day for a while in order to heal our broken relationship. So we went daily. And it was surely a miracle because our relationship was even stronger in the end. If my friend had not shown me mercy during the hard times, we would not have been friends today. Because my friend showed me mercy, we became even better friends as a result. And God definitely delights in good, strong friendships. I’m sure that God was pleased in this instance with my best friend as he showed me mercy.
Doing things that bring God delight like praying, serving, choosing righteousness, reading the scriptures and showing mercy will bring us true happiness. This is the greatest delight of all, to make our Father happy.

Works Cited:
1. Proverbs 15:8
2. Micah 7:18
3. 2 Nephi 4:15, 9:49
4. LDS.org talks

Mortal Angels - Joy Zywocienski

Growing up in the Baptist faith I believed that there were no longer prophets on the Earth; that after Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven prophecy ceased and we were left with the Bible and prayer. I believed that the Lord could hear my prayers and work in His ways to aid me in times of need; however, I didn't believe that He sent me any tangible help. He no longer sent prophets and he definitely wouldn't send angels to warn or comfort me. Such was my belief until the Lord sent me six angels in the same year.

Throughout the scriptures there are examples of angels being sent to people for numerous reasons. Angels come to warn people, to comfort them and to bring exciting news. We see in Luke 1:28-33 that an angel came to Mary to bring her the news that she would be the mother of Christ. In Acts 12:7-11 the Lord sends Peter an angel to deliver him from Herod. In 1 Nephi 11:14-36 an angel of the Lord appears to Nephi and shows him the life, ministry and atonement of Christ, and in Luke 2:9-14 angels of the Lord appear to shepherds and "bring good tidings of great joy," that Christ is born. The hymn “Nearer My God to Thee,” tells us that angels are sent to beckon us nearer to the Lord. Angels are sent by our Heavenly Father for all sorts of reasons but it seems to me that most angels the Lord sends bring glad messages; they bring messages of Christ and the gospel and the restoration. Angels are often those who bring us the news of those things which will bring us salvation. They bring us news that is comforting, news that lets us know the Lord is with us and will not abandon us. Why would the Lord ever cease to send us His messengers of love?

We learn from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland that the Lord has not stopped sending us angels. He testifies 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." What wonderful knowledge! An apostle of the Lord has told us that the Lord has not ceased to send us angels and that the same angels that have been sent to prophets and even to Christ minister unto us even though we cannot always see them. Elder Holland does not stop at letting us know that we have heavenly angles to help us. He testifies of angels, "both the heavenly and the mortal kind." Elder Holland lets us know that there are angels who we, "walk with and talk with—here, now, every day." Mortal angels? Can there really be such a thing?

I have a personal testimony that the Lord sends us mortal angels today. I believe that angels are those who bring us glad tidings of Christ, who bring us news that helps us to gain salvation and let us know that the Lord will not abandon us. With that being said, the Lord sent me six angels in my sophomore year of high school. Like most students at BYU, I was very involved in my high school; I was varsity captain of the girls water polo team, was a peer mentor and took just about every AP class offered. During my sophomore year I developed a new set of friends; I met a girl named Megan in my AP European History class who later became my best friend, I connected really well with a girl named Hannah on my water polo team, and I was paired up with a girl named Talia in my peer mentoring group. These three girls became the best friends I had as the school year continued, and I started to notice strange things about all three of them. They all wore rings that said CTR. None of them used foul language and none of them were involved with the normal partying that went on at my school. I found that I loved spending time with them and started to ask about their religious beliefs. All three of them said they were, "Mormon." Whatever that meant. That same year I was taking a Spanish class with a teacher who definitely did not look like she spoke Spanish. Her name was Mrs. Garcia and about two weeks into the school year she told us that she learned to speak Spanish when she went on a mission for her church. She was the kind of teacher I could go to when things weren't going well at home or when I just needed someone to talk to. She had a love for people that is rare and real. These are my first four angels. As school wore on the three girls started to invite me to different activities at their church. I went to a road show. I went to church with one of them. And then one day one of them invited me to "youth conference" whatever that was. She said we would go up to the mountains for a weekend and have snowball fights and sing karaoke; that sounded like fun, why not? So I went with all of the Mormons to the mountains for a weekend of fun, but that weekend changed my life. As I sat next to Hannah during testimony meeting Megan stood at the front and simply said, "I want to tell my best friend, Joy, that I know that this church is true." At that moment I was overwhelmed by the spirit and knew that there must be truth in this gospel.

I went home that night and met my other two angels, Elder Beazer and Elder Fillmore. When Hannah introduced me to them I decided to talk to them about what I had felt at youth conference. So I continued like most "investigators" of this church, talking to the missionaries once a week and reading and praying about the Book of Mormon. It was not long before I had my own testimony and wanted to be baptized. You may ask how these six individuals can be considered angels, but to me, they are angels. All six of them brought me glad tidings of great news. They brought me to an understanding of the truth; they brought me news that will bring me to salvation and showed me that the Lord has not abandoned His children, that he still sends prophets and angels to the Earth today. Isn't that what angels do? Bring us comfort, bring us glad tidings, and give us those things we need to know which ultimately bring us salvation? That is how these six individuals can be considered angels.

In closing, I would exhort you as Elder Holland has that, "In the process of praying for those angels to attend us, may we all try to be a little more angelic ourselves." We can all be angles to those around us. Whether we bring comfort or glad tidings of great joy, let us try to serve as the Lord's mortal angels and to bring the Lord's message and His peace to all of our brother's and sisters who we meet.

Works Cited:

1.The Holy Bible. King James text: LDS version. Salt Lake: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1979.

2. The Book of Mormon. Salt Lake: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981.

3. The Doctrine and Covenants. Salt Lake: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981.

4. LDS Hymnal.

5. Elder. Jeffrey R. Holland. "The Ministry of Angels." 178th Semiannual General Conference. October, 2008.

My Rock--by Rachel Chase

Depression has been called the “common cold” of mental illness because of its widespread presence in our modern times. During my Sophomore year of high school I was afflicted with the repercussions of depression and there is nothing more discouraging than that feeling of utter hopelessness. I felt alone and lost—lacking a place in this world and a friend to share it with. It was in an hour of this deepening despair that I happened upon a little quote book that my mother had lying on her nightstand. Under my hand it immediately fell open to a page that displayed a picture of Christ along with this little poem:

The Burden Bearer

The little sharp vexations
And the briars that cut the feet
Why not take all to the helper
Who has not failed us yet?

Tell him about the heartache
Tell him the longing too
Tell him the baffled purpose
When we scarce know what to do

Then leaving it all
With the one divinely strong
Forget we bore the burden
And carry away with song


I know that I am not the only one who has often felt discouraged, burdened, or alone. Indeed, these feelings seem to be a component of human existence and at one time or another we all feel them. But to this day, I have never forgotten this little poem which helped me so much in a trying time. If anyone needed the strong, capable hands of the savior, I did. If anyone needed a redeemer and much needed friend to confide the difficulties of life to, I did. If anyone needed Jesus Christ, I did.
However, this discovery did not change my life immediately. Simply to know that I needed Christ’s atonement was not enough; I needed to do something about it as well. Often, this is the hardest part, but it’s worth it. Here’s why:
While Jesus Christ walked the dusty roads of Palestine during his mortal sojourn on earth, he taught to his disciples through a parable, modeling how they should construct their lives. “Therefore,” he said, “whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.”
The rock on which the wise man built his house is a metaphor for Christ. If we build our lives upon Christ—his words, his truths, his gospel—our lives will not be easily destroyed or carelessly washed away in the floods of temptations, storms of adversity.
The savior, C.S. Lewis and countless others used this image—comparing our human lives to the building of a house. Any good builder knows that the first thing he constructs is also the most important part of the building process: the foundation. It is upon the foundation that the bricks, the walls, the doors are built which is why it is critical that that foundation be solid and strong.
Bruce R. McConkie remarked: “Every person born in this world builds a house of some sort and puts it on a foundation of his own choosing. And every house built in this mortal sphere is subject to the storms and strifes of life. Our mortal probation is one in which the divine purpose calls for rain and wind and floods. We live in the midst of a swirling storm of sin. The rains of evil and the winds of false doctrine and the floods of carnality beat upon every house. It is within our power to build a house of faith, a house of righteousness, a house of salvation.”
My favorite hymn is one that illustrates this point in its first two stanzas. On page 85 it reads:
“How firm a foundation ye saints of the lord
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word.”

Christ should be our foundation, the base and most important part of our lives. The truth is, we could not buffer the hard times without him. He enfolds me in endless love and fills my heart with peace when I put my trust in him. No, I have never talked to Christ face-to-face but I don’t need to. He speaks soothing words to my spirit and I know that he loves me because I am keenly aware of his presence during the hard times. We are bought with a price—the blood and very life of our elder brother. He suffered to succor us, and succor he will.
Heleman counseled his own sons about building their lives on Jesus Christ. He said, “And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.” (Heleman 5:12)
Not just may not, or will not, but cannot fall. Just like the wise man built upon the rock, the storms will not destroy us when we put our faith and trust in the savior. Hard times are inevitable, difficulties are irrevocable, and heartache is unavoidable. But as constant as are the trials, so also is the redeeming power of Jesus Christ whose great sacrifice rescues all of us from our miserable state. It is he who can heal any wound, mend any heart, and save any soul through the blood that he spilt for us. He himself said, “Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” (1 Nephi 21:16) And how can he forget us when the nail prints in his hands and feet clearly testify to all of what he has done for us?
A saying hangs on the wall of the living room in my home in Highland, Utah. It is a scriptural saying, pulled from the last verses in the fortieth chapter of Isaiah. For as long as I can remember, these verses have been my father’s favorite in the scriptures and over the years I have come to love them almost as much as he has. This is what they say:
“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:29-31)
Waiting upon the lord is the same thing as building a firm foundation on him, the rock of our salvation. He alone has the strength to carry us when weary. And, just as Isaiah promised, if we rely on him he will renew our strength and mount us up with wings as eagles.
I bear my testimony that Jesus Christ is our savior, the redeemer of the world. He sacrificed so much for us and all that he asks is that we turn to him. It is not a hard thing to do, especially when he blesses us with such sweet comfort and strength when we need it most. I love him as my friend and want with all my heart to return into his loving embrace one day. Yes, life is hard. But Christ carries us, carries me, when I feel that the journey is too hard and I cannot go on. I praise and bless his holy name. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Works cited:
-- Bruce R. McConkie, “‘Upon This Rock’,” Ensign, May 1981, 75
--Book of Mormon
--Holy Bible
--“Our Burden Bearer” by Phillip Brooks
--“How Firm a Foundation” pg. 85 of the hymnbook

Faith by Lauren Bush

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I often get asked the question, “How do you know your church is true? There is no way of knowing for sure.” I reply with a simple answer. “I know my church is true because of the way I feel when I learn about the gospel and abide by its teachings. That feeling is the Spirit, and I know it is true because I have faith.” So what is faith? Paul, an Apostle from the New Testament, taught that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (1).

Too many people in the world have the mindset that “seeing is believing”. They are not willing to believe in something that they cannot visibly see and touch. They want proof. My grandpa Bush was a pilot in the navy. On one occasion he was flying through severe weather trying to get back to his aircraft carrier to land. He could not see anything and became disoriented. He was tempted to fly a certain course but knew he had to fight that urge and have faith in his flight instruments. His faith paid off because he flew directly to his ship. Even though I do not see angels or have other heavenly manifestations, I have faith "the ship" is there and that I will land safely home. Besides, seeing does not always produce, or enhance, faith. Laman and Lemuel saw plenty and were seriously lacking. In Alma 32:17, it reads, “Yea, there are many who do say: If thou wilt show unto us a sign from heaven, then we shall know of a surety; then we shall believe” (2). However, Moroni taught that “faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith” (3). We receive answers and blessings only after we exercise our faith.

There is a Primary children song that explains what faith is. The song says, “Faith is knowing the sun will rise, lighting each new day. Faith is knowing the Lord will hear my prayers each time I pray. Faith is like a little seed: If planted it will grow. Faith is a swelling within my heart. When I do right, I know” (4). We do not know for a fact that the sun will rise each morning. We just expect it to... we have faith that it will rise. The same goes with prayer. We cannot visibly see our Heavenly Father, but we know that He is there, listening to us and guiding us. I like how this song compares faith to a seed. We need to constantly be exercising our faith in order for it to increase. Just like a seed can grow into a great tree, our faith can grow into strong testimonies, and we can be so sure of something that we can, in fact, say that we know something is true. President Gordon B. Hinckley once stated, “When I discuss faith, I do not mean it in an abstract sense. I mean it as a living, vital force with recognition of God as our Father and Jesus Christ as our Savior. When we accept this basic premise, there will come an acceptance of their teachings and an obedience which will bring peace and joy in this life and exaltation in the life to come” (5).

It is important for us to exercise faith in all aspects of the Gospel. However, the primary focus of our faith should be revolved around the Savior. It is important to remember that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel. Demonstrating faith in the Savior will have its ultimate reward one day, but there are immediate rewards as well. When we see ever-increasing turmoil and unrest in the world, faith in Jesus allows a perfect brightness of hope. It is not false hope, nor is it wishful thinking, but rather an absolute faith that there is a wiser power that conquers all. Faith in Christ brings the ultimate comfort. "And whosoever shall believe in my name, doubting nothing, unto him will I confirm all my words, even unto the ends of the earth" (8). Furthermore, faith is what leads us to Christ, and Christ leads us to Heavenly Father. In the New Testament, it says (referring to Christ) that “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there in none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (6). Christ is our only way home, and we must therefore have faith that he can save us.

Nephi explains in the Book of Mormon that the Liahona showed them the way, but only if they had faith. I know that if we have faith in Christ, he will show us the way back to Heavenly Father. President James E. Faust once said, “The Lord can do remarkable miracles with a person of ordinary ability who is humble, faithful, and diligent in serving the Lord and seeks to improve himself. This is because God is the ultimate source of power” (7). I have personally witnessed miracles in my own life and in the lives of others through faith. Having recently graduated from High School I can say it is a miracle in itself that I survived! I kept my faith strong and tried to act in accordance with that faith every day. Looking back on those days, I realize the miracle has not been an immediate breath-taking moment, but rather a sweet realization of where that faith has brought me today. A small miracle for some, but a precious one for me. On a grander scale, it has been my privilege to know and love a family whose faith has brought about mighty miracles. Christian and Stephanie Nielson, a young married couple from Mesa Arizona with four small children, were in a horrific plane crash over a month ago. Their bodies were severly burned and both have been in critical condition. The combined faith of their family, along with thousands around the world, have brought about physical and spiritual miracles for their family. Christian has whispered that he feels the prayers and miracles taking place. Through faith we find safety, happiness, and eternal reward.

References:
1. Hebrews 11:1
2. Alma 32:17
3. Ether 12:6
4. Children’s Songbook, Pg. 96
5. “ ‘With All Thy Getting Get Understanding,’ ” Ensign, Aug. 1988, 5.
6. The Acts 3:12
7. President James E. Faust, Ensign, Nov. 1995, 47

8. Mormon 9:25