PROVIDENCE

 

The Tree of Love-and-Sorrow’s fruit

He totally consumed –

The husk, the core, the bitter-sweet,

The plucked, the cut assumed –

 

The error, truth – the evil, good –

The knife, the bowl received –

The pulp, the seeds – ironic feast

So tenderly perceived –

 

The sacrament of juice and grain –

The mix of spoil and corn –

Ambivalence of touch and slice –

The fibers knit and torn.

 

The sieve of taste and abstinence

Fulfilling hunger’s scale –

The wrack of sustenance and want –

The brief abundant meal –

 

The give and take of nourishment –

The produce dried or fresh –

He had an appetite for hope –

The Provenance of Flesh.

 

(25 November 2021, Springville)

There is No Remedy for Love But to Love More! by Amanda Dinsdale

When you think of love many things come to mind... family, spouse/boyfriend, friends, but do you remember God? With all that we do within our life span how many of us show our love for God in all that we do? To say we love God and to not show it through our day to day actions and words is one of the greatest sorrows of our heavenly father. Together we can learn three ways that we can best show remember love, its strength and how to show it: always show love to God through our actions and words, remember God sees no sin to great and through repentance he can show his love for you, and finally showing love for one another shows one of the greatest loves for God.

First strive to always show God our love for him in our actions and words. In Deuteronomy 11:1 it says "Therefore thou shalt love the lord thy God, and keep his charge and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, always." This scripture clearly states that to love God we keep his charges, his statutes, his judgments and his commandments ALWAYS. To define always would be, "at all times; within all events," according to the OneLook online dictionary search. At all times and in every event includes how we show our love to God in our actions and words. To love God is to be an example for others that look to you for guidance. Through your own actions and words you can become closest to God by being Christ like. Your actions will bring all those people who are close to you, closest to God. Mothers are a prime example of this very blessing; refer back to the stripling warriors and their mothers. The mothers first showed their love for Christ and practiced the teachings of their love in their everyday choirs and doings; the sons saw their mothers love and peace through their examples and they too came unto God by showing their love through their faith and in keeping his commandments. Just like the mothers of the stripling warriors we too can be so filled with God's love if we will show him our trust and faith in keeping his commandments. In Mosiah 2:4 it says "... keep the commandments of God, that ye might rejoice and be filled with love towards God and all men." I truly testify of the greatness of example of those you look up to; if my parents were not obedient to God and were not great examples to me in all their actions I would not be the daughter of God that I am today.

Second we must remember that in no way are we perfect like Christ. We strive for perfection in our lives to achieve the greatest gift of God which is eternal life but along the way we all make mistakes. Our mistakes may be big or small according to the challenges we face and our faithfulness in Christ and Heavenly Father. But whether our mistakes are big or small we can find peace, love and forgiveness through God’s greatest sacrifice of giving his son Jesus Christ and through Christ’s atonement for us. One of my favorite scriptures for repentance is Alma 5: 26-28 which reads, “26. And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now? 27. Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins? 28. Behold, are ye stripped of pride? I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal life.” Are you ready to repent of your own sins and to come unto Christ? Are you ready to receive his love and be washed clean through the blood of Christ? Repentance is not easy to do especially the greater the sin is but if you are ready to answer both those questions with a firm yes then you are ready to receive the love of God and once again be clean.

The picture I wanted you to see at the beginning of my blog is no ordinary picture. You may have thought that I put it there just because it is cute and I liked it but more than both of those two things I put it as the picture for this blog because it represents great significance in repentance. Like a watermelon we all have a shell or exterior that protects us from injury to our inner organs that are vital to our existence. In a spiritual sense our physical shell or body protects our spirits as we journey through mortal life. Within the watermelon is the juicy sweet or stale interior which represents our spirits and hearts. If the interior of our watermelon is stale then our hearts are hardened and our spirits are dirty but if our interior is soft, sweet and juicy our hearts are pure and ready for knowledge and to the experiences that which can make us strong. Finally deep within every watermelon, imbedded in the interior, are the seeds black, shiny, bigger or smaller. The seeds are a representation of the sins that paint our spirits with dirtiness. But that is the greatest significance of all; in order for the watermelon to grow and become as big as its full potential it must start with a seed and continue to grow. We as human beings all make mistakes and within our souls seeds grow; we can either choose to let the seeds be and Satan can turn our interior old and stale or we can let Christ remove the seeds and make us sweet again. In choosing Christ it is not as easy as just letting the sins rest within us but it is the most rewarding. In order to let Christ remove our seeds or sins we must first open our hearts, cut open our exterior, to reveal our most humble and soft state. Slowly and surely as we continue to come unto Christ our sins will taken out and we will be left with a pure spirit and filled with God’s love. Once we have been washed clean of sin we will be pointed back in the right direction of the path to eternal life. Through repentance I have personally felt the love of Christ and Heavenly Father. A couple of years ago I went through a time in my life when I wouldn’t take council from anyone but instead I wanted to learn for myself. For a time I stayed strong and immovable till the greatest weakness was found within my soul and Satan used it to tempt me. Trying to be strong I continued to fight the temptation and find ways around it till finally I broke and for the moment the sin felt right but when the moment was over I realized that it was very wrong. Being young and naïve whoever I continued to keep the sin a secret till the guilt built so strongly within me I me and my biggest change of heart came forward. To repent of my sins I too had to open my heart and humble myself so that Christ could remove my sin and pour his love upon me. Truly repentance is the strongest gift that can be felt within a lifetime for when your sins are made clean and you and Heavenly Father both forget them; your spirit can be at peace!

Finally to truly show your love for God you can serve others and let other serve you. One of the greatest scriptures and truths of the Gospel is found in Mosiah 2:17 which states, “… when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” Service to others is not hard in anyway and can be shown in little actions alone; a simple smile, giving a dollar to a homeless person, shoveling a widows driveway or even washing the dishes for your mom. When you perform these acts in a humble and giving state you will immediately be filled with the love of God. That love alone can heal any sorrows and troubles that you might have and it also teaches you to love those that you serve, or that serve you. In learning to serve others and in doing so our example is once again exhibited for others to follow. Mosiah 4:15 says, “… ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another.” Through your example you will prove that very scripture truthful in teaching others to love and serve one another. Service to others can in turn help you when you are in need and others do service for you.

In ending my blog I want to share one more scripture with you, in Jacob 3:2 we are taught that if we are pure in heart, we can receive the word of God and feast upon his love but only if our minds are firm forever. I bear witness to you that if you will do all that God has asked through keeping his commandments, remembering him in all that we do, serving and loving others, and finding his love through becoming pure of heart we will be truly happy and return to him. Through our examples we are the greatest tool for God in bringing others souls to him and the truth. We as saints of this true Gospel can feel God’s love and show our love to him and others in everything we do. It is our choice to return to Heavenly Father and Christ and receive eternal life and with love on our sides we are unstoppable. I say these things with all my heart and bear witness that they are true in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Work Cited

1. The book of Deuteronomy
2. The book of Mosiah
3. The book of Alma
4. The book of Jacob
5. OneLook Dictionary Search (http://www.onelook.com/)
6. LDS Online Scriptures

Legacy... By Alicia Collette

Many of the pioneers had constant faith and dedication to the Lord in whatever they were asked to do. For many of the Pioneers it took enormous amount of faith to leave everything they knew behind to journey west with the Prophet Brigham Young, especially when they had no clue what to expect on the trail nor upon arriving at their destination. How the saints must have felt, leaving so much behind- their farms, houses, the temple they had just finished. Personally Temples are marvelous to me. Whenever my sister and I would drive down to utah for something, we would always end up stopping at one of the Temples just to enjoy being in its presence. I have lived within 20 minutes of a Temple my entire life and I can’t imagine taking so much time and effort to build a house of the Lord just to leave it behind. That would have been the hardest part for me.

The pioneers were also the first ones to journey west and to try and settle here. That meant there were few trails to follow and to know where to go. In 1868 Brigham Young commented on their coming here. “We made and broke the road from Nauvoo to this place…Some of the time we followed Indian trails; some of the time we ran by the compass. When we left the Missouri River we followed the Platte. And we killed rattlesnakes by the cord in some places; and made roads and built bridges till our backs ached. Where we could not build bridges across rivers we ferried our people across, until we arrived here, where we found a few naked Indians, a few wolves and rabbits, and any amount of crickets; but as for any green tree or a fruit tree, or any green fields, we found nothing of the kind, with the exception of a few cottonwoods and willows on the edge of City Creek. For some 1,200 or 1,300 miles we carried every particle of provisions we had when we arrived here.”

The pioneer journey west was more than just a long walk. They faced horrible weather conditions, wild animals and Indians, and lack of supplies. Many died from starvation and cold. Many had worn out shoes, and the sharp rocks caused their feet to bleed, leaving a trail of blood in the snow. Others buried their children or parents. The excruciating experiences that occurred during their lives caused many of them to develop unshakeable faith in God, which sometimes can only be achieved through hard trials such as these. Those that did not develop the faith were tested even more along the way.

During their trek west, some companies ran into some apostates from the church who were returning from the west, and going back to the East. These apostates tried to persuade some in the companies to turn back. Can you imagine how hard that would have been? Not only had the pioneers been suffering on the trail for so long, but then seeing other members that they probably knew and loved that are saying there is no Zion and that they shouldn’t continue on…Sometime It’s easy to see how they would have given up and returned and a few did but the majority continued onward.

I, myself, have been on two pioneer treks, one in Northern Utah where we hiked up and down a mountain with handcarts and the other just last summer at Martin’s Cove. Both were incredible faith building experiences where I was able to have just a taste of what the pioneers really went through. One of the things I remember the most happened during my first trek after we had climbed up the face of the mountain. It was taking forever to pull up the handcarts over logs and rocks in our way to the top but we knew once we arrived at our destination we’d get lunch. That’s what our leaders promised The whole time I was thinking of all the possibilities of what they might serve us for lunch, kind of encouraging myself to keep going: yummy sandwiches, maybe some juice, crackers or fruit snacks just all my favorites. I’m pretty sure my mouth was watering haha Anyway once we made it to the top of the mountain we were all exhausted and ready for our feast when the bishops hand out our “food boxes”. Basically it was bread, apples, some nasty trail mix. Some of them contained extra things like jam or jerky but not very many. I was distraught! Here I was expecting a meal fit for kings, cause well I just climbed a mountain! And I got what appeared to be your average pioneer snacks. Our leaders wanted us to experience what it was like to LIVE as a pioneer not just walk the trial. Never before had I felt so much respect and love for those who sacrificed so much for the gospel. When you go on treks like this and hear stories about the pioneers and experience things they did, you come to know them as real people. They’re no longer just names in books or people from years before. They become individuals that had families, had trials, difficulties, adventures, likes and dislikes. People like you and me.

President James E Faust said, “In the heroic effort of the pioneers, we learn a great truth. All must pass through a refiner’s fire and the insignificant and unimportant things in our lives can melt away and make our faith bright, intact and strong. There seems to be a full measure of anguish, sorrow, and often heartbreak for everyone, including those who earnestly seek to do right and be faithful. Yet this is part of the purging to become acquainted with God.” The story of the pioneers that crossed the plains is truly one of faith. Faith in every footstep.
Coming to know the pioneers like this also makes me curious about my own ancestors, to know the trials they faced as they prepared the way for my family now. From different sides of family I have relatives that crossed the plains. One of them was only a young child when his family began the journey west and upon arriving in Salt Lake he was the only one still alive. Another one of my ancestors was greatly persecuted in the east before heading west. His farm was burned by mob and he was run from his home. On another side of my family, they weren’t pioneers that crossed the plains but were still pioneers to me. In Europe, before immigrating my great grandfather, Alois Cziep was converted to the gospel and upon doing so, he received a letter from his father. He told him how wrong it was to join the church, how it was all a lie and that he would burn for doing so. It reads; if you decide not to head my words, I shall not speak to you again in this life. Although it took a lot of faith to accept the church and to be disowned by his family, If it wasn’t for his sacrifice I, along with countless other relatives, wouldn’t have been born into this gospel and enjoy the blessings that I do now. He was converted around the time of the Second World War and during the war people in Europe really didn’t have contact with the church leaders, which would have made it even more difficult. My grandma said that for seven years they were praying for the leaders of the church without any contact or news from anyone, only to find out that the prophet they had been praying for had passed away and a new one had been called! Just for comparison, after President Hinckley passed away, thanks to texting, my friends and I knew after three hours. Can you imagine not knowing there was a new prophet for that long? That would have made it even more challenging to stay active, just being so far away from everyone else. I’ve grown up in a bubble of church members and I know it’s just easier.

Other relatives such as my Collette grandparents are both great examples of pioneers because of all they did in their lives to further the gospel. Both served missions of their own and then later served two more missions as a couple. They both have served faithfully in their church callings. My 80 year old grandma has played the organ in her ward and for sessions in the temple for over 50 years. Now she’s one of the ladies in charge of primary. She told me she actually thought the bishop was joking with her when he asked her to accept the calling of a primary teacher. She was all bishop you do know I’m turning 80 right? She truly is an example to me.

When I hear stories about some of the trials that the pioneers had to endure, coming to think of them as individuals, and learn about all that my ancestors endured to be a part of this gospel and to further its growth, It’s humbling to know how much easier my life has been in comparison. It brings a question to mind; what am I doing that is leaving a legacy for those who come after me? I haven’t given up family or friends to be a part of this gospel. I haven’t been persecuted or driven from my home. I haven’t given my life or lost love ones close to me. There are so many things that I and you can still do further this gospel and to leave our legacy. For starters, I’d like to serve a mission. That is one way I can give of my life or at least 18 months of it to this gospel. For the many of you who have already served, there is still so much that can be done. This church is one of service. My patriarchal blessing states that exactly. I’m going to leave you with the words of a song written by Katherine Nelson.

when all is said and done
as the season slips away
when i've taken steps beyond my sight
will i find my strength in greater light
will my courage grow with every passing day
and will my faith be constant as the setting sun
when all is said and done

when all is said and done
and the years have turned to gold
will my life become a legacy
of the things that matter most to me
will the fire of faith grow bright inside me
and will i want to be the person i've become
when all is said and done

when all is said and done
when my eyes can finally see
will i glory in the sweet release
and will mercy fill my soul with peace
will i kneel and wonder at the savior's feet
will i hear him say, "well done"
when he sees who i've become
will i live with him
when all is said and done

My prayer is that we may all be able to living our lives so that others will know of the Legacy we are leaving. The Lord has called us to a great and marvelous work to establish Zion the land of the promise and I hope that this priceless legacy of faith left by the pioneers will inspire all of us to more fully participate in the Lord’s work of bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of His children. I know this church to be true deep in my heart and I am so grateful to those who came before me and prepared the way, for the legacy of faith they leave. I know Christ is our savior and redeemer and that heavenly father loves each and every one of us and knows us personally. I know the book of Mormon to be the word of God and Joseph Smith to be a true prophet of God. I’m so grateful for President Monson the leaders of our church and the examples that they are to me, for leading and guiding us all towards eternal salvation. I know these things to be to true and I leave them with you in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

"Joy to the World" (1) by Ariane Williamson

With the Christmas season fast approaching, one word that echoes in plays, carols, and general wishes of good cheer is joy. Joy fills the hearts of people everywhere with the peace and happiness the holidays bring. In the scriptures, the most beautiful verses of joy are those that speak of Jesus Christ. In Alma 13, Alma and Amulek preach to the people of Ammonihah, and Alma says to the people, “Yea, and the voice of the Lord, by the mouth of angels, doth declare it, that they may have glad tidings of great joy; yea, and he doth sound these glad tidings among all his people…”(2). Here he is prophesying of Christ’s birth, and the joy that will be sounded by angels to the people.

Alma continues: “And now we only wait to hear the joyful news declared unto us by the mouth of angels, of his coming…”(3). Later, the people ask him when Jesus will come to them, the people in America. They are told, “he would appear unto them after his resurrection; and this the people did hear with great joy and gladness”(4). Imagine the joy the people felt knowing that the Savior would come among them, that they would be able to see, hear, and touch him.

Joy has so many wonderful meanings. For instance, in Hebrew, joy can mean “gladness,” “rejoicing,” “make merry,” and “cheer”—all words used to describe Christmas! In English we wish each other “Merry Christmas,” but in French the phrase used is Joyeux Noël, which literally means “they joy,” and Noël comes from the Latin root natalis, which means “birth.” So Joyeux Noël, roughly translated, means “they joy in the birth,” and therefore, when French speakers wish each other “Merry Christmas,” what they are really expressing, though they may not know it, is joy for the birth of Christ.

To me, some of the greatest joy can be felt through the gift of the Holy Ghost. Not only does it give hope that we can one day experience all this, but, as Parley P. Pratt wrote, the Spirit is, “as it were… joy to the heart and light to the eyes”(5). King Lamoni’s father asks to receive this joy when he says to Aaron, “Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God… and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy… I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy”(6). How many of us would be willing to give up all that we possess to receive the Spirit?

A few weeks ago, as a member of the Women’s Chorus, I was able to participate in the BYU choirs’ “Celebration of Christmas” concert. We sang many moving songs celebrating the birth of Christ, including “Il est né” (“He was born”), the “Hallelujah” chorus from Handel’s Messiah, and “O Holy Night.” By far my favorite moment came when all the choirs sang the song “Carol of Joy.” During our final performance, as I sang, the words to this beautiful carol came to me and touched my heart: “Earth wrapped in sorrow, lift up your eyes! Thrill to the chorus filling the skies. Look up, sad-hearted! Witness God’s love; join in the coral swelling above! O friendless world, to you is the song! All heaven’s joy to you may belong! You who are lonely, laden, forlorn… a Savior is born!” (7). While we sang those words, I was touched by the Spirit very profoundly because I realized in that moment that the reason we celebrate Christmas is not wholly because Christ was born, but because of what he came to Earth to do. This song was a wonderful testimony of Christ’s mission and the sacrifice he made for us. I truly relate to Alma when he says, “Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever”(8). I pray that everyone, wherever you are, can feel the joy this season brings to the hearts of people everywhere and share the love of our Savior as we commemorate the wondrous occasion of his birth.

Works Cited:

1. “Joy to the World” by George Frideric Handel

2. Alma 13:22

3. Alma 13:15

4. Alma 16:20

5. Parley P. Pratt, Key to the Science of Theology: A Voice of Warning

6. Alma 22:15

7. Eileen Berry, “Carol of Joy”

8. Alma 26:16

Image from http://www.yougotjesus.com/baby_jesus.htm

Finding Strength by Lindsey Beus

Scientists have spent many years on trying to make the human race stronger. There is an idea programmed into your minds that we must be strong in order to survive. This is the idea of the “survival of the fittest.” The only question is, how do we receive strength. Alma prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance” (1). Alma and Amulek, were in a tough situation where they were being held as prisoners. They needed the strength to break free. We don’t need to keep searching the fields of science for how to receive strength. The Lord grants us strength based on our faith, when we ask and require it. Alma and Amulek were able to break free “for the Lord had granted unto them power, according to their faith which was in Christ” (2). The answer is as simple as that.

Everyone needs strength in his or her lives for various things. This strength can be emotional, mental, physical, or spiritual. My sister suffers with depression and has the struggle of having no control over her emotions. She was on medications, but they did little to help her be happy, but rather, made her lose focus in life and become more miserable. I have watched her grow stronger every day as she preys for help to Heavenly Father. I am convinced that it is because of her prayers that she was able to get off of the medication and onto weaker natural herbs but find happiness, even when she has less help from human knowledge. She is one of the strongest people I know and I know that she is strong because of her faith. “Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed” (3). I know that like Isaiah says, my sister can overcome the horrors of the world, and if she can when her mind tells her that the world is against her, then anyone can.

We may also need physical and spiritual strength to fight back against the adversary and his fiery darts. “And in the strength of the Lord they did contend against their enemies… until they had driven them out of all the lands of their inheritance” (4). We also need to find our strength in the Lord and drive the daemons of our lives out of our lands and away from our salvation. We cannot let our personal weaknesses win.

We do also need to remember, that we have been blessed with strength already, but we do not need to mock those who have less of that blessing, or attempt to overuse ours. “And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength” (5). We must remember not to push ourselves too far, but to do all that we can, nothing more and nothing less. However, the Lord will grant us the strength we need to do what has to be done, and we have been promised in the word of wisdom that we shall walk and not faint.

It is my testimony that everyone can find the strength they need in the Lord. Life is hard, and we all need someone to hold us up every now and then. Even if life is a struggle, we can look forward to the eternal rest and happiness that awaits us if we work hard and give all the strength we have to do what is right.


1. Alma 14:26
2. Alma 14:28
3. Isaiah 45:24
4. Words of Mormon 1:14
5. Mosiah 4:27
6. Image by Madison Holler

A Mind of Gratitude By Alicia Collette

“In the church of Jesus Christ, we teach not to teach people thing they didn’t know but to teach them to do things they aren’t doing.” (1) It seems as though we are taught gratitude multiple times over. It’s apparent that we still not grateful for everything we have in this life and therefore we must be humbles and learn to be grateful again. The problem is that we grow to expect certain pleasures we enjoy; parents doing the laundry, mother making dinner every night, and parents helping to pay for necessities. The key is to take the time to remember how much others help us and to be grateful.

“He who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious” (2). Gratitude is a feeling of appreciation and thankfulness for blessings or benefits we have received. It is an uplifting exalting attitude. The Lord wants you to have a spirit of gratitude in all you do and say. As we live with a spirit of thanksgiving and cultivate a grateful attitude, we will have greater happiness and satisfaction in life and be stronger spiritually. We cannot be mean spirited when we are grateful.

We also are advised to find gratitude while in our trials. The fact is, it’s hard to be grateful when you facing a trial but the trial continues to be hard until you realize how grateful you are for things and once you have a grateful attitude the trial becomes easier to bear. Being grateful for past mistake and trials in my life is something I try to do because they make me who I am. Even if I wasn’t grateful for them at the time it all works out in the end. We resonate with the Prophet Joseph’s petition after he had been falsely accused and imprisoned in Liberty Jail for months: “O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?”The Lord’s answer is reassuring:“My son, 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.” (3) One of the essential doctrines illuminated by the Restoration is that there must be opposition in all things for righteousness to be brought to pass. This life is not always easy, nor was it meant to be; it is a time of testing and proving. Elder Harold B. Lee taught, “Sometimes the things that are best for us and the things that bring eternal rewards seem at the moment to be the most bitter” (4)

Of course our ultimate gratitude should be towards Christ and his atonement. Without Christ, we would all have to suffer outer darkness. “There is no grief, no pain, no sickness so great that the Atonement of Christ and the love of Christ cannot heal.” (5) We should thank our Heavenly Father for His goodness to us by acknowledging His hand in all things through thoughtful prayer. We should especially thank Him for His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, for the Savior's great example, for His teachings, for His outreaching hand to lift and help, for His infinite Atonement.

Showing our gratitude is an essential part of being grateful. Express gratitude to the Lord by the way you live, by doing so you show that you love Him and are grateful to Him. Keep his commandments, pray, serve others and express appreciation to everyone who helps you in any way in the name of Christ. The story of the ten lepers is the classic example of giving thanks to those who bless your life. And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. (6)

It is essential that we take the time to have a grateful mind and attitude towards life. Not only will our lives improve, but we can help others on their way to salvation. Christ is the ultimate example of perfect gratitude and we should follow in his example. I know that through a humble attitude and a grateful look on life we can strive to be more like our older brother. This gospel is the only way back to our father in Heaven and I know that if we do our best, one day we will be reunited with those we love. Amen.


Works Cited
1. Missionary Fireside –President Bradford Brazil Sao Paulo Interlagos mission
2. D&C 78:19
3. D&C 121:7
4. Harold B. Lee quotes
5. Teaching of the Prophet Joseph Smith
6. Luke 17 11-19

"New in Christ" Jake Chappell

There are many people in the church who abide by the “sticks and stones” concept. Someone may say an offensive comment about another and the choice is presented to ignore it or dwell on it in the heart. Obviously, there may have been a misunderstanding where communication failed or gossip stirred, however, a recurrent demeaning insult proves that there is a problem. Yet, no matter how far one strays, they can still come back to the fold through Christ.

In May of 2001, my family and I moved from Arizona to Idaho. The move was hard on my siblings and me, as we left the comfort of old friends to begin new relationships in Idaho. My older brother, Joseph, was especially taken aback because he was starting high school and knew no one. But it turns out that school was not the problem. On our first day of church, everyone was inviting and happy to greet us. All of us kids had found new friends and were doing well. But Joseph was choosing not so stellar friends and some members at church obvously did not approve of his new conduct.

Joseph found a new hobby, snowboarding, which he enjoyed with his friends. They all had grown their hair out to a little less than shoulder length and it was the cool thing with his friends. When Sunday rolled around, we sat in the middle row of the pews, as usual. One of the regular attending members came around shake hands and called Joseph “Skater Boy”. Big deal, right? It’s just a funny, stereotypical joke. Eventually, this member’s sons would come to mutual and repeat the name over and over, never calling Joseph by his name. And Sundays were no different with this entire family, in fact, many of the members thought that Joseph was a rebel and unworthy to perform priesthood ordinances. This all started with his long hair. I myself grew my hair out the same length as Joseph, and I would always get little comments from people telling me to cut it, telling me that I looked like a punk. Since when did a hairstyle that is not extreme at all become punk? Eventually I cut my hair so that people would stop bugging me about something so minuscule. THEREFORE thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things (Rom 2:1).

One Wednesday, I heard Joseph say, “Why should I go to mutual if I will only be taunted?” Of course, my parents encouraged him to attend and he went, unwillingly. Eventually, Joseph and another young man decided to do other things during mutual. They would attend sparingly, only participating in church ball or other activities that they were interested in. Joseph began his descent into worldly things as he made friends with low standards. By junior year in high school, he brought home failing grades along with addictive substances that he hid from my parents. He was a completely different person, I would go in his room to hang out, the room would be smoky, smelling of incense and he would look half asleep, laughing about everything.

At length, he dropped out of high school, my parents found out about his problems, he had completely stopped all church activity, and who knows what else. With the many prayers of my parents, he has turned around dramatically. This sounds bad but is actually pretty good; he only smokes cigarettes and drinks occasionally now. He found a job and has started trying to get to church on Sundays. He told me that he wants to stop smoking because he knows it is bad for both his physical and spiritual health. I am glad that he has found a glimmer of hope for the future, and I pray that he can know of God’s love for him and that he can repent. There fore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2 Cor. 5:17).

Now, I am not implying that just because of a member’s sense of self-righteousness, Joseph chose wrong things. What I am saying is that when a ward is united, they know each other’s wants and needs and do everything necessary to find and keep the “lost sheep”. I feel that our ward only wanted the stereotypical image of a righteous young man, and Joseph did not meet their criteria. In Jacob 2, Nephi has just died and the people have already well on their way through the pride cycle. Jacob denounces their practices and preaches repentance. And it supposeth me that they have come up hither to hear the pleasing word of God, yea, the word which healeth the wounded soul (Jacob 2:8). I know that the prayers of my family and others are helping put experiences in my brother's life to soften his heart, and I know that Christ can heal his, and all other's wounded souls. I am so greatful for the opportunity of the Gospel in my life and the blessings I recieve for obeying Gods commandments. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Works Cited

The Book of Mormon. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981.
The Scriptures: CD-ROM Edition 1.1. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2005.
http://www.lds.org

The Holy Bible: King James Version