The Way To My Heart

This post started out this morning because my NT Study Guide was on the wrong chapter.  I had been going through some old chapters to find some principles that I needed for our family mission plan and my talk about it.  In this wrong chapter, I found a quote by President Benson that I know I read because it was underlined, but I didn't remember having read it just a few days ago.  I realized that this quote must have been the starting point of where I decided to take my talk without my even realizing it ( I am absorbing a lot of information between the hours of 6-7am). 

“The world largely ignores the first and great commandment—to love God—but talks a lot about loving their brother. …

“… But only those who know and love God can best love and serve his children, for only God fully understands his children and knows what is best for their welfare. Therefore, one needs to be in tune with God to best help his children. …

“Therefore, if you desire to help your fellowmen the most, then you must put the first commandment first.

“When we fail to put the love of God first, we are easily deceived by crafty men who profess a great love of humanity. … (CR, Oct. 1967, p. 35.)

Thinking about this quote and making it into a post reminded me of a picture that I took of my husband last night.  He was cleaning the fridge.  My husband knows me and knows the way to my heart.  It's service.  I hate that darn fridge and I usually get around to cleaning it because I hate a dirty fridge, but I've had too many other things begging for my attention, so I've let it go.  Now, was it completely altruistic that he cleaned the fridge?  Nope.  He was frustrated that he couldn't put something away because the fridge was a mess.  Mostly because of the vegetable explosion because I need so darn much to juice.  Also the "meals" I make for myself are a few servings each so there are lots of left overs in there too.  Lots of expired items as well.  Do I care what his initial motives were?  Nope.  I got a clean fridge and he knew that it made me super happy in the process, because I told him it did.  

The other picture of him was because he was killing me with his redneckedness.  He was working hard on saturday in is camo shirt.  I needed to take Ethan to a friends house and go to the store so he threw on a shirt to come with me.  A plaid shirt over the camo.   I had Jordyn unbuttoning it so that we could see the fulness of his awesome style!  Yep, he's mine <3 p="">

Do You Have One?

Since it is mandatory "write in your journal" day at my house (yes we are still doing it~amazing) I will just write about the family mission plan we are working on.  I was asked to speak about it from my days as a ward missionary and we went to members homes helping them to develop one for their families.  At this time I was using a copy of my BIL's family mission statement and an "invite" program that I talked about before.  Using my BIL's statement was especially convenient because I didn't even have to change the name.    

On a total side note.  Today while taking the sacrament, I had my first piece of bread in 4 days.  Jared brought the bread today and the left overs were placed next to me.  Surprisingly I was just fine.  I thought I may need to rip into the bag and start inhaling the bread, but I didn't.  Also my friend that is a total health nut that is so into this juicing and detoxing thing had been giving me a hard time a couple weeks ago.  I found enjoyment in teasing her by saying "you know what I did today?  Didn't make a nasty green juice and drink it, that's what."  Apparently someone ratted me out to her by saying that I had bought a juicer and was doing a detox program.  The first thing her husband said to me when he saw me today was "so, guess what I didn't do today, buy a juicer!"  Oh snap!  Someone will pay.  She had so much fun watching me eat my humble pie.  I was feeling a bit shaky today from the lack of food and carbs and wasn't sure I should be standing in front of anyone, so I had her on standby.  I figured she got me into this mess so she should be the one to get me out of it when I passed out in front of everyone.  She was instructed to create a diversion and then get the bread to my mouth stat.  Luckily I was fine.  Surprisingly, it's true what they say about making it through the 1st 3 days and then life gets better.   

Here is the talk I gave this morning for 3rd hour which was combined with the men.  I opened it up by talking about one of my favorite apostles.  When someone asked Elder Bednar in a training video about achieving success in a certain area with seminary kids he said something awesome (which I'm paraphrasing and hopefully pretty accurate about) "I want to be careful to not be too prescriptive in my answer and instead talk about the principle behind..." this thing that was trying to be achieved.  "What works for me, may not work for you."  I especially liked this because I fall into the trap of being prescriptive far too often and then find myself getting upset when someone doesn't heed the prescription and then comes back for more.  Helping people figure things out for themselves is where true learning happens.  It is also the greatest motivator for success.  

So, instead of me getting up there and showing our families plan, I gave this talk instead:

For the past 3 years my family has been using the Family Mission Statement that Nathan's oldest brother had made.  It was very convenient since it had the same family name.  In preparation for speaking today I searched all over the house looking for it, but  I couldn't find it anywhere.  I figured that it was about time we repented of our laziness and made our own.  

I drew up a rough draft and then presented it to the family.  It is important that everyone gives input so that everyone can be committed to the plan.  There were some things we changed and some things the kids were given to think about so that when we write up the final draft for FHE they will have participated fully in the process. I also decided to have each of the kids write out a poration of it instead of typing it on the computer in in effort to gain ownership and unity.  

I have been studying in the New Testament and learning what it takes and what is expected of a disciple of Christ and who is a disciple.  In D&C 88:62 it talks about sanctifying yourselves that your minds become single to God.  We decided to make this the foundation of our mission statement.  

Last night at the RS broadcast there was a lot of mention of keeping covenants and recognizing when we do so -keeping your mind single to God.  As I've been studying the standard works I've come to understand the importance of becoming converted.  As we seek not to declare my word but first to obtain my word as found in D&C 11:21 we are sanctifying ourselves.  To sanctify is to make holy or set apart for sacred use.  We understand more fully the will of God and the promised blessing he has for his children when we seek to obtain the word of God.  This will naturally lead us to share the gospel.  We need not be ashamed of the gospel as the warning found in Mark by the savior. These times are trying and difficult as the definition of tolerance and love and compassion are being defined not in God's terms, but in Mans.  Where are our hearts on doctrines that some take to be hard? Are we fully converted? Do we know how to apply the doctrine. When the doctrine started getting hard is when many of the disciples left Jesus, have we left the path and just dot realize it yet?

My favorite section of D&C right now is 88 and in verse 77-78 it says that we need to teach each other the doctrine 

So you can have

His grace attend you

be instructed more perfectly : in theory, principle, doctrine, law of gospel - all things - that you need to understand

things in heaven on earth, wars and contentions etc..

And then "the why" found in 80: that you may be prepared in all things.

There are some great promised blessings right there.  It feels like now more than ever we need those blessing to survive the constant attacks by the advesary. 

To me the work of salvation is doing good to ALL men continually.  I have been thinking a lot about prayer lately and thinking that I should be offering to pray with friends more often.  I have a neighbor who has a child that has a mysterious illness and I realized that prayer with her wasn't a form of help that I was offering.  President Monson spoke about prayer last night at well.  We need to be looking for opportunities to be true friends to those around us.  We can be apart of heavenly father blessing his children if we will sanctify ourselves and then ask him through praye where he wants us to go and what he wants us to do. We can be reminding our children and friends of their baptismal covenants by helping them to mourn with those who mourn and build and lift their friends.  Bringing the gospel into the lives of our friends both in the church and out of the church.  We know from the BOM that the nephites problems were because of the nephites,not the lamanites. 

Making our homes a MTC is part of this plan.  Taking more seriously the responsibility we have as parents and friends to teach each other the doctrine of Christ and help each other to keep our covenants.  

Just like the methods Christ used in healing the sick and lame, we too have the simple easy answers that will bring us the biggest blessings.  Don't make having a family mission plan into something far more complicated than it needs to be.  Make it into something you can actually achieve.  Keep it simple.  Break it into simple steps.  What is your family committing to do? Is it starting with regular scripture study or prayer, is it role playing, is it inviting someone to a fhe or do you need to start by having the missionaries over for dinner because you haven't had them in your home, are you going to try to serve a certain amount of people in a day, are you going to the temple often or do you need a recommend, have you been neglectful of your VT route- which is missionary work, is your online persona inline with your real self,  maybe it is committing to doing FH.  Everyone has different talents and abilities that need to be utalized in building up the kingdom of God upon the earth.  If you're not sure what yours and your families are, ask. You need to define what actions your family is going to take in being successful at missionary work. Get everyone involved because that is the only way to have a testimony of it and then plaster it around your house so that you are constantly reminded of it so the day will  come when you shall see God the Father and be welcomed into his presence having been made clean through the atonement of Jesus Christ -and because you have been about your father's business those you love will be standing there with you -both those you helped on this side and those you helped from beyond the veil.

Because this is also my "journal" of sorts, I can be as prescriptive as I choose.  So, above is the rough draft I took to my family.  They didn't like "eye" single to God because they didn't feel like that made sense.  It didn't matter that I explained it to them, they didn't like it.  We chose a different scripture found in section 88 instead that talked about the mind instead of the eye.  Now everyone was happy.  I came to this little conference with 8 scriptures and notes scribble out on a couple of pieces of paper and I started outlining the new plan.  The 2 little ones had no idea what was going on the entire time and kept fighting with each other.  Jared had his head on the table and didn't want to contribute.  Dad decided to give out some specific assignments for the kids to think about and then when we meet again for FHE we will write out the final product.  

Fingers crossed that we can get it all written out tomorrow night and then we will actually use it to sanctify ourselves and keep our minds single to God so we can be the kind of disciples where, we like Ammon, can say:

 12 Yea, I know that I am ^anothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will ^bnot boast of myself, but I will ^cboast of my God, for in his ^dstrength I can do all ^ethings; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.

Who doesn't want to be apart of many mighty miracles?  To be given strength, abilities and talents that you never thought yourself capable of? To be entrusted to carry out Heavenly Father's purposes and plans? What do you have to do to achieve such a thing?  Be covenant and commandment keepers and pray (which was the theme from the RS broadcast last night)

Brain Dead

I have such a hard time naming my posts.  I'm not witty enough for titles.  My nickname in high school was Witty, but not so much for my wit, but for my last name.  It may have started with a science teacher who was always perplexed about how to pronounce my last name.  "Is is Wit or Whit" he would say while over enunciating.  He finally just started calling me witty whit.  Ok, that was completely unnecessary.   

So, day 2 of the detoxification of my horribly horrible innards. 

What I have discovered is that I haven't been saying in jest all these years that I'm a carb addict.  Apparently my body has been in agreement.  What happens when my brain is starved of carbs?  It goes dead.  

I put this shirt on this morning.  It wasn't dark, it was perfectly light.  There is even a mirror in my closet which I'm sure I glanced in before exiting.  

I went on a walk.  I went to the bus stop.  I went to my pt appt.  The very last thing I do is in front of mirror.  I looked in the mirror.  Then I looked again.  Yep, my shirt was inside out.  It's not like I hadn't had some strange feelings about my shirt.  It was looking weird and seemed off somehow, but I didn't have the brain capacity to investigate further.  I comforted myself by convincing myself that others who had seen me thought it was a new trend.  You know, like when they make clothes purposely to look inside out.  Yes, that's it, that's exactly what they thought!

I'm loosing my mind.  I'm loosing the ability to think.  I'm loosing my will to live!  I came home and had to make myself some "soup" for lunch.  This was not soup.  Soup is supposed to be hot.  It should have stuff to chew in it.  This was neither.  It took like 3 bags of carrots to make.  It's just carrot, avocado and some ginger and cayenne pepper (you can see it on the counter).  It didn't taste bad, it was just depressing and I couldn't eat it.  I had already had to choke down a celery, cucumber, kale and pear juice this morning which had me gagging by the end. 

I realized that I needed to be kinder to "juicers." It's not their fault that we don't see eye to eye on many of life's great decisions.  They just need a sandwich.  A good ole hunk of bread with some highly processed meat and a slab of partially real cheese and then when they've digested it, we can have a conversation.    At this rate, I may not even know my own name by tomorrow!

If you see me in the fetal position in some dark corner somewhere mumbling nonsense with my clothes on inside out, please take pity on me and shove a piece of bread in my mouth.  Much obliged.  

This House Is Looking Pretty Bleak

So, day 1 of my 15 day self inflicted torture began today.  As of right now I can say that I have a wicked headache, a wicked longing in my belly for food and I'm having a wicked hard time not giving the death look whenever one of my children asks me a question because I'm too hungry to think.  

It is most surprising that I could "eat" so many "meals" in one day and still be so ravishingly hungry.  I did have a wicked good time watching the juicer make juice.  It was seriously cool.  What came out of the juicer, however, was anything but seriously cool.  I was hopeful that by putting the juice into a coke cup it would somehow magically become caffeinated and tasty.  Yet one more dream to die a slow painful death.  

I have never juiced a thing in my life.  It reminds me of a large comedian that does a bit about juicing that is really funny.  Anyway, I discovered that being lazy about your carrot prep isn't the best idea.  I don't think my carrot, apple, ginger juice would have had such an "earthy" taste if I would have peeled the carrots first.  Lesson learned.  I did drink it 2x today, but I had to make myself.  

The sweet potato and carrot fries were actually really tasty and everyone in the family liked them....I had them for lunch and then again for dinner.  Ethan stayed home sick from school today so I shared my lunch with him....which wasn't easy since I knew I would starve as a result.  

 At 10:20 this morning things were looking the most bleak.  I was only a few hours in and I broke down and got a popsicle.  My day starts at 5:30am and I had some apple and berry concoction, void of any carbohydrates, that I baked this morning and then at 10 I had my snack, which was the juice.  By 10:30 I was thinking that death was coming shortly.   

I'm not a super happy person fasting, but fasting is easier.  You at least aren't teasing your stomach by putting a little bit of food in and not getting full.  When you're fasting your stomach finally gives up and there is a spiritual purpose behind it.

Ethan came into the room and asked me what I was doing when I was taking the below picture.  I said "documenting my sorrow and despair."  It was 10:34 and I was getting Bleak House ready to go so that I could watch someone else's beautifully dramatically dark life instead of thinking about mine while I  broke my diet a mere 5 hours in with a toxic popsicle.  

 The first day of an extreme diet, it is advisable to not have a parent teacher conference.  Luckily I survived without getting too snarky.  While I was already out and about instead of conserving energy by lying in bed, I went to a farmers market and  picked up a box of peaches.  They are from Ut and so amazingly tasty.  Peaches was not on my list of acceptable foods today so I only had 1 slice, but it was heaven.  

General conference is coming up very soon which I am soooooo looking forward too and it will be so fun to be eating some southern peach cobbler - made from peaches I canned - that were grown in Ut - while I am being spiritually fed -via broadcast from Ut.  Yes, we've already established that I'm a nerd.  

My friend had me pick her up a box as well and when I dropped it off to her and reported how my first day of starvation was going she gave me some great therapy.  That nice little dvd set of awesomeness!  If that doesn't get me through the next 15 days, nothing will.  

What am I doing with such a large box of peaches?  Do you really need to wonder?  What better way to distract yourself than by canning peaches.  I haven't canned peaches yet, so I pulled out my little go-to book for all things canning.  It really has everything you need to know.

Ethan and I got 5 quarts canned this afternoon and I decided to do the rest tomorrow...if I'm still alive :0)  

When A Plan Comes Together

Just when you think all hope is lost, it never is. 

A month ago a family in our ward took in a foreign exchange student from Germany, we'll call her Da for this.  She came to church for her first Sunday in town.  I asked her when she got to my class if she knew where she was.  I had my doubts when I clarified and asked if she was a Mormon and she responded, yes while pointing to the cross around her neck.  Upon further examination we found that she is Protestant.    She reads better than she speaks the language so I told her to just stop me if she was having a hard time following.  

What was her very first introduction to the Mormon church?  It was a doozy!  We were on the lesson month for "marriage and family."  This specific week covered chastity.  I had already done a lesson where I spelled out every action they could possibly think to do with another human being as to where it fell in the bounds of chastity.....There were some red faces that day and I was sure that I was going to be getting a phone call or two from parents because of my bluntness.  I'm a firm believer in bluntness and spelling everything out.  Anyway, since I had already covered that area pretty well, I decided to go in a different direction this time and focus the entire lesson on a talk by Jeffery R Holland called "Helping those who struggle with same gender attraction."  I told you, it was a doozy.  

Da went home with a deer in the headlights look and told her host family that this religion wasn't for her.  They are a much more liberal country and don't care about things like that - is what she communicated to them. 

BTW- it ended up being an amazing lesson.  Just as I had suspected the girls were struggling with this dilemma at school.  One of the girls was in tears because the friends that she has always had suddenly claimed that she hated them because of all the controversy going on in our state over this issue.  She couldn't understand how they would think she hates them.  We had a great discussion about having standards and loving people at the same time and how hard it is to make that distinction in todays society without being thought of as hateful.  It's a real problem that isn't going to just go away, it's only going to intensify.  

Anyway, I figured that I scared Da off for good and she would never come back.  I'm a firm believer in not hiding who you are and laying all your cards on the table.  Better to know what we're about upfront instead of feeling like you got duped later down the road.  

Da hasn't come to a single mutual night activity but she did start coming again on Sundays.  Last week at the end of class I brought up that we had an activity coming up with no plan attached.  (Because getting a class presidency to act like a presidency is no easy task)  I had been inspired watching one of my girl's mom perform at a ward talent show.  She used to dance at the PCC so I took the opportunity of sitting in front of her daughter to see if we as a class wanted to have her mom show us how to hula.  Everyone got super excited.

Da got super excited.  Even more so when she found out the date for this activity.  Her birthday.  I got bold and asked if she would be willing to spend her actual birthday day with us if we turned it into a luau birthday celebration...Remember, she hadn't been to a single weeknight activity.  She was shocked that we would do that for her and said she would love it.  The girls got into planning mode, found out her favorite kind of cake and planned the whole thing right then- while parents were angrily waiting in the halls for their children. :0)

Last night was the luau and it was so fun.  Some days I think it's unfair to everyone else that I get to have so much fun.  Da probably still thinks we are a bunch of whackadoos, but that's ok.  Heck all through high school while I was hanging out with my Mormon friends, I thought they were whackadoos -well, not them per say, but their religion.  One thing she cannot deny is our genuine friendship and love for her and that we are capable of having fun when we aren't talking about scary subjects.

ps, I love the picture we took at home in front of the mountains.   Ethan insisted that we needed a good picture, without the dog mess in it- which was cropped out in the collage, so he sent us over there.  His shadow is picture bombing us.  Oh, and, I did finally get dressed for the day :0)  

It's Fall Y'all

Can I just say, my house smells amazing right now!  So, it's fall.  When it's fall, there are pie pumpkins available at the store.  My friend is a bargain ninja.  She stalked the price of the pumpkins and then told me when to go to the store to buy them.

We had a cutting party at her house this morning with one other friend that is as crazy about canning as we are.  When you've got to cut pumpkins, you need to be hanging out with friends because it takes forever!  We have played with whether or not to roast first or just cut.  I'm usually too impatient to roast and just cut it.  As you can see by the middle picture, this process comes with a price- a nice blister.

I didn't take any selfies or pictures of the other 2 ladies because - remember when I said that stuff has to go when you are trying to be super productive?  Yeah, non of us had showered this morning.  I went from my morning walk to the bus stop to my friends house.  I didn't think it fair to drag them into my honesty fest by documenting their appearance.  I just got around to showering - only because I'm in charge of an activity at the church tonight....but I'm back in yoga pants and I haven't brushed my hair yet :0)

The only bummer about pressure canning is that you live by the little red button thingy.  When it pops up, the canner is sealed and you can add your weight.  When the cooking time is up and you remove the canner from the stove you again have to wait on the red button.  This time it has to go back in so that you know all the pressure has been released and it's safe to remove the lid.  This is usually when I start loosing patience (especially when I'm waiting to do another batch) and start jiggling the weight so that it will force the release pressure (carefully with a wooden spoon or you will burn yourself).

So, my 5 pie pumpkins  yielded 1 batch of pumpkin butter (I've never made it before so I'm not sure how many pints, but fingers crossed that it is divine) 7 quarts and 10 pints of cubed pumpkin.  It all depends on the size of your pumpkins.  The advantage my friend had was that she was the first one to go get pumpkins so her's were the biggest.  She bought 7 and she yielded 21 quarts, 8 pints and 2 batches of butter.

I decided to roast the seeds this time as well- I don't think I did last time.  Waste not, want not - that's my new motto.  The pumpkin butter is in the crockpot cooking down and wont be ready until this evening.  In case you were wondering, you cannot can the pumpkin butter, it can be stored in the freezer if you want.  I think it's dumb, but I don't make the rules.  It's too thick to be sure that it reaches the proper internal temp so it is on the absolutely do not do list- along side regular butter.

Now I just need some amazing new recipes to try out all my pumpkin on.......after my 15 days of torture is over.  BTW in the bottom left hand picture there is a mason jar full of a suspicious liquid - it belonged  to the other friend that was there.  She doesn't own a juicer so she is just blending everything and "chewing" her drinks.  Gross!  She does it because she is a runner and needed more nutrients to not run out of energy.  I haven't started yet and looking at that liquid didn't make me any more eager!  Maybe tomorrow :0)

Chores and IV's

While we were eating dinner tonight I informed my family that I was going to not be eating dinner with them for the next 15 days.  Why, because I've gone insane!  I hit 40 and my metabolism fell off a cliff.  Well, that and having hip surgery.  Between those 2 events, my clothing has revolted and I am destined to wander naked because I refuse to buy bigger clothes.

I have some "granola" health crazy friends that tell me that I eat like crapola!  I like crapola.  Some days crapola is my only joy.  I hate it when people start going on and on and on about processed foods etc.... I tune out and start thinking of chocolate and how miserable their lives are because they are pretending to like being "healthy."

Here's what I acknowledge - we have ruined our food supply and it is making us sick.  What am I willing to do about it?  Not much.  I've come to terms with that.

What am I willing to do to get back into my pants?  Get intimate with a juicer....for 15 days......perhaps only 2.  I am apparently going to detox my body of all nastyness and feel the most amazing I have ever felt in my whole entire life...doubtful.  The thought of putting into my mouth and onto my taste buds some of the nasty concoctions has me dry heaving already!  Then it's back to moderation with my newly incorporated health food.  I come from the land of flannel, berkenstocks and tree hugging ......which I kissed goodbye when I moved away.  I don't think I can be seen shopping in Sprouts, people will get the wrong idea!

My family's reaction to this news?  Jared:"Mom, I really don't think that's a good idea.  You are going to commit suicide or kill all of us in the process."  Emma just looked at me with crazy eyes and started listing all the things she was sure I couldn't live without.  My husband said: "listen, we did not sign up for this...  Either you are going to kill yourself or we'll kill ourselves from having to live with you....  The police are going to show up at the house....  If you insist on this, you will feel a prick in your arm in the night with a drip of coke going straight in your veins."  Apparently my family has little to no confidence in my ability to give up caffeine and popsicles for 15 days.  I only have 1 soda a day so I don't anticipate too much trouble, but I have a 2 popsicle a day addiction right now while I'm watching my british shows.  Hey!  They are 60 calories and bring me joy and happiness.......but no more for 15 days!

In fairness to my family, I did have 2 jaw surgeries where my mouth was wired shut for 10 weeks the first time and 8 weeks the second time.  I was trying everything to avoid only consuming liquids.  I had a pretty unhealthy addiction to kfc's mashed potatoes and costco's pumpkin pie because neither required chewing and I could get my mouth open just far enough to shove them in there.  I was pretty miserable and there were a couple of times where I lay crying on the kitchen floor because I was hungry and couldn't eat, but there was surgery involved and lots of pain.....so......it surely couldn't be that bad when I'm doing it by choice......right? heehee

We also decided to redo our chore system.  Our last system wasn't working.  We let the kids come up with their idea of how chores should get done and they had come up with a "chore wheel."  Chore wheels give me ptsd.  When I was a brand new member of the church and moved to utah in an apartment with 5 other girls and learned all about the fabulously crazy chore wheel system I about popped a blood vessel.  What have we been using for the past year or two?  A stupid chore wheel.  Problem with it is that no one ever can seem to remember which way to turn the blasted thing.  I mean seriously, how hard is it to remember clockwise?  It still made me the nagging mom which is what I was trying to get rid of.

This time everyone got assigned a chore mon - thurs.  There are 4 chores a day and 4 kids.  Their days will never change.  Ever.  So they better start remembering.  Also I decided to start taking everything that was left lying around at the end of the night and throw it in the "trash." If they want to get it back they have to do some pretty awesome things, like rub my feet, scrub baseboards and basically the nastiness stuff I can think of.  Here's to hoping that it works.......especially since I wont have my soda or popsicles as my drug of choice to dull the pain of my failures.  :0)

Wow, I'm feeling dramatic tonight and I haven't even given up enjoyable tasty food that I can chew yet.

ps, guess what is still in my house?  2 kittens.....heaven help me and my sanity.....my shriveled lifeless heart is letting me down, it apparently grew 10 sizes when I wasn't looking.

Super Nerd Status

Friday morning while I was on a walk with my hubby (I know- rare occasion that he was home- He took a honey-do day- isn't that so sweet?)  Anyway we were talking about the character of Christ.  It was a pretty cool discussion/debate -whenever I'm involved, it inevitably turns into a debate :0)

After spending more time thinking about this, I received an email from my "daughter" (her mom forwards her emails) who is in the MTC.  What would be the super cool thing she learned and wanted to share with everyone?  A devotional that they watched....on......the character of Christ.  Sometimes life is so amazing that I can hardly comprehend it!

Here's what she said:

" On Sunday night we had an MTC devotional and then we watched a devotional given at the MTC a couple years ago on Christmas by Elder Bednar called "The Character of Christ." Most amazing devotional ever. I don't know if you can find it online, but you should look for it, because it is awesome. Elder Bednar said that Neal A Maxwell said, "There would have been no atoning sacrifice without the character of Christ." Then Elder Bednar explained that the character of Christ is to turn out and help others, when the natural man would turn in and help himself. So Christ turns out in charity and love when the natural man is like cookie monster and wants to help himself right away. It was just crazy good. Try and find it, I don't know if you'll be able to though."

Elder Bednar quoting Elder Maxwell!  Does it get any more awesome than that?  Seriously, you can't not read a devotional with that kind of lead in.  My two favorite apostles rolled into one.  The potential for crazy good was inevitable!  

I have a "smash book" for all things church related.  It is a hard copy of favorite talks, quotes or lessons that I've loved (I knew before I read it, that I would love it).  So, this one had to be printed out.  We decided to take the kids to dinner before the 2 oldest took off to a stake dance, so........I brought the talk with me.  

I read some of it in the car on the way to dinner and then I brought it into the restaurant with me to finish it.  It was too good, I couldn't put it down.  

Emma looked at my papers on the restaurant table and said "really, mom?"  "This is getting out of control, what's next?  Standing up in the middle of the restaurant saying, I've got a message I'd like to share with you?"  Ok, don't laugh, but I've been reading a book about the early saints and that's how missionary work was done.  I looked around the room and thought about whether or not I thought I could do something like that.  My conclusion?  I'm pretty sure I'm crazy enough! ;0)  I haven't been called to do something like that, so I'm not going to, but I can be more bold in my individual interactions with people.  

Back to this amazing talk.  The entire message is taking our focus from inward to outward.  Add this to Elder Bednar's council about the way we gain knowledge and taking it from unto to into and you are on the path to amazing....or being highly favored.  

The entire talk was amazing, so I just pasted it here.  I still have such a long way to go, but when you are learning line upon line, precept upon precept and taking that knowledge from unto to into by which changes your very nature/character, it is simply indescribable.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is amazing!  It is powerful.  It is atoning and therefore transformative! Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me."

Hopefully you enjoy the talk below and can join the super nerdy club with me.

THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST”

Brigham Young University-Idaho Religion Symposium
January 25, 2003
Elder David A. Bednar

Good morning, brothers and sisters. I am delighted to be here with you. I pray for and invite the Holy Ghost to be with me and with you as together we discuss an important aspect of the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Last September I participated in an area training meeting in Twin Falls, Idaho. Elder Neal A. Maxwell presided at the training session, and on a Friday night and a Saturday morning he, the Idaho Area Presidency, and other general church officers instructed a group of approximately one hundred stake presidents. It was a meaningful and memorable time of spiritual enrichment, learning, and edification.

During the course of his teaching and testifying, Elder Maxwell made a statement that impressed me deeply and has been the recent focus for much of my studying, reflecting, and pondering. He said, “There would have been no Atonement except for the character of Christ.” Since hearing this straightforward and penetrating statement, I have tried to learn more about and better understand the word “character.” I have also pondered the relationship between Christ’s character and the Atonement–and the implications of that relationship for each of us as disciples. This morning I hope to share with you just a few of the learnings that have come to my mind and heart as I have attempted to more fully appreciate this teaching by Elder Maxwell.

What is Character?

After returning home from the area training meeting in Twin Falls, the first question I attempted to answer was “What is character?” The Oxford English Dictionary indicates that many of the uses of the word character relate to graphic symbols, printing, engraving, and writing. The usages I found most relevant, however, relate to “. . . the sum of the moral and mental qualities which distinguish an individual or a race; mental or moral constitution; moral qualities strongly developed or strikingly displayed” (Oxford English Dictionary Online, University Press 2003, Second Edition, 1989). Interestingly, when we look up the word “character” in the topical guide of our scriptures, we discover that it is cross-referenced to the topics of honesty, honor, and integrity.

Brigham Young emphasized the significance of the Savior’s character as he taught and testified about the truthfulness of the Holy Bible:

. . . the Bible is true. It may not all have been translated aright, and many precious things may have been rejected in the compilation and translation of the Bible; but we understand, from the writings of one of the Apostles, that if all the sayings and doings of the Savior had been written, the world could not contain them. I will say that the world could not understand them. They do not understand what we have on record, nor the character of the Savior, as delineated in the Scriptures; and yet it is one of the simplest things in the world, and the Bible, when it is understood, is one of the simplest books in the world, for, as far as it is translated correctly, it is nothing but truth, and in truth there is no mystery save to the ignorant. The revelations of the Lord to his creatures are adapted to the lowest capacity, and they bring life and salvation to all who are willing to receive them. (Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 124, emphasis added)

Brigham Young further taught that faith must be focused upon Jesus’ character, in His Atonement, and in the Father’s plan of salvation:

. . . I will take the liberty of saying to every man and woman who wishes to obtain salvation through him (the Savior) that looking to him, only, is not enough: they must have faith in his name, character and atonement; and they must have faith in his father and in the plan of salvation devised and wrought out by the Father and the Son. What will this faith lead to? It will lead to obedience to the requirements of the Gospel; and the few words that I may deliver to my brethren and sisters and friends this afternoon will be with the direct view of leading them to God. (Journal of Discourses, Vol.13, p. 56, Brigham Young, July 18, 1869, emphasis added)

The Character of the Lord Jesus Christ

In a message entitled “O How Great the Plan of Our God” delivered to CES religious educators in February of 1995 (p. 5), Elder Maxwell specifically linked Christ’s character to the infinite and eternal atoning sacrifice:

Jesus’ character necessarily underwrote His remarkable atonement. Without Jesus’ sublime character there could have been no sublime atonement! His character is such that He “[suffered] temptations of every kind” (Alma 7:11), yet He gave temptations “no heed” (Doctrine and Covenants 20:22).

Someone has said only those who resist temptation really understand the power of temptation. Because Jesus resisted it perfectly, He understood temptation perfectly, hence He can help us. The fact that He was dismissive of temptation and gave it “no heed,” reveals His marvelous character, which we are to emulate (see Doctrine and Covenants 20:22; 3 Nephi 12:48; 27:27).

Perhaps the greatest indicator of character is the capacity to recognize and appropriately respond to other people who are experiencing the very challenge or adversity that is most immediately and forcefully pressing upon us. Character is revealed, for example, in the power to discern the suffering of other people when we ourselves are suffering; in the ability to detect the hunger of others when we are hungry; and in the power to reach out and extend compassion for the spiritual agony of others when we are in the midst of our own spiritual distress. Thus, character is demonstrated by looking and reaching outward when the natural and instinctive response is to be self-absorbed and turn inward. If such a capacity is indeed the ultimate criterion of moral character, then the Savior of the world is the perfect example of such a consistent and charitable character.

Examples of Christ’s Character in the New Testament

The New Testament is replete with “strikingly displayed” examples of the Savior’s character. We are all well aware that following His baptism by John the Baptist and as a preparation for His public ministry, the Savior fasted for forty days. He also was tempted by the adversary to inappropriately use His supernal power to satisfy physical desires by commanding that stones be made bread, to gain recognition by casting Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple, and to obtain wealth and power and prestige in exchange for falling down and worshiping the tempter (see Matthew 4:1-9). It is interesting to note that the overarching and fundamental challenge to the Savior in each of these three temptations is contained in the taunting statement, “If thou be the Son of God.” Satan’s strategy, in essence, was to dare the Son of God to improperly demonstrate His God-given powers, to sacrifice meekness and modesty, and, thereby, betray who He was. Thus, Satan attempted repeatedly to attack Jesus’ understanding of who He was and of His relationship with His Father. Jesus was victorious in meeting and overcoming the strategy of Satan.

I suspect the Savior may have been at least partially spent physically after forty days of fasting–and somewhat spiritually drained after His encounter with the adversary. With this background information in mind, please turn with me now to Matthew 4, and together we will read verse 11: “Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”

This verse in the King James version of the New Testament clearly indicates that angels came and ministered to the Savior after the devil had departed. And, undoubtedly, Jesus would have benefitted from and been blessed by such a heavenly ministration in a time of physical and spiritual need.

However, the Joseph Smith Translation of Matthew 4:11 provides a remarkable insight into the character of Christ. Please note the important differences in verse 11 between the King James version and the Joseph Smith Translation: “Then the devil leaveth him, and, now Jesus knew that John was cast into prison, and he sent angels, and, behold, they came and ministered unto him (John).”

Interestingly, the additions found in the JST completely change our understanding of this event. Angels did not come and minister to the Savior; rather, the Savior, in His own state of spiritual, mental, and physical distress, sent angels to minister to John. Brothers and sisters, it is important for us to recognize that Jesus in the midst of His own challenge recognized and appropriately responded to John–who was experiencing a similar but lesser challenge than that of the Savior’s. Thus, the character of Christ is manifested as He reached outward and ministered to one who was suffering–even as He himself was experiencing anguish and torment.

In the upper room on the night of the last supper, the very night during which He would experience the greatest suffering that ever took place in all of the worlds created by Him, Christ spoke about the Comforter and peace:

These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:25-27)

Once again the fundamental character of Christ is revealed magnificently in this tender incident. Recognizing that He himself was about to intensely and personally experience the absence of both comfort and peace, and in a moment when His heart was perhaps troubled and afraid, the Master reached outward and offered to others the very blessings that could and would have strengthened Him.

In the great intercessory prayer, offered immediately before Jesus went forth with His disciples over the brook Cedron to the Garden of Gethsemane, the Master prayed for His disciples and for all:

. . . which shall believe on me through their word;

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me . . .

. . . that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. (John 17:20, 21, 23, 26)

I find myself repeatedly asking the following questions as I ponder this and other events that took place so close to the Savior’s suffering in the garden and His betrayal: How could He pray for the well-being and unity of others immediately before His own anguish? What enabled Him to seek comfort and peace for those whose need was so much less than His? As the fallen nature of the world He created pressed in upon Him, how could He focus so totally and so exclusively upon the conditions and concerns of others? How was the Master able to reach outward when a lesser being would have turned inward? The statement I quoted earlier from Elder Maxwell provides the answer to each of these powerful questions:

Jesus’ character necessarily underwrote His remarkable atonement. Without Jesus’ sublime character there could have been no sublime atonement! His character is such that He “[suffered] temptations of every kind” (Alma 7:11), yet He gave temptations “no heed” (Doctrine and Covenants 20:22). (“O How Great the Plan of Our God,” message delivered to CES religious educators in February of 1995, p. 5)

Jesus, who suffered the most, has the most compassion for all of us who suffer so much less. Indeed, the depth of suffering and compassion is intimately linked to the depth of love felt by the ministering one. Consider the scene as Jesus emerged from His awful suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane. Having just sweat great drops of blood from every pore as part of the infinite and eternal Atonement, the Redeemer encountered a multitude:

And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew unto Jesus to kiss him.

But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?

When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?

And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. (Luke 22:47-50)

Given the magnitude and intensity of Jesus’ agony, it perhaps would have been understandable if He had not noticed and attended to the guard’s severed ear. But the Savior’s character activated a compassion that was perfect. Note His response to the guard as described in verse 51: “And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him (Luke 22:51).

As individually impressive as is each of the preceding events, I believe it is the consistency of the Lord’s character across multiple episodes that is ultimately the most instructive and inspiring. In addition to the incidents we have thus far reviewed, recall how the Savior, while suffering such agony on the cross, instructed the Apostle John about caring for Jesus’ mother, Mary (John 19:26-27). Consider how, as the Lord was taken to Calvary and the awful agony of the crucifixion was commenced, He pleaded with the Father in behalf of the soldiers to “. . . forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Remember also that in the midst of excruciating spiritual and physical pain, the Savior offered hope and reassurance to one of the thieves on the cross, “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Throughout His mortal ministry, and especially during the events leading up to and including the atoning sacrifice, the Savior of the world turned outward–when the natural man or woman in any of us would have been self-centered and focused inward.

Developing a Christlike Character

We can in mortality seek to be blessed with and develop essential elements of a Christlike character. Indeed, it is possible for us as mortals to strive in righteousness to receive the spiritual gifts associated with the capacity to reach outward and appropriately respond to other people who are experiencing the very challenge or adversity that is most immediately and forcefully pressing upon us. We cannot obtain such a capacity through sheer willpower or personal determination. Rather, we are dependent upon and in need of “the merits, mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah” (2 Nephi 2:8). But “line upon line, precept upon precept” (2 Nephi 28:30) and “in [the] process of time” (Moses 7:21), we are enabled to reach outward when the natural tendency is for us to turn inward.

It is interesting to me that one of the central elements of the word character is created by the letters A, C, and T. As we already have seen in the examples of Christ’s character from the New Testament, the nature and consistency of how one acts reveals in a powerful way his or her true character. In the case of Christ, he is described as one “. . . who went about doing good” (Acts 10:38). Let me now briefly share with you two memorable experiences from my service as a stake president that highlight the relationship between our actions and a Christlike character.

Early one summer morning I was showering. My wife called to me in the middle of my shower and indicated that I was needed immediately on the telephone. (This was before the day of cell and cordless phones). I quickly put on my robe and hurried to the phone. I next heard the voice of a dear sister and friend informing me of a tragic automobile accident that had just occurred in a remote area involving three teenage young women from our stake. Our friend indicated one of the young women had already been pronounced dead at the scene of the accident and that the two other young women were badly injured and presently were being transported to the regional medical center in Fayetteville. She further reported that the identity of the deceased young woman was not yet known. There was urgency in her voice, but there was no panic or excessive alarm. She then asked if I could go to the hospital, meet the ambulance when it arrived, and assist in identifying the young women. I answered that I would leave immediately.

During the course of our telephone conversation and as I listened to both the information being conveyed and the voice of our friend, I gradually became aware of two important things. First, this friend’s daughter was one of the young women involved in the accident. Our friend lived approximately 35 miles from the hospital and therefore needed the assistance of someone who lived closer to the city. Second, I detected that the mother simultaneously was using two telephone handsets–with one in each hand pressed to each of her ears. I became aware that as she was talking with me, she was also talking with a nurse at a small rural hospital who had initially attended to the three accident victims. Our friend was receiving updated information about the condition of the young women in the very moment she was informing me about the accident and requesting my help. I then heard one of the most remarkable things I have ever heard in my life.

I faintly heard the nurse telling this faithful mother and friend that the young woman pronounced dead at the scene of the accident had been positively identified as her daughter. I could not believe what I was hearing. I was listening to this good woman in the very moment that she learned of the death of her precious daughter. Without hesitation, and with a calm and most deliberate voice, our friend next said, “President Bednar, we must get in contact with the two other mothers. We must let them know as much as we can about the condition of their daughters and that they will soon be in the hospital in Fayetteville.” There was no self-pity; there was no self-absorption; there was no turning inward. The Christlike character of this devoted woman was manifested in her immediate and almost instinctive turning outward to attend to the needs of other suffering mothers. It was a moment and a lesson that I have never forgotten. In a moment of ultimate grief, this dear friend reached outward when I likely would have turned inward.

I then drove to the hospital with a concern in my heart for the well-being of the two other beautiful young women who had been involved in the accident. Little did I realize that the lessons I would learn about Christlike character–lessons taught by seemingly ordinary disciples–were just beginning.

I arrived at the hospital and proceeded to the emergency room. After properly establishing who I was and my relationship to the victims, I was invited into two different treatment areas to identify the injured young women. It was obvious that their respective wounds were serious and life threatening. And the lovely countenances and physical features of these young women had been badly marred. Within a relatively short period of time, the two remaining young women died. All three of these virtuous, lovely, and engaging young women–who seemed to have so much of life in front of them–suddenly had gone home to their Eternal Father. My attention and the attention of the respective families now shifted to funeral arrangements and logistics.

A day or so later, in the midst of program planning and detail arranging for the three funerals, I received a phone call from the Relief Society president of my home ward. Her daughter had been one of the victims in the accident, and she and I had talked several times about her desires for the funeral program. This faithful woman was a single mother rearing her only child–her teenage daughter. I was especially close to this woman and her daughter having served as both their bishop and stake president. After reviewing and finalizing several details for the funeral of her daughter, this good sister said to me, “President, I am sure it was difficult for you to see my daughter in the emergency room the other day. She was severely injured and disfigured. As you know, we will have a closed casket at the funeral. I have just returned from the funeral home, and they have helped my daughter to look so lovely again. I was just wondering . . . why don’t we arrange a time when we can meet at the mortuary and you can have one last look at her before she is buried. Then your final memories of my daughter will not be the images you saw in the emergency room the other day.” I listened and marveled at the compassion and thoughtfulness this sister had for me. Her only daughter had just been tragically killed, but she was concerned about the potentially troublesome memories I might have given my experience in the emergency room. In this good woman I detected no self-pity and no turning inward. Sorrow, certainly. Sadness, absolutely. Nevertheless, she reached outward when many or perhaps most of us would have turned inward with sorrow and grief.

Let me describe one final episode related to these three tragic deaths. On the day of her daughter’s funeral, this Relief Society president from my home ward received a phone call from an irritated sister in our ward. The complaining sister had a cold and did not feel well, and she basically chewed out the Relief Society president for not being thoughtful or compassionate enough to arrange for meals to be delivered to her home. Just hours before the funeral of her only child, this remarkable Relief Society president prepared and delivered a meal to the murmuring sister.

We appropriately and rightly speak with reverence and awe of young men who sacrificed their lives to rescue stranded handcart pioneers and of other mighty men and women who repeatedly gave their all to establish the Church in the early days of the Restoration. I speak with equal reverence and awe of these two women–women of faith and character and conversion–who taught me so much and instinctively reached outward when most of us would have turned inward. Oh how I appreciate their quiet and powerful examples.

I noted earlier in my remarks that the letters A, C, and T form a central component in the word character. Also noteworthy is the similarity between the words character and charity–as both words contain the letters C, H, A, and R. Etymologically there is no relationship between these two words. Nevertheless, I believe there are several conceptual connections that are important for us to consider and ponder.

Let me suggest that you and I must be praying and yearning and striving and working to cultivate a Christlike character if we hope to receive the spiritual gift of charity–the pure love of Christ. Charity is not a trait or characteristic we acquire exclusively through our own purposive persistence and determination. Indeed we must honor our covenants and live worthily and do all that we can do to qualify for the gift; but ultimately the gift of charity possesses us–we do not posses it (see Moroni 7:47). The Lord determines if and when we receive all spiritual gifts, but we must do all in our power to desire and yearn and invite and qualify for such gifts. As we increasingly act in a manner congruent with the character of Christ, then perhaps we are indicating to heaven in a most powerful manner our desire for the supernal spiritual gift ofcharity. And clearly we are being blessed with this marvelous gift as we increasingly reach outward when the natural man or woman in us would typically turn inward.

I conclude now by returning to where I began–the statement by Elder Maxwell in that special training session last September: “There would have been no Atonement except for the character of Christ.” It was the Prophet Joseph Smith who stated that “it is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the Character of God” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345). The New Testament is a rich resource for learning about and increasing our appreciation for the character and life and example of the Savior. My prayer for each of us is that through our study of this sacred volume of scripture we will more fully come unto Him; more completely become like Him; and more fervently worship, reverence, and adore Him.

As a witness, I declare my witness. I know and testify and witness that Jesus is the Christ, the Only Begotten Son of the Eternal Father. I know that He lives. And I testify that His character made possible for us the opportunities for both immortality and eternal life. May we reach outward when the natural tendency for us is to turn inward, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.