If You Think You Are, You're Not

The very first sentence Jesus taught his disciples in the sermon He gave on the mount was "Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  (Matthew 5:3)   Modern translation of these words from the literal language of the time tells us the 'poor in spirit' are those who are poor in pride, or humble in spirit. He is telling us that before anything else, comes a humble heart, ready to be taught.

It has always been difficult for me to understand the difference between 'pride' and good self-esteem.  But Bro. Hudson explains it so I can understand. Satan wants us to have pride because it is the opposite of humility.  Pride doesn't let us think we are not worthy, but that we are MORE worthy than others, that we deserve more, better, and best, for whatever reason.  President Benson said"  The proud depend upon the world to tell them whether they have value or not...It says, 'If you succeed, I am a failure."  (Ensign May 1989 4)

I can 'humbly come before Thee now" as the song says , or say "I am very humbled to be here today", but if I say it thinking how lucky I am to be there, or how lucky someone is to have me there, I am not being humble.  If I tell others all the nice things I am doing, all the scripture studying I am doing, all the private feelings I have, I am not being poor in spirit.  To be poor in spirit I need to show that I realize Christ has given me so much, and recognize that it is because of Him that I have the things that I have, not because I have worked for them, or sacrificed for them, or purchased them with my hard-earned money, or read enough scriptures to be blessed with possessions, or any other type of self-inflated ideas.  I need to recognize that Christ is the center of my life, that Christ is the giver of all things, and that I am eternally indebted to him for all that I have and am.  And with that knowledge comes the responsibility to act in a proper way, to give, and be helpful to others. If I remember to do these difficult things, which I can do with the help of the Lord, I will have 'the kingdom of heaven."

If it was just that easy.

A Word About Meekness

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.  (Matthew 5:5)

When I studied this chapter I was a bit confused.  The author focused on personal behavior, choosing to be nice, not speaking words that are offensive to others.  Then he went into using power to your own advantage, either as a student, a child, a parent, boss, etc.  I started to wonder "Where is the meekness?  Where does that all fit in?"  You see, I was thinking that meekness means to be quiet, shy, soft, maybe even weak, and several other synonyms.  I wasn't seeing where he was going.

Then he started to talk about Alma, when he gave up the kingdom to preach the gospel.  He didn't want to power of being the king, but choose to serve God and help his fellowmen.  Christ also refused to be called a king, running away when the people wished to elevate them to this standard.  He denounced Satan when he was promising Christ all the kingdom, even though it wasn't his to give.  Paul said "put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering" (Colossians 3:8, 12)

The author finally then brings it all together for me.  He explains that when we cultivate meekness we care less about who is the best, has the most, or who is powerful, and concentrate on how we can help others.  Alma knew that he would be better off not being the kingdom and working with the people.  He didn't want the love of the world, but was very meek in his wish to help others, not tear them down, or rule over them.  So then the author wonders, so why are we told that, because Alma was meek, that he would inherit the earth?  He gave up the kingdom, but why give him the earth?    What does it really mean to 'inherit the earth'?

By being meek and submission, we are learning to be more like Christ.  Since the world is his, He can give us everything, if we accept the Atonement into our lives and do what we need to do to return to Him.  We can inherit a place in the kingdom of God and inherit everything our experience on earth can make available to us.  

"On that day we will finally understand the the strength we gain through our meek, gentle, and unselfish service to the Master was the only power genuinely worth seeking.  The rest was just distraction."

Meek?  Focus on the Lord and not on what the world can give me, or what the rest of the world is doing.  Keep focused on what is right and looking for how I can do good each day.  Humbly look over what I am doing and find ways to be better.  Do it without the witness of the world.  Everyone doesn't need to see what good things I do because then I will be elevating myself.  Step off the throne and get busy doing good.

This chapter was a bit harder to understand, but I feel I might understand it a little better than before.

It Wasn't What I Thought It Would Be

Matthew 5:4  Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted.  

When I started reading about this Beatitude I focused on the word 'mourn'.  Doesn't that mean when people are sad because someone close to them has died, passed away.  I know from experience that the spirit of Christ is very close at those times and I really have felt comforted.  I remember when my dad died and the different reactions I witnessed that day standing in his bedroom watching his wife and her daughter as they sobbed and howled, reminding me of the pictures I have seen on the news when people of other faiths have carried on in mourning.  I didn't feel that need; I felt comfort.  I was sad, I felt sorrow, but I was comforted.  It wasn't easy being in that situation.  But because I have a testimony of the plan of salvation and life after death, I was comforted. (In fact, I remember looking in the ceiling corners looking for the spirits I was sure were there in the room with us.)  I always thought that was the kind of 'mourning' this scripture was talking about.  But I now have a little bit more to think about.

Life is what it is - a mortal experience.  We aren't promised that if we do what is right we will not suffer.  We will all face sad times.  We will all mourn.  We will all have problems to overcome.  We will all have sad times.  We can't expect that by just living the gospel we will be free from the pains of a mortal world.  It will come, and we will be faced with many obstacles that cause us to mourn.  The gospel does not protect us from challenges because these challenges are part of the plan.  We have to learn to overcome them, in whatever form they take.  Living the gospel helps us to see through that pain and learn gospel principals in a way that we can someday return to our Father in Heaven.  There is no other way.  We have to suffer, learn, and act.

According to President Huston's book, those who don't turn to Christ will continue to suffer in some form, but if we turn to Him we will have "comfort, not bitterness, peace instead of pain; great love instead of profound emptiness."

He then goes on and reminds us of the Nephites when Christ visited them.  (3 Nephi 8).  The world had been destroyed.  What few people remained had lost everything that was important to them.  They were in the darkest of dark worlds, so dark that they couldn't see a lighted fire or their hand in front of their face.  They could hear crying, creaking of the earth.  I can't imagine the pain of the parents looking for their children, their own parents, the people they loved.  And the people left were the more righteous ones.  I'm sure that didn't take their pain away.  They hadn't done things as wrong as the other people,  but still the Lord said "will ye not now return unto me and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?" (3 Nephi 9:13).

Did they think, "Yeah, right.  We have been destroyed and you are telling me that I need to repent? Where is your compassion?  Don't you see I am hurting down here!"  But Christ knew there were lessons they needed to learn.

He had just finished teaching Peter this same lesson. He told Peter, his closest disciple, "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (Luke 22:32)  Wasn't Peter already converted?  Apparently he also had a few lessons to learn, but he didn't think so.  He protested, "Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison and to death!". (Luke 22:33)  Christ knew that Peter was going to have problems in the near future and he needed to be reminded that he needed to be converted, or to study and learn.  Peter learned, and became even stronger.

Did the Nephites learn?  They did because "....the mourning, and the weeping, and the wailing of the people who were spared alive did cease; and their mourning was turned into joy, and their lamentations into the praise and thanksgiving unto the Lord Jesus Christ, their Redeemer" (3 Nephi 10:10).  His peace is there for me if I surrender my self, the person I am now to be the person He wants me to be.  I must give up my pride and learn how to allow Christ to help me. By suffering and learning to lean on Christ, I can find His comfort.

Christ wants us to lean on Him for comfort, not hand our pain to others, hoping they will take it away.  No one can.  I will still mourn after the meal are brought in and eaten, after the flowers have died and been thrown away, after the kind words have been said.  I will still hurt when it looks like others have gone on with life. I will get upset at the world, at my situation, at the other people who are causing me pain.  I can react in a way that causes others to hurt as I am hurting, but what good does that do me? Perhaps that is one of the lessons Christ wants me to learn....that I might be hurting others to take the pain from me, and that I should be asking for the pain to leave, not giving it away.

I will find comfort when I come until Him.  Like Peter, I will falter.  Like the Nephites I will continue to cry.  I will still feel pain and look for help in the mortal world.  I need His comfort.  One of His many names is "Comforter."

Morgan's Special Day

I didn't get the chance to blog about Morgan's special baptism day.  I was kind of all broken up that weekend after surgery on my arm.  But I want her to know how proud we were of her on that special day.  She looked so beautiful in her white dress.  I loved how she tried not to smile too much, cause her cute grin is so beautiful.  I was also proud of my son to be able to do such a special ordinance for his daughter.  That is a mom's proud moment, even if we aren't supposed to be prideful.  I'm not posting a picture of Morgan that day because I don't have one!  Also, I haven't asked her mom if I can, which would be proper to do before posting it.  But since I don't have one.....you will just have to know that on that day she was my most favorite eight-year-old granddaughter in the world!  Thanks for the fun picnic and good company.  It was a great day.

Love you Morgan!  Hope we can spend some time together this summer before we all start back into school.

A Book Most Needed

Last spring I found a book in my house that I had never seen before.  I don't know where it came from.  I certainly didn't purchase it.  I figured someone must have left it, but I don't know when and who it came from.  None of my children will admit to leaving it, but none-the-less, it was here for me to read.  I picked it up and started reading.  What a joy it was. I have loved the things I have been taught.  The book is Blessed Are Ye: Finding Your Unique Path to Christ by Chris Huston.  It is filled with his thoughts concerning the Beatitude's, the first lessons taught by Christ while he was on the mountainside.  All of His teachings, His lessons and sermons, can be found in the simple verses in Matthew Chapter 5.  (I have searched for this book on-line but can't find it.  The publisher has gone out of business so I don't think it is available any more.)

After reading it I put it aside, but picked it up again to study a bit deeper.  With my broken arm I had lots of time to really study the book, along with the scriptures found in each chapter.  I decided to really get into the book and learn more about the lessons that I need to learn.  I think that is why it was just 'dropped off' at my home.

This week I have poured over verse 9:  "Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God."

What greater name can we have than to be a child of God?  That is one of the first songs we learn in Primary.  We teach our children that they are children of God.  Why do we have such a difficult time believing that adults are also children of God?  Why do we (speaking of myself) not act as though we believe we are children of God?  What do I need to change within myself so I am more deserving of that title?  It says right in this scripture: Those who are called children of God are the peacemakers.

President Hudson reminds me that I need to have a 'mighty change of heart' as described in Alma 5:14.  I need to work on myself to change my heart so I can be a peacemaker.  I admit that I fly off the cuff a lot when I need to be more peaceful.  I need to be aware of how I can change my attitude so I can see things in a more peaceful frame of mind.  I need that change of heart.  I am working to remember that, and doing things that have been very difficult so I can bring more peace into my life, and hopefully the life of others, especially my family.  I can't change their situations, but I can bring more peace to their minds if I change my heart.

He reminds me that the Golden Rule is just what I need to focus on.  I have been the recipient of kindness when I have been in despair.  I need to give that kindness to others when I see they need that care.  Have you ever felt lonely, sad, or discouraged and someone did something to show they cared?  Why is it so hard for me to remember that, to let go of my comfort zone, and give to others when I know how much it helped me?  Even if the person needing comfort wasn't the one to give me the encouragement, I need to "pass it on" and help when I see a need. I need to not judge and say they aren't deserving of my care, not leave them alone to take care of their sorrowful feelings themselves.  Although they may have gotten themselves into a situation, it doesn't hurt to show that I love them anyway.  I know that kind of love helped me.  We are told to have unconditional love, so I shouldn't put conditions on my love.

Robert S. Wood is quoted:  "...beware of those who stir us up to such anger that calm reflection and charitable feelings are suppressed." (Ensign, May 2006, 93).  If I can't show charitable feelings and calmness, I are not able to be a peacemaker, and thereby not able to be called a child of God.

Man! He says so many things that hit home to me, knocked me over the head, and hopefully, I am going to be able to be better.   Take this quote from Theodore M. Burton:  "Satan would rather have you contend with one another even when we think we are doing it in the cause of righteousness.  He knows and recognizes the self-destructive nature of contention under any guise."  (Ensign, November 1974, 54).

President Hudson pointed out that we must make peace, by 'gentleness and meekness, and love unfeigned".  If we feel there is contention, no peace, then we must make it by showing love unfeigned. I had to look up the word 'unfeigned' to see the true meaning.  It means 'real, not fake'.  I must love the people I need to make peace with, or those people who need some peace in their life, or those whom I feel contention with.   "The peace offered by the Savior calls for empathy rather than judgment, forgiveness instead of resentment, ....active assistance instead of benign neglect, and a life that reflects spiritual dignity instead of natural passions." (Blessed Are Ye, p. 87)   I take that to mean I need to feel their pain and want to help them instead of judging them, forgive them instead of feel even a little bit of anger towards them, help them instead of just saying 'Let me know what I can do', and do as Christ would do instead of acting as I normally do. It can be a simple phone call, a text message, a message written just to them on Facebook, a card in the mail, something.   That means I need to change a lot!

At the end of the chapter he reminds me that I have the birthright to be God's child, no matter what.  But in order to return to Him, and live with Him, I need to learn how to show this love to others.

I know I have a lot of work to do in this area.  It isn't something that will just happen because I know it should, it isn't a one time thing, it isn't just change one little thing in my life.  It will take a lifetime.  I hope people can be patient with me as I go on this journey of change.  I won't get it right the first time, the second time, fifth, tenth, or many.  I might get it right once in a while.  But I will be trying.  Please be kind as I work on it.

Castle Valley Pageant

It is that time of year when people in Emery County get ready for local parades, town celebrations, and the Castle Valley Pageant.  A few years ago our pageant was moved from a yearly pageant, to every-other-year, sharing the time slot with the Martin Harris Pageant in Cache Valley. 

The pageant has grown from a small stake production to a LDS church sponsored pageant.  It tells the story about the settling of our area, known as Castle Valley.  People living in Sanpete County were asked to travel over the mountain and settle this valley.  It was a very difficult place to live and the settlers faced many hardships.  The story includes scenes of the settlers meeting with the native people in the area, teaching them about the Book of Mormon.  They are taught about Samuel the Lamanite, a great prophet. You see Samuel standing on the wall and witness the people throwing stones at him at he teaches about Christ. Other scenes include the crucifixion of Christ, which always bring such a stirring spirit as you see Christ raised up on the cross.  And, of course, there was a resurrection, which is depicted with Christ walking among the people.  The spirit this scene brings is amazing.  The pageant is something everyone would enjoy.

You will want to come to the pageant early and enjoy a walk through the stage area.  Visitors are encouraged to walk through the dugout, ride the horses and buggies, watch the wheelwright, learn to churn butter, make quilts, and many other pioneer crafts.  You can also get a prairie diamond, which is a horseshoe nail shaped into a ring. 

At 8:30 the pre-pageant show begins.  This is a very beautiful ceremony honoring the men and women of the armed forces.  Visitors in the audience who have served in the armed forces are invited to stand and be honored as their unit flags are carried in by riders on horses.  Everyone stands for the Star-Spangled Banner at the end of the ceremony.  It is a wonderful way to honor those brave people who serve our country.

If you arrive in the valley early enough, you can get a bite to each in Castle Dale at the park near the rodeo ground where a traditional lamb fry and chicken dinner is available for a reasonable price. 


Dates for the pageant are August 2-4, and 7-11.  For more information follow the link above.