Do You Love Me?

In General Conference and yesterday at a missionary training meeting, I learned about the importance of showing our Savior how much we love Him.

In Elder Holland's memorable talk, "The First Great Commandment," Elder Holland recounts the history of the apostles who returned to fishing after the Savior left the earth, and His appearance to them on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus taught them that they were to continue to feed His sheep if they truly did love Him. Elder Holland stated, "So we have neighbors to bless, children to protect, the poor to lift up, and the truth to defend. We have wrongs to make right, truths to share, and good to do. In short, we have a life of devoted discipleship to give in demonstrating our love of the the Lord. We can't quit and we can't go back. After an encounter with the living Son of the living God, nothing is ever again to be as it was before. The Crucifixion, Atonement, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ mark the beginning of a Christian life, not the end of it."

Like many others, this talk really struck me. The Natural Man wants to be comfortable, to return to the known and familiar, and to be lazy. It's obvious that I can't succumb to the natural man as a missionary, but neither can we as disciples of Jesus Christ!

One of the shortest, simplest, and yet most powerful hymns in our LDS Hymn Book is "Love One Another." Watch and listen to this beautiful arrangement sung at a Priesthood session of General Conference last week.

As I Have Loved You

Love One Another

This New Commandment

Love One Another

By this Shall Men Know

Ye Are My Disciples

If ye Have Love

One to Another.

"Love One Another," LDS Hymns, No. 308

Come, Listen to a Prophet's Voice

Sorry, I've been slacking on sharing the hymns and music of my faith and testimony. General Conference begins in TWO days, and I am so excited! This morning, Sister Hill were studying the commandment, "Follow the Prophet." We read and discussed how truth is always the same, even though the world may change, and that God has always called and ordained prophets to lead His people on the earth. Jesus Christ organized His church with apostles and prophets, who direct the church by revelation.

In these latter-days, The Lord called a prophet once again to lead His Church.  The President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a living prophet. I know this is true.

We must have faith in our prophet and follow His teachings. If we do, we will be blessed. "Those who listen to and follow the counsel of living prophets and apostles will not go astray. The teachings of living prophets provide an anchor of eternal truth in a world of shifting values and help us avoid misery and sorrow. The confusion and strife of the world will not overwhelm us, and we can enjoy the assurance of being in harmony with God’s will" (Preach My Gospel, 75).

What an incredible promise!!  Click here to find out when and where to watch General Conference.

Come, Listen to a Prophet's Voice

"Come, listen to a Prophet's voice, And hear the word of God.

And in the way of truth rejoice, and sing for joy aloud.

We've found the way the prophets went who lived in days of yore.

Another prophet now is sent, this knowledge to restore.

"The gloom of sullen darkness spread Thru earth’s extended space

Is banished by our living Head, And God has shown his face.

Thru erring schemes in days now past The world has gone astray;

Yet Saints of God have found at last The straight and narrow way.

"’Tis not in man they put their trust Nor on his arm rely.

Full well assured, all are accursed Who Jesus Christ deny.

The Savior to his people saith, “Let all my words obey,

And signs shall follow living faith, Down to the latest day.”

"Then heed the words of truth and light That flow from fountains pure.

Yea, keep His law with all thy might Till thine election’s sure,

Till thou shalt hear the holy voice Assure eternal reign,

While joy and cheer attend thy choice, As one who shall obtain."

LDS Hymns, "Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice," No. 21

Be Still

"Be still, and know that I am God." -Psalm 46:10

"Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God." -Doctrine and Covenants 101:16

Sometimes we just have to Be Still. We must stop and listen to the quiet, gentle voice of the Holy Ghost teaching us, directing us, or comforting us. (Pictures are of Reelfoot Lake here in Kentucky!)

Be Still, My Soul

"Be Still, my soul: The Lord is on thy side;

With patience bear thy cross of grief or pain.

Leave to thy God to order and provide;

In ev'ry change he faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul: Thy best, thy heav'nly Friend

Thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

"Be Still my soul: Thy God doth undertake

To guide the future as he has the past.

Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;

All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still, my soul: The waves and winds still know

His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.

"Be Still, my soul: The hour is hast'ning on

When we shall be forever with the Lord.

When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,

Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.

Be still, my soul: When change and tears are past,

All safe and blessed we shall meet at last."

-Katherina von Chlegel

LDS Hymns, No. 124

Faith is...

Faith is knowing the sun will rise, lighting each new day.
Faith is knowing the Lord will hear my prayers each time I pray.
Faith is like a little seed:
If planted, it will grow.
Faith is a swelling within my heart.
When I do right, I know.

Faith is knowing I lived with God before my mortal birth.
Faith is knowing I can return when my life ends on earth.
Faith is trust in God above;
In Christ, who showed the way.
Faith is strengthened; I feel it grow
Whenever I obey.

LDS Children's Songbook

Faith is the first principle of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To me it so complex, yet so simple. In the Book of Mormon, Faith is defined in this way: "Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore, if ye have faith, ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true."

I am constantly working on my faith. In the same chapter I just quoted, Alma challenges readers to try an experiment with faith. Plant a little "seed" of faith in your heart: a simple desire to believe. As you see the results of that, it will begin to:

• enlarge your soul 
• enlighten your understanding 
• be delicious to you (Alma 32:38.) 

As you continue to nurture your seed, it will grow into a tree that will produce good fruit. Regardless of where you are in your life, you can always increase your faith. I work towards the day when I have faith to move mountains. (See also: Jacob 4:6, Mormon 8:24)  

Pioneer Children Sang....

...as they walked and walked and walked and walked...most of us know how the song goes about the Mormon Pioneers who trekked westward to the Utah Valley to have religious peace and freedom.

And children today still sing about these pioneer children. Who also apparently sang.

Fun, huh?

Sunday I had the privilege of hearing this song sung by the ward's primary:

You don’t have to push a handcart,

Leave your family dear,

Or walk a thousand miles or more

To be a pioneer!

You do need to have great courage,

Faith to conquer fear,

And work with might for a cause that’s right

To be a pioneer!

When He Comes Again

My words this week are actually my mom's. I asked her to share with me her favorite song and why:


"Dear Daughter,
My favorite song is 'When He Comes Again.' I have always liked it as a child and even now because I often thought, what would the world be like when Christ came? I think of 3 Nephi when He blessed the little children and they looked into His face, and I always wanted to be one of those children. That thought never gets old, and I believe we all want to have that experience. It's not about the destination we all seek, but it is the journey and how we deal with situations that is more important because that will determine OUR Eternal Destination."

My mom has been through quite a lot on her "journey!" I have seen her positive attitude day after day, year after year, and she has inspired me to be a better woman and missionary. How beautiful will that day be when we can each individually look into our Savior's face and thank Him for giving us everything. I know that He lives and that His Church is on the Earth in its fullness.

When He Comes Again

I wonder, when he comes again,

Will herald angels sing?

Will earth be white with drifted snow,

Or will the world know spring?

I wonder if one star will shine

Far brighter than the rest;

Will daylight stay the whole night through?

Will songbirds leave their nests?

I’m sure he’ll call his little ones

Together ’round his knee,

Because he said in days gone by,

“Suffer them to come to me.”

2. I wonder, when he comes again,

Will I be ready there

To look upon his loving face

And join with him in prayer?

Each day I’ll try to do his will

And let my light so shine

That others seeing me may seek

For greater light divine.

Then, when that blessed day is here,

He’ll love me and he’ll say,

“You’ve served me well, my little child;

Come unto my arms to stay.”

Words and music: Mirla Greenwood Thayne, 1907–1997

Star-Spangled.

The National Anthem.
We hear it before every baseball game. We sing it at the top of our lungs at karaoke parties. We hum it in our cars. We hear our kids practice it on the tuba for marching band. Last week, a 10 year-old boy named Jaxon told me it is his favorite song to sing. And he does a great job of it, too.

"The Star-Spangled Banner."
What is that? Yes, it's about the American flag. Our flag has 50 white stars, representing the 50 states of the United States of America.

According to dictionary.com, to spangle means to sprinkle or stud with small, bright pieces, objects, or spots. To Francis Scott Key, our 50 stars spangle our banner and represent life, liberty, and all that we stand for as Americans. Did you know he wrote two other verses? Here's the last verse, which reminds us from Whom we got this free land.

Oh, thus be it ever, when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blessed with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust!"
And the star spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

After serving in Fort Campbell, I gained a lot of patriotism as I looked into the eyes of these men and women and saw, for a moment, what they saw when they left their homes and their families for "the war's desolation." I saw how alone they felt, how scared they were, how BRAVE they were, and how determined they were to give up everything they had, even their own lives, to protect the freedoms we declared 236 years ago: Freedom of speech. Freedom of the press. Freedom of religion.

If it weren't for freedom of religion, Joseph Smith would never have grown up in a burned-over district where many churches professed their truth. He would not have searched for truth and prayed to Heavenly Father for an answer.

Prophets of old saw our land in a vision when they arrived in the Americas: "We have obtained a land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands; a land which the Lord God hath covenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed....And if it so be that they shall serve [God] according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them." (2 Nephi 1:5-8).

The question for you all today is, How can we "spangle" our lives with bright things?