“Treasure up the words of life continually” - Tonight, I want to share a few of the words that have meant the most to me in my scripture study during the past week:

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
(1 Corinthians 13:13)

For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. (Romans 8:24-25)

And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen. (Moroni7:45-48)

Go forth with faith, in spite of the challenges we face. The Lord knows each of us, loves us, individually, and knows our needs. He has made promises to us, and He will always be with us.

A new, favorite link: http://www.lds.org/topic/hope/

Love, Mom

Family Home Evening Thought - Sept. 14, 2009

We had a wonderful experience this past weekend. We had video broadcast stake conference from Salt Lake City, prepared for 61 stakes in Washington and Alaska. We had the usual adult meeting with the stake on Saturday night, then our Sunday session was broadcast. Our speakers included Bro. Larry Gibson of the YM Presidency, Elder Paul Pieper of the Quorum of Seventy, Elder Russell M. Nelsen of the Quorum of the Twelve, and President Monson. What a treat it was to hear from each of them. I have pondered what to share in this brief message and keep returning to Bro. Gibson's message.

He grew up on a small town in southern Nevada, never named in the talk. His love was to chase, capture, and study any of the wild life, particularly the arthropods and reptiles of the area. He told of having captured several different scorpions, turtles, snakes, and a variety of lizards. His greatest desire was to capture a Gila monster, a venomous lizard of the region. At about age twelve, he was out hunting for the lizard of his dreams, and located a large one. Armed with his forked stick, burlap sack and rope, together with his father's flashlight, he followed the lizard to the entrance of a long abandoned mine. Ignoring the frequent warnings about entering abandoned mine shafts, he followed the monster into the mine, following the rusty tracks of the ore car rails. Eventually, he arrived in a large cavern, which had three outlets. The tracks went to the far right hand tunnel. He decided to leave that one for last, and entered the left hand tunnel. Soon after he entered, the flashlight began to dim, then suddenly, went out. He was in the dark, deep in the mine, and there was a large Gila monster someplace. He said the darkness was so thick, he could feel it. Suddenly, understanding of the darkness at the time of the Savior's death took on new meaning for him. He felt around and found a wall, and started to walk, thinking it was the way out. He arrived at a dead end. After a time, he lost contact with all walls. It was then he remembered to pray. He resumed moving, crawling, feeling ahead of himself. He found the old, rusty track and followed it for some distance before it ended, still in the dark. He had crawled the wrong direction. He did the only thing possible, turned around, and crawled the other direction. Eventually, he saw in the distance a tiny speck of light that grew and grew until he could stand and walk out of the mine. He didn't encounter the Gila monster while in the mine, and didn't say if he ever managed to catch one.

He shared five lessons from the mine:

1. Always follow the Light, not the monster.

2. Pray when all else fails. Even better, pray before all else fails.

3. When you are lost, look to family and faithful friends for council.

4. Look to the fifteen men sustained as prophets, seers, and revelators. They will lead us to the fruit we need.

5. Keep our eye single to the Light - the Savior - the Light of the World

Have a great week. Don't chase the monsters, follow the Light.

Love, Mom

Family Home Evening Thought - Sept. 7, 2009

Another school year has arrived, and I have thought about how school has changed since I was there. One thing I remember vividly was all the civil defense discussion in school and on radio and TV regarding bomb shelters and the test tones on the TV and radio for the emergency broadcasting system. These were constantly in our lives duriing the cold war. As the hostilities eased, the iron curtain came down, and life seemed less threatening, until the morning of Sept. 11.

At that time, as I stood in the bedroom in my PJs, I watched on TV as the second plane went into the World Trade Center. I knew that for my posterity, the world would never be the same. The attack on our home soil that was feared during my growing up years became a reality, just not the reality we had heard was a threat. My son was in the active military, supposed to deploy to Korea that day. I knew that his life in his chosen career had also changed. I felt some fear and considerable concern while we waited to see where he would go. There were many prayers, spoken and unspoken, sent heavenward in behalf of those affected by this attack, and for Rob and his comrades in arms.

I have thought a lot about the important things in life in the years since that day, and have realized that the most important thing in life aren't how long we live, how rich we are, or if we are famous. The important thing is how we relate to our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. If we are living as we should, we have no need to fear what happens, for in the end, all will be right.

I was impressed with the Youtube message on lds.org. Please watch, remember, and be grateful for all we have.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkWc_EKLs4E

Love, Mom

Family Home Evening Thought - Aug 31

Just as the Continental Divide marks the dividing of the watersheds (either the water flows east or westward) on the North American continent, we all stand at a "divide" in our lives each day. Our attitude about what happens determines which direction we "flow" - towards happiness and peace or sadness, anger, discouragement, all the negatives. Decide which direction you will flow!

Old Faithful erupting, Yellowstone Park

Photo from Rob and Katherine, Aug. 2009

(Just liked the picture)

My last Monday night before school starts. I have mixed emotions about it all. The summer has been absolutely marvelous, but there is so much I have not done. I will confess to a bit of a negative attitude about going back. Yesterday at Sacrament Meeting, one of the speakers said something that made me think. He said our happiness is all about our attitude. Our perception of our situation has a huge effect on our happiness. So, I put together two small photo albums (expanding on the one small one I took to the reunion), and decided that my attitude should be about how wonderful my summer was and how blessed I was to have accomplished as much as I did. I won't make you tired with a list (of what I did or what I didn't do).

My thought for the day is to take Paul's example as a way to live our lives. "I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content...I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4:11, 13)

I'm working on an "attitude adjustment." I recommend it for all.

Love, Mom

Family Home Evening Thought - Aug. 24, 2009

Names on the wall, members of the Hunt Wagon Train. Names in white are those who arrived in the Valley. Names in yellow are of those who died on the journey.

The Family and Spouses

The Sweetwater River

One of the monuments to the young men who carried pioneers across the Sweetwater in the snow and windy weather.

Martin's Cove - the pioneers were taken here while they waited to leave for the final push to the valley. The sand hill in front provided some shelter from the elements.

As I read the Ensign today, I thought of the experience I had on the way to the family reunion. Ben, Marilyn, and I stopped at Martin's Cove. I have felt a great desire to walk that area where our ancestor, Hans Ulrich Bryner and family walked in the snow with the Hunt Wagon Train. In the Ensign, I found an article which discusses that very event. "On the Saturday before general conference on October 1856, Elder Franklin D. Richards and a handful of returning missionaries arrived in the Salt Lake Valley. They reported to President Brigham Young that hundreds of pioneer men, women, and children were scattered over the long trail to the valley, facing the early onset of winter. The people were hungrey, and many carts and wagons were breaking down. People and animals were dying. all of them would perish unless they were rescued...In his [Brigham Young's] address, he said: That is my religion, that is the dictaion of the Holy Ghost that I possess. It is to save the people...I will tell you that your faith, religion, and profession of religion, will never save one soul of you in the Celestial Kingdom of our God, unless you carry out just such principles as I am now teaching you. Go and bring in those people now on the plains." In the midst of snow and wind, those rescuers sought out and brought in the pioneers still on the Wyoming plains. What a wonderful experience it was to walk where they walked, to feel the spirit that exists there, to see the hills they saw, now barren of snow, but windy still.

Though times have changed and the journey from Europe to the Salt Lake Valley is but a long day's flight, the truth of Brigham Young's statement has not changed. "Remember in all things the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted, for he that doeth not these things, the same is not my disciple. (D&C 52:40) We are commanded, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." (Matt. 22:39).

I challenge each of you to do something for someone this week - something you don't have to do. Visit someone, send a letter, bake a treat, provide a meal, call someone, do something to show your willingness to be His follower.

Love, Mom

Family Home Evening Thought - Aug. 17, 2009

In my studying this past week, I read again about the "whole armor of God." This scripture always bring to mind knights, arrayed in their protective (and heavy, bulky, difficult to wear) armor, entering into a joust (often to the death). The armor of God is not heavy, bulky, or difficult to wear, but as all things with God, the burden of wearing His armor is light and easy to wear. It is even more important than the armor worn by the knights of old, for they battled only for their physical life. We are engaged in a war for our spiritual life while we walk upon the earth in mortality.

My challenge for the week is to read of the whole armor (Ephesians 6:11-18, D&C 27:15-18) and take upon yourselves this armor:

Loins girt about with truth
Breastplate of righteousness
Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace
Shield of faith
Helmet of salvation
Sword of the Spirit which is the word of God

There is great joy in wearing His armor.

Love, Mom

Family

Family Reunion - We are all together.