MY MOTHER GIVING BIRTH TO ME
I have a friend who is a well-educated, unassuming person who had a successful dentistry career and worked at least 30 years before retiring. I expected a response to this question with something more profound than these six words. At first, I was surprised, even disappointed, but the more I pondered the response, I determined his answer to be intricate and beautifully perfect.
I am writing this a few days into the season when we celebrate the birth of Christ, the Savior of our world. He is my Redeemer, my Elder Brother, the Son of God, the Christ Child, the one with whom I hope to spend an eternal life.
I review the story of Mary being overcome by the Spirit and then Joseph being educated by the Spirit regarding his role as the adoptive father in the life of Christ. I remember the young couple journeying to Bethlehem to pay their taxes while Mary, “heavy with child,” rode a donkey’s back and found no room in the inn. I recall the innkeeper taking pity on the glorious mother-to-be and offering them shelter in a stable with a makeshift cradle used as the resting place for the Holy Child. This Holy One would be a gift to the world, and His birth is remembered every year, time immemorial.
This same Mary, the very mother of Christ, grieved at the foot of the cross, bearing her precious boy nailed to a cross by those who “knew not what they did.” Even though she knew his heritage and she knew he was the one with the power to deliver humankind from the sins of the world, she still wept with a mother’s heart, feeling the deepest of grief. This kind of grief is spent with the shedding of tears and sobs, wracking her body with physical pain.
Do any of us dare put ourselves in the same category as Mary? We bear our children just as she bore Jesus; we love our children just as she loved her boy. We worry about our children just as Mary nervously asks after her missing child, only to find him in the Temple teaching his elders. Many of us have shed tears mourning the loss of children. We have those things in common with Mary.
For every good gift, it is good manners to express appreciation to the giver. I hope all of us thank our Heavenly Father for the gift of His Son and that we thank Christ for His gift of selflessness. I hope we remember Christ’s mother and her example of love and charity. If we still have our mothers, we can tell them how much we appreciate their efforts in bringing us into this world and express our love.
After giving birth to my first child, I recall feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude for my mother. For now, I know exactly what she went through to bring my five siblings and me into this world. I felt a distinct impression to call her and tell her how much I appreciated and loved her for doing that. As I recall, she got a little choked up and barely squeaked out a “thank you” for my expression.
I realize that not everyone has been blessed with the most ideal circumstances in this world, and I am so sorry. It ought to be a given, but sadly, there are broken people worldwide. Suppose any of you are in that category. In that case, I hope you can identify with someone who makes positive differences in your life and let them know how appreciative you are for their influence in helping you cope with life’s trials. I also hope that all of us realize the influence we can have on others who may be struggling with what fate deals them. Let us look for ways to “mother” people, help them see their value, and encourage them to watch out for others. No matter how little we may have, we can share something, even if it is just our time and attention.
In the Book of Mormon is an account of Alma, a great high priest and judge of the people of Nephi, and he is in a quandary and feeling great sorrow. He sees great iniquity among some of the people who lift themselves up with pride, despising others, turning their backs upon the needy and the naked and those who were hungry, thirsty, sick and afflicted. Alma decided to select a wise man named Nephihah from among the elders of the church giving him power to sit in the judgment seat as Chief Judge and govern the people. Alma decided to devote his time in the office of high priest over the church. He would preach the word of God stirring up their remembrance of duty. His goal was to pull down the pride and craftiness and all the contentions among his people doing so by bearing in “pure testimony” against them.
The term “pure testimony” struck me because it inferred something more than a simple testimony and so I set out to find my own “pure testimony.”
I was baptized at the age of nine at the suggestion of faithful home teachers who reminded my parents that it was time for me to take that step. Our family was not actively involved in worship, but our home teachers were always welcomed into our home and we children were called upon to be respectful and quiet during those visits. My baptism date was set and on that selected Saturday, my younger sister, Lorraine, and I walked to the church a couple of blocks away and I was baptized by an authorized Priesthood bearer. I did not fully understand why this was happening or the covenant I was undertaking at that time. My confirmation, the gift of the Holy Ghost, was scheduled for the following day in the regular weekly church meeting. Again, my sister and I walked to church unaccompanied to take care of this part of my baptism. I remember very clearly knowing with absolute sure knowledge that something very special had happened to me, but I couldn’t explain it to anyone. I didn’t want to describe it out loud because I was afraid it would somehow be lessened by anyone hearing it. I simply basked in what I felt and longed to have that feeling always. At some point I decided that what made it real was the fact that the priesthood bearers performing these ordinances were duly authorized by God. There was no other explanation to me except that simple truth.
Many years would go by, and I learned line by line and precept upon precept. I often recalled the sure knowledge of the reality of the Priesthood of God. I read the account of John the Baptist ordaining Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery to the Aaronic Priesthood in D&C 13 giving them the authorization to perform baptisms. Later, they were ordained to the higher Melchizedek priesthood with authorization to be apostles and special witnesses of God’s name and to bear the keys of their ministry and those things God revealed unto them. Because I had a sure knowledge of the reality of the power of this priesthood, it was logical to me that Joseph Smith was a latter-day prophet of God. He was instrumental in restoring the Gospel of Jesus Christ in these latter days and he translated the Book of Mormon as another witness of Jesus Christ, and he organized the Church of Christ today known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The continuing enhancement of that organization is also logical to me because it is being directed by the priesthood of God and I have “pure testimony” of that.
The next part of my “pure testimony” comes many years later. I’ve written before about the life and illness of my daughter, Robyn. My faith was tested during this time and it’s interesting to me that the very foundation of my “pure testimony” was challenged. I didn’t understand how the blessing pronounced on her beautiful head could not be honored. It was a blessing given by more than one worthy priesthood holder and it’s pronouncement did not seem at all ambiguous to me. The words, “you will recover but the road will be long and hard” echoed in my brain, brought me comfort for the five years she fought her battle and helped her to face each challenge with a measure of positivity. Towards the end of her fight, I told the Lord that I didn’t understand what was happening and why the promised blessing did not appear to be clear. My “pure testimony” of the reality of the priesthood came to my mind and I bowed in submission to the Lord. I said, “I don’t understand with this human brain I have, but I’m confident that at some time when I’m not burdened with human frailties I will understand, and I’ll wait for that time Father.” Within minutes I heard those words as our, mine and Robyn’s, Heavenly Father telling her, “You will recover but the road will be long and hard.” Could it be that He is reminding both of us that her spirit will recover but the road to that recovery will be after the earthly body has suffered long and hard in the illness wreaking havoc on this vehicle, we call a body. I realized that we two are sister spirits and I the one honored to supply an earthly tabernacle for her stay here on this earth. It would be left behind and absorbed by its telestial residence, and her spirit would soar back to Paradise whole and healthy waiting for the rest of us.
The last part of my “pure testimony” came a few weeks after my daughter’s death. I found peace in knowing she no longer suffered. I even found acceptance in the fact that I had fulfilled some part of my purpose on this earth by providing her with the body she took much care to value throughout her 44 years on this earth. I felt satisfaction that I had fulfilled my role as a devoted and loving mother. I knew she was now fulfilling the next part of her eternal existence and that someday I will embrace her again. Still, I wondered about her and pleaded with my Heavenly Father for some assurance of her wellbeing. I also asked for some assurance that He knows me, and I told Him of my love for Him. Within seconds, I was filled with assurance of my daughter’s wellbeing and a complete and absolutely overwhelming assurance of love. I felt wrapped in the arms of complete love and I recall wanting that feeling to continue. I closed my eyes and maybe even gritted my teeth trying to hold on to whatever enveloped me as it gradually dissipated leaving me almost breathless returning to the reality of my surroundings.
My “pure testimony” is three pronged. The first prong is a pure testimony of the reality of the Priesthood of God. It is upon the earth and endowed to men who generally try very hard to be worthy of it and use it as God would intend. The second prong is that we are eternal beings having a temporary earthly experience that will end and free us to return to an eternal existence. The third prong is that God loves us, all the billions of people who have been born on the earth and however many more may have yet to be born. I don’t pretend to have a complete understanding and the capability of verbalizing how this all will end up. At some point the shackles of this temporal existence will be lifted and my brain will have complete understanding and it will all make sense. That is my “pure testimony.”
Yesterday was an anniversary of sorts. It’s been two years since my daughter left her mortal existence. It is my understanding that she is now waiting in Paradise. I hope her time spent there is more than just waiting. She spent her time on earth doing, not waiting. She may have taken a little bit of time getting used to having clarity of thought and full use of her limbs. I doubt it took too long before she was looking around and even asking, “what’s next?” I rather imagine she recognized some family members. She didn’t know many people who had gone before her, but I hope they had been alerted about her arrival and reminded her that though they hadn’t seen her since she was small, they knew her ‘way back when.’ I hope when that revelation was made, the memories were quickly revived, and she realized she was among family. Since she was very outgoing throughout her life, I rather imagine she smiled that beautiful smile and shared a memory she recalled, and I’ll bet she hugged them and squeezed extra tight because she was likely missing those she left behind. If tear ducts are still intact, I think she may have shed a tear or two and received comfort from her Grandmas and Grandpas. Grandpa Broadhead would remind her how she sat on his knee amazed with his skill in sticking out his dentures and quickly putting them back inside as her curious hands reached for them. Grandma Broadhead would remind her of how she rode her tricycle up and down their long driveway. Grandma Davis would recall how much she enjoyed hearing her play the piano and Grandpa Davis would introduce himself to her since she was born after his own demise. Brian’s grandparents would have been there to welcome her to the fold and remind her of the camping trips they had shared. There would probably be many other aunts, uncles, etc. who would nod to her and she would smile back at them searching her memory for tiny details of her relationship with them.
At some point she would meet our Savior, Jesus Christ, and she would instantly recognize him since when was a devoted follower throughout her lifetime. I think they would have enjoyed a long embrace as the older brother she loved. From a mortal standpoint, she left behind three big brothers. They all fought hard to keep her here with prayers and fasting. For whatever reason, it didn’t work. She also left behind a loving husband and five children. None of them wanted to be separated from her either. Nothing we did could keep her here. Her Dad and I have cried buckets of tears while saying, “God’s will be done.” That seems the best way to stay sane I’m thinking. My faith in seeing her again is based on HOPE.
I had a very vivid dream of her a couple of weeks after her passing and it left me with one truth. God loves me and understands my grief and my pain. I suppose I was hoping that I would have that experience regularly. It hasn’t happened again and that’s okay too. I think the Lord trusts that I can do this on my own. I’ve not had any more dreams of Robyn. I think about her every day and my eyes still mist as I grieve my loss. I look at her pictures, I think of her voice, I recall her laugh, I can smile at her goofy expressions. The good thing, I suppose, is that the time when I HOPE to see her again is fast approaching and I’m looking forward to that. I recall two years and a few months ago thinking, “I can’t live seeing her suffer like this.” Then I remember thinking, “I can’t live without her.” Now, I’ve done both and I’m surviving with memories.
You know, I love to do new things. When I think back on the seven decades of my life, I recognize a wanderlust that showed itself in multiple aspects of my life. Some of that attitude has admittedly been detrimental, but altogether I think my perspective of always looking for something else has been satisfying. I believe I have successfully embraced the life goal of gaining experience. I have my boundaries. For instance, I don’t care how exciting it may be to jump out of an airplane. I’ve already decided that it is an experience I don’t care to have. Admittedly, a birds-eye view of the world fascinates me, but I’m satisfied by enjoying drone type videos with a second-hand view of this beautiful world. I’ve always had an intense fear of the water and therefore have never learned to swim, but I thoroughly enjoy watching underwater videos.
I have met some great people throughout my life, and had I not been eager to explore the world outside my own four walls, that would not have happened. So, I’m glad that my life includes travel beyond the confines of my birth state or home state where I grew up. I’m delighted that I’ve been able to live in a third world country. It helped me to appreciate my life evermore. I’m glad I’ve been able to live thousands of miles from my family because it cemented in my heart the value of being close enough to see them and experience home life with them. I’m glad I’ve rubbed shoulders with people of varied ethnicities because it’s taught me that we are more alike than we are different.
I believe we are all here for a purpose, and part of that purpose is to gain experience. Some people, like me, may never experience the beauty of free flight or underwater beauty first hand. Others will not experience freedom from a tyrannical government or the comfort of a full stomach. There are too many beautiful people in this world who will never experience the freedom of travel because they are bound to a minimal area due to physical or mental disabilities. There are children born into abject poverty to families who can’t see any way out of that position, thus rearing their children to accept that fate. Some of those children will claw their way out of that stronghold. Others will become another cog in the clogging wheel of self- sufficiency demanding more and more of what they think they can’t earn for themselves. Of course, there are those born into life holding the proverbial silver spoon. Sometimes, they learn to do what they can to ease the burdens of others, grateful for their privileges. Many others become more greedy and look for ways to take advantage of and get gain.
I don’t know how much more time I have to gain experience. I heard recently that people in my age range refer to our life’s mistakes as experiences, and I suppose that may be true. I have had some experiences I certainly don’t want to repeat. Altogether, my life has been relatively easy. I’ve had things happen to me that I never want to relive. I’ve known people who were not kind. I’ve been in places to which I will not go back. I’ve trusted people I should not have believed.
On the other hand, I’ve experienced true love and real friendship. I’ve raised four people who are terrific and who positively contribute to humanity. I take great pride in knowing my contribution is good for the world. I’m comfortable and content right now, but I know I’m not finished with what I can experience in this world or with what I can contribute to this world. Life is fantastic and I’m thankful to be here. I’m grateful for my life as a citizen of the United States of America. This country is going through a metamorphosis right now. I hope we come out on top. I’m thankful to know I am a daughter of Heavenly Parents, and I am here as part of a bigger plan I will not fully understand until my passing. I’m thankful to have been born at a time where my life can experience technology. It makes me appreciate all the more those who have gone before me.
I stand in awe of and take off my proverbial hat to my pioneer ancestors for their sacrifices. I have a phone that allows me to talk to my loved ones literally with the touch of a button, and I can even see them on the screen while doing so. I learned to type on a manual typewriter, so I am thankful for the smooth touch of a keyboard. I can make my thoughts appear within microseconds on a screen and then go back and correct my mistakes using an automated system that points out grammatical and spelling errors. I remember the days when I typed things using multiple carbon copies. If I made a mistake, I had to either start over or try to erase those mistakes with weird little erasers or a correction fluid that never really did the job satisfactorily. There are so many things I could list that are better now, so instead, I’ll say I like it here, and I love life as it is now, and I hope I can make the most of my limited scope of influence in my remaining years.
My daughter has been gone now for 17 months. Those months have passed much quicker than the time it took my sweet girl to get through her horrible last days. Those seemed to drag by as I watched her cling tenaciously to life, hoping for the miracle we all thought and were sure she deserved. Since then, I’ve realized that I have a massive regret in dealing with her last year, more particularly her previous six months of life. I thought at the time that we were doing everything right, so there would be no regrets. But I realize now that I have regrets. Regrets that gnaw away at my conscience. I’m glad I was able to be with her in those months before her death on a full-time basis, no regrets. I’m happy she felt well enough for us to go Christmas shopping and afterward to stop for a sandwich and just talking without mentioning doctor appointments or test results. I’m glad for the afternoons where we enjoyed a television movie or sending a Marco Polo to the family back in Utah. No regrets there either.
I’m glad for the afternoon where she felt like baking her special rolls for the family, no regrets there. I’m pleased for the neighborhood strolls she felt like doing in the weeks before her confinement, almost no regrets there. I put a qualifier there because she fell a couple of times and was very frustrated about her body, failing her in such a simple task. My regret, you wonder, we never talked about death. We both avoided that subject because to do so would have shown lack of faith, and if we did that, we wouldn’t be able to count on the miracle. I wish we could have talked about what it might be like in Paradise and who she might expect to see first. I wish we had talked about what that next step might be like and things she might like to do when she got there. I wish we could have looked at each other in the eye and said, “I’ll miss you very much, and I love you more than words can tell.” As it is, she spent the last minutes of clarity professing her belief in a miracle, and I assured her she had passed the test, and I too still waited for the miracle.
Ideally, I want to die in my sleep. I hope I’ll be found slumbering peacefully with a stilled heart and lungs. If that is not my fate and I know beforehand my passing is imminent, I want to spend those months, weeks, days, hours telling others how much I will miss them and will look forward to hugging them as they follow me to wherever we all go. I want to thank people for making my life one of comfort and joy and assure them they are of value to me during my earthly sojourn. I want to listen to beautiful music and look at favorite pictures where experience is forever captured through the lens of a camera. I want to enjoy my family and friends as they recount stories about what it was like to be underwater or fall from an airplane down to earth or scale a mountain or hike a canyon or climb a tree or be in a parade or meet someone famous. I want to feel the comforting presence of spirits I hope will be nearby to take me home. I want to know they are there. I want to talk about death and what that experience will entail.
Life is surreal, I can’t help but think that the death experience is also amazing. It’s something we must experience individually. Second-hand experiences won’t do it justice.
I failed my little girl because I did not accept her imminent death. I could have done a much better job in helping her pass through that veil with less fear. Instead, I clung to the hope of a miracle. In analyzing it now, all of us were in a Catch 22 if ever there was one. Our miracle would require faith. The lack thereof would make the miracle null and void. But by never embracing the wonder and reality of death, we did not allow her to experience that part of life or allow ourselves the freeing power of that discussion. That doesn’t seem to make sense, does it?
There’s nothing I can do about it now. Someday I’ll see my Robbie Dean again and undoubtedly we’ll have a conversation about that part of both our lives. I hope we can take comfort in the fact that we were both doing what we thought we should do. This earth life is but an ink spot in the eternal destiny of our souls.
There is much rhetoric these days about the validity of life, and it seems to hinge on ethnicity. I see posts on social media, watch never-ending protests covered by newscasts, and hear the voices all wanting to pledge their support of one race over the other. The political tumult only adds to the fray of constant name-calling. What I haven’t figured out yet is how any of this back and forth bitterness can result in positive changes for all. It would seem that the BLM (Black Lives Matter) movement is wanting compensation in one form or another for injustices that happened many years ago. The real victims are no longer alive. Neither are their persecutors.
Another group proclaims All Lives Matter (ALM) and sympathize with the BLM movement. This platform states that the injustices suffered can never be fully repented of this late in the game, at least not to the total satisfaction of all those complaints. With a rather self-righteous attitude, they want to hit the reset button and get along.
I must admit I more or less agree with the latter. However, I have another viewpoint for your consideration. I think it could solve the entire problem, and I call it LIFE (Life Is For Everyone).
I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I invite you to hear me out because what I say here does espouse a religious viewpoint. Whether you want to embrace that philosophy is, of course, up to you. In my mind, it makes total sense fundamentally, and would certainly make our world all the easier in which to live. The church mentioned earlier has taught me, and missionaries continue to testify that we all lived in Heaven a long time ago as spirits in an existence that included Heavenly parents. In that existence, we, as a group, heard a plan whereby we would be born into a telestial sphere we would know as earth and house earthly tabernacles called bodies. During this existence, we would have experiences and learn from those experiences vital lessons benefiting us eternally. At some point, our spirits would leave that body of flesh and bones and blood and return to its heavenly home, hopefully, better prepared to deal with the eternal nature of our souls. Every person born on this earth chose to support that plan. Those not supporting the proposal presented followed the lead of a darker spirit, one called Lucifer. No one in that group will ever enjoy the benefits of earth life. The influence of those wicked spirits impacts us in ways not conducive to the peaceful and blessed attitude we all long to enjoy in our everyday lives.
My point is that what matters on this earth, in this existence, to every person living in mortality is LIFE, and life is for everyone. I wish all understood his or her eternal nature; that being that we are all brothers and sisters and that none of us is any more important than another? The effect of this change in attitude would make a significant impact in how we spoke to one another, how we treated one another, how we looked at one another, how we solved our differences. This earth life is essential; life is critical. We all need this experience, and we all could do a better job of making this time on earth a beneficial learning experience. We all could do a better job of helping one another. We could become less critical, and we could be more helpful, we could be less self-serving, we could be more understanding, we could feel love and recognize love from others.
Maybe I’m describing a Utopia. I find myself increasingly tired of putting up with a” us and them mentality.” I’m weary of seeing people being hateful and impatient, and I recognize that mentality on both sides. I find myself wanting to limit my being to the safety and security of my own four walls. More and more, I want to stick my head in the sand and live in my dream world of calm. I’m entertained with my crochet projects and tried and true feel-good movies. I enjoy reality shows where people test their physical endurance, and we celebrate a contestant’s achievements. I love the TED talks where people review life lessons, making them more secure in themselves. I spend time in my backyard pool just lazing and daydreaming. I find great comfort in the scriptures.
LIFE is for everyone, and I believe that attitude could change the world. I’m confident that our Savior, Jesus Christ, will return to reign, and He will deal lovingly with all of us dispensing justice as well as mercy.
I’m thankful to be a citizen of this world and sincerely appreciate my life in these United States of America. I enjoy a beautiful family and have good health. I choose to have a positive frame of reference and pledge to see the good in others. I testify that LIFE is what matters my fellow brothers and sisters.
Today is March 29, 2020. It is a National Day of Prayer and Fasting to win the war against COVID 19, a global pandemic. We are participating in that action and the cost of those missed meals, we will contribute to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Subsequently, that money will aid in the needs of those around the world who lack the necessities of life.
During this time of national emergency, I find great comfort in a personal relationship with my Savior, Jesus Christ. I’m spending more time studying the scriptures and thinking about my family near and far. I’m also spending time on projects around the house, making sure my house is in order and organizing our resources in the event our time indoors becomes more prolonged.
Additionally, I am reflecting on the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Two hundred years ago, there was unusual excitement on the subject of religion. It affected vast multitudes of people and created division. The various clergy competed for converts, and the people seemed entirely lost in a strife of words and a contest about opinions. The Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith family lived in an area of New York, and their family included a young son named for his father. That boy, Joseph Smith, Jr., was also in turmoil questioning the decision to join a particular faith. He didn’t want to make a mistake, and he was much concerned about his worthiness and wanted the reassurance of his standing before the Lord.
In youthful innocence, after hearing a sermon referring to James 1:5, stating, “If any lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him.” Joseph later wrote, “Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it, again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.”
Joseph wanted to know how he stood before the Lord and what church to join. He knelt in prayer in a secluded grove of trees near his home and asked with pure faith for the promised blessings of the Bible verse he read. God, the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph that day, and when asked which of the sects to join, was told to align with none of them. Many more visions followed this first encounter, and seven years later, he recovered the brass plates from a hill near his home. Joseph Smith was the instrument used to translate those plates containing a historical account of people from Jerusalem, led by Lehi, an ancient prophet. Lehi led his family out of Jerusalem across the waters to a promised land, and those people became known as Nephites and Lamanites. That history is what we know today as the Book of Mormon. Joseph Smith officially organized the Church of Jesus Christ on April 6, 1830, and I am blessed to be a part of that organization today. A prophet of God leads us and in these times of uncertainty, I feel the intensity of that blessing.
Because of Joseph Smith, I have many blessings in my life. I understand that God and Jesus Christ are heavenly beings with resurrected bodies, and all of us are in that image. Collectively we are children of God, and they love us. I understand that my physical body is but a temporary covering for my spirit during my earthly sojourn. Someday I will have no further need of it and will escape its frailties. At some point, I will gain a resurrected body, and it will last for all eternity. That brings me to another eternal blessing. We can be with our families forever under the eternal order of Heaven. That blessing is made possible through the Priesthood of God, a power restored by our first latter-day prophet. Additionally, I’m blessed because I am free from addiction to harmful substances as long as I obey the revelation Joseph Smith received in 1833, commonly referred to as the Word of Wisdom. Long before the medical community realized that tobacco was the cause of lung cancer and alcohol could cause liver disease, Joseph Smith received this revelation. Last, but certainly not least, involves the beautiful blessing of knowing that I can see the truth of all things through the Holy Ghost. I can do that by asking God to reveal to me truth, and the Holy Ghost will be my witness.
We live in dangerous times and must be vigilant regarding many things related to our mortality. We must also be vigilant regarding our eternal destiny. I choose to follow the Savior by studying the scriptures and listening to the words spoken by our current prophet, Russell M. Nelson, Prophet, Seer, Revelator, and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I’m looking forward to hearing that word this weekend during the General Conference of that Church. I’ve included a link for more information
I had an interesting experience this past Sunday and decided to share it with my philosophical view.
I went to a Relief Society class in a different ward than my own. The lesson was taken from a talk by President Eyring and focused on the Plan of Salvation, often referred to as the Plan of Happiness. The teacher said, “What is the difference between joy and happiness?” The consensus was that joy is long-lasting, while happiness is usually not sustainable. Often our happiness is deflected by what is happening to us at the time. It comes from our circumstances and surroundings. Joy, on the other hand, is all-encompassing and is always a part of our lives perhaps made stronger by what brings us happiness.
I’ve included a few pictures of my favorite things – things that bring me sustainable happiness and long-term joy. The following video is of Rosemary, my first great grandchild. I love the happiness in her laugh as she lands from the slide and I absolutely adore the way she strides back swinging her arms to experience the whole thing over again. I’m her Grammy and I adore here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cym6XdPQwPU
“Church activity brings us long-term sustainable joy,” declared the teacher and then added, “What about those who leave the church and yet appear to be happy?” This discussion went on with a few sisters determining the happiness these people appear to have is not real. One sister said, “Real happiness comes by living the Gospel of Jesus Christ within the confines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” That’s when the whole discussion got heated. One sister declared that six of her seven children had left the Church and all declared quite convincingly they had never been happier. She went on to say she felt quite uncomfortable with the statement that her children could not possibly be truly happy.
I’ve thought of this since that religious discussion on Sunday, and I’ve talked about it with other family members after the meeting. There were some great remarks made and I’ve come to some conclusions of my own based on all the discussions.
I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and have been since I was about nine years old. I can’t say that I have had a burning testimony throughout all those years. I believe in God and His Son, Jesus Christ and I believe there is a third member of the Godhead referred to as the Holy Ghost. I believe we all lived together in a pre-existence before our mortality on this earth began and that The Plan of Salvation, also called the Plan of the Lord, becomes the Plan of Happiness as we live it. The best result of this wondrous plan is that we all end up living once again with God and our family members for eternity, thus bringing us further happiness.
The detail of this Plan of Salvation means that we are born on earth into family units where we will learn about God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. We will take upon ourselves sacred covenants such as baptism and those made in a Temple of God and we will live our lives by faith. That Plan also involves Christ, in that He will likewise be born into mortality to an earthly mother. He will learn and as the only begotten of God, will have very special responsibilities to which He agreed in the pre-existence. He knew that He would live an exemplary life for all of us to follow, be baptized, set up His church, atone for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane, die on the cross and would resurrect. Because of all this, we as mortals have the great opportunity to repent of our sins, take upon us the atoning sacrifice of Christ and experience the miracle of resurrection. We will stand before God as our judge and live an eternal life within the glory we’ve attained based on our worthiness while living on this earth.
Now, as far as happiness goes. Of course, it is possible to be happy and not be living within the confines of my faith. It is not up to me or anyone else to determine what happiness is for other people. I enjoy living within those confines. I don’t feel restricted. I enjoy the Gospel of Christ and the method I’ve chosen to learn more about it. I have faith that I’m doing the right thing for me. I have members of my family who have chosen to live differently and I admit I haven’t always handled those decisions well. I’ve decided to do what makes me happy and part of that happiness involves my loved ones. Being able to enjoy them, one and all, and enjoy my level of activity in my Church has been liberating to me. I don’t have to approve or disapprove of what they do. I live my life in a manner that brings me happiness and I openly love others. I don’t have to worry about their eternal goals, that is their business.
Living the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the way I understand, keeps me quite busy. I’m living in the last quarter of a hundred-year life span. I’ve spent the first three quarters being relatively happy. I’ve had many sad times, times when I’ve felt defeated, underappreciated, etc., but for the most part, I’ve been happy. It won’t be long before I will finish my time as a mortal and will experience the next part of my eternal existence personally. If I’m wrong about that existence or the way I’ve chosen to live my earth-bound state, I don’t think I’m out anything. I’ve made mistakes and I’ve tried my best to rectify those mistakes using the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I believe in a loving God who will know that and I believe in His Son, Jesus Christ, who will look upon me with love because He will know that I know Him.
All in all, I’ve lived my life in a way that has brought me happiness. I feel that my existence on this earth with the family and friends I’ve had, has left me filled with joy and I appreciate that. I think we’d all be better off only to be concerned about helping others to navigate collectively through this life with genuine concern.
In the meantime, I will enjoy those who make my life interesting and full of life. These are only a few of my favorite things.
One year ago, I got a phone call from my daughter. That wasn’t unusual. We talked or text weekly, at the very minimum. She got married at the age of 18 to a young man who joined the Air Force right out of high school. Her husband decided early on that armed services would be a career choice. They married September 26, 1992, and within days they were gone to a duty station in Las Vegas, Nevada, Nellis Air Force Base. That’s only a six-hour drive from our home and we visited a couple of times, but within a year, they got orders to transfer to Lakenheath Air Base in England. Five years later, they moved to Florida, Eglin Air Force Base, and then on to the McChord Air Base in Washington state.
Not so many years ago, I marveled that my life and the lives of my family seemed relatively carefree. Our children were all in good places with their own lives, in stable relationships, healthy and happily pursuing their dreams. My husband and I had retired and set off to fulfill one of our dreams of being missionaries for our church in a foreign land. Thankfully, we had the means to do that, and our health allowed us to have that choice. I thanked my Father in Heaven often and as a matter of course, asked Him for blessings, of which I am in need. My eternal companion often expressed his love for me, and he honored our vows. Our children showed their love and respect for us as their parents. Our grandchildren showed obvious adoration towards us, and we had an adequate income, a nice home, and many friends. I don’t know what blessings I expected the Lord to give me beyond all this, but I had learned to pray with that phrase being a vital part. That learned order also mandated that I first thank God for all my blessings, which I obligatorily did.
My life is so different these days. Our children have experienced many challenges, and as my husband and I age, we experience health challenges which put strains on our budget. The most difficult thing, however, is the loss of our daughter to cancer.