A Gift

I’m a bit late getting this put together, as Christmas has now past; however, it is my hope that my words might invite the Spirit into your lives, and encourage each of us to give more of ourselves to those around us no matter the time of the year. The sweet Bishop of our ward (the pastor of the church congregation I attend) wrote a little article for our December newsletter. Part of it says, “Different than a present is a gift. A gift is something that bears much more value and worth than a present purchased online or at a store. A true gift may be part of ourselves - sharing gifts from our mind; gifts from our heart.” I had not much thought of the difference between the two - a present and a gift - before reading his words. It got me thinking. A present, at least in my mind, denotes something more worldly, more temporal. A gift, however, seems to be less tangible, more abstract. For instance, one could give a movie as a present or his time serving at a shelter as a gift. The more I think about it, I begin to see how presents can also be gifts; they have the ability to represent something more abstract. For instance, my husband, my son, and I gave little homemade presents to all the grandparents and great grandparents for Christmas. The present itself was not much by the world’s standards; however, it was for us a visual representation of the gifts of love and gratitude that we wanted to share with each of them. As Christmas has past and the new year is approaching, my mind is brought to one last point - gifts versus New Year’s Resolutions. Just this last week my husband said, “Oh, it never happened because it was a New Year’s Resolution.” We were talking with our family about something we thought we’d started doing one year as a resolution, yet it never reached fruition. How often do goals (presents, if you will) get left by the wayside because they lack the abstract, because they lack meaning? Every year we make goals, slap on them the name “New Year’s Resolutions,” and we think that that in and of itself will motivate us enough to actually follow through. In doing so, we’re giving ourselves presents instead of gifts. So how does one make a goal more than a present? For me, I must first come up with my why. One year I decided to give up sweets. I’d tried it multiple times before with little success; but, that year it was different. I was a missionary for my church, and each day I was inviting others to give up things that they loved in order to come closer to Christ; however, I’d never truly given up something that I'd loved. In an effort to better understand what others were experiencing in doing so, I chose to not eat sweets (something I absolutely love!). My why made my goal a gift, a gift of understanding. May we each contemplate what gifts we can give our God, our neighbors, and ourselves as a new beginning comes our way. Let us remember to give meaning to those things that we do.

The Refiner's Fire

I didn't realize until I started reading the explanation in the Doctrine & Covenants student manual that I was already to the sections written from Liberty Jail. Sections 121-123 hold a special little place in my heart because of the strength that they give just by reading them. It gives me peace to know that the Prophet Joseph Smith wanted to know when his trials would end, when it would become easier, when he'd be able to leave and go serve his family and the members of the church. He wasn't rebuked for his seeming "complaints." Rather, the Lord spoke peace to his soul. I wonder if it is because his complaints were valid? He wanted to know when the Lord was going to do something because he wanted so badly to help those he'd been called to serve. I love this sentence from the student manual, "President Brigham Young said that Joseph Smith progressed toward perfection more in thirty-eight years because of his trials than he would have been able to do in a thousand years without them." I wonder what growth I'm missing out on by seeking to avoid any and all trial, or what lessons I'm overlooking by focusing too much on the trial and not enough on my God? This life wasn't meant to be easy; it was meant to be a refiner's fire, an opportunity for us to grow and progress towards becoming like our Father in Heaven. If the Prophet progressed more towards perfection in his 38 years of life because of his trials, then what can I accomplish in my life? I do not necessarily believe I should be constantly praying for trials; nevertheless, I think I should be more welcoming of them instead of fearful. My natural man doesn't want anything "bad" to happen. But, can anything truly be termed "bad" if I choose to look to the Savior and overcome? He was the One who descended below them all, and likewise rose triumphant. I think this quote from the student manual sums it up quite nicely, "The Prophet Joseph Smith said, 'I feel like Paul, to glory in tribulation' (D&C 127:2). The Savior’s life is the perfect example of enduring tribulation (see D&C 122:7–8). If we can look to the Savior or to the Prophet as models of endurance, we can find hope and strength to endure our own afflictions." Elder Marion G. Romney said: “All … who are being tried in the crucible of adversity and affliction: Take courage; revive your spirits and strengthen your faith. In these lessons so impressively taught in precept and example by our great exemplar, Jesus Christ, and his Prophet of the restoration, Joseph Smith, we have ample inspiration for comfort and for hope. If we can bear our afflictions with the understanding, faith, and courage, and in the spirit in which they bore theirs, we shall be strengthened and comforted in many ways. We shall be spared the torment which accompanies the mistaken idea that all suffering comes as chastisement for transgression...We can draw assurance from the Lord’s promise that ‘he that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven. 'Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, [he said,] the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow much tribulation. For after much tribulation come the blessings. …’ (D&C 58:2–4.)” (In Conference Report, Oct. 1969, p. 59.) "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy," 2 Nephi 2:25. If our purpose is to become like our Father and our Savior and to experience a fullness of joy, then the trials we pass through ultimately lead to that. Trials lead to perfection. Perfection = joy. Therefore, trials also lead to joy. “The greater our sorrow is, the greater our capacity to feel joy," (from Mormon Message, "The Refiner's Fire").