Lucky In Love

I am so lucky to have my sweet wife.  She is so patient and persistent and oh so fun to be with.

Do you hear me,

I'm talking to you

Across the water across the deep blue ocean

Under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying

Boy I hear you in my dreams

I feel your whisper across the sea

I keep you with me in my heart

You make it easier when life gets hard

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend

Lucky to have been where I have been

Lucky to be coming home again

Ooohh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh

They don't know how long it takes

Waiting for a love like this

Every time we say goodbye

I wish we had one more kiss

I'll wait for you I promise you, I will

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend

Lucky to have been where I have been

Lucky to be coming home again

Lucky we're in love every way

Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed

Lucky to be coming home someday

And so I'm sailing through the sea

To an island where we'll meet

You'll hear the music fill the air

I'll put a flower in your hair

Though the breezes through trees

Move so pretty you're all I see

As the world keeps spinning round

You hold me right here right now

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend

Lucky to have been where I have been

Lucky to be coming home again

I'm lucky we're in love every way

Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed

Lucky to be coming home someday

Ooohh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh

Ooooh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh

He saved you, anyway

From Sara

You're drowning. And no one is there to care.

Trapped under the ice. You pound on it, desperate to break free.

But all you do is crack the ice. It does not break. 

That always happens. You come so close to being free, but regardless

You're still stuck. Miserable, lonely, crying.

You start to sink lower and lower. Looking side to side, wanting help.

But finding none. Only seeing darkness.

You look down. Darkness. Reminder of your misery. Reminder of your 

Longing to be happy. Reminder of the path you are heading to.

The path that you do not want to take. 

You keep pounding on the ice. It does not break. 

You try to not take the path you so desperately hate, but you sink 

Further and further.

You reach as far as you can towards the ice. Your fingers touch it.

You gather strength enough to pound once more. But to no avail.

Why can you not break free? Are you not good enough? 

Thoughts of worthlessness. They are the death of you. Pulling you 

Even lower than you were before. 

You are ready to give up. Just follow the inevitable, follow the path

You do not want to take. 

You stop yourself from glancing down again. You almost look side-to-side.

Then you remember that you have not truly looked up. Only to pound on the ice.

But if pounding has not worked in the past, why would it work now?

You look up anyway. You do not pound on the ice. You see the cracks that 

Your seemingly futile efforts have made. And beyond the cracks, there is light.

You wish you had the strength to break the ice.

To go beyond this place of darkness. To a place of warmth and comfort. 

But you do not pound. You think about how worthless you are. 

But then you think about how there was no light before you started pounding.

Maybe your efforts were not worthless after all. 

You realize that you can not break out on your own. 

And when you stop trying to do it on your own, and you look at the light,

You realize there is a hand stretched out. 

He breaks the ice for you. He pulls you out of the darkness.

He provides you with warmth you never imagined.

And that is when you realize that you tried your best,

and although your best was not enough to save yourself, He saved you, anyway.

Because despite your loneliness, He was there. He was always there.

You stopped trying to save yourself, and learned to trust Him, who loves us all.

Say Nothing but Repentance

Papa D just had a great post, Repentance As a Liberating Movement Toward the Ideal.  He concisely, states one of the things I love best about Mormonism.  The Lord wants all heights and depths for us, every joy to its fullest.  He denies us nothing.

I am so grateful that the Lord takes the burden of that I cannot handle.  He frees me to look at myself with new eyes.  To see where I am in error.  To see where I am not yet fully developed.  His grace frees me to progress.  He liberates me so I can grow and change and flourish.

This is why the Lord said, "Say nothing but repentance unto this generation; keep my commandments, and assist to bring forth my work, according to my commandments, and you shall be blessed." D&C 6:9

Staying on Safe Ground

From the Lectures on Faith 3:2-5:

Let us here observe, that three things are necessary, in order that any rational and intelligent being may exercise faith in God, unto life and salvation:

First, the idea that he actually exists.

Second, a correct idea of his character, perfections and attributes.

Third, an actual knowledge that the course of life which he is pursuing, is according to his will.

How can I know that the the life I am leading is according to God's will?  I have the scriptures.  I have prayer.  I have the Holy Ghost. I have priesthood leaders.  

I searched lds.org/scriptures for rock foundation.  There is a list of interesting scriptures it returns.

2 Nephi 28:27-28 "Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more! And in fine, wo unto all those who tremble, and are angry because of the truth of God! For behold, he that is built upon the rock receiveth it with gladness; and he that is built upon a sandy foundation trembleth lest he shall fall."  We should expect that more revelation will come.  If we are founded on the rock, we will receive it with gladness.

After declaring the doctrine of Christ, Jesus says this, "And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them." 3 Nephi 11:40

This makes me think of these scriptures on what is the priority:

 "Say nothing but repentance unto this generation; keep my commandments, and assist to bring forth my work, according to my commandments, and you shall be blessed." D&C 6:9

"And of tenets thou shalt not talk, but thou shalt declare repentance and faith on the Savior, and remission of sins by baptism, and by fire, yea, even the Holy Ghost." D&C 19:31

"And now, behold, I say unto you, that the thing which will be of the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people, that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father. Amen." D&C 16:6

As I focus on repenting of those things I know of.  As I exercise faith in Jesus Christ.  I will be on safe ground.  

Talks I Picked

Update Oct 2015

Additions because I am removing them from my Google Music Play library.

We Are Doing a Great Work and Cannot Come Down, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Apr 2009
Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Kevin W. Pearson, Apr 2009
None Were with Him, Jeffrey R. Holland, Apr 2009
His Servants, the Prophets, F. Michael Watson, Apr 2009

Salvation and Exaltation, Russell M. Nelson, Apr 2008
To Heal the Shattering Consequences of Abuse, Richard G. Scott, Apr 2008
“My Words . . . Never Cease”, Jeffrey R. Holland, Apr 2008
Ask in Faith, David A. Bednar, Apr 2008
Opening Our Hearts, Gerald N. Lund, Apr 2008

This Day, Henry B. Eyring, Apr 2007 "All of us will need His help to avoid the tragedy of procrastinating what we must do here and now to have eternal life."
O Remember, Remember, Henry B. Eyring, Oct 2007

Instruments of the Lords's Peace, Robert S. Wood, Apr 2006
Faith, Service, Constancy, David S. Baxter, Oct 2006

Becoming a Missionary, David A. Bednar, Oct 2005
Spiritual Preparedness: Start Early and Be Steady, Henry B. Eyring, Oct 2005

Beware of False Prophets and False Teachers, M. Russell Ballard, Oct 1999
Do Not Delay, Henry B. Eyring, Oct 1999

The Principle of Work, F. David Stanley, Apr 1993

Joy and Mercy, Dallin H. Oaks, Oct 1991

“Willing to Submit”, Neal A. Maxwell, Apr 1985
Taking upon Us the Name of Jesus Christ, Dallin H. Oaks, Apr 1985

Missionary Work: A Major Responsibility, Ezra Taft Benson, Apr 1974



Update Mar 2012
"The Lord did not people the earth with a vibrant orchestra of personalities only to value the piccolos of the world. Every instrument is precious and adds to the complex beauty of the symphony. All of Heavenly Father’s children are different in some degree, yet each has his own beautiful sound that adds depth and richness to the whole."  (Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Concern for the One", Apr 2008)

For a few years now I have found inspiring talks from several sources to listen to as I commute.  There are several that I have thought about since the Oct general conference.  Here are a few.

Patrick Kearon, “‘Come unto Me with Full Purpose of Heart, and I Shall Heal You’,” Ensign, Nov 2010, 50–52

Dallin H. Oaks, “Two Lines of Communication,” Ensign, Nov 2010, 83–86

Larry R. Lawrence, “Courageous Parenting,” Ensign, Nov 2010, 98–100

Juan A. Uceda, “He Teaches Us to Put Off the Natural Man,” Ensign, Nov 2010, 53–55

- Ezra Taft Benson, "What I Hope You Will Teach Your Children about the Temple", Ensign, Aug. 1985, 6. From an address given at the Logan Temple Centennial, 17 May 1984.
- Dallin H. Oaks, "The Great Plan of Happiness," Ensign, Nov. 1993, 73
- Spencer W. Kimball, "Families Can Be Eternal," Ensign, Nov. 1980, 4

BYU Devotionals
Henry B. Eyring. "A Law of Increasing Returns" March 28, 1982

Worldwide Leadership Training

I have been enjoying the LDS Worldwide Leadership Training that was broadcast earlier this month.  It teaches me about some of the changes in the new Church Handbook on Instructions.  Handbook 2 is available to read online.

I am so happy to be led by inspired leaders.

Reasonable but not certain grounds

"...principles and values and ideals that we devoutly hope are true, and have reasonable but not certain grounds for believing to be true."  (Testimony of Terryl L. Givens as found from Clean Cut)

This quote highlights what I have come to understand.  That faith is a choice.  The Lord gives us reasonable grounds for believing in Him and His principles.  Yet they are not certain ground.  Our life is an exercise of our faith which begins as a desire to believe.  As Terryl said, there is also grounds for doubt.

I am reminded of Moroni where he says that I can know of spiritual truth as surely as I can distinguish between the daylight and the dark night.  I know this is true for the most important things.  The things that cause us to progress or to be damned.  I know clearly that I am to be kind to my wife and children.  I am to work hard and trust God.  I am to be meditative and prayerful.  I am to seek truth in the scriptures and from other good sources.  I am to listen to the still small voice.  I am to seek the Spirit of God and discipline myself to follow it.  So I can establish trust between my Father and I.  So I can enjoy the delicious joy He brings into my life.

We have reasonable but not certain ground to believe God.  Yet He always respects our choice.  He will force no man to heaven.  The reward is greater than any other thing.  It is worth any effort to receive it.

Antidote for anxiety, ointment for sorrow, a doorway to possibility

"Work is an antidote for anxiety, an ointment for sorrow, and a doorway to possibility."
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Two Principles for Any Economy,” Ensign, Nov 2009, 55–58

Watching with All Perseverance

David A Bednar gave a talk in Apr 2010 that I want to listen to again, “Watching with All Perseverance”, MP3

A summary of the talk by the speaker.

I pray for the guidance of the Holy Ghost as I describe a spiritual early warning system that can help parents in Zion to be watchful and discerning concerning their children. This early warning system applies to children of all ages and contains three basic components: (1) reading and talking about the Book of Mormon with your children, (2) bearing testimony of gospel truths spontaneously with your children, and (3) inviting children as gospel learners to act and not merely be acted upon. Parents who do these things faithfully will be blessed to recognize early signals of spiritual growth in or challenges with their children and be better prepared to receive inspiration to strengthen and help those children.