To Love Another Person Is to See the Face of God

Brooklynne. LDS. Studying at BYU, majoring in Theater Education. [about me]

[mormonbee]

I got on this tumblr for the first time in a while. I am sad. Spread goodness. Don't spread negativity. The Lord loves you all. Christ loves you all. My focus is going to be on love, and charity, and humility, and kindness, and service, and bettering myself. What is your focus?

[mormonbee]

Dissenting Votes at Conference: Everything You Need to Know

Rumors suggested that some members came to this conference planning not to sustain the general officers of the Church. Here's what happens when that occurs.

[lovetobeamormon]

Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever.

Doctrine & Covenants 122:9 (via lovetobeamormon)

[the-lds-loser]

There is one thing present within the church that can really rub me the wrong way - and that is when individuals start to fangirl or fanboy over the leaders of the church. Yes, it is respectful to recognize them as leaders of the church, but it should end there. I feel as if too many take their...

[mormonbee]

Truman Madsen said about Joseph Smith something along the lines of "A prophet is a prophet only when he is a prophet, that is, when he is directly receiving revelation from God," and I think that goes for any apostle or prophet in this day and age. However, I like to keep in mind that they have decades of more experience than I do, experience talking directly with the Lord and humbling themselves so that they can learn all our Father has needed them to learn so they can be where they are now. Each of us can (and probably will -- we are all destined to be great) reach that point as well, but only with humility and a heart full of pure desire to grow closer to our Father in heaven. After studying the lives of the apostles and prophets of our time, I have grown to love them. No, they are not perfect. But they are wise and humble and loving, and so beautifully human.

[mormonbee]

Me and two of my best friends, Jesse and Sister King. Jesse and I both got her the same present when she was transferred. We visit her in her new area sometimes to teach people with her, and it's always the most uplifting, spiritual time. I love these people with my whole heart.

[conquer-at-length-blog-deactiva]

Well… yes and no.

"Mormon missionaries" are a group of young adults between the ages of 18 and 26 who volunteer to be sent away from their homes for 18 months-2 years to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ and offer spiritual and physical aid to others. In addition to knocking on doors and teaching lessons, they dig ditches, rake leaves, help build and repair houses, visit the sick and elderly, and become part of the lives of people in situations of distress they may never have imagined. In my experience, a "good missionary" is one who loves the Savior and the people he or she serves, full stop. Love is a quality that the vast majority of missionaries develop quickly.

That said, they are still a group of people with a median age of approximately 20, called to help people suffering from addictions, poverty, abuse, illness, and all other afflictions. They go to hospitals to comfort people who they know are going to die. They grow to love the homeless, the widows, and the victims of domestic violence. They see someone one day and return the next to find that they’ve committed suicide and the family needs them to offer support, even while reeling with their own grief. They wake up every day, thousands of miles from home, hoping to help just one person feel their Heavenly Father’s love, and are faced with seemingly constant rejection.

They do it even when they’re sick, even when they’re depressed, even when they got a call that morning that their grandma died in her sleep or their boyfriend died on his mission in Madagascar. Some days are incredible and they always have the companionship of the Holy Ghost to comfort their sorrows, but missionary work was never meant to be easy. They don’t have to be here, but they’ve chosen to be, and most of them choose to stay and to continue throwing all they have into the ring so other people can be helped. Some of them choose to go home or are forced to by illness (whether physical or mental), and there shouldn’t be any shame in that. Some of them choose to stay but not to work, and I’m learning to love those missionaries too.

My blog shows the “light” side of missionary work. I share quotes and pictures of the missionaries during the times when they’re allowed to take a few hours or even just a few minutes to be kids. I’m with them in some of the incredibly deep times that I listed, but I don’t usually show those moments. I show the goofy selfies they take on my phone, the cuddles they give each other after a hard day, the teasing and jokes that come out of the brotherhood/sisterhood forged by their shared experiences, and the games and pranks we play together that allow them to remember that they’re still normal kids. Some of the pictures I show are taken minutes after they wept with someone and minutes before they go outside to find more people to serve. They’re just a snapshot of one part of being a missionary, but they’re real.

So in answer to your question, yes, almost all missionaries are that chill. But like any people, that isn’t all there is to them. Sometimes they’re angry, sometimes they’re sad, and sometimes they’re the happiest people on earth. Sometimes they have unlimited patience for being mocked, and sometimes they lose their tempers, tell someone whatever angry comment comes to mind, and walk away.

If you see a missionary, please don’t ever be afraid to talk to him or her. They’re heroes with name tags who are also normal kids. If you get to know them, they’ll teach you about a gospel that’s brought them, me, and many others an incredible amount of peace and hope. You’ll probably see them laugh, cry, say “fetch!” a lot, and make goofy faces.

I call them “angels in name tags” not because they’re perfect, but because they willingly sacrifice their secular lives to bring other people joy and be transformed into a more willing tool in God’s hands.

[atestimonyaday]

Rationalizing is the bringing of ideals down to the level of one’s conduct. Repentance is the bringing of one’s conduct up to the level of his ideals.

President Spencer W. Kimball (via atestimonyaday)

[mormonbee]

"A few days ago, a letter came to the office addressed to President Benson. I wish to read a portion of it, and then perhaps comment on it. I will not use the writer’s name. She may be listening somewhere, and I would not wish to embarrass her in any way. I will call her Virginia. With that change, I read a part of her letter: 'Dear President Benson, 'My name is Virginia. I am fourteen years old, and a matter has been on my mind a lot lately. In the scriptures I could not seem to find anywhere whether women may enter into the celestial kingdom if they are worthy. Also, when someone such as Joseph Smith had a vision of the celestial kingdom, he only seemed to see men there. I have prayed about it, but felt that I needed your words. … In the scriptures, they talk about a woman being blessed if she is righteous, but not about celestial glory. This truly bothers me. If we are all Heavenly Father’s children, then why do the scriptures say that men are to rule over women? And why in the scriptures was Eve created from Adam? I may be foolish, but I honestly do not understand. I love the gospel, and I am learning of its truth. I have a testimony, and I know that I have a divine purpose in life. But I suppose what I am asking is—are men more important than women? And can women go to the celestial kingdom also? … 'I am still young and learning, and I need help in this matter. Thank you so much. 'Lovingly, Virginia.' " This talk is really beautiful. I would recommend listening to it. There's something about Pres. Hinckley that just radiates humility and love.

[endlesslylie]

Missionary work is not just one of the 88 keys on a piano that is occasionally played; it is a major chord in a compelling melody that needs to be played continuously throughout our lives if we are to remain in harmony with our commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Elder Quentin L. Cook, “Be a missionary all your life”, Ensign, September, 2008 (via endlesslylie)

[mormonbee]

So it's been a while since I've been on here. Is it just me or is there way more anti-Mormon stuff in the tumblrstake tag? If you don't like the church, that's okay. But I want to hear the positive energy you're putting out into the world instead of reading about negativity. Say what you believe in, not why everyone else is wrong. Get rid of the negative stuff in your energy. Project goodness. This makes me sad.

[mormonbee]

"We are accustomed to focusing on the men of God because theirs is the priesthood and leadership line. But paralleling that authority line is a stream of righteous influence reflecting the remarkable women of God who have existed in all ages and dispensations, including our own. Greatness is not measured by coverage in column inches, either in newspapers or in the scriptures. The story of the women of God, therefore, is, for now, an untold drama within a drama." -Elder Neal A. Maxwell

[atestimonyaday]

The command ‘Be ye perfect’ is not idealistic gas. Nor is it a command to do the impossible. He is going to make us into creatures that can obey that command. He said (in the Bible) that we were ‘gods’ and He is going to make good His words… . The process will be long and in parts very painful; but that is what we are in for. Nothing less. He meant what He said.

—C. S. Lewis

[mormonbee]

Divorce in the LDS Church

Hi guys! I'm back. Get ready for this post. It's gonna be a long one.

I felt inspired today to write a little bit about this week I've had. I am enough at peace right now to feel like I can share my feelings with others.

I am LDS, otherwise known as Mormon, and my parents just got divorced.

This deal has been in the making for a good number of years -- their relationship was rocky for the majority of my childhood, and most recently the time has been dotted with varying degrees of separation between my parents, be it their emotional distance or a literal legal separation. They would patch things up, then tensions would rise high in my house again and Dad would move out, or Mom would never be home, etc. I went to college clear across the country, and each time I returned there was a fresh drama playing out.

It was hard. I dealt with it and lived a normal life, but it was hard.

So last week, their divorce finalized. My mom is going by her maiden name now and my dad hasn't lived at home for several months.

When you're 20 years old and watching your parents get divorced, you feel a bit of a responsibility to be perfectly mature about the ordeal. When most of your family has left their faith and gone completely inactive in church, and when it's just you and your mom fighting to keep your head afloat and sitting alone in the pews, you feel a certain obligation to be strong. After all, you're not losing either of your parents. Your mom is the one losing her spouse of 30 years. What are you losing? A little bit of comfort? Of course it's much more than that. But your parents are emotionally drawn thin and can't provide much for you right now, so why would anything you feel be important? There's lots of little lies you begin to tell yourself, different lies depending on the situation.

Anyone going through something really difficult begins to really hate the pity people give them. And each person has a different way of coping with that -- for me, I started by not telling anyone, and then I responded to it by cracking divorce jokes so people would shut up their faces so their eyes wouldn't give me /that look/ anymore, among other things.

I began to ask, from an LDS perspective, what this means for my family? Lessons that focused on eternal families seemed to pop up more, whether I just noticed it more or the Lord was reminding me (sadistically, I felt) what I needed to remember about families. And those lessons were hard to get through. (I remember one time, during a Young Women's lesson, we had a lesson about the priesthood. Living in a house without the priesthood, which no one knew because Dad still came to church for a long time after he stopped believing or living standards -- appearance's sake, probably, was hard and it made lessons like these pretty difficult to get through. My teacher asked me to read a quote about fathers holding the priesthood, and I ended up crying and not being able to make it through. Someone else had to finish it for me, and my teacher told the class I was feeling the spirit so strongly and it was okay to cry because of that. I just had to get that out. That was a hard day.) I had, and still have, a lot of questions about what my family will be like in the afterlife, about what it means that my parents were divorced civilly, but not eternally, because they are still sealed in the temple. And yet, if my dad doesn't keep his covenants, is that sealing still valid in the first place? What about my siblings who are inactive, what is their eternal destination? We are taught that we will live in the celestial kingdom as family units, and yet what exactly is my unit going to be like if only two or three of us are going to make it there?

And besides all of that, we are taught that families are supposed to be the greatest source of happiness in our lives... So then why has mine cut me so deeply? My parents' rocky relationship has caused me to grow very, very distant from them, and even from my own siblings. And I'm sure I'm placing more blame on the divorce than it is due, because I was the one who chose to react the way that I did: drawing into myself and my friendships instead of confiding in my family members about how I felt. I was living in a house with people I knew very well, but did not speak to honestly. I existed in a building with them without finding comfort in that building, without growing closer to them. My family and I were strangers, and I felt like a lot of that was out of my control. Why did that have to happen?

Well, I want to tell this to anyone who is feeling the same way: There is a purpose. I cannot stress that enough.

The Lord, your very own Father and Creator, knows you intimately. He knows all of your thoughts and your desires, each of your sorrows and wishes and secret yearnings. And He loves you. He is the one who crafted you carefully, organizing your spirit from the intelligences of the universe. You are so, so special to Him. So of course He wants you to be happy, He wants that more than anything in the world. He did not leave you on this earth unprotected or alone. He does not want you to feel like you are being attacked on all sides with nowhere to go. And I say this with all of my faith and knowledge, He is with you right now.

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf has said, "Part of our challenge is, I think, that we imagine that God has all of His blessings locked in a huge cloud up in heaven, refusing to give them to us unless we comply with some strict, paternalistic requirements He has set up. But the commandments aren’t like that at all. In reality, Heavenly Father is constantly raining blessings upon us. It is our fear, doubt, and sin that, like an umbrella, block these blessings from reaching us. His commandments are the loving instructions and the divine help for us to close the umbrella so we can receive the shower of heavenly blessings."

Along that same line, He is constantly pouring His love and His divine presence right down to us. All we have to do is reach out. *Joseph Smith said once, "Weary the Lord until He blesses you." And my advice would be the same. It is okay to get specific in our prayers, to ask for more love for your dad, or for the faith to know this will work out. It is okay to ask for a friend who understands, or for a better understanding of the Atonement and how it can help you. I would advise you, as I have, to ask for faith, to see miracles, to make it through the day, to feel His love in your life. Ask for feelings of love towards your family. Ask for help to forgive, and ask to know how to help your family. If you don't feel answers, keep praying. Weary the Lord. He is never going to run out of patience with you. Study how to receive personal revelation, for I know that you can feel God's voice speaking directly to you. I have felt it before. And I have cherished those moments beyond anything.

As for the questions of eternal family logistics, I don't know all the answers. But I do know, with my entire heart, that the Lord is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-loving. He can find any number of ways to keep you with your family, however that may come to happen. Through Him, all things are possible. You will have complete happiness in the next life if you are faithful and if you have a pure desire to follow Him.

I mentioned the Atonement, and I want to talk more about that. Jesus, the Christ, our loving Savior and our brother, can walk shoulder-to-shoulder with you. Study His Atonement. Study His life. He has been through pains exactly similar to yours, whether it was in His life or when He suffered in the garden of Gethsemane. He knows what it's like to feel abandoned, betrayed, lonely. And He is doing everything in His power to make sure no one ever has to feel like that again. Read Luke 22, read conference talks about the Atonement, read the testimonies of general authorities in every auxiliary function. Download talks about Christ and listen to them while you shower. Find time to fill your life with His light. Pray to understand why Jesus Christ died for you specifically, and why He cares so much. Find a desire to walk in His footsteps and serve others as He has served you.

Love your family. That has been the hardest thing in the world for me, but I know that it is possible through the Atonement.

When you strive to be close to your Father in Heaven, and close to your personal Savior, you can and will find a peace through really tumultuous times.

And also, I'm here for you. If ever you need to talk, shoot me a message. I think I'm going to start blogging more, so I plan on being on here pretty frequently. I know I'm a stranger on the internet, haha, but I love you and we as humans find strength in company.

Life is hard, but it's do-able. I promise.

*Mentioned in a series of lectures by Truman Madsen entitled, "Joseph Smith the Prophet"

[byamormongirl]

Elder Bednar’s Social Media Guidelines (x)

[mormonbee]

"Any major questions, policies, programs, or doctrines are prayerfully considered in council by the Counselors in the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. No decision emanates from the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve without total unanimity among all concerned.

Following this inspired pattern, the Church will move forward without interruption. The governance of the Church and the exercise of the prophetic gifts will always be vested in those apostolic authorities who hold and exercise all of the keys of the priesthood."

  -“Exceeding Great and Precious Promises," President Howard W. Hunter, October 1994 General Conference

[mormonbee]

"The Prophet's frank forgiveness of his erring brother…exhibits a broad mindedness and generosity that can come only from a great soul.”

--Elder B.H. Roberts, on Joseph Smith's forgiveness of W.W. Phelps's betrayal.

http://davidvanalstyne.com/pg-jsforgivesphelps.html

[demeter42]

A "good enough" reason to live

A. Satan rejoices when people take their own lives, because he thinks he’s won something, and anyway it burnishes his (absurdly massive) ego.

B. Heavenly Father grieves when people take their own lives, and more generally whenever Satan rejoices at anything (because, you know, good vs. evil.)

C. Choosing not to kill yourself right now therefore pisses Satan off.  Which is an excellent thing.

Note: This is not about the eternal consequences of suicide.  We know that from an eternal perspective, Satan has no business being happy about anything.  We in particular know that the atonement works to heal wounds and right wrongs in ways that none of us can truly appreciate in this life, and that Satan’s understanding of the atonement is especially deficient.  In this case, however, pissing him off happens to correspond perfectly with our own best temporal and eternal welfare.  Win!

(I like to think of Satan as a gambler sitting at the poker table, convinced that this time he really will finally, permanently get ahead.  He fails to appreciate the concept embedded in the proverb “the house always wins”; he also fails to appreciate that this is not a game.  Satan excels at being wrong about just about everything, FYI.)