“Thomas, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. Thus the other disciples said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:24-25.)

“And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, . . . and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:26-29.)

Although there was momentary doubt in the heart of Thomas, and even “unbelief” among the other apostles, they all had a foundation of faith in Christ, for they believed and followed Him during His mortal life; thus, seeing the risen Lord reaffirmed their faith in Him.

In contrast, for those who fail to nurture even the smallest seed of faith, time and again the conclusion comes: seeing does not directly bring believing.

Think of the thousands who stood in the very presence of the Son of God, and yet could not perceive His divinity; they had eyes but could not see their Savior — they were spiritually blind. Consider those who have seen angels or a spectacular fireball from Heaven, and yet would not believe based upon a compelling visual witness. Isaiah explains the cause of spiritual blindness:

“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, . . . The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: . . . we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night” (Isaiah 59:2,8-10).

Clear and complete spiritual discernment comes as we repent of our sins, and the separation between God and the natural man is removed; thus, He draws near to us as we draw near to Him (James 4:8); the Lord liberally gives His witness and wisdom to the penitent–He gives “grace unto the humble” (James 4:6).

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor 2:14).

Just as the risen Lord showed Himself to His apostles at Jerusalem, in like manner the resurrected Christ appeared to His “other sheep” of ancient America, and invited them to see and feel His body which was bruised for their sake:

“And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto them saying: Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world. And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; . . . And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did worship him” (3 Nephi 11:13-17).

These people of ancient America did not believe in Christ just because of the visual evidence of His tangible presence; these were the more righteous followers of God whose lives were spared amid great destruction prior to Christ’s glorious appearance. They were previously faithful to the witness of the still small voice, and looked forward to the coming of their Savior.

Twelve days before he died, a latter-day Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, Bruce R. McConkie (1915-1985), gave this witness of Him at a general conference of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

“The most important doctrine I can declare, and the most powerful testimony I can bear, is of the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. . . . I testify that he is the Son of the Living God and was crucified for the sins of the world. He is our Lord, our God, and our King. This I know of myself independent of any other person. I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears. But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God’s Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way.”

As to evidence of eternal truth, better than seeing with mortal eyes is the spiritual vision given by the Spirit of truth — a sure witness revealed to faithful followers, the humble and penitent believers in Christ.

This article was originally published in December 2007. Minor changes have been made.

Matt M

We all have baggage we carry in our hearts — grudges of old, hurt feelings that resurface now and then, raw emotion that never seems to mature into forgiveness. While we are counseled to forgive those who have trespassed against us, it can be the most difficult thing to do. This is multiplied when the pain we’ve experienced has come from someone close — a relative or a longtime friend.

In the Bible, Joseph was sold into slavery by his older brothers. They were jealous of him because he was favored by their father. They sold him and then took his precious coat, tore it, and soiled it with blood. They brought it back to their father, claiming Joseph had been ripped apart by wild beasts and was dead. Their father was grief-stricken.

Meanwhile, Joseph did the best he could and worked hard in Egypt. Eventually he was discovered to be a great interpreter of dreams and became a counselor in Pharaoh’s court. The Egyptians followed his counsel when he predicted seven years of famine would follow seven years of plenty by stocking up on food and supplies to prepare for the upcoming drought. But all the people in the lands around Egypt knew not of the coming famine. They were not prepared and many people starved. Joseph’s brothers traveled to Egypt to beg for food. They came directly to the Pharaoh’s court and pled their case to Joseph himself. It had been so long since they last saw him that they did not recognize him. Joseph knew who they were, though. His heart looked upon them in their afflictions with mercy and forgiveness. Not only did he give them the food they needed, but he revealed to them who he was and had them send for his father. The family was reunited again in love.

This is a breathtaking story of the power of forgiveness. Had Joseph remained bitter all the years he was betrayed, this story would have turned out very differently. But because he had a forgiving heart, he was able to make a terrible situation fruitful. In time, he was in a position to feed all of Egypt and his family not only temporally, but spiritually. His forgiveness softened their hearts too, and they were able to repent of their past transgressions.

I think sometimes how this story could have unfolded. Joseph could have turned to bitterness. If so, he may have missed all his opportunities to develop his talents and become the great interpreter of dreams. Egypt may have suffered for lack of food during the famine. Joseph’s brothers could have died; indeed, the entire region could have fallen. But happily, this was not so — all because of Joseph’s willingness to forgive and to move on.

In some respects, Joseph was thrown into an abrupt move himself, much like my friend. He was forced to “pack lightly” by taking only the things that mattered most. He chose to take his testimony and his forgiving heart. That made all the difference for him in his new circumstances.

We can learn a lot from Joseph, even if we are only in a figurative move in life. Each situation we face is like a chance to “make a move” one way or the other, toward bitterness and anger or toward love and forgiveness. In essence, we move with each choice either toward or away from eternal life. We choose to pack lightly or to carry every ounce of hurt and pain with us.

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What we take with us determines how happy we will be along the way. I know when I hold grudges, I feel like I’ve been carrying a 20-lb. weight in each hand high over my head — I get too tired to go on. But when I let go of anger, when I forgive those who have harmed me, I am renewed by the Spirit of the Lord. When I “pack lightly,” I have a better outlook on my situation and I have the strength to accomplish things when I lacked strength before.

We have the opportunity each day to rewrite our history. We may not be able to control the trials that come or the severity of them, but we can control how long we dwell on them. We can focus on our misery and go to bed each night feeling more miserable, thus adding to a past full of pain. But if we adopt an attitude of forgiveness in our hearts, exercising it each day with gratitude for our situations regardless of what they may be, we can make the most recent yesterday a good day. The more often we turn our hearts toward good works, the more successful we will be in overcoming emotional pain.

To anyone who is thinking of moving or who is in the middle of moving (whether that is literally or figuratively), I offer the same advice — pack lightly. Bring only the things that matter. Rebuild your life with a renewal of spirit, having forgiven those who’ve tarnished your past. Your own true worth can then shine through your countenance more sincerely, wherever your new destination takes you. Your life is worth beginning again.

This post was originally published in August 2014. Minor changes have been made.

Nanette ONeal

Nanette O’Neal loves the gospel and is very happy to share her testimony on LDS Blogs. She is a convert to the church and still feels the spirit burn strong within her heart. She graduated from Mason Gross School of the Arts with a degree in music education and has taught children and adults in the private and public sphere for over twenty years. Nanette continues to study the gospel and the art of writing. She writes weekly inspirational articles on her blog and is currently working on an LDS fantasy novel series, A Doorway Back to Forever. You can find her at NanetteONeal.blogspot.com. Nanette has a wonderful husband, talented son, and three beautiful dogs.

My grandfather Charles Allan was a Scot through and through. He often quoted from Robert Burns, the great Scottish poet. One of his favorites helps us define mere pleasure:

But pleasures are like poppies spread:
You seize the flow’r, its bloom is shed;
Or like the snow falls in the river,
A moment white—then melts for ever;
Or like the borealis race,
That flit ere you can point their place;
Or like the rainbow’s lovely form
Evanishing amid the storm.
(“Tam o’ Shanter,” lines 59–66)

Only true happiness has the potential to last, to truly lift our spirits, our hearts and minds. No riches are needed; you don’t even need to have your name on all the A-list parties. Passing pleasure does not make lasting happiness. As Elder David O. McKay, then of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,  once said, “You may get that transitory pleasure, yes, but you cannot find joy, you cannot find happiness. Happiness is found only along that well beaten track, narrow as it is, though straight, which leads to life eternal” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1919, 180).

In the book of James in the New Testament, we read, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5.) Here is the solution for your confusion: ask of God and He will show you the better part.

The Prophet Joseph Smith told us, “Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 255–56).

Virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping the commandments of God are the only true way to obtain true and lasting happiness. Pray, and God, your Heavenly Father, will tell you how to live these worthy values so that you may obtain your righteous desire and be happy.

This post was originally published on December 5, 2007. Minor changes have been made.

Ali C

How Destructive is it to Hurt Others?

In Alma, one of the books in the Book of Mormon, a group of people spent decades dedicating their lives to hatred. Their hatred was a result of generations of lies against their brothers, the Nephites. Then one brave and humble Nephite named Ammon came amongst them and showed them a pattern of goodness and honor. It led to a miraculous conversion of their king and his entire people. When they looked back on their past transgressions, it saddened them deeply to know they had been so bloodthirsty. They made a monumental decision—to bury their weapons of war deep in the earth, never to kill another person in anger again.

How destructive is gossip? How damaging is bullying?  How painful is verbal abuse? They are all harmful enough to make a person feel unwelcome in their own church setting, to keep a person from feeling valued in their family, to cause a child to commit suicide. Verbal abuse swarms around us to the point where it is difficult to get away from. And like the Lamanites of old, it’s a fashionable form of warfare. Sarcasm—vicious comments masked in humor—is the talk of the day. When we take offense and become indignant, we justify our emotional pain by throwing verbal assaults at the offender. And they retaliate with the same abuse.

Hurtful language is our modern-day weapon of war, more so than even automatic rifles or atomic bombs. We can see the destruction left in the wake of warfare. It may take decades to rebuild. But the weapon of unkind words is far more destructive. This weapon is meant to destroy the family: our personal families as well as our church families, or wards. It separates us from each other and ultimately separates us from our Heavenly Family and our eternal home.

God Loves All His Children — Even the Ones You Are Angry With

If we remember how we are loved by our Father in Heaven, we can also remember His love for our brothers. This may not be enough to keep us from being angry with each other at times, but it can be enough to help us bury our weapons of war. Our Father in Heaven loves us and has given us the tools to be like Him. Once we understand the poisonous nature of gossip, we can be quick to bury this habit forever. But how do we keep it buried? The Lamanites have given us the answer.

The Lamanites buried their weapons deep in the ground. A shallow grave was not sufficient. It must have taken them hours to dig the hole. The dirt must have weighed quite a bit when packed on top of the weapons. They left no trace, no chance for retrieval. What comes between us and our weapons of war? We must place something even greater than mounds of dirt, even deeper than a pit. Our Savior, Jesus Christ is willing to stand between us and our weapons of war.

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Jesus Christ is the reason the Lamanites made their promise. He is also the way in which we can keep our same promises. We can say to ourselves, “I refuse to gossip.” But simply making the statement is like throwing the weapons to the ground and walking away. They are still there to pick up the second a mean thought pops into our heads. But if we first dig the ditch by making our commitment to the Lord through covenants and promises to Him, we are on our way. The next step is to fill the pit with Christlike behavior, actions that are contrary to gossipy words. We can also visualize the Savior at the pit, keeping us from reaching down for our former weapons. See His loving face that has forgiven you so many times. Let Him take you in His arms instead of taking up arms. Then turn to your offender and offer words of kindness. A miracle may even occur.

Later in the story of Ammon, converted Lamanites (called the people of Ammon) faced their own opponents. How difficult it must have been to know they would die at the hands of their enemies because they would not take up arms against them—their promise to the Lord was that important to them. But their inaction caused an even greater miracle—their enemies were so taken aback by the display of faith that many converted because of it.

And so the miracle can occur between us and our offenders. When we are faced with verbal attacks, we have the Savior standing at our side. When we take the high road, when we use restraint, when we meet anger with kindness, we are giving a part of the Savior to our attacker. One day, the very same enemy might surprise you. He may be impressed with your faith—impressed enough to change his ways toward compassion as well. He may decide to bury his weapons because he sees something greater.

This article was originally published in 2014. Minor changes have been made.

Nanette ONeal

Nanette O’Neal loves the gospel and is very happy to share her testimony on LDS Blogs. She is a convert to the church and still feels the spirit burn strong within her heart. She graduated from Mason Gross School of the Arts with a degree in music education and has taught children and adults in the private and public sphere for over twenty years. Nanette continues to study the gospel and the art of writing. She writes weekly inspirational articles on her blog and is currently working on an LDS fantasy novel series, A Doorway Back to Forever. You can find her at NanetteONeal.blogspot.com. Nanette has a wonderful husband, talented son, and three beautiful dogs.

There are a lot of reasons why we settle for less—from ourselves, from others, from life. We can’t do much about what others do, or about how life turns out, but we can—and we must—make the best use of our own life, of our own talents and abilities.

In the Book of Mormon, we learn about the ways we receive talents, or gifts of the Spirit, and how you should use them:

And again, I exhort you, my brethren, that ye deny not the gifts of God, for they are many; and they come from the same God. And there are different ways that these gifts are administered; but it is the same God who worketh all in all; and they are given by the manifestations of the Spirit of God unto men, to profit them.

 

And to another, exceedingly great faith; and to another, the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

 

And all these gifts come by the Spirit of Christ; and they come unto every man severally, according as he will.

 

(Moroni 10:8,11,17)

I have long been a fan of Mother Teresa—a more giving and truly charitable person, I’ve never known. But did you know that she suffered from pangs of doubt and feelings of inadequacy? Who would ever have guessed that this remarkable woman every doubted herself or in what she was doing? Yet, she did.

Mother Teresa

She hung a poem on the wall of the orphanage she founded in Calcutta. One can only assumed that she posted it there as a reminder to herself—a reminder to keep on keeping on, even when doubt assailed her.

Our Heavenly Father loves us and He has blessed us with many gifts and talents, many opportunities, to fulfill the measure of our creation. When we are being all that we can be, we grow closer to God and our hearts are filled. It is then that we can find true joy and experience happiness in all that we do.

And so I would like to encourage you to search your heart for those things that bring you joy, because perhaps they are a priceless gift that you have yet to fully appreciate. And when life’s trials seem insurmountable and the obstacles before you loom above you, remember who you are—a child of God, an individual with unlimited potential.

Anyway Poem

 

People are often unreasonable,
illogical and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

 

If you are kind,
People may accuse you
of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

 

If you are successful,
you will win some false friends and
some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

 

If you are honest and frank,
people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

 

What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

 

If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

 

The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

 

Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

 

You see, in the final analysis.
it is between you and God;
It is never between you and them anyway.

This post was originally published in May 2008. Minor changes have been made.

Ali C

I hadn’t read this particular book, but I was familiar with Sister Dew and always loved her frank way of speaking and writing. As my friend explained, Sister Dew talked about the concept of submitting our wills to the Lord’s.

The perfect example of submitting is Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knew that it was His Father’s plan for Him to be our Savior and atone for our sins. Yet it was not something that He particularly wanted to experience. We don’t know what was going through our Savior’s head at that time, but we do know that He asked the Father in humble prayer if this cup might pass from Him, if there was any way He could avoid what He was about to experience. Then He added, “Not my will, but Thine be done.” (Luke 22:42)

Christ trusted in the will of the Father and submitted to it completely. There are times when we are called upon to do the same. We aren’t asked to atone for the sins of the world, but there are times when we are asked to sacrifice things we would like to have or do in order to do other things that the Lord asks of us. There are times when we have our own plans, but the Lord asks us to do something else that may not fit in with them or that even make sense to our mortal minds.

I am not familiar enough with the book by Sister Dew to know if I am quoting Sister Dew or my friend, but that’s where the concept of “…or something better” comes in. When we trust in the Lord, we realize that His plans for us are so much greater and grander than anything we could come up with on our own. And we can even reach the point where we can gladly submit to them.

So when we have a need we’re praying for, we might pray that we receive what we think we need, “…or something better.”

Joseph Forgiving His Brothers, by Ted Henniger

Joseph, sold into slavery in Egypt, told the truth and kept his virtue and was cast into prison as a result. Perhaps he prayed for release. Yet the Lord had “something better” in mind for him. In prison he was able to interpret dreams and gain the trust of the Pharaoh, and eventually save Egypt and his own family from a terrible famine. As he told his family, “Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.” (Genesis 45:5) Perhaps it was difficult for Joseph to reach the point where he believed this, but as he looked back on his life, he could see the hand of the Lord in the things that had come to pass.

Sometimes we may pray to get a particular job, or a particular date, or any number of other opportunities, only to realize later that this would have been all wrong for us. Again, the Lord in His infinite wisdom knows the big picture and can guide us toward “something better” even when we’re sure we have things all figured out.

My friend is now facing what I hope we can see as “something better” for her. She has been in and out of the hospital and so far the prognosis has not been encouraging. Saying “it must be the Lord’s will” can seem cold and hollow to someone whose life has just been ripped apart, but at the same time I know that our loving Heavenly Father is and always has been mindful of her. And things that seem tragic here in this mortal life will make a lot more sense in the next life when we, too, can see the big picture and how the Lord’s plans for us have unfolded.

This post was originally published in November 2007. Minor changes and updates have been made.

Katie P

The Story of the Swordsmith

A swordsmith was a new convert to the Christianity and did his best to live up to his baptismal commitments. Yet almost immediately after his conversion, his life was beset with trial after trial that pressed heavy on his heart and brought him to his knees. A friend who was not of his faith witnessed what was happening. In his eyes, he saw the newfound religion doing absolutely no good for his friend. While he continued to remain faithful, his trials seemed to worsen. One day the friend questioned the swordsmith about this. He asked why he could remain faithful to a god who continued to punish him mercilessly. The swordsmith paused and thought before he replied.

He held a wrought iron tong in one hand and a hammer in the other. Clutched between the tongs was a piece of metal which he held under the burning coals until it was fiery hot. He brought the metal out of the fire and while it was still glowing and malleable, he hammered it flat, folded it, then plunged it in a basin of water. He would need to repeat this sixteen times before he could begin to hammer it into a sword. When the steam cleared, he turned to his friend with this reply. “As a swordsmith, I need to use the strongest metals I can find that will hold up under the worst conditions. Otherwise, the sword I produce will be of no value. This piece of metal will soon be a fine sword.”

He motioned to a scrap pile against the wall. “But that metal over there could not take the constant heat, the pounding and shaping, and the sudden cooling. It is no good to me.” He looked back at the metal he was working with. “I am like this piece of metal. When I decided to be a true convert, I promised to change my old ways for something better. My God is my Master, somewhat like a swordsmith Himself. He did not promise me it would be easy, but He promised it would be worth it. If I cannot stand up to the trials in life and allow them to make me stronger, I am like that pile of metal in the corner—of no value to my Maker. But if I can endure the cycle of heat and pounding and water, I can become what my Master needs me to be. When the cycle finally comes to an end, and I have endured it well, I will be worth more than I am at this moment. I know my Master is not trying to break me down. He is trying to reshape me into something far better than I am today. I trust that He knows me better than I do.”

What the Friend Sees

As I go through my own trials in life, I picture myself in this story and ask, “Who am I?” Sometimes I am like the friend. I see the trials (or “fire”) people must endure and I wonder how they do it. Even my own trials at times seem too much to bear, and I question whether or not it’s worth the effort to endure. But the consequences of giving up or giving in have proven to be even less fruitful. What the friend sees is shortsighted. He magnifies the trial and diminishes the end result. He blames the Creator for causing pain, and then remains angry at Him for doing so.

What the Swordsmith Sees

The swordsmith is the one enduring the onslaught of trials and yet remains faithful to his God. He does not look at his trials or time in the fire as punishment but as a vehicle to take him to a higher state of being. He understands that through adversity he will become stronger. He understands this because of the work he does in his shop and his ability to project this into his life. But it does not stop there. He is able to see the spiritual benefits of endurance long before the sword is free of the refiner’s cycle.

The Refiner’s Cycle

Heat—pounding—cooling—repeat. This is the cycle used to create the perfect sword. It is also the spiritual cycle used to bring us to godliness. The heat softens the material. This is necessary to do before it can be reshaped into something useful. Spiritually speaking, the heat and fire represents the trials in our lives: anything that brings us to a humble heart and a contrite spirit. Our Heavenly Father cannot speak to us if we are not ready to listen. He cannot influence us if our hearts are hardened. Our nature is such that oftentimes it is the trials in life that soften us to our knees before we can stand taller.

Next comes the pounding. The sword must be folded sixteen times to strengthen the metal enough to be a proper sword. This requires a great deal of pounding. The spiritual pounding is the reshaping of our will to match the will of our Heavenly Father. But it is not our Father in Heaven who inflicts the pounding—we do that with our own will. The pounding comes from the wrestling in our heart between the ways of the world and the ways of the Lord as we come closer to taking the leap of faith to act righteously. While our Father in Heaven persuades us to make the right choices—choices to do good, choices to repent, choices that take us out of our comfort zone in order to give us opportunities to grow—Satan works harder to tighten his grip on us. While Heavenly Father reaches down to help us up, Satan pressures us to stay down. The back and forth is like a pounding. Until we act in faith and commit to the will of our Heavenly Father—like plunging into the basin of water—that pounding may last a while. But be of good cheer—it never lasts forever.

After the pounding comes the cooling. When the metal is thrust into the water, its chemical makeup changes, which helps strengthen it further. It solidifies the process allowing the steel to endure the heat again. In our spiritual lives, the cooling process is like the blessings we receive when we make the choices that line ourselves with our Heavenly Father’s will. Our hearts are changed, we are strengthened and blessed. We receive a special witness of His mercy and love—a witness that we cannot deny. The more trials we face, the more we repent under pressure, the more blessings we receive. And so, the stronger and more useful we become in God’s eternal plan.

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Finally we repeat. This is the hardest part—knowing that just once through the refiner’s fire is not enough. At times a trial is quick to overcome. Other times, trials can last a lifetime. But it is in how we face the trial, how we take to the pounding and reshaping that defines our state of endurance. Can we remember to thank our Father in Heaven for the gift of facing trials and for the blessings that come after we endure them? Or do we shake a fist at heaven and curse Him for our circumstances? In my life there have been times where as soon as I felt the refreshing cool water of relief I was thrown right back into the fire again. Other times I’ve felt the reshaping from my Father in Heaven take a little longer—sometimes due to my stubbornness but oftentimes because of circumstances in the world around me. I’ve also been able to look back and notice the times I endured well brought me closer to the Lord. We cannot abandon the last phase of the process. To repeat the process is as necessary as the process itself. It is not easy, but if we stay positive and keep an eternal perspective, in the end it will be worth it.

What God Has in Store for Us

It is difficult to imagine the immense blessings our Father in Heaven has in store for us, especially when we are in the fire. But we can see a tiny fraction of them when we remember the tender mercies we receive daily from Him. This is vital to our spiritual refinement. To be able to recognize the small blessings and to watch them add up allows us a glimpse of the enormity that awaits us in an infinite and perfect life with God. More importantly it helps us to endure the next round in the refiner’s fire, pushing us one step closer to godliness.

This article was originally published in June 2014. Minor changes have been made.

Nanette ONeal

Nanette O’Neal loves the gospel and is very happy to share her testimony on LDS Blogs. She is a convert to the church and still feels the spirit burn strong within her heart. She graduated from Mason Gross School of the Arts with a degree in music education and has taught children and adults in the private and public sphere for over twenty years. Nanette continues to study the gospel and the art of writing. She writes weekly inspirational articles on her blog and is currently working on an LDS fantasy novel series, A Doorway Back to Forever. You can find her at NanetteONeal.blogspot.com. Nanette has a wonderful husband, talented son, and three beautiful dogs.

Spacious Skies

Katherine Lee Bates penned the lyrics for America the Beautiful as a prayer to God. The first verse describes what one sees when crossing this nation and asks for a special blessing on it—God shed his grace on thee and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea. We are all familiar with the first verse, but if we sing onward we can appreciate the deep spiritual significance of the other verses as well.

Pilgrim’s Feet

The second verse acknowledges the expansion of freedom across the American west and asks forgiveness for her flaws. As Latter-day Saints, we know this nation was a choice nation above all others. Scriptures in the Book of Mormon repeatedly warn the people to keep the commandments so they will prosper in this land.

The Book of Mormon was preserved by the native people of this land so that it would come forth in the last days as a warning to us here today. The expansion of the west was necessary to ensure a free nation would be in place for the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.

I am grateful for the many pilgrims, soldiers, and pioneers who made the sacrifices to bring this about. I too agree with Katherine Lee Bates in asking God for forgiveness—to mend thy every flaw, to confirm thy soul in self-control, thy liberty in law.

Heroes Liberating Strife

We honor those brave men and women who fought to secure the freedoms of this nation when we celebrate the birth of the country. If it were not for those who gave their lives, we would not have independence, we would not have the greatest document of freedom—the United States Constitution.

From the time of the American Revolution and until this day, over one million Americans gave their lives to keep us free. Truly, they loved their country more than themselves and mercy more than life. Katherine Lee Bates asks God to refine her gold—the gold being the true-hearted American people who give of themselves each day to serve and protect the people of this nation—till all success be nobleness and every gain divine.

Seeing Beyond the Years

If our nation’s father, George Washington, could have seen beyond the years, would he be pleased with how we have honored the freedom he fought for? I believe if he could look at the churches, if he could see into the hearts of the American people, if he could witness the good things America has done throughout the world in helping other nations secure their own freedoms, he would be pleased—but cautious.

Pleased because there would be no denying the good influence America has had on the world and continues to have. She gives generously to poor and needy nations. She offers military, economic, and social assistance to nations who have requested it. She upholds the basic rights of humanity and has been a beacon of hope to millions of immigrants.

However, would George Washington approve of the level of respect the American people have for the freedom he fought for? Freedom is not something to take lightly. It is often the case, as we become comfortable in our situations we forget the sacrifice of those who’ve come before us.

Freedom is Heaven-Born

A never-ending battle against freedom has been waging since before we were born. The freedom to make our own choices was on the line. Heavenly Father presented a plan for our happiness that included the right to come to earth, to gain experience through trial and error and faith, and to then return home.

We would be allowed to choose our way, and we knew we would make mistakes. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to atone for our sins by his grace and to allow us to fulfill our part of the plan. Satan hated this plan and fought to take our freedom away from us. He has been fighting for that control from the beginning. Thankfully we have a loving Father in Heaven who will bless us in our efforts to honor freedom.

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If America is to remain beautiful, it must remain free. Freedom is what perpetuates growth, exploration, success, and happiness. Freedom is a right from God. Freedom allows us to believe in God. Freedom lets us worship Him according to the dictates of our conscience. Freedom unleashes the chains of poverty, gives hope to the downtrodden, and sets one on the path of prosperity—spiritual as well as temporal. Without freedom, we would be in Satan’s power. Without freedom, America would lose more than her beauty—she would lose her soul.

This post was originally published in July 2015. Minor changes have been made.

Nanette ONeal

Nanette O’Neal loves the gospel and is very happy to share her testimony on LDS Blogs. She is a convert to the church and still feels the spirit burn strong within her heart. She graduated from Mason Gross School of the Arts with a degree in music education and has taught children and adults in the private and public sphere for over twenty years. Nanette continues to study the gospel and the art of writing. She writes weekly inspirational articles on her blog and is currently working on an LDS fantasy novel series, A Doorway Back to Forever. You can find her at NanetteONeal.blogspot.com. Nanette has a wonderful husband, talented son, and three beautiful dogs.

Many years ago, I found myself facing a major change in my life. For three years, life had been unusually peaceful and I was scared of sliding back into a world of changes. I fought the change hard and had to turn to prayer for help. I went weekly during that struggle to the temple, where I took time away from the world to pray in a quiet, Spirit-filled place. As I prayed, the thought came repeatedly to my mind, “If you’re prepared, you don’t need to be afraid.”

I recognized this piece of inspiration as coming from a Latter-day Saint book of scripture called the Doctrine and Covenants (albeit paraphrased), a collection of modern revelations given to Church leaders. This particular section was given to Joseph Smith and delivered at a conference in which the people were told to go to Ohio. I accepted the comfort and set out to prepare myself for the changes that were coming. Then, completely prepared, I sat back and waited for the fear to disappear.

It didn’t.

I kept right on being afraid and fighting against the coming changes. I didn’t understand why I continued to fear when I had done as instructed. Finally, I took it to prayer again, and this time the answer came quickly and clearly — as clearly as if someone were speaking to me. The answer was this: “I said you didn’t need to fear; I didn’t say you couldn’t choose to be afraid.”

God believes in agency. He gives us the right to choose, and we can choose whether to approach life fearfully or faithfully. Fear is a choice and it was what I had chosen. I went to work strengthening my faith and life felt so much better. In time, I understood the purpose of the changes and realized that even though I hadn’t wanted them, I had enjoyed the results of the changes. God knew much better than I did what I needed.

It’s sometimes said that faith is the opposite of fear. When we’re afraid, we aren’t completely putting the situation into God’s hands and trusting Him. What I attempt to keep in mind when I’m trying to overcome fear with faith is remembering that God sees the entire picture, whereas I only see a small bit of it. He is looking at life from an eternal perspective and I am not.

This doesn’t mean that if we have faith we will never have any problems. The story of the world isn’t just about us; it involves everyone who lives on earth at any time. Everything that happens impacts many different lives, all with different needs and plans, and God must juggle all those lives. In addition, people have agency. It is a critical part of God’s plan for us that we’re given the right to make decisions. Those decisions affect our lives and they also affect others who had no control over our decisions. We can choose our actions, but we can’t choose the consequences, nor can we choose who else will be impacted by our decisions. Sometimes our trials are caused by our own decisions and sometimes by the decisions of others; in addition, some things just happen and no one is to blame, as in the case of severe weather or illness. Sometimes God sends trials to help us learn something important. It can help to remember that even Jesus experienced extraordinary levels of suffering despite living a perfect life. Trials are simply a part of every life.

Having trials does not mean God has abandoned us. He is always in charge. While He may not always step in to protect us from our own choices (or even from the choices of others), He has a master plan for all of us, and for each of us individually. The events that occur might not be the ones He would choose if He were micromanaging us, but He will not allow them to derail His overall plan for us. This means God is still in charge, and even when tragedy or trial occurs, we’re still inside the master plan and we will be fine in the eternal scheme of things.

We can’t always control what happens to us but we can choose our reactions to them. This power to choose is why two people can face the same trials and come out with different results. One person who experiences prejudice or poverty will spend his life angry and using this as an excuse. Another will use it to become stronger and overcome the challenges life has given him or go through them with a cheerful attitude. One person with an illness will become demanding and discouraged and another, perhaps after a natural time of grieving, will go on to uplift and strengthen others through her example and courage. One person loses his job and wastes priceless hours blaming his boss, the economy, the government or anyone else who comes to mind; another uses the time to start his own business or upgrade skills.

Having faith in Jesus Christ can help us turn away fear. The more we trust God and Jesus Christ to watch over us and to help us get through our trials, the less frightened we will be by those experiences. We need to prepare ourselves for possible trials physically, mentally, and spiritually. The best time to build a loving relationship with God and to learn to trust Him is before the trial, not during it. In this way, we come into the trials knowing how God interacts in our lives. We have a tradition of obedience that allows us to receive His greatest gifts and we know how to recognize His hand in our lives. We’ve learned how to get answers to our questions and to feel the comfort He sends.

How do we do this? First, we need to set a goal to seek out complete truth and accept it, even if we find it where we don’t expect to. We can do this by believing the promise given in James 1:5, where we are promised that if we need wisdom, we can receive it from God. Then we need to act on that wisdom. We should put aside time each day to read scripture—not just racing through them to meet a goal, but reading them slowly and thoughtfully. If you’ve never read the Bible all the way through, this is a good time to do so. The Book of Mormon testifies of the truthfulness of the Bible and helps strengthen our testimony that Jesus really did live and that He came to earth for everyone, not just those who lived in His small geographical location. Reading this book will bring additional understanding of the Savior’s mission, since it actually discusses this more often than does the Bible.

We need to put time into prayer — not just the ritual repetition of words, but meaningful discussion with God followed by quiet and patience as we wait for answers. If we leap up and go back to everyday life, we may miss the gentle inspiration that follows. In a conversation with another person, when you ask a question, you wait for the answer before leaving the conversation. Prayer requires the same courtesy. Act as though you expect God to answer your question — this is faith.

When we ask God for help, we need to do our share of the effort and we also need to act like we trust Him to come through with the help. For instance, I’m a writer. I’m trying to learn to write fiction and sometimes I get lost. I reach a section of my novel I know I don’t have the skill to carry out. I often turn to God for help with those sections, but then I follow up by going to my bookshelf to read how to do what I need to do. I trust God to help me find the right book, and maybe even to have encouraged me to buy the right book before I knew I needed it. And then I sit at my computer and start typing, even if I don’t yet know what I’m supposed to type. If I’m not at my computer, I can’t write the book and God can’t guide my mind and hands to type the right words. Sitting at my computer is an act of faith that God will come through with the help.

I find it very helpful to try to figure out what God is trying to teach me when I’m facing a frightening trial. When I know what He wants me to learn, I can do my part to learn it, and I also find it easier to have faith. I watch for proof that God is nearby and participating in my trial with me. Knowing He’s nearby and that I can talk the trial over with Him gives me courage to get through the trial. No matter how few people might be in my life at any given moment, I never have to go through a trial alone.

Nervousness or concern is natural, but paralyzing fear can frequently be overcome through faith. The more often we recognize God’s hand in our lives, the easier it will be to trust Him during the next trial. Every trial we handle with faith strengthens our ability to do it even better the next time.

This article was originally published in August 2011. Minor changes have been made.

Terrie Lynn Bittner

The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.

I read a wonderful talk this morning on the subject of knowing God. Entitled “Knowing God,” It was given in April 1972 by Bernard P. Broadbank at general conference. He shared several Bible scriptures that explain how to know God:

“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

“He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

“But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

“He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” (1 John 2:3–6.)

The apostle James said:

“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble” (James 2:19).

And what Elder Brockbank said just before sharing these scriptures really caught my attention:

“We can receive eternal life and salvation from knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom he has sent. Many believe that there is a God, many say that they know there is a God, but many do not act like they know God. There is a great difference in believing or knowing that there is a God and in knowing God. When we claim that we know God, it bears great responsibility, and an apostle has given us information to check our knowledge of God.”

I found that to be a very powerful statement to note that many people who say they believe in God don’t act on that belief and that this is because they don’t really know God personally. Knowing God requires work and sacrifice on our part. We can’t just say a few words and move on with our ordinary life. Knowing God is life-changing—eternity-changing, even. We cannot have a loving and personal relationship with God and continue to live the way we did before we knew Him.

This, I believe, is because if we really know God, we know how much He loves us and how intensely He wants us to have a successful “mission” on Earth. We know He knows everything and so we know that if we do what God instructs us to do, everything will go as well as possible. You can’t eliminate all trials, of course—trials help us to grow and to appreciate the good—but we can eliminate the unnecessary ones and we can become a person worthy to stand in God’s presence someday. Elder Brockbank explained:

“Knowing God does not solve life’s problems, but gives purpose and strength to master them. Jesus, with his knowledge of his Heavenly Father, still had his problems to meet and to work out.

 

The answers to knowing God the Eternal Father are found in and through Jesus Christ. Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me’ (John 14:6).”

The Bible lists many commandments and makes it completely clear they must be obeyed. They are, Jesus said, a demonstration of our love for Him. As our relationship with God grows, obedience becomes easier and easier. What once seemed challenging is now seen as a blessing because we have seen the good it did in our lives and we have a stronger desire to honor God’s requests. The more we love someone, the easier it is to serve them — and this is especially true in terms of our love for God.

For an enlightening discussion of how we can learn to know God—really know Him—read the entire talk or watch the video, which is shown at the top of the linked page.

Terrie Lynn Bittner

The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.