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.

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.

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.

via Healthline

While steppers wait for the class to begin, their eyes naturally scan the room, noticing the other steps around them. They can easily see when another person’s step is askew. This happens when a person hastily places the board on top of the set of risers without making a final adjustment for evenness on both sides. It’s easy to spot someone else’s lopsided step in a room full of parallel lines. On the flip side, it’s uncommon for a stepper to notice this about her own step since she is standing directly in front of it looking down from above.

Steppers look out for each other. Before class begins they alert one another when they see a tilted step. In fact, some people run to offer their help. They know as soon as the music starts and that person places one foot on the step, she is likely to fall and hurt herself. It is the hidden fear of all steppers to suffer a mishap in class which may lead to an injury. Steppers are quick to help each other out when they see an accident waiting to happen. The warning is given with sincere concern. Those receiving the message are grateful for the counsel. Could a step class have a hidden gospel message?

The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us to love our neighbor as ourselves. If we approached life more like a spiritual step class, we might be more inclined to treat the people in our lives with more care. Every one of us signed onboard to God’s eternal plan before we were born, like walking into the aerobics classroom. We all received a family, a body, and the ability to choose, much like picking the class you enjoy, securing a step and the number of risers to fit under it, and even the placement of the step within the class itself. We all have different talents and abilities, but we came to earth with the same goals of making it through this life as a better person. This resembles the workout too—everyone takes it at their own level with the desire to get in better shape. But what can we do about the cockeyed steps in the room?

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In life we live and work with a number of people, many quite different from us. Some carry anguish of the heart. Others may experience hardships we may not know about. If we remember our neighbors are more like us than they are different, we can watch out for their spiritual step. When they get off kilter, we can be quick to show compassion. When their life is not quite balanced, we can offer a hand to help. When they irritate us, we can run to their aid with understanding and forgiveness rather than accusations and anger. And if we offer our best, keeping our love for them in the forefront, they may in time understand our motivation—the desire for them to finish this life with fewer spiritual injuries.

In turn, we must allow others to assist in bringing back the balance of our spiritual step. Just as we cannot see our own misaligned board in class, it may not be easy to see our needs and accept aid. We may deny the need or resent others for trying to help. But if our goals are the same, and ultimately they are, we might rethink the motives of others, give them the benefit of the doubt and be grateful for their help. Help may not come across as smoothly as we’d like, but that’s just because they’re still working on leveling out their own step.

Our Savior Jesus Christ has the power to heal all things—to bring every step back into balance. He trusts us to help Him with this plan by helping others along the way. Life is hard to handle alone. Let’s do our best to get through it together—sweaty, perhaps, but exhilarated and stronger than when we first began the journey.

This article was originally published in February 2014. Minor changes have been made. Lead image via Step It Up London.

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.

“And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast more in than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.” (Mark 12:41-44)

The Paradox

At first glance, this story may be confusing. How could a mere pittance of an offering by a poor widow compare to the riches cast in by those who are far wealthier than she? This is the beauty of the teachings of Jesus Christ. There is far more depth to the message than one may first realize, if we have spiritual eyes to see. This story is not about giving money—it’s about dedicating our hearts to a cause far greater than our own.

How Jesus Taught

Jesus Christ, our Savior and Master, used parables and stories to teach the higher laws of the gospel: obedience, sacrifice, consecration, and love. Parables are short, symbolic stories designed to teach a religious truth. In this case, the tale of the widow’s mite is not a parable, but an actual event taken from the Bible. The widow was a poor woman who had so little left in life that to give any money to the temple treasury was an act of great sacrifice and dedication. In comparison, the scribes and Pharisees were rich beyond measure. For them to give of their riches was not a great sacrifice to them personally. They could give generously because they had wealth beyond measure with plenty in reserve. True, their substantial donation helped build and maintain the temple, which was extremely important. But as far as personal sacrifice, there was no comparison between the two. Herein lies the symbolic teaching of this event—a life dedicated to the Lord is worth more than all the money in the world.

The Comparison to Ourselves

Most people set out to do good things each day, be it through work, acts of kindness, or by accomplishing worthy goals. But we fall short of these goals, often times more than we’d like to admit. We feel our “offering” to God’s kingdom, similar to the offering of the widow’s mite, is cheap in comparison to what others give. For this reason, the story of the widow’s mite can touch our hearts so deeply. We see ourselves more readily in the widow, and we wonder if our offering is good enough.

Willingness to Give All

King Benjamin, a great man in the Book of Mormon, gave an inspirational speech about the willingness to give. He taught the blessings of imparting to the poor according to what a person had. In other words, those who had much should give much; those who had little should give little; and those who had nothing should feel in their heart that if they had something, they would give (Mosiah 4). The emphasis here is not with the amount but with the desire—having the willingness to make the sacrifice and exercising trust that the Lord will bless us when we take the leap of faith.

Promised Blessings of Sacrifice

This widow knew something the other donors did not. She had an understanding of the miraculous love of the Savior. She understood the higher law of consecrating all to the Lord. She had faith that her act of giving would not go unnoticed and without blessings for her in return—both temporal and spiritual. Her action helped her grow closer to Heavenly Father, far more than the rich donors could. For this reason, Christ was able to conclude that the widow cast in more than the others.

To read more of Nanette’s articles, click here.

Often what is overlooked in the story of the widow is “the rest of the story.” What happened to her after she left the temple? How must she have felt having been praised by the Savior Jesus Christ Himself for her simple, yet profound act of sacrifice? I’m sure she was blessed with the assurance that His words were true. She probably held them sacred in her heart, even tucked them away someplace safe in her mind to reflect upon later in times of emotional want. And then she most certainly went on to live another day. It may not have changed her circumstances on earth. She may have felt hungry again the next day and for days to come. But spiritually speaking, the effect of Christ’s confirmation of her worth solidified her role in the eternities.

Our Eternal Blessings Far Outweigh Our Sacrifices

Our Savior loves us with all His heart. He understands our circumstances, whether we are in a season of abundance or whether we feel the heat of the refiner’s fire. He of all people knows the pain of sacrifice. But through His Atonement, He took away the uncertainty of its outcome. Christ rose from spiritual and physical death, and so will we. This is the gift He has given us. Through our little moments of sacrifice here on earth, whether they measure a farthing to some or a fortune to others, feeling the Savior’s love and knowing of His redemptive power makes it all worthwhile. The blessings will come to all of us. Sooner or later, they will all come. We have Christ to thank for this miracle.

Are there times when you think your offering to the Lord is a mere pittance in comparison to what others may give? Don’t feel that way. The Lord doesn’t, so why should you? In His eternal plan, your devotion to Him is not measured by money. It is measured by love—eternal love, from which flows an endless fountain of blessings in this life as well as the next.

This post was originally published in May 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.

“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

The very foundation of the restored gospel is based on a fourteen-year-old boy who asked a question. Joseph Smith was troubled over the doctrinal discrepancies of his day. He studied the Bible and pondered for many days, if not months, to know which church to join. After reading James 1:5, he made a decision to seek Heavenly Father directly for an answer. He was not afraid to speak directly to God. God’s answer to him set in motion the last dispensation of time when the world was to prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

It saddens me greatly to think that anyone, either of my faith or outside of it, is discouraged from seeking the truth about their relationship with Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ. When a person is told not to ask, a barrier is built between them and heaven. They are essentially told not to pray. Prayer is a form of seeking answers. Heavenly Father has repeatedly told us to “ask and ye shall receive.” The Book of Mormon teaches specifically about prayer, saying:

“For if ye would harken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray ye would know that ye must pray, for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray.” (2 Nephi 32:8)

Prayer to God allows us to have a relationship with Him. Receiving answers is personal revelation from Him. No force on earth should ever come between a humble person seeking answers and the God that has the ability and the willingness to give the answers they seek. When we teach a person not to seek the truth, we separate them from a relationship with Him. It then does not matter what religion we belong to—we will be estranged from our Father in Heaven by virtue of our inability to seek him out.

The Tough Questions Can Be Difficult to Ask

I can sympathize with the woman taught not to ask questions. I am a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I, too, was taught as a child not to question my faith—but I had questions that burned so deeply in my heart, I had to ask. I was brought up in a different Christian religion, one that taught principles that did not make sense to me. The more I learned about the doctrine of my former church, the more questions I had. But in my former church, we were not encouraged to ask the tough questions—where did I come from, why am I here, and where am I going after this life? I saw discrepancies between Bible passages and doctrines taught in my church. But rather than feeling comfortable to ask, I felt I was the “black sheep” causing trouble.

One of the toughest times in my youth was dealing with the question about people who die without knowledge of Jesus Christ and without gospel ordinances such as baptism. What happens to them? This was a particularly important one for me as my best friend in third grade was Jewish. I was given a wide range of answers from “We don’t know” to “She won’t ever make it to heaven.” None of these answers sat well with me. At a very young age, I decided if that was the God of my religion—if He was that cruel to condemn a girl whose crime was that she was born into the “wrong” family, then that was not the God I wished to follow.

My Search for Religious Truth Began

As I grew, my heart moved away from my former church, but my love of Christ and my desire to know the truth deepened. As I look back now, I see where Heavenly Father placed tender mercies in my path—nuggets of spiritual knowledge that I collected along the way. I was not in a position to talk about religion at home; it was considered blasphemous to question the doctrine of my upbringing. But Heavenly Father knew the desires of my heart and He gave me seeds of spiritual knowledge that burned strong within me long after I moved out of my home. I didn’t understand it at the time, but He was preparing me to receive the answers I was looking for.

Heavenly Father Knew Me Enough to Guide Me

It took me twenty years of searching and a move to Japan to find what I had been looking for. I didn’t know it at the time, but I had been searching for the church that Christ had started when He lived on the earth. I found it in the restored gospel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When the missionaries finally taught me, I felt a clarity of mind and peacefulness of heart knowing my lifelong questions could be answered by one true and living church. This was the only church on Earth that had an answer as to what happens to people who die without knowledge of Jesus Christ or baptism into His church. I was overjoyed to learn how the temples provide a pathway to heaven for all of God’s children. Many other answers came to me as I continued to study the doctrine. It all fell into place and my heart was full.

Heavenly Father knew the desires of my heart. He also knew I was not in a position to join His church while living under the control of my family who was so heavily rooted in their religion. He knew it took a trip around the world and the ability to ask questions freely for me to find the gospel for myself. There has not been a day since that I’ve regretted my decision to join.

Ask in Humility and Be Prepared for the Answer

“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.” (James 1:6)

We should not be afraid to ask the hard questions about our religious beliefs as long as we ask with faith. For me, the hard questions brought me closer to my Savior, and they brought me to the waters of baptism in the one true church. I had been looking for answers only the Latter-day Saint church had. I was genuinely seeking the truth, no matter what it was. When I began to find it, I was in jeopardy of being ostracized by my entire family, and yet I searched on. The truth was that important to me. Many of my immediate family members have since treated me as an outcast for my decision to switch religions. This is the price I’ve paid for learning the truth. It is lonely at times, but I am not alone—I have the Savior with me at all times. I have a worldwide family of like-minded people to commune with. I can worthily attend the temple and take the sacrament. These blessings make it all worth it.

“By their fruits ye shall know them” (3 Nephi 14:20)

For others who are brought up in the LDS church, the hard questions might center on whether or not there is a God, obedience to certain commandments, or even current social issues where the Church does not take the world’s view. These are hard questions. When you humbly seek the truth, Heavenly Father will reveal it. It may not be what you expected. Young Joseph was expecting Heavenly Father to tell him which church to join. He may have thought the answer was “Methodist” or “Catholic”. Instead he was told to join none of them and that he would be the instrument in God’s hand to usher in the restoration of the gospel—not what he expected to hear, I’m sure. But he asked in faith and received in faith. Because of this, he was strengthened beyond his earthly abilities to perform the task he was ordained to do.

Satan would like nothing better than to keep us from discerning the true voice of Heavenly Father. He can imitate many feelings and promptings that feel good, but he cannot imitate our power of discernment—the peaceful stillness and clarity that comes from God. If the answers you seek ring true with the scriptures and if they lead to good works, then they are from God. If not, they are from Satan. We need to have the moral courage to discern the difference between what we may want and what God is telling us. Heavenly Father is willing to give us the strength to handle this.

To read more of Nanette’s articles, click here.

I was not expecting to switch churches, nor did I expect my family to shun me for my decision. But since I asked in faith and received my answer in conjunction with the still small voice of the Holy Ghost—a voice of clarity, correctness and reason that is undeniable to my soul—I knew it was from God. Over the years, I have had time to research further the doctrine of the Church. I’ve received testimony again and again that the original answers to my prayers had come from my Heavenly Father. They are as true today as they were when I first receive them. Most importantly, I have received strength from my Heavenly Father to live the truth, to stand strong in my conviction, and to receive the blessings of a close relationship with my Father in Heaven—all because I dared to ask.

“And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true, and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” (Moroni 10:4-5)

I wish I could talk to that woman who was taught not to question. I wish I could let her know that she has a Heavenly Father who loves her and who has all the answers she is seeking. I wish I could tell her she can ask the hard questions, and if she is humble, she can receive the truthfulness of all things. My solace lies in the fact that the restored gospel is as true for her as it is for me. Just like me, she is cradled in the hollow of God’s hand. Even though she may not feel it, His love for her is no less than it is for me. He will guide her in her own time, and when it’s right, she will feel safe enough to ask the questions that will bring her home.

This post was originally published on July 13, 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 grandmother and grandfather fell in love and got married in 1939, the year WWII broke out in Europe. They were very young—she was seventeen and he was twenty-one, and they were Germans. He was immediately recruited to fight in the war, and she waited for him. During leave, he came home to her loving arms. They brought three little babies into the word during the next four years.

But in 1944, my grandfather was killed. My grandmother was a twenty-two-year-old widow. Then, her youngest child, a little boy, died when he was only seven months old. In 1945 the war ended, and my grandmother and her two little daughters, my mother and my aunt, were left destitute on the communist side of Germany, which became East Germany.

Imagine yourself as a young woman of seventeen, marrying the love of your life, only to find him killed four years later, and then you are alone in a strange country—for that is what communist East Germany was for the people after the war: a strange and frightening land. Imagine the heartache of a lost love, coupled with the devastation of losing a baby and the challenge of raising two small children after your country has been ravaged by war.

My grandmother’s soul was raw with anguish during the several years after the war, and I dare say she lost her faith in everything. Fear drove her to act, not faith.

Somehow, she picked herself up, worked as a secretary, and, with the help of anti-communist sympathizers, fled with her daughters from East Germany to West Germany before the wall came up. She was lucky, but she was still a frightened woman. Eventually, with her two daughters, then teenagers, she fled to the United States and remained there until she died.

My grandmother never talked about her life in Germany. She never remarried, nor did she talk about her husband. I never saw any pictures of him except for a military picture. He was an absolute mystery to me. Anytime I tried to talk to her about him, I felt a wall rise up, protecting her emotions, and the conversation would end.

She kept that wall up whenever I tried to talk to her about anything of faith as well, and I quickly learned she had lost faith in God. Who could blame her? After seeing such devastation at such a young age, the scars were too deep and the wounds almost fatal to her spirit. How could she believe in a God of love, when God took her one true love from her? I never pushed the subject—I only prayed that one day she would find peace. We were as close as we could be, given her guarded pain, and I always felt she wanted to heal but didn’t know how. When she developed Alzheimer’s disease, it was inevitable she would die without the peace the gospel could have brought to her heart.

A month before her death, when she was too far gone to communicate, I found a picture of her and my grandfather taken the year they were married. It was a tiny snapshot in an old leather pocket-sized album which she kept in her dresser drawer, and it was remarkable. She was a smiling young girl, looking at the camera, and he couldn’t take his eyes off of her—there was no mistaking the absolute adoration in his face. It was so compelling; his love for her had come alive in this one picture! I wished I had seen it earlier. I wished I had a chance to ask her about it, about him, and about how crazy in love he was—because the emotion was so obvious from this 2-inch, black and white picture from seventy-two years ago.

I had the picture enlarged and put on display at her viewing, and everyone who came to pay respects got a detour to the board on which the picture was mounted. I couldn’t contain myself as I told the story of his love for her—as if I had known him personally. And all throughout the night, I had this very special feeling that he was there with me, confirming to me that indeed he did love her like crazy still and that he was ready to take care of her. It was a sweet feeling, indistinct at first, but undeniably real.

Two days after the funeral, I went to the Manhattan Temple for my regular temple work shift. During my shift, I had an unmistakable spiritual experience—my grandfather’s presence was there with me, confirming to me again (and more powerfully than before) that he loved my grandmother as much as he had when they were first married and that he would take care of her.

Immediately I thought of how she lived a lonely life, void of love and faith, and how she went to her grave this way. How would she ever be willing to listen to the message of the everlasting gospel with such a bitter history? Would she ever believe that God loved her after a life of hopelessness and doubt? Almost simultaneously I felt my grandfather’s presence confirm to me that she would listen to the counsel of her husband and the word of the Lord. She may have died without the peacefulness of faith, but she would not remain that way. It would be my grandfather himself that would teach her the gospel, to show her God’s eternal plan, and to help her understand the eternal message she was unable to hear in her earthly life.

You see, my grandfather’s mortal life ended in 1944, but his spiritual life began that same year. His body is gone for a season, but his spirit lives on. We, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, believe that when the spirit leaves the body, it enters a realm called the spirit world where those who never had a chance to hear and accept the principles of the gospel while on Earth have the chance to hear and accept the principles there.

My grandfather has been in this realm for decades, preparing himself to help teach his wife when it was her turn to arrive. He has known what I have known: that my grandmother had a terribly difficult time without him and that she might be less likely to accept the gospel from anyone else. Thankfully, she doesn’t have to hear it from anyone else! At the time of her passing, I know he was there to greet her, to take her hand, and to lead her into a happily-forever-after existence where she could learn the principles of eternity and all the love that it entails.

To read more of Nanette’s articles, click here.

This is the love story of the gospel—life continues beyond the grave. Love continues in eternity. Families are forever. What is bound on Earth continues in heaven. And not only will my grandparents be together for all of eternity, they will have their tiny son to raise together again. Love stories don’t get any better than this. We have our Savior, Jesus Christ, to thank for this eternal blessing. We have the temples to perform these sacred ordinances. Love stories can continue for eternity through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This post was originally published in February 2016. 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.

Be Thou Humble

It isn’t a Christmas carol, but the lyrics to a hymn, but “Be Thou Humble” by Grietje Terburg Rowley may as well be considered as such when read in the light of the humble circumstances of Christ’s birth, life, sacrifice, and redemption. Let’s take another look at it, but with a special emphasis on Christmas.

Christ Came to Us in Weakness

Be thou humble in thy weakness, and the Lord thy God shall lead thee,

 

Shall lead thee by the hand and give thee answer to thy prayers.

He was a fragile infant, born without the comforts of clean conditions or medical care. His first home was a stable, his first bed a feeding trough. I’ve always wondered why no one had a big enough heart to let Mary, who was great with child, have a clean room for the night. If the townspeople in Bethlehem knew who Mary and Joseph were—if they knew who the child was that Mary was carrying—they would have made room for them with open arms. But they did not know.

Perhaps the reason no one gave them a room is not so much that of ignorance as it was that it was part of the plan—an example set forth by our Heavenly Father to show the world the humility of our Savior. If the Son of God, the great Redeemer of all mankind, could come into the world without pomp and pageantry, maybe this is an example of how we should approach our own circumstances of life each and every day. Do we wake up each day with a humble heart, or do we expect the world to make way for our glorious presence? Do we have a grateful enough heart to recognize our worth, and yet a humble enough heart to resist flaunting it?

Our Savior Pleaded to His Father

Be thou humble in thy pleading and the Lord thy God shall bless thee,

 

Shall bless thee with a sweet and calm assurance that he cares.

When Christ first began His mission, He fasted and prayed for forty days for strength to endure. I’m sure His prayers were not simply rote verbiage, but genuine pleading to his Heavenly Father. Do we follow this humble example? Are our prayers pleading? Do we communicate with our Father as a father who loves and cares for us, who answers us—or do we forget to ponder and receive the answers He is willing to give? I’ve wavered in prayer many times in life, sometimes being diligent, while other times missing the mark. But no matter how far I’ve wandered from my spiritual path, my Father in Heaven has been there for me when I humbled myself enough to return.

Christ Served with Humility

Be thou humble in thy calling and the Lord thy God shall teach thee

 

To serve his children gladly with a pure and gentle love.

This verse is the epitome of Christ’s love in His ministry. He adored us enough to be the one strong enough to resist sin and brave enough to endure the suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross. His calling was to save mankind—and He did so, willingly and thoroughly. In our humility, we should thank Him every day for this wondrous feat. But do we if we are not humble in our individual callings in life? Are we willing to serve with humility, or is it too difficult for us to get past our own pride, struggles, or pain?

Whatever your circumstances—sickness or health, poverty or wealth—nothing we endure in this life can compare to what our Savior had to endure. I know there are many who are forced to endure excruciating pain and sorrow, sometimes for a lifetime, and I don’t mean to minimize these circumstances. But if we remember our life is but a small moment in the eternal nature of time, we will be able to see more clearly—our pain is temporary, and our joy will be eternal. This was made possible because Christ fulfilled His calling. So with this perspective, can we soften our hearts to serve others with kindness and in all humility? Christ can be our constant reminder that yes, this is possible, each and every day.

Be thou humble in they longing and the Lord thy God shall take thee,

 

Shall take thee home at last to ever dwell with him above.

To Be Long-Suffering is to Be as Christ Was

In today’s world, there are so many social issues tugging at the heart of men, vying for our attention, ripping families apart, putting to task our ability to remain humble. The world is experiencing a spiritual holocaust where even the faithful are pitted against each other and hearts once tender are scarred and bitter. I think of how volatile the atmosphere was during the last days of Christ’s life leading to His crucifixion, and I fear the same frenzied mentality is being played out again, as we so often seem compelled to repeat history.

To read more of Nanette’s articles, click here.

The answer to joy in this life and being our best, most humble selves has always been the same—trust in the Savior Jesus Christ. Trust His example of humility. Be thou humble, as He was, and you will be blessed with protection now and eternal rewards in the life to come.

This holiday season, remember the humble birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Remember His humble life, and His willingness to lay it down for the salvation of us all. Allow His humility to be your guide in the choices you make. His humble life opened the door to eternal life. Only following this pattern humbly will lead us to the same eternal reward.

This post was originally published in December 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.

Their plan was to catch Daniel in prayer and turn him in to the king. His fate would be final—he would land in the lions’ den to be eaten by the ferocious beasts. But Daniel was not afraid. He knew Heavenly Father would protect him with a miracle. And He did! He sent an angel who shut the lions’ mouths. The next morning, the king was so grateful to find Daniel still alive, he too began to worship Heavenly Father.

Normally it is a story that teaches children to have faith and to pray, and that their prayers will be answered. But as an adult I can revisit the lions’ den, exploring crevices I may have missed as a child, and find deeper meaning for my life today.

Daniel Was Not Afraid

Anyone else would be afraid of being thrown in a den of hungry lions. Daniel was not. He had a relationship with his Father in Heaven. He knew he was a child of God. He knew his life had meaning and purpose. He knew that no matter what happened to him, he would live with his Father in Heaven again because he was faithful in keeping all of God’s commandments, including repentance. Daniel had a testimony of God’s love for him. He kept that testimony at the forefront of his existence, which made him a target for the evil servants.

Our understanding of who we are in relation to God’s plan puts us in the same position as Daniel. We have a peace about ourselves because of this knowledge. Evil people will try their best to take this away from us, to condemn us because of it, and to keep us from telling anyone the good news. We don’t need to be afraid when we are surrounded by spiritual lions ready to destroy our testimony.

When the Lions Growled, Daniel Prayed

Daniel did not growl back. He did not try to fight the lions with his bare hands. He did not try to run nor outsmart them. He prayed. He turned his heart to God. This may have made him feel vulnerable at first, but he kept his mind and heart single to the glory of God. When we are surrounded by the growling of spiritual lions who mock us for our testimony, who tempt us to let down or standards or who try to snuff us out of existence, we can turn to our Heavenly Father. Sometimes this means a silent prayer. Other times it may mean keeping Him at the forefront of our mind and remembering who we are in relation to Him, thus walking in silent confidence away from the gaping jaws surrounding us.

The Lions Shut Their Mouths

I have often faced spiritual lions trying to tear down my testimony. I have said silent prayers for protection. I have kept my standards, bore testimony when necessary, and stood as a daughter at the side of my Heavenly Father. I have witnessed the miracle many times of God’s hand in silencing the people who have tried to tear me down. But there have also been times when the growling seemed to be endless, despite the prayers. Could it be that Heavenly Father had left me? He didn’t leave Daniel, so why me?

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When I fear the roaring is mounting faster than the miracles seem to come, I look to the Atonement. Jesus, by taking on the sins and afflictions of the entire world, made it possible for me to be clean and worthy to live in heaven again. His Atonement acts almost as a spiritual shield between me and the ravenous lions of life. While their growls may seem deafening and endless, Christ’s Atonement tells me there is an end to them—and that it ends well. The persecution that surrounds me now will be silenced forever.

While the scriptures teach us the stories, they do not follow the same timeline as our own lives. In the story, Daniel had great faith and though it doesn’t completely detail Daniel’s time in the lion’s den, I think that he likely prayed all night. The next morning, he climbed out of the lions’ den and met his king with loving arms. Our walk through life may have spiritual lions hiding in the shadows, and people attempting to silence our testimony may try for the rest of our lives. But in the next life we will ascend from this cruel den and into the arms of a loving king—our Heavenly King. The promise of this blessing makes our devotion sweeter, our prayers more meaningful, and the connection to our Heavenly Father more sacred and real.

This post was originally published in February 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.