I just had my 66th birthday. There are plenty of pages in my personal book of history that have smudges. At the end of my earthly life, I hope that others will judge the end result of me as a person, not the dirty marks and dog-eared pages of the earlier chapters. I’m not proud of some pages of my history, but it is the most sullied pages that taught me the greatest lessons. Dirty history is the result of every life, every country, and every church. We are imperfect human beings who make mistakes. As we do, we learn and grow. Isn’t that the purpose of coming to earth?

Part of my own growth as a person has been to realize that when I die, my own children will sit around my kitchen table and talk about me—they may even label me as “mean” when they think about how they were raised. The pages of my history they will remember will be the rough-around-the-edges, tough broad who laid the law down, didn’t pull any punches, and was brutally honest. They will completely gloss over the pages where I made a conscious decision to make my parenting style about playing good cop/bad cop with me always being the bad cop. I chose that method because I love my husband, and I wanted him to have a good relationship with his children.

My husband was a very insecure person in those early years. He brought to our marriage a heavy load of baggage from a failed first marriage. His role with his son was the occasional dad from a distance, and he was never really allowed the opportunity to have the father/son relationship they both deserved. I was determined that my husband would have the perfect father/daughter and father/son relationships with our children. My decision placed me as the disciplinarian and Dad as the big lovable teddy bear. The pages of my history my children won’t see are the conscious daily decisions to play bad cop—even when it hurt.

Studying history—be it personal history, the history of a country, world history, or church history—is tricky. The only fair way to judge history is to place yourself in that time period in that exact situation. Since we don’t always have all the facts to know the pressures and exact situations of that time period, the only fair thing to do is to give people the benefit of the doubt. It’s also important to realize that everyone makes mistakes. It’s not fair to hold someone to a higher standard than we do for ourselves.

There is also a great danger in trying to whitewash history. We are seeing this in the United States right now. While there are many things in the history of the United States that should make us proud, there are also many troubling pages of our history. We have a choice to make. We can take the smudges and learn from them, creating cleaner pages in the future, or we can remove all evidence of the smudges, pretend they didn’t exist, refuse to teach our children about them, and then repeat the mistakes of the past.

One of my children had a high school history teacher who refused to teach anything about World War II (even though it is in the school district curriculum) because the United States dropped two atomic bombs to end the war. I submit that the better choice would have been to teach truth and learn from it. Why was that decision made? Did it bring the war to an end? Did it save lives? Were there consequences that resulted in many years of cold war? What would happen if any country decided to drop an atomic bomb today, or in the future? There are lessons to be learned from history, and it is dangerous to whitewash it.

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

For instance, I would love to see two statues placed side by side for children to learn about. If we placed a statue of General Robert E. Lee next to a statue of General William Tecumseh Sherman, we could teach my grandchildren a whole lot of lessons about the American Civil War. There were two sides to the civil war, so let’s teach both sides. Let’s delve into all those dirty pages and learn what we did right and what we did wrong so that we can do better next time.

My hope is that as we study Church history in 2021, we will look at the smudges with new eyes. Let’s judge the end result of those dirty marks and resist the temptation to condemn the people who made them. I hope we will see people in Church history as human beings with human frailties. They were not perfect; nor are we. It’s not fair to lay out the perfect blueprint in hindsight and then say, “Why didn’t you follow the blueprint?” We can see the end result that they did not have the opportunity to see. Let’s not judge history and people from a blueprint created after the fact.

Tudie Rose

Tudie Rose is a mother of four and grandmother of ten in Sacramento, California. You can find her on Twitter as @TudieRose. She blogs as Tudie Rose at http://potrackrose.wordpress.com. She has written articles for Familius. You will find a Tudie Rose essay in Lessons from My Parents, Michele Robbins, Familius 2013, at http://www.familius.com/lessons-from-my-parents.

As I have studied the October 2020 General Conference talks, I have been amazed at the prophetic counsel given. Over and over again, we were told exactly how to find peace. Overcoming the challenges that we have been facing is a daunting task, but prophets, seers, and revelators, as well as other Church leaders, have not only told us it is possible, but necessary. This is a time to show what we are made of—trust God and find peace.

President Nelson spelled it all out for us.

How are we to deal with both the somber prophecies and the glorious pronouncements about our day? The Lord told us how with simple, but stunning, reassurance: “If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:30)

 

What a promise! It is one that can literally change the way we see our future. … I urge you to take steps to be temporally prepared. But I am even more concerned about your spiritual and emotional preparation (President Russell M. Nelson, “Embrace the Future with Faith,” Oct. 2020 General Conference).

I have taken President Nelson’s counsel seriously. I have reorganized, restocked, and added items to my temporal emergency preparedness supplies. That was relatively easy once items became available again in the marketplace. Spiritual and emotional preparation is an ongoing challenge, but I’m slowly getting there. It ebbs and flows in conjunction with my day-to-day faith.

President Nelson gave us the pattern for us to follow in order to trust God and find peace. I have found great comfort in his words.

“First, …  [C]reate areas where [you will] be safe—places of security. … Second, … [prepare] [your mind] to be faithful unto the Lord. Third, … never [stop] preparing …—physically or spiritually. … [A]s turmoil rages around us, we need to create places where we are safe, both physically and spiritually. When your home becomes a personal sanctuary of faith—where the Spirit resides—your home becomes the first line of defense. … [Y]our endowment has given you constant access to God’s power as you have honored your covenants with Him. … [O]ur spiritual foundations must be solid. … [O]ur faith increases every time we exercise our faith in Him. … The Book of Mormon is our latter-day survival guide. … Life without God is a life filled with fear. Life with God is a life filled with peace. This is because spiritual blessings come to the faithful. Receiving personal revelation is one of the greatest of those blessings. … The adversary never stops attacking. So, we can never stop preparing! The more self-reliant we are—temporally, emotionally, and spiritually—the more prepared we are to thwart Satan’s relentless assaults (“Embrace the Future with Faith,” id).

My attempts at trusting God and finding peace have been met with variations of success. I think I’ve been pretty successful in creating a sanctuary of peace in our home. That part has been easier for me because I am no longer raising children. When your home consists of two somewhat rational adults, creating that sanctuary is much easier than when you are trying to create a peaceful sanctuary with tired and cranky children. However, I have yet to fully lay claim to God’s power through my endowment. I struggle with this. This is an area where I am constantly striving to improve. I know I have that power at my fingertips; the problem is being humble enough to access it. Trusting God is all about being humble.

President Nelson spelled out for me that my spiritual foundation must be on firm ground, and that happens by exercising faith in my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and being willing to listen to the Holy Ghost. I love that he pointed out that the Book of Mormon is our survival guide. When I am actively studying and pondering the scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon, it is easier for me to humble myself and listen to the Holy Ghost.

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

Some parts of my patriarchal blessing remind me to seek for spiritual blessings. I found President Nelson’s words stabbing at my heart because I know that spiritual blessings come to the faithful—and my faith ebbs and flows daily, sometimes hourly. I’ve prayed repeatedly over these very difficult months for personal revelation, but admittedly, I have not put in the groundwork preparation for receiving that particular spiritual blessing. Until I can trust God consistently, I don’t think I will ever be good at receiving personal revelation, nor at finding peace.

During the pandemic, I have repeatedly given myself a good talking to about enduring to the end. I’ve told myself over and over that this is a temporary thing, and that I just need to endure it. Each time I do that, I find myself more frustrated than I was before I gave myself this advice. Yes, we all must endure this, but we must learn from it as well. Trials are supposed to help us get better at self-mastery. This should be a time of great spiritual learning for all of us.

“[L]et us not just endure this current season. Let us embrace the future with faith! Turbulent times are opportunities for us to thrive spiritually. They are times when our influence can be much more penetrating than in calmer times” (“Embrace the Future with Faith,” id).

I have a lot to learn about trusting God, and until I can fully and consistently do that, peace will be sporadic and fleeting. Half the battle is knowing what is wrong so you can fix it, right? There’s a great line in the movie Apollo 13 where the engineers are told to “work the problem.” I have learned that I have a problem, and I have identified that problem. I just need to work the problem. My goal is to actively seek opportunities every day to trust God. I’m hoping that after a while, it will become a habit. Here’s hoping that as I contemplate the birth, life, ministry, and atonement of Jesus Christ this Christmas that I will learn to trust Him, and to trust my Heavenly Father. Here’s hoping that by doing so, I’ll more actively listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost. Here’s hoping that we all will find peace.

Tudie Rose

Tudie Rose is a mother of four and grandmother of ten in Sacramento, California. You can find her on Twitter as @TudieRose. She blogs as Tudie Rose at http://potrackrose.wordpress.com. She has written articles for Familius. You will find a Tudie Rose essay in Lessons from My Parents, Michele Robbins, Familius 2013, at http://www.familius.com/lessons-from-my-parents.

Most of my own personal depression has been minor, but there have been a few periods of my life when it was almost debilitating. I have had days, weeks, and even months when I didn’t want to get out of bed in the morning. That’s when I made up a game. The object of the game is to count how many things I can accomplish in a day. (I have never gotten through a whole day of counting; the point is to get me out my funk, so I quit counting when I’m well enough to function.)

Counting accomplishments begins with the little things: Make the bed, lay out my clothes, brush my teeth, let the dog out, shower, put on deodorant, brush my hair, dress, put on watch and earrings, put in hearing aids, put on glasses, eat breakfast, read my email, etc. Most days, I begin to feel significantly better before I hit 25 items. The point is to get me up and moving—something which can be difficult when depressed. By the time I get to 25, I’m thinking, “Oh, look what I’ve already done, and I’ve been up less than an hour!” I realize that I can get through the day.

Counting helps me accomplish certain tasks throughout the day that can feel daunting while depressed. For instance, since I don’t have a dish washer, I have to wash dishes by hand. Each dish, fork, spoon, glass, bowl, pan, etc. is counted as I go along. By the time I finish, I feel fantastic that I was able to wash 45 or 50 pieces (even if the reality is it took me only 15 minutes). It feels like a much bigger accomplishment by the sheer number of pieces washed.

Laundry is more challenging because I count each household member’s items separately, which requires me to actually think. Two pair of socks for me, three for my husband, now three for me, now four for him, etc. It takes a little concentration by the time I get to ten or eleven pairs for one person and seven or eight for another. Before I know it, I’m actually thinking about something besides how I’m going to get through the day.

A family member of mine uses games to clean her house. She has a variety of “random” methods that she uses. There is a jar containing little papers of household chores, as well as some fun things. She pulls a paper out of the jar, and whatever is on the paper is what she does that day—whether it is paint the living room, or go for a picnic in the park. She also has an app on her cell phone of random things she can do. (Actually, she lives her life this way, including which restaurants she frequents and which board games she plays.) Can you imagine the fun that would put into your day?

Many of us struggle with depression of some form—some minor, some needing the care of medical professionals. Each of us have our own “triggers” when it comes to depression, and many people are triggered by the holidays. Add a worldwide pandemic lasting a year with no end in sight, civil unrest, and a volatile political climate, and you have a recipe for disaster if not checked. If you need professional help, please get the help you need! If you are just going through minor depression, try making a game out of life. If counting or random selection is not your bag, make up your own game. Be creative!

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

I love to decorate my home for Christmas. There is something about twinkling lights and the smell of pine that soothe my soul. I’ve reached the age where my decorating game needs to be seriously downsized, and I had planned to do that this year. However, I thought we needed that boost this year more than ever before, so I went all out for one more season. Next year, I’ve really got to cut this down to a reasonable size for an old lady.

I don’t have a fireplace, but the fake fires on television are mesmerizing. Sometimes I sit and watch the flames until they completely consume the stresses of the day. The aroma of fresh baked Christmas cookies brings joy to my soul, but if you don’t have time or energy, a stick of cinnamon simmering in water on the back of the stove elicits the same joy.

While games are a wonderful way to jump start life, it is even more important to remember the basics: Prayer and the scriptures. No game can equal the peace gained from pouring your heart out to Heavenly Father and feasting on the scriptures. The games do, however, get you out of bed and willing to humble yourself to read the scriptures and pray. If you are depressed, create games, feast on the scriptures, pray, and, if necessary, seek professional help. You are not alone. Talk to someone. There are resources at your disposal.

For more information and resources regarding mental health, visit the Church’s mental health site.

Tudie Rose

Tudie Rose is a mother of four and grandmother of ten in Sacramento, California. You can find her on Twitter as @TudieRose. She blogs as Tudie Rose at http://potrackrose.wordpress.com. She has written articles for Familius. You will find a Tudie Rose essay in Lessons from My Parents, Michele Robbins, Familius 2013, at http://www.familius.com/lessons-from-my-parents.

Background

My father served in the South Pacific during World War II. Many servicemen returned home and didn’t talk about their experiences. It was painful. There was no psychological support in those days. They were told to go home and put it behind them, and that’s what many of them tried to do. Dad never talked much about the war. There was an occasional snippet, but mostly just stories of the personalities of the men he served with and got to know. We didn’t really know where he had served, or anything about his experiences other than that he was at the Battle of Buffalo Wallow.

Long after three of us had left home, my younger sister was tasked with writing about a battle for her high school ROTC class. She asked Dad about the Battle of Buffalo Wallow. Dad was ill, and I think he knew he wouldn’t be around much longer. He opened up to her about his experiences. He pulled out pictures from a secret compartment in his closet that our mother didn’t even know he had. Unfortunately, that was the only time Dad ever talked, and we never got the whole story. We had no idea of the significance of what he had done.

Writing the Story

Years later, my sister wrote about what Dad had told her for our family history. I thought the story needed to be told publicly, so I asked her permission to publish it on my little blog. A man by the name of James R. Odrowski read the story and commented on it. His father had served with our father.

Mr. Odrowski spent years researching The Battle of Buffalo Wallow, which resulted in a book. Early in November 2020, just in time for Veteran’s Day, he sent us copies of the book. He also shared a link to actual news footage of the Japanese paratroopers involved in the battle, and he had a two-hour meeting with us via the miracle of technology to share pictures and information.

Life-Changing Information From the Story

What we learned was overwhelming! The Battle of Buffalo Wallow was also called the Battle of the Air Fields—and it was part of the Battle of Leyte. We had no idea what Dad had gone through. Dad and Mr. Odrowski’s father were with the 44th General Hospital. They were supposed to be several miles from the front line, but ended up right in the thick of the fighting. Medical units were not trained for combat, nor were they issued weapons. They were to “do no harm” and were supposed to be protected from attack under the Geneva Convention. Japan never signed the Geneva Convention documents, and attacked clearly marked hospital ships and other medical units.

The 44th General Hospital had a moral dilemma. They could procure weapons to protect themselves and their patients, or adhere to the Geneva Convention with the high likelihood that they would all die. They requested weapons but were denied. By some miracle, the supply staff managed to acquire three ambulances full of guns. It is unknown where they got them, or the circumstances surrounding that event. To make a very long story short, the 44th General Hospital was still standing when the fighting was over, and not one of them lost their lives.

Having Dad’s story not only helps me to understand him better, but it is something my grandchildren will be able to read about on their hard days to gain hope, insight, and courage to keep going.

In December, I will turn 66 years old. My Dad passed away in 1985. Yet, I am just now learning all this. We are fortunate that Mr. Odrowski’s father did talk about the war, and that his son listened and was willing to do years of research so that this story could be told. Untold thousands of stories have been lost.

My Own Story

We’ve been told that Heavenly Father wants us to be a record-keeping people. Admittedly, my own journals have been sporadic in my lifetime. However, I have written about my life on personal blogs, as well as multiple forums such as LDS Blogs. In spite of the fact that I’m a very private person, my life is pretty much an open book at this point. I hope my grandchildren will be able to read about their grandparents and glean something that can help them get through the tough days in their lives.

A Directive From a Prophet of God

“A word about personal journals and records: We urge every person in the Church to keep a diary or a journal from youth up, all through his life.

 

Would every family, as they now hold their home evenings, train their children from young childhood to keep a journal of the important activities of their lives, and certainly when they begin to leave home for schooling and missions?” (President Spencer W. Kimball, “The Foundations of Righteousness,” Oct. 1977 General Conference.)

That’s a directive from a prophet of God. You can’t get much clearer than that.

An Explanation Behind the Directive

“Not one of my children has any recollection of my grandparents. If I want my children and grandchildren to know those who still live in my memory, then I must build the bridge between them. I alone am the link to the generations that stand on either side of me. It is my responsibility to knit their hearts together through love and respect, even though they may never have known each other personally. My grandchildren will have no knowledge of their family’s history if I do nothing to preserve it for them. That which I do not in some way record will be lost at my death, and that which I do not pass on to my posterity, they will never have. The work of gathering and sharing eternal family keepsakes is a personal responsibility. It cannot be passed off or given to another.

 

A life that is not documented is a life that within a generation or two will largely be lost to memory. What a tragedy this can be in the history of a family. Knowledge of our ancestors shapes us and instills within us values that give direction and meaning to our lives” (Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Of the First Quorum of the Seventy, “Bridges and Eternal Keepsakes,” Apr. 1999 General Conference).

My father’s untold story is a perfect example of lost history. We have been extremely blessed by James Odrowski and his father. We now have a piece of the puzzle. We have the hope that we too can get through life’s challenges.

Suggested Method to Begin Writing Your Story

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

“Tonight, and tomorrow night, you might pray and ponder, asking the questions: Did God send a message that was just for me? Did I see His hand in my life or the lives of my children? I will do that. And then I will find a way to preserve that memory for the day that I, and those that I love, will need to remember how much God loves us and how much we need Him” (President Henry B. Eyring, “O Remember, Remember,” Oct. 2007 General Conference).

Whatever method you use to get started, please write your story! Your children and grandchildren will someday want to know how you ever survived a global pandemic. They will want to know how you survived other challenges in your life. They will learn from your life. They will learn how to get up and keep moving when life knocks them down. If you don’t write your story, it is an opportunity lost forever.

Tudie Rose

Tudie Rose is a mother of four and grandmother of ten in Sacramento, California. You can find her on Twitter as @TudieRose. She blogs as Tudie Rose at http://potrackrose.wordpress.com. She has written articles for Familius. You will find a Tudie Rose essay in Lessons from My Parents, Michele Robbins, Familius 2013, at http://www.familius.com/lessons-from-my-parents.

There are many things to care about in the world. As time marches forward toward the Second Coming, there will be more turmoil and grief than we have ever known. We will be put in awkward and even dangerous situations. We will have to stand alone in a world of angry chaos. We will often be the lone voice of reason in a room of angry people. Our ethics, trustworthiness, and honesty will be tried on a daily, if not hourly, basis. It will seem as if ours is the lone voice of reason in a world of turmoil. Sometimes the only way to keep our integrity in tact will be to silence the noise.

Silencing the noise of the world may seem like a daunting task at times. It has been difficult for me the last few weeks. It takes real effort. It takes a plan. There may even have to be adjustments to the original plan, but it’s worth it. Amidst the chaos, you can find peace.

Silencing the noise happens when you watch cloud formations. It happens when you stare at the leaves blowing in the wind. It happens when you zone out staring down a squirrel in the backyard. It happens when you enjoy any of the natural beauty of the earth that was created especially for you. It happens when you pray.

As a child, I was an early riser. I remember often zoning out on nature. I loved to watch the sunrise. I loved watching the sun glistening on the dew on the grass. I loved to listen to the meadow larks. I totally zoned out when watching frost on the window, or water dripping from icicles. I’ve moved to a warmer climate now where icicles are nonexistent and frost on the window is a rare occurrence, but roses bloom eleven months of the year. We will get our first rain of the season today or tomorrow. I’m looking forward to watching the rain while wrapped in my favorite quilt and sipping a cup of hot raspberry lemonade or hot chocolate. Even in the chaos of these times, there are many ways to silence the noise.

I don’t want to give the impression that we should bury our heads in the sand and ignore what is happening in the world. Obviously we need to be a voice of reason in the world. We need to care about community issues, national issues, and global issues. The Lord needs us to participate in the world and be His voice—even when it seems like no one wants to hear Him. However, we can’t spread His message if we are so burned out that we can no longer hear Him ourselves. It is not only important to our own sanity to silence the noise; it is important to His work.

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

We are all different, and silencing the noise might look different for you than for me. Maybe for you, that looks like a hike in the mountains or a walk on the beach. I like those things, too, but it’s getting harder for me these days. Listening to quiet music while sitting in my recliner seems to be more my speed lately. Maybe you like to snow ski, water ski, surf on the big waves, or ride in a hot air balloon. Maybe you silence the noise by crafting, knitting, crocheting, or embroidery. Maybe the sound of a power saw as you build furniture silences the noise for you. Maybe it’s a game of solitaire or working on a jigsaw puzzle.

I invite you to actively seek ways to silence the noise in your life. It is important to back away from the world and refill our lamps with oil and our cups with living water. Heavenly Father has given us great responsibility in these times—but He has also provided ways for us to silence the noise so we can reboot. Take advantage of the thousands of ways He has given us to keep our sanity, look within ourselves, and revitalize our spirits. We are needed in these last days, and He has provided the way. All we have to do is to silence the noise of the world and find peace.

Tudie Rose

Tudie Rose is a mother of four and grandmother of ten in Sacramento, California. You can find her on Twitter as @TudieRose. She blogs as Tudie Rose at http://potrackrose.wordpress.com. She has written articles for Familius. You will find a Tudie Rose essay in Lessons from My Parents, Michele Robbins, Familius 2013, at http://www.familius.com/lessons-from-my-parents.

[A]s turmoil rages around us, we need to create places where we are safe, both physically and spiritually. When your home becomes a personal sanctuary of faith—where the Spirit resides—your home becomes the first line of defense. … [A] place of security is anywhere you can feel the presence of the Holy Ghost and be guided by Him. … I invite you, my dear sisters, to create a home that is a place of security. And I renew my invitation for you to increase your understanding of priesthood power and of temple covenants and blessings. Having places of security to which you can retreat will help you embrace the future with faith (President Russell M. Nelson, “Embrace the Future with Faith,” Oct. 2020 General Conference).

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t struggle from time to time to keep their home a peaceful place. I remember being a busy mom when my kids were growing up. Sibling rivalry and outside influences made me feel more like a referee than a partner with my husband and Heavenly Father in creating an eternal family in a place of security. Our home was chaotic and loud. Having said that, it was also a place of love. I tried to make our home a place where everyone’s opinion mattered, everyone felt comfortable in his/her own skin, and everyone knew he/she had a voice. I tried to make our home a refuge from the outside world. It may not have been a quiet refuge, nor the most organized place, but it was a refuge and place of security nonetheless. I hope our children felt that our home was their retreat. I hope they felt loved. I hope they felt protected. I hope they felt secure.

We are in a different phase of our lives now. Our children are grown and are learning to build their own sanctuaries of peace and security. Now our home is quiet—especially when we take out our hearing aids. Our sanctuary is very different than it was in years past. That doesn’t mean that there are not daily struggles to keep our home that peaceful retreat from the world. Today, making our home a sanctuary and place of security means taking care of each other’s physical needs. It’s the little things that make us feel safe from the world. Night lights, organized medical supplies, kicking the dog toys to the side of the room so they are not a trip-and-fall hazard, making sure there is no lingering shampoo residue in the bottom of the bathtub for someone to slip on, and even organizing the refrigerator so most used items are on the edge of the top shelf for easy reach—are all things that make us feel safe, secure, and loved.

Sanctuaries are built in different ways; each architect has a different style. Individuality is a gift from Heavenly Father. The result, however, is always the same. The home that is the sanctuary is a place of security and love.

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

President Nelson reminded us that we needed to prepare our minds to be faithful to God and to strengthen our foundations. He renewed his earlier invitation to gain an understanding of priesthood power. Making our homes a place of security will allow us that needed sanctuary to strengthen our foundations. A place of security gives us spiritual energy to study priesthood power and the wondrous miracle that is God’s plan for us.

We tend to compare our place of security, our homes, our lives with others. That can be counterproductive. Heavenly Father created us all in His image, but with very individual personalities, traits, gifts, circumstances, and challenges. There is an eternal plan for us collectively, but there is also an individual plan for each one of us. My life doesn’t look like yours—my place of security does not look like yours. What your place of security looks like doesn’t matter; you are the architect. Go and build.

Heavenly Father wants us to feel safe, secure, and loved. He wants us to make our homes a place to progress. He wants us to take advantage of the Holy Ghost, which requires a place of refuge—a place of security.

Tudie Rose

Tudie Rose is a mother of four and grandmother of ten in Sacramento, California. You can find her on Twitter as @TudieRose. She blogs as Tudie Rose at http://potrackrose.wordpress.com. She has written articles for Familius. You will find a Tudie Rose essay in Lessons from My Parents, Michele Robbins, Familius 2013, at http://www.familius.com/lessons-from-my-parents.

The Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah

Many speakers in General Conference addressed the topic of unity. As one would expect, they all addressed it from different perspectives. Elder Quentin L. Cook reminded us about how important it is to be unified in order to eliminate strife. President Dallin H. Oaks said there is a lot wrong in the United States, but a sense of calm—working through the Constitution—not against it is the avenue Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want us to pursue. Elder D. Todd Christofferson talked about a Zion society.  I realized that instead of being depressed about the ills of society, I need to realize that a Zion society begins with me and my own attitude.

Elder William K. Jackson spoke of cultural diversity being part of gospel living, as long as we only bring the good parts of our cultural traditions. This is something to ponder about. What are some of my own cultural traditions that I need to leave behind for gospel living? What are some that I need to celebrate? Sister Sharon Eubank said,

I believe the change we seek in ourselves and in the groups we belong to will come less by activism and more by actively trying every day to understand one another. Why? Because we are building Zion—a people “of one heart and one mind” (Sister Sharon Eubank, “By Union of Feeling We Obtain Power with God,” Oct. 2020 General Conference, quoting Moses 7:18).

President Henry B. Eyring blew me away talking about the city of Enoch, and how we need to prepare ourselves to be the city of Enoch before Christ comes. I have a lot of work to do. Elder Dale G. Renlund talked about mercy, which is very important in these days of civil unrest. Public opinion is nasty and critical. We need to be peaceful and merciful, not judgmental.

Many years ago, Jackie Larsen, a sister in my ward, taught a Relief Society (the Church’s women’s organization) lesson about unity. With toothpicks and fine yarn, she knitted each of us about a one-inch square. Leaving the miniature “knitting needles” on the square, she attached a safety pin on the back of the square. She then had us pin the square on our dresses to remind us that we should be “knit together in unity.” I later placed that little visual aid in my jewelry box where it stayed for years. Each time I looked at it, I was reminded to knit my heart in unity.

And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another. (Mosiah 18:21)

Building a Zion society, or, as President Eyring put it, the city of Enoch, is all about love. It’s not about tearing others down or being critical. It’s not about marching in the streets, tearing down statues, and destroying the property of others. It’s not about racial profiling. It’s not about police brutality. All of those things are a result of what has been called by our leaders a “sin-sick society.” The antidote to a sin-sick society is love. We build Zion with love—just like the City of Enoch. Love is the answer to everything. If we love our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, we will also love each other. How can we sin against each other when we love each other?

I suppose we could analyze how we got here—to a place where it is more common to rip each other apart on social media than it is to give mercy, or even service, to each other. Does it really matter? Not really. What matters now is that we put love back in the world. How does that happen? One person at a time. Love begins with me. Unity begins with me. A Zion/Enoch society where everyone is knit together in love begins with me.

I’ll leave you with just a couple of quotes about unity from the October 2020 General Conference. It is my hope that you will study the talks of all the leaders I talked about above in an effort to help build a Zion society or the city of Enoch.

Righteousness and unity are profoundly significant. When people love God with all their hearts and righteously strive to become like Him, there is less strife and contention in society. There is more unity. … Unity is enhanced when people are treated with dignity and respect, even though they are different in outward characteristics. … Unity is also a broad, comprehensive term but most certainly exemplifies the first and second great commandments to love God and love our fellowmen. … With our all-inclusive doctrine, we can be an oasis of unity and celebrate diversity. Unity and diversity are not opposites. We can achieve greater unity as we foster an atmosphere of inclusion and respect for diversity (Elder Quentin L. Cook, “Hearts Knit in Righteousness and Unity,” Oct. 2020 General Conference).

In a democratic government we will always have differences over proposed candidates and policies. However, as followers of Christ we must forgo the anger and hatred with which political choices are debated or denounced in many settings. … Anger is the way to division and enmity. We move toward loving our adversaries when we avoid anger and hostility toward those with whom we disagree. It also helps if we are even willing to learn from them. … As citizens and as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we must do better to help root out racism. … Redress of grievances by mobs is redress by illegal means. That is anarchy, a condition that has no effective governance and no formal police, which undermines rather than protects individual rights. … Knowing that we are all children of God gives us a divine vision of the worth of all others and the will and ability to rise above prejudice and racism (President Dallin H. Oaks, “Love Your Enemies,” Oct. 2020 General Conference).

Tudie Rose

Tudie Rose is a mother of four and grandmother of ten in Sacramento, California. You can find her on Twitter as @TudieRose. She blogs as Tudie Rose at http://potrackrose.wordpress.com. She has written articles for Familius. You will find a Tudie Rose essay in Lessons from My Parents, Michele Robbins, Familius 2013, at http://www.familius.com/lessons-from-my-parents.

For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility. (1 Nephi 2:11)

Since that short conversation with my husband, I’ve thought all day about the things in my life that made me grow, and the things that strengthened my faith. None of those things were good things; and none of them was easy. I was 22 years old when I gave birth to my first child, who was born with a lung cyst the size of a baseball. She had two major surgeries before she was 12 hours old. Life was not easy for her (or us) for the first 18 months of her life. I grew up quickly. My faith grew by leaps and bounds. It continued to grow through other sick babies, a miscarriage, very rough financial times, deaths of our parents, and later, the unexpected death of my stepson.

Each time I thought I couldn’t get through something, I found peace through the Holy Ghost. The Savior had walked in my shoes and carried my burdens. He had felt my pain. The Holy Ghost wrapped me in the love of the Savior and my Heavenly Father. It was tangible. It was real. Each time that happened, my faith grew.

A worldwide pandemic is certainly opposition. To that, we can add economic struggles, an ugly political arena, social injustice, and civil unrest. Sometimes the opposition seems overwhelming—until I pray. Reverent and humble prayer squelches the heavy feelings of the heart. Then-President Dieter F. Uchtdorf described those heavy feelings as darkness and despair.

The adversary uses despair to bind hearts and minds in suffocating darkness. Despair drains from us all that is vibrant and joyful and leaves behind the empty remnants of what life was meant to be. Despair kills ambition, advances sickness, pollutes the soul, and deadens the heart. Despair can seem like a staircase that leads only and forever downward.

 

Hope, on the other hand, is like the beam of sunlight rising up and above the horizon of our present circumstances. It pierces the darkness with a brilliant dawn. It encourages and inspires us to place our trust in the loving care of an eternal Heavenly Father, who has prepared a way for those who seek for eternal truth in a world of relativism, confusion, and of fear (President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Infinite Power of Hope,” Oct. 2008 General Conference).

I highly recommend reading the above talk by President Uchtdorf in its entirety. In fact, it would make good daily reading if you find yourself struggling.

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

There is no reason to despair—at least not a good one. There are lots of reasons—all  good—to have faith and hope. Despair does not come from Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ. Light, hope, and faith come from Them through the Holy Ghost.

We all have our trials of life to strengthen us. Each thinks he has the hardest or most severe trials. It may be that they are the most difficult only because they are the hardest or most difficult for you. The diamond is enhanced and made more valuable with polishing. Steel is made harder and more valuable through tempering. So also opposition builds the character of man (Elder Eldred G. Smith, “Opposition in Order to Strengthen Us,” Oct. 1973 General Conference).

Pandemic, social injustice, civil unrest, economic issues, health issues, family problems, lapse in good personal judgment, pain caused by the actions of others—all these things are oppositions or trials that build and strengthen our faith. We are diamonds in the rough being polished by opposition. The natural man in all of us is being tempered through these things. We will get through it all, and we will be better people coming out of these dark times. We are building our faith through opposition one brick at a time. What good would a brick home be if it were missing some of the bricks? God could take away some of our dark moments, but our home would be missing some bricks that keep us dry in winter and cool in summer. He wants us to build strong brick homes to weather all storms. The natural man needs to be tempered by opposition to build the kind of faith needed for our progression. Don’t despair; let the light of Jesus Christ permeate your soul. We will get through it all.

Tudie Rose

Tudie Rose is a mother of four and grandmother of ten in Sacramento, California. You can find her on Twitter as @TudieRose. She blogs as Tudie Rose at http://potrackrose.wordpress.com. She has written articles for Familius. You will find a Tudie Rose essay in Lessons from My Parents, Michele Robbins, Familius 2013, at http://www.familius.com/lessons-from-my-parents.

Just as I knew that my dog was dirty, Heavenly Father knows I have some cleaning up to do in my life. I can’t hide my sins any better than Casper can hide his dirty feet. I can tuck them away temporarily, but eventually I will have to deal with them. It would be a lot easier to deal with them now rather than to try to explain them when I leave this earthly existence. Am I ready to be clean?

What is it that makes a person ready to be clean? As I pondered that, I realized the answer is childlike humility—something I am lacking. The process towards becoming clean, for me, begins with humility. I decided to read about humility and how to obtain it. I was surprised to find that I have previously bookmarked nine General Conference talks about humility. Obviously, today was not the first time I realized that I lack humility! The question begs to be answered why I have not conquered the problem.

[T]he greatest act of courage and love in the history of mankind—Christ’s atoning sacrifice—was also the greatest act of humility and submissiveness. Some may wonder if those seeking to become humble must forever defer to the strongly held opinions and positions of others. Certainly the Savior’s life evidences that true humility is anything but subservience, weakness, or servility (Marlin K. Jensen, “To Walk Humbly with Thy God,” Apr. 2001 General Conference).

The quote from Elder Jensen above may very well hold the key to my humility. I am a very independent person, and in some subconscious way I think being humble makes me feel like I’m weak. Yet, the single most humble person ever to walk the earth was anything but weak. Christ is my example. Looking to Jesus Christ for answers is always the best way to learn.

As a woman, I’ve had to harden the exterior in order to survive in a world where men dominate. The drawback is the lack of humility. Being a strong, independent woman is fine as long as I remember the source of that strength. Without my Heavenly Father, I am nothing. Without the Savior, I am nothing. Without the quiet guidance of the Holy Ghost, I am nothing. Yet so often I am puffed up in pride and forget to be humble and grateful for the strength that makes me whole. Without humility, I cannot become clean. I’m not clean and whole because I hide my uncleanliness in pride. The day I am finally able to strip off the pride and become humble, I will be able to clean the hidden places of my life.

What will make me ready to do this? I hope I don’t wait for some great tragedy. I hope after rereading those nine General Conference talks about humility that I’ll develop a plan to develop humility—a plan that I can stick to like glue.

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

Humbly submitting our will to the Father brings us the empowerment of God—the power of humility. It is the power to meet life’s adversities, the power of peace, the power of hope, the power of a heart throbbing with a love for and testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ, even the power of redemption. To this end, the Savior is our supreme example of the power of humility and submissiveness. After all, His submitting His will to the Father brought about the greatest, and even the most powerful, event in all of history. Perhaps some of the most sacred words in all the scriptures are simply, “Not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42) (Richard C. Edgley, “The Empowerment of Humility,” Oct. 2003 General Conference).

It occurs to me that maybe I’ve been trying to empower myself in the wrong ways as a woman. The empowerment of God, humility, will make me clean. The question, “Am I ready to be clean?” may be replaced by “Am I ready to be humble?”

Tudie Rose

Tudie Rose is a mother of four and grandmother of ten in Sacramento, California. You can find her on Twitter as @TudieRose. She blogs as Tudie Rose at http://potrackrose.wordpress.com. She has written articles for Familius. You will find a Tudie Rose essay in Lessons from My Parents, Michele Robbins, Familius 2013, at http://www.familius.com/lessons-from-my-parents.

As expected, over the years there were several spoons in the back of the drawer that had gone through the garbage disposal, and the blades of several knives had separated from the handles from being washed in the dishwasher. When I was 17, I went to work in a furniture store that sold china, crystal, and silver. I found out that Mom’s silver pattern had a lifetime guarantee, and her pattern was still in print. I was able to get the knives replaced for free and I purchased the spoons on sale and with my employee discount as a Christmas present for her.

Mom’s decision not to save the silver for special occasions taught me unexpected lessons. Life is to be enjoyed—even during a worldwide pandemic. There are risks involved in our decisions, and consequences to be paid. Sometimes the consequences are worth the risk; sometimes they are not. The intentions of our actions are important. We need to make decisions for the right reasons.

The silver gave my mother great pleasure. My parents didn’t have much, but Mom could look at that silver every single day and smile. The consequences of her actions were worth it to her to boost her spirits in hard times. Every day became a “special occasion” for her. Mom had a great imagination, and she probably saw herself at a fancy party every night at the dinner table. This was a pleasure she deserved and she wasn’t hurting anyone else in the process.

It is important to understand that Mom’s decision about silverware and special occasions was a mortal decision to boost her morale, not a decision with eternal consequences.

We make decisions every single day that have much weightier consequences than a separated knife or mangled spoon. For instance, the decision to save going to church only for special occasions like Easter and Christmas has grave eternal consequences. Placing our scriptures on an end table in the living room and dusting them once a week for guests to see, but only opening them to read the Christmas story on Christmas Eve has eternal consequences. Saving the kitchen or dining room table for guests on Thanksgiving or Christmas while allowing our families to take their everyday family meals to various rooms to eat in front of an electronic screen has eternal consequences. Making drugs and alcohol a part of our “recreation” has eternal consequences.

The Holy Ghost can help us make choices that boost our morale without having to suffer eternal consequences. Our prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, has repeatedly told us to learn how to receive personal revelation.

We also hear Him more clearly as we refine our ability to recognize the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. It has never been more imperative to know how the Spirit speaks to you than right now. In the Godhead, the Holy Ghost is the messenger. He will bring thoughts to your mind which the Father and Son want you to receive. He is the Comforter. He will bring a feeling of peace to your heart. He testifies of truth and will confirm what is true as you hear and read the word of the Lord.

 

I renew my plea for you to do whatever it takes to increase your spiritual capacity to receive personal revelation.

 

Doing so will help you know how to move ahead with your life, what to do during times of crisis, and how to discern and avoid the temptations and the deceptions of the adversary (President Russell M. Nelson, “Hear Him,” Apr. 2020 General Conference).

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

As we learn to “Hear Him” through the Holy Ghost, we will know how to boost our morale in these hard times without suffering eternal consequences. We will know what to save for special occasions, and what to use every single day. We may even learn that every day is a special occasion—a special gift from our Heavenly Father.

During these difficult, distressing, and stressful times, personal revelation through the Holy Ghost can help us celebrate every day as a special occasion. We can boost our morale without eternal consequences. We can be happy. Personal revelation will show us a way to live without fear. The Holy Ghost will show us which course to take so that the eternal consequences of life are only good ones.

Tudie Rose

Tudie Rose is a mother of four and grandmother of ten in Sacramento, California. You can find her on Twitter as @TudieRose. She blogs as Tudie Rose at http://potrackrose.wordpress.com. She has written articles for Familius. You will find a Tudie Rose essay in Lessons from My Parents, Michele Robbins, Familius 2013, at http://www.familius.com/lessons-from-my-parents.