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.

[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.

“Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever” (Doctrine & Covenants 122:9).

I have been pondering the current events with a much different perspective than many of my friends. I shared with one friend recently that I no longer wanted her to send me any of the Facebook posts or Messenger files that were focusing on the COVID virus, civil unrest, racial issues, or political arguments. Her short response was: “Okay. So, you no longer want to hear what is truly happening then?” Following is the lengthy response I provided her:

“I’m content that Heavenly Father is in charge. What is happening is going along with prophecy about the end times. At the very best, there is nothing that my knowing the details about that will change the outcome…. and, at the worst, I can fall prey to it by buying into the fear and confusion. I am admonished in my patriarchal blessing to ‘go forward without fear.’ I have clung to that counsel (which I believe is a commandment) my entire life and I’m not going to abandon it now.”

I completely believe what the Lord told Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail (which I quoted at the beginning of this post but will include again here):

“Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever.” D&C 122:9

On September 7, 2008, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland spoke about this in his BYU devotional talk “Lessons from Liberty Jail” when he said:

“Every one of us, in one way or another, great or small, dramatic or incidental, is going to spend a little time in Liberty Jail—spiritually speaking. . . . You can have sacred, revelatory, profoundly instructive experience with the Lord in the most miserable experiences of your life—in the worst settings, while enduring the most painful injustices, when facing the most insurmountable odds and opposition you have ever faced….We will face things we do not want to face for reasons that may not have been our fault. Indeed, we may face difficult circumstances for reasons that were absolutely right and proper, reasons that came because we were trying to keep the commandments of the Lord. We may face persecution; we may endure heartache and separation from loved ones; we may be hungry and cold and forlorn. Yes, before our lives are over, we may all be given a little taste of what the prophets faced often in their lives. But the lessons of the winter of 1838–39 teach us that every experience can become a redemptive experience if we remain bonded to our Father in Heaven through that difficulty. These difficult lessons teach us that man’s extremity is God’s opportunity, and if we will be humble and faithful, if we will be believing and not curse God for our problems, He can turn the unfair and inhumane and debilitating prisons of our lives into temples—or at least into a circumstance that can bring comfort and revelation, divine companionship and peace.”

As I read those words, I reflected on how that counsel applies just as much to us today as it did in the early days of the church. The adversary wants to distract us from preparing the world for Christ’s Second Coming. We need to keep our eye on the ball and not be overly concerned (or distraught) about things over which we have no control.

The scriptures are full of events about what happens when the people are fully ripened in iniquity. Over and over we read about how the Lord leads His people into the wilderness and allows the wicked to destroy each other.

Spiritual and emotional resilience are the skills we need to be focusing on now, not wearing ourselves out by attempting to hold back the tsunami of evil, deception, and fear that the Lord is allowing to continue for a season. This is Satan’s last hurrah. He’s fighting for his existence and he’s going to take as many with him as he can recruit. I’m not going to be one of them. There is still much to do to “bear off the kingdom.” I don’t require the blow-by-blow evidence of the breakdown of our society. Dale and I are prepared to stand firm and immoveable to our final mortal breath, and (since we are 70 and 75) we are content to commit our destiny into the sacred hands of the “author and finisher of our faith.”

I spoke in my last blog post about being “tight like unto a dish” in the storms of life. I heard something recently that hit me like a tsunami. You know how sometimes we hear people say “we’re all in the same boat?” We aren’t all in the same “boat” – we’re all in the same storm. Some have a rowboat, some a submarine, some a yacht, some an inner tube. Some are more likely to survive the storm than others. 

One of the things I learned from going through the Church’s self-reliance classes is that Heavenly Father blesses effort. Well, guess what…The Church has recently added (July 2020) another course of study to the self-reliance Initiative Program that is entitled “Emotional Resilience.” It states: “This group is for educational purposes only. It is not group therapy or professional treatment for mental health issues. If you believe you are experiencing chronic issues with depression, stress and anxiety, anger, addiction, or other mental health issues you should seek professional help.”

This course focuses on teaching those specific skills. It takes time to learn and practice those skills so we aren’t reduced to a quivering puddle of fear by the conditions of our world as it teeters on the edge of collapse of life as we currently know it. We are to stand in our power knowing there are legions of angels ready to fortify our efforts after all we can do.

“…You remember and never forget that if our eyes could be opened, we would see horses and chariots of fire as far as the eye can see riding at reckless speed to come to our protection” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “For Times of Trouble,” BYU Speech, March 1980).

So, to me, the question is “How much of a supply of emotional (and spiritual) resilience is in your personal storehouse?” A year? A month? A week? An hour? 10 seconds? Truth be told, we don’t know how much time we have left to reinforce that supply. Fortunately, we still have time to gain and strengthen the skills required to strengthen our resilience and qualify for the help of the Lord after all we can do. The current events in our country, our world, is a blessing and a curse, depending on the level of your resilience. I consider it to be Zion’s Camp 2020. An opportunity to test our capacity to “let not [our] heart[s] be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

I truly believe when chaos reigns (the likes of which we are only beginning to witness) people will follow the leadership of anyone that has a plan. And when people are ripened in fear, they have no critical thinking skills available to them and won’t be able to discern whether a plan is designed to lead them to the Savior… or designed to lead them to destruction.  

As for me and my house, we will spend our emotion and spiritual currency learning, practicing, and implementing all we can to strengthen our resilience. We’ve been hearing for years that “if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.” 

I feel to share my testimony in closing.

My life is my testimony. 

I used to believe the Atonement was applied at the judgment seat before my Heavenly Father when Jesus would speak for me and mercy would cleanse me of all my sins.

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

At the age of 75 I more fully understand that the Atonement has been the source of every tender mercy that has transformed me bit by bit over the years. It has taught me line upon line. It has brought me mercy when I deserved justice.

 The Atonement has informed my lifelong desire to learn and to serve. It has given me the courage to be authentic and allow the Lord to guide me in His path leading to an understanding of how I can be a useful instrument in His hands and become all I was created to be. It has been like a silver thread leading me to my eternal home. I see it working in the lives of my family, in the lives of those I am privileged to serve. I tremble to even contemplate what mortality would be like for anyone without the Atonement. Our Heavenly Father knew we would need all the help we could get to overcome the natural man after all we can do. 

I bear this testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Sonja Hopkins

Sonja lives with her husband, Dale, on Anderson Island, Washington. She and her husband are Church Service Missionaries serving in the Addiction Recovery Program, focusing on pornography and sex addiction. She is also a certified life coach and teaches “Life Skills for Emotional Self-Mastery” in her stake twice a month. She does not teach you only to process something traumatic done to you in the past; rather, she helps you learn to feel it, heal it, and LET GO of whatever you still do to yourself and to others in order to cope with what was done to you in the past.

“And they [the vessels] were built after a manner that they were exceeding tight, even that they would hold water like unto a dish; and the sides thereof were tight like unto a dish; and the ends thereof were peaked; and the top thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the length thereof was the length of a tree and the door thereof, when it was shut, was tight like unto a dish” (Ether 2:17).

In our home, our language shifts a little each time we are reading these passages in Ether. We find ourselves referring to something being “hard like unto a rock,” “strong like unto an ox,” “long like unto eternity,” “light like unto a feather,” and “deep like unto an ocean.”

Something I listened to this past week gave me an entirely new perspective on the concept of “tight like unto a dish”. It was a talk by S. Michael Wilcox from a BYU Education Week talk, “When My Prayers Feel Unanswered.”

I was drawn to this talk as a result of the many times I have heard others say – and wondered myself – “Why don’t I feel like I get answers to my prayers?” He shares a touching story about his childhood prayers that weren’t “answered” until he was a father.

I remember that one of my simplest and most fervent prayers occurred just after I resumed activity in the Church after my oldest child was nearing the age of 8. I remembered being taught that I had a responsibility to assure my child was baptized when he was 8 years old, and I knew I was responsible for being an example to my children. I hadn’t attended church for several years and I felt that returning to activity in the church, especially with a non-member husband, would be a challenge. My simple prayer consisted of just two words: “Help me.” Then it expanded to three words: “Help me understand.” 

That prayer sent me on a journey of learning that eventually brought me strength and understanding. The following decades were filled with life lessons and insights that gradually strengthened my faith as I became ready to live what I was learning. Not just to “know what I needed to know,” but to apply that knowledge into action. Gaining my own testimony was truly “line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little.” It was similar to the concept that until you are capable of understanding basic math, there is no foundation for you to understand algebra, geometry, or calculus.

This talk helps me to realize that God nurtures us and strengthens us between our prayer asking for His help and the point at which we have grown enough to be able to understand when He answers our prayer. Being “tight like unto a dish” is a process that can span years. Each day adds new growth, kind of like when you plant a seed — the first thing that appears is a seedling. Then comes strengthening of the roots and stems, then comes the blossom, and eventually comes the fruit. The fruit represents the answer to prayer.

Sometimes the answer to prayer is “No.” Sometimes the answer is “You don’t need to know that right now.” I’ve found that I can be studying a particular concept in the scriptures and conference talks and it feels like knowledge is being poured into my mind that I feel I’m not ready for yet — so I slam the book shut. Gaining further light and knowledge is a simple phrase that has many dimensions of growth attached to it. It is not the Lord’s purpose to overwhelm us with knowledge we haven’t yet built a foundation to receive.

There is much time and effort required to create a “vessel” that is capable of withstanding the storms of life — a vessel that is “tight like unto a dish.” I think and learn best when I can see a life lesson in the form of a metaphor, or through symbolism. I’ve learned a lot about what the Lord understands regarding my limitations and capabilities by watching the work my husband does in his metal shop. He is a master craftsman with over 50 years of experience being a metal worker. He designs and fabricates complex tools and does structural repairs for heavy equipment. In his craft, he understands the properties of metal and heat and the limitations of stress that a weld can withstand. He understands what makes metal warp as it is welded and how to prevent that from happening. He knows that heat and quenching will harden the metal. He knows what will weaken it and cause a failure in the integrity of the metal. The important part is that he understands what he can safely fabricate and what will not work well for the customer’s purpose. He understands his limitations, the metal’s limitations, and the kinds of structural supports it requires in order to have the strength to handle the stress of the load that will be placed upon it. He’s in the business of building firm foundations and strong structures. If working metal is magic, he is the wizard.

Heavenly Father’s work and glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. He knows exactly how to nourish and strengthen us based on our willingness to seek his help and guidance. He knows there are certain qualities of spirit that are only realized in the furnace of affliction. He knows when we need rest and encouragement. He knows when we are strong enough to once again climb the mountain so that we are able to continue on our journey with renewed faith, hope, and purpose. He provided us with the plan of salvation that was specifically designed to fulfill that purpose. 

I delighted in reading a book my brother referred to me. It encouraged me that God knows how to exalt His children. The book description on Deseret Book’s website reads:

“Many Latter-day Saints worry whether they’re capable of reaching the celestial kingdom. Are these anxieties born of a sense of unworthiness, or is it that we just don’t think we can “do it all?” Author Alonzo L. Gaskill believes that such pessimism results from misunderstanding God’s great plan of happiness and what it is that the Lord actually requires of us. In this hope-filled book, he reviews the teachings of the scriptures and modern prophets to instill in readers a greater sense of God’s unfailing love and mercy and of His power and desire to exalt His children. Exaltation may be not only possible but probable!” (Odds Are, You’re Going to be Exalted: Evidence that the Plan of Salvation Work by Alonzo L. Gaskill)

God knows how to build His children “tight like unto a dish” so that we can withstand the storms of life and be willing to learn how to follow His direction so we can travel through the events we are in currently, particularly regarding the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic of 2020 and beyond. 

People may wonder why the prophet isn’t constantly on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or TV telling us what to do. Yet in reality, he (and the prophets and apostles before him!) have been telling us for many years to be prepared in every needful thing. Become self-reliant in your personal finances, your educational opportunities, starting and growing your own business, getting out of debt, keeping the Sabbath day holy, learning to study in your homes, reading the Book of Mormon every day, paying your tithes and offerings, doing your family history, attending the temple, ministering to those around you, healing your family relationships, repenting of your weaknesses… The list goes on and on. 

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

Each of these activities is like a caulking compound sealing the cracks and holes in our personal “vessel.” Being sealed in the temple for time and all eternity serves the same purpose: to prepare us for the storms that life will bring to us. Being refined in the furnace of affliction is the tutorial for putting on the whole armor of God; for gaining the spiritual and emotional resilience to withstand the events that lay before us heralding the return of the Savior.

The Lord never compels obedience. We have the gift of moral agency so we can choose how we want to live our lives. The scriptures tell us, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” This doesn’t say that the years between training and being old will be a consistent adherence to the “way he should go.” There can be years after a child leaves home when they choose to do their own “research” about how life works. That research can take them through some very tumultuous storms. Life has a way of teaching us valuable lessons when we are willing to learn. For those who resist the lessons, there are additional lessons. When we feel we are drowning in an ocean of pain, it’s an invitation to reevaluate where the leaks are in our dish.

I often reflect on a simple concept: “You are the chooser in your life. Create the day you walk into or you’ll be walking into a day created by someone else.” Each of us can make a daily choice to live principles that are in harmony with the nature of happiness. Be tight like unto a dish!

Sonja Hopkins

Sonja lives with her husband, Dale, on Anderson Island, Washington. She and her husband are Church Service Missionaries serving in the Addiction Recovery Program, focusing on pornography and sex addiction. She is also a certified life coach and teaches “Life Skills for Emotional Self-Mastery” in her stake twice a month. She does not teach you only to process something traumatic done to you in the past; rather, she helps you learn to feel it, heal it, and LET GO of whatever you still do to yourself and to others in order to cope with what was done to you in the past.

I wasn’t sure what to think but sat and watched. It was unbelievably sad. The suffering that this incident caused the Russian people was so incredibly heartbreaking. This nuclear plant was used as a source of electricity to the area but after the explosion, thousands of people died (not fully reported in the news) from the radiation poisoning. What was even worse for me was knowing that my father’s side of the family still lived close by in Belorus and were infected as well. You can read about it here, but I would not recommend watching the mini-series, as it was too graphic.

One silver lining that came out of this disaster was an interesting insight by Mikhail Gorbachev (Soviet Union’s last General Secretary): “Chernobyl’s explosion was a turning point that opened the possibility of much greater freedom of expression to the point that the system as we knew it could no longer continue.” This was the beginning of the downfall of Communism and the Berlin Wall. It took such a terrible disaster to wake up this regime of government (it was eventually disbanded three years later in 1989), but what a price to pay for this awakening.

Our present situation has acted in many ways as the same kind of explosion. We all have been thrown into such a crisis, and the silver lining has been incredibly eye-opening in many areas of our life.

We might ask ourselves these questions: Are we spiritually ready for difficult times? Are we as prepared as possible in our physical health for a crisis? Are we emotionally and mentally ready for catastrophe? I love what Elder M. Russell Ballard has said on this topic:

“We should not need a hurricane or other crisis to remind us of what matters most. The gospel and the Lord’s plan of happiness and salvation should remind us. What matters most is what lasts longest, and our families are for eternity” (Russell M. Ballard, “What Matters Most is What Lasts the Longest,” October 2005).

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

What price are we paying to learn some hard lessons? Personally, the time we have spent at home on our own has been a time of reflection. We are studying our scriptures to really learn the lessons. We appreciate the Sacrament on Sunday and the strong spirit in our home. Projects that we put away to do another day actually got done. We talk more as we put puzzle after puzzle together. We work on family history (and have done so much that we have enough to do for a year, attending every month when the temple opens). We appreciate peace and our health. We learn to share what we have (like toilet paper) when others are in need. So many lessons learned during this difficult time of illness and now civil unrest.

We pray for many things to go back to the way they were before, but are concerned that the world will never return to that. Any family gathering, celebration, or group activity may never be the same, but we can have faith in God. We have a living prophet who encourages us to keep positive. We focus on what we can do instead of what we can’t do, and try to help others do the same. We savor our time with our family and friends. We learn of the good in others. There are many silver linings in a crisis. We just have to open our eyes and ears and listen to what God tells us in our hearts.

Valerie Steimle

Valerie Steimle has been writing as a family advocate for over 25 years. As a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she promotes Christian living in her writings and is the mother of nine children and grandmother to twelve. Mrs. Steimle authored six books and is a contributing writer to several online websites. To her, time is the most precious commodity we have and knows we should spend it wisely.
To read more of Valerie’s work, visit her at her website, The Blessings of Family Life.

Major news broke on the coronavirus less than a week ago, and what began on the other side of the world has encroached on us here in the United States as well. What we thought to keep out of US has affected states on all sides of the country and close to home here in Utah.

I am working from home, and states, cities, and communities are shutting down by decree and isolation. Social distancing is common, accepted, and possibly only the beginning. Some have estimated this will blow over in a couple of weeks. I expect not. At this rate, large scale vices get more serious every day.

So one of the text messages sent this morning from a daughter asked “Is the world ending????” While I think the text was actually sent in jest, the question crossed her mind, and it has crossed yours. Do you want the answer? Yes.

I understand her question is the world ending to actually be “Is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ imminent?”

Whenever the Second Coming will occur, we do not know, but we are certain that it will happen, and the escalation in our times confirms for me that it will be soon.

But when it happens is not as important as our being ready right now so we are prepared when it does. Back in 2004, Dallin H Oaks spoke about our preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. His article was not intended to provoke fear in the future but encourage preparation now—at least that was my take from it. He made the following observation:

Four matters are indisputable to Latter-day Saints: (1) The Savior will return to the earth in power and great glory to reign personally during a millennium of righteousness and peace. (2) At the time of His coming there will be a destruction of the wicked and a resurrection of the righteous. (3) No one knows the time of His coming, but (4) the faithful are taught to study the signs of it and to be prepared for it.

Then he goes on to address in the article the fourth great reality. So why bring this up in the midst of all the challenges occurring in the world right now? Everyone you or I know has an attitude about this:

1. We should prepare because these challenges are evidence of the fulfillment of the latter-day prophesies and scriptural record of the great and terrible day of the Lord.
2. Nobody knows why these things happen. It is wise to be prepared all the time just in case.
3. These are normal events of the modern age. We have dealt with all this before. Relax.
4. Every time we face challenges in the world, we don’t have to make it a religious issue. Just listen to the news and do the needful. This is NOT the end of the world.
5. <This space is left for you. Because I don’t know you, your background, circumstances, or perspective, I cannot assume I adequately captured your position. So enter your opinion here.>

We have enumerated the major responses to today’s events, and whichever of the five choices you made, my question to you is why? Why did you make the selection that you did?

Okay—now for the bombshell—it doesn’t matter. However you responded is irrelevant. Whatever you supposed is completely incidental. Now don’t think my response is directed at you to critique your intelligence or place value (or the lack thereof) on your point of view. That is not my argument. The point is that however you decided to respond doesn’t change the facts. The truth is still truth.

Now don’t get mad at me or all bent out of shape because I just said your opinion is of no value, because that’s NOT what I said. I said your opinion doesn’t matter. What’s the difference? The why.

Admittedly, whatever makes you feel the way that you do could be much different from my point of view, but it still doesn’t matter. Is that because only my opinion matters? No. My opinion doesn’t matter either. How so?

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

Just as Elder Oaks related in his fourth point, we can study the signs and be prepared for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. That in the end is what really matters.

We can’t change the time the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will happen. We can’t prevent or alter its reality. The one thing we can do is prepare now, and that begins making a difference in your life and others’ today.

And that DOES matter.

Walter Penning

In 1989, Walter Penning formed a consultancy based in Salt Lake City and empowered his clients by streamlining processes and building a loyal, lifetime customer base with great customer service. His true passion is found in his family. He says the best decision he ever made was to marry his sweetheart and have children. The wonderful family she has given him and her constant love, support, and patience amid life’s challenges is his panacea.

To be perfectly honest, my lack of fear has really surprised me; after all, the scriptures about the Second Coming have always really freaked me out. (To be clear, I’m not saying that the Second Coming is about to happen — after all, none of us knows when it will happen; I’m only saying that the thought of pestilences, wars, and similar things that will happen prior to the Savior’s return has always frightened me.) I always thought that if a situation like this pandemic were to occur, I’d be a nervous wreck.

But through it all, the one emotion that has encompassed me has been peace. Peace that no matter what happens, our Father’s plan will not be thwarted. The righteous will prevail and all will be well in His kingdom. He remembers His children and makes a way for them to be happy in the eternities.

I can’t say that I will live to see the Lord’s return. I can’t even say with surety that if I were to get COVID-19, I would survive. I can’t say that worse, more painful or scary things won’t come once this virus makes its pass through the world.

I realize that sounds kind of terrifying — yet I’m not afraid, because the one thing I can say is that I know none of this is taking God by surprise. I don’t know which trials God causes or simply allows to happen, but I do know that He consecrates all of our trials if we turn to Him. He makes a way out of these hardships, whether here on earth or in heaven.

The Lord knew that frightening things would happen prior to His return. Yet He didn’t say, “Yikes, watch out!” or “You should all be very afraid” — what He did say, over and over, was “Fear not.” And while no one on earth can give us a complete assurance that we shouldn’t worry, the God of heaven and earth certainly can. If there’s anyone we can trust, it’s Him — the One who sees all.

In fact, the reason the Lord gives us these “scary” things before His coming isn’t to make everyone’s life miserable — it’s to give everyone an opportunity to repent and to make their lives better and right with God. It’s an opportunity to come closer to Him; to turn to Him. These tragedies are painful, yet they are also merciful in that they allow us to recognize the things in our lives we need to change to be ready to meet Him before it’s too late.

As I’ve thought about all that is going on in the world, I’ve had a specific scripture come to my mind more than once:

“He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation” (2 Nephi 26:24).

Absolutely everything He does is for the good of the world, and that will never, ever change.

So amidst this time of turmoil, fear, and chaos, we can feel peace, comfort, and hope knowing that God takes care of His children and that He remembers His followers.

Just think of it: He’s consistently taken care of us through his prophets. Before the huge recession of 2008, the Lord told us through President Gordon B. Hinckley to get out of debt; then, when the recession hit, those who had taken that advice were able to pull through financially. Similarly, the Lord has told us for years and years to have food storage; then, when the shelves were empty and the stores were in total upheaval, we were prepared. He told us to prepare spiritually at home and not rely on church meetings for our spiritual needs; then, when church has been suspended for an indefinite amount of time, we’ve been ready.

He’s always taken care of us, and He’s not going to leave us now.

So all we have to do is adhere to His counsel and trust that good things will come for those who strive to follow Him.

During this time when so many are fearful and afraid, may the words of a familiar hymn be our mantra:

“Be still my soul the Lord is on thy side
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain
Leave to thy God to order and provide
In every change He faithful will remain
Be still my soul thy best, thy heavenly friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end”

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

Throughout my life, I can say with complete confidence that the Lord has remained faithful to me “in every change.” Though there have been times when I’ve turned from Him, He has never turned from me. He is my constant; my rock.

I know He remembers us, loves us, and will care for us in all the ways that we need.

And that’s why I’m not afraid.

Amy Carpenter

Amy Carpenter is the site manager and editor for LDSBlogs.com. She served a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Denver, Colorado, where she learned to love mountains and despise snow. She has a passion for peanut butter, dancing badly, and most of all, the gospel.

At first, I didn’t believe anyone. How could I possibly have missed the earth shaking? I was walking through a warehouse with a dolly at the time, or maybe in an elevator. Was I just totally oblivious? I actually believed that people were making it up or playing a prank on me. That’s when my phone rang and my roommate called to see if I was okay because the house was shaking so badly. I guess that made it more real. For the rest of the day, everyone continued to update me as over a hundred aftershocks come through the Utah Valley. To be honest, I didn’t feel any of those either. 

Later in the day, I noticed lines of cars as the gas station. People were once again acting frantic and frazzled. It seemed that overnight, gas had become the new toilet paper. People had to have it and they had to have a ton of it right now. Patience didn’t seem to exist anymore and people seemed to be very on edge. What was the world coming to? 

As I sat reflecting on all of the world happenings, it hit me that these are the last days. We learn in Luke 21:11:

And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

In the past week we experienced minor versions of earthquakes and pestilences. (I believe the coronavirus falls into the “pestilences” category.)

Now don’t get me wrong — I don’t think that the end of the world is coming tomorrow. I do think that we have been taught and should be more prepared because the difficulties that lie ahead will be far greater than anything we have had to endure thus far. 

I love what Gordon B. Hinckley said just after September 11th:

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

“Now, brothers and sisters, we must do our duty, whatever that duty might be. Peace may be denied for a season. Some of our liberties may be curtailed. We may be inconvenienced. We may even be called on to suffer in one way or another. But God our Eternal Father will watch over this nation and all of the civilized world who look to Him. He has declared, ‘Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord’ (Ps. 33:12). Our safety lies in repentance. Our strength comes of obedience to the commandments of God.”

In a lot of ways, we are experiencing those very things today and may be in this frenzied state for a while. However, we can trust that God is our Lord and He is looking out for us. In some ways, we can feel so peaceful that is almost as though we don’t notice how bad things are — we just continue with our lives focused on Christ. 

Ashley Dewey

Ashley Dewey is extremely talented at being single. Hobbies include awkward conversations with members of the opposite sex, repelling third dates, talking to boys about their girl problems and to girls about their boy problems. In her spare time she also has a very fulfilling school life, work life, and social life.

Besides being a professional single, Ashley is also a BYU graduate with a degree in linguistics (Aka word nerd). She enjoys studying other languages, particularly American Sign Language, and finds most all of them fascinating. She is currently pursuing a masters degree in Teaching English as a Second Language.

Ashley works most of the time and has often been accused of being a workaholic. Currently she works full time as a merchandiser and supervisor in a retail store, and part time doing social media work. On her day off she works (really it doesn’t feel like work) in the Provo LDS temple. The only kind of work she finds difficulty focusing on is house work.

Her favorite activities in her free time are reading, writing, creating social experiments, and spending time with great friends and family. Specific activities with those family and friends include: going to concerts, plays, dance recitals, BYU basketball and football games, and watching sports on television.

For me personally, I worry a little. I worry about my husband’s health and my health, and about who’d be there for my children if something happened to us. Like any other parent, I also worry about my children and their wellbeing. And while I’m not too concerned about our health overall because we are healthy, I do worry about my mother’s health, as she has underlying health conditions that place her in the high-risk category. About two and a half years ago, my mother was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma. And although her cancer is not active at this time, the coronavirus has the potential to take her life.

Amid the worries and concerns, we’ve all also experienced the chaos and confusion. The week when many were stockpiling their pantry, we were preparing for and attending the funeral services for my husband’s sister, a death unrelated to the coronavirus. As a result, our family didn’t get the opportunity to go shopping, as our income was needed elsewhere. After seeing Facebook posts and news reports, it was terrifying to see how little is left and to know that I still haven’t been shopping — not even for the basics, much less for extras like Easter candy.

While I know what it’s like to be concerned about the virus, I also know that we’ve been taking precautions to help keep us safe and protected. While we attended a funeral out of state and had to stay at a hotel, we limited our exposure and costs by cooking crockpot meals in our room instead of going out to eat. Upon preparing for our trip, I realized that if we follow the advice that the healthcare professionals have given us and do what we can to reduce our risk, we’ll be protected. It doesn’t mean that we won’t get the virus, but it does help us reduce our chances of getting it and to know what to expect if we do get the virus. While the advice from the medical professionals is great, we’ve also been warned about not being prepared from the General Authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We have been taught over and over again to have food storage on hand. Without our food storage, I currently don’t know how my little family would survive. It’s because of what we have on hand that our family has meals to eat, because I haven’t had a minute to go grocery shopping. And while it may not be much and we may not have the extras like candy for Easter or ice cream for Sunday afternoons, we have what we need — and for that I am grateful.

In Elder L. Tom Perry’s talk “If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear,” he addresses how we should live within our means and how it is essential that we plan for the future. Elder Perry likens modern-day trials to having oil in our lamps that is sufficient enough to endure to the end. It’s important that we prepare our lamps not only for our spiritual needs, but also for our temporal needs. Elder Perry shared a quote by former President Spencer W. Kimball:

“To maintain some semblance of stability in our lives, it is essential that we plan for our future. I believe it is time, and perhaps with some urgency, to review the counsel we have received in dealing with our personal and family preparedness. We want to be found with oil in our lamps sufficient to endure to the end. 

 

President Spencer W. Kimball admonished us:

 

‘In reviewing the Lord’s counsel to us on the importance of preparedness, I am impressed with the plainness of the message. The Savior made it clear that we cannot place sufficient oil in our preparedness lamps by simply avoiding evil. We must also be anxiously engaged in a positive program of preparation.’

 

He also said: ‘The Lord will not translate one’s good hopes and desires and intentions into works. Each of us must do that for himself.’”

The need for being prepared in our time of need and trial has never been more clear than it is today. We’ve witnessed many running to grocery stores in a panic trying to buy up the last of the food, toilet paper, and water in hopes of stockpiling their year’s supply in an instant. But it doesn’t work that way. Had we all been prepared to begin with, this panic and chaos would have been unnecessary and we’d have absolutely no reason to fear. We’d only need to maintain the essentials, which should be done anyway. Elder Perry went on to advise us to be prepared in the four following areas of our daily lives:

• First, gain an adequate education. We need to learn a trade or profession that will secure an income for our future. We also need to stay up to date on the rapidly changing information and technology around us.
• Second, we need to live strictly within our income and save for a rainy day. We are advised to grow our own gardens and prepare foods at home that can be added to our food storage. 
• Third, we have been advised to put money away for a rainy day and live within our means, avoiding unnecessary debt. 
• Fourth, we need to acquire and store a reserve of food and supplies that will sustain life for at least a year.

Imagine how much less chaotic this past week would have been if all of us had been prepared and had the items that we needed on hand and only had to return to the store to buy the essentials like milk, eggs, bread, and fresh produce. The shelves would have remained stocked and there would have been less panic and even less of a reason to fear. Elder Perry said:

“As long as I can remember, we have been taught to prepare for the future and to obtain a year’s supply of necessities. I would guess that the years of plenty have almost universally caused us to set aside this counsel. I believe the time to disregard this counsel is over. With events in the world today, it must be considered with all seriousness.”

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

While I try to follow this advice, my husband and I are far from perfect. We have food storage, but far from a year’s supply. I think for most of us, we’ve been spoiled with plentiful times, not needing to stock up for the future. And although I’m not too worried about what our family will eat or what will happen if my husband has to work from home, there is still some concern and even some fear. Elder Perry’s words of counsel are also found in Doctrine & Covenants 38:30, which reads:

“​I tell you these things because of your prayers; wherefore, ​​​treasure​ up ​​​wisdom​ in your bosoms, lest the wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness, in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder than that which shall shake the earth; but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.”

I testify that if we follow this sound counsel, we will be prepared and have no reason to fear. While we attended a funeral out of state and watched the news unfold of empty store shelves and the panic among those around us who selfishly stockpiled their shopping carts, I was comforted to know that when my family returned home, we’d have food to eat. I took comfort in knowing that for the most part, we will be taken care of for the next few weeks until shelves are restocked and panic dissolves. While there is no guarantee that we won’t end up with COVID-19, we are promised that if we do our part, we’ll have no reason to fear. Instead, we will find comfort in knowing that if we are unable to work, our family will have food to eat and shelter overhead — even if we do end up infected with this virus.

My hope and my prayer is that all of us will use the COVID-19 pandemic as a warning of things to come. We have been warned and forewarned in the scriptures about perilous times. When this trial is over, it isn’t the end. There will be more to come, and that day will be far worse. I hope and pray that we learn from this current tribulation and have sufficient oil in our lamps for what could come in the future. God has promised us that if we are prepared, we will have no reason to fear. May we go forward, follow God’s counsel, and not fear.

Marie Yvonne

Marie Yvonne is a motivational and devotional speaker for teens and young adults. In her devotionals, she shares her personal testimony and journey of learning to accept herself as God created her. Her journey can also be found on social media and her personal blog and website, TheConfidenceToShine.com.

www.theconfidencetoshine.com

The Boy Scout motto is “Be prepared” — but what does that mean in real life? Once you are an adult with a family to worry about, how does that translate?

I love the movie One Fine Day with Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney. In one scene, Melanie (Pfieffer’s character) keeps pulling things out of her “mommy bag” to save the day.  At the end of the scene, George Clooney’s face is priceless as he says that he needs a bag like that. To me, that bag is being prepared.

Mom’s Grocery Store

Growing up, my mom’s idea of being prepared was having a spare room in our basement that we dubbed “the grocery store of Mom” because she stocked up on everything. We had a large family, so stocking up was wise. We went through a lot of things with six kids! And after I moved out, I had to figure out how to help my significantly smaller family prepare.

I’m not a fan of the traditional food storage that so many people these days are all excited about. I think that a lot of those long-term storage foods just aren’t edible. Powdered eggs, and anything with TVP (textured vegetable protein) just makes me gag. So when I am looking for long-term food storage, I have to be honest with myself. If I’m not going to use it, I don’t buy it. But if there is a sale on toothpaste, I get a few extra. They last for years and can be used later.  Those little extra supplies have given me quite a stockpile of short-term food storage!

Prepare

When I first got married, my husband gave me a hard time for this habit. But then a year into our marriage, I lost my job. He was a student at the time, and with no income, every extra bit of food and supplies kept us afloat till I found a new job. Needless to say, he doesn’t complain anymore.

Yesterday I was driving down the freeway and saw a billboard sponsored by ready.gov. The caption read, “‘Wait and see’ is not an emergency plan.” I love it! And they have a great point. Sadly, we need to be prepared for anything in this world of ours. Natural and economic disasters happen when you are least expecting them. But even a change in family situation is something to be prepared for. This month we started homeschooling my son. We hadn’t planned on it, but it is what is best for him right now. And every bit of preparation in my life has helped me stay sane with this major change.

Costco

So, are you prepared? If not, it’s not too late to start. For my small family, getting a Costco membership was an excellent investment. Practically every container purchased becomes a surplus supply. Next, you need a place to store it. Many people have nooks and crannies they discount that can make all the difference. Extra space next to a dresser can become a small storage spot. My favorite space to stash things is the space under the bed.

Canned goods easily fit between the frame and the floor.  Cans also fit under couches, and it helps keep toys from disappearing under there.  Most closets also have a few corners where you can fit supplies.  So, despite what all those preparation web sites are telling you, you don’t need anything special to get started. The most important thing is that you do something — anything — to get started.

It’s a Commandment

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

The doctrine of preparation is not new. Doctrine & Covenants 38:30 reads: “. . . if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.” I personally find that when I have everything I need for a trip, even a short one, I am a lot more confident. So I try to be prepared with a first aid kit in my car. (I can’t tell you how many boo-boos I’ve fixed on the playground!)  And I even bring a gluten-free snack option for when we are on the go and I have to feed the family fast food. (Not many fast food places have good gluten-free options.) So preparation isn’t something you need only in a disaster. I need it regularly!

Testimony

In the same train of thought, we need to prepare ourselves by fortifying our testimonies. Strong faith is always required during hardships. Taking time every day to prepare yourself to be more confident before the Lord is an investment you won’t regret. President Nelson is inspired and has asked us to study the Restoration before April general conference. He said in the last conference that if we did as he asked, April conference would be an experience we would never forget. What a cool promise!!

I regret the times I haven’t taken advantage of promised blessings. And that is one blessing I can’t allow myself to miss. I am grateful for the counsel of our prophets to both spiritually and physically prepare for the future. There are great blessings in our future as we follow their counsel. Preparation and peace of mind are always worth the effort.

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Patty Sampson

Patty thrives on all things creative. You’ll often find her in the garden pretending she is a suburban farmer. She loves meeting new people, and is devoted to her friends and family. In her heart she is a Midwesterner even though life has moved her all over the country. She believes in “blooming where you’re planted” and has found purpose in every place she has been. She has a deep and abiding love for the Savior and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And she loves editing LDS Blogs because it is a constant spiritual uplift. Not many people can say their job builds their witness of the Savior.