Only Pennies to Give

I recently read a story which had a profound impact on me and my faith. I wanted to share this story with you all, along with my thoughts and testimony.

Here is the story, as shared by Elder Tad R. Callister in his book, The Infinite Atonement:

"Stephen E. Robinson tells of his little daughter, who anxiously pled for a bicycle. He promised her that id she saved all her pennies, she could one day have one. Motivated by her father;s promise, she anxiously engaged in chores around the house, carefully saving every penny she earned. One day she returned to him with a far fill of pennies, anxious to now but her bicycle. Good to his word, Brother Robinson took his elated daughter to the store where she soon found the perfect bike. Then came the moment of truth-- the price tag was more than one hundred dollars. Despondent, she counted her sixty-one pennies. She quickly realized that at this rate she would never have enough to buy her dream. Then Brother Robinson lovingly came to the rescue. 'I'll tell you what, dear. Let's try a different arrangement. You give me everything you've got, the whole sixty-onecents, and a hug and a kiss, and this bike is yours." The bicycle was certainly not totally earned by the young girl, but nonetheless, it was gladly given by a father who recognized she had given her all."

As I reflected on this story, my heart was touched. This little girl had given her all, she had saved every last cent, and put every effort into reaching her dream, but it was still, quite obviously, not enough. This story is clearly a parable for the Atonement and the love and gift that Jesus Christ extends to each one of us. 

No matter how hard we try, how much we have done, and how much effort we expend, we will always fall painfully short. What we have to offer is only mere pennies in comparison with the priceless gift that Jesus Christ gives to us. In the end, our offerings cannot, and will not, ever be enough to cover the cost of what Christ has paid for us.

But, make no mistake, it still requires all that we can give. We cannot expect Christ to help us, if we only give 15 pennies, when we could have given 60. In the Book of Mormon, Omni 1:26 says, "And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved."

We must offer everything that we have! This reminds me of the example given in the New Testament, of the widow's mite. In this story, a poor widow comes to the treasury, where many of the rich are donating many riches and lots of money, and this widow contributes two mites, a seemingly negligible amount in comparison with the money these others are giving. Yet Christ says, "This poor widow hath cast more in, than all hey which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living."

In giving all that she hath, this widow may not have donated more monetarily, but she has sacrificed the greater part, because it was all that she had. The same is with us. We must sacrifice and offer all that we have to Christ to receive His gift. 

In the Book of Mormon, the king of the Lamanites is converted by Aaron's teachings and prays for forgiveness. In his prayer, he tells the Lord "I will give away all my sins to know thee."

The price that Christ requires from us may seem small in comparison to the infinite blessings His Atonement offers is, and that conclusion would be correct. However, though our offering may be small, it still requires that we give our all. 

And it is so worth it!!!

We may be broken, fragmented, lost, and weak, but when we offer our souls unto Him, He will make us so much more that we ever imagined! He doesn't just pay the debt, He goes above and beyond, taking us higher than we could have ever gone on our own!!!

It doesn't matter who far gone we think we are! We are never out of His reach, never can we reach the limits of His grace! The Mormon Tabernacle Choir illustrates this perfectly in their new music video for Christmas. (Watch it here) They depict a man in prison, being released and reunited with his family. It is evident that this man has come to know Christ and has partaken of the redeeming power of His Atonement. It shows that no one, no matter who they are, is beyond His power and love. He descended below it all, because of the infinite and perfect love that He has for each and every one.

As we enter into the Christmas season, a question we are often asked to ponder is what gift we will give to Christ this year. We are encouraged to think of something that we can improve upon in our lives to demonstrate our love for and commitment to Christ. Although our offering may seem small, it is in the nature of our heart that our devotion to Him is evident. My challenge to you this Christmas season is to ask yourself: What will I give, how will I show Him my loyalty and love?

For me, I will forever be grateful for the priceless and infinite gift that my Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ has offered me. I know I can never repay that debt, yet I also know that I will do all that I can to show my love, gratitude and devotion to Him. So I will give Him my heart, I will give Him my will, and although I have only pennies to give, I will give Him my all.

Remember The Journey: Trek 2015

This last few days I had the amazing opportunity to go on a pioneer trek. This is a church sponsored activity for 14-18 year olds which involves dressing up in pioneer-style clothing, going to the mountains, and pulling a handcart for 4 days, all while eating only pioneer food and only having one 5-gallon bucket of personal belongings.

Our First Hike

Now you may be thinking that this sounds completely awful and why would anyone in their right mind ever even consider this, but it was honestly the best experience I have ever had in my life. I learned soooooooooooo much and felt the Spirit so strongly. 

Just a warning this post might get a little long, but that is because I have so much to share! I probably won’t even begin to convey everything that I experienced because there is just so much and it is so hard to describe how amazing it is! I figure I’ll just share a few of my experiences and the things that I learned.

The first thing I learned: We can do hard things! The first night that we were on the trek, we had a hike lasting over 6-hours, and going late into the night. While most families had an even mix of guys and girls, and most had over 12 kids, our family had only 10 kids, 4 of which were guys. And, to add to that, one of our brothers was on crutches. We set out on this hike, slogging through the mud that the rain had so graciously brought us. After a few minutes, the nurses stopped by our family to ask our brother on crutches if he wanted to go back with them. They had a few other injured kids that were going back because the hike was going to be long and hard. However, we told the nurses that if things go hard we would just pull him in our handcart.

Just a little while later, our brother got in the handcart, where he stayed for the majority of the hike. At first, it seemed easy because he was only a little extra weight and we were tough. As the night wore on, however, it got harder and harder to keep pulling, to keep taking that next step. It became easy to wish that we weren’t pulling him, but how else would he get there? He definitely couldn’t walk that far back on crutches. After we turned back around to go back to camp, but with still several hours of hiking left, I did not want to get back up. I was so done with hiking and that handcart was heavy before we put him in it! However, there was no one else to pull the cart and it had to be done. Although we were all exhausted, hungry, and covered in mud, my family traveled back. As, we neared the end, we only had a few more hills left before we were at camp. By this point my muscles are screaming, my body was about to give out, and I am 99% sure that I can’t go on. But somehow, I’m not exactly sure how, we were able to not only finish the hike, but come in smiling and singing.

My awesome family!

The hike was probably one of the hardest things of my life. Near the end, I was sure that every step I took was going to be my last, before I collapsed from exhaustion. However, we finished and proved to me that I can do hard things. But it also proved to me that WE can do hard things. That may not seem like a big distinction, but it is. I could not have finished that hike without my family. We encouraged each other, and the songs, jokes, and stories made the time go by much faster. I know that on our own we couldn’t have made it, which leads into the next lesson I learned.

At one of our devotionals, as a family we talked about “no empty seats,” meaning that no one gets left behind, and that there are no empty seats in heaven. When we talked about this, I thought of our family pulling our brother in the handcart for 6 hours. We didn’t even hesitate to volunteer to pull him. There was no way that we would finish without our family. It reminded me of the quote from Lilo & Stitch, “Ohana means family. Family means no one gets left behind, or forgotten.” Pulling our brother in a handcart, in addition to the rough terrain and difficult hike, was definitely one of the hardest things I’ve ever experienced, but we did it together. we couldn’t have made it without each other and we never left each other alone.

I was reflecting on this, and I thought of how much this parallels life. Sometimes we stumble and we are hurt, but there are always other to carry us. Getting to heaven is not a competition, its a team effort. So, we rally around those that need our help, and we pull them along with us until they can walk on their own again. But we are also all being pulled by the Savior. He is always there, never tiring, never complaining, just waiting with open arms to take our burdens and pull us to heaven. I know that my finishing that hike is due not only to my amazing trek family, but also to my Savior. I could not have completed that without His and Heavenly Father’s help. They strengthened me and helped me to be able to finish. They will never desert us and they will never give us ANYTHING that we cannot handle.

This hike was sooo long!

The next lesson I learned was about attitude. We were studying the scriptures in Ether 6. In these verses, the Brother of Jared and his family were traveling to the Americas in barges, which were essentially little boats that went wherever the waves carried them. The Lord sends storms and waves to push them towards the promised land, but it isn’t a pleasant picture. They are being tossed around by storms, and many times they are buried under the water for long periods of time. Yet, in verse 9 it says, “And they did sing praises unto the Lord; yea, the brother of Jared did sing praises unto the Lord, and he did thank and praise the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not case to praise the Lord.” This verse struck me. How easy it would have been for them to complain. They are trapped inside boats, being thrown around by the sea, and I’m sure it probably wasn’t the most comfortable of situations. Yet, they are always praising the Lord! Their faith and trust in the Lord was stronger than their fears, so they turned to Him. Their attitude in the face of all of these trials cause me to reflect on my own attitude.

Before this, I had thought that I had a great attitude because I wanted to be there. I wasn’t one of the ones who had to be dragged kicking and screaming to trek by my parents. I actually wanted to be there, so I thought I was good. But as I reflected more and more, I realized there and been times where things weren’t going the way they were supposed to and I was murmuring about it. Between the rain, the mud, and the not knowing about any sort of plan, I thought I had a lot to complain about. However, I realized that when I was on the hike, the times when I had been grumbling to myself about various things, were the times when it was hardest. When I was singing with my family, or laughing with them, the hike was so much simpler, just by my attitude. Everything was easier when I had a smile on my face and a good spirit in my heart. Once I realized this, I decided that I was going to try to have the best attitude I could, and to try and keep my family’s spirits up. Doing this made the trek so much more enjoyable and I was able to focus on other things and learn more than I would have if I was complaining. Marjorie Pay Hinckley said, “You can laugh or you can cry, but crying gives me a headache.” We can’t always control our circumstances, in fact it is rare occasion when we can, but we can always control our reactions and our attitude and a smile makes everything easier.

The Mud

On the trek I also saw an amazing example of the greatness of this Church. On Thursday it rained hard for several hours. Many peoples shelters were flooded and the roads were becoming very dangerous. The leaders decided that we needed to get down off of the mountain. One of the leaders had a farm about and hour away, where we could stay in their barns. The only problem was getting the 600+ kids and adults there. The leaders made a call to the stake president of the area, and within the hour rescuers were streaming into the camp. People dropped everything to come and rescue us. There were dozens of cars, lined up as far back as we could see, all coming to bring us to safety. Some were even on their second or third trip! We talked about how this paralleled the rescue of the Martin and Willie Handcart Companies. When the call came from a prophet, people responded. The same was with us. The call came from a stake president, and droves of people responded, willing to help in any way they could.

We can do the same. The prophets and apostles have asked us to reach out, to rescue those who have lost their way. We might not be called on to go save a struggling group of saints, freezing on their way to Utah, but we are called in other ways. We are called to reach out, to welcome, to minister, to be a friend, to fellowship, to invite, to comfort, to be like Christ. how are we responding to this call? Are we like the saints from Salt Lake, or from Cortez, who dropped whatever they were doing to follow their leaders call and to rescue those in need?

On the last day of the trek, during our solo time, I was reflecting on the experience as a whole. I thought of all of the complications and changes the we had to accommodate the weather and the conditions. If our original plan was Plan A, then by the time we were done, I'm sure we were on Plan X at least. Nothing whatsoever had gone according to plan, but I was still able to have a good experience and the variations from the original plan was where I learned the most. 

My family pulling

Just like in life, our plan for ourselves rarely works how we want it. There is always something that throws a wrench in these plans and then we have two choices: we can stubbornly stick to the plan, refusing to accept anything else, or we can readjust and take a look at what God wants for us. On trek, we had a plan. A scheduled route that would lead to the “best” trek experience. Then came the rain. Now, we could have stubbornly stuck to the plan, continuing on the same path, pressing forward despite everything. This would have been dangerous, difficult, and probably would have cause way more problems. Instead, our leaders began to come up with alternate options, looking for ways to keep us safe, but still have a great experience. They adjusted the plan, trying to do what Heavenly Father wanted for us. Fortunately, (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it) Heavenly Father knew that there were those who need a different experience, who needed Plan X instead of Plan A. He also knows what plan we need, and while it may not always be the way we think it should be, He knows best and He knows what will get us to where we need to go. All we have to do is trust that He knows what He is doing and have faith in His plan and His timing.

Probably the best thing about trek was my family. It is crazy to think that after only knowing them 2 1/2 days, I feel so close to them and I love them so much. The experiences, trials, and the Spirit brought us so close together that I know I have made lasting friendships. This trek showed me how important family is, as I wouldn’t have finished without them. Similarly, we will not be able to finish this life without the support of our families and others around us. Remember its a team effort, not an individual event.

One of my brothers, my Pa and Ma, and me!

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true. I know that our pioneer ancestors would not have endured what they did if they did not have an absolute conviction in the truthfulness of this gospel. Trek has taught me so much and strengthened my testimony immensely. It may not have been the trek that I originally wanted/expected, but it was definitely the trek that I needed and I will forever treasure this experience. 

Who Do I Want to Be?

This past weekend, as I was recovering from the removal of my wisdom teeth, I spent a large portion of my time in front of the television, as might be expected. Now, I particularly enjoy watching spy, secret agent, and crime television shows. As I was watching these types of shows this weekend, I noticed something. In almost every single show, the characters all seem to lead multiple lives. There are lies, secrets, double lives, etc. and the main characters are constantly having to essentially change who they are, based on where they are and who they are with.

As I reflected on this, I came to realize that this is what often happens in reality as well. Although most of us are probably not leaving double lives as secret agents, we do tend to compartmentalize ourselves based on where we are and who we are with. We end up with our home lives, our work lives, our school lives, our social lives, and our church lives. Now it seems obvious that we should be the same person everywhere, as we still have our personalities and we are who we are, but I think that this is not often the case.

I ask myself: Who am I? and hundreds of different words pop into my head. Student, athlete, musician, employee, graduate, sister, daughter, friend, best friend, acquaintance, member, leader, teacher, granddaughter, and the list could go on. The one thing that I found in common with all of these roles, is that they depend on where I am at and who I am with and I found myself asking: is there anything in me that is constant? Anything that permeates throughout my entire life, no matter where I am at?

I decided that this depends on me. This depends on who I want to be and who I want to be known as. President Thomas S Monson, head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, has said, "Be the same person you are in the dark as you are in the light." This quote is all about choice. It is about us choosing who we want to be and what we want others to see in us. So I ask myself, who do I want to be?

For me, this question is simple. I want people to see that I know I am a daughter of a loving Heavenly Father. I want them to see that I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and that I know for a surety it is true. I want others to see my faith in the way that I live and the way that I act, regardless of where I am and who I am with.

So I have made my choice, to let my faith permeate through all of the many roles that I have to fill, to let it be a part of me regardless of the situation. I have chosen who I want to be.

Motherhood: A Divine Calling

Thought this was appropriate for today :)

As it is Mothers Day, I want to talk about why being a mother in the future is important to me and how my own mother has inspired me.

I decided to discuss the first portion of my topic because I have often wished that I was better able to explain why I feel that family and children should be my main focus for my future plans. The question, “Why is having a family so important to you?” is something that I think is asked to the youth of our church, especially young women, quite a bit. In a world where it is increasingly popular to be a successful career person first and at home with family second, the pressure to put off marriage and children “until you’re ready” either career-wise or financial-wise has increased exponentially. However, President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “Women who make a house a home make a far greater contribution to society than those who command large armies or stand at the head of impressive corporations.” Hopefully in this post I will be able to communicate why it is that I am so convinced of the importance of motherhood.

First and foremost, motherhood is a calling and a divine role given from God. Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, “Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling… It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for.” Motherhood is part of God’s divine design and plan for his children. It is the way that he allows his spirit children to come to earth and receive our bodies, an essential part of the plan. It is truly a sign of how much God loves and trusts us, that he allows us to be born into and to raise families. Elder Neal A. Maxwell also said, “God trusts women so much that He lets them bear and care for his spirit children.” It is a sacred responsibility which should not be taken lightly. Mothers hold one of the highest callings and most divine responsibilities of God’s children on the earth. M. Russell Ballard said, “There is no role in life more essential and more eternal than that of motherhood.” Motherhood is a sacred calling that we should respect and revere, not downgrade like much of the world does.

The impact and inspiration that mothers have has no earthly rival. Neal A. Maxwell said, “What happens in cradles and kitchens will prove to be more effective than what goes on in congress.” My own mother has definitely impacted my life in more ways than I can count and has inspired me to be a better person and to live the right way. Our mothers teach us everything from how to walk to how to pray, and the influence of a mother’s words is far greater than any other person’s. A story shared by Bradley D. Foster of the Seventy illustrates this point. He says,

“My good friend Don Pearson shared an experience that highlights this influence. One night his four-year-old son asked him to read a bedtime story. Eric had picked out his favorite book: The Ballooning Adventures of Paddy Pork, a story about a family who lived on the isles of the sea and traveled from island to island by hot-air balloon. It was a picture book that had no words, so Brother Pearson made up words to the story.

“Paddy is in a hot-air balloon. He is landing on an island now. He is dropping a line over the side of the balloon.”

Eric stopped him. “Dad, that is not a line. It’s a rope.”

Brother Pearson looked at Eric and back at the picture book, and then he continued: “Paddy is getting out of the balloon and climbing down the tree. Oh no! His coat is caught on a limb!”

Again Eric stopped him. “Dad, that’s not a coat. It’s a jacket.”

By now Brother Pearson was somewhat perplexed. He said, “Eric, there are no words in this book, just pictures. Why do you insist that it’s a jacket?”

Eric answered, “Because Mother told me.”

His father closed the book and said, “Eric, who do you think is the last word, the ultimate authority in this house?”

This time Eric thought carefully before he answered, “You are, Dad.”

Brother Pearson beamed at his son. What an exceptional answer! “How did you know that?”

Eric quickly responded, “Mother told me.”

As President James E. Faust said: “There is no greater good in all the world than motherhood. The influence of a mother in the lives of her children is beyond calculation”

My mother has inspired me with her example and has shown me what I need to be a great mother. Recently I was working on my personal progress for a Divine Nature Value experience about the divine roles of women. Part of the experience was to talk to your mother to learn what attributes she thinks are important for being a good wife and mother. I would like to share with you these attributes and the example that my mother sets for each of them.

First, having a testimony of the gospel and of the divine role of women and mothers. The example that mother’s set is a crucial one in children’s lives and a mother’s testimony helps to build the faith of her children. In the Book of Mormon, the 2,000 stripling warriors had faith in God and His deliverance because of their mothers. They “did not doubt their mothers knew it.” I add my testimony to theirs- I do not doubt that my mother knows that this gospel is the absolute truth. She is always bearing her testimony and striving to live the gospel in such a way that it makes me want to follow her example.

The next important attributes are patience and kindness. Life is hard and things don’t always go the way that we plan, so it is important to be understanding and patient. A mother’s words are also very influential, so a mother’s harsh words hurt the most. My mother is constantly patient with me, even though I know I drive her crazy sometimes.

A mother needs to be selfless. Motherhood is a hard and often thankless job, I know I don’t say thank you nearly enough, and to be willing to give up personal desires and place others first is something that amazes me as I see my own mother work countless hours for all of us to do the things that we want to do.

A mother also needs to have a sense of humor and be able to laugh. Marjorie Pay Hinckley said, “you can laugh or you can cry, but crying gives me a headache.” My mother is probably one of the most ridiculous, weird, and random people that I know, but she is constantly making me laugh and its the ridiculous parts of life that make it so much fun.

The love of a mother is a constant that we can always rely on. Much like the love from our Heavenly Father, it is given freely, makes no demands, and never gives up on us. There is a popular quote which says “Behind every successful man there is a strong, wise and hardworking woman.” I would like to amend this slightly. My version reads, “Behind every successful person there is a strong, wise, and hardworking MOTHER.”

I am so thankful for my mother. Although she is far from perfect- she would be the first to tell you that and I’d be the first to attest to it- she is my greatest example. She loves me, takes care of me, always makes time for me, and believes in me even when I don't believe in myself. Although I may be permanently scarred for life, these scars, so to speak, are what make who I am and who have shaped me into the individual I am today. As I go forward into my future I am not scared because I know that my mom has taught me everything I need to know.

I would like to close with one of my favorite quotes about motherhood from Marjorie Pay Hinckley. “I don’t want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone’s garden. I want to be there with children’s sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived”

Me and my momma

I know that motherhood is a divine calling from God and I am excited and grateful to be able to take on this responsibility in the future. I know that families can be together forever and that they are an essential part of His plan for His children. My own mother has inspired and taught me so much. I love her immensely and wouldn't trade her for anything. She is who I aspire to be and I am so grateful that Heavenly Father gave me to her. Happy Mother’s Day Mom, I love you!!!

Choosing to Believe--- An Every Day Act

Recently I had a chance to view/listen to/watch the LDS General Conference. For those of you unfamiliar with this, it is worldwide meeting of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, broadcast to millions of members, where our leaders address us. These men are prophets, apostles, and general authorities that are called of God to do his work. They prepare talks to help instruct the members and to communicate the Lord's will for His people. It is an amazing experience and I know that these men are truly called by God and are acting with His authority.

Anyways, as I was watching Conference, one of the speakers said something that really stuck out to me. Elder L. Whitney Clayton, of the Quorum of the Seventy, said, "Every day each of us faces a test. It is the test of our lifetimes: will we choose to believe in Him and allow the light of His gospel to grow within us, or will we refuse to believe and insist on traveling alone in the dark?" It was the word "everyday" that really caught my attention. Hadn't I already made my choice, along with millions of others, when I asked God if His church was true and received my answer? (A resounding yes, by the way) As I reflected on this, I came to few conclusions.

First, belief is not passive in any way, shape, or form. It is a conscious act, an intention declaration. Each person must decide for themselves who they are, what they believe, and how that belief defines them. This conscious act proves to our Heavenly Father that we are still committed to His plan and to His gospel. When we show Heavenly Father this, He can bless us more immensely that we ever imagined.

Second, Satan isn't getting complacent, so why should we? Satan is going to try his best to get every person that he can. He wants to make us miserable like he is, and he is not giving up. Every day there is something new, something that Satan has planted to try to get us to waver. It may change form, but he is always there. Sooo, if Satan isn't going to be giving up anytime soon, wouldn't we want to be the strongest that we can be? This is where the choice comes in. By choosing to believe every, single day, we are made so much stronger by that renewed belief, rather than relying solely on a single experience from a long time ago.

Third, there is a sense of power and purpose in doing something everyday, committing to believe once again, even if it's only for 24 hours. This renewed faith acts as an anchor while we travel through the storms and waves of life.

I am convinced that belief is not, CANNOT, be passive. It is choice that we must make every single day. We cannot wait until tomorrow. It may be too late. The time is now and we must act.

TODAY, I choose to trust God. TODAY, I choose to turn to my Heavenly Father and to rely on Him TODAY, I choose to look for His hand in my life. TODAY, I choose to follow Him. TODAY, I choose to believe.