I enjoy being a girl

Today is just one of those days when it's great to be a girl. That's all I had to say, but I really wanted to say it. I'm in the mood to be giddy -- I enjoy being a girl.

More gems

This from Elder Joseph B Wirthlin:

"Eternal life 'is the greatest of all the gifts of God' (D&C 14:7). 'Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him' (1 Corinthians 2:9). I could speak of kindoms and glory and knowledge beyond comprehension, but the words would do little justice to the reality. I could speak of exquisite joy and of infinite peace, but meager words fall incomplete and empty compared to the glorious truth. Can the word waterfall describe Niagara? Can nebula describe the glory of Orion? Can love give a satisfactory description to the tender and profound feelings of a mother for her child? Eternal life is the culmination of existence. As spiritual children of God, you and I are heirs to this priceless fortune, benefactors to a glorious future, recipients of grace."

Take some time to digest that. And if you saw me reading this in the library today, don't worry; those tears were not of sadness, but rather of love, gratitude, and rejoicing.

Some thoughts from a wiser source

This from Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve:

"I humbly thank our Father in Heaven for His daughters, you who were willing to come to earth to live under such uncertain circumstances. Most men could not handle the uncertainties you are asked to live with...You place your life in th Lord's hands each time you bear a child. Men make no such sacrifice. The blessing of nurturing children and caring for a husband often are intermingled with many routine tasks. But you do all of these things willingly because you are a woman. Generally you have no idea of how truly wonderful and capable you are, how very much appreciated an loved, or how desperately needed, for most men don't tell you as completely and as often as needed."

Beautiful.

The Power that Presides

Here's a train of thoughts that has occupied my attention for the last two days.

For the General Relief Society broadcast on Saturday, I went to the Marriot Center. It seems slightly odd to me that I go to a basketball stadium to sit on uncomfortable seats with no leg room to watch some speakers on TV. Sound odd to anyone else? Well, yes, I find it amusing too, but ended up going with my little sister, aka Heb. As we found seats, she motioned to the floor and the stake presidency seated down there. For those who haven't ever been to the RS broadcast in the Marriot Center, one of the campus stake presidencies is chosen to preside and they sit (sometimes with their wives) on a little platform in the middle of the empty floor. They do absolutely nothing but welcome all the sisters to the meeting and announce that the broadcast will be starting shortly. Heb mentioned that it must be a little awkward for them to be just sitting down there in the middle of that dark, empty floor, while everyone else gathers in the seats near the top to stare at a TV screen. Yes, interesting indeed. As the meeting began, the RS president also recognized the First Presidency and several members of the Quorum of the Twelve and some members of the Quorum of the Seventy in the Conference Center. They too just sat in their chairs at the front of the room; interesting again. So why were they there? Well, to preside, of course. But was precisely does that mean?

Among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the priesthood is often discussed and taught. So often, however, the teachings focus on the laying on of hands for healing the sick, giving comfort, strength, direction, or performing ordinances. These are vital to the church organization and for the building of the Kingdom of God. But I have been pondering quite a lot on the role of the priesthood in governing, or rather presiding in, our every-day lives. It's a rather vague concept, presiding. But as my thoughts have been preoccupied with this idea, I will try to define it as well as I can. My thoughts have formed in a sort of hypothetical conversation with a young man (about my age) who holds the priesthood of God and lives worthy of its blessings.

My first thought is a most sincere "thank you!" Thank you a million times over to all those righteous men who hold the power to bless all the nations of the world. In attempting to describe the influence of the priesthood's presiding power, I think of the young men (and old) whom I have known in my life. Without exception, there is a difference between those who bear the Lord's priesthood (obviously in righteousness, as purity is a prerequisite to actually being able to carry the Lord's power at any given moment) and those who have not. Even though many in the latter category have been smart, talented, even selfless, good people, they do not have the ability to bless lives through their every deed and word.

The holy Melchizedek priesthood "is the power and authority of God delegated to man on earth to act in all things for the salvation of men." (Joseph Fielding Smith, “Eternal Keys and the Right to Preside,” Ensign, July 1972, 87) That is some power! The priesthood is very literally the power of God. And it is used to bless the lives of His children. I suppose when understood in this way, men who bear the priesthood have a TREMENDOUS responsibility. But it is true. He has commanded, "Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord." (Isaiah 52:11) Where have your hands been, where have your thoughts been? If one realizes the significance of the presiding power of the priesthood, it requires nothing short of the utmost purity every minute of every day. Because with the power of God residing within your very person, you have the ability to affect the course of the world with every word, or action, or even a look. It may sound extreme, but that is what I think it means to preside. In some of my search through the scriptures, I found it interesting that very often, the word preside was used not in conjunction with over but rather with among (see D&C 103:35 and D&C 117:10) and the purpose of the presiding officer was to bless the Lord's people in Zion.

Imagine the wonder if every man and woman would live werf's life in line with the following injunction from the Lord: "No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy; That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death. Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever." D&C 121:41-46
Through such a power shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. To any man who holds the priesthood, I say thank you, and I encourage you to live up to the responsibility that is yours to bless lives through your very presence. To the women, I say, remember that this power is real and you have the ability and the duty and privilege to invite these blessings into your life through sustaining and supporting those who hold the presiding power in your lives. This does not give men power to dominate over women and children.; rather they have the power to bless their lives. The power of God is real, and it resides among us today. I just realized that this post is really confusing, but I don't know how to better articulate my thoughts on this subject. Hopefully, however, I have communicated the idea that the priesthood is a living power in our every-day lives, not just for use in the laying on of hands. That this power, when used properly, is the means by which we receive blessings from God and light and knowledge throughout our lives. When the priesthood has been taken from the earth, the entire world population has suffered. Likewise, when the Lord's power is among us, we grow and prosper in all aspects of life, both temporal and spiritual. What a blessing to live in the dispensation of the fullness of times when the holy Priesthood of God has been restored!

P.S. This just reminded me of my little brother, aka Flash. He just turned five last week. He is so gung-ho about everything and it is soooooooo cute. Anyway, his new favorite song is "The Priesthood is Restored." He belts it out at the top of his lungs (and some of the notes are very drawn out, so he has to take several breaths -- it's funny) and can outsing the ENTIRE primary and teachers. He is so cute!

As Sisters in Zion

My goodness, today I have so many things about which I would like to blog, but not nearly the time or energy to put them all down. It is certainly surprising how once one starts putting one's thoughts down in writing, those thoughts seem to multiply over and over. In my case, this is quite a blessing, as these thoughts are quite uplifitng and lead to a better me, but I have felt slightly overwhelmed the past two days at the outpouring of knowledge and the Lord's spirit.

Still, how can I complain about such a blessing?

I just left the general Relief Society meeting of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Wow, it was amazing! As the choir stood and sang the opening hymn, I must admit I was struck with many wonderful feelings. I watched the camera pan the faces of so many beloved sisters, from young single girls like myself to newlyweds to middle-aged women families to sweet-looking grandmothers, all dressed in white shirts singing "Now let us rejoice...In faith we'll rely on the arm of Jehovah to guide through these last days of trouble and gloom, and after the scourges and harvest are over, we'll rise with the just when the Savior doth come." I saw quite clearly in my mind's eye sisters gathered in countries all over the world to hear the words of our beloved prophet and be uplifted and edified together, strengthened by each other's company.

What a blessing it is to be part of such a wonderful world-wide organization of women united under the direction of the Lord's priesthood dedicated to the cause of charity. So many wonderful thoughts about such a great work. When Joseph Smith organized the Relief Society in Nauvoo, he told the sisters that if they would live up to their privileges (of compassion and service), the angels could not be restrained from being their associates. What a beautiful promise! "How vast is our purpose, how broad is our mission, if we will fulfill it in spirit and deed." The work of the Lord is rolling forward, and the influence of women in that work is unparalled in any other work on the face of the earth. What blessing and privileges are ours if we will reach out and share what we have with others.

President James E Faust spoke at the conclusion of the meeting today. He said many wonderful things, but the message that sunk most deeply into my heart was a sentence stated midway through his talk, that could have easily been missed amid the other treasures of truth. HE comented that we shared our sisterhood with one another, whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Wow, can you just imagine the joy at such a statement. I am far too judgmental far too often (including at this very meeting), and this just really hit home to me. Here we were, so many women, from so many different cultures, backgrounds, experiences, and stages in life. Yet we were united in our purpose to serve God and to serve one another and others; we are each a cherished daughter of God. The amazing part to me was that there are so many who are striving so diligently to choose the right. So many with whom we can counsel and work, and look forward to sitting down in heaven together.

The prophet Joseph also stated that knowledge and intelligence would flow down from that point in time (when the Society was created). Such has truly been the case. Look at the blessings available to women, especially as we follow the counsel of our living prophets. So much to think and ponder on. What a beautiful thing it is to be a woman in Zion in the dispensation of the fullness of times. What a blessing is the priesthood, and what a privilege I (and all who will join with us) have in being a part of this organization of women gathered together to do the Lord's work under the divine direction of the Lord's chosen servants!

Temple day

I've been trying to go to the temple all week. I usually go every Thursday right after my last class, but I missed last week for several reasons that I won't go into, so I have been feeling a loss in my life and wanted to go earlier this week. Somehow, I just didn't ever do it. Then yesterday, a really important opportunity came up that couldn't be rescheduled, so I thought I would go today. Well, as I was sitting in my 2:00 class, I suddenly became violently ill. I rushed to the bathroom, and well, noone needs to know the details. Needless to say, I was seriously considering ditching the rest of my classes and going home to sleep. But there was this nagging thought in the back of my mind -- oh yea, I was planning to go to the temple this evening. I lied down on the grass outside for a while while contemplating which course of action to take. I started to feel better, so decided it would be okay for me to stick it out the rest of the day. Obviously, since I'm blogging and not in the middle of a nap, I made it through my class okay. Before heading to the temple, however, I felt like I ought to record some of my thoughts about temples and covenants as they have taken a prominent place on my mind's stage for the past few hours, and I don't want to forget them too soon.

I wrote the following between my classes on an online forum as a response to a question about temple attendance and recharging one's spirituality. I thought it was a brief stroke of inspiration (it certainly didn't come from my own brilliance) and felt that it was worthwhile to include here so that I can remember it: 'While going to the temple is a wonderful thing, and certainly we should go as often as possible, it isn't an end unto itself. Indeed, in the temple we make and renew sacred covenants that govern how we live our every-day lives. So essentially, think of the covenants you have made (this includes those made at baptism for those not endowed, and also for those who are). Now live every minute of your life in accordance with the promises you made. The Lord will respond, as He has promised, with an outpouring of His spirit and knowledge of His mysteries and kingdom. Hopefully this tied my thoughts together a little better. Whether now is the appropriate time for you to recieve the endowment or not is something that must be decided between yourself and the Lord, with the aid of your priesthood leaders. However, the important thing is to keep your life as closely inline with the sacred covenants you have made, and this is what will really help you draw upon the powers of the Atonement to renew your spirituality and make you like unto God.'

Recently (as in over the past two months or so), I think the topic of my thoughts has most often been covenants. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we often refer to ourselves as "covenant-making people." It's true too; we make lots of covenants, and are encouraged to renew them regularly. Interesting, though, how often do I actually focus on keeping those sacred covenants. I go to the temple weekly, but for the other 166 hours of the week, do I dilligently strive to live in accordance with the covenants that I am remembering and aiding others in making when I visit the Lord's house. As I am not yet endowed, I still focus on the Baptisimal Covenant. Wow, this includes a lot: Take upon me the name of Christ, join his fold, share the burdens of others, mourn with those that mourn, comfort those that stand in need of comfort, stand as a witness of God at all times and places, keep His commandments, and ALWAYS remember Him. It seems like a lot, but the blessings more than compensate. I mean, goodness, what could be greater than the constant companionship of the Spirit of God, an actual member fo the Godhead. It's actually pretty amazing when I think about it in this light. So rather than just attend the temple every week (a good thing), I should also work harder to bring my life in line the the Lord's will by actively keeping those sacred covenants. (And, as I have not yet received the endowment or been sealed to a spouse, preparing myself to make those future covenants)

This has definitely given me even more food for thought. How am I doing? Well, I'm definitely trying. I have faith that as I actively do my part, I will be able to draw upon the enabling powers of the Atonement to purify my heart and make me like God. That is such an exciting thought! I have so many more thoughts on covenants that I want to write down, and a few scriptures and quotes to share, but those will have to be another post as I don't have them with me right now, and I need to hurry to the temple. I've got some covenants to remember so I can more fully live them.

Lightning

I was awakened early this morning (I can only assume it was by the thunder, but I seldom wake up to such noises). It was about 4:00 and I instantly knew that I had heard thunder and then I saw lightning through the window. I hopped out of bed; no, I wasn't frightened, but I had the sudden image of my daddy, standing at the front windows, watching the storm. I quickly walked out of my bedroom, but of course, he wasn't there. I was in my apartment, and everyone else was sound asleep. Somehow, I didn't feel sleepy though, so I took up Dad's vigil next to the sliding glass door.

That's one of the clearest memories I have of my childhood -- Dad standing at the window, watching the rain and the lightning of a midnight Houston thunderstorm. The storm last night started me thinking about him, and I have continued all day. Maybe I'll write him an email. It's always nice to hear from people you love. Yea, I have some things I've been meaning to tell him, I think I'll do it.

All this thinking about Dad today has left me wondering, what will my posterity remember about me? What scenes will pop unbidden into my children's heads at the least-expected moment? I don't have any kids yet; I'm not even married. Still, the thought has plagued me, so I think I'll digest it a little here.

Who am I? Well, I know my name, I know plenty of things about me, but do I really know who I am -- the answer to that is at present a resounding "no." That doesn't mean I've given it up as a lost cause, though. I've heard since I was born that I am a child of God. Perhaps it has become too cliche and has thus lost its significance to me, but I don't think so. I've just forgotten the beauty and purity of this simple idea. I know, however, that I feel most "found" when I pray, if that makes any sense. Most of the time I am lost, but I know that when I am on my knees in sincere, humble prayer, I FEEL who I am, even if I don't know it. If I could have any image engraven upon the minds of those who know me, I hope it would be of me on my knees in prayer. I'm not nearly as prayerful as I should be, but something within my soul just hungers to speak with a loving Father in Heaven. Perhaps it's trying to remind me who I am.

Yes, I think that was the purpose of my waking in the wee hours of the morning to witness the wonder and awe of the thunderstorm. I thought this post was going to be a lot longer, with lots of trying-to-be profound thoughts circling through my mind. But I think the answer is much simpler. I suppose that's why the Lord continually counsels us to ponder -- stop and think about life and the words of His chosen servants. We see things much more clearly that way. The lesson for me today is simple, really, just pray. Just do it. "Prayer is the soul's sincere desire." I think this is one of the sweetest reminders I have ever received.

What's on my mind

I heard someone say the other day that she heard "some general authority, some where, say something to the effect of" (take it as you will, I still think it's a good idea) to his daughter, "so what scripture are you pondering today?" Sounds like a nice thought to me. So, what is it that I think about all day? I must admit, I am a self-proclaimed simple, small-town girl. I have few thoughts worth saying aloud, but perhaps with a little coaxing, I can convince them to find their way to this blog and someday I might stumble across something of worth. These words aren't doctrine; mostly they'll be mundane. There you have it. This is a glimpse into the mind of Chicken Dust.