The Nelson Challenge: In His Name

I've been following President Nelson's challenge to study the words, actions, doctrines, prophecies, and commandments of Christ every week. Here is something I studied recently.

Lesson #5

In the Church, we do a lot of things in the name of Jesus Christ. So, what does that mean? And how can it help me turn unto Christ in every thought? How can it help me to learn more of Him and to gain a stronger witness of His power and divinity?

As I was studying, I came across this conference talk by Elder L. Edward Brown in April 1997 titled "Pray Unto the Father in My Name." Elder Brown says,

We we use these sacred words, "In the name of Jesus Christ,"...we are on holy ground. We are using a name most sublime, most holy, and most wonderful--the very name of the Son of God. What power and reassurance and peace come when we really pray in His name. This conclusion may be the most important part of prayer.

He references Moses 1:21, where Moses says, "In the name of the Only Begotten, depart hence, Satan."

We can send Satan hence if we live in the name of Jesus Christ. We not only pray in His name, but we act in His name. We represent Him, for we have made a covenant at baptism to take upon us His name. We become the undershepherds on the path to become like the true and living Shepherd. To do things in the name of Jesus Christ means to act like Him.

During a beautiful Easter lesson last Sunday, I made a list of things I do or can do in His name:

• In His name, I kneel in prayer.
• In His name, I praise God.
• In His name, I thank God.
• In His name, I seek blessings.
• In His name, I protect my family.
• In His name, I use my talents.
• In His name, I serve His disciples.
• In His name, I serve His abusers.
• In His name, I bless others.
• In His name, I answer prayers.
• In His name, I will live again.
• In His name, I change into a better person.
• In His name, I rise.

Because of my baptismal covenant, renewed every week at the sacrament table, I walk and talk in name of Jesus Christ. I represent Him in everything I do, emphasizing the need for repentance if I do something wrong and thereby misrepresent Him. When I'm at work, I work in His name. When I'm eating, I eat in His name. If I truly keep this covenant, my thoughts will automatically turn to the Savior for whom and by whom I do everything. He is the reason I can do so many good things to build up the kingdom of God. He is also the reason I will do so many good things. 

I can also learn more about the Savior by acting in His name. It makes me think about what He would do or wouldn't do, especially in His relationship with God. My prayers are a lot more reverent and sacred when I pray as Jesus, the Beloved Son, would pray. I'm a lot less selfish and a lot more hopeful when I seek blessings and answers. Acting in His name gives me the confidence to know that I can be perfect like Him someday.

Resistance

The other morning, I listened to President Joy D. Jones's conference talk, "A Sin-Resistant Generation." She was the only woman who spoke during the general sessions, so I paid particular attention to her unique insight. The title and topic of her talk comes from President Nelson's "A Plea to My Sisters" from October 2015, in which he pleaded for women of the Church to, among other things, "speak up and speak out." President Jones did just that as she explained how we can become, and help others to become, sin-resistant.

"Being sin-resistant," she says, "doesn't mean being sinless, but it does imply being continually repentant, vigilant, and valiant." Doesn't that definition make sin-resistance seem all the more attainable? I like that sin-resistance allows for failure, so long as we repent. We should shed our former selves every day and ask for the Savior to make us new, to make us better than before. He'll ask us to work a little in return, but He will certainly answer that prayer.

Of course, I can't use the words "resist," "resistant," and "resistance" without thinking of Star Wars. 

Indeed, Star Wars supports the ideal that a woman's place is in the resistance. First, there was Princess Leia. Then, came Queen/Senator Amidala. The marvelous Clone Wars show brought Ahsoka Tano, Duchess Satine Kryze, and others. The new movies spotlight my sheroes Rey and Jyn Erso. 

President Jones says that our place, whether woman or man, is in the sin-resistance. Still, I can't help but notice that an emphasis has been placed on the women of the Church to lead out in this resistance. I mean, a woman said it in conference and was quoting a talk specifically directed to women. Perhaps we have been called out because we have so many influential roles in God's kingdom on Earth: as sisters, daughters, descendants, ancestors, mothers, teachers, presidents, counselors, advisers, mentors, speakers, healers, missionaries, writers, scriptorians, community members, council members, committee chairs, and so on. Perhaps it is God's plan for His daughters to lead the resistance against sin. We don't do it alone, but we have particular assignments that only we can fulfill. Didn't the first Relief Society president (at least of this dispensation) tell us that we would be an important part of "something extraordinary"?

Truly, a woman's place is in the sin-resistance. Can we rely on you?

The Nelson Challenge: Lamb of God

I've been following President Nelson's challenge to study the words, actions, doctrines, prophecies, and commandments of Christ every week. Here is something I studied recently.

Lesson #4

What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

...These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 

Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple...

For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Revelations 7:13-15, 17

Every Saturday, I exchange floral shirts and pencil skirts for a long white dress, the uniform of a temple worker. On one of my first shifts, I found an oil smudge on my sleeve, and another woman directed me to the laundry facility in the temple basement. There I was taught how to use a powerful stain remover. First, I had to apply the chemical, which came in the form of a glue stick, to the stain. Then, I had to place a white cloth underneath the stain and rub vigorously across the stain with a wet cloth. The stain would be pushed out of my dress and transferred to the white cloth underneath. 

Of course, I was in the temple the whole time, so the symbolism of that small event shone through to me. We wear white clothes in the temple because they represent the Savior cleaning us with his blood. He transferred the stains of our sins onto himself and purged them away with his power and his sacrifice. 

L'Innocence, William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1893)

Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God, the lamb that was led to the slaughter and slain. He is gentle and innocent, as we are encouraged to be. It's no wonder that, with his divine and loving perspective, he asks us to feed his lambs, for he sees the true potential of the rough and the guilty. We really can be like him because of his willingness to save us and teach us. He is so patient with our shortcomings, even when we make the same mistakes over and over again. The Lamb of God wants to raise us up from the mud and the dust; he wants to clean our robes so that we can go on to do marvelous works.

That is what I am celebrating this Easter week: that I can enter the temple, the house of God, because of the sacrifice of the Lamb. That I can serve my sisters, both living and dead, because of the innocence of my Brother. That I can rise from my failures to become divine because of my Savior.

I wear white in the temple because I am continually cleansed by the blood of the Lamb.

Living a Strange Life

I'm writing memoirs! I'm afraid of losing fond memories, and I want to be able to look back on the good times, the progress that I've made, and the ways God has guided me. The title of my memoirs? My Strange Life, because that's the best way I can describe it. I was an unusual child, so I had an unusual childhood. There will be stories about fake money, slug monsters, and dinosaurs in the bathtub. You'll hear about the strange things I did as a baby, as a big sister, and as a student. And you can find all these strange memories at the link above.

If you haven't caught the drift of this post, the basic idea is that I love strange things. Don't believe me? Here is a sampling for you of some of my favorite strange things:

1. Doctor Strange

The trippiness. The goatee. The TILDA SWINTON FIGHTING WITH MAGIC FANS FLBRTGPT. While I was not cool with the whitewashing of an Asian character, I was glad that the hero had a female mentor who was well-rounded.

Fighting like my other favorites: Mulan, and the Kiyoshi Warriors.

2. Strange the Dreamer

I'm only a few chapters into this fantasy book, but so far I have not been disappointed. I've always admired Laini Taylor's writing style and imagination, and this story is a great example of both. There are all sorts of strange and fanciful goings-on, so you bet I'm in. Also, the protagonist is a librarian.

The Great Library was no mere place to keep books. It was a walled city for poets and astronomers and every shade of thinker in between.

3. Stranger Things

Stranger Things combines so many strange things that I love: 80's adventure movies, X-Files-esque science fiction, and outcast characters. Also, people apparently think it's strange for women to have no hair and numbers in their names (I'm looking at you, Eleven and the Ancient One). Honestly, though, Stranger Things made me feel scared, excited, and sad all at once, and I can't wait for season 2 this Halloween. Imagine that timing.

How strange.

April 2017 General Conference Wrap-up

I'm always amazed by the power of General Conference. Divine instruction on dozens of subjects arrives on my little computer screen, directly to me it seems. I find answers to the questions that I ask and answers to the questions I didn't think to ask. Answers I didn't realize that I needed until I received them. General Conference is a modern-day miracle.

This time around, I found some meaningful patterns in the messages. Keeping in mind that everyone notices different things depending on the Spirit's guidance, here are some of my takeaways.

Lead with Love

• President Uchtdorf asked us to motivate people (including ourselves) using the pure love of Christ instead of using fear. We are to follow the Savior's own example of encouraging people to keep his commandments. "If ye love me, keep my commandments," and not "if ye fear me."
• Elder Christofferson followed up by asking us not to create a shame culture or a guilt culture when we call people to repentance. He said that to warn people, which would seem to use fear, is actually to care about people. When we warn of consequences, we should do it out of love for our neighbor. The admonition in D&C 121:41 about the gentleness of our power came up several times during conference.
• Elder Palmer used the scriptural example of the rich young man asking Christ what more he could do. "Then Jesus beholding him loved him," and asked him to change and improve. His call to repentance was born out of love--and out of beholding him, which was explained by...
• President Eyring in both the women's session and the priesthood session as he emphasized the divine identities of the people around us. In the women's session, he shared a parenting experience when the Spirit told him his son was a great person, and that experience led President Eyring to be more gentle. He treated his son with even more love.

Leading with love is one way to become like God. As He mentors us, we can mentor others. We are all placed in our own human orbit, where God has given us specific individuals to mentor and to serve. In my own circumstances, I am keenly aware of the people He wants me to love, and I am also keenly aware that I should be doing that loving work better. Therefore, I am adding a special prayer every day to be filled with the pure love of Christ.

Look unto Christ in Every Thought

• President Nelson encouraged us to take on the mentally rigorous practice of looking unto Christ in every thought (D&C 6:36). He explained how he is trying to do that by studying Christ in the Bible's Topical Guide (the President Nelson challenge that I have been writing about). He clarified that we should not speak of the Atonement or the Resurrection, which were just events, without tying them to Jesus Christ, who is our actual Savior. President Nelson also invited us to study "The Living Christ."
• Elder Ballard also encouraged us to study "The Living Christ."
• Elder Bragg said that we all have an inherent inclination toward light. He also said that the light of Christ is in all things. From these statements, I infer that we can look unto Christ by seeking out His light around us. I can search for evidence of Christ's love and power in the beauty of the world and in the beauty of his disciples.
• Elder Choi warned that, when we seek the light of Christ, we should not look around but look up. He emphasized again that we should look up to Christ in every thought. Looking around suggests having a narrow perspective and caring about the opinions of the Babylon. Looking up, in contrast, suggests that we have Christ and his goals in mind while we dwell here in Babylon. Looking up, I imagine, will lead us to serve and "heed them not."
• Elder Oaks said that the effort to know God continues well beyond the veil of death. While we can begin to know Christ, and the Father whom he represents, we will learn more as we live with him.
• Elder Costa taught us that nothing draws us closer to Christ than the desire to change. That desire is our part of the repentance process. As a person who loves to improve, I hope that love is drawing me closer to my Savior.

Clearly, I need to study "The Living Christ" as I continue President Nelson's challenge. I will also seek more of Christ's light and love in everything that I do. All that I am and all that I do should serve Christ in some way, and I need to focus on that important relationship as I go about my day every day.

Align Your Goals with God's Goals

• From Elder Ballard, I learned that God is a being of goals. He has goals for His kingdom, and He has goals for me. The most important goals He has set are for us to (1) return to Him and to (2) receive His exaltation, or all that He is and has. Elder Ballard encouraged us, as he has before, to have a personal progress interview with ourselves to evaluate how we are working to reach those goals. In particular, we should strive to realign our goals with God's goals, as can be found when we study His plan of happiness, when we study about Christ, and when we study about families.
• Elder Hales reminded us that discipleship is really apprenticeship. We are learning to become like God. Therefore, we should set similar goals to the ones God has set. He gave examples of goals, like crossing the road for anyone in need, living in moderation, and learning from all our experiences. When we have goals like God's, we begin to become like God.
• Elder Sabin encouraged us to "be all in," and to go beyond the minimum requirements of the gospel. He made me want to do good things like a boss (and I always imagine Leslie Knope and her enthusiastic drive when I think of being a boss).
• Elder Rasband told us what to do when God alerts us of His plan through a prompting. He said that we are to be First Responders, to arrive with lights flashing the instant God asks us to do something specific.
• Elder L. Whitney Clayton shared two similar responses from Mary in the scriptures, "Behold the handmaiden of the  Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." And, "Whatsoever he asks of thee, do it."
• Elder Bragg, as mentioned before, taught that the light of Christ is in all things. It gives life and purpose to all we do. As I plan my activities, I should seek the light of Christ in all that I do. I can find a way to build up the kingdom of God in every task.

I love setting goals. I am a Planner. When Elder Ballard started his talk, I felt giddy with excitement because I got to plan something. I've begun a study of my patriarchal blessing where I'm compiling a list of God's plan for me to reach our goals. I'm setting smaller goals to evaluate my progress along that plan, and I'm examining my temporal goals to see if they contribute to the kingdom of God. If everything I do leads me to be a better person and to improve the lives of people around me, I will truly "be all in." I'm also adding Mary's words to my prayers: "Behold the handmaiden of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word."

March Favorites

1. Mayim Bialik's YouTube Channel

I don't actually watch Big Bang Theory, but I first heard of Mayim Bialik because of her work on that show. There was a big hullaballoo about how she was the only member of the cast who actually was a scientist in real life (she has a PhD in Neuroscience), and I read several interviews of her describing her experience as a female Jewish geek. Her YouTube Channel only accentuates how wonderfully unique she is. Check her out here for videos by and about cats, geeks, and feminists. Yes, her naked (hairless) cat is featured prominently.

2. Boss Monster

So much fun. And so many expansion packs. 

Boss Monster is another card game that I tried out this month. The premise just tickles me pink: you play as the monster at the end of a side-scrolling video game (basically, you are Bowser in the castle in Super Mario). You have to play cards to build up your dungeon so that more heroes come to you and more heroes die. Even the box is designed to look like an old-school Nintendo game box.

3. The Nanny

Such joie de vivre!

Shocker! I watched The Nanny a lot when I was growing up, and it remains one of my favorites today. A hilarious, self-possessed female lead who endures being single? I'm in. I'm so in that I've been re-watching all the episodes I have and dreaming about owning the ones I don't have. Also, apparently, I have a theme of awesome Jewish women this month. Go figure.

4. Scamalot Videos

James Veitch, a comedian, responds to spam emails and starts pranking the wannabe thieves. He has a whole stream of funny videos detailing his efforts. Try this one out and then find the rest!

5. 365 Creative Writing Prompts

An old friend posted on Facebook recently that she wanted to put together an online writing group. Lo and behold, I have been looking for an online writing group to join. We've been responding to ThinkWritten's 365 Creative Writing Prompts. I'm posting my entries on my fiction blog, and the prompts are found here. I have been trying to take a horror or magical realism horror spin on each prompt, which is not easy.

6. Ben Byrd Art

They're so cute!

I love Ben Byrd's postcard-sized watercolors. He comes to Salt Lake Comic Con every year, and I book it straight to his booth. I buy the art by the armful and give them away as gifts or use them as decor or bookmarks. Check out his adorable work here.