Friends of God

Christ has many names, names that He likes to share with us. He is the Savior because of the vicarious sacrifice He gave which we could not do ourselves; we become little saviors when we perform vicarious temple work for the dead who cannot do it themselves. He is the Creator of heaven and earth; we become creators as we build Zion in our homes and communities. These names are offered to us at the shores of baptism where we have an opportunity to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ. 

But some of Christ's names are not used as often. One name in particular stood out to me as I studied the Old Testament story of David and Jonathan. These men were loyal friends. Jonathan even put himself in danger to defend David. As I thought about the depth of this friendship, Christ's words from John 15:13 came to mind: 

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Though the word "friend" is not a formal name for Christ, it is an important part of His purpose in bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. He laid down His life for His friends. Christ is a Friend, and this name is also one that He wants to share with us. After all, "friend" is typically a reciprocal name. Both parties share it.

In the October 1983 General Conference talk "Friend or Foe," Elder Charles Didier said "the covenant we made through baptism is a contract to become a friend of God." In other words, when we covenant to bear the name of Christ, one of the names we bear is Friend. Think about it: one of your friends is Deity! If you fulfill your contract by keeping your baptismal covenants, you have access to the most powerful ally and cheerleader and straight-talker and defender ever born. In fact, Christ is the best Friend forever.

Yet, His friendship is intended to be reciprocal. Not that we mere mortals can ever do as much for Him as He has done and is doing and will do for us, but we can still be a friend of God. The first step is to make and keep that baptismal covenant. Where David and Jonathan covenanted with one another, we covenant with Christ to speak often of Him and to speak well of Him. We covenant with Christ to bear His name and to bear His love to others. We covenant with Christ to make sacrifices of time, material, and talents so that others may discover beauty and light and hope in Him.

So speak up. Bear His name and His love. Sacrifice for and serve His children. Strong relationships involve a shared purpose. David and Jonathan shared a purpose. A husband and a wife are sealed together in a shared purpose. Likewise, Christ shares His purpose with us, to love and lift the vulnerable, the grief-stricken, the oppressed, the poor. Share that purpose with Him. Be a friend of God.

For the natural man is an enemy to God...unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him... (Mosiah 3:19)

Family Home Alone Evening, Part 4

Song: Hymn 19, "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet"

Prayer: Me!

Lesson: read from Brad Wilcox's The Continuous Conversion

• Takeaway: we turn away from the natural man the moment we turn back to God. In other words, we are righteous even when we are imperfect because seeking God is righteousness, no matter where we are on the path to Him.

Activity: singing karaoke-style to Mexican pop songs to strengthen Spanish skills (gracias, Jesse y Joy)

Treat: Tums, because dinner was chili with jalapenos

Family Home Alone Evening, Part 3

Song: Hymn 87, "God is Love"

Prayer: Me, again

Lesson: conclusion of Preach My Gospel chapter 1, "My Purpose"

• Takeaway: Joseph Smith taught that the baptismal ordinance is not complete without receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. First comes the baptism of water and then the baptism of fire. The gospel is full of "ands" like this: water and fire. They seem like opposites, but they serve the same function: cleansing, purifying, sanctifying. We need both baptism and the Holy Ghost in order to continue on the path home. We must be clean and guided. We must be holy and inspired. We must be water and fire.

Activity: cleaning the toilet and the shower because gross

Treats: chocolate banana peanut butter milkshake

Family Home Alone Evening, Part 2

Song: Hymn 249, "Called to Serve" (sang along to the MoTab version)

Prayer: Moi

Lesson: continuation Preach My Gospel chapter 1, "My Purpose"

• Takeaway: As Elder Holland says, "be devastated" when someone does not keep a commitment to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. These two things are the first steps on the most important path that person will ever take. I've been trying to find a constructive way to express such devastation so that the person is motivated to change, and I think that it would help to discuss what might be holding them back from keeping the commitment. Then, we could brainstorm solutions together. I could emphasize why I believe these steps are so important and how the Atonement of Jesus Christ enables us to change, including starting new habits of prayer and study. I could then bear testimony of the good and powerful changes I have experienced from reading the Book of Mormon.

Activity: writing a letter to a lonely friend

Treats: popsicle (nothing for Ghost because he's constipated)

Family Home Alone Evening, Part 1

Since I no longer have the structure of a Young Single Adult ward to keep me on track, I will be hosting my own Family Home Evenings. I don't want to get out of this inspired habit because I have a testimony of the positive effects FHE has on families. As Sister Sharon Eubank says, just because my husband and children aren't with me right now doesn't mean that I can't establish good habits. I also thought it would be fun (and responsible) to keep track of my meetings.

Song: Hymn 141 "Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee"

Prayer: Me

Lesson: Preach My Gospel chapter 1, "My Purpose"

• Takeaway: the Doctrine of Christ provides not only a pattern for living but a pattern for daily living. I need to exercise faith in Christ (by praying and seeking blessings) every day, repent and improve every day, fulfill my baptismal covenants to love and serve every day, listen to the whispering of the Holy Ghost every day, and endure to the end (which I am interpreting as fulfilling temple covenants and living as though I am inside the temple) every day.

Activity: Household chores, including folding laundry, unloading the dishwasher, and watering the lawn.

Treats: Chicken-flavored Temptations (for Ghost)

Reading the whole Book of Mormon in July

With fewer teaching hours this summer, I knew that boredom would reign if I did not set up a worthy project for myself. So I read the entire Book of Mormon in July. Calculations came down to 8 chapters each day (with one day to spare), and I spread those chapters out between listening and reading on my tablet. I felt this project was worthy for two reasons: (1) I wanted to see the big picture of this book of scripture, and (2) I knew it would force me to spend a good chunk of time each day immersed in the scriptures. Some days, it was half an hour. Other days, it was an hour or longer. Regardless, I spent a lot of time thinking about the prophecies of Christ, his visit to the Americas, and his Second Coming. And I learned something interesting.

I started reading expecting to read a book about the Nephites. After all, Nephi kicked the whole thing off. He was the first political leader and one of the first prophets of the Book of Mormon. Everything that followed made reference to his decision to leave Jerusalem with his father. But this speed-read took my expectations and flipped them onto their backs. You see, during my reading I felt like the Book of Mormon wasn't a book about the Nephites: it was a book about the Lamanites.

After all, the Nephites are essentially defined by their contrast to the Lamanites. Under that logic, any book about the Nephites would have to also be about the Lamanites, and I'm always a sucker for underdog characters. The marginal. The invisible. The silent. The forgotten. Those are my favorite characters in fiction; why don't I have more charity for them in non-fiction?

With that inspiration, which luckily came to me early in the month, I read and learned several things about the Lamanites.

1. God loved the Lamanites. This truth was evident to me through the examples of the prophets. When the Nephites were truly righteous, they sought to help the Lamanites, even during war. It was as if righteousness = loving the Lamanites. The whole purpose of the Book of Mormon, found on the title page, is to convert and bless the Lamanites. How could God not love them? Furthermore, if God loves the Lamanites, then it is clear that God loves us even when we sin. For so much of the Book of Mormon, the Lamanites were considered to be God-less, inhumane sinners. Yet, God still loved them and continually sent messengers to them to speak of His love. How could God not also love you?
2. The Lamanites were good people. They are often described as being more righteous than the Nephites, only lacking the truth. It was the decision of their predecessors that brought a curse upon them, so refrain from judging them. After all, they were worthy of being loved by God. That should tell us something about their true natures. The same goes with the people who we think are our enemies or at least who are different from us. Refrain from judgment. They are worthy of God's love, too.
3. Curses can be lifted. Many Lamanites were converted throughout the Book of Mormon, and God took the curse of the Lamanites away from them. Whatever your curse may be--grudges, addiction, sin, etc.--it can be removed. And the errors of your generation, of your community, of your family do not need to be reflected in you.

Those lessons combined form the big picture of the Book of Mormon: we are redeemable.

The Miracle of Enough

I got clued in to the "Miracle of Enough" by Laurel Christensen Day's talk at Women's Conference in 2015. She explains that she misinterpreted the miracle of the loaves and fishes to mean that Christ multiplied the meager food in order to fill the five thousand. However, when you examine the scriptural records of this miracle, not a single one of them--not Matthew nor Mark nor Luke nor John--uses the word "multiply." Sister Day suggests that the food was not changed to fill the people but that the people were changed to be filled by the food. They ate a little, and it was enough. She calls this the Miracle of Enough.

I experience this miracle on a daily basis. So many times, I have waited for blessings that never came or answers that weren't what I wanted or expected them to be. In those times, God has helped me to take comfort in what the blessings I already have, the blessings I was designed to have, even though they weren't the blessings I thought I needed. He has given me the challenge of counting my blessings so that I will realize that I have enough.

The most dramatic example of this miracle involves my work at the Provo Temple. We have the busiest shift in one of the busiest temples, and sometimes there just aren't enough workers to complete the work...or so it seems. God makes sure that His work gets done, one way or another, and our small workforce is always enough under His power. It's the Miracle of Enough.

One of my favorite scriptures also testifies of this miracle. There are two versions of the scripture, which was originally part of the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 6:34 states, "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." I used to understand this verse to mean, "Don't worry about tomorrow; today is hard enough to take care of without trying to take of tomorrow, as well." But the version of this verse in the Book of Mormon sends a starkly different message. 3 Nephi 13:34 reads, "Sufficient is the day unto the evil thereof." In other words, "I will give you enough strength and enough power to handle the trials of the day." It is a promise from Christ to perform the Miracle of Enough. Sufficient is the day. Isn't that beautiful?

And this miracle works both ways. Not only are God's offerings enough but He makes our offerings enough. A few days ago, I made an offer on a lovely house. The sellers ultimately accepted a better offer. It was enlightening to realize that God's ways are different from the world's ways. In the world, our offerings will never be enough. We are imperfect, and the world demands perfection. Instant perfection, much of the time. But God takes our imperfect offerings and makes them perfect. He accepts the widow's mite, a small and imperfect offering, and He makes it enough. That, too, is the Miracle of Enough.

Have you witnessed the Miracle of Enough? How has it affected your relationship with God?