Write at the Heart

I’m AMAZED at the faith of the early Saints. They didn’t have the benefit of looking back at the growth of the church. They didn’t have 17 latter-day prophets. They didn’t have a plethora of church resources & scriptures at their fingertips. They were not among 16.5 million members & 168 temples.  What DID they have? The Book of Mormon, a prophet, the Holy Ghost, & INCREDIBLE faith. Faith that moved them to Ohio, then Missouri, then Illinois, & onto Salt Lake.  Could they imagine what their sacrifices would bring? The Lord told them, “Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter” (D&C 58:3) In my life, I wonder: what is God’s design for my family? Cause right now, “for the present time,” I cannot “behold” with my “natural eyes” his full plan for us- yet. You see, we were thriving. I thought we’d live in Utah forever.  Until subtle promptings turned into urgent ones. Time for

I’m feeling behind on this account, even though this isn’t school & there is no due date. 😆 But Come Follow Me readings forge on! So- a quick sum-up of phrases that caught my eye I’ve missed writing about: “Continue in steadfastness” (I’m trying!) “Zion shall flourish” (I wanna be there!) “I am in your midst” (He is!) “Chase darkness from among you” (God is light!) “Fear not... for you are mine” (Such comfort!) “I will give unto you a pattern in all things, that ye may not be deceived” (Patterns empower!) “Forsake the world” (So hard!) “If you will receive wisdom, here is wisdom” (I’ll take it!) I also read about William W. Phelps, who left his job as an editor to join the church. Of the Book of Mormon he said, “From the first time I read this volume of volumes, even till now, I have been struck with a kind of sacred joy” Sacred joy! I love that! He desired to “quit the folly of [his] way, & the fancy & fame of this world, & seek the Lord & his righteousness”  And

  Life has been busy, & I haven’t done well at staying up to date with posts! But all week a line from last week’s Come Follow Me reading has been in my head: “Men’s hearts shall fail them” (D&C 45:26) I think we can all look around & see a myriad of ways that this is happening. But Christ is the ultimate source of Hope, & He ALSO said: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26) When hearts fail, He can take out the stones & provide a NEW heart.  Ezekiel’s words about the last days continue: “... the wastes shall be builded. And the desolate land shall be tilled... This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited... I the Lord build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it.”

Twice this last week I have been in a bustling, busy, “worldly” place. No podium. No stained glass. No steeples. No mountains, roses, sunrises, or any other indication of a “holy place.”  And yet. As conversation turned toward holy things, I felt God fill that very spot. “But my disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved” (D&C 45:32) I love traditional “holy places.” But I also “love to make holy the places where [I] stand.” (Elder Massimo De Feo) There is a profound little book by Sister Virginia H. Pearce called “Where Heaven Meets You.” I’ve read it multiple times. She speaks of the Celtic expression “thin places.” “A thin place is where the veil that separates heaven and earth is nearly transparent. It is a place where we experience a deep sense of God’s presence in our everyday world... where the door between this world and the next is cracked open for a moment; And the light is not all on the other side” Sometimes it cracks open in unexpected places. Driving