Write at the Heart

My 7-year-old needed extensive dental work done. When we met with the anesthesiologist, she bluntly went over possible side effects in front of my son. Including the risk of death.  Ahh! I hoped that my little boy- who already was SO nervous- hadn’t heard her. However, after she left, my son looked at me & my husband, fear in his eyes. “What did she say? A risk of… what?” He’d heard it. How could I repeat it? Yeah son, your parents whom you love & trust the MOST are turning you over to these strangers to do something to you that might cause you to die?! THANKS a LOT, lady. We hugged him. Calmed him. Told him this was going to help him. For the greater good! And that sweet boy looked at us bravely with complete trust. Trust that we knew what was best. Trust that this was what he needed to do. Trust that it would be ok. He knew we loved him. And that was enough. It brought me to tears. Don’t worry- he came out unscathed 😅 I don’t pretend to have an understanding of the churc...

She was converted & baptized into the Church in 1924. It was then that they began to happen. The dreams. In the dreams, her deceased grandmother- who had raised her- appeared & asked, “Would you like to see your mother?”  Orphaned as a baby, she answered, “Oh yes!”  Her grandmother led her into a dark room. She said, “I can’t see anything. It is so dark!” Her grandmother told her she must come farther. Taking her by the hand, she led her from room to room, each darker than the last. Until finally, “Here is your mother now.”  Then came her mother’s voice, “Child, child, save me!” She did not know what to make of the dreams. One day she told her branch president. And for the first time, she learned of baptisms for the dead. She “understood immediately.” Her dream was about temple work. Thirty years later, as soon as her family immigrated to America & could get to a temple, her mother’s work (& many others!) was completed. (Story taken from an interview with ...

This last summer we took our kids to church sites in Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, & Illinois. We had one last place on our list, the place closest to us- Kirtland, Ohio- & finally checked it off this last week!  Visiting these historical places while studying the D&C has been awesome. It’s become more real to me. I’ve never understood the D&C as much as I do now. I’ve taken more time to study it than I ever have. I feel fortunate to have so many resources from which to study. I’m grateful for the many incredible podcasts with historians & scriptorians & others who dive headfirst into the details & documents & journals of the early church, sincerely looking for facts & truth & objectivity.  And how amazing is it to have so many writings from Joseph Smith himself, to be able to go straight to the source & see that he knew & loved God, like, REALLY knew & loved God! The revelations & doctrine he received & taught we...

The Lord called Joseph Smith to repentance many times & Joseph candidly spoke of his own faults on many occasions. So why was he called to be THE prophet of this last dispensation? Because God works through the simple, the imperfect, the humble. Over & over again. He works with "rough stones" (Joseph Smith), the “wretched" (Nephi), the "slow of speech" (Moses), the “hate[d] (Enoch), the "weak" writers (Moroni), the forgetful (brother of Jared), the doubters (Thomas), the deniers (Peter), the betrayers (Judas). I could go on! WHY does he choose such people? You mean, why not just call perfect people?! The Lord told Joseph: "For unto this end have I raised you up, that I might show forth my wisdom through the weak things of the earth." (D&C 124:1) Joseph's like, oh thanks 😉 "God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty" (1 Cor. 1:27) "The weak things of the world shall com...

Once upon a time there was a guy who went around teaching the “word of God,” but in REALITY was “bearing down against the church,” aka SOUNDED good, but= false doctrine. He said people should try to be “popular.” Like him. He said it didn’t matter what you did in life- everyone was gonna be saved anyway.  People liked him & gave him money. Meet Nehor, the Nephite social influencer. Now meet Gideon. A man of faith. They crossed paths & Nehor “began to contend with him sharply.” But Gideon “withstood him, admonishing him with the words of God.” Go, Gid! Nehor did not take it well. He drew his sword & killed Gideon in cold blood. Nehor was tried for his crimes & put to death. But it was too late. Priestcraft spread through the land. As well as persecution of believers.  “Now this was a great trial to those that did stand fast in the faith; nevertheless, they were steadfast & immovable in keeping the commandments of God, & they bore with patience the persec...