Write at the Heart

I need to add something to my last post about how Mormon could go on despite everything. PURPOSE. He knew his purpose: Help others come to Christ. On the outside looking in, boy, does it look like he failed! On the contrary! While he could not help his own people, He has helped millions of us. The Book of Mormon has helped millions of us! As I read Mormon and Moroni's words,  I FEEL GOOSEBUMPS! "Therefore I write unto you, Gentiles...   that ye may believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, which ye shall have among you; (Morm 3:17, 21) And Moroni's-"Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing." (8:35) They write to ME. They speak to US. They warn US. They bear testimony to US. Their last days of loneliness & sorrow were spent writing &  abridging records for US. They buried them, unburied them, and buried them again FOR US. "...having been commanded of the Lord t...

“There’s a call that comes to you and me...” The old seminary song “The Olive Tree” came to my head last night. And as I reviewed the words of the song I played again and again as a teenager in seminary not cause I understood it necessarily but because it “sounded pretty,” it hit me like a ton of bricks! THIS is NOW. The allegory of the olive tree finale is NOW! “Thou art called to prune my vineyard with a mighty pruning, yea, even for the last time.” D&C 24:19 This is what President Nelson has been trying to tell us!  This is not just about missionaries with name tags, or spending hours in the family history center, or attending the temple. I love how Pres. Nelson clarified in simple terms that gathering Israel is building faith! It’s helping others make and keep their covenants! It’s being willing to speak the name of Christ! It’s seeing everyone as a child of God & loving them as such! Yes, that’s a lot of exclamation points, but as I read a bunch of scriptures on gather...

The movie “The Iron Giant” makes me cry. Yep, the animated one about a kid finding a giant alien robot. The robot had lost his memory, so a boy teaches him about life and humans, and the robot is curious, gentle, and friendly. Eventually his memory is triggered when he is attacked by the military. He instinctively converts to what he was actually built for- a weapon of destruction. The boy desperately reminds him that he doesn't have to be that way, “You are who you choose to be!" The robot has to make a choice, and I won’t spoil it for you, but trust me, it gets me every time. And those words ring so true, “You are who you choose to be." I know it's easier said than done. But I do believe we all can choose who we really want to be. We can make excuses and wallow and tell ourselves it just isn't possible, that it's too hard, or not in our programming. But what kind of life would it be if we didn't have that choice? No matter where we came from, there is no...