Simplifying

I love Marjorie Pay Hinckley. I saw this printable and thought I'd share:

You can download it for yourself here.

I was just talking to my husband about how glad I am to feel like I am past needing to prove myself to anyone but myself, him, and the Lord. That is way more than enough to worry about, without having to prove myself to the rest of the world by a standard that isn't my own or my Father's.

And I can always use some simplifying.

p.s. If you like it better in blue, there is another version of the same quote here.

Evil Designs...in the hearts of conspiring men

Law school has a substantial writing requirement, meaning that every student must write at least one thirty-page paper supervised by a professor. I wrote my paper on morality and internet governance, overseen by a professor who has done a lot of research on internet governance, focusing on pornography and the internet. She has helped work on the Internet Community Ports Act among other legislation.

In any discussion of law and "morality," people get up in arms about being "controlled" by another person's morality. In many people's view, the burden should be on the individual consumer to avoid offensive or harmful content without any limits upon the producer or other consumers. So I thought that this quote from Revelations of the Restoration (p. 653) was particularly interesting, even though it is originally talking about the Word of Wisdom.

In today's world evil abounds. Greedy and conspiring men seek wealth and power, marketing prostitution, pornography, weapons, drugs, vulgar music, and entertainment offensive to the light of Christ. A prime target for their avarice will always be our children. The tobacco industry markets an addictive and killing poison, knowing it to be such. Profit is their only concern. We have found it necessary to pass numerous laws that protect consumers in the supermarket, yet all manner of destructive influences are available on the streets, in our schools, and even in our homes through television and internet. 

There is no form of wickedness that someone will not make available for a price. To give their evil designs some sense of respectability, they hide them behind weak phrases: "If it offends you, don't buy it." We in turn are expected to be so foolish as to suppose that if we don't buy that which is evil or offensive we will be spared its effects. The logic is threadbare. Our choice not to operate a smelter will not protect us against another man's choice to do so. We all breathe the same air; nonsmoking sections in a restaurant provide precious little protection to the non-smoker. Again, one man's choice not to use alcohol will hardly protect him from drunk drivers.

Gratefully, the spirit and direction of the revelations of the Restoration are such that not only are we warned against the designs of evil men, but a path of safety is marked so that we can--to the extent possible--protect ourselves from their destructive influence in our society.

I really am grateful for the revelations of the Restoration, including the continuing revelation through our current prophets. The traps seem to be growing more pervasive and insidious, but we know how to tread safely.

I need to remember this list when life is getting to me.

When You Have the Spirit	When You Do Not Have the Spirit
1. You generally feel happy and calm.	You may feel unhappy, depressed, confused, frustrated most of the time.
2. You feel full of light.	You may feel heavy, full of darkness.
3. Your mind is clear.	Your mind may be muddled.
4. You feel love for the Lord and others.	You may feel empty, hollow, cold inside.
5. You feel generous.	You may feel selfish, possessive, self-centered.
6. Nobody can offend you.	You may be offended easily.
7. You are very forgiving and kind.	You may usually be on the defensive.
8. You feel confident in what you do.	You may become discouraged easily.
9. You don’t mind others seeing what you are doing.	You may become secretive, evasive.
10. You want to be with those who love you—especially family members.	You may want to be alone most of the time. You avoid others—especially family members.
11. You are glad when others succeed.	You may be envious almost constantly of what others do and what they have.
12. You want to help others be happy, even those opposed to you.	You may want to get even and show others up.
13. You willingly perform Church work.	You may feel hesitant, unworthy, and unwilling to perform Church ordinances.
14. You feel like praying and reading the scriptures.	You may not want to pray or read scriptures.
15. You wish you could keep all the Lord’s commandments.	You may find the commandments of God and rules of the family bothersome, restricting, or senseless.
16. You usually control your appetites and emotions. You are calm and control your speech; you feel no anger.	You may be a slave to your appetites. You give way to strong anger and outspokenness.
17. You generally feel a deep desire to help others—usually in a way no one else will know about.	When you help others, your main desire may be to have your actions noticed.
18. You speak and think good about others.	You are critical of others, especially family members and those in authority.
19. You feel sorrow when others have problems and sincerely desire to help them.	You may often question others’ motives and secretly delight in others’ problems.
20. You realize that your thoughts and your actions are open to God.	You may feel that what you do and think is only your business and no one else knows or cares.

-John H. Groberg, adapted from a seminary outline. Read the whole talk here.

Unsurprisingly, sleep deprivation is sure to throw me into the second column. I think that is one of the refining trials of motherhood: trying to keep the Spirit with you when you body is so exhausted.  We have to rely more heavily on the Lord and remember to invite Him in so that we can be patient with the constant demands on our souls.

Two Trees: Another awesome view on motherhood and priesthood

Okay, just one more. I promise you'll like it.

http://empoweringldswomen.blogspot.com/2010/11/two-trees-symbolic-interpretation-of.html

Update: Here is another version that is more readable: http://mormonscholarstestify.org/1718/valerie-hudson-cassler

I think it is so funny to me that the world sees the Church as subjugating women. I am so much more free having a husband and a whole Church network to support me in my responsibilities. I am free because I love and take care of my body, and use it for its ordained purposes instead of as a tool or an object. I am free because I don't have to compete with men to be complete as a woman. I am free because I don't have to do and be everything in order to legitimize my gender. I don't have to bear the weight of the whole world; I can rely on my companion and help meet to do his part so I can do mine.

Blessing Inventory

President Monson's counsel from October 2012 Conference:

As I have reviewed the past 49 years, I have made some discoveries. One is that countless experiences I have had were not necessarily those one would consider extraordinary. In fact, at the time they transpired, they often seemed unremarkable and even ordinary. And yet, in retrospect, they enriched and blessed lives—not the least of which was my own. I would recommend this same exercise to you—namely, that you take an inventory of your life and look specifically for the blessings, large and small, you have received.

This is a big job! I started to try to do it, and realized it wasn't something I could sit and do at once; who can number how many blessings I've received, how many little experiences have turned out a great good, when my whole life has been influenced by the Gospel and the Holy Ghost? It's really impossible to catalog them all, particularly in one sitting. So I have been trying to think of something to record each time I pick up my journal, and it really is remarkable what I remember and recognize. Seeing what a profound impact earlier blessings have had in my life makes me want to try harder to recognize and follow the guidance that I am receiving now and to appreciate the blessings more as I receive them. It has invited the Spirit to teach me, helped me see things that I want to instill in my children, and just made me happy.

So a big thank-you to President Monson for his inspired counsel. I will probably look back someday and be amazed at how this little recommendation made a significant difference in my life thereafter.

If there is not a sufficiency...

I thought it interesting that in the guidelines for the high council of the Church in Doctrine and Covenants 102, verse 23 states:

In case of difficulty respecting doctrine or principle, if there is not a sufficiency written to make the case clear to the minds of the council, the president may inquire and obtain the mind of the Lord by revelation.

The first step is not to ask the Lord to spell out the answer to the problem. The first step is to study EVERYTHING that is written to find if there is sufficient prior revelation to clear up the difficulty of doctrine or principle. Then the president can ask the Lord for additional revelation.

I am reminded of a missionary that was serving in our ward. He said publicly that he was having a hard time because he didn't know that he had ever had a testimony of modern prophets. But when my husband was driving a group of missionaries to the temple, this Elder was reading a Men's Health magazine while the others were studying the Book of Mormon. Something tells me that perhaps this Elder had not studied to find out whether there was a sufficiency written to make clear his questions and doubts before he simply asked for a manifestation from the Lord. And I think we can all be a little guilty of that same rashness in our relationship with our Father.

Declaring the Revelations of the Restoration

Proclaiming the truth according to the revelations and commandments which I have given you. The Church is charged with the responsibility to declare the message of the Restoration among those of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. Here, the missionaries are reminded that they are to declare that message from the revelations given through the Prophet Joseph Smith. it is offensive to the Spirit when missionaries seek refuge and respectability on the Bible rather than declaring the message the lord gave for our day. The Book of Mormon is the perfect evidence that Joseph Smith is a prophet, not the book of Isaiah, Jeremiah, or Daniel. The testimony of Christ as found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John is nothing short of marvelous, yet even their testimonies take on greater meaning when read by the light of modern revelation. While we value that which God spoke to the ancients, we treasure even more the knowledge that he has spoken again in our day, restored his priesthood, and given anew all the ordinances of salvation.

Ours is a testimony of a God who speaks, of prophets who live, of scripture penned in our day, of angels ministering in our midst. Indeed, "we believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth" (Article of Faith 7). Ours is a living Bible; it cannot be sealed; there can be no end to the revelations it contains. . . . There is a spiritual power known to missionaries who teach and testify of the Restoration, doing so from its revelations, that is not experienced by those who seek to justify our doctrines or give credence to our message by use of Bible texts.

Revelations of the Restoration, p. 508-9.

A really interesting statement. I don't think the direction of Preach My Gospel is quite the same, but that is part of continuing revelation too =). Still, I appreciate and agree with the sentiment behind it.