Sowing Seeds of Greatness

When I was fourteen I participated in an activity at Young Women's camp that left a deep impression on me. To begin with, each girl was blindfolded. We were then led to several different stations where people representing prophets from The Book of Mormon shared specific scriptures with us. After being led to several stations each girl was led to a place where our hand was placed on a suspended rope and we were told to walk forward. It wasn't long before I bumped into someone ahead of me on the rope and a kindly sounding voice approached me saying, "You bumped into someone. You need to start over." Without questioning I let go of the rope and the kindly voice led me back to the beginning. This scenario played out multiple times over the next several minutes. The last time I started to get frustrated. I could not figure out how to move forward, and was starting to wonder if I would ever reach my destination. Suddenly, with great force, I un...

   In the Book of Revelation, we learn of two prophets who will preach in Jerusalem immediately preceding the Second Coming of Christ. In addition to preaching the gospel and warning of what is to come, these prophets will have the authority to execute God's judgment upon an unrepentant people. At the culmination of their ministry, they will be killed and their bodies will be left lying in the streets. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.                                                                                  -Revelation 11:10 (emphasis mine)      While it is appalling to contemplate the world celebrating ...

  When Jesus came into this world, His birth was accompanied by signs in the heavens. In addition to the new star that shone over Israel, there was another sign given to the people of the Americas. Of all the signs proclaiming the Lord's birth, this is the one that I love the most.    The period preceding the birth of Christ was a turbulent one for the Nephites.  While the believers of Christ were anticipating the sign of his birth, the unbelievers had appointed a date by which, if the sign had not appeared, all the believers would be put to death.    I can only imagine the turmoil of emotion that the believers must have felt. They must have rejoiced in the knowledge that our Savior was soon to be born; conversely, they must have feared for their lives and for the lives of their loved ones, and wondered if they would be alive to witness the sign of Christ's birth.    Fearing for the lives of his people, the prophet Nephi went before t...

   When we are born into this world, mortality seems to stretch out like the endless sea before us. The vastness of time often overwhelms us in those early years of life, when we feel that we have all the time in the world. At some point, however, we come to the realization that time is fleeting and unpredictable. We learn that we will never be able to accomplish all that we desire to do in this life.     Something that we have been counseled to guard against is idleness, or wasting our time on meaningless activities. Considering that it is natural for us to seek out pleasure, it can be a constant struggle to learn how draw the line between healthy amounts recreation, and overindulgence in such activities.    The leaders of the LDS church have consistently counseled us to use our time wisely. Elder Ian S. Arden of the Quorum of the Seventy said, "To have the peace the Savior speaks of (see John 14:27), we must devote our time to the things that matter mos...

   Today was a glorious day! It was one of those days when I feel my heart soaring, and I think of how blessed I am to be alive. The air was fresh and scented with the sweet smell of fall leaves, and the sun was shining brilliantly in the crisp, blue sky. My kids were jumping in piles of leaves, and running around with shouts of glee. Today was a day that gave me hope.     I have been thinking a lot about hope this past week. It all started when I decided to read Alma 32 ...  I know, those of you familiar with this chapter of the Book of Mormon are probably scratching your heads about now. You might be thinking, "Alma 32 is the chapter famous for its discourse on faith, what could it possibly have to do with hope?"... that's what I would have thought a week ago. I have read this chapter so many times that I thought I knew its contents by heart but, due to recent events,  this time ...

    As a little girl, I remember announcing to my mom, "If I become president I will make EVERYBODY read The Book of Mormon ." My mom replied that I couldn't do that. Being somewhat perplexed by such a limitation (I was under the impression that a president could do whatever he or she wanted) I inquired,  "Why not?" My mom responded, "Everyone has the right to choose, and that is not something you can take away from them." This was my first lesson on the gift of choice, and it is one that I have never forgotten.    As an adult, I now realize the great importance of choice in our Heavenly Father's plan. Our ability to choose was the first thing that Satan targeted, and it was the opportunity to choose that we sought to defend in the first great battle in the premortal world. Though we won the battle, we are still fighting to keep that freedom on this earth. Through sin and addiction, Sata...