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Sabbath Devotional :: Preserve the Relationship
I had the privilege to grow up in a lovely ward filled with sincerely good people. Two of them were Marjorie and Gordon Hinckley. Because they were people of great humility and good sense, and probably because my parents were too, to me they just blended in. Sister Hinckley stands out in my childhood memory not as someone I knew to be important, but simply as someone I remember as being fun, warm, and very kind. It is perhaps because of these qualities that six of her words, spoken in a sacrament meeting, have stayed with me for decades. They were simply this: “Above all else, preserve the relationship.” The…
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Sabbath Devotional :: Conflict, Contention, and Courage
Today’s Sabbath Devotional muses on “Conflict, Contention and Courage” — peppered with quotes from Birthday Boy Abe Lincoln and others. On February 12, Abraham Lincoln would have been 211 years old. Happy birthday, Abe! This remarkable man knew a lot about conflict, division, and the difficulties and rigors of unity. These are topics we MWEG women confront and wrestle with regularly. Here are samples of his wisdom: “You must remember that some things legally right are not morally right.” “It is a sin to be silent when it is your duty to protest.” “A statesman is he who thinks in the future generations, and a politician is he who thinks…
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Sabbath Devotional :: Of Bricks and Mortar
In much of the world, Latter-day Saint houses of worship are traditionally constructed of brick and mortar. I believe those two things are a wonderful metaphor for how we serve in our wards. The bricks we use to build Zion are our callings — the defined jobs we are assigned that allow the gospel to function while simultaneously giving each member purpose and growth. What, then, is the mortar? I believe it is the many small acts of service that individuals perform, often unseen and unbidden, that secure the bricks together. In short, love fills in the cracks and binds us together. We are all familiar with the bricks/callings that…
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To Whom Will We Show Our Greatest Allegiance?
Almost 50 years ago, at the time of our nation’s bicentennial, President Spencer W. Kimball wrote a powerful sermon about idolatry and its pull on otherwise committed Christians. His concern was not unique to that period; our human tendency to put complete faith in material possessions and raw power has been ever with us and takes many forms. President Kimball described many idols but spoke most specifically about the militaristic tendencies of his flock, saying: “We are a warlike people… When enemies rise up, we commit vast resources to the fabrication of gods of stone and steel… and depend on them for protection and deliverance. When threatened, we become antienemy…
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Sabbath Devotional :: The Power of Intervention
My 12-year-old son, Palmer, was leading a family discussion, and he asked us to comment on the following passage: And it came to pass that they were angry with me again, and sought to lay hands upon me; but behold, one of the daughters of Ishmael, yea, and also her mother, and one of the sons of Ishmael, did plead with my brethren, insomuch that they did soften their hearts; and they did cease striving to take away my life. And it came to pass that they were sorrowful, because of their wickedness, insomuch that they did bow down before me, and did plead with me that I would forgive…
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Pray for Truth
It’s been a rough week for a lot of us in the U.S. Our rule of law seems under siege by leaders attempting to redraw lines between right and wrong, blurring once-common notions of truth. This reality played out this week in my home city of Boston, where a U.S. Customs official ignored an order from a federal court and deported an Iranian Northeastern University student who was here legally with a student visa. In the span of those same few days, the U.S. Senate, presiding over the impeachment trial of our sitting president on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of justice, continued to attempt to conduct a…
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Sabbath Devotional :: Lessons from the Wilderness
As I have been studying the account of Lehi’s family in the Book of Mormon this month, I have found myself considering the perspectives of different individuals in the story, imagining myself in their position. Instead of viewing the people as characters that were either heroes or villains, I have been thinking about them as real, complex human beings. This exercise has broadened my perspective and brought me new insights that have helped me apply what I am reading to my own life. I was moved as I read about Sariah’s struggles as she anxiously awaited the safe return of her sons from their journey to Jerusalem to obtain the…
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Sabbath Devotional :: Improving Faith in Christ
With all the unrest in the world today, we can easily get caught up in the sadness or frustrations we see. As we each deal with these, if we are not careful, we can find it easy to lose sight of the true purpose of our earthly existence. I find wisdom in a devotional talk given by BYU professor Robert Daines on June 20, 2000. These are my insights into his words. Brother Daines speaks of three areas of concern: – Our relationship with Deity, spouses and others – Maintaining balance – Making important decisions He says that “answers and direction to each of these general dilemmas can be found…
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Sabbath Devotional :: ‘Ye May Know the Truth of All Things’
Like many of you, this year I will once again be taking a slow and deep dive into the Book of Mormon. Last week, I was lucky enough to start my study by preparing to teach the first early morning seminary lesson of the year, leading me to think long and hard about the role the book has played in my spiritual and emotional growth. My class last week was made up of a group of clever and thoughtful seniors. They have grown up in a place where their core beliefs are challenged, and none of them has ever really had the luxury of taking the truthfulness of the gospel…
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Sabbath Devotional :: In This Uncertain World
We find ourselves right now in the middle of a mystery. The assassination of General Qassem Suleimani is still fresh news. We can only speculate about the repercussions of that stunning action. There is no doubt that there will be repercussions. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday that the action was in response to an “imminent attack.” “This was an intelligence-based assessment that drove this,” Pompeo told CNN. “[Soleimani] was actively planning in the region,” he said, adding the U.S. action “saved American lives.” We aren’t privy to those intelligence sources. Congress wasn’t privy to those sources (although Senator Graham was). Has this action lit the tiger’s tail? Was…
