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Sabbath Devotional :: Knowing Christ Through Our Web of Community
In C.S. Lewis’ book “The Four Loves” there is an essay entitled “Friendship.” The following passage is a reflection on the loss of a member of Lewis’ close circle of friends: “In each of my friends there is something that only some other friend can fully bring out. By myself I am not large enough to call the whole man into activity; I want other lights than my own to show all his facets… In this, Friendship exhibits a glorious ‘nearness by resemblance’ to heaven itself where the very multitude of the blessed (which no man can number) increases the fruition which each of us has of God… The more…
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Sabbath Devotional :: Fear, Faith, and Focus
I have been thinking a lot about fear. This is partly because I have been noticing a lot of fear around me. I see it in news headlines and election strategies. I see it in my Facebook feed and on campaign flyers in my mailbox. But the truth is that fear is not just something I have been observing in other people. I have been thinking a lot about fear because I have been feeling a lot of fear myself. I fear big things, like government corruption and global pandemics. I fear not-so-big things, like my children getting their drivers’ licenses. I feel fear when my children are sick or…
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Sabbath Devotional :: The Influence of the Restoration
This year is the 200th anniversary of the First Vision; it’s been 200 years since a young teen asked God which church was true. I stand all amazed at what has transpired since that day. I’ve been pondering what the Restoration has meant in my life. When the missionaries rang our doorbell 38 years ago, I was a young mother with two young daughters. A year and a half later, my husband, our two little girls and I knelt around the altar in the new Atlanta Temple to be sealed as a family. Faithful members in our little branch nurtured, served and loved us. Since then, we have served in…
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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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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 :: 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 :: The Creative Process and the Making of Peace
“Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty.” When I first heard those words in Elder Dieter F Uchtdorf’s General Conference talk over 10 years ago, I was both intrigued and inspired. At the time, I was trying to grapple with being a full-time caretaker to my young sons while nourishing my own creative spirit. I am an adequate housekeeper at best, an introvert who would rather spend time alone with a book or at my piano than cooking, cleaning, or frankly, playing on the floor with children. But I grew up…
