You Matter to Him

There are over 7 billion people on the Earth, and even more have lived throughout history. There are over 100 billion stars within the galaxy we can see. There is no possible way to measure how many grains of sand cover the beaches of the world. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, “One group of scientists estimates that the number of stars within range of our telescopes is 10 times greater than all the grains of sand on the world’s beaches and deserts.” When you start to think about things like this, you may feel like you are extremely insignificant. How can Heavenly Father give any thought or amount of time to ME? Everyone at some point or another has had this type of thought. Why me? Do I matter? Why would Heavenly Father care about me? The ONLY thing that is important to remember is that YOU DO MATTER! President Uchtdorf also said that, “even though man is nothing, it fills me with wonder and awe to think that ‘the worth of souls is great in the sight of God’” You MATTER, I MATTER, everyone MATTERS!

There have been times in my life where I have doubted this very thought. We are going to doubt our worth, we are going to doubt what we are doing here, we are going to doubt if we matter to anyone. This is just a part of life! There are hundreds of people that come in and out of our lives at any given time, some we call family, some we call friends, and others are just brief acquaintances. No matter how many people are in our lives, we ALWAYS have two people in our corner, rooting for us, praying for us to succeed. President Uchtdorf explained this theory very simply by stating, “This is the paradox of man: compared to God, man is nothing; yet we have everything to God. While against the backdrop of infinite creation we may appear to be nothing, we have a spark of eternal fire burning within our breast. We have the incomprehensible promise of exaltation – worlds without end – within our grasp. And it is God’s great desire to help us reach it.”

During our times of sorrow, we need to remember that any time we are feeling doubtful, discouraged, sad, insignificant, etc., that this feeling is only given to us by Satan. Satan “attempts to focus our sight on our own insignificance until we begin to doubt that we have much worth. He tells us that we are too small for anyone to take notice, that we are forgotten – especially by God.” Our Heavenly Father would never want us to feel these feelings. He wants us to be Happy no matter what! We will continue to have experiences and circumstances that bring us down, doubt, and feel insignificant. But one of my new favorite quotes from President Uchtdorf reminds us that, “what you see and experience now is not what forever will be. You will not feel loneliness, sorrow, pain, or discouragement forever. We have a faithful promise of God that he will neither forget nor forsake those who incline their hearts to Him. Have hope and faith in that promise.” Trials and tribulations will NOT last forever!

 

We are ETERNAL beings! Our time on Earth is so brief that it is incomprehensible in the sands of time. President Uchtdorf shows us that, “it may be true that man is nothing in comparison to the greatness of the universe. At times we may even feel insignificant, invisible, alone or forgotten. But always remember – you matter to Him!” We need to keep in mind that our Heavenly Father cares about us, and wants nothing for us but the best! He wants us to inherit His kingdom! He wants us to make it to the celestial kingdom! He wants us to become Gods & Goddesses!

Recently, during some of my own doubting moments in my life, some very special people in my life gave me this very talk by President Uchtdorf, and told me to listen to it over and over again until it stuck. I have heard quotes from this talk many many times, over and over, but I had never listened to the talk in its fullness. On my way home from work one night I listened to it more than once, and I just wanted to keep listening. Each time I listened to it I got something different out of it that I needed to hear. If anyone is feeling doubt, discouragement, loneliness, sadness, etc., please listen to this talk. If you don’t get anything out of it the first time, listen to it again. As my friend told me, listen to it as many times as you need to until it sticks!

YOU MATTER TO GOD!!! Do not EVER doubt that! Remember how much He loves you, and cares for you, and wants you to succeed, spiritually and temporally! Remember that the trials and pitfalls of life will not last forever! Life goes on, and gets better! Life is good, as it should be! Be happy and rejoice in the fact that YOU MATTER TO HIM!!!

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/you-matter-to-him?lang=eng

Exercise Will Be the Death of Me...

This morning I decided to exercise, you know, the basics…cardio on the treadmill, push-ups, sit-ups, squats, lunges, weights, etc. During this whole process I was silently thinking to myself, “Oh my gosh, I am SO completely out of shape.” I haven’t worked out for a while, and it definitely shows because I have not been consistent. I have not given my physical body the daily exercise that it needs to become better, stronger, and healthier. Just as our physical bodies need daily nourishment, so do our spiritual bodies. Our spiritual bodies can be "out of shape" just as easily as our physical bodies.

When we get ourselves into a habit of regular scripture study and prayer, and then go without for several days, we can notice a difference in our attitudes and outlook on life. Elder Dallin H. Oaks counseled, “Our spirits also require nourishment. Just as there is food for the body, there is food for the spirit. The consequences of spiritual malnutrition are just as hurtful to our spiritual lives as physical malnutrition is to our physical bodies. Symptoms of spiritual malnutrition include reduced ability to digest spiritual food, reduced spiritual strength, and impairment of spiritual vision.” There have been times when I have been on such a spiritual high for several weeks/months in a row, and then I just hit a rut. I go a week without reading the scriptures, praying as much as I should, or writing in my journal, and I feel sluggish, negative, and spiritually dehydrated.

          

 In an increasingly negative world, we need to do all that we can to make sure we are nourishing our spiritual bodies as much as possible. Elder Oaks gives us several ways in which we can keep increasing out spiritual nourishment, “We know the principal sources of spiritual food: prayer, studying the scriptures, attending inspirational meetings, singing the hymns of Zion, serving in our callings, fasting, partaking of the sacrament, and making other covenants, such as in the temple.” Though it may be difficult to do all of these things in a single day, there are a few that we can always do, such as reading our scriptures and praying to our Father in Heaven.

           

Every night we retire to our beds, exhausted from the events of the day. We have the opportunity to sleep, and recharge our bodies to be able to endure through the tasks of the next day. The same is true for our spirits. Each day our spirits are hounded by the things of the world, whether positive or negative. The difference is that we can constantly be nourishing our spiritual bodies. The communication lines to our Father in Heaven are constantly open, and we can talk to him whenever we want. He is always there to listen to us. The scriptures are ALWAYS available to us. We don’t need to have a physical set of scriptures in front of us to be able to read them. Most of us have them at our fingertips on our cell phones. Not only are scripture apps constantly available for us, but there are TONS of apps that we can have on our cell phones, tablets, computers, etc., that we can access many times throughout the day. We have the ability to keep our minds and thoughts on positive things, helping our spiritual bodies to be nourished and recharged.

           

Though there are many options for us to keep ourselves spiritually nourished throughout the day, there is one that I want to focus on more than any other, and that is scripture study. Personally, the days on which I do not study the scriptures are the days that I feel the most down and negative. President BoydK. Packer said of the scriptures, “The scriptures hold the keys to spiritual protection. They contain the doctrine and laws and ordinances that will bring each child of God to a testimony of Jesus Christ as the Savior and Redeemer…They teach us where to go and what to do. They offer hope and knowledge.” The scriptures are a spiritual roadmap for us to follow, and ensure that we can constantly have the spirit with us. President Packer counsels, “Make scripture reading a part of your regular routine, and the blessings will follow. There is in the scriptures a voice of warning, but there is also great nourishment.” If we can establish a daily routine of scripture study, we will open our hearts to have the Holy Ghost with us on a daily basis. By allowing the Holy Spirit into our lives on a daily basis, we will be more apt to pray to our Heavenly Father. Once these basic things are done, we are opening up our entire spiritual being to receive nourishment from anywhere that we can get it.

           

Spiritual nourishment is just as important, or more so, than physical nourishment. Our bodies require a daily intake of physical nourishment in the form of exercise and healthy eating. They also require a daily intake of spiritual nourishment as well. Surround yourself with things that will allow your spirits to be enlightened and uplifted. The more you are allowing spiritual enlightenment into your life, the more you are allowing Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ into your life.

Please, Don't make me Decide...

Everyday we are hounded by decisions. Personally, I hate making decisions, especially the ones that are “What do you want to eat? Or “What do you want to do tonight?” I am terrible at making these kinds of decisions, but it all usually ends up working out. We have many decisions to make in this life, some insignificant, and some that will have a great impact on our lives, and the lives of those around us.

Last week I was reading a blog post by Al Fox Carraway, and what she said really struck me. She referenced Alma 41:7, which reads, “These are they that are redeemed of the Lord; yeah, these are they that are taken out, that are delivered from that endless night of darkness; and thus they stand or fall; for behold, they are their own judges whether to do good or do evil.” This scripture really hit home for me, and being that I had no plans for that night, I ended up taking a drive over to the temple, and spent two hours soaking in the peace, reading a conference talk, and reading my scriptures. In D&C 87:8 we read, “Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved…”

Our Father in Heaven has given us a tremendous gift of Agency. We have the ability to make our own choices, decide for ourselves, and be in charge of our own lives. We face decisions about where to go to school, what car to buy, whom to spend our time with, who to date and marry, and many other major life decisions. We also have a daily decision to make concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ. Will I read my scriptures today, will I make time to pray, will I listen to uplifting messages/music, will I be kind to those around me, will I show Christ that I love Him?

LDS.org defines Agency as the “ability and privilege God gives us to choose and to act for ourselves. Agency is essential in the plan of salvation. Without agency, we would not be able to learn or progress or follow the Savior. With it, we are “free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil” (2 Nephi 2:27).”

Alma shows us that we can stand or fall, choosing whether to do good or evil. Nephi shows us that we are free to choose liberty and eternal life, or captivity and death. The little choices we make daily will have a direct impact on our life, attitude, and ability to live the gospel. We need to put ourselves in more positions where we will choose to make the right choices, and surround ourselves with good.

Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have an immense trust in us to give us the ability to choose for ourselves. Can you imagine being our Father, watching His sons and daughters make the wrong choices? Can you imagine him thinking, “If I had only made the choice for them, they would not have strayed.” But this is not how He thinks! He trusts that we will make our own decisions, whether right or wrong, and He hopes that someday we will make our way back to Him. I am not a parent, but I can only imagine the thoughts of parents watching their young kids, and wanting so badly just to make their choices for them. But this is not how we learn. If we make a wrong choice, hopefully we can recognize that it was a wrong choice, and correct our mistakes. As parents, you can hope that your children will make the right decisions, and align their life with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The best choice that we can make is to choose to believe in Jesus Christ, and in our Heavenly Father. Choose to believe that They know what is right for us, and will guide us safely home. Elder L. Whitney Clayton counsels, “Every day each of us faces a test. It is the test of our lifetimes: will we choose to believe in Him and allow the light of His gospel to grow within us, or will we refuse to believe and insist on traveling alone in the dark? The Savior provides His gospel as a light to guide those who choose to believe in and follow Him.” How beautiful this counsel is to us! Everyday we get to make a choice! Everyday we get to say, “I Believe in Christ.” Let us make the right choices and decisions. Let us stand in holy places and surround ourselves with good. If we do, Christ will guide us home.

Here is an awesome Mormon Message that was shared with me, and highlights the test of daily decision making in each of our lives:

Christ Will Carry Us...

This last week I have had a hard time trying to grasp the concept of Love as our Savior taught it. He teaches us to

“Love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” (John 13:34)

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.” (1 John 4:7)

“But behold I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you; (3 Nephi 12:44)

The scriptures are filled with the teachings of Christ concerning Love. I have faced several instances in the past week where people have tried to bring me down, or have hurt me spiritually, and I haven’t wanted to love them, but the Savior teaches us to do otherwise. In today’s world there is so much hate, and we forget the important lesson of Love.

Through all of my trials in the past week, I have tried to remember a couple things, and these are the things I want you all to try and remember…1) We are all spirit sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, which makes us all brothers and sisters. Family is one of the highest institutions given to us in this life, and we love our family. If we are all family, then we should all love one another, however hard it may be at times. 2) Would those who had persecuted me done what they had done if the Savior had been in the room with them, if He was standing right beside them? I would hope a resounding no is echoing in your ears. The thing that we forget is that the Savior is ALWAYS standing next to us, he is always AWARE of us, even when we don’t believe it ourselves. 

For me, this thought struck an interesting lesson in my mind. Though I cannot control how others act, I can control how I act. I (We) can act in a way that if we actually saw our Savior and brother Jesus Christ standing right next to us, He would be happy. No matter what we do, we need to remember the Lord is by our side, never to leave us; we just need to allow Him into our hearts.

Over a year ago I started a new job, and I was scared to death to start it. I was reminded of the Footprints in the Sand poem that I had read on numerous occasions. The man in the poem is upset when he only notices one set of footprints, and fears that the Lord has left him. But the Lord tells him that the one set of footprints were His own, and that is when the Lord was carrying him. Being scared for this job to begin, I wanted a reminder that throughout this next phase of my life, I could not do it alone, and I needed the Lord by my side. I found a ring that has part of the footprints poem inscribed around it, and I have worn it every day since. Later on that year, a dear friend of mine was leaving the mission field and returning home to begin the next phase of their life. I bought and gave them the same ring, wanting them to remember also, that no matter where we are in our life, we are never alone. Christ is always walking beside us, and when we are to weak to walk, He will carry us.

We have the ability to walk with Christ everyday. This is shown in our actions and deeds, and how we carry ourselves. President Henry B. Eyring has counseled, “You make choices every day and almost every hour that keep you walking in the light or moving away toward darkness. Some of the most important choices are about what you set your heart upon.” My hope is that we remember this simple teaching by one of our leaders. Make a choice to keep walking in the light of our Savior. Make a choice to love one another, our brothers and sisters. Make a choice to act in a way that makes our Heavenly Father and Brother Jesus Christ happy. Stand for what is right, stand for the truth, and stand for the gospel. Keep our hearts pure so that we may receive inspiration and revelation from our Heavenly Father. Remember, our Savior, Jesus Christ is always walking right beside us, and is willing and ready to carry us.