Home At Last!

I’m home! It was wonderful to be away, but so nice to be back. Things didn’t go as planned our last two days. We had a fantastic dinner on Tuesday and strolled down the Boulevard to go to the Donny and Marie show enjoying the lights and the people. We arrived in plenty of time only to find a long, long line and discover that someone was sick and the show had been cancelled. This is the second time we have tried to see the show and weren’t able to. So we walked back to our hotel and spent the evening watching Elf.

When we were in California D2 surprised us with Christmas stockings filled with goodies. I had also picked oranges from her tree so we made a party out of the rest of our time in Vegas from the treats in our stockings and the oranges. It wasn’t the trip we had planned, but it was relaxing and fun.

Now to get on with the Christmas plans. I’m still enjoying the lights and music more than I ever have. I feel like a child again. I get all giggly inside when I see the lights and the Christmas music literally warms my soul. I love this!!!

Thoughts On My Vacation

Surprise! I did get some computer time this morning. It has been an interesting experience to go from a baptism with family to Las Vegas. The feelings are so very different. We stayed at D2's home (that's daughter number two) and D4 also brought her four sons. Eight children under 14 means chaos and noise and sometimes trauma (for the little ones) and lots of work for mothers to keep up with everything but it was all good and wonderful and full of love and goodness. And as strange as it sounds there is a certain peace to the chaos--maybe because of the love that underlies it all. It is so fun to watch my girls mother and deal with these situations in patient ways. They each mother very differently but they are all amazing mothers.

Here in Vegas there is chaos and noise and lots of trauma but there is a very different feeling. It's as if you can smell it in the air! It is tangible and real. I saw a slightly overweight older woman yesterday, probably in her mid seventies who had obviously had face lift surgery and who was wearing a lot of makeup, walking around in tight white leggins and knee boots with high heels. It was almost sad to see how she was clinging to a long-gone youth, seeking happiness in the past.

In short, the contrast between the two parts of my vacation have made me even more thankful for the gospel and the principles of Truth that teach me to find happiness in what is and to be at peace with myself and my God. But most of all the gospel has taught me where to find true joy. I am so grateful for that!

On Vacation!

I've been traveling today. I've spent the weekend in California to be at the baptism of my grand daughter. It is so wonderful to watch these children grow up! Another daughter four brought her children to be part of the celebrating and so we got to see eight grand children. Wonderful!

Both daughters spoiled us. They are wonderful! Such amazing children I have. I'll explain more about our trip later. I only have a few minutes of computer time. Tomorrow and Wed. I may not have access either. We've stopped in Las Vegas to do some Christmas shopping and to see the Donny and Marie show.  I'll write tomorrow if I can. In the meantime, keep enjoying the season!

The Power of Experience

The last power of the mind that Alma teaches us to use is the power to experience. “Experience,” you are thinking, ”isn’t a power of the mind. Experience is a power of the senses.”  But not according to Alma.  Many people think that what they experience is a result of their environment. To put it in a mathematical type formula stimulus = response. But as we all have observed, the same stimulus can be given to two different people and the response will be different. Thus the formula is stimulus + agency = response. We all choose what we experience.

On the hill of Calvary there were many people who experienced joy and rejoicing as they witnessed a blasphemer be crucified and receive His just reward. Other people on that same hill experienced extreme sorrow as they witnessed their Savior and King suffer extreme pain and degradation. What they experienced was a choice, and what we experience is a choice. When we go to Sacrament meeting do we experience the sweet spirit of the Lord rejuvenating us and encouraging us? Or do we sit through the meeting thinking about the new hairdo of the woman three rows in front of us, or how we wish the speaker were better, or all we have to do during the coming week to get ready for Christmas?

Alma asks the people if they have experienced feeling the spirit in their lives and if they have in the past if they are still experiencing it. Alma understood that experiencing is a power of the mind that we can use to bring us closer to our Father in Heaven and to increase our faith. Each of us can choose to experience what the Spirit is offering you right now or you can choose to get caught up in the things of the world—the emotions and thoughts that push us far from the Spirit.

Remembering, imagining, and experiencing are abilities we have all been given that when used properly will strengthen and empower us to be Christ-like.

Power to Imagine

Yesterday I spent the day driving to California and didn’t have Internet access. I love long car rides and watching the world pass by. I know a lot of people think the drive between Utah and California is nature at its most forlorn, but even in the desert I find an amazing peace and beauty. God has created a fascinating world and I love seeing the different formations, creations, and beauty of it.

Now back to Alma 5. The next power of the mind that Alma talks about is the power to imagine. He asks us to imagine ourselves standing before God. What will we say to God? What will we do? Do we think that at that point we can fool God? No way!
Imagination is powerful. We can use this power to project ourselves into the future and decide how we will deal with specific problems or situations. We can use it to imagine the consequences that will come from decisions we are about to make. We can imagine ourselves in the celestial kingdom and feel how wonderful that will be and then use those “sights” and feelings to motivate ourselves to do what is right so that we will be in the celestial kingdom.

Using the imagination to help us live righteously can help us immensely on our journey back into the presence of God.

The Power of Memory

In Alma’s great speech to the people of Zarahemla, one of the first things he asks is if they have “sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers?” He goes on to ask them if they have remembered God’s mercy and longsuffering toward them and how through the atonement Christ has delivered them from hell. He asks if they have remembered how the hearts of the people were changed and how they were freed from bondage.

This is one of the great powers of the mind that help us to use our agency correctly. If we use our minds to remember Christ and all the marvelous things He has done for us and our forefathers, it becomes very difficult to give into temptation. Learning these stories and then thinking about them often is empowering.

 I have many family stories I often recall about the hardships my ancestors endured so that I could be a member of Christ’s church. There are also a lot of Church history stories that are the heritage of all members of the Church.  I also have many experiences of the tender mercies of the Lord in my own life that I recall often to help me remember how much the Lord loves me and how He has helped me. But most of all, as Alma says, I am blessed by remembering the Atonement and what it means to me personally.

 If we constantly keep these things in our memory, we are fortified to make right choices and every time we make right choices our faith grows. Remembering the good and remembering Christ fortifies us. Memory, therefore, is a powerful tool that helps us draw closer to God.

Spiritual Conditioning

Often in my religion classes I have young men and women who are on athletic teams at BYU. I am astounded at the amount of time these young people put into their sport. Depending on which team they are on, they report spending 3 to 6 hours per day conditioning, watching film, learning plays and practicing. It takes so much time and effort and literally becomes a way of life. They have to eat right, mentally prepare for opponents, learn rules, create team camaraderie so they can work together well, follow coaches instructions, work out to create strength and stamina, and many other things. Some of this we realize. After all we know that no one is going to end up on a NFL team by accident. A professional athlete plans and prepares for years before.

There are parallels here to our spiritual life. No one is going to end up in the celestial kingdom accidentally. We have to plan and prepare if we want to go there. So what do we do? Spiritual conditioning for those who want to go to the celestial kingdom is as necessary and real as physical conditioning is for athletes. Since faith is mental process, spiritual conditioning takes place in the mind, and Alma tells us how in Alma chapter five.

In his great speech to the people of Zarahemla, Alma instructs them on the use of the three powers of the mind: the power to remember, to imagine, and to experience. When we learn to use these three powers and then daily exercise them we are strengthened spiritually. They are incredible powers and build faith just as weight lifting builds muscle.

For the next few days, I’ll blog about these powers and how we use them. In the meantime, read Alma 5 so you can add your comments. Happy reading!