My Becoming Project Report: Becoming More Prayful

When we were given the challenge to choose our Becoming Project attribute, I debated between Paying an Honest Tithe and being Prayerful. I chose Prayerful because I wanted to strengthen my testimony of prayer and use prayer more on a daily basis when looking for guidance with my family, friends, school, church callings and routine issues that come up at home. I wanted that personal, day to day relationship with Heavenly Father that so many testify of and I did not have.

When I began reading the Book of Mormon, it was quickly evident that Nephi was a man who believed in God and the power of prayer.  Nephi lead his family to the promise land by constantly asking for the strength, direction, mercy, and knowledge he needed to do so. I knew to navigate the changes that were happening in my life and finally make some choices; I needed to ask Heavenly Father for the same. I am a person of routine, so I started by setting a few goals, that I hoped would become a habit later. First, I started a prayer journal and then I put up a prayer reminder on my computer monitor. I started the prayer journal, so I could make a note of people who would ask for prayers throughout the day and not forget. I went as far as adding it to the daily task list I keep on my kitchen counter, so I would not forget at the end of the day. The reminder on my monitor was done, because I wanted to make sure I did a prayer before starting my homework and scripture reading each day. I started out strong with my journal and did really well the first 6 weeks or so. As the holidays drew closer, I got busier and was not referencing my daily check list, so I found myself forgetting at the end of the day.  After pondering my failure to use my journal more, I concluded that my prayer journal is an amazing tool, but when someone I know asks for a prayer, I do not have to wait. I can stop what I am doing and pray for them in that moment and the chance of forgetting later is taken away. I do believe in the power of group prayer, so when someone ask for prayers, I want to make sure Heavenly Father hears the blessings I am sending. My second goal of praying before starting my homework has become natural for me now. The first few weeks I did forget sometimes, but I always stopped when I realized I had forgotten and did my prayer then. The reminder note is now gone off my monitor and I almost always pray before I get started.  In the BYU-I learning model it states the following: have confidence that the blessings of heaven will accompany your efforts, see the gifts of the spirit in your education, use both reason and faith in your studies, pursue deeper answers and meaning, and seek opportunities to teach others who might not know. Asking to have the spirit with me each day and asking for Heavenly Father to share his knowledge, has given me the confidence I needed to get through my first semester of Pathways. I also held on to the promise Henry J. Eyring shared in his book titled, Major Decisions; “God cares about you and your education. He will not only help you get the education you need, he will take you to the people he wants you to encounter.” This learning experience has been entirely different than anything I have experienced in the past and I know that is because prayer is involved.

As my Becoming Project progressed, I started learning that I needed to be more specific with my prayers. I have always been a general prayer type of gal. In week 6 of my gathering group, we talked about asking for direction or confirmation from Heavenly Father when we are trying to make a decision in our life. When the group discussed this in detail, I felt like I had been doing it wrong all along. I do not know that there is a real wrong way to pray, but I will say I was not going about my prayers in the most effective way. If I am about to make a decision, I have always asked that Heavenly Father direct me as he sees fit. What I had not done is ask, after I have made a choice, for confirmation that my decision is the correct decision. When I am specific in my prayers, they actually become more meaningful. Although I am doing this more now, it is still something I need to continue focusing on in the future.  I know that if I am in tune with the spirit, asking for that specific confirmation, I am more likely to feel the spirit when I am doing as he wishes.

 Another area of prayer focus has been implement prayer in my daily life, as far as planning task and time management. “And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed” (Luke 5:16). Finding quiet time to think and pray about priorities and how to get there has become very important to me. I never thought about asking God how I should invest my time each day. I always thought of prayer as something you save for more important issues. After our Time Management lesson in Life Skills, that perspective changed for me. Each day I try to focus on my key relationships and ask how God wants me to serve. By keeping that focus, I realize not only does he help me have the power to get them done; he will give me the confidence in knowing what to put on my list.

Although prayer has become more of a priority in my daily life, occasionally when life is crazy or I am tired, I find my mind wondering and thinking about life in general and not praying with my full attention. A classmate in one of the discussion boards calls it “channel surfing”.  To help keep her focus, she suggested praying out loud.  I have found that advice to be very helpful and do most of my prayers out loud now. It also intensifies that communication and helps personalize it.

As I try and reflect on how I have become more Prayerful, I look at the pages and pages of notes I put together and realize I totally over prepared.  It has been 25+ years since I have written an essay, let alone a reflective essay, but I can see the importance of doing so. With all of this material in front of me today, I realize I chose the right attribute. I have a testimony that God speaks directly to us through the spirit. I have a testimony that God answers prayers through scriptures. I have a testimony that the spirit guides others to teach or tell us what we need to answer our prayers. Lastly, I now have a testimony that God answers prayers on HIS terms, no ours.

A System of Judges and Personal Responsbility

Mosiah 29 appeared to be a small chapter in my reading this week, but the content contained lead to some very big changes for the Nephite civilization. Until this time, the Nephites had lived under a Patriarchal society and a Monarchy government. After seeing failures with both systems, Mosiah felt it was time to shift the government to a system of judges. There we're many factors and history that played into his decision, so let me share a few.

First, Mosiah had just translated the history of the Jeredites and under the Monarchy, and under their Monarchy government, the entire Jeredite civilization had been destroyed. Mosiah had also witnessed and read of evil Kings in his own civilization. Ultimately, he believed that a Monarchy could successfully rule the people and live by Gods law if the king was righteous, but that would not always be the case.

Second, King Mosiah realized that even his own kin could cause contention if another king was appointed. When word was spread to the people, they all desired that his son Aaron would be their ruler. Aaron, along with his brothers, all declined because they wanted to serve a mission among the Lamintes. Mosiah, warned the people that Aaron could turn again to his pride and try to claim his right to the kingdom. This could cause contention among the people, splitting them and causing anger and wars.

Ultimately, the biggest factor was his desire to shift the responsibility of the kingdom to the people, rather than than one man; The King.

v33  And many more things did king Mosiah write unto them, unfolding unto them all the trials and ^atroubles of a righteous king, yea, all the travails of soul for their people, and also all the murmurings of the people to their king; and he explained it all unto them.

 v34 And he told them that these things ought not to be; but that the burden should come upon all the people, that every man might ^abear his part.

 Mosiah has faith that, although their are some who desire to do wrong, the majority of people will choose to do right.  

v26 Now it is not common that the ^avoice of the people desireth anything ^bcontrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the ^cpeople to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law—to do your business by the voice of the people.

He also feels, with a system of higher and lower judges, a system of "checks and balances" as we call it today, would be in place. If either set of judges is not judging in righteousness, they will be held accountable by the voice of the people.

Mosiah knew the importance of every man having an equal chance in the land and a willingness to answer to his own sins. 

v39 Therefore, it came to pass that they assembled themselves together in bodies throughout the land, to cast in their ^avoices concerning who should be their ^bjudges, to judge them according to the ^claw which had been given them; and they were exceedingly rejoiced because of the ^dliberty which had been granted unto them.

I'm very thankful to see this early example of Democracy being set forth in the scriptures. I'm thankful to have counsel that reminds me that good, can prevail over evil. In order to play our part in spreading good, we are counseled to seek the truth. We are counseled to carefully study the men and issues that will affect our local community and our country as a whole. 

I'll finish, with a link to a video that was included in my lesson this week. This short video titled "At the Crossroads of History", briefly summarizes the lesson of Mosiah 29 and reminds me of the need to "Rising Up and Defend Freedom". 

In The Service of Your Fellow Beings

There are so many guiding principles King Benjamin taught throughout Mosiah, but the topic of Service is one that is particularly close to my heart. Let me share with you Mosiah 2:16-17; the scriptures I'll be focusing on in this post.  

16 Behold, I say unto you that because I said unto you that I had spent my days in your service, I do not desire to boast, for I have only been in the service of God.

 17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

 18 Behold, ye have called me your king; and if I, whom ye call your king, do labor to serve you, then ought not ye to labor to serve one another?

In these scriptures he teaches that by serving others, you are directly serving God. He continues by challenging his people to service one another, as he has served them. He tells them not to thank him for that service, but to thank their Heavenly Father and if they give thanks, with their whole soul, they will leave in peace with one another. 

That promise of peace is why I've chosen to devote more of my time to serving others. Heavenly Father lived his entire life serving all of us and serving GOD. He gave everything for us, knowing the outcome, so I choose to repay him by making service a priority in my life. 

I've always gone out of my way to try and help others when needed, but in the last few years, I've dedicated the majority of my extra time to doing service and my heart has changed from that. President Henry B. Eyring wrote a Presidency Message in the March 2014 Liohona magazine titled "Service and Eternal Life". In that letter he talks about how "James the Apostle taught us how the desire to serve others springs from gratitude for what the Lord has done for us." I have a personal testimony of this desire I'd like to now share.

3 years ago in Dallas, I attended a Glenn Beck rally called Restoring Love. One of the planned days was called a "Day of Service". Mercury One had planned an entire day of service for thousands of people, at various locations around the city. When we all gathered at the Dallas Stadium, the shear site of all those people and the buses it required to transport all of us, was an life changing moment for me. 

My daughter and I were able to serve at a local church facility that provided assistance to the needy in the community. I served in the foot pantry and my daughter served in the nursery, where the kids could hang out, while the parents shopped in the clothing area for things they needed. The heat made it miserable that day, but when we left our hearts were filled with that desire to do more. 

That weekend I was blessed with meeting a group of people who had this same desire. The story behind Labor of Love is to long to share in this post today, but I've now found comfort serving with a group of people, from all over the United States, that has made their primary goal to service others as Heavenly Father has commanded.

President Eyring also wrote "The Savior teaches us how we can learn to serve others. He served perfectly, and we must learn to serve as He learned—line upon line (see D&C 93:12–13). Through the service we give, we can become more like Him. We will pray with all the energy of our hearts to love our enemies as He loves them (see Matthew 5:43–44; Moroni 7:48). Then we may at last become fitted for eternal life with Him and our Heavenly Father."

We use that example and choose to service those who others might now feel are worthy. We teach our children to with us side by side. We aren't always the most efficient group, because the people we are serving are the priority and not the project. In following these guiding principles, we often come broken, but leave with our souls healed. 

 Nashville-2015

 Birmingham-2015

If you do not have service in your life or have not made it a priority, I challenge you to do so. The opportunities are right in your backyard and if you can't find the right opportunity, MAKE the opportunity.  I have a testimony that our loving Heavenly Father will reward you for your service, with blessings in this life and in the eternal life.

Attitudes and Actions that Will Bring Sadness

In 2 Nephi 28, Nephi testifies of the many churches, being built in the latter days, that will teach "false, vain and foolish doctrine."  Because the denial of Christ will be abound, it will be easy for Satan to grasp hold of the hearts of many. To avoid the sadness and regret that comes from being held in Satan's grasp, Nephi list the attitude and actions God has provided for us.

This list is easily identifiable in 2Nephi 28:15-16, 24-29, by focusing on the Wo's provided by the Lord.

v15 O the wise, and the learned, and the rich, that are puffed up in the pride of their hearts, and all those who preach false doctrines, and all those who commit whoredoms, and pervert the right way of the Lord, wo, wo, wo be unto them, saith the Lord God Almighty, for they shall be thrust down to hell!

v16 Wo unto them that turn aside the just for a thing of naught and revile against that which is good, and say that it is of no worth! For the day shall come that the Lord God will speedily visit the inhabitants of the earth; and in that day that they are fully ripe in iniquity they shall perish.

This warns us of False Teachers

 v24 Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!

 v25 Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well!

This warns those in Zion to not think "All is well". 

 v26 Yea, wo be unto him that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men, and denieth the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost!

This warns us of living our lives by the teachings of man and not the Lord.

 v27 Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more!

v29 Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough!

This warns those who are angry at the restoration of the gospel and the Book of Mormon. 

These actions and attitudes are all enemies of Christ, however God's mercy is made very clear in v31 when he says "nevertheless, I will be merciful unto them, saith the Lord God, if they will repent and come unto me; for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of Hosts." It's comforting to know this, because we can all be guilty of these actions or attitudes at some point in our life, if not multiple times.

I want you to know that I'm very thankful for the gift of repentance. It's so easy to fall into Satan's grasp at any given moment and I want you to know there is a way back.

 

Isaiah's 6 "Wo's" and How I See Them Committed Today

In 2nd Nephi chapter 15, Isaiah identifies the sins of the Israelites. In doing so, he uses Wo 6 times to identify those sins. Wo represents his sadness knowing the judgement they were going to receive if they did not repent for those sins. I'm going to share with you those 6 "Wo" scriptures and tell you how I think we, as gentiles of the promised land, still commit or are tempted to commit these sins today.

1. V8 Wo unto them that join house to house, till there can be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!
This scripture comes down to greed and how many in this world never know they have enough. My first thought on this goes right to those who live outside their means. They want, what they financially can't afford, so they go into debt trying to give a particular appearance to others. Rather than giving thanks for what they do have and the blessings they currently have, they are always looking and reaching for what they don't have and still want. Their is never anything wrong with setting goals and wanting more for yourself, but being humble and thankful in the process is what's important.

2. V11 Wo unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink, that continue until night, and wine inflame them!

This scripture refers to those following an unrighteous lifestyle. When pondering this scripture, my thoughts go right to many of the young adults in college these days. I find it so scary to see and hear so much about drinking, sex and drugs on college campuses all over the United States. Many of our youth, who may go off to non Christian institutions, find themselves alone when defending their moral beliefs and often find themselves caving to the peer pressure.

3. V18 Wo unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope;
Verse 8, refers to those people who are so connected with their sins, things that are unholy follow them everywhere. I tend to think of some people who are considered "Famous". Now, I don't want to generalize, because I truly am one who believes we have more good people in the world then bad people. But there are those who we see in the spotlight, that keep falling into new temptations over and over. They may appear to be taking 1 step forward and then 3 steps back and I really think it comes down to them being so disconnected from our Heavenly Father and these warnings, that they never stop to really ponder where the root of their ongoing troubles stem from. They basically have their priorities wrong and are paying the price.


4. V20 Wo unto them that call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

This scripture in particular scares me, more than others. To me, it represents those who are completely detached from any standards or morality of Jesus Christ. There are those who have an understanding and yet still choose not to follow all the commandments of Christ and then there are those who think every action and teaching of God is false or non existent. I can't help but think about the Satanic group in Detroit who unveiled their Satan statue recently. It's not something that a follower of Jesus Christ can even fathom, yet it is their standard of "normal".

5. V21 Wo unto the wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight!

Verse 21 represents those who think they are too smart to listen to others and make their own rules to justify their deeds. Unfortunately, I feel this scripture represents many in our government today.  We've come to a point in our government where rather than listen and represent the people's voice, they think they know what is better for the majority and change the rules as they see fit, to justify their deeds.  

6. V22 Wo unto the mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink;
At first I was confused about verse 22. It sounded like a repeat of verse 11, but then I realized it was referencing men of strength as leaders. Leaders who live an extravagant lifestyle to be more specific. After making a clarification, it reminded me of a photo I seen this week of a very famous evangelical leader, with a comparison of the luxuries in his life to those he serves. In my lifetime, many evangelical leaders, who believed strongly in Jesus Christ have come crashing down, because their own needs and wants became more powerful than the real needs of those they were serving. 


As humans and weak beings, we may  find ourselves falling into one of these sins at any given time. Maybe not to the degree or examples I've shown above, but in our own small way. Isaiah's identified these things, so the the Israelites would have their eyes opened to their iniquities. Our current leaders and Prophet give us guidance today to do the same thing. They speak to us and give us guidance every General Conference, so we are reminded to repent for the sins of our current day and are clean before the day of judgement.

Grateful in All Circumstances

When watching the video clips this week, that pertained to 1Nephi 15-22, I enjoyed President Uchtdorf's clip titled "Grateful in All Circumstances". This clip was taken from his General Conference talk in October 2014. To see this talk in it's entirety, you can find the link HERE.




In life, it sometimes feels like there are only two kind of people.  Those who like to complain about everything and those that live cheerfully. Although I have my moments, I really do try and live my live cheerfully. I try and be thankful for those small moments, even in bad circumstances, that bring me joy. I'm definitely an optimist, where my husband and best friend tend to be pessimist. One of the scripture President Uchtdorf mentioned was D&C 123:17 "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." Even as a prisoner in Liberty, Missouri, as he instructed the Saints to gather the details and document their sufferings, he instructed them to do these things cheerfully. It's often the times when you go back and really ponder your trials, that you see the blessings that were happening simultaneously.

One of my biggest trials occurred in 1997. I was in an auto accident and sustained a broken neck. I was treated and released the same day after closing a head and knee wound and told I had a bad case of whiplash. After a week of excruciating pain and not being able to function doing even the smallest task, I went back to the doctor. They found through further scanning that I had a fracture of my C2 vertebrae. Once the fracture was found, it started an immediate whirlwind of care. I was strapped to a table, transported to the hospital, where they contemplated for 3 days how they were going to address my fracture. On that Monday morning, I was finally rolled into surgery and was placed in a Halo. If you've not seen a Halo, here is the photo taken for my court case. For 5 months, I had to live in this contraption.

Let me tell you, living in a Halo was not fun. I couldn't shower the entire time. A sponge bath was as good as it got and that was with assistance every other day. Normal clothes wouldn't fit, I had to either cut them or in most cases,  I lived in moo-moo style tops and dresses. That's not something most 27 year old woman would be super happy about. Sleeping in a bed, even a hospital bed, was never comfortable so I slept in a recliner the entire time. It just so happens we had that recliner till this year and I think of that chair very cheerfully, because it was one of the most comfortable recliners ever and used many times at my office for over night stays. Now one of the biggest irritants were the height of my poles. Normally when you wear a Halo, the poles don't extend much past the top of your head, well I wasn't that lucky. I basically fit between sizes, so one was to small and one was to big. They had to go with the larger Halo, which meant I was basically screwed in at the lowest setting, which left a foot extra up top. That extra foot, made it very interesting to get  in and out of cars, so being transported was always fun and the view of the car roof was very exciting. Oh and can't not forget, I no longer had a car, because mine was totaled. To top that all off, to align my fracture property,  my head was basically tilted up. That meant I couldn't see half of what was in front of me, on a lower level and that caused me to trip..ALOT.  Sometimes my family would FORGET to lead me or tell me about a step and BOOM, down I'd go. Talk about an eyeful for those around me. People were already staring at me everywhere I went, but when I'd fall they would just freak out and panic.

I tell you these things, because even in that difficult time, I chose to look at the positive. My brother in law would come over to hang out and I remember him asking me one day "How do still have a smile on, every time I come over? You look so happy and I don't get it." Well, in that moment, as much as all those issues above were a pain and inconvenient, I was really thankful to be alive. In the hospital, they told me so many times, I was lucky to be alive after walking around with that broken neck for a week. One wrong move and I could of been dead or paralyzed in a split second. I chose to be cheerful because I was able to spend more time with my daughter. I needed assistance to care for her, but I was with her and not working. I was also cheerful because I was excited to do some genealogy work and ended up doing a ton of it during those 5 months I was home. I was blessed to spend more time with my family, while they helped me get to appointments and such. Even some of the weird things, actually made me laugh in the moment. As wrong as it was, scaring kids at the movie theater, would make me giggle. Having a wrench attached with Velcro to the front of my vest, was necessary, in case of emergency and I needed to receive CPR. I would tell my daughter "No momma, has a wrench like your momma" and do a little tapping game with it.

Like others who are dealing with afflictions, you have your moments, but if you choose to live a life of Gratitude, those moments are fewer.

Unforseen Challenges

Deciding to take the Pathways program, in itself tested my faith in listening to the Holy Ghost. My daughter had shared information on the Pathways program with me at one point during the summer and within a month or so, the the Pathway missionaries came to our fifth Sunday meeting in our ward to explain the program. When that meeting was over, I had a strong testimony from the Holy Ghost that I needed to be part of the program. I left that afternoon, having no doubt that's where I needed to be at this cross road in my life. As the weeks counted down to the registration deadline, I started questioning my ability to even go back to school. I questioned the timing and tried rationalizing the holidays were coming and how I didn't want to give up that time to studying. When the day came to register, I postponed hitting that enter button until the last minute possible. I knew in that moment, that if I had faith in that initial confirmation by the Holy Ghost, I'd be doing the right thing in that moment and here I am making a new Blog. 

 This week in Pathways, we studied 1 Nephi 1-5 in the Book of Mormon. In these chapters, it tells how Lehi and his family fled Jerusalem by the commandment of God to avoid destruction by Babylonians. Later, Lehi asked his sons to go back to Jerusalem to recover a set of brass plates from Labon, who was a notable citizen in Jerusalem. These plates were to contain the ancestry of Lehi's family and the complete record of the Jews. Initially Laman and Lemuel were hesitant because Laban was said to be a powerful man, but when Nephi spoke up and said "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them", they all agreed they would go forth to Jerusalem and obtain the plates. After the first failed attempt, Laman and Lemuel were ready to return to the wilderness with their father, but Nephi once again spoke of his faith in the word of GOD (1Nephi 4:19-20) and did persuade them to go gather their riches and offer them to Laban in return for the brass plates. After this offer failed as well, the older brothers were very angry and did say angry words to both younger brothers and struck them with a rod. While doing so, an angel appeared saying "Why do ye smite your younger brother with a rod? Know ye not that the Lord hath chosen him to be a ruler over you, and this because of your iniquities? Behold ye shall go up to Jerusalem again, and the Lord will deliver Laban into your hands." Even after this, Laman and Lemuel still questions their ability and commandment to obtain the plates. Nephi on the other hand, continued to share his faith in the commandment they'd be given. They still murmured and were very angry, but eventually agreed to follow Nephi back and did so until they reached the walls of Jerusalem. Nephi was then guided by the spirit to ask them to stay hidden behind the wall and he would proceed to the house of Laban. Once near the house, he found a man, drunken in the street and soon realized it was Laban. It was then that the spirit spoke to him and told him to slay Laban. (1Nephi 4:10-13) When hearing these words, he remembered the message he'd received from God earlier saying: "In as much as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise." He did slay Laban and he did obtain the plates as promised by the word of God. 

When doing some further studying and watching some clips attached to this chapter, I listened to clip from a talk given by Stan Kivett, titled Finishers Wanted. He talks about how easily Nephi agreed to go complete this task, because his faith was strong and immediately directed him to do as he was asked. However, even with that faith, he was surprises at how challenging it was to complete the task. It's a definite reminder that we might go into a task or commitment, with the greatest intentions and even faith, yet it's so easy to loose our footing when obstacle, after obstacle is put in our way. In 1Nephi 3:15, when Nephi realizes it's not going to be easy as he thought, he finds another way and forges though the challenge. 

I compare this to the decision I made when joining this years Pathways program.  I heard the spirit tell me this is where I need to be, so as Nephi did, I followed the spirit's voice and did as I was commanded. I have faith in my commitment and more in my ability as each day goes by, but what I don't know, are the challenges ahead that may derail me in the process. I'm sure they will come and when they do, I'll remember Nephi's resolve and take them head on.