2015 - 20th Anniversary

This is the year we celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Proclamation to the World about the family.  Interestingly, it is also the year that the UN celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Platform.

The first document to the world describes our Divine identity as women, and the beautiful role we play in our families. The second document sees motherhood in a negative light and seeks to dismantle our role in the family.

"In the preliminary document for the Beijing +5 Conference in 2000, one of the stated obstacles to human rights (translation: abortion on demand and same-sex marriage) was the "...persistence of traditional and stereotypical attitudes."
   In the section on Woman and the Media, there was language stating opposition to the 'negative images of women; and stereotyped portrayals;' (translation: mothers).  The women at this conference were urged to target journalists and media specialists, media associations, educational and training institutions to promote balanced and non-stereotyped portrayals of women." - Susan Roylance (Mothers & Fathers Defending Marriage and Family in the Halls of the U.N.)

Simply stated in "UN Beijing platform language" - "motherhood" and "traditional family" are bad words and damaging stereotypes and must be done away.

"In the gathering storm over defending marriage, the weather-vane pointing to our future is oscillating wildly.  Our destiny as a society will depend on whether we can protect our most fundamental social institution: marriage and the family.  As citizens of a democratic republic, we need not be at the mercy of judicial winds.  We can control our destiny!" - Richard G. Wilkins (Author of 'A Sacred Duty')

So how do we defend our most fundamental institution? The answer is simple.  We start in our own homes.  We seek to do all we can to strengthen our marriage and our relationships with our children, to build our home on a foundation of faith and trust in God. We embrace the complimentary unique and different roles of husband and wife. We always work with and for each other and never against. We strive to practice patience, kind words that build and uplift, habits that nurture and invite the Spirit.  We must be vigilant in safeguarding and monitoring closely the amount and content of media diet being fed to our minds and our family.  Wise mothers and fathers do not allow the rivers of filthy water to flow through the airwaves of their home.  They constantly ask themselves, "what is being taught" and "how is it being received".  Wise mothers and fathers seek the Spirit of the Lord in all they do through constant daily prayer and scripture study.

The Prophet Joseph Smith appeared to Brigham Young in a vision and said, "Tell the people to be humble and faithful and sure to keep the Spirit of the Lord and it will lead them right. Be careful and not turn away the small still voice; it will teach [you what] to do and where to go; it will yield the fruits of the kingdom. Tell the brethren [and sisters] to keep their hearts open to conviction so that when the Holy Ghost comes to them, their hearts will be ready to receive it. They can tell the Spirit of the Lord from all other spirits. It will whisper peace and joy to their souls, and it will take malice, hatred, envying, strife, and all evil from their hearts; and their whole desire will be to do good, bring forth righteousness, and build up the kingdom of God. Tell the brethren [and sisters] if they will follow the Spirit of the Lord they will go right."

Malachi teaches about turning our hearts to our fathers and the most important Father we should turn to is our Heavenly One.  We are His children and His heart has been turned to us from the very beginning.  He loves us with an immeasurable and powerful love!  "We love Him because He first loved us." As we rightfully make Him first in our lives, everything else will fall into its proper place.  I know this. I trust this with my whole soul!

The Family Proclamation declares this irrefutable truth, "Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities."

The solutions of the world are not found in the works of the flesh, in the intellects, the philosophers, and talking heads. Show me a person who has innumerable followers, popularity, high accolades, degrees and doctorates, scholarly knowledge, who has read all the books and passed all the tests but who has never learned to care for their family, never learned to recognize and act upon the Spirit, never learned to reach beyond their obsession of self to sincerely love their neighbor, who has never learned to truly love and truly serve - and you've shown me a fool, indeed.

The Kingdom of God will crush the Kingdoms of the earth in a way that those who only see by the flesh won't be able to understand because they will not open their eyes.  The stone cut out of the mountain without hands means "without the flesh"... it will be by the power of the Spirit!  Those who have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts that understand will not faint but with hope will listen to "the distant triumph song."

-Alicia

She Put the Music in Me

Paul teaches us to extend Christlike love to all around us because "some have entertained angels unawares." -Hebrews 13:2

Elder Holland spoke of the ministering of angels saying, "Usually such beings are not seen. Sometimes they are. But seen or unseen they are always near." 

Angels have helped guide our Father's children since our first parents were cast out of the garden of Eden. "God knew the challenges they would face, and He certainly knew how lonely and troubled they would sometimes feel. So He watched over His mortal family constantly, heard their prayers always, and sent prophets (and later apostles) to teach, counsel, and guide them. But in times of special need, He sent angels, divine messengers, to bless His children, reassure them that heaven was always very close and that His help was always very near." - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland 'The Ministry of Angels'

I have thought a lot about this truth.  My dad lost his mother to breast cancer before I was born but I have always felt her spirit close to me, sensing that I know her and she in turn knows me.  And recently as I began to study more about my mom's mother, I can feel her influence and love too.  I believe with all my heart the prophesy in Malachi, that the spirit of Elijah is key in saving individuals, families, and the nations of the earth in these last days... "he shall turn the heart of the fathers [and mothers] to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers [and mothers]."

A week ago, last Monday night, I participated in a historical event with United Families International.  We had the privilege of inviting the nations of the earth to learn about the spirit of Elijah through music and testimony.  The two most receptive nations that came were from Africa and Central America.  The atmosphere in the room was powerful and there was no doubt that the numbers of people attending were far more than what we could see with our natural eyes. http://utahvalley360.com/2015/03/17/lds-women-defend-motherhood-standing-room-un-event/  Two young women sang this song I had never heard before.  It touched me so deeply, I was a bawling mess.  I worried that I wouldn't have time to compose myself before I was supposed sing in the next musical number but it all worked out.

She Put the Music in Me by, Calee Reed

It started with rock-a-bye, comforting when Id cry

All in her own style

Then popcorn before my eyes, turning frowns upside down

Into smiles

With songs of the birds up high, looking at the blue blue sky

The wind as it rushes by

Then leading me, guiding me, walking beside me she helped me

To walk in the light.

She built my house on a rock

And she lives all that she taught

And she is all that a woman should be

She put the music in me

I knew He was really there, He heard my child's prayer

Answering from up above

She gave like a little stream, I was her sunbeam

And I felt my Saviors love

I saw her kneel and pray with our family every day

Listening to each whispered word

Gentle in deed and thought, all the things Jesus taught

Following promptings she heard

She lives to search, ponder, pray

And she gives everyday

So her thanks will always be thanks indeed

She put the music in me

He made the tiny wings of each little bird that sings

In the leafy treetops up high

And all creatures great and small, I know God made them all

Because of her sweet lullaby

Shes like a star shining bright and helps me to choose the right

And she gives me the hope of a life yet to be

She put the music in me

She is so good to me, Heavenly Father sent her to me

She taught me to lift up my voice and sing

She put the music in me.

The whole event that night was incredibly memorable and powerful and it got me thinking about the promise the Lord gives us in D&C 84:88 "I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."

We returned to the hotel after our amazing experience and most everyone went to bed. But my friend Kanani and I were so excited we couldn't sleep.  We stayed up late talking about the promises in Malachi and all the unseen angels in our lives.

I said to her, "I believe we have more than just our own family members as our angels on this earth.  I mean think about how we are as mothers now with our children and how we watch closely their friendships.  What happens when we see a friend come into one of our children's lives who reaches and influences them in positive way, we are immediately invested aren't we?  We do everything we can to keep that friend near our children.  So, I believe we not only have our mothers and grandmothers, fathers and grandfathers, watching over us but the mothers and fathers of our closest friends too."

Truly we have nothing to fear when the battle is fierce and we are face to face with our enemy.  The Lord can open our eyes and revel to us as He did the young servant of the Prophet Elisha. We can have no doubt of the reality of such angels in our lives.  We can stand with confidence and know with peaceful assurance, "they that be with us are more than they that be with them." - 2 Kings6:16

-Alicia

Continuing and Confirming Revelation

Arriving home from church yesterday, I walked through the door and found myself greeted by the sweet sound of General Conference playing.  "Well, this is nice!" I said to my kids "Who decided to put this on?"
"I did," my oldest son said proudly.
In a spirit of congratulations I hugged him, "Way to lead, Bud! Way to lead!"
It's those moments that mean the most to me as a mother.
I gathered a few things together and then went right back out the door with my youngest to run a couple of errands.
When I returned I was pleased to hear the conference talks were still playing, I gathered my scriptures and made the attempt for some personal gospel study but soon found it completely futile trying to stay awake.
 It's extremely rare for me to ever take Sunday afternoon naps but the exhaustion from my experiences this past week hit me hard and I gave in to finding a little rest.

After about a half hour or so I awoke to the voice of Elder Eyring saying,
"Heavenly Father hears your prayers. He loves you. He knows your name. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and our Redeemer. He loves you beyond your ability to comprehend. God pours out revelation, through the Holy Ghost, on His children. He speaks to His prophet on the earth, who today is Thomas S. Monson. I witness that he holds and exercises all the keys of the priesthood on earth. As you listen in this conference to the words of those God has called to speak for Him, I pray that you will receive the confirming revelation you need to find your way on the journey home..."

Hearing this made me smile.  I love how the Lord always finds a way to tell me exactly what I need in just the right moments. I look forward to April Conference beginning this Saturday and continuing the following weekend.  Hearing the words of the Lord through His prophets is always a spiritual feast for me.  It fills my hungry soul, gives me greater vision, and strengthens me to have the faith to step out into the unknown.

Today, I thumbed through a stack of old Ensigns in an attempt to find the printed version of the talk from October's 2014 conference I heard yesterday.  The cover of the August issue 2013 caught my attention.  I thought we had thrown away all of our of 2013 issues because we only keep Ensigns for about 16 months but I was glad we had somehow held on to this one because featured on the front page were two talks on revelation.

"Revelation is a reality.  It comes in the Lord's way and according to the Lord's timetable...  I have noted that most revelation to the children of God comes when they are on the move, not when they are sitting back in their habitations waiting for the Lord to tell them the first step to take."- Dallin H. Oaks

"As we repeatedly respond to the Light of Christ and train ourselves to 'lay hold upon every good thing' (Moroni 7:19), we increase our sensitivity to the things of the Spirit and enhance our ability to receive messages from our eternal home... We must each find and then guard a time each day to remember these words of the Lord: 'All flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God' (D&C 101:16) A segment of time when we can be still, quiet, and removed from our busyness will help recenter us, refocus our priorities , and bring us back into a position to receive and feel the messages our Heavenly Father wishes to send us." - Elder Patrick Kearon

Coming across such articles two days in a row confirms solidly to me that the Lord is aware of my heart.  He hears my prayers and desires to be open to personal revelation, to truly have eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart that understands His will for me in my life's journey.  I testify that He delights to prove to us His faithfulness.  As we sincerely seek Him first in life He promises, "Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." - Malachi 3:10

"Not room enough to receive it" is a perfect description because I have felt Him bless my life like a flood. I am completely overwhelmed by His goodness!

This song is one of my favorites and brings me to tears.  I love to listen to it when I go running and watch the sun rise over the crest of the mountains.  I have never seen the music video for it until today.  It's a perfect video though because it makes this overwhelming feeling even more poignant as I ponder upon my experiences this past week at the United Nations and the friendships I made among the beautiful women of Africa: the Congo, Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi and others. My heart is so full.  God is so very good.

"Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not 

open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, 

that there shall not be room enough to receive it." 

- Malachi 3:10

Overwhelmed

by, Big Daddy Weave

-Alicia

Faith of My Mothers

In the fall of 1962 in Madison, Wisconsin, my mom was introduced to the Church by a friend of hers.  My mother immediately informed her mom about this new religion she had found and my grandma instantly wanted to know more.  My mom was baptized a couple of months later along with my grandma and grandpa.

My grandma was born in 1908 and passed away in 1996.

The memories I have of my grandma are not the most favorable.  Her house smelled like moth balls and onions.  All of her furniture was covered in cat hair because of the numerous strays she'd let in.  She was very short and wore floral patterned silk dresses that emphasized all the wrong curves on her body. She had thin pursed lips and always tied her hair up tight into a bun that perfectly matched her rigid disposition.  She was staunch and stubborn, an orthodoxed bible-thumper, and a blunt little nitpicker (which would explain why my grandpa absolutely refused to wear his hearing aids.)

My cousin, Julia, and I used to entertain each other with our impersonations of the crazy things grandma would say or do, acting out her quirky gestures and facial expressions, pretending to talk without teeth and toot every time we sat down.  We would roll on the floor laughing until we cried .  It was probably not very considerate to humor ourselves at her expense, but such was the "innocence" of our adolescence.

I regret that these were really the only memories I had to hold on to when she passed away.  I remember the closing hymn at her funeral was "Nearer My God to Thee."  As an 18 yr. old, and a little more contemplative about spiritual things, during that hymn  I felt a deep sense of gratitude that she always sought to draw nearer to God, She spent a great deal of her life searching for truth, had attended many different religions, and finally found the fullness of the Gospel that fall in '62.  I felt sorry that she was gone before I had taken the time to get to know my grandma more. 

It's funny because I felt like I knew my dad's mother much better than my mom's.  My dad's mom passed away from breast cancer long before I was born so I had no personal stories of my own interactions with her, no memories of her voice or her face, her gestures or her demeanor.  I guess the only way I became acquainted with her was listening to my dad always speak of his mom.  And yet here, my other grandmother who had been part of 18 yrs. of my life, was the one I didn't really know much about.  Perhaps if I had not let her prickly nature intimidate me, I could have peeled past her spiny shell and discovered something beautiful.

I'm not sure what compelled me to yesterday but in my family history class I felt impressed to see what memories and stories I could find about her.  I found 51 memories posted on Family Search.  I knew my aunt, Naomi, was into ancestry but didn't realize she had made so much available about my grandma. I decided that this would be how I'd spent my Sunday afternoon, reading and searching as much about grandma as I could.

I find it no coincidence that today is her birthday! (something I never knew until yesterday.) Perhaps she is the one who was compelling me to turn my heart to hers.

I discovered my grandma lived in Iowa, Minnesota, New York, Georgia, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.  When she was in her late teens, she served a Baptist mission with her parents in Barbados, West Indies.  She moved to Utah sometime in the 1970's I believe.

I found out that from the day of her wedding and every day thereafter, my grandpa never made an effort to kiss her. (It's a wonder they ever had children.)  I'm sure that grandpa's complete lack of affection was something that caused her an immense amount of pain.  Perhaps this accounts for some of her bitterness.

Living through The Great Depression, she was extremely poor and only had an 8th grade education.  Despite her lack of schooling, she loved writing stories of faith in God and especially loved poetry, so did her mother (both women after my own heart).  She was bold in her witness of The Book of Mormon, something that the rest of her family grew quite irritated with and partially distanced themselves from her because of it.  But to her dying breath, she would remain firm in her testimony of the truthfulness of that book.

On Family Search I found one of the poems she used to recite.  It's beautiful and I love how it applies to my life right now! This was an exciting discovery for me.

THE WINDS OF FATE

by Ella Wheeler Wilcox 

One ship drives east and another drives west

With the self-same winds that blow;

   'Tis the set of the sails

   And not the gales

That tells them the way to go.

Like the winds of the sea are the winds of fate

As we voyage along through life;

   'Tis the set of the soul

   That decides its goal

And not the calm or the strife.

Last night, I called my mom to ask her some questions about grandma.  I asked her about this poem and she confirmed that grandma was always saying, "it's the set of the soul that decides the goal".

I was surprised to learn that out of all the grandchildren, grandma really liked visiting with me because I listened to her.  I honestly don't remember that.  Even still, I like to believe that somehow she spoke to me yesterday and I listened.  I like to believe that it was her who gave me the impression to learn more about her.  It just makes today so much more special.  Happy Birthday, Grandma!

I found this picture of grandma on familysearch.org
Helen Naomi (Cushing) Thayer age: 7

-Alicia