Mormon Bloggers

I have generally given up trying to explain why God does things. There was a time in my life when it was important for me to have that answer (and to share it), but I guess I’ve settled into a different place in my development. Now I can observe what God does and not worry about why. It is what it is, I tell myself, and that’s ok. Not everyone is where I am, and that’s ok, too. For some, a quest of the “why” is vitally important. Others want to know, but are willing to wait and see if the “why” reveals itself. And other just don’t worry about it anymore. I think I’m somewhere between the second and third. Some folks worry about why women don’t hold the priesthood. And others, hoping perhaps to assuage the need to know why, have offered the idea that men can hold the priesthood but women can have children, as if those two are equal endowments meant to offset one another. This much I know: men hold the priesthood and women can have babies. And in the LDS church,... Read the rest of this entry »

One of our sacrament meeting talks this past week referenced Elder Christofferson’s “A Consecrated Life” (from October 2010 conference). As I listened to the talk in church (our speaker focused on Enoch as an example), I thought of other examples. The first that sprang to mind was my own father. He was not a perfect man, but he was a good man, an honest man, a hard working man. My father was a convert to the church in his early thirties. He and my mother had four children (I was the youngest) and were doing their best to rear us in a good way. Dad worked professionally as an engineer, and they were active in their Presbyterian church. When my father heard the gospel, he accepted it as we all did. He had a struggle to give up certain habits that were not consistent with church membership, but he did it. He developed the faith to pay his tithing. And he dedicated himself to service in his new church. During those years of young and growing children, Dad worked... Read the rest of this entry »

My father was born on New Year’s Day. I associate my memories of New Years with him because of his birthday, but also because of New Years Resolutions. I can remember trying to write down resolutions – goals for the year – at his urging when I was a kid. And now, even though my father has been gone for several years, I still think of him and resolutions when New Year’s Day comes around. Dad was a firm believer in self-improvement. He was well-read, not because of his formal training (he was an exceptionally average engineering student in college, but he had a fine career including professional recognition in his field), but because he enjoyed learning. There were many family dinners during which one of us kids was sent looking for the encyclopedia to prove (or disprove) some point of discussion at the table. Dad sought to instill in us a desire to reach higher, to do more than we thought we could do. His example, together with my mother’s, seemed to suggest... Read the rest of this entry »

My husband works extra hard. Right now he is working full-time while attending classes. It isn’t easy for either one of us. There are days where he leaves at 7 AM and doesn’t return until after 11 PM. While I generally throw a pity party for myself during his long days, sometimes a revelation pushes through my sorrow. Last week this happened. In order for us  to re-register our car in our state, we must pass a safety test. We failed the test and are required to fix certain things. Expensive things. To afford this, my husband worked 80 hours straight while also juggling classes, papers, and finals. On top of it all, he worried about our little family. He worried about me. Yeah, my overworked husband came home one night and apologized for working so much. I felt more than a little ashamed. The next morning, a sentence ran through my head from the The Family: A Proclamation to the World. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness... Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday was a delightful father’s day. I heard kind wishes from all my children and was treated to lovely meals and gifts. And I had a chance to think about my own dad who died a few years ago. As I think about my dad, I try to imagine what he would want from me. Especially at the end of his life, gifts had little meaning. He was aging, and spent his last years in a nursing home where he had little room for things, and his aging mind, sadly, also had little room for things, either. As I thought about honoring him, I’ve concluded that what I can continue to offer him is what I hope my children will continue to offer me: the honor of good lives well lived with kindness and compassion toward others. I’ve written before that some of my children are walking paths I would not have chosen for them. They have found more comfort outside the faith of their childhood than in it, and that makes me sad when I dwell on it, only because my feelings about that faith are... Read the rest of this entry »

There is something about babies that just melts me. I’m the dad of seven. And in our extended family we have within the last few weeks had three more little ones join us, with another two on the way very shortly. Seeing photos of these little ones (all on FB; thanks very much techo-geeks who make all this possible) brings tears to my eyes. It’s silly, really. These aren’t my kids, or even my grandkids, but they are my niece and children of my nieces and nephews. And they are just amazing. Over the years when my own children were born, we went from steel delivery tables to remarkable birthing suites. We watched with awe as the technology of disposable diapers moved from plastic-bag-with-padding-in-it to something that holds more liquid than a small camel. Our car seats evolved from the Bobby-Mac “barrel” design (I felt like I was strapping my child into a space craft) to five-point restraints in seats that doubled as strollers. But in the end, it’s... Read the rest of this entry »

I woke up this morning after having a wonderful dream. I dreamed about my parents, Susie Mae and Arthur Lee. Although Susie and Arthur are my grandparents, they are the ones that raised me. I’m usually referring to Susie and Arthur when I’m talking about my parents. Susie and Arthur have both passed away and I miss them, especially during this time of year. I don’t dream of them very often so when I do it’s always bitter sweet. I often wonder if I’m doing things that are pleasing to them and that bring honor to our family name. Most of time I feel that I am, especially at this time in my life, however, memories although funny now are somewhat painful. It wasn’t very often that both parents were disappointed in me. Nevertheless there were occasions that I know that both parents were, even though they were never able to express their disappointment. One occasion was shortly after my father passed away, and my mother had just gotten out of the hospital,... Read the rest of this entry »

This years General Conference was held on October 3-4, 2009. These talks appear in the Ensign Magazine (Known as the General Conference Issue). These talks are very inspirational, thought provoking, revelatory, and provide sound advice in living a healthy, stable life. Many times, many different people find particular answers to specific doctrinal questions, or receive [...]  Read More →

I remember the first talk I ever gave. I was 5 years old. I remember it like it was yesterday. I even remember what the talk was about, I told a wonderful story about a boy named Timmy, and a butterfly. Do you want to know why I remember it so well, because it was traumatizing of course! Picture it…a family decides to move to America, a 5 year old girl and her Father travel months ahead of the rest of the family, to secure a place for the family to live. After sometime in my new Ward I summoned up enough courage to raise my hand when they asked for volunteers to give a talk the following week in Primary. I was so excited to show my Father the slip of paper which said that I had to prepare a 2 minute talk. My Father was so proud, we went home and called the family to tell them the good news. My Mother was so happy, but so sad she would miss it. My father rushed me off the phone because he wanted to start preparing my talk immediately. He got out a blue spiral bound notebook and began... Read the rest of this entry »

Subtitle: Making Sure That Future Generations Remember The Lord Sunday, 21 June 2009, is Father’s Day and though my father is no longer with me, I cherish the sweet memories of him and take time to reflect upon the things that he taught me through his example. In doing so, I turn back the pages of time to 24 June 2001, Father’s Day, and the Sacrament talk that I presented to the congregation of the Annapolis Maryland Ward. This morning I would like to take just a few minutes to address the sacred topic of fatherhood and the divine role of fathers in the Plan of Salvation. By virtue of the Priesthood of God and by the power of the Holy Ghost, fathers can and should be the greatest influence for good in the lives of their wives and children. Every father should rise to new levels of leadership and service in his home. Every young man that is not yet a father should prepare himself for this calling in this life and in the eternities. President Ezra Taft Benson once said, “A... Read the rest of this entry »