Whom the Lord Calls, the Lord Qualifies

The very first scripture I memorized as a child was Doctrine & Covenants 25:12, which reads,
     "For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads."

I remember seeing it on a handmade poster that had been affixed to the wall of our Primary room and it gave me such a thrill inside to read it, that I had to memorize it. Since then, the music of the Church has continued to be one of the greatest inspirations in my life. In many ways it is the most effective and profound way for me to learn. It was still something of a surprise for me though, to receive the call of Branch Chorister a few weeks ago.

When my Branch President extended the call, I did ask him, "President, are you sure? I have no formal music training." President assured me that he felt it was right and I accepted.

Unfortunately, since then, I have allowed my spirit to become harrowed up by doubts regarding my ability to fulfill this calling. My branch has many saints that are acquiring their advance degrees in various aspects of music - vocal, instruments, conducting,...so I have felt very intimidated standing before this group to lead them in the hymns every Sunday.

I had lead the music in Sacrament meeting on a couple of occasions prior to my call but upon it officially becoming my duty, I felt a heavy weight of responsibility. Some of it eased after I was finally set apart and received the necessary blessings to fulfill my role but I still felt very awkward this past Sunday.

I have been pondering the question more intently these past few days and realized I had forgotten one of President Monson's teachings, "Whom the Lord Calls, the Lord Qualifies."

While it will be necessary for me to study and do my best to magnify this calling, I am not expected to carry this burden alone.

Some may ask, "What burden? You only have to lead the hymns for an hour every Sunday! How hard could that be?!"

In order to better magnify my calling, I have been studying the topic of music in my scriptures and came across this scripture in Deuteronomy 31: 19-21, which I felt directly (and chillingly) applies to our time and states:
     "Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.
      For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant.
      And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed; for I know their imagination which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I sware."(italics added)

Elder Franklin D. Richards of the Seventy in his talk, LDS Hymns -- Worshiping With Song said, "Today, one of the important parts of our worship services is the congregational singing of hymns...As each of our religious services is opened by a hymn and a prayer, the spirit of worship is established and a beautiful feeling of fellowship is felt...In our Latter-day Saint hymns, we sing praises to the Lord, pray unto the Lord, recite great religious truths—in effect sermons—and our minds and spirits are elevated and spiritually stimulated."

Elder Richards also quoted President Kimball (in reference to our singing of hymns) as having said, "Some of the greatest sermons that have ever been preached were preached by the singing of a song..."

So yes, I feel that it is a great responsibility but it is one that I will strive to embrace. Not only will I fulfill my part by preparing to understand the hymns' messages, and the actual process of leading music but I will try to remember that the Lord felt that I could do the job. He has faith in me and I need to have faith in Him, His work and in His ability to make me the kind of tool that will aid in bringing the Holy Spirit into our church meeting and helping his presence to be felt. I feel like Ammon when he said in Alma 26:12,
      "Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things... "

I will remember and have faith.

The Power of Prayer

Last Sunday, my home teachers came over with their monthly message. August's message was President Henry B. Eyring's talk, That He May Write Upon Our Hearts. As always, we discussed the meaning of the talk and the subject of prayer.

I shared with them my concern for some of the people I know. It is happened on more than one occasion that I have been asked to pray for people. I gladly agree. But what I've sometimes heard them say after their request disturbs my heart. I've heard them say (in more or less these words) that they want me to pray for them because they know that He'll hear it then.

This bothers me because I know for a fact that Heavenly Father loves to communicate with His children. I worry that sometimes people reading about how 'God was slow to hear their prayers' in the scriptures think that there is a qualification limit on prayer. I hope they don't think that if they haven't been obedient he will ignore them. But I wonder.

I think Heavenly Father being slow to hear us is an opportunity for us to grow in our faith. It's a chance for us to wait on His will. It's actually a blessing for us. It's a transition time as we move ourselves closer to Him once again. We are able to reaccustom ourselves to being in contact with him and to prepare ourselves for the answer we will receive. It's a difficult blessing to deal with at certain times but it is for our benefit.

I hope that I will better help my loved ones understand that they can ALWAYS pray. That He is ALWAYS there to hear them. And that He loves them and is waiting to hear from them.

The Beauty of Sacrifice

Last Sunday, because of the Fourth of July holiday, I was thinking about the birth of our nation. At this time of year, many of us count the blessings we enjoy due to this wonderful nation in which we live. It is common to consider the contributions of the military in defending our rights and freedoms. The sacrifices they and their families make to ensure we all are able to participate in making the United States of America great.

So the subject of sacrifice was rolling around in my thoughts and it led me to ponder the other sacrifices that have brought about the life that I lead.

First and foremost, the sacrifice of my Savior Jesus Christ. It is only through Him that I have that which I now possess and all blessings I will yet receive. His sacrifice enables me and all things for me.

Second, I thought of the sacrifices of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. In Doctrine and Covenants 136:6 & 7 we read, "...henceforward their names will be classed among the martyrs of religion; and the reader in every nation will be reminded that the Book of Mormon, and this book of Doctrine and Covenants of the church, cost the best blood of the nineteenth century to bring them forth for the salvation of a ruined world...and their innocent blood on the floor of Carthage jail is a broad seal affixed to "Mormonism"..." Their legacy is what I now enjoy.

And then lastly, I thought of the sacrifices of mothers. I have heard of women who have literally walked through the valley of the shadow of death to give their children the opportunity to walk the earth. All mothers suffer through blood and pain to bring new spirits into this world. Where would we/I be without their labor?

And so, I am very grateful for the life I have due to the many sacrifices made by friends, family and even strangers, who work(ed) to bestow upon me this blessed life.

Unity and the Purpose of the Church

A few weeks ago, the Sunday School and Relief Society lessons gave me much food for thought. In Sunday School, we were asked, "What is the purpose of the Church?" And in Relief Society, "Why do you think it is unwise to expect perfection in members of our wards and branches?"

I feel it's unwise to do so because the perfect me is not the same as the perfect you. Heavenly Father made us all different on purpose. We each have our own talents, abilities, skills and experiences. All of us are at different stages on our paths of life. Our ideal of perfection is skewed by our own mortality. So how can we hold anyone to an ideal of perfection? Even our own self?

How many times have I resolved to be a little better? Tried only to do my best in whatever situation I was in, with the faith that Heavenly Father would help me...only to look back and see that I accomplished even more than I previously thought I could? While I might not have recognized what was happening while I was in the thick of things, inspired hindsight showed how all was magnified by Heavenly Father.

With all of our unique capabilities combined we can then fulfill the purpose of the Church, which is to let all of God's children know that He loves them, help them to feel and recognize it and show them how to get back to Him. We are all equipped to show forth God's love. And it manifests in ways that are divinely appointed to and developed by each of us.

Why is it unwise to expect perfection in members of our wards and branches? Because it's limiting. To ourselves and to those around us.

What's In A Name?

I come from a culture where a baby's name carries a wealth of meaning. The process of naming a child is sacred and an honor. Such an honor can be given to a well-respected member of the family or a really close friend - who would then ponder and perhaps even pray about the name for the child. The process could involve dreams, visions and spiritual visitations. Frequently, the name of a beloved relative or historical figure is given to the child in the hope that they will pattern themselves and or their lives after the individual. Many times it will be given in the native language of the child's ancestry for the perpetuation of pride in their culture. A child's name holds all the dreams, hopes, love and blessings the parents hold and want to give to their baby.

Which is why, I think, that the following story has been lingering with me.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/warren-county/index.ssf?/base/news-0/122923112231930.xml&coll=3

Heath and Deborah Campbell have named their children after elements of nazism. Adolf Hitler Campbell (3), JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell (nearly 2), and Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie Campbell (almost 1).

I struggle to understand how a parent could place such a negative burden on a child's shoulders. Naming your child after such a controversial person could only bring down such strong feelings regarding the original name bearer onto the namesake. A parent would be purposefully handicapping their child from birth.

I know some parents name their children after historical figures in the hope that their child will emulate them. But the Campbells claim that they are not racist -- so why name them after nazism?

They plan to enroll their children in school. I don't believe things have changed so much from when I was in school that kids will not exploit an opportunity to tease someone. The Campbells have set their children up as schoolyard targets.

And lastly, my greatest concern is that they have doomed their children to miserable lives. It would take a very strong and noble spirit to overcome such a difficult childhood without becoming bitter and hateful. By the time the children are old enough to understand why they are persecuted and to make the necessary changes, they may have experienced enough to warp them into the type of people they are named for.

Because of my background, this whole situation stumps me. I cannot fathom a person laying a title of hatred on a child as a legacy. Especially when it seems as if the parents are not committed to the ideal they are perpetuating with their children's names.

In any case, I hope that their family will weather the storm well.

Spiritual Gifts

A few years ago, a Young Women's leader I was serving under made a statement that offended me.

To paraphrase, she claimed, 'I have a much deeper respect for those who have sinned and repented than for those who have never fallen away. They (who have sinned and returned), have been through a lot more than those who haven't made major mistakes in their life. And that is why I will always hold a deeper respect for them.'

I was much younger then and had kept myself very clean up until that point - so her saying that - upset me greatly. How dare she say such a thing?! She doesn't know what I've been through! The temptations I've faced! How hard it is for me to hold to my standards!

Now, looking back with more experienced eyes...I see that while the indignation that fueled my response has dissipated, the truth of it still stands. While everyone of course, is free to hold their own views as to what is admirable...I think it is dangerous to allow one's self to travel too far down this track in regards to measuring another's life. The risk of being judgmental is high.

In my own life, having faced the consequences of poor choices, I now possess an understanding of the Atonement and a compassion for the sinner that I might not have had otherwise. Do I think that I am a better person having fallen away and returned - than if I had never sinned at all?

No. If I could go back and change those choices, I don't know what I would do. I think because I made those choices, the Lord then granted me the opportunity to learn what I could from them. As painful as those lessons were, they have helped make me the person I am. I don't know if anyone would purposefully inflict that kind of suffering on themselves, but I am not displeased with the end result.

Deep down in my heart though, I wish I hadn't disappointed my Heavenly Father in that way. I wish that I had always stayed on the straight and narrow and not messed up.

Do I think that those who have never strayed are better than those who did?

No. I think they have a different point of view to share.

And I think together, these different perspectives help fill out our understanding of the gospel.

In Corinthians 12:4-7, we read,

"4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal."

This scripture came to me when I was pondering on this whole subject. At first, it struck me as an odd passage to come to mind because I always considered gifts of the Spirit to pertain more specifically to talents or abilities given to a person. I never considered life experiences, lessons, trials, sufferings to be gifts of the Spirit as well. That each person's life would be a gift for their Spirit.

We know that we came to Earth to be tested and proved, that we might return to live with the Father. I can better see now, how each spirit in its uniqueness would need a specific range of gifts in varying intensities and operating in their own special ways to help the individual reach their own divine eternal potential.

But each life was "given to every man to profit withal." And that is why we gather together to share. We better learn the gospel through the diversity of gifts. It is one of the reasons we strive to share the gospel throughout the world. The more we share, the more we learn and grow in our understanding of the truth.

I can now forgive that sister for unintentionally hurting me. And lovingly say, that I still wholeheartedly disagree with her statement. And be thankful for all the wonderful gifts that surround me - not only in the talented people I know but in the awesome lives they live.

Why am I up at 5 a.m. on a Sunday?!

This post is dedicated to Chad and Ruth Ann W. Not for its content - simply for the fact that they read this blog. And let me know it. I don't think they know how much their encouragement to post again meant to me.

I didn't think anyone cared what I wrote here. I know my family reads it, but I wasn't sure it really mattered.

Because of a few different things, it's hard for me to just relax and be myself when I'm with people. My self-defense reflex is to put up this facade of a tough, goofy girl - when really, the bulk of my personality isn't like that.

If you really want to get to the essence of me, this blog is my gooey center. So thanks for telling me you enjoy reading about it.


Now that I know other branches of my extended family are reading this...I'm going to try to be better at explaining the points of reference I use...and not assume that anyone reading is LDS. That being said...here's what I wanted to share today...

Last Friday I had the opportunity to speak in the baptismal program of my friend Zach. The sister missionaries had invited me to help them teach Zach in their discussions about the Church and being asked to participate in any of the process was an honor for me.

At a baptismal program we usually have an opening song, opening prayer, a talk (speech) about baptism, a talk on the Gift of the Holy Ghost, the baptismal ordinance, maybe a musical number, a few words from various Church leaders, a closing song, a closing prayer, and maybe some refreshments.

Now Zach and I have built a rapport in that we were both raised in Hawaii. So it's been fun being able to talk to one another so freely. Our common background makes understanding one another easier. Drawing from that, I prepared my talk with the hope of being able to share with him my personal testimony of the Holy Ghost. I wasn't necessarily wanting to give a formal presentation and therefore didn't write down any notes. That makes this recounting of my speech not 100% accurate but I'm sure it will be very close.
When I got up to speak, I was trembling. My hands never stopped shaking throughout the whole speech. (Luckily there was a podium to hide them behind.) At the very least I made everyone laugh when I got up there turned to look at them and whimpered, "I'm so scared." The rest of the speech went something like this...

'For all those visiting or new, it is customary where I come from...where we (signalling myself and Zach) come from that one first greet the congregation and await their response before one continues on with one's speech. And with your help, I would continue with that custom here...

My brothers and sisters...ALOOOOOOHA!
(Audience responded wholeheartedly)

Thank you so much. Now I just had an interesting conversation with a co-worker earlier about plagiarism so I want you to know that in researching my talk I went to the lds.org website and studied scriptures and found things from Elder...I forgot his name...President Marion G. Romney and (remembering the name) Elder Wirthlin's talks on the Holy Ghost. I can't give you specific citations 'cause I didn't write anything down. I was just trying to cram a bunch of stuff in my head to draw from.

(At this point I'm focused on Zach because he was the one I really wanted to give this message to.)
And now, Zach, I am so happy for you. And I know that Heavenly Father is so thrilled that you have decided to rejoin the family and become a part of His Son's Church.

I know that Heavenly Father loves us so much. He created the Plan of Salvation for us. He did it so we could become more like Him. He sent us here to Earth to be tested so we could learn and grow. Part of the testing would be us not remembering our life before this with Him. But He didn't leave us to walk here alone. He gave us a few gifts to help us on our way. One of those gifts was the Gift of the Holy Ghost.
I loved how in the discussions the sister missionaries compared the Holy Ghost to a voice calling out to you as if from across the room trying to help guide you in your life. But after your baptism, you will receive the ordinance of confirmation where the men of the priesthood will place their hands upon your head and give you the Gift of the Holy Ghost - which is the right to have the Holy Ghost with you as a constant companion. He'll be right there walking beside you. He'll become one of 'your boys'.
(Everyone laughed at the comparison.)

As your boy, the Holy Ghost will be talking to you. He'll be telling you stuff you need to know. The Holy Ghost serves a few specific functions in the Plan of Salvation and as you get to know him better I want you to know some of the things he'll be talking to you about.

The Holy Ghost testifies of the Father and the Son. He confirms the truth of all things. He sanctifies those who repent and are baptized. And he is the Holy Spirit of Promise. That Holy Spirit of Promise assuring you that the ordinances done here are carried out by the Priesthood and that they are recognized in heaven and have real value.

Going back over those...the Holy Ghost testifies of the Father and the Son. The Holy Ghost will confirm to your spirit that God lives. That Jesus is His Son and our Savior. And once the Spirit testifies of that to your spirit - noone can take that away from you. It doesn't matter what other people might say or pressures you may face...you will know without a doubt that they are real.

He will testify the truth of all things to you...if there is anything you ever want to know, just ask God and He will tell you the truth of it. Be it temporal or spiritual - any truth you want to know, just pray to Him and the Holy Ghost will deliver the answer.

He sanctifies those who repent and are baptized...now I don't know if you saw it growing up...(talking specifically to Zach)...but do you remember watching musicians before they play music? You watch all the boys and they'll all pluck the strings on their ukuleles and guitars and make sure they all sound the same? That's kinda like what the Holy Ghost does for us. We call it becoming "in tune" with the Spirit 'cause that's what you're doing. He's helping us tune our spirits so they sound more like his because his is in tune with Heavenly Father and Jesus. And the more we listen to him the more like them we become until we resonate the same as they do.

He is the Holy Spirit of Promise...this is the promise that he shares with us that all of this is worth it. That all the ordinances we perform, all the commitments that we make, all the covenants we keep really will lead us to eternal life. It's the promise that should we prove worthy we can live with our families together again forever. And I know that's what we all want..whether real or hanai (adopted), all of us want to see our 'ohana again. We want us all - family and friends to be in heaven together.

There's a couple other things about the Spirit I want to mention...
I know you've read about Gifts of the Spirit. Those come through the Holy Ghost and are given to you to help you and all those around you who you know and will be serving. It's a pretty personal gift. Not that all the other blessings of the Spirit aren't personal..but you'll find out more about that as you go along.
The second is that, now that the Spirit is your boy and walking with you...like any of your really good friends, he'll be looking out for you. Should you be in danger either spiritually or physically, if you listen to him, he will protect you. You'll probably hear quite a few stories about this from the members (of the Church).

Finally Zach, I am so grateful for the Holy Ghost. It is because of it that I can testify to you that God lives and loves you, loves all of us so very much. I know that Jesus lives and that His Atonement is real and in effect. And if you make mistakes, no matter how bad you may drift away and think that you are beyond saving...you are never beyond God's reach. And I mean that in a good way. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and restored the Church and that President Thomas S. Monson is our prophet today. You're gonna like listening to President Monson he tells cool stories. I'm grateful for the scriptures that we have. I'm so grateful to the prophets of ancient times - back in the day- *wink* who wrote down their counsel and dealings with God as proof that God has ALWAYS loved His children. And I'm grateful we have the Priesthood here on Earth to fulfill these ordinances and that they will stand in heaven. And I'm so glad we have temples that help ensure our families are forever..and that's what I wanted to share with you Zach..with all the aloha in my heart...in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.'

I know what I said was from the heart and I'm grateful I had the chance to say it. I hope it made sense. People hearing said it did. I hope it reads as well.

Malama pono.

p.s. I don't know the answer to the subject question. I just popped awake at 5 a.m. thinking about this talk and my blog.