For those of you who may not fully understand the two year
oldeeze that Chaz just delivered, might I re-quote him as I begin my talk. Chaz
told us that Pioneer Children sang as they walked and walked and walked. He
also stated that he is thankful for pioneer children. I too, am thankful for
pioneer children, as well as their parents and even their posterity that
sacrificed so much and set a path for the future generations to greatly benefit
from the trials they endured.
I am particularly grateful for one well known pioneer who is
my Great, Great, Great Grandmother on my Father’s maternal side. I borrow the
following description of her from an April 2011 talk from Steven E Snow. “ In
1851, Mary Murray Murdoch joined the church in Scotland as a widow at age 67. A
small woman at 4 feet seven inches tall and barely 90 lbs, she bore eight
children, six of whom lived to maturity. Because of her size, her children and
grandchildren affectionately called her Wee Granny.
Her son, John Murdoch and his wife joined the church and
left for Utah in 1852 with their 2 small children. In spite of his family’s own
hardships, four years later John sent his Mother the necessary funds so she
might join the family in Salt Lake City. With a hope much greater than her
small size, Mary began the arduous journey west at age 73.
After a safe passage across the Atlantic, she ultimately
joined the ill fated Martin Handcart Company. On July 28th these
handcart pioneers began the journey west. The suffering of this company is well
known. Of the 576 members of the party, almost ¼ died before they reached Utah.
More would have perished if not for the rescue effort organized by President
Brigham Young, who sent wagons and supplies to find the stranded snowbound
saints.
Mary Murdoch died on October 2nd, 1856, near
Chimney Rock, Nebraska. Here, she succumbed to fatigue, exposure, and the
hardships of the journey. Her frail body simply gave out under the physical
hardships the saints encountered. As she lay clinging to life, her thoughts
were of her family in Utah. The last words of this faithful pioneer woman were
‘Tell John I died with my face toward Zion’”.
We all have others in our family line that sacrificed
abundantly that we might be where we are today. What can we do to pay back the
sacrifices of these individuals, as well as pave a road of spiritual strength
and faith for our children and grandchildren to travel upon?
Oftentimes a focus lies on what is different between us and
our pioneer ancestors. When considering their life, and looking at our own
lives today, one can imagine that this would be a very easy thing to do. After all, the differences are quite obvious.
From styles, to schedules, to technology, things have changed SO MUCH since the
pioneers settled this valley. But, it is the similarities, that if followed,
will allow us to further this great work here upon the Earth, as well as set a
path of righteousness and example in which our predecessors can follow.
The conversion the early saints had to the cause of building
the kingdom here upon this Earth allowed them to make an obvious choice to
devote all they had to building the kingdom of Heaven here upon this Earth. The
toll taken on them in this tremendous sacrifice seems like more than we could
possibly bear today. As they physically
sacrificed virtually everything, including their own lives in some circumstances,
their faith grew. As their faith grew, additional physical demands were called
upon them, and this cycle continued, as the early saints were uprooted
constantly and recalled to leave everything they knew in great hopes of
establishing this, the beautiful Zion, which sometimes I am certain seemed so
far away, maybe even unreachable to some. Yet, as they went on, the journey
continued, their faith grew, and they evolved into being saints fully converted
to this gospel. With PRAYING LIPS,
CONVERTED HEARTS, SERVING HANDS, AND FOOTSTEPS OF FAITH they gave everything
they had to set the path for the future and prepare this Earth for the fullness
of the gospel to be delivered upon the earth in preparation for the eventual
return of the coming of the Savior. Are we really that different? Do we not
want for future generations what they had in mind for their children, and even
for us? Are we committed to having PRAYING LIPS, CONVERTED HEARTS, SERVING HANDS, AND FOOTSTEPS OF FAITH
to set the path for the future and prepare this Earth for the fullness of the
gospel to be delivered upon the Earth in preparation for the eventual return of
the coming of the Savior? As we focus on these shared similarities, it is my
testimony that the hearts of the children will be turned to their Fathers, and
that we will be able to be molded into what Heavenly Father and the Savior need
us to be.
The simple yet intimate act of prayer is the very action
that brought all of this to pass. As a simple 14 year old farm boy prayed to
his Heavenly Father in a grove of trees, something miraculous and I’m sure
unimaginable to the deliverer of this prayer unfolded. Pioneer saints followed
in this simple act calling miracle upon miracle from Heaven as they invited the
infinite power of their Heavenly Father to lead the course of their life.
In speaking of the power of prayer, President Wilford
Woodruff offers this promise to us: “When we pray in Faith, we prepare
ourselves to receive the blessings Heavenly Father has in store for us”. This promise was made know to him in the
following event:
“In March 1835, while serving his first mission, Wilford
Woodruff had to travel through rivers and swamps in the southeastern United
States. To traverse the swamps, he and his companion cut down a tree and made
it into a canoe. They rowed safely for about 150 miles before abandoning the
canoe and walking. President Woodruff later recalled that they took a road that
‘lay through swamps, and was covered with mud and water most of the way, for
one hundred and seventy miles. We walked forty miles in a day through mud and
water knee deep. On the 24th of March, after traveling some 10 miles
through mud, I was taken lame with a sharp pain in my knee. I sat down on a
log.’
At this point in the journey, his companion who had become
weary of the work and had decided to return home, left him there, sitting on a
log in an alligator swamp. Undaunted, Wilford Woodruff turned to the Lord. He
said ‘I knelt down in the mud and prayed, and the Lord healed me, and I went on
my way rejoicing.’
Heavenly Father has blessings in store for all of us. He
waits with open hands and open heart, willing to give all he has to us his
children. Living righteously and then exercising the power of prayer will allow
the powers of Heaven to be opened to each of us. As we are blessed, might we also be reminded
of the obligation we have to our Father to thank him for those received
blessings.
While working as a Nurse in Labor and Delivery, I was
blessed with the privilege of observing such a trait in a very faithful family.
This Mother was born with a heart condition that was fixed with temporary
measures that allowed her to still have children. Permanent fixation of this
problem would have prevented the Mother from ever being able to carry a pregnancy
to a viable delivery. While the Doctors knew this was a temporary fix, the goal
had been met, and had allowed this Mother to bring 5 beautiful healthy children
into her family. Early last year, the health of the Mother’s heart took a turn
for the worst. Knowing that this would probably be the point at which she would
receive the permanent fix for her condition she visited her cardiologist. Upon
this visit, the Mother found out she was expecting her 6th child. With
the health of her heart declining daily, this Mother was put on strict bedrest.
While the pregnancy was risky, the delivery had a very real possibility of
being life threatening to this Mother.
I met this Mother and the rest of this family on the day of
her delivery. The usual crowds were almost tripled as specialists were present
for this birth in case things turned for the worst. The whole room was taken up
with machinery that measured the Mother’s internal blood pressure through the
entire course of Labor. While the Mother could not lay completely flat, a C
Section was not an option. Neither option was ideal, and this Mother’s life as
well as the life of her unborn baby lay in the balance.
I was humbled to witness an absolute miracle, as a beautiful
baby girl, and her Mother safely made it through this tremendously risky event.
I knew from the beginning of the process that there was something special about
this family. As a Labor and Delivery Nurse, you are often secondly dubbed as
the first family photo taker. As we were done snapping photos for this family,
the Father and Mother both thanked those involved for the delivery of their
child. After doing so, they asked if we would bow our heads in a prayer of thanks with them for the
miraculous outcome gifted to this Eternal Family from their Father in Heaven.
As I listened to his prayer, I was humbled. This family had been through so
much that day. Yet at the immediate conclusion of this event, a prayer of
thanks was readily offered. This event greatly humbled me, and through this, I
made a promise to myself and my Heavenly Father to try a little harder to be a
little better and to be prayerful in all things.
Praying lips will bring blessings to our life, and help us
to have the things we need to fulfill Heavenly Father’s will for each of us.
Converted hearts allowed the pioneers to move forward at
times when an unconverted heart would have simply given up. What does it mean
to be converted to the Gospel? The Bible
Dictionary explains that conversion consists of changing one’s views in a conscious
acceptance of the Will of God. If followed by continued faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ, repentance, baptism in water for the remission of sins, and the
reception of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, conversion will become
complete, and will change a natural man into a sanctified, born again, purified
person-a new creature in Christ Jesus. Complete conversion comes after many
trials and much testing.”
Life for our ancestors was full of many trials and much
testing. According to the description of conversion, we learn that these trials
enable us to have a heart converted to the Lord. Likewise, we also have much
trials and testing. While the manner in which Heavenly Father teaches us may
differ from past generations, the lessons learned are similar. Likewise, our
level of conversion can be similar if we allow those experiences to change us
for the better. To truly become a new creature in Christ Jesus.
It was true conversion that called forward those willing to
come forward and create a better life for their children, grandchildren, and
eventually, for us. Changing one’s views in a conscious acceptance of the will
of God happened when the pioneers were asked to leave once again established
cities to move on until Heavenly Father declared otherwise. For us, true
conversion may come as the daily trials of life place lessons deep into our
heart, and change our very nature. Although many of us would not choose the
path that gifts conversion to our soul, we would readily accept the changed
person we become through such trials.
With converted hearts, we will move forward, ready to
accomplish those things that Heavenly Father has in store for us.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has a
worldwide reputation of helping others in need. Having Serving Hands is
something we are well known for. It has before been stated that at times, 2
groups of people have came to the rescue of those in need after natural
disasters. Those 2 groups of people were the members of the LDS Church and The
Mormons.
This example is one the pioneers exemplified with near
perfection. Having a common cause
amongst all of them: sharing, sacrificing, and seeing to the welfare of all
with whom they were surrounded came with an impressing level of ease.
As their leader, Brigham Young once said: “Let us have
compassion upon each other, and let the strong tenderly nurse the weak into
strength, and let those who can see guide the blind until they can see the way
for themselves”.
The common welfare among the saints would be a trait that we
would be wise to strive to look upon and exemplify in our own lives. We will be
more readily able to accomplish this as we move forward in our lives with
serving hands. Heavenly Father loves each and every one of us perfectly. But,
he is not here to physically lift us, wipe away tears, or kiss skinned knees.
This is where our responsibility comes in.
One of my very favorite quotes is from Former Prophet
President Spencer W. Kimball. He states: “God does watch over us and does
notice us, but it is usually through someone else that he meets our needs”. It
is my personal testimony that as we have this desire to lift our brothers and
sisters, our Heavenly Father will take a vested interest in finding those
opportunities to allow us to serve his children and him.
In October of last year, Elder M Russell Ballard delivered a
challenge to each of us in his conference address. He stated: “ In your morning
prayer each new day, ask Heavenly Father to guide you to recognize an
opportunity to serve one of his precious children. Then go throughout the day
with your heart full of faith and love, looking for someone to help. If you do
this, your spiritual sensitivities will be enlarged and you will discover
opportunities to serve that you never before realized were possible”.
Our little family took this challenge to heart, and I feel
confident in speaking for all of us when I say it has truly changed our lives.
Each of us have had sacred moments with the spirit through the last 9 months
that have strengthened our testimonies. Most importantly, we have been gifted a
little glimpse at seeing Heavenly Father’s children the way he and Our Savior
see each of us.
As I have prayed for this, I have oftentimes felt the Holy
Ghost whisper to me a confirmation when I had helped the person Heavenly Father
intended for me to reach out to. On a particular day, I was at work, and went
outside to check in a patient. The person I was checking in was a 7 year old
girl who had came to our facility to be looked at for ear pain and hearing
loss. Her Mother was very concerned. Her daughter was autistic, and already
struggled a little to stay up with what she needed to in school. But, her Mother
stated that recently she had failed a hearing test, and was starting to become
known, or maybe even labeled for ignoring her teachers, and not following
directions.
After the Dr. assessed this little girl, he came up to me,
and stated that we needed to flush this little girl’s ears out. He said that
they were so clogged that he couldn’t see into the ear drum to examine any
further. This type of problem isn’t unusual. However, it generally doesn’t
cause such extreme hearing loss in such a young child. I went in, explained
what I was going to do to the Mother and a very reluctant patient and went to
work. You can imagine the surprise from all present, when a few minutes into
the job, the oval cotton piece a Q tip surfaced. The mother had no idea her
daughter had done this, and the daughter’s autism prevented her from having the
ability to explain this to her Mother. After that retrieval, I began flushing
the other ear. And, you guessed it, within a couple of minutes another oval
cotton piece of a Q tip flushed out of the girl’s ear. At this moment, the
little girl exclaimed “Mommy, I can hear you”!
As I walked out of the room, a somewhat amusing experience
transformed into a very sweet experience as the Holy Ghost manifested to me
that this was the daughter of God that I received the privilege of helping that
day. To some, this may seem small. But to a little girl who hadn’t heard
precisely for several months, a worried mom, and a Heavenly Father who rejoices
in the smallest of our rejoicings, moments such as these can turn into sweet
spiritual experiences.
Having serving hands will bring us closer to our Savior and
our Heavenly Father.
Finally, let us all be diligent in walking each day with
footsteps of faith.
You can’t speak of, or merely even think of the pioneers
without one word coming to mind: Faith! In a 1997 Conference address, Elder
Oaks explains this admirable trait in the following manner: “The foremost
quality of our pioneers was faith. With faith in God, they did what every
pioneer does-they stepped forward into the unknown: a new religion, a new land,
a new way of doing things. With faith in their leaders and in one another, they
stood fast against formidable opposition. When their leader said, “This is the
right place,” they trusted, and they stayed. When other leaders said, “Do it
this way”, they followed in faith.
Faith has many elements encompassed into one ideal. While
some aspects of our faith may come so natural, we hardly consider it, other
parts of our faith may be things that we will continue to try to perfect
throughout our sojourn here on Earth. As I read the words to this well known
primary song, think of the many gifts wrapped up in this package known as
faith:
Faith is knowing the sun will rise, lighting each new day
Faith is knowing the Lord will hear my prayers each time
I pray
Faith is like a little seed: if planted, it will grow
Faith is a swelling within my heart
When I do right, I know
Faith is knowing I lived with God before my mortal birth
Faith is knowing I can return when my life ends on Earth
Faith is trust in God above;
In Christ who showed the way
Faith is strengthened; I feel it grow
Whenever I obey
I think most of us have mastered having faith that the
sun will rise tomorrow. In fact, I can confidently say, that most people in the
world have an element of faith in which they are not even aware, in having a
basic belief (or hope), that the sun will rise, and all of God’s creations will
be well.
What about knowing that Heavenly Father answers our
prayers? Or knowing that we can trust in him in all things in our life? On
paper, and in a primary song, this sounds simple. Yet, oftentimes when we live
our lives, pressures and doubt can get the best of us.
There are 3 basic things that have helped me that I
believe can help us all in strengthening our faith. This first lesson comes
from a 2009 April conference address from Elder Kevin W Pearson. He tells us
“Faith and fear cannot coexist”. Sometimes it seems natural or at least easy to
let the fears of the world, or even our own life’s unknowns get the best of us.
Let us remember to replace that fear with faith that as we are obedient, we can
have perfect peace n knowing that our Heavenly Father has a most perfect plan
for each of his children whom he knows perfectly.
Secondly, is an admonition directly from the Savior in
Matthew 18:3. This reads: “And said, verily I say unto you, except ye be
converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom
of Heaven”. How perfect is the faith of a little child? They are not concerned
in the slightest with things of this world.
One day about a year ago, I had an errand to run early in
the morning. I was very stressed and hurried as I needed to get home to get my
2 older kids to school. I had Chaz with me. I quickly grabbed Chaz, and took
him in with me to run the errand. As I came out, I noticed that it had began
snowing. I was very worried about making it home safely, and on time for other
obligations. Yet, as I snapped Chaz’s car seat into place, he wasn’t at all
bothered by what was going on around him. His state wouldn’t allow him to be.
All he knew about life at this point was that I was his Mother and I would take
care of him. When we break it down so simply, is there anything else to be
known in life other than that we have a Father and that he WILL take care of us
as we are obedient?
Finally, our faith will become perfected as we center
each fiber of the development of our faith on the atonement of the Savior. When
we contemplate the wholeness of what the atonement can signify for each of us,
it makes every other particle of faith development fall into place. As we cast
all of our burdens and cares of the world to him who already paid a tremendous
price for each of us, each step we take will be a footstep of faith closer to
the Savior and our Heavenly Father will grow, and we will change in ways we may
have never thought possible.
I would like to close with the words of General Relief
Society President Linda K Burton: “We, with you, bear witness of the atonement
of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Our testimonies, like yours, have been written in
our hearts as we have faced assorted soul stretching challenges and
adversities. Without an understanding of Heavenly Father’s perfect plan of
happiness and the Savior’s atonement as the central feature of that plan, these
challenges could seem unfair. We all share in the trials of life together. But
in faithful hearts is written: ‘All that is unfair about life can be made right
through the Atonement of Jesus Christ’.
