Everything is going to be ok. And if it is NOT ok, THAT is ok, too.

By Emily W. 

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.”  Proverbs 3: 5-6

I don't know if anyone else does this, but I pray a lot in the car, while I'm driving. I guess because it is some of the only 'quiet time' I get. And around this time I was praying a lot because I was worried. I was pregnant with my third child and I just didn't 'feel pregnant' anymore. I didn't think I was as big as I had been. I remember trying to figure out if I should call my doctor and try to get in to see him sooner, but then thinking about how that was going to mess up the weekend with my in-laws who were visiting from out of town. I decided I was going to just wait until my appointment the next week, and I was going to 'not worry until they tell me there is something to worry about.'

And I had a clear answer. The thought came to my mind very clearly that "Everything is going to be ok. And if it is NOT ok, THAT is ok, too." 

The fact was, things were ‘not ok.’ At my doctor’s appointment that next week we found out our baby had died in utero. I was admitted to the hospital and induced, and, three days later I delivered our stillborn son, Gabriel. 

Looking back, I see so many blessings a loving Heavenly Father provided for me to get through this horrible time of my life. The blessing that I had been worried so I made my husband attend the doctor’s  appointment with me. The blessing that my in-laws were in town to support my husband and take care of things at home while I was in the hospital. The blessing that I had three days in the hospital waiting for Gabriel to be born so I could get a little bit of time to prepare.

I found a list that I had made around that time of things I wanted to accomplish and goals I had. Everything from "find a way to quit my job and stay home with the kids", "better relationship with my husband", "attend church more regularly", and "lose weight". There were maybe 10 things on that list. After Gabriel died I realized that every single thing on that list was brought about by Gabriel's short life and then his death.

Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it. 

This is a conversation I will have someday with my Heavenly Father.

Me: "Really? Was that the only way to get my attention and accomplish those things?" 

I can be thankful for the growth, if not for the way it came about. And I can see that having this particular baby (Gabriel, stillborn 5/10/02 at 21 weeks) and being married to this particular man (a graphic artist/illustrator) has allowed me to do some small good in the world. I have a website to sell mementos and scrapbooking materials for families who have lost a child. I have met people I would never have met. I have a perspective of what things are important and what things are not. Gabriel has made me a more patient, sympathetic, and understanding person. 

The biggest blessing is my knowledge that families can be forever. Eternity is a small time, and our time on earth is just one quick blip of that. I think of it in this way. You know when you’re at the park and all the kids are out there running around? I’m sitting on the side and Gabriel popped in for a quick, “Hi, Mom!” and he is off again. Someday I will get to know my boy, and it is a blessing to know that.

Trust me: look up!

By Allie D.

My little boy's hair was starting to look a little shaggy, so I gave him a haircut at the kitchen table. Without the benefit of one of those smocks they have you wear at professional hair cutter places, his hair ended up all over the floor, all over the chair, all over the table, and all over him.

It was time for a bath.

Normally this little boy loves baths. He's two and a half--what's not to love about a bath? He doesn't even mind if the water is cold. Because--it's WATER!!!

But this time he was covered in hair, and that hair had to come off. Sometimes I let him go without shampooing, but this was not going to be one of those times. We needed to seriously scrub this kid's hair. If we didn't, it would be itchy and disgusting for him.

Of course, being only two and a half, he didn't understand. He glared at me while I shampooed him, but the worst was yet to come.

Rinsing is the worst.

"Look up!" I told him, but he didn't trust me. To him, it seemed that if he dared to look up, he'd get shampooey water in his eyes--when in reality, if he looked up, I could shield his eyes and protect his face as I rinsed his hair out.

After several attempts at persuasion, I finally just gave up and rinsed his hair with his face pointing downward. Yes, he got suds in his eyes. I know it couldn't have hurt that bad because it was pH-balanced baby wash that is practically meant to get in your baby's eyes. But this child raged anyway. I'm sure he felt betrayed: his darling momma intentionally got sudsy water in his eyes!

Even worse: that darling momma had told him to look into the water as she poured!

He just didn't understand.

As I dried him off, I had to wonder: how often does God tell us to look up so he can clean us, protect us, and bless us? How often do we look down instead, out of fear that instead of protecting our eyes, God will fail us and allow us to get hurt?

I know that God wants us to look up. He will always shield us and protect us if we follow His instructions. It's only when we disobey that we end up with the proverbial shampoo in our eyes. We might rage against Him while our eyes sting, but all the while He just shakes His head at us, wishing that we'd had the faith to look up the first time He asked, so He could have washed us and kept us safe.

I know that as we put out faith in God and trust Him no matter what, even the commandments we don't understand will lead to blessings in our lives.

3 Nephi 10:5-6: And again, ^ahow oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, who have fallen; yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, ye that dwell at Jerusalem, as ye that have fallen; yea, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens, and ye would not. 

 6 O ye house of Israel whom I have ^aspared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and ^breturn unto me with full purpose of ^cheart. 

How has God told you to look up? What blessings have you experienced by trusting God the first time He asks?

The Holy Ghost helped me find a job.

By Laura P.

This past fall after I graduated from BYU-Idaho, I was struggling to find a job. For a while, it felt like I was filling out application after application without any leads. I contacted my ward’s employment specialist, hoping for some tips and advice of going about this job hunt. It was humbling for me to ask for help from someone I barely knew, but I desperately needed a job. The employment specialist was a great help to me, helping to me see what I needed to improve upon and how to go about doing it.

 One morning as I was getting ready for a job interview, I had a quiet but clear thought that I should stop by this one building after my interview. My interview came and went; afterwards I had that same quiet but clear thought of stopping on that building. So I drove to the building, parked the car and walked in.

Once I was in this building I didn’t know where to go or what to say; a kind lady directed me to an office. I walked in and the lady that was working there asked if she could help me. I quickly explained that I’m a recent college grad and was wondering if there were any volunteer opportunities.

The lady replied that they were actually hiring and asked if I wanted to fill out an application. I was excited and knew that I was prompted to come to this building, not knowing why but trusting in that prompting from the Holy Ghost.

I sat down and began to fill out an application, and within a week I was hired.

I’m grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who helps me with my spiritual as well as temporal needs. I’m grateful for the guidance, comfort and promptings I’ve received through the Holy Ghost in my life.

 Matthew 10:29-31:

from lds.org

29 Are not two ^asparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 

30 But the very ^ahairs of your head are all numbered. 

31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more ^avalue than many^bsparrows.

How has Heavenly Father taken care of you in your time of need?

We've got a runner.

By Emma

I am not a kid person anymore—but I am a nanny. I became a nanny because I am not a kid  person anymore. I’ve been in college, traveled, and been a corporate monkey; to be honest it felt like a pointless game. My minutes on the time clock were wasted on my hourly wage, but my time spent in service has always felt worthwhile.

This is how I got to be blocking the front door from an almost 8 year-old boy from running away from home. Danny’s birthday was coming up and he got rudely aggressive about his presents. In truth it was a very Dudley Dursley moment (“36…that’s two less than last year!”). (Yes, that is a Harry Potter reference.) There was crying; there was screaming. I’m sure something was thrown. It culminated in doors slamming and tears.

“He’s running away,” said a brother from the couch. The tone in his voice was more impressed at the extreme than surprised. I followed out the door. Danny turned, ran back inside, hugged his tattle-tale brother (his dramatic “I’ll miss you” was almost lost in his brother’s shoulder), and started for the door again.

I caught him there. I am still not a kid person.

There was hitting and screaming. There was crying. Two brothers and I sat and watched as Danny tried to unlock the door and leave again. Keeping him inside the house was all I could think to do—I’d only known the kid for a week.

“I want to leave! No one loves me! I don’t want to be part of this family anymore! Anywhere is better than here!”

There was some wrestling for the phone. There was more screaming. Then came the tears and  he sobbed. I held him.

It reminded me of my mother, when she held me as I screamed those same words at her. My rant hadn’t been about presents, but I suppose in hindsight my ingratitude doesn’t need to be founded in anything. I heard the same words in my head then as I did the day I held that little screaming boy who wanted to run away: if only you knew how much you are loved.

I can’t say that the little boy is better or worse. I am still not much of a kid person, but that little boy is loved by a Father in Heaven, just like me. I got to be reminded of that. That love means the world to me. I am grateful to have it. Having faith in that love makes all the difference.

John 3:16: ¶For ^aGod so ^bloved the ^cworld, that he ^dgave his ^eonly begotten ^fSon, that whosoever ^gbelieveth in him should not perish, but have ^heverlasting ⁱlife.

How has the knowledge of God's love blessed your life?

That light was able to shine through the clouds.

By Diana

It was with mixed emotions that I returned to work last week.   With my maternity leave over I was unsure how I would find things when I got back to my residents. Things were pretty sad upon my return when I realized that while I had been away each resident in the care facility had taken a drastic turn in his or her disease. 

I've seen people suffer from Alzheimer's for almost 4 years now. It is the worst disease imaginable. I don't know of any other disease that can rob a person of his soul, other than Alzheimer's. My husband's grandmother passed away earlier this year after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease, and upon her passing the entire family could only feel joy that she was no longer trapped in a body with a brain that couldn't function. When looking into the eyes of someone with this disease I often feel like all I can see are clouds, where very little light is allowed to shine through. 

Last Wednesday was not like any work day I have ever had. The residents are no longer at a level where they can participate in activities that I once used to enjoy doing with them. I used to be able to hold group discussions about things ranging from current events to their favorite foods, but it now seems like any time I try to stand in front of the group, I lose them all, either to sleep, or to their inability to follow the conversation. I always go extremely prepared because I never know what kind of a day it will be. 

On Wednesday I got to work at 10 am, and by 11am I was frantically searching for an activity that they could all participate in. I don't know why, maybe I was prompted by a loving Father in Heaven, I like to think so, but I instantly thought 'they need one on one attention, give them hand massages.' In all the  years I have worked there I have never thought of giving them hand massages. 

Immediately I turned on some classical piano music, got out some lotion and sat in front of each resident individually and rubbed his or her hands. Some were startled initially and asked, "How much is this gonna cost me?" 

"Nothing," I replied, "Absolutely free." 

"Oh that feels so nice. Thank you." 

As I sat with each one, rubbing his or her hands, I noticed something that doesn't happen often. A little of that light I was talking about was able to shine through the clouds. I walked away with a greater understanding of our Savior's love for each of us. Many of these people have lived long hard lives, some of them, I believe, have been in very dark places.  Now as they sit on the threshold of death I know that their Savior still awaits them with open arms. His light remains in each of them, oftentimes hidden by a horrible disease. I can only feel joy for each of them knowing that one day they will be able to shed the weight of this mortal life and once again feel the light of our Savior's love.

John 13:14: If I then, your Lord and ^aMaster, have ^bwashed your feet; ye also ought to ^cwash one another’s ^dfeet.

How have you felt God's love through your service to others? Has another person's service ever reminded you of God's love for you?

The teachings of the Proclamation apply to you.

By Teresa W.

Imagine with me, if you will, an airplane leaving an airport with a complete journey mapped out. The pilots and crew know where they are going, and they won’t get off course or fail to reach their destination, unless weather or mechanical troubles interfere. Now, imagine another airplane with a captain and crew but no flight plan. The engines are started, and the plane moves down the runway. Yet as it begins to climb, the pilot doesn’t know whether to turn east or to turn west. If you are on that airplane, you will have little to no chance of arriving at your destination. It is clear on your journey that you probably want to be on a plane with a flight plan.

And so it is with our lives.  For Latter-day Saints, there is a flight plan based upon God’s commandments called the Plan of Salvation which explains where we came from before we got on the plane, why we are on the plane, and where we are going while traveling on the plane.  Because we have been blessed with an understanding of the plan of salvation we have a unique perspective on marriage and families.  It would be correct to describe Latter-day Saints as "family- oriented" people.

The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles in years past knew the importance of the family unit and the challenges that families were facing then and would eventually face within society.  As a result, The Family: A Proclamation to The World was written.  Before reading the Proclamation at the General Relief Society Meeting in September 1995, President Hinckley stated:

"With so much of sophistry that is passed off as truth, with so much of deception concerning standards and values, with so much of allurement and enticement to take on the slow stain of the world, we have felt to warn and forewarn. In furtherance of this we of the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles now issue a proclamation to the Church and to the world as a declaration and reaffirmation of standards, doctrines, and practices relative to the family which the prophets, seers, and revelators of this church have repeatedly stated throughout its history."

In our last General Conference, Dallin H. Oaks summarized the contents of The Proclamation by saying:

“Our theology begins with heavenly parents, and our highest aspiration is to attain the fullness of eternal exaltation. We know this is possible only in a family relationship. We know that the marriage of a man and a woman is necessary for the accomplishment of God’s plan. Only this marriage will provide the approved setting for mortal birth and to prepare family members for eternal life. We look on marriage and the bearing and nurturing of children as part of God’s plan and a sacred duty of those given the opportunity to do so. We believe that the ultimate treasures on earth and in heaven are our children and our posterity.”

I am certain that most of you have read the Proclamation, probably on more than one occasion. In the last few years, it has almost been like a second patriarchal blessing for me because I have turned to it for comfort and direction, much like I would my own patriarchal blessing. It is scripture that has helped me sort through some personal challenges and has hopefully helped me comfort and direct others.

In President Hinckley’s quote, I want you to notice that he proclaims that the Proclamation is for members of the Church as well as the World.  I know of or have spoken to a number of people who struggle with the teachings of the Proclamation.  

I have a good friend who says the Proclamation is not for him.  His father died when he was a young boy.  His mother raised him and his numerous brothers and sisters with little help from extended family. His family did not fit norm. I know there are others who feel that they do not fit the norm-single moms and dads, childless parents, singles members who have not had the opportunity to marry. Heavenly Father’s plan still applies to you. Study the Proclamation and find out how it applies to you. You may not fit the norm at this particular time in your life, but the teachings of the Proclamation apply to you.

I have other friends and extended family members who struggle with the Proclamation because it does not recognize same gender relationships as family units.  This has become an even greater struggle since the legalization of same gender marriage in some states and countries. Bear in mind that legalization should not bolster our attitude toward social trends. There are a number of activities that are legal in which members of the church do not participate nor do they promote such as smoking, drinking, adultery, gambling, abortion, etc.

Our commitment to love and serve God requires that we look to His law for our standard of behavior and that we keep His commandments.   Matthew 22: 37 reminds us: 

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”  

The second commandment is a reminder to be kind and respectful to those who disagree with our resolve to be obedient.  President Monson encouraged us to remain obedient when he said:

“Let us have the courage to defy the consensus, the courage to stand for principle. Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God’s approval. Courage becomes a living and an attractive virtue when it is regarded not only as a willingness to die manfully, but as the determination to live decently. A moral coward is one who is afraid to do what he thinks is right because others will disapprove or laugh. Remember that all men have their fears, but those who face their fears with dignity have courage as well.”

It is not always popular to stand by your standards and your convictions, but we must.  It is not always easy to be unique and to stand out, but Latter-day Saints do.  In a recent Facebook conversation a group of mothers were swapping stories about different reactions they have gotten from people in public places when they see these moms out with their children. The stories were about comments they had gotten from total strangers about the number of children they had, others were comments about the closeness in age of their children, and some were comments about the courage these moms possessed to even go out in public places with all of their children.  The stories were all told in a spirit of fun, but LDS women are unique and are noticed for their commitment to home and family. I could sense that these women were happy to a part of God’s plan.  They are living the dream. They are the mothers that are talked about in the Proclamation, nurturing and  teaching children in homes built upon faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. They are part of families that are blessed by the power of the priesthood with loving husbands who are protect, provide and rear  families in homes of righteous. Are these families perfect? No!  But they are following the plan.

Material possessions and honors of the world do not endure. But the union that I have with my husband and my children can endure through blessings of the temple.  At the beginning of this year I could not think of one single New Year’s Resolution that I wanted to take on.  There are plenty of things that I certainly can certainly do, but I wanted some spiritual direction in making my decision so I did pray about what I should do.  I wanted a goal that would be significant and something I wouldn’t abandon.  A few weeks ago, it came to me as clearly as if light coming on in a room. I decided to get the information I had already collected for my father’s genealogy and enter it into Family Tree. As I have been working, I have had my ancestors’ spirits sitting with me, helping me find and organize their information so that their temple ordinances can be completed for them. I’ve had a few glitches that the kind people at Technical Support have walked me through as well. But, I know that my ancestors understand the importance of families and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve them so that they can be eternal families.

When we understand the plan of salvation, the Proclamation on the Family brings peace and certainty. The message of the Proclamation brings comfort to parents who may be questioning their roles in the home.  It will bring security to children as they are raised by parents who love them and understand them. And it will bring lasting joy to families. It is a Christ-centered plan that allows us to follow the teachings of the Savior and ultimately return to our Father in Heaven if we are obedient.

How do the teachings of The Family: A Proclamation to the World impact you?

I have touched the future and the past.

By A. W.

On a warm September Thursday evening last year, I had the rather unexpected opportunity to assist my  daughter as she gave birth in the living room. Her stoicism and courage through that blessedly brief and safe ordeal were amazing to watch. As the sun set that afternoon, I marveled at the blessing of a healthy new granddaughter, even if her arrival was a bit more sudden than we anticipated. How joyful I felt to help and watch as my family extended one more generation. If all goes well, this beloved new little girl could live to see the twenty-second century at the grand age of 87. In some little way, I have touched the future.

Two months later I traveled to Omaha, Nebraska for Thanksgiving. While there, I visited a museum honoring the pioneers who crossed the Great Plains on their way to build a new home in the west 170 years ago. Among the artifacts protected by glass cases was a handbook for midwives. The blurb
reported that the book had been the property of a woman who helped deliver babies along the trail. Her name was Patty and, coincidentally, I recognized her as one of my own ancestors.

 Looking at her little handbook, for a moment I had a sense of her courage, dedication and patience, of the love and sisterhood she demonstrated in helping other women bring new sons and daughters into the world. I imagined her bent over in mud and cold, working with whatever she had to keep those mothers safe, warm, and comforted. I am sure she feared for every laboring woman, and worried over every new infant.

What a contrast to the pleasant sheltered room where my daughter realized that her baby was arriving on a schedule none of us had planned. We had clean water and a comfortable bed when it was over, instead of another thousand miles of hard trail. While our experiences were very different, I can imagine that Patty’s prayers and gratitude for each safe arrival were the same as mine that day. And so I felt the past touch me.

I have pondered the connection stretching between my new granddaughter and my many-greats-
grandmother through me. I don’t know what Patty looked like. We have no records of the children she delivered. I don’t know what she liked to do or the words she chose to use when she spoke. I don’t know what made her laugh. But I can imagine that she stood in awe of our Heavenly Father’s great love for us as she worked with nervous fathers and laboring mothers. Patty’s willingness to leave her home and travel west to build a new life served as a foundation for my family; her service to other women built many other families, too.

Now I hold one more little girl, another granddaughter further. Someday she will hear the story of her remarkable birth and I will tell her about another grandmother who served little children and their mothers. I am grateful for the promise that someday I will be able to meet Patty and we will be together as a family of strong and faithful women. That is the promise of being resurrected as an eternal family. That is my heart.

Malachi 4:6: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers.

How have you touched the past and the future through your family?

Sorrows that the eye can't see

By Allie D.

I grew up with a very handicapped older brother. Taking care of him was draining in every way--physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally. I spent many days very burnt out from caring for him. He died this past August, after 27 years of struggle.

Caring for my brother taught me many things, but one of the most important things is this: you never know what burdens your neighbor is carrying.

Or, to put it in the words of a hymn, "In the quiet heart is hidden sorrow that the eye can't see."

I used to look in the mirror every morning in high school as I got ready for the day and think: this is the face of someone suffering with dramas that most people can't even imagine. Would anyone ever guess? Or would they be too busy judging the acne and the frizzy hair and braces and the pudge and not even care that underneath all that, there is a little girl who comes home and cries about her dying brother? Would anyone ever just look at me and know that every moment, there is a weight on my heart?

And as I got older, I realized it wasn't just me: everyone is suffering. Today they are suffering. Everyone is hiding sorrows that the eye can't see. Everyone has struggles that the rest of us couldn't even begin to guess at.

That man sitting next you on the bus? Maybe his daughter just died. Maybe he just lost his job. Maybe his wife just left him. Maybe he just saw his first gray hair and for the first time recognized his own mortality.

The teenager who got your order wrong at the ice cream shop? Maybe he just got the worst grade of his life. Maybe his parents are in the middle of a nasty divorce. Maybe he got rejected from his dream college. Maybe he's depressed because he doesn't have a girlfriend.

The woman eating alone at the cafe? Maybe she was just diagnosed with cancer. Maybe she just went through another miscarriage. Maybe she just had another horrible first date and thinks she'll never get married, ever.

We can't even begin to guess what sorrows those around us are carrying. Even those we know best are harboring sorrows that we may never know.

Consider the Holy Bible's teachings in 1 John 3:16-19:

16 Hereby perceive we the ^alove of ^bGod, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 

17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his ^abrother have^bneed, and ^cshutteth up his bowels of ^dcompassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

18 My little children, let us not love in word, ^aneither in tongue; but in ^bdeed and in truth. 

19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

In Mosiah 2:17, from the Book of Mormon, King Mosiah taught that "when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God."

Our brothers have need. Our fellow beings need our love and understanding. How "dwelleth the love of God" in those who have no compassion for those around them?

All of us have trials, trials that not even our closest friends on earth can understand. That's why we owe it to ourselves and to each other to reach out in kindness to everyone around us. I say this as someone who needs to work on this. But I know that every day, as we exercise our charity by stretching out our hands to those around us who are quietly struggling, we grow closer to Jesus Christ.

Were you ever surprised by the burden someone else was quietly carrying? What are ways we can reach out to help bear one another's burdens? How do you reach out to those around you? Have you ever yearned for someone to reach out to you?

Conversion, the Atonement, and the Change of Heart

By Allie D.

One thing we know from the gospel is that the ultimate goal of everything we go through is to bring us back to God's presence. The things that separate us from God are sin and death. Alma taught that the Atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead. The Atonement, however, also offers us salvation from the damning effects of sin, which preclude us from joining God. We overcome sin by accessing the Atonement through repentance. These aspects of Jesus's atonement give us the opportunity to overcome both sin and death, and live with God, happily, forever, in our eternal families, as we make and keep sacred covenants such as the ones we make at baptism. Because of the Atonement, we can be assured of the possibility of happiness in the eternities, having perfect bodies, being united with God and all our loved ones.

However, a truly miraculous aspect of the gift of the Atonement is that we don’t have to wait for the Resurrection, after we are dead, to enjoy it--and make no mistake, the Atonement is a gift that is meant to be enjoyed. We are meant to enjoy it. God yearns for us to take this gift with both hands, and clasp it to our hearts, and cling to it and use it every single day. He longs for us to love this gift and use it to find joy in our day to day lives, here and now.

God begs us to use the Atonement to repent, to receive divine forgiveness of our sins. This forgiveness is one of the many reasons we chose to be baptized with the authority of the priesthood, and why it feels so breathtakingly amazing to get out of that water, knowing that you've left your sins behind. God wants us to feel that post-baptismal joy all the time. That’s why we meet here every week, to renew our baptismal covenants through the taking of the bread and water, and hopefully to find the same joy each week as we partake of the sacrament as we did when we were baptized. God loves us and wants us to consistently experience the joy that comes from His forgiveness.

God wants us to use the Atonement to find joy in our forgiveness of others. A few years ago, my family found out that my disabled brother had been horribly and intentionally hurt and that he would suffer the consequences of another person’s evil for the rest of his life. This was after he broke his hip. I was asked not to tell my other brother, Sam, who was serving a mission at the time, out of concern for his state of mind. But I felt strongly that I should tell him, and I did. And that knowledge broke his heart just as it broke ours.

But he wasted no time in accessing the Atonement. He knelt down to pray and gave that burden over to Jesus Christ, whose Atonement enabled Him to take the weight off my brother’s shoulders. And that night, my younger brother was filled with forgiveness for my older brother’s assailant. Through the miracle of the Atonement, in the darkest hour my brother was able to find peace. It was through the Atonement that I myself eventually found peace regarding that situation. You can’t have joy without peace in your heart. God desires for us to seek that peace, so we can feel that joy.

The Atonement heals us from our sorrows, when we use it for that purpose. As part of the Atonement, Jesus became one with each of us, personally and literally experiencing everything that each of us has gone through and will go through. Because of his intimate and first-hand experience with our personal trials, He knows exactly how to comfort us. When we are brave enough to hand over the angers and the sorrows, the disappointments, the doubts, the regrets that we cling to--when we are brave enough to pry our fingers off those things and hand them with open palms to Jesus Christ, He takes them from us. The more completely we turn our burdens over to Him, the more completely He takes them from us.

If you’ve ever been motivated by anger, or revenge, or guilt, or bitterness, you know it can feel as though those things are occupying important and irreplaceable parts of your heart. It can feel as though without those things, you’ll be left with just a hole. But in reality, when we give those poisoned pieces of our hearts to Jesus Christ, He heals us, and fills our hearts with love and light.

When Adam and Eve first partook of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and first realized the difference between right and wrong, the first thing they realized was that being naked in public is wrong. So they tried to hide their nakedness by making themselves clothes of leaves.

When The Lord found them and they confessed what had happened, and that they were trying to hide their nakedness now that they knew public nudity was wrong, He was understanding of their clothing predicament and made for them garments of skins, to keep them safe from both the sin of being inappropriately nude, and from physical discomfort. When we show The Lord our own spiritual nakedness, He clothes our hearts in figurative garments just as He first clothed Adam and Eve, and for the same purpose: The Lord longs to offer us the warmth and the protection and the strength and the peace that come from being enrobed in His forgiveness, His love, and His righteousness--but, like Adam and Eve, we have to seek Him, give up our fig leaves without reserve, and accept His offering to us in return.

We can use the Atonement in our daily lives: it is as simple as asking God for help in its application. If you don't know how to use the Atonement, pray and ask. God wants to answer that question. He wants you to use the Atonement every day and love it.

Preach My Gospel states that everything that is unfair about life can be made fair through the Atonement. In the eternities, God uses the Atonement to repay us with joy for every sorrow we experience on earth. And God delights in the chance to reward us with joy for our sorrows.

The Atonement enables us to experience the mighty change of heart that makes us more like Christ--the change of heart crucial to our salvation. As the first prophet of the Restoration taught, a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has the power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation. Taking advantage of Jesus's sacrifice for us requires sacrifices of our own, as we give away all our sins to know Him, as Lamoni of old. No unclean thing can enter into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus's Atonement enables us to repent so that we can become clean, new creatures in Christ, and return to God's presence. When we repent, we allow God and Jesus Christ to change our hearts so we no longer desire to do evil.

It is one thing to believe that Jesus is the Christ, and another to let that belief work in us until we are changed. We are saved by His grace when we are changed by His grace.

I know that Jesus is our Savior, the only means whereby man can be saved and receive true peace and joy. I know He loves us.

D&C 19:16-19:For behold, I, God, have ^asuffered these things for all, that they ^bmight not suffer if they would ^crepent; But if they would not repent they must ^asuffer even as I; But if they would not repent they must ^asuffer even as I; Which ^asuffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might ^bnot drink the bitter cup, and shrink—Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and^afinished my preparations unto the children of men.

How has the Atonement impacted your life? Have you ever felt the peace that comes from repentance?

I delayed my fitness goals to be a mother.

By Nayeli J.

Thinking about the nets that we give up to follow our Savior, and being very pregnant now, I thought about how we give up our bodies and overall health to be able to have babies.  I had made lots of fitness and wellness goals for the last 6 months in the year 2012 before my husband I planned to go on a cruise together. Both my husband and I made great improvements in our over-all health and even into the year 2013 we were still keeping up with our goals.  One of my long term goals that I wanted to accomplish sooner than later was to become a Zumba instructor!  I love Zumba and wanted to do something for myself and share that love of dancing with others.

  Then, that summer my husband and I decided that it was the best time for us to get pregnant because if we waited, we were going to be moving across the country and my husband would be starting his residency and we knew that would be challenging with already having two little ones.  At this point, I decided to put aside my wellness and fitness goals, my feeling good about looking better and being able to be more active.  I decided that being a mother was a priority and was something that Heavenly Father wanted me to do more than anything.  Now was the best time to do it!  Going into my pregnancy I made new obtainable goals being pregnant, so that I would have a healthy pregnancy, etc.  However, because this is my third baby my joints have been so sore and I haven't been able to be as active as I would like because I'm already chasing after 2. Being 32 wks now I can hardly move and I am on partial bedrest because I was doing too much.

I know that families can be together forever and that my family is definitely a priority in our lives.  Giving up this fitness/wellness "net" to bear more children is so worth it!  Our children are so very special and unique in many ways.  I can't wait to be able to nurture, teach, and care for another little spirit that will come down from God's presence.  Now, how miraculous and wonderful is that?  I feel honored that Heavenly Father would trust me to do such a thing:)

• Matthew 4:20: And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

Taking care of our bodies is a good thing--but it can be easy to prioritize fitness over the sacred role of motherhood. What sacrifices have you made to put the Savior's plan for families in action in your own life?