Where Will YOU Stand?

I do not live in the state of Utah, but I and many others from other states are watching what Utah will do in the coming months to defend traditional marriage.

As you may remember from my last post, Utah now stands at the forefront in the battle to keep the definition of marriage between a man and a woman.

I've read lots of articles and essays on the subject, as well as talking to many people, and I must say that I am frustrated that there are those in Utah who are giving up!!!

When we pick up one end of a stick, we also pick up the other. When we choose one road over another, we also choose the destination of where that road leads.

To keep our heads in the sand, and think that we will be "left alone," if only we just "give people what they want," we are only deceiving ourselves.

In the book of 2 Nephi in the Book of Mormon, we read:

 For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.

 And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.

 And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.

 Yea, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment.

 Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!

 Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well!

 Yea, wo be unto him that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men, and denieth the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost!

And then, in the Doctrine of Covenants the Lord says:

And thus he flattereth them, and leadeth them along until he draggeth their souls down to hell; and thus he causeth them to catch themselves in their own snare.

Staying Valiant in the Cause

I often, when thinking of fighting for truth, think of Captain Moroni in the Book of Mormon. His people were in REAL danger of losing their freedoms. Those who opposed the people governing themselves had joined with the vast, innumerable armies of the Lamanites. They were outnumbered, discouraged, and tired.

But did Captain Moroni give up and say "Oh, well. Let's just give them what they want, and then they'll just leave us alone. What's the big deal?"

Uh, NO. That's not what he said.

Nevertheless, the Nephites were inspired by a better cause, for they were not fighting for monarchy nor power but they were fighting for their homes and their liberties, their wives and their children, and their all, yea, for their rites of worship and their church.

And they were doing that which they felt was the duty which they owed to their God; for the Lord had said unto them, and also unto their fathers, that: Inasmuch as ye are not guilty of the first offense, neither the second, ye shall not suffer yourselves to be slain by the hands of your enemies.

And again, the Lord has said that: Ye shall defend your families even unto bloodshed. Therefore for this cause were the Nephites contending with the Lamanites, to defend themselves, and their families, and their lands, their country, and their rights, and their religion.

And he didn't just talk, he ACTED:

And it came to pass that when the men of Moroni saw the fierceness and the anger of the Lamanites, they were about to shrink and flee from them. And Moroni, perceiving their intent, sent forth and inspired their hearts with these thoughts—yea, the thoughts of their lands, their liberty, yea, their freedom from bondage.

And it came to pass that they turned upon the Lamanites, and they cried with one voice unto the Lord their God, for their liberty and their freedom from bondage.

And they began to stand against the Lamanites with power; and in that selfsame hour that they cried unto the Lord for their freedom, the Lamanites began to flee before them; and they fled even to the waters of Sidon.

Of course, we should be civil and Christlike in our defense of traditional marriage. But I know, with all my heart, that if we sit back and do nothing to protect the most sacred, divine institution (marriage) that God has created, The Lord WILL hold us accountable.

From Elder Robert D. Hales:

"Do what is right even though it seems you will be alone in so doing, that you are going to lose friends, that you will be criticized. I have never been sorry on any occasion that I stood for what was right even against severe criticism."

Though our enemies are numerous, and though they mock us, and call us names, and "gnash their teeth" in hatred and anger at us, we still have God on our side.

As our church leader, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland stated:

"In the gospel of Jesus Christ you have help from both sides of the veil, and you must never forget that. When disappointment and discouragement strike—and they will—you remember and never forget that if our eyes could be opened we would see horses and chariots of fire as far as the eye can see riding at reckless speed to come to our protection. They will always be there, these armies of heaven, in defense of Abraham’s seed."

We MUST stand obedient and strong in the doctrine of our God on the issue of marriage.

UTAH, WE ARE WATCHING YOU!!!

What will YOU do to stand up for marriage?

I invite everyone who truly believes in the sanctity of traditional marriage who is in Utah to attend TONIGHT'S Rally celebrating Traditional Marriage between a man and a woman.

Please stand for truth. 

Please stand for families. 

Please stand for religious freedom. 

Please stand for our children and the world they will inherit. 

PLEASE STAND WITH GOD.

Tonight, at 7pm, at the State Capitol Rotunda in Salt Lake City. 

We will be watching you, Utah.

Love,

Standing Up for Traditional Marriage

“God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” 

(Genesis 1:27–28). 

“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” 

(Genesis 2:24)

This post has been brewing in my mind and heart for a couple of weeks now, and then Cocoa's post today urged me on to write my own post on the matter of marriage, as a way to add my voice to hers in defense of The Traditional Family. (Another great blog post supporting traditional marriage can be found here.)

Some of my readers may not have heard about the blow that was given to the people of the state of Utah mere days before Christmas of 2013. A lone judge in the state declared-- against the law passed by the people of Utah way back in 2002-- that "same sex marriage" was legal in Utah. In the midst of Christmas shopping, and the flurry of new winter snow, the law protecting marriage was brushed aside and declared void.

I was baffled and shocked that one man felt that he had more knowledge, more insight, and more influence than all the people of an entire state. And more than that, I was disappointed and saddened that this one judge felt that his judgement was more important than the eternal laws of the very Creator of the universe.

"A Family Grouping" by James Hayllar

I wish to raise my voice with others to say that I KNOW that marriage is ordained of God. I declare firmly that children need, and are entitled to, a loving mother AND father. I testify that God's laws and morals are unchangeable and eternal.

Luckily, the Supreme Court has issued a stay on the matter, but the battle for traditional marriage in Utah is not over yet.

I am so grateful that our Church is led by men who are called of God, who are not afraid to stand and declare truth in the face of opposition. I'm also thankful that they expressed love and kindness to ALL, reminding us all to be civil and respectful to one another.

Ironically, this talk, and this talk were given to all the members of our church around the world in October of 2013-- just two months before this notorious judgement was brought down upon the people of Utah. (MANY of whom are members of my church.)

You can read the Church's official statement here.

To learn more about what our Church teaches about marriage and the family, see "The Family: A Proclamation to the World."

With love and conviction,

Drop by Drop

Last year, a couple of my blogging friends talked about their "word for the year." I chose my own word (schedules), and really worked hard on that theme. 

I think I did better at scheduling than I have before, but sticking to schedules is still a difficult thing for me. (Creating them is easy!)

I'm a spontaneous person, who'd rather "go with the flow" than stick to a rigid list of tasks and the times they need to be done.

YIKES. That stresses me out to even just think about those words!

I hope I have improved over the years, and I think I HAVE, but I know that my children need a bit more structure in their lives.

"Con Amore" by Edmund Blair Leighton

The Law of the Harvest

"The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing." ~Proverbs 20:4 KJV

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;" ~Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 KJV

At the beginning of this new year, I am pondering a lot about "the Law of the Harvest," and what that means to us when creating excellence in our lives, families, and homes.

I have been heavily involved in music since I was a little child. I know what it means to practice a piece of until it is "right." There are no shortcuts, no cramming that can be done to substitute daily, methodical practicing.

The same thing applies to learning many different subjects, like math, reading, and writing. And, of course, the principle of daily growth, little by little, also applies to our spirituality. 

"Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me." ~Alma 32:28, The Book of Mormon 

If we want a bountiful spiritual "harvest," at the end of the "season," we must do the small daily tasks of reading the scriptures, praying, pondering, and spending time with God.

The same thing can be said for our relationships with our husbands, our children, our extended families, and our friends and neighbors. What kind of relationships are we cultivating with those we love?

Bountiful Blessings

Imagine how different our world would be if we followed the "Law of the Harvest." What if we stopped demanding instant gratification? What if we had to plant/plan earlier, and work a little bit every day in order to have the resulting blessings throughout the year?

Imagine what WE, our children, and those around us could be, what we could accomplish, when we work on the most important things, little by little, day by day.

 

How great the harvest would be, indeed! This year, for 2014, I want to end with an even better harvest than I've ever cultivated before. And that will take the daily building up of my "drops of oil", one drop at a time.

Spiritually. In my relationships. In my personal study. In what I teach my children, and how I nurture them. In how I care for our home.

If I will improve just the tiniest amount each day, I know I can expect a bountiful 2014!

Love to you and yours in the new year,