Are We Not All Beggars?

I have heard some fellow Christians suggest that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has wasted millions of dollars building extravagant temples when those very same dollars could have been spent on feeding the poor and helping the needy.

Let's first look at what the Church does for the poor and needy.  If you spend a little time on this website you'll find that the Mormons actually do quite a bit to help their fellowmen. From teaching people how to grow their own food to lending hands that clean up when disaster strikes, the Church dedicates time and money to helping the needy in very real ways—like teaching sustainability. Doesn't the saying go "if you give a man a fish he'll eat for a day, but if you teach a man to fish he'll eat for a lifetime"? The Church helps teach people how to obtain clean water, it teaches about common diseases and how they're spread and gives immunizations to the children, and it partners with local organizations to get people wheelchairs and walkers! These are just a few examples of what is done! It's simply ignorant to think that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is uncaring or a church for the wealthy to build expensive buildings.

The next question to address is why on earth do Mormons spend millions of dollars building temples all over the world?

I'd like to insert here that neither God nor Jesus Christ change no matter how much time passes.

"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever" (Hebrews 13:8).

So let's first take a look at the Old Testament:

"Furthermore David the king said unto all the congregation, Solomon my son, whom alone God hath chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great: for the palace is not for man, but for the Lord God.

"Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for things to be made of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and the brass for things of brass, the iron for things of iron, and wood for things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set, glistering stones, and of divers colours, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance.

"Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house.... 

"But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.

"For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.

"O Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own" (1 Chronicles 29:1-3, 14-16, emphasis added).

To sum that up and give a tiny bit of backstory, David's son, Solomon, was commanded of God to build a temple or a house of the Lord for the Lord to dwell. This excerpt shows us that David and all Israel donated a lot of precious stones, gold, silver, brass, iron, and so on to help beautify the temple. All of this suggests that whatever was going on inside of the temple was important and that the house of the Lord deserves the very best of what we have on this earth. Just as David and Solomon did, we too build temples and beautify them with the very best of what we have. As the scripture above says, 'all things come of [God], and of [His] own hand have we given [Him]' for His house.

"For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?" (Mosiah 4:19).

So what did Israel do in their temple that was so important? And what do Mormons do in theirs?

According to mormon.org:

"[Solomon's] temple was a place where God could dwell, was a place of prayer, was a place of sacrifice and was a place where the principle and covenant of sacrifice was fundamental to worship." 

We no longer need to sacrifice animals, because Jesus Christ came and fulfilled that commandment by giving himself as the ultimate sacrifice, but the rest is the same: we pray; we make covenants; we learn eternal truths; we receive sacred ordinances that seal husband and wife together for eternity, as well as join children to their parents; and we perform ordinances for our dead so they too can choose to be joined to their loved ones for eternity. Obviously, the 'principle and covenant of sacrifice' are absolutely fundamental to modern temple worship.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a church of sacrifice and giving. We are taught to give generously of all that we have been given, because we have been given much. We are a temple going people who try to give all that we have and all that we are to our Heavenly Father. I love the temple. It is a place where I have received blessings beyond measure. It says on the outside of every temple "House of the Lord" because each and every one is indeed a sacred and beautiful house built for the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, and our Heavenly Father to dwell and to come to visit the earth. 

-Abby

Heavenly Father is So Nice

So last night, Heavenly Father helped me heal a little emotionally from something I didn't even know still needed to be healed. As many of my friends came to me with love and support, I was reminded of 2 things. 1) I can do a fair amount of things by myself, but my ability to succeed soars when I see myself through the eyes of those who care about me. There are hard things that alone we simply cannot do, or cannot do well. But, when we combine our efforts with those around us and with the Lord's strength, we cannot fail. 2) We are never alone. I love what Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said about this in his talk, The Ministry of Angels:

"My beloved brothers and sisters, I testify of angels, both the heavenly and the mortal kind. In doing so I am testifying that God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face. '[N]or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man [or woman or child] upon the face thereof to be saved.' 13 On occasions, global or personal, we may feel we are distanced from God, shut out from heaven, lost, alone in dark and dreary places. Often enough that distress can be of our own making, but even then the Father of us all is watching and assisting. And always there are those angels who come and go all around us, seen and unseen, known and unknown, mortal and immortal."

I'm so grateful for the angels Heavenly Father puts into my life. Heaven surely knows I can't do this whole life thing alone. No matter what we do or have done, we have a Father in Heaven who is watching over us and a Savior, Jesus Christ, who stands ready to help us at any time of need, big or small. We really are never alone. 

~Kristilyn

Just 2 Quick Thoughts For the Day

#sharegoodness

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies= Happiness

So, I think there are different levels and varieties of "happiness" and that to experience glimpses of happiness doesn't mean that everything in your life is perfect. I don't have all the secrets on how to live a happy life or whatnot, but I can say this:

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies= Happiness

Always.

I love fall sooo much. What other time can you have such a perfect combination of boots, hot chocolate, scarves, changing leaves, lots of holidays, and pumpkin food??! It's genius. Anyways, if you need a little pick-me-up...follow these instructions. And, if you're already feeling great about life, this will make you feel even better. So, be like Nike and just do it.

Okay, ready? Here's your list of pick-me-up instructions:

1. Make these cookies (duh). It's the easiest, best thing you could be doing right now. I mean, think about it...it'll make you happy. Then you'll want to spread that happiness to your friends and family, so then you'll share (hypothetically, haha) and everyone will be the better for it. So, this is basically a service project...

All you need is 3 ingredients: 15 oz can of pumpkin, cake mix (it can be any flavor, but I prefer spice), and chocolate chips. Mix these ingredients (the cake mix is just the powder in the box--don't complicate this by trying to make cake), and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. It will change your life. 

**If you have other pumpkin recipes that you love, pleasssse share with us! We love food...

2. Read this quote. I read it last night before going to bed and I keep rereading it this morning because I love it so much.

"The Lord allows us to be tried and tested, sometimes to our maximum capacity. We have seen the lives of loved ones—and maybe our own—figuratively burned to the ground and have wondered why a loving and caring Heavenly Father would allow such things to happen. But He does not leave us in the ashes; He stands with open arms, eagerly inviting us to come to Him. He is building our lives into magnificent temples where His Spirit can dwell eternally.

In Doctrine and Covenants 58:3–4, the Lord tells us:

'Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation.

'For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory.'

I testify that the Lord has a plan for each of our lives. Nothing that happens is a shock or a surprise to Him. He is all-knowing and all-loving. He is eager to help us, to comfort us, and to ease our pain as we rely on the power of the Atonement and honor our covenants. The trials and tribulation that we experience may be the very things that guide us to come unto Him and cling to our covenants so that we might return to His presence and receive all that the Father hath."

-Linda S. Reeves

3. Send a quick text or write a note to someone, thanking them for something they've done for you or letting them know you love them or telling them how awesome they are. Or all of the above :)

4. Watch a couple of these Kid Snippets videos. These are a few of my favorites. They're hilarious.

Enjoy!!!

~Kristilyn

Shout-out to My Dad and Other Studs

As a kid, when I'd watch movies with my family I'd often ask at the beginning of the show if certain male characters were a "good guy" or a "bad guy." My parents would respond and I'd quickly be satisfied with their brief answer, knowing that I could expect a specific behavior, either good or bad, from the character the rest of the movie. Similarly, as I grew up, I unconsciously categorized people in my life as "good guys" or "bad guys". Like most children, I was typically pretty generous to who qualified as good. Good guys included all men in my family, in my school, in my friends' families, at church, and pretty much everywhere else in my life. Bad guys were mostly limited to bank robbers, kidnappers, and bullies. Since then, I have come to understand that this idea of a good vs. bad guy is neither rigid nor all-encompassing. Just because someone was once classified as bad doesn't mean they can't become good and vice versa, nor does it mean that a person solely does good or bad things. 

I still believe that most people are "good guys". Not perfect guys, but good guys nonetheless. I'm not suggesting that there aren't "bad guys" out there, or that we should blindly trust everyone around us. I'm extremely aware that many guys once deeply trusted haven't broken hearts or deceived those around them (women do all these things too, but I'm focusing on men for the purpose of this post). I'm also aware that not everyone has had the same experience with their fathers or men in their lives as I will share. My post is not intended to point out the flaws in the "bad guys" (nor is it even my place to say if you are a good guy or a bad guy) or to gloss over the hurt that burdens many women and children because of abused-trust, disloyalty, or a myriad of other issues. Rather, my post is to tell the good men out there that I appreciate and admire you, as well as to say that if you feel any less than a good guy, become one. It's never too late. And, if you're on the "good guy" side, you definitely qualify as a stud.

My dad is one of my favorite people on the planet. (Mom, you're at the very top of the list, too!!) I don't know anyone cooler than my dad. He definitely is both a "good guy" and a stud. He's been my cheerleader, tutor, supporter, friend, coach, confidant, protector, counselor, treat-provider, and listening-ear. Also, my dad can out-bike your dad. Just sayin :) I have always felt safe with him and have always trusted His counsel. I'd take his advice over almost anyone else's any day.

We're so cool.

Thankfully, there are many men in the world like my dad. There are so many good guys in the world. Whether you are fathers or not. I've seen your goodness, witnessed your service, and felt your love. So many of you are so good. You may be 55, 25, or 15. Across the board, I'm grateful for men who, despite your religion or background, go out of your way to just be good. You're honest. You're kind. You seek to help those around you to be happier. You strive to better yourself. You respect women, including (and especially) those in your own family. I love that. Thank you!

My dad taught me by his example how to treat others with love, how to be selfless, and how to put God first. His actions spoke even louder than his words by the way he loves and respects my mom.

I love Elaine S. Dalton's words to men in her talk, "Love Her Mother". (Let's be real... I love everything that woman says.) Although she addresses fathers specifically, the same counsel can relate to all men in their current families, with those whom they associate, and as they prepare for future families. She stated:

"Today’s popular culture tries to erode and demean your eternal role as a patriarch and father and minimize your most important responsibilities. These have been given to you 'by divine design,' and as fathers you 'are to preside over [your] families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for [your] families.'3"Fathers, you are the guardians of your homes, your wives, and your children. Today 'it is not an easy thing to protect one’s family against intrusions of evil into [their] minds and spirits. … These influences can and do flow freely into the home. Satan [is very clever]. He need not break down the door.'4

"You must be the guardians of virtue. 'A priesthood holder is virtuous. Virtuous behavior implies that [you have] pure thoughts and clean actions. … Virtue is … an attribute of godliness.' It 'is akin to holiness.'5 The Young Women values are Christlike attributes which include the value of virtue. We now call upon you to join with us in leading the world in a return to virtue. In order to do so, you 'must practice virtue and holiness'6 by eliminating from your life anything that is evil and inconsistent with one who holds the holy priesthood of God. 'Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and … the Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion.'7 So be cautious about what you view in entertainment media or print. Your personal virtue will model for your daughters, and also your sons, what true strength and moral courage are. By being a guardian of virtue in your own life, in your home, and in the lives of your children, you are showing your wife and daughters what true love really is. Your personal purity will give you power.

"...Brethren, fathers, young men, 'Be loyal to the royal within you.'”13

Man, I love her. I echo her words and stand in awe of the many, many good men fighting every day to be guardians of your homes and families, and who fight to be guardians of virtue.

I'm going to be blunt for just a sec. Can I repeat that last line? I so, so deeply admire those of you who fight to be guardians of virtue. Virtue is not just a quality for women. It is for all God's children--men and women. Virtue is strength. The world likes to condescendingly refer to it as weakness or unnatural, but it truly is strength. The manliest, sexiest, studliest, most noble and attractive thing you could ever be is obedient and virtuous in word, thought, and deed. No matter if you are alone or with someone else. I admire you guys out there who live your lives in this way. To any who may read this and either disagree with me or who find yourselves living a different lifestyle, I don't hate you or think you are gross or weird. I simply say that you will be forever grateful if you make whatever sacrifices are needed to be chaste and virtuous. Your wife and children (current or future) will be blessed for eternity. The world around you will be better because of it. It's never too late to resolve to make those sacrifices. You will never regret it. I cannot put into words what it means to me that my own dad taught and lived these principles.

Don't forget who you are! Like Elaine S. Dalton said, the world doesn't like for men (or women, for that matter) to remember their importance. You are royal. You are the sons of God! YOU ARE AWESOME!

Thank goodness for good fathers and good sons, for all you good men in the world. Thank goodness for the kind words you say, the time you give to help your family and neighbors, the patience you have for us women when we're emotional and just need to cry and eat chocolate, the hard and time-consuming work you do, your sleepless nights and the often unseen sacrifices you make for those around you. Thank goodness for the times you make me laugh and keep me sane. I'm so, so grateful for my dad, boyfriend, brothers, uncles, friends, and acquaintances who do this on a regular basis. Thank goodness for dads like the one in this video (probably the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life).

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I'm forever grateful to my own father who taught me how to love and how to follow my Heavenly Father. Through his example of support, patience, and guidance (and humor through it all), I can see a glimpse into how my Heavenly Father sees me. Thank you to EVERY one of you men out there who share this same love and example to those in your lives. You are my heroes!! YOU ARE STUDS!! Thank you for being the "good guys" of life. We need more people like you!

Because my earthly father cares about my running, work, stress, accomplishments and whatever else is going on in my life, I can only conclude that my perfect and eternal Father in Heaven cares even more about every detail in my life, whether it is big or small, "spiritual" or not. No matter our relationship to our earthly father or other men in our lives, we always have a Heavenly Father. Even if we've been hurt by "bad guys", He is the ultimate "Good Guy" that we can trust in and rely on. We always have Him. He exemplifies every good and loving and noble trait, and desires that we emulate His character. God loves us and cherishes us no matter what. He's always there for us and He always loves us, whether or not we feel we deserve that love. He is our Father and He will never abandon us. 

~Kristilyn

I am eternally grateful for my dad, my Heavenly Father, and all you other "good guys" out there. The world needs you.

Not Me, Satan. I AM AWESOME

Today was just one of those days... the kind that reminds me Satan's really good at his job. Why is he so good at discouraging people? But don't worry, I watched this video (one of my favorites) like 5 times in a row. That should probably be embarrassing...but oh well. Every woman in the world should watch it. I love this video.

Oh, and Christmas is exactly 3 months away. I'm okay with that! That puts happy in my happiness.

~Kristilyn

The Love of Our Mother.

One of my greatest joys in life was when I held my first child for the first time right after I gave birth 3 1/2 years ago. There is a love that no words can describe that fills you when you finally see those little feet that have been kicking you and that little nose that looks just like yours. She made me, a completely average person with few accomplishments, a mother. I can barely remember what life was like without her! She has filled my life with the purest joy, and a lot more responsibility.

When I held my second daughter for the first time, I experienced something completely different. I was filled with fear. There was no room for anything else. I looked at her and realized, I never felt her soft little kicks and I didn't see a single feature she got from me. I went to the hospital on May 3rd to watch this little baby, who we were planning to adopt, enter into the world. This little angel didn't make me a mother, but she did make me more like our Heavenly Mother.

Usually, it's the easiest thing in the world to love your own baby. But how easy is it to love someone else's baby as if they were your own? For me, it was not easy at all and I didn't expect that. I expected to cry with joy when I saw her the first time and to wrap her up in my arms and never want to let go. In reality, I barely wanted to hold her at all. I had no idea how in the world I was going to sacrifice my whole being for her like I could my oldest child. But our God is a God of love and blessings.

The situation surrounding the adoption I won't go into detail about, but I will say that we never planned on adopting a child, since I was fully capable of having my own children, and when we adopted this little girl it was quick and because we were commanded by our Heavenly Father to do so. "What?" You say. "How does that happen??" We were presented with a baby being given up for adoption and felt prompted to pray about us taking her in when she was born. That prayer was intense for all the right reasons. We were answered immediately upon asking if this was something we should do and the Spirit was strong. God intended this baby to be ours. So we started the adoption process a couple of months before the baby was born.

Our littlest girl has given me the gift of real, pure, and unselfish love. She taught me how to love in a way I thought I already knew. On a bigger scale, she taught me how to love people the way that our Heavenly Mother loves her children. I feel more compassion and charity. I feel a sadness and empathy when a perfect stranger tells a story of woe. My knowledge of what love is has exploded.

I don't want to come across as if I'm perfect and everything in my life is perfect. But God has given me my family in ways I never would have imagined or asked for in some instances. I know now that God wants to bless us with happiness. He wants to give us our righteous desires. What I have learned is that we have to always be listening and ready for the time He's ready to bless us. Ultimately, happiness is our choice. If we choose to follow Jesus Christ and seek further light and knowledge, we will be blessed beyond any imagination. That doesn't mean and can't mean that your life will be perfect, on the contrary, you will go through difficult things that later will allow the gifts of God to flow.

I absolutely love the little family with which I have been blessed. I can only hope that I can teach our girls the lessons I've learned by showing them what it means to love as our Heavenly Mother does.


~ Abby