Pornography Position Statement

Pornography is the spiritual plague of this generation.  Pornography easily becomes an addiction that has far reaching and devastating effects.  It is a tool that Satan will use to rob us of the potential God sees in us.  It is a trap he will use to damn our progress.  It will destroy our spiritual sensitivity and keep us from being able to feel and respond to the promptings of our Heavenly Father.  And once we have been effectively caught in the trap it is almost impossible to get out.  With statistics showing that 100% of children will be exposed to the filth it is terrifying as a parent. We must teach our children to stay completely away from it.  In doing this they can avoid the pain and suffering that comes to families as a result of this terrible monster, this weapon of spiritual mass destruction.

Personal Revelation Position Statement

I've learned a lot about personal revelation in the last year.  One of the things I have learned is that Heavenly Father wants to talk to us all the time, but many times we do not open the lines for Him to do so.  When we say our prayers more regularly and more meaningfully we make that connection easier.  When we immerse ourselves in the scriptures it does so much to open those lines.  It helps to tune our spirit in so that we can hear those quiet promptings and inspirations.  Finally, we have to turn a few things down and shut a few things off and create a quiet space where the Spirit is not drowned out by the noise we typically surround ourselves with.  When we do these things it is amazing what the Lord will share with us.  When He knows that we are going to value what He shares with us, that we are going to act on the directions He gives us, we are much more likely to get answers to our prayers and our concerns.

Forgiving Self Position Statement

We are told that God will choose who to forgive, but we are required to forgive all men.  That "all men" includes ourselves.  When we have made big mistakes, those kind of mistakes that are life changing and hurt the ones we love the most, it is hard to get past them, hard to forgive ourselves.  Yet, we are still commanded to do so.  Guilt has its place.  It is a powerful tool that the Lord uses to motivate us towards repentance.  But once it has done its job, it is to be let go, absorbed through the atonement of Christ.  If we choose to hang onto it, guilt becomes Satan’s tool to hamper our progress.  It is wasted effort to cling to guilt or to covet the life we once had.  Once repentance is complete and we have done everything we can to rectify our wrongs, we must embrace the lessons we have learned and let go of the pain of the past.  We have to stop looking back and move forward. We must forgive ourselves.

Family Position Statement

We were sent to earth not on our own, but to be in a family unit.  The family is the training place where we learn to develop characteristics that make us more like our Savior and Heavenly Father.  We learn love, patience, kindness, repentance, forgiveness, service, selflessness, compassion, loyalty, dependability, and so much more. As a child our biggest responsibility is to learn to be obedient and to love.  As a parent our stewardship in this area is huge! We are responsible to use the guidance of the gospel to help teach our children the values that will help them live up to their potential.  We set the example of what priorities should be held in their lives.  We show them what a good mother/father is and does.  We are to make the home a safe place for them to learn.  The church has given us some wonderful tools to assist us, but in the end it is our responsibility to follow through.

Developing Meekness Position Statement

Meekness is a characteristic I have just recently become intrigued with.  From what I understand about it it is a powerful characteristic.  It basically means you are so secure in yourself that you are not easily ruffled, not easily offended.  You are not prideful, so your ego cannot be easily damaged.  It is the ability to be tough but tender at the same time.  It is an amazing characteristic that Christ displayed well as He walked the earth.  I believe as we seek to become more humble we will become more aware of our weaknesses and what we need to work on.  When we take the time to listen and understand rather than be adamant in presenting our opinion, we are acting in meekness.  When we can do this there is so much contention that can be avoided.  This is not a characteristic easily developed, but I feel it is one that is worth the time and effort.

Choosing Cheerfulness Position Statement

"... and men are that they might have joy."  I look around me at the beauty of God's creations and they all testify to me that our Heavenly Father wants us to be happy.  There are struggles and hardships that come into all of our lives.  Some come through our own choices, some through the poor choices of someone else, and some just because their is opposition in all things.  We are meant to taste the bitter so we can appreciate the sweet.  But no matter how difficult things may seem, we can still choose to be happy.  Someone once taught me The Coin Theory.  If you look at a coin you cannot see both sides at the same time.  You have to choose a side to focus on and dismiss the other side.  This does not mean that the other side does not exist, just that you are choosing not to focus on it.  We have this choice in life as well.  We can look at the positive things that are happening and dismiss the negative or visa versa.  It doesn't mean that there aren't bad things that have happened, it just means that we have chosen to to focus on them, not to allow them power over us.  It must be very disheartening to our Father when we are not grateful for the good things He has given us and rather choose to be miserable.

Atonement Position Statement

When our Heavenly Father designed the plan of salvation for us it had three main pillars.  First there had to be a creation, a place created for us to live and be tested as well as the creation of man's mortal body.  Then there had to be a fall for men to come into existence and begin the testing process. Finally, God knew that we would all make mistakes and we would need a Savior to redeem us from our sins.  Jesus Christ volunteered to fill that role.  He came to earth and gave us the perfect example to live by.  He taught us the gospel and what was required for us to return back to God's care.  Then He paid the ultimate sacrifice by suffering for our sins and laying down His life so we could repent and be resurrected. His gift is offered freely to all of us, simply because God loves us.  The way we accept the gift is through repentance.  When we make a mistake, and we all do on a daily basis it is our responsibility to recognize those mistakes and repent.  When we repent it activates the power of the atonement and allows our sins to be wiped away giving us a clean slate to start again.  Through the atonement the Lord perfectly understands all our pains, sicknesses, weaknesses, and sorrows, and can offer us comfort for them.  The atonement also has an enabling power that helps us to be able to forgive others and to master hardships in our lives.  Without the atonement we could not return to our Heavenly Father.  No matter how small the sin, we would be barred from reentry and would be damned to a life of misery.  I am so grateful for the power of the atonement in my life.

Agency Position Statement

One of the greatest gifts we are given is our gift of agency.  It is a gift we had in the premortal life.  It is so valuable that a war was waged over our right to have it.  We know because we are here on earth in a mortal body that we used our agency there well. Now we are being tested to see how we will use it in mortality.  Because of our agency we are free to choose.  But we are not free to choose our consequences.  When we make good choices we are blessed.  When our choices are poor we have to suffer the negative consequences. Sometimes the consequences take a while to catch up to us, but they do inevitably catch up.   Ultimately, through our agency we choose happiness or misery.  The choice is ours.

My Thoughts on Making the Most of This Life

We only have one life to live.  We must choose how we will use our time.  We don’t want to come to the end of our lives and wish that we had done things differently.  We can prevent many of what could be our future regrets by making certain resolutions today.  If we take the time to make a plan and chart a course we will use our time much more wisely.  We will cherish our loved ones more and make good memories with them.  We will work on improving ourselves, follow the Savior’s example more closely, and become more like Him.  And we will choose to be happy now.  We will find ways to enjoy our journey and show more gratitude for our blessings.  When we make mistakes, and we will, we will learn to receive the Atonement in our lives.  We will repent and we will let go of the pain that comes with those bad choices.  We will learn from those mistakes and move forward with peace and a resolve to be better.  We must make the most of the limited time we have while we are here.

My Thoughts on Acceptng Our Weaknesses

As humans it is in our nature to want to see ourselves as better than we really are, to not accept our flaws and weaknesses.  However, in not accepting ourselves as we truly are, weaknesses and all, we are damned.  We cannot progress if we are unwilling to admit that progression is needed.  The more humble we become and the more willing to become truly self-aware, the more the Lord can help us make our weaknesses into strengths.  I have become very intrigued with the characteristic of meekness.  I believe that this self-examination concept is the key to becoming meek.  Meekness is not weakness.  I think it is a power that comes from being totally self-aware.  You are not easily ruffled.  You are not puffed up in thinking you are better than anyone else, or even better than what you really are.  This is something I want to study out more.  I do know that we are really rejecting the atonement if we are unwilling to accept that we are flawed and need it. By accepting our imperfectness we allow the Lord to help make us better and more like Him.

My Thoughts on the Grace of God

We are all sinners and every day we make mistake and wrong choices that would keep us from ever returning to our Father in Heaven.  Because of the Grace of God offered to us through the Atonement we can be saved.  It is a free gift for all of us and He is waiting for us to receive it.  When we realize just what it means to us personally, all we want to do is to serve Him and obey His commandments.  Not only does grace make it possible for us to be forgiven, but it also gives us the enabling power to overcome our weaknesses and work towards our potential.  Without grace we would be doomed.  With it our possibilities are limitless.

My Thoughts on Discovering Our Potential

We need to take a look at our lives and our motives and be sure that we are doing things for the right reasons.  Jesus Christ gave us the perfect example of serving with no hidden agendas.  Everything He did was out of love for the Father.  That should be our motivation as well.  Christ can help us find our potential.  He can help make our weaknesses into strengths.  We just have to humbly approach Him and He can heal us, lift us, and make us more than we ever dreamed possible.

My Thoughts on the Life and Testimony of Dieter F. Uchtdorf

President Uchtdorf’s life is especially impressive because you can tell that the Lord protected and preserved him for his special mission.  There were so many times that his family was in danger but because of promptings from the Spirit and a very courageous mother who listened to those promptings he was kept safe.  I was also impressed at Elder Uchtdorf’s determination.  From a young age he had specific goals and worked hard to achieve them.  He achieved things that to most people would have just been an unreachable dream.  He lived a life that made him responsible and dependable, and he achieved positions of trust much younger than most.  He was not only faithful and dependable to earthly authority, but he also knew what his priorities were and he served the Lord faithfully.  I have always been impressed by the talks that he writes and the way he has of pulling you into the topic he is addressing.  

President Uchtdorf’s testimony about God’s power is magnificent.  I love how he talks about the miracles of the earth and space and then puts them into perspective by testifying that they are insignificant compared to the miracle of Christ and his sacrifice.  His testimony practically beams from him without him even needing to say a word.  His countenance is truly as the Savior’s.  You can tell that he believes in Christ and loves Him with his whole being.  You can tell that all of the experiences in his life have taught him the reality and the majesty of Jesus Christ and the Father. 

My Thoughts on the Life and Testimony of Henry B. Eyring

President Eyring strikes me as a man who loves education.  He was eager to learn and even when he realized Physics wasn’t his passion he still finished his degree before moving on to something else.  The other thing that is inspiring about President Eyring is that money is not the most important thing to him.  You can tell from the big choices in his life that he was willing to do what the Lord wanted him to do rather than to follow the money or prestige the world offered him.  I also admire how humble he was and how willing he was to go to the Lord for answers.  Even after he was given advice by men and women he respected the final decision always lay with the Lord.  You can tell that the Lord is his best and most trusted confidant.  It was also interesting to note all of the contact he had early on with leaders in the church.  I didn’t know he was President Kimball’s nephew.

Everything about President Eyring’s testimony points back to his love and devotion to God the Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ. I love his tenderness and the emotion that always comes into his voice as he bears witness of them.  He has such a powerful testimony of them and their reality.  He testifies beautifully of their love for us.  He is sensitive to spiritual things and has taken the time to grow that spirituality so.  His life is a testament that he has worked hard to foster the spirituality that emanates from him.  He also has a powerful testimony of prayer and of a personal relationship with God.  That was obvious from the experiences in his life.  It makes me want to grow closer to my Heavenly Father and to my brother, Jesus Christ.

My Thoughts on the Life and Testimony of Thomas S. Monson

The thing that impresses me the most about President Monson’s life is how much he loves and serves people.  From a young age he was able to recognize the needs of others, including the primary teacher who was hurting because of the misbehavior of her class.  Not only did he recognize them but he wanted to help.  I was impressed by how people were and are drawn to him.  It says so much about him that he was able to find so many lost sheep and bring them back to the fold.  Even as a teen he was able to show enough sincere concern for them to respond to his invitations.  How amazing that he not only feels the promptings but that he also makes the time to act on them.

President Monson has a powerful testimony of service, of the scriptures, and of the Lord Jesus Christ.  I love listening to him talk about the Savior.  You can tell that not only does he worship Him, but it’s more than just that.  It is so easy to see that they are truly friends.  He loves Him.  He talks to Him.  He serves out of love for Him.  I also was touched by His testimony about prayer.  You can tell that it is by personal experience that he knows God hears and answers our prayers.  He also testifies that many of those prayers are answered through us.  President Monson is an incredible example of the truth of that.  What an amazing way he has of teaching us that God does work through us, and the better we listen the more he will talk to us and use us as His hands.

My Thoughts on Choosing Happiness by Embracing Challenges

Life is not easy for any of us.  We all have our trials and our burdens.  God allows these things to come into our lives because they strengthen and refine us and make us fit for His kingdom.  If we fight against them we will be miserable.  If we learn to embrace them as President Kimball did, we can experience tremendous growth, understanding, and peace in our lives. The Lord loves us.  He sees potential in us that we cannot even comprehend.  If we trust Him and allow Him to work in our lives we cannot even imagine the ways He will strengthen and bless us.  Trials are either stumbling blocks or stepping stones and only we can control what they will be for us in our lives.

My Thoughts on Personal Revelation

Revelation is such a necessary part of a successful life.  The Lord wants to communicate with us.  He wants to guide us and help us.  Because of this He provided a way for it to happen.  Revelation has many different levels, it can come from our leaders in their stewardship over us, it can come to a parent to help guide their children, and it can come to us personally to assist us in our own lives.  The Holy Ghost will confirm to our hearts revelation from our leaders if our hearts are soft and we seek that confirmation.  As parents we are wise to seek revelation from the Lord concerning our families and our children. After all, they were the Lord’s first and He desires their success even more than we do.  Personal revelation is also an incredible gift from the Lord.  He can help us in all our varying circumstances if we will learn to listen. If we show Him that we value the help He is giving us we will receive more and more until it becomes a constant stream of information to instruct and guide us.  I know this is something I need to continue to work towards.

My Thoughts on Peace and Comfort Through the Atonement

God knew that life would not be easy for any one of us.  Life is hard and burdens come to us all, but God did not leave us comfortless.  Part of the plan of salvation was providing for us to have peace and joy even amidst the pain and anguish.  God provided us with the Holy Ghost so that we can gain peace and comfort in a way that the world can never offer it.  Through the Atonement Christ knows how we feel and how we will best be helped.  Through the Atonement He offers us peace and comfort.  Our burdens can be lifted and lightened.  One of the ways this happens is through us helping each other.  It is our responsibility as member of His church to look for those who need help and need lifting.  The Lord does help us, but often it is by the hands of one of His other children.  We go to the Lord to ask for strength and comfort, then we look around for ways that we can offer strength and comfort to those around us.  It is a beautiful system He has devised.