When I think of women of faith in the scriptures, I often think of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. Sarah had to practice faith many times throughout her life. For example, Sarah was related to Abraham through family bloodlines before they married. When Abraham and Sarah entered foreign lands, she was asked to claim this as her relationship to Abraham and ignore her claim as his husband. This protected Abraham from death at the hands of the government. Sarah was required to have faith the Lord would protect her marriage in these circumstances. And the Lord did.
Sarah was again called upon to exercise faith when Abraham went to rescue Lot from the kings of the land. Since he was captured by kings, Lot was undoubtedly under guard by large armies of men. Yet Abraham only had his servants with which to rescue him. Abraham was a very wealthy man and would have commanded a large number of servants. Yet I can’t help but doubt he commanded a number equal to or greater than the armies of the kings of the land. Yet he went forth to rescue Lot.
Imagine the faith Sarah would need to have to trust the Lord would protect her husband and his men in this rescue mission. Military tactics are quite different today than they were in Sarah’s time. Nevertheless, it still stands true that numbers make a difference. Sarah would have known this. Abraham, being a righteous man, undoubtedly discussed his intentions with Sarah before going. Sarah would have known the power of the hand of God. I believe she trusted God and supported Abraham’s mission.
There are many other times that Sarah practices faith throughout her life. But I wish to turn now to the one that catches my attention most. This is the faith Sarah demonstrated throughout the many times she was asked to move with Abraham.
Sarah, then called Sarai, was married to Abraham before he left the land of Ur. Through The Book of Abraham in The Pearl of Great Price, we learn there was an attempt to sacrifice Abraham in the land of Ur because he believed in the true god. The land was a wicked land. Sarah must have held great faith in God in order to support Abraham in his faith in God.
Abraham’s family was a wealthy one in this land as well. Yet Abraham decided to leave the land anyway. Imagine the faith Sarah would need to have in order to forsake this wealth and travel with Abraham into the wilderness. It would have taken faith in Abraham and faith in God. Sarah had that faith and left with Abraham.
Their travels eventually took them to Egypt, where Abraham gained a great deal of wealth and prestige. Again Abraham chose to leave this life of prestige. Sarah again showed her faith as she went with him. And she does so every time Abraham forsook the things of the world to pursue the things of God.
There is a lot we can learn from this faith Sarah shows. What stands out to me, however, is that Sarah showed she trusted God and not the wealth of the world. This is an important lesson for us to learn. The things of this world dwindle with time. We have seen that the wealth generated by the stock market can collapse overnight. Those who hold great worldly wealth can lose it in the blink of an eye. Many have.
Another worldly good we can trust in is science. But we have found the scientific truths we know today can be proven wrong tomorrow. An example is the once proven fact that Pluto was a planet. Now the world claims it as merely a planetoid.
We can have faith that the pleasures of the flesh can provide us happiness. But these pleasures can be denied us easily through a paralyzing accident.
But when we put our faith in God, we will find the true happiness. We will find that, as Sarah did, we will go where He wants us to go. We will have the faith to leave behind worldly wealth. We will have the faith to leave behind worldly security. We will have the faith to leave behind worldly prestige. Sometimes doing so brings back the wealth, security, and prestige of the world as it did with Abraham and Sarah. But it doesn’t always bring us these fickle things. Yet we will always find this faith leads us to godly and eternal wealth, security, and prestige.
Abraham and Sarah knew this godly and eternal wealth, security, and prestige. They would never have received such blessings had they ignored the call of God. Had they walked their paths of comfort and left behind the paths of God, they would have forever travelled the roads of the wicked land of Ur. Abraham would have been sacrificed to the gods of Ur. Sarah would have lost her husband and never known her posterity.
We need to learn to trust in God and follow the paths He gives us. This is the lesson of the life of Sarah. Take it to heart and try to live the kind of life she did.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Sunday, November 20, 2011
The Faith of My Mother
As this blog continues to focus on the faith of women, I must devote an entry to my mother. This dear woman has seemed to carry one trial right after another throughout her life. For example, she has faced financial struggles most of her life. She has also faced marital struggles at times, just as most married people do. And my mother has faced countless struggles with her children.
I’ve grown up watching my mom endure these trials with an unshakeable faith in Jesus Christ. There have been times she has felt certain she had reached her limit on what she could endure. She has often doubted her own strength. But she has always trusted that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He had the power to help her. So I want to share what I have seen and learned from watching my mother endure her trials, particularly focusing on the financial struggles.
The financial struggle is a struggle I’ve seen my mother endure pretty much my whole life. I also know she endured this struggle from the time she was child. My dear grandmother never had much financial wealth, probably due to raising seven children largely on her own. I can’t remember how long she did raise the children herself before remarrying, but I know she did for a time. So my mother never knew financial wealth as a child.
Then there has been her life as a married adult. My parents have often started building financial security only to find some difficulty stripped this security away from them. For example, my father started a dairy farm partnership with his brother. Things were going well for a time. Then my uncle decided to exit the partnership. Unfortunately, not long after he decided to do so, the dairy farm ran into problems. Most of the cows, which brought in most of the money, died from various causes such as disease. This difficulty and the many others that have struck my parents have prevented my parents from building their wealth.
Through all of these financial difficulties, my mother has continued to believe the Lord will provide for her. Then she has acted on this faith by continuing to hold a job and provide what financial support she could for her family. When she received the opportunity, she went back to school to learn new skills. These skills allowed her to obtain a better-paying job. And she continues to act on her faith that the Lord will provide. And though my parents have never become wealthy, the Lord has continued to provide them with the means they need to support their family.
From my mother’s example of faith, I’ve been able to learn the power of reliance on the Lord. When we trust in God, believing our needs will be provided for if we continue to act in faith, God will provide for our needs. I’ve also learned that we don’t need financial wealth to be happy. We need faith in God to be happy. Oh, sure, financial wealth can help by building our security. But financial wealth is a fleeting thing that can disappear overnight. But the happiness that comes from faith in God can only be taken if we ourselves give up our faith.
I do want to stress that it is okay to face doubts. As I’ve stated, my mother has. It’s okay to feel we are at the end of our strength. It’s okay to wonder if we have the strength to endure more. It’s okay to even wonder at times if there really is a god who loves and cares about us. These doubts and fears were part of the Plan of Happiness. We were meant to come here and face these doubts.
In fact, faith cannot take place if we don’t at times face doubts. But we must remember that when we face these doubts and fears we must turn to our Heavenly Father in prayer and faith. This is what I’ve watched my mother do. This is the lesson we need to learn most from my mother. We must turn to Heavenly Father in prayer and faith. Then we must act on that faith and do what we can for ourselves. Then God will take care of the rest.
I can’t promise you what the rest will be. You may find He brings you financial wealth. Or He may allow you to remain in poverty while granting you happiness, hope, and love. He may grant you physical health. Or He may allow you to hold the burdens of sicknesses such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis. He may grant you many loving children of your own. Or He may leave you only the option of adoption for building the family you desire.
But I have learned from my mother that when you turn to the Lord in faith and do what you can for yourself, He does take care of the rest. I have since tested this myself. So I can promise you that if you will take your problems, doubts, fears, and concerns to your Heavenly Father in prayer and faith, He will listen to you. And He will take care of you. I can promise that you will have true happiness even if you don’t get the things that bring you fleeting happiness. So follow the example of my mother and turn to God in faith.
I’ve grown up watching my mom endure these trials with an unshakeable faith in Jesus Christ. There have been times she has felt certain she had reached her limit on what she could endure. She has often doubted her own strength. But she has always trusted that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He had the power to help her. So I want to share what I have seen and learned from watching my mother endure her trials, particularly focusing on the financial struggles.
The financial struggle is a struggle I’ve seen my mother endure pretty much my whole life. I also know she endured this struggle from the time she was child. My dear grandmother never had much financial wealth, probably due to raising seven children largely on her own. I can’t remember how long she did raise the children herself before remarrying, but I know she did for a time. So my mother never knew financial wealth as a child.
Then there has been her life as a married adult. My parents have often started building financial security only to find some difficulty stripped this security away from them. For example, my father started a dairy farm partnership with his brother. Things were going well for a time. Then my uncle decided to exit the partnership. Unfortunately, not long after he decided to do so, the dairy farm ran into problems. Most of the cows, which brought in most of the money, died from various causes such as disease. This difficulty and the many others that have struck my parents have prevented my parents from building their wealth.
Through all of these financial difficulties, my mother has continued to believe the Lord will provide for her. Then she has acted on this faith by continuing to hold a job and provide what financial support she could for her family. When she received the opportunity, she went back to school to learn new skills. These skills allowed her to obtain a better-paying job. And she continues to act on her faith that the Lord will provide. And though my parents have never become wealthy, the Lord has continued to provide them with the means they need to support their family.
From my mother’s example of faith, I’ve been able to learn the power of reliance on the Lord. When we trust in God, believing our needs will be provided for if we continue to act in faith, God will provide for our needs. I’ve also learned that we don’t need financial wealth to be happy. We need faith in God to be happy. Oh, sure, financial wealth can help by building our security. But financial wealth is a fleeting thing that can disappear overnight. But the happiness that comes from faith in God can only be taken if we ourselves give up our faith.
I do want to stress that it is okay to face doubts. As I’ve stated, my mother has. It’s okay to feel we are at the end of our strength. It’s okay to wonder if we have the strength to endure more. It’s okay to even wonder at times if there really is a god who loves and cares about us. These doubts and fears were part of the Plan of Happiness. We were meant to come here and face these doubts.
In fact, faith cannot take place if we don’t at times face doubts. But we must remember that when we face these doubts and fears we must turn to our Heavenly Father in prayer and faith. This is what I’ve watched my mother do. This is the lesson we need to learn most from my mother. We must turn to Heavenly Father in prayer and faith. Then we must act on that faith and do what we can for ourselves. Then God will take care of the rest.
I can’t promise you what the rest will be. You may find He brings you financial wealth. Or He may allow you to remain in poverty while granting you happiness, hope, and love. He may grant you physical health. Or He may allow you to hold the burdens of sicknesses such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis. He may grant you many loving children of your own. Or He may leave you only the option of adoption for building the family you desire.
But I have learned from my mother that when you turn to the Lord in faith and do what you can for yourself, He does take care of the rest. I have since tested this myself. So I can promise you that if you will take your problems, doubts, fears, and concerns to your Heavenly Father in prayer and faith, He will listen to you. And He will take care of you. I can promise that you will have true happiness even if you don’t get the things that bring you fleeting happiness. So follow the example of my mother and turn to God in faith.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
The Faith of Eve
When I think of women of faith, I can’t help but think of the mother of all living, Eve. This remarkable woman showed remarkable faith throughout her life. I want to focus on two different occasions in which Eve demonstrated her remarkable faith. The first deals with partaking the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; the second is the faith she showed upon being cast out of the Garden of Eden.
The Book of Genesis and The Old Testament and the Book of Moses in The Pearl of Great Price both give an account of the Garden of Eden. While there, Satan used the serpent to tempt Eve to partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. I once believed Eve was not deceived, but decided to partake of the fruit because she knew she must. I have learned through study, though, that Eve was deceived by the cunning of Lucifer. She partook of the fruit believing the serpent had told her the truth.
Nevertheless, we learn through Moses 5:11-12 that Eve later rejoiced that this transgression brought about the Fall of mankind and, through it, the ability to become like God. This shows us that Eve had faith in the Savior Jesus Christ. She knew she had entered a fallen state through her choice. She knew this separated her from the presence of God and placed her in a state subject to pain and affliction, temptation and sin. Yet she believed that Jehovah would come to perform His mission. She believed that through His actions, Adam and Eve and all their posterity could be saved from sin if they would repent and turn unto Christ. She believed Jesus would overcome the effects of the Fall, making it possible for Adam and Eve and their posterity to enter the presence of God again.
Eve’s example teaches us that we can have hope and faith in the Savior as well. We will make mistakes, just as Eve did. But we can rejoice in the knowledge we gain from these mistakes. We can rejoice because Jesus overcame the effects of the Fall and the effects of sin. We can rejoice because Jesus can grant us freedom from these effects if we turn to Him in faith. He may not grant us freedom from the temporal consequences (though sometimes He does), but He will grant us freedom from the eternal consequences. All that is required of us is faith in Him and repentance.
The second example of faith Eve demonstrates is faith in her spouse, Adam. She demonstrated this faith when the time came that she and Adam were cast out of the Garden of Eden. She continued to demonstrate it throughout the remainder of her life.
After Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, God came to the Garden of Eden to bestow upon Adam and Eve the consequences of their choice. Adam, the provider of the family, would find he must work to bring support for his family. No longer would the earth just provide this sustenance. He had to covenant with God that he would obey the commandments of God given to him through revelation. All men were subject to these consequences.
Eve, the primary nurturer of the family, would suffer the pains of giving birth. In addition, she was to subject herself to the council of her husband, so long as he acted in accordance to the laws of God. All women were subject to these consequences. Eve had faith in Adam. She knew he would follow the laws of God. She knew he would be good to her, loving her and treating her as his equal (for she was his equal). She trusted he would do what was right and that subjecting herself to him would help her live in righteousness so that she could return with him to Heavenly Father. She let this faith guide her through her life with Adam.
When we study this example of faith, we find valuable lessons for ourselves. We learn that we need to have faith in our spouse. They are our equal. We should believe in their ability to make righteous choices, in spite of their weaknesses, that will help us return to Heavenly Father. We should believe their righteous examples can help us become better individuals who are more capable of following God. We need our spouses more than we could ever know. And we will be stronger and more capable of coming back to Christ in faith when we love and revere our spouses.
Eve was a remarkable woman. She demonstrated remarkable faith throughout her life. I’ve touched on two occasions, and even then only on portions of the faith she showed in those two circumstances. But even from the little covered in just those two circumstances, we can learn so much about faith from the life of Eve.
Scriptures used for this post:
Genesis 3-4
Moses 4-5
The Book of Genesis and The Old Testament and the Book of Moses in The Pearl of Great Price both give an account of the Garden of Eden. While there, Satan used the serpent to tempt Eve to partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. I once believed Eve was not deceived, but decided to partake of the fruit because she knew she must. I have learned through study, though, that Eve was deceived by the cunning of Lucifer. She partook of the fruit believing the serpent had told her the truth.
Nevertheless, we learn through Moses 5:11-12 that Eve later rejoiced that this transgression brought about the Fall of mankind and, through it, the ability to become like God. This shows us that Eve had faith in the Savior Jesus Christ. She knew she had entered a fallen state through her choice. She knew this separated her from the presence of God and placed her in a state subject to pain and affliction, temptation and sin. Yet she believed that Jehovah would come to perform His mission. She believed that through His actions, Adam and Eve and all their posterity could be saved from sin if they would repent and turn unto Christ. She believed Jesus would overcome the effects of the Fall, making it possible for Adam and Eve and their posterity to enter the presence of God again.
Eve’s example teaches us that we can have hope and faith in the Savior as well. We will make mistakes, just as Eve did. But we can rejoice in the knowledge we gain from these mistakes. We can rejoice because Jesus overcame the effects of the Fall and the effects of sin. We can rejoice because Jesus can grant us freedom from these effects if we turn to Him in faith. He may not grant us freedom from the temporal consequences (though sometimes He does), but He will grant us freedom from the eternal consequences. All that is required of us is faith in Him and repentance.
The second example of faith Eve demonstrates is faith in her spouse, Adam. She demonstrated this faith when the time came that she and Adam were cast out of the Garden of Eden. She continued to demonstrate it throughout the remainder of her life.
After Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, God came to the Garden of Eden to bestow upon Adam and Eve the consequences of their choice. Adam, the provider of the family, would find he must work to bring support for his family. No longer would the earth just provide this sustenance. He had to covenant with God that he would obey the commandments of God given to him through revelation. All men were subject to these consequences.
Eve, the primary nurturer of the family, would suffer the pains of giving birth. In addition, she was to subject herself to the council of her husband, so long as he acted in accordance to the laws of God. All women were subject to these consequences. Eve had faith in Adam. She knew he would follow the laws of God. She knew he would be good to her, loving her and treating her as his equal (for she was his equal). She trusted he would do what was right and that subjecting herself to him would help her live in righteousness so that she could return with him to Heavenly Father. She let this faith guide her through her life with Adam.
When we study this example of faith, we find valuable lessons for ourselves. We learn that we need to have faith in our spouse. They are our equal. We should believe in their ability to make righteous choices, in spite of their weaknesses, that will help us return to Heavenly Father. We should believe their righteous examples can help us become better individuals who are more capable of following God. We need our spouses more than we could ever know. And we will be stronger and more capable of coming back to Christ in faith when we love and revere our spouses.
Eve was a remarkable woman. She demonstrated remarkable faith throughout her life. I’ve touched on two occasions, and even then only on portions of the faith she showed in those two circumstances. But even from the little covered in just those two circumstances, we can learn so much about faith from the life of Eve.
Scriptures used for this post:
Genesis 3-4
Moses 4-5
Sunday, November 6, 2011
The Faith of My Wife
Last week’s blog addressed the marvel of the faith of women. Women are generally exceptionally good at practicing faith in their everyday lives. I am an extremely blessed man, for one of these exceptional women chose to marry me for time and all eternity in the temple of God.
My wife has demonstrated exceptional faith many times in the short four and a half years I’ve known her. But before I tell you some of these remarkable stories, let me began by telling you about the difficulties she must overcome daily in order to exercise faith.
My dear wife struggles with two difficult disorders: general anxiety disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. These disorders bring several difficulties into her life. For example, when a thought enters her mind, it often dwells there. So when she has a fear pop into her mind, such as a fear she didn’t explain herself clearly, this fear will often stay there. She will need to address the fear multiple times in order to eliminate it. She also struggles with change at higher levels than most people. In addition, she is driven more than anybody else I know to be perfect in everything.
The faith my wife demonstrates is absolutely remarkable. Knowing the obstacles she must overcome to exercise this faith makes it even more remarkable. I want to share three different times I’ve seen tremendous faith from her: when we were married, when we decided to have our first child, and in our current financial position.
When my dearly beloved and I first met, we didn’t find each other ideal. I thought she was obnoxious and rude. She didn’t think much better of me. Yet over time I fell in love with her and started pursuing a relationship. I was much different than she anticipated. She wanted somebody funny and sarcastic, with a sense of humor similar to hers. I didn’t have these characteristics. She pictured somebody with different appearances than me. And she wanted somebody interested in ghosts, aliens, and scary stories. I again fell short.
Yet somehow the cards fell into place for me to spark her interest. As time passed she concluded we should get married. This took a great deal of faith on her part. She had to have faith in herself and the feelings she had, believing they were true and that we should get married. She had to have faith in me, believing I would be a good husband. And she had to have faith in Heavenly Father, trusting He would help our marriage be a success.
My wife had fears. She had doubts. She came close to calling our wedding off many times. But she chose to go forward in faith. We were married. Now she sometimes wonders if she and I did the right thing. But most of the time she finds she enjoys our union and cherishes our love. She and I love each other dearly and are glad we can spend so much time together.
Things didn’t get easier when we decided to have a baby. “A baby!?!” she thought. “How am I supposed to take care of a baby?” She didn’t even really like babies. They sometimes smelled like poop. They made messes. And they cried a lot. It didn’t help that she was convinced she couldn’t be a good mother.
But we as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognize that great happiness is promised to those who choose to be good parents that raise their children to know and respect God. My wife decided to have faith in the blessings promised to those who choose to have children. And she decided to have a baby.
Now we have a little girl. We both adore this little one. Sometimes my wife gets sick of her, especially when she has to spend all day with her while I am at work, and all night with her while I am at some class or meeting. But most of the time she finds this little bundle of joy delightfully cute. And she is glad to have the young dear in our lives.
Finally, my wife has demonstrated remarkable faith in our Heavenly Father in our current situation. I am graduating college with my Masters in Accountancy this December. As such I am currently searching for a career job. I’ve been looking for about three months, but I’ve still been unsuccessful in my search.
In addition, my current employment ends soon and will leave me jobless. We aren’t sure where we will end up or when I’ll have a job. Yet my wife trusts our Heavenly Father will take care of us. She continues to pray for a job for me every night, believing her prayers will be answered. And we both know the Lord will take care of us and help me get a job, though we don’t know when, where, or how.
I am impressed by the faith my wife demonstrates every day. She has difficult obstacles to overcome just to live with faith. But she continues to do so all the time. My wife is truly a remarkable woman. I am very lucky to have her at my side helping me through the difficulties of life.
My wife has demonstrated exceptional faith many times in the short four and a half years I’ve known her. But before I tell you some of these remarkable stories, let me began by telling you about the difficulties she must overcome daily in order to exercise faith.
My dear wife struggles with two difficult disorders: general anxiety disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. These disorders bring several difficulties into her life. For example, when a thought enters her mind, it often dwells there. So when she has a fear pop into her mind, such as a fear she didn’t explain herself clearly, this fear will often stay there. She will need to address the fear multiple times in order to eliminate it. She also struggles with change at higher levels than most people. In addition, she is driven more than anybody else I know to be perfect in everything.
The faith my wife demonstrates is absolutely remarkable. Knowing the obstacles she must overcome to exercise this faith makes it even more remarkable. I want to share three different times I’ve seen tremendous faith from her: when we were married, when we decided to have our first child, and in our current financial position.
When my dearly beloved and I first met, we didn’t find each other ideal. I thought she was obnoxious and rude. She didn’t think much better of me. Yet over time I fell in love with her and started pursuing a relationship. I was much different than she anticipated. She wanted somebody funny and sarcastic, with a sense of humor similar to hers. I didn’t have these characteristics. She pictured somebody with different appearances than me. And she wanted somebody interested in ghosts, aliens, and scary stories. I again fell short.
Yet somehow the cards fell into place for me to spark her interest. As time passed she concluded we should get married. This took a great deal of faith on her part. She had to have faith in herself and the feelings she had, believing they were true and that we should get married. She had to have faith in me, believing I would be a good husband. And she had to have faith in Heavenly Father, trusting He would help our marriage be a success.
My wife had fears. She had doubts. She came close to calling our wedding off many times. But she chose to go forward in faith. We were married. Now she sometimes wonders if she and I did the right thing. But most of the time she finds she enjoys our union and cherishes our love. She and I love each other dearly and are glad we can spend so much time together.
Things didn’t get easier when we decided to have a baby. “A baby!?!” she thought. “How am I supposed to take care of a baby?” She didn’t even really like babies. They sometimes smelled like poop. They made messes. And they cried a lot. It didn’t help that she was convinced she couldn’t be a good mother.
But we as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognize that great happiness is promised to those who choose to be good parents that raise their children to know and respect God. My wife decided to have faith in the blessings promised to those who choose to have children. And she decided to have a baby.
Now we have a little girl. We both adore this little one. Sometimes my wife gets sick of her, especially when she has to spend all day with her while I am at work, and all night with her while I am at some class or meeting. But most of the time she finds this little bundle of joy delightfully cute. And she is glad to have the young dear in our lives.
Finally, my wife has demonstrated remarkable faith in our Heavenly Father in our current situation. I am graduating college with my Masters in Accountancy this December. As such I am currently searching for a career job. I’ve been looking for about three months, but I’ve still been unsuccessful in my search.
In addition, my current employment ends soon and will leave me jobless. We aren’t sure where we will end up or when I’ll have a job. Yet my wife trusts our Heavenly Father will take care of us. She continues to pray for a job for me every night, believing her prayers will be answered. And we both know the Lord will take care of us and help me get a job, though we don’t know when, where, or how.
I am impressed by the faith my wife demonstrates every day. She has difficult obstacles to overcome just to live with faith. But she continues to do so all the time. My wife is truly a remarkable woman. I am very lucky to have her at my side helping me through the difficulties of life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)