Testimony

Testimony is and should be the sharing of our own personal spiritual experiences as we see the Lord's hand in our lives. It is the taking of what we know intellectually and expressing it through our hearts as we see it unfold before us.

It is as simple as giving birth to a child and understanding at last how sacred that moment of birth is. It is watching a child grow and realizing that this child arrived with a personality of its own. This was God's child first.

A testimony can be birthed out of life's good moments but also out of life's greatest struggles. A bad choice can teach you a path to never take again and you”know”. Perhaps you got caught in a lie and now you know why the Lord wants us to tell the truth.

On the news we hear people "bear testimony" that the material things of life don’t matter as they stand with their loved ones in front of the ashes that was their home.

And sometimes it is only when we lose a person that we realized how much we really love them.

Most things that I can say "I know” I have learned from the consistent practice of doing them. For 51 years I have paid my tithing. There has been no miraculous rescue in times of need. But I have always loved knowing I was contributing to a cause I love. I imagine that new church building in Cambodia, or that temple in the Congo and think "I helped to build them!" and I am happy. I can honestly say that paying tithing has blessed my life.

On another level I must acknowledge and testify of the great blessings the Lord has bestowed upon me. First of all, my family; to Mom and Dad, Jim and Ed, my kids who are and ever will be my favorite five. I have been blessed with my sweet and wonderful Lynn. Our life together expands the circle of love and connection to all of his side of the family. My life is filled with people I love and who love me in return.

But life hasn't always been easy and in those difficult moments I learned my greatest spiritual lessons. I know that Heavenly Father loves me and cares about my well-being. He has been with me in my darkest hours. I have felt the warmth of His love. It is there that I have found strength and courage.

I have studied and practiced the teachings of Jesus all my life. I know it is a beautiful path to follow. And the marvelous thing is that when the way seemed hard, He was the power that enabled me to follow Him. How else could I love my enemy and forgive those that hurt me? It is through following Jesus I have learned to truly love.  His grace is indeed amazing!

There is much more that I can bear testimony of because I have spent a lifetime trying to live the gospel. Just think what that means. Beginning at the time I joined the church I have

• gone to church 2652 times
• sang hymns at least 7956 times
• had family home evenings 2652
• paid monthly tithing 612 times
• prayed daily and multiple times each day
• read the scriptures over and over
• filled my life with good people, good activities, and with service.

And I have done all these things because they make me happy, because the act of doing each has been blessing enough! This has been my daily walk with God who has given me His Gospel.

Somewhere along that path all things cease being what I ought to do or what I was taught to do and became what I loved to do; what brought happiness in the doing.  That is the moment where testimony is born.

You might enjoy reading President Dallin H Oaks Small and Simple Things April 2018.

Time

Time - is it a gift or a curse? There is never enough time, is there? I for one would like more. I don't have enough to do all the things I would like to do. And that's the point, right?

Limited-time forces us to choose, to prioritize, to figure out what really matters and what does not. So in the end, time defines us. We become the person we are by how we choose to use the time we have been given.

Ecclesiastes 8:5
... a wise man's heart discern Earth both time and judgment. 

D&C 60:13 
Thou shalt not idle away thy time, neither shalt thou bury thy talent that it may not be known.

Time has a wonderful way of showing us what really matters.

Time is free - but it's priceless.

You can't own it but you can use it.

You can't keep it that you can spend it.

Once you've lost it you can never get it back. 

Harvey MacKay

An inch of time is an inch of gold 

but you can't buy that inch of time 

with an inch of gold. 

Chinese proverb

The trouble is you think you have time. 

Buddha

Time is the wisest counselor of all. 

Pericles

How did it get so late so soon? 

It's night before it's afternoon. 

December is here before it's June. 

My goodness how the time has flewn 

How did it get so late so soon? 

Dr. Seuss

God gives us the gift of life and 

allows us to choose the way we will 

use of limited time on Earth. It is 

an awesome opportunity. 

Cesar Chavez

The Tree of Life

The Tree of Life is a universal symbol found in religions and cultures all over the world. It has several meanings, the most common being in mortality. As I was online reading about this I found the following on Wikipedia:

"The Tree of Life vision is a vision described and discussed in the Book of Mormon. According to the Book of Mormon, the vision was received in a dream by the prophet Lehi, and later in vision by his son Nephi, who wrote about it in the first book of Nephi. The vision includes a path leading to a tree symbolizing salvation, with an iron rod along the path whereby followers of Jesus may hold to the rod and avoid wandering off the path into pits or waters symbolizing the ways of sin. The vision also included a large building wherein the wicked look down at the righteous and mock them.

The vision is said to symbolize the spiritual plight of humanity and is a well-known and cited story within Mormonism."

I'd sure like to know who wrote that! That description doesn't even come close to capturing the message of the Book of Mormon's Tree of Life.

If you go to Mormon wiki.com it says this:

"The tree of life is a common important symbol in Mormonism. It represents eternal life and the love of God as manifested by Jesus Christ, our Savior."

I find 1 Nephi chapter 11 to be a beautiful description of that tree as Nephi asks his spirit guide for an interpretation. In answer, Nephi is showing the birth of the Savior and is asked "Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?" And Nephi then replies, "Yea, it is the love of God which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men, wherefore, it is the most desirable of all things."

The spirit guide then adds, "Yea, and the most joyous to the soul."

I think of this passage of scripture as being a critical piece in the Restoration. At the heart of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the basic truth that we are children of Heavenly Parents who love us. Jesus Christ is the manifestation of their love and central to their plan that allows us to progress and fulfill our eternal destiny and potential.

When we look at any depiction of that tree we should smile and be reminded of God's love - the love that has the power to transform us into the holy creatures we are meant to be.

There is a rod of iron to guide us - the word of God is recognizable. It always is meant to reflect His love.

There are mists of darkness - so many things in life that tear us down, that prevent us from seeing, or restrain us from reaching, our potential. 

And there are unfortunately people who mock us, who stuck in their own unhappiness, can't understand that there is just so much more to life.

I truly believe that the most important thing we ever learn is that God loves us - not that someone has told us it is so - but that in our own quiet moments of prayers and meditation we have experienced His love, His embrace, that warmth that permeates our being and we know; we know that we are loved - not for what we do but for who we are.

If I could live life over, this is the truth I would expend my energy proclaiming. I would say to my children every day "God loves you so much. What a marvellous thing that He allowed such a beloved child to come into my life!"

I would say to every aching soul, "God loves you so much. He will help you through this trial."

I would say to everyone, "God is Love."

The very worst thing we do is to reduce the gospel to a litany of do's and don'ts and to remove from at the beautiful story of who we are, why we are here on the earth, and what lies ahead in the eternities.

That story is a love story and one that has the power to change lives and transform people. We should feel joyous as we tell it, the joy feel as we sing a song such as this one where the music and the words come together in joyous praise!

Go tell it on the mountain

Over the hills and everywhere. 

Go tell it on the mountain 

That Jesus Christ is born

This year in Primary we are singing a song called "The Tree of Life". It was composed by Shawna Edwards.  It is another song where the music and words come together to create a feeling of love and joy.  Check it out on YouTube.  

The prophet Nephi had a vision of the Tree of Life,

He saw it shining in the distance, so beautiful and bright.

The sweetest fruit he ever tasted, and white as white can be,

It filled his soul with joy and gladness. He beckoned to his family:

Come to the Tree of Life, partake of its fruit.

I feel the love of God and you'll feel it, too, when you

Come to the Tree of Life, there's joy here and peace.

The greatest place in all the world to be . . . is at the tree.

The Tree of Life is just a symbol of the love of God

The pathway there is straight and narrow so hold on to the rod.

His words will guide us through the darkness and past the mist of gray.

The enemies of God may mock us, but we will boldly stand and say:

Come to the Tree of Life, partake of its fruit.

I feel the love of God and you'll feel it, too, when you

Come to the Tree of Life, there's joy here and peace.

The greatest place in all the world to be . . . is at the tree.

Unconditional Love

Unconditional = Not limited by conditions, absolute, complete.

Moses 1:39

For behold, this is my work and my glory - to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

I find this scripture to be the most beautiful statement of God’s love in all our scriptures. To love unconditionally is to love unselfishly, to care about the happiness of the other person and to do anything to help that person feel happiness without expecting anything in return.

That is how God loves us. And he reminds us of that love often – “but his hand is stretched out".

We know that love. We lived with our Heavenly parents and experienced it firsthand. It was that love that sent us here to Earth.

“We learned how much God loves us. He gave us life, and he wants us to succeed. Therefore, he prepared a Savior for us. Nevertheless, our Father in Heaven said "Thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee." Elder Deiter F Uchtdorf October 2019 Conference

Even the gift of agency was and is an expression of His love. Happiness is connected to our taking charge of our own lives. We must have the gift of self-determination in order to experience true happiness.

Such love as He has for us doesn’t come without cost – without pain. Remember, it is in that same book of scripture – in Moses chapter 7 – where we see God weep.

“the Lord said unto Enoch behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them, and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency.

And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their father, but behold, they are without affection and they hate their own blood… Wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer?”

Every parent knows and has felt that love. You want the best for your children. You want them to find true and lasting happiness. You grieve when you see them make choices that derail their lives. But you never give up. You will always be there loving them. Yes, you learn quickly that you cannot control their lives. They will and they must choose their own path.

It is that unconditional love that gives us the courage and strength to go out into the world and create our own lives. Mom and Dad will always be there for us.

If we are fortunate enough to have known such love from our parents, then we had a chance to glimpse God's love as He sent us forth from His presence on the grand adventure of life on earth.

Just as I know my mom and dad were always there cheering me on, I know that I have Heavenly Parents who are also cheering me on.

As I celebrate Christmas this year I marvel once again that as evidence of that love they sent their Son.

How could the Father tell the world of love and tenderness? 

He sent his son, a newborn babe, with peace and holiness. 

How could the Father show the world the pathway we should go? 

He sent His Son to walk with men on earth, that we may know. 

How could the Father tell the world of sacrifice, of death? 

He sent His Son to die for us and rise with living breath. 

What does the Father ask of us? What do the scriptures say?

Have faith, have hope, live like His Son. Help others on their way. 

What does he ask? Live like His Son.

This song is an incredible description of God’s unconditional love. Isn’t it beautiful when it says, "what does he ask of us?" and the answer is, "Be happy. Live like my Son.” As a parent, I can understand that completely – my greatest joy is seeing my children happy.

Value - The Worth of an Individual

“The most extraordinary thing in the world is an ordinary man and an ordinary woman and their ordinary children.” G. K. Chesterton

"Every man has forgotten who he is.  One may understand the cosmos, but never the ego; the self is more distant than any star.  .. We have all forgotten what we really are. All that we call common sense and rationality and practicality and positivism only means that for certain dead levels of our life we forget that we have forgotten. All that we call spirit and art and ecstasy only means that  for one awful moment we remember that we forget." G. K. Chesterton

D&C 18:10 
The worth of souls is great in the sight of God.

From  Joy B Jones October 2017 Conference address, Value Beyond Measure:

Brigham Young said,  "The least, the most inferior spirit now upon the earth... is worth worlds."

"Before I started investigating the church, I didn't really feel that I was very special. I was just one of many people, and my society and culture didn't really teach me that I had any value as an individual. When I learned the gospel and learned that I was a daughter of our Heavenly Father it changed me. Suddenly I felt so special - God had actually created me and had created my soul and my life with value and purpose." Renu Singh

President Uchtdorf April 2010 Conference said, "We know from modern Revelation that the worth of souls is great in the sight of God. We cannot gauge the worth of another soul any more than we can measure the span of the universe. Every person we meet is a VIP to our Heavenly Father. Once we understand that, we can begin to understand how we should treat our fellow men."

The eternal truth that we are children of Heavenly Parents with the capability to become like them, that we are divine in nature by inheritance, should cause a such great joy. It should fill us with confidence that we can accomplish anything we set our hearts on. It should inspire us to be good and kind and forgiving like they are.

And once we really know that in our hearts it really does - but getting there is a journey for most of us. Why? Why would a Latter-Day saint not know their own value?

I can only speak of my own journey since every person has their own. We live in a world that does not see the value of each person. The Declaration of Independence says all men are created equal but our society and our culture has become a place where people are treated unequally. We are constantly judged. It begins as we attend school and are graded on everything we do. We see it in the way people are paid. We value some professions more and pay them more. And it has nothing to do with goodness and moral or ethical behavior. It has to do with glamour talent or perception.

We don't all have equal opportunity. Too often, majorities rule and minority suffer. Some are masters while others are slaves. Some attend schools where everything imaginable is available to them while others attend schools that have few resources.

We begin to absorb all kinds of messages from such a society. We believe the lies. One says "I am not beautiful" and feel she is less valued while the other says "I am fortunate to be so beautiful" and has learned that beauty is more important than character. Don't we do the same thing with so many areas of life?

• not smart enough
• not athletic
• can't carry a tune
• can't understand math
• can't cook
• can't sew
• can't draw or paint
• always comparing
• always feeling compared
• always wanting to be something we're not so that we might feel valued.

Yet within the Gospel of Jesus Christ lies the truth that allows us to rise above all the messages the world throws at us. We are divine eternal beings with infinite worth. We are equal in the sight of God, our Heavenly Parents. We are here on Earth for just a short time, eternity lies before us. Our divine nature will out at last and we will become beings like our Heavenly Parents.  All the physical limitations of mortality will melt away and we will have access to unlimited opportunities. I am counting on all of that!

Some things must wait, life isn't long, Some dreams must wait to come true. . .

In the meantime, I learn to separate my value from the things I do. I play the piano and am mediocre. My brain and my dexterity limit me but I know no one who enjoys sitting and playing their piano more than I do.

I feel the same about all I do. I am ordinary, a jack of all trades, master of none. But I love the exploration. My photography is nothing outstanding. I have trouble understanding aperture and lighting, the science of the camera. But my camera allows me to explore of world I find beautiful.

And in those things where I find joy, I find myself. I feel valuable to me and that means a lot.

In truth, the times I feel the worst about myself and question my value are times where a deep spiritual wars waging inside - when I am out of integrity with myself. Perhaps it is because we let go of non-essentials as we age. I am more concerned about angry feelings, about my inability to forgive easily, about my tendency to be critical.  My character matters to me. I have to live with myself 24/7. There is no escape. What I think of myself is the most important quest.

I have found my Heavenly Father to be my greatest ally in this inner battle with myself. He is always there – extending love and support, never judging, just urging me on. I know I am valued by Him. I have felt His love. I am precious to him.

If the God who has created the universe, whose power and glory are so immense, could take the time to reach out and let me know His love - how could I not know that I am His beloved daughter? Herein is my value: I am a child of God, of Heavenly Parents who love me.

Check out Greg Olsen's picture "Precious in His Sight". It says it all.

I also love Norman Rockwell's picture “The Problem We All Live With”.  What a statement about the value of one life. . .

Variety

I have always loved two pictures – the first is just a simple clipart, the second is a painting. The first is a picture of the Earth with children of all nations and cultures surrounding that. We used that picture at Highmeadow, the school where I taught, to symbolize peace as we sang:

Peace, peace, peace

Peace the whole world over.

Building friendships,

Sharing our worth,

Take my hand, let's circle the earth

With peace, peace, peace.

The painting is Norman Rockwell's The Golden Rule. It shows the family of Man - or should I say  the family of God - in all its variety.

Worldly wisdom or theory would say the variety of humans is the result of evolution but I see it as part of God's plan. What better way to teach us to "love one another" than to create us in such a variety that we would be very different. Our natural tendency to be afraid of those who are different would be our natural response and we would have to conquer that natural response and rise above those tendencies and learn to love.

Why do we fear what is different? We desire variety in cars, homes, plants – man is always creating hybrids, wanting new varieties. We are even so crazy as to like ethnic foods – just not the people who created them.

Xenophobia is the fear or hatred of foreigners, people from different cultures, or strangers.

Ephesians 2:19

Now therefore we are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.

I find it interesting that in my ward (church congregation) and surrounding wards there is a loving acceptance of all people. In our ward we have Japanese, Indian, Mexican, and Portuguese members. Looking at the surrounding wards, there are many black members, Iraqi, Congolese, Chinese, Hispanic of multiple origins. We share the gospel and it brings us together. Our church participates actively in the Detroit Area Interfaith Council but that model of love and respect for people of other faiths does not filter down to the average member.

Even members of our church still fear that which is different. You hear this in comments made in classes and see it in online posts. And so our leaders are constantly admonishing us.

The Church website has a page ”I Was a Stranger”- an effort to serve and include refugees. We have been asked to find those who are new to America, welcome them and help them transition to their new community.

The church spoke out quickly after the big tragedy in Charlottesville. On Tuesday, August 15th 2017, they issued this statement:

"White supremacist attitudes are morally wrong and sinful, and we condemn them. Church members who promote or pursue a” white culture” or white supremacy agenda are not in harmony with the teachings of the church.”

On the previous Sunday they said:

"People of any faith, or of no faith at all, should be troubled by the increase of intolerance in both words and actions that we see everywhere."

President Gordon B Hinckley, while he was President of the church taught:

"No man who makes disparaging remarks concerning those of another race can consider himself to be in harmony with the teachings of the Church of Christ."

President Russell M. Ballard in October 2017 General Conference said:

"We need to embrace God’s children compassionately and eliminate any prejudice, including racism, sexism, and nationalism. Let it be said that we truly believe that the blessings of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ are for every child of God."

A favorite scripture of mine says it clearly. 2nd Nephi 26:33

". . . and he invited them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female, and he remember the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile."

There is a really good article in the May 2000 issue of Psychology Today: ”Why We Fear the Unknown” by Jeffrey Winters.  It reminds us,"We are quick to judge, fear, and even hate the unknown. We may not admit it, but we are all plagued with xenophobic tendencies.”

But the article is optimistic.

"Fortunately however, research also shows that prejudices are fluid and that when we become conscious of our biases we can take active – and successful – steps to combat them."

Their research found:  ". . . that people who are concerned about their prejudices have the power to correct them." 

They advise;   "It is difficult to escape conventional wisdom and treat all people as individuals, rather than members of a group. But that seems to be the best way to avoid the trap of dividing the world in two  - and discriminating against one part of humanity."

It's all about labels. And we see the negative power of labels illustrated graphically in the Book of Mormon where the people divided themselves into tribes and hated each other so intensely that they eventually killed each other and whole societies ceased to exist.

Times change and the labels change. Today's trigger words include American, Republican, Democrat, Muslim, nationalist and more. We have solid evidence in the daily news that labels divide us.  It's time to get beyond them.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I take great joy in seeing a photographic display of our worldwide church leaders and of hearing their names read in general conference. We are no longer a Utah church or an American church. We are a worldwide church with local leadership in congregations in more than 160 countries and territories speaking 178 languages.

There are currently 166 dedicated temples, 16 more are under construction and 35 more have been announced. I have come to realize that as the church has spread across the globe so has my love for the people of the earth and all their variety. I'm glad the Lord created us thus and has given us the opportunity to learn to get beyond the divisions, the groups, the labels and to see us all as the brothers and sisters we truly are.

I love the variety as it is so beautifully illustrated in  LDS congregations across the globe.

To put it all in perspective, I joined the church in 1964. Existing temples were:

St George           

Logan 

Idaho Falls               

Manti 

Salt Lake                 

Los Angeles

Cardston                  

Mesa 

Switzerland           

New Zealand 

London                 

Laie

That is 12 temples. There were 2,234,916 members mostly in the inter-mountain west. How boring is that?

Compare that to today’s 16,313,735 members all over the world! I love the growth, the variety, the diversity, the inclusion. I love my brothers and sisters all over the world.

Veil

The first time I ever heard anyone talk about a veil in a religious sense was my Aunt Effie telling me about when her son Jackie died. Jackie died in 1952. He was 24 years old. Just before he died he said to his parents "I can see beyond the veil"and then he was gone.

On the other end of life there is a veil called the "veil of forgetfulness". It is best described in William Wordsworth's poem "Ode: Intimations of Immortality".

Our birth is but a sleeping and a forgetting

The soul that rises with us, our Life's Star,

Hath had elsewhere its setting

And cometh from afar;

Not in entire forgetfulness,

And not in utter nakedness,

But trailing clouds of glory do we come

From God, who is our home. 

Likewise we should be able to say "Our death is but an awakening and a remembering”.

That is the part we can't capture as we passed through all the veil of the temple. We can imagine the the joyful reunions with family and loved ones because we experienced that in the celestial room.

It is the remembering we can't do now but one day we shall. And we will know the Lord's embrace, as we are welcomed home.

All my life I have talked to Father through a veil.

I knew He was listening.

Often He felt so close.

Sometimes the power of His presence

filled me with a warmth that permeated my soul.

But always He was hidden by the veil

we call forgetfulness. 

I never did see Him but I always returned,

My need and longing for Father brought me back

Over and over again,

As it will always do

Until at last He puts forth

His hand and welcomes me home.

Weakness

Ether 12:27

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness, I give unto men their weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me, for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

I was about 12 years old and sitting in a Sunday school class with my friends when the teacher began talking about what you need to do in order to qualify for heaven. He then looked at us and said"it is so hard to get into heaven that only one of you here in this room will probably make it." I just sat there and looked around the room and wondered what the others were doing that was so wrong!

The truth is I was just a sweet young girl who loved the Savior and couldn't imagine not being with Him. I couldn't imagine anyone else not being there either but was too young and inexperienced to challenge a teacher - especially one that I had come to love.

Well, life has a way of knocking us down. Fast forward 30 years and you'll find me wondering if there was anything good about me. I was wearing an invisible sign that "I am a reject, worthless"
and I was angry. I was so filled with negative emotions that I didn't like myself at all. I was mad at the husband who had left me, I was mad at all men. I was especially mad at God and told him so. I was in the depths of despair.

It has been my experience that you don't get out of the pit of despair until you take a good look at yourself. The despair was not the result of what had happened to me. It was the result of the choices I made. It was the result of how I responded to what happened to me and the meaning I gave to those events.

A good therapist, much journaling and much prayer brought healing. I took charge of my life, my emotions and my choices. I chose to be happy.

I learned the secret of a scripture in the Book of Mormon.

2 Nephi 1:20

And he hath said that inasmuch as you shall keep my commandments you shall prosper in the land; but inasmuch as you will not keep my commandments you shall be cut off from my presence.

That scripture taught me about cause and effect in my own life. I wanted happiness so I began to make decisions that would affect happy moments. But the time my life had changed and I was experiencing joy once more, I was a new person. I had faced myself. I had had to come to grips with my own weaknesses. I was a humble and compassionate person. I was less judgmental of others. And I had discovered how deeply the Lord loved me and wanted me to trust Him. He became the friend I could always turn to. I love my Heavenly Father. He heard and answered my prayers.

From The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin:  "It is one thing to read about dragons and another to meet them."

I was very much like Ged who had to face the dark shadow that followed him in Earthsea. And I love how the author describes him afterwards.

"He has a greater, unlearned skill he possessed, which was the art of kindness."

John Newton was such a person also. He had to face his past as a slave trader before he could author the hymn "Amazing Grace". The Road to Character by David Brooks shares many such stories.

To have weaknesses is to be human. To face your weaknesses is to be courageous. Only those who do ever become the people they are truly meant to be.

Worthy

Worthy

• having worth or value
• having sufficient Worth or importance, having enough good qualities to be considered important, useful, etc
• good and deserving respect, praise, or attention

Synonyms- deserving, good, meritorious

Antonyms - no good, undeserving, valueless, worthless

FYI - if you look up the word "worthy" in the topical guide it says "See also righteous, righteousness

Worth

• the value of something measured by its qualities or by the esteem in which it is held
• moral or personal value
• merit or excellence
• deserving of

I am so sorry, but I have a real problem with using this word to describe people in the church. It is judgment. It implies that some of us are better than others. We can find language that is better. At least I intend to use language that is better. A favorite hymn "Sing We Now at Parting: says it best.  Here are the words to verse 2:

Praise him for his mercy;

Praise him for his love.

For unnumbered blessings

Praise the Lord above.

Let our happy voices

Still the notes prolong.

One alone is worthy

Of our sweetest song.

The word "worthy" when used to describe the Savior is fitting. Using it to describe humans sets us all up for trouble.

In the guide to the scriptures online, under "worthy, worthiness" it says "See also righteous or righteousness. Then it gives this definition:  "To be personally righteous and to stand approved in the sight of God and his appointed leaders."

The following examples are cited:

Matthew 10:38 - He that takes not his cross is not worthy of me.

Mormon 9:29 - See that ye do all things in worthiness.

Moroni's 6:1 - They were not baptized save they were worthy.

The index to the Triple Combination says "See also clean, faithful, honorable, noble

This bothers me - perhaps it is because I see the use of the words "worthy and worthiness" as words that separate us and I prefer words that unify. Perhaps it is because the word is used to judge and we are not to judge one another. I am just uncomfortable with the way we call each other "worthy". It implies that some are "unworthy".

I would suggest then suggest there are better words. For example, instead of saying someone is worthy to attend the temple, we could substitute prepared.

Are you prepared to go to the temple?  Have you met with your Bishop?  Are you living by the questions that will be asked you?  Are you ready to now take your desire to live the gospel and make covenants to do so?

How about when a member of the bishopric says about the young men who just passed the sacrament "We’re so proud of these young men who are worthy to pass the sacrament." That language is too vague to be meaningful. That's like when we say "You're a good little girl." when a specific is needed.

Much better to say "I’d like to thank our young men for being here on time today to prepare and pass the sacrament to each of us. This is such a meaningful service to our ward family. Thank you."

Those young men were prepared.

I think back to my first experience in the temple. I was worthy – meaning I was a good person. What I wasn’t, was prepared. The experience had a little meaning and I had no desire to return. It was years before I was ready to have a meaningful experience in the temple.

So you get where I am coming from? You’ll not hear me I utter worthy anymore when describing a fellow human being. The truth is that I see us all as worthy human beings, made clean by the blood of the Lamb. None of us is of more importance, none more deserving of respect, praise or attention.

To my mind you cannot escape the truth that the word worthiness hinges on our worth or value. Both are statements of the value of a human being and we should be very careful of how we use them.

All are alike unto God

The worth of souls is great in the sight of God

Now just be clear – none of this that I have said means I don’t believe that humans are not responsible for directing the course of their lives. A temple recommend interview with a trusted leader gives me a chance to review my life, to change directions if I need to. I believe that we create heaven and that only those who become God-like in attributes will live with God and enjoy being there.

But that is in our far distant future. If we are sincere in our efforts, we will eventually become that kind of a person. 

It's just that in the meantime we don't want to use labels that hurt or divide us. So I suggest we be stingy with our use of the word "worthy". And generous with our praise of all that is good in those around us.

Wrong

Wrong

• an injurious, unfair, or unjust act or action or conduct inflicting harm without due provocation or just cause
• a violation of the legal rights of another
• something wrong, immoral or unethical semicolon principles, practices or conduct contrary to Justice, goodness, equity or law

Synonyms- bad, evil doing, ill, immorality, iniquity, send, villainy, evil

Antonyms - good, morality, right, virtue

If you remember my definition of sin it is ”Sin is the act of making wrongful choices in a mortal state where you are learning from experience to no good and evil. Sin encompasses all the consequences of wrong choices and is meant to educate us so that we will learn to choose good and discover the principles upon which a life of true happiness is based.”

So what then is a wrongful choice? According to the dictionary something is wrong when it inflicts harm on another person. That should be extended because we can harm the community, the environment, the mood of a gathering, etc.

Even worse we can harm ourselves. For example, take the law of tithing. It is not morally wrong to not pay tithing. Doing service in general is not an act expected of all and if you don't do either you are not condemned but for me it is different.  I have made a commitment to pay tithing. It is a personal thing between me and the Lord. As my way of thanking him for all he has given me, and for my way of acknowledging that everything I have is His, on loan to me while I am here, I choose to give 10% to my church. If I don’t pay my tithing I will feel bad – for me that is a harm to myself, a lack of integrity.

There are somethings are just accepted by all societies as wrong.  The United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a wonderful example.  It was written to protect the rights of all people against certain behaviors.  All people deserve to be protected against:

murder
theft
human trafficking
bondage
sexual abuse
physical abuse
emotional abuse

There are other which I see as wrong but which are debated in our society. Those would include:
abortion
extramarital sex
infidelity
end-of-life issues
pornography
diversity
inclusion
poverty

There are other actions which I would state are wrong which have become so commonplace that they are not even debated anymore:
cheating
not paying taxes
breaking the speed limit
swearing
speaking badly to and about others.

So in our modern society we each are forced to determine for ourselves what we believe” wrong”. Some of that we learn by experience. The alcoholic who loses job and family finally chooses to get help. He starts life anew as a sober individual.

Some things we learn through the spirit – if we are in tune. A child who cheats on a test is troubled in spirit, confesses to the teacher and never does that again. It is a great blessing to have that spiritual gift.

For myself - and I can only speak for myself - I have thought for a long time about what heaven would be like - that Zion community. My vision of a Heavenly community is what has defined the concept of right and wrong for me.

I get sort of homesick sometimes

For the home I had before my birth.

For my other Father and Mother

That I left to come to earth.

I miss all the Heavenly peace 

of that place where no pain can be found,

Where there is no hate, and there is no hurt, 

but only love around.

But till it's time to go back home, 

there's just one thing to do, it's clear.

I'll try with my heart

I'll try with my hands

To make a happen here.

What does this heaven of mine look like?

No pain - no hate – no hurt

Do those words not encompass it all?  Doesn't everything Jesus taught us create that kind of a society?

There would be NONE of these:  murder, rape, theft, infidelity, lying, cheating, slavery or bondage, slender, swearing, pornography, drug use, alcoholism, abuse of any kind, anger, lust, criticism, and the, war, gangs, etc.

Heaven would be FILLED with: love, kindness, every person valued and included, patience, forgiveness, forbearance, truth, honor, charity, serving others, the Golden Rule, humility, honesty.

If something doesn't create this kind of heavenly community, it is wrong.

Question: If experiencing good and evil is the way we are to learn what is good and what is not, then isn’t it okay for us to do wrong?

That is not a good question. It seems to play with the principles in place.

Another question might be: Can I learn from choosing good only? This also is a hard question. We only saw good in our pre-existent life and it was necessary for us to come here to the earth where we would eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Perhaps we just have to be honest enough to say that by choosing certain actions some of us have learned through sad experience that our choices caused pain and hurt. We don't try to justify the choice. We just humbly admit we chose wrong and we learned a difficult lesson.  Experiences like that teach us to stop and consider consequences before we act.  It can all work for our good if we are sincerely trying to live a good life.

Zion

Moses 7:18

And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.

This scripture has inspired me over and over throughout my years. What it says to me is that Zion is not just an ideal but a very real possibility. We are capable of creating communities where everyone is valued and cared for.

Our families and our wards are the places we begin but we don't have to stop there. We can open  our circles of love and concern and bring others into our lives. We can open our hearts and find room for all who cross our path.

Sometimes we default to the Lord actions that he has asked us to do for Him now. We often wonder what it will be like when He comes again with healing in his wings. What if we sought that healing now? What if we were His hands in making that happen now?  What if that healing was always intended to come through us as His ambassadors?  Has he not promised he will come to each of us in our need?

As we do simple things each day we are building Zion. When our love for the Lord and his children takes precedence over all other desires we are building Zion.

The man who stops to help change flat tire is building Zion. The woman who welcomes a new neighbor is building Zion. Whenever we invite others into our lives we are building Zion. When we choose to look past our differences and find the things we have in common we are building Zion.
Zion is just heaven on Earth and heaven is not a place as much as it is a condition of the heart.

As Latter Day Saints we are or at least we should be a Zion community. Creating that community is our task here upon the Earth. We sing of it over and over:

As Zion's youth in latter days. . . 

Come to Zion, come to Zion. . . 

As sisters in Zion. . . 

We know he is coming to gather his sheep and lead them to Zion in love. . .

Hope of Israel, Zion's army. . .

Perhaps one hymn that doesn't even mention Zion but touches us all as we sing it, describes best why we should be building Zion:

Because I have been given much, I too must give.

Because of thy grant bounty, Lord, each day I live

I shall divide my gifts from thee 

With ev'ry brother that I see

Who has the need of help from me.

Because I have been sheltered, fed by thy good care,

I cannot see another's lack and I not share

My glowing fire, my loaf of bread,

My roof's safe shelter overhead,

That he too may be comforted.

Because I have been blessed by thy great love, dear Lord,

I'll share thy love again, according to thy word.

I shall give love to those in need; 

I'll show that love by word and deed;

Thus shall my thanks be thanks indeed.

I personally love feeling that the things I am doing with my life are building Zion - building the kingdom of God on Earth. Serving the poor and needy qualifies for that. But living the gospel is the most important - not the outward things but allowing the Lord to change my heart and becoming a more loving and compassionate human being. I need Zion in my heart before I can help create Zion around me.

So that concept - Zion - inspires me on all levels but mostly it inspires me to believe that it can happen because it did once. Wouldn't it be nice to be a part of helping it happen again?

I used to want to write a book about Zion because I was so disturbed by the statistics about the poor in our world.   There is just so must inequity in how resources are made available to the peoples of our earth.  These statistics make the hymn quoted above even more meaningful.

From the University of Southern Maine website:

If The World Were a Village of 100

If we could turn the population of the earth into a small community of 100 people, keeping the same proportions we have today, it would look something like this...

ETHNICITY:

61 Asians

13 Africans

12 Europeans

8 North Americans

5 South Americans & the Caribbean

1 from Oceania

GENDER:

50 male

50 female

RELIGION:

33 are Christian

21 are Muslims

13 are Hindus

6 are Buddhists

1 is Sikhs

1 is Jewish

11 practice other religions

11 are non-religious

3 are Atheists

SKIN COLOR:

70 non-white

30 white 

LANGUAGE:

17 speak Chinese

9 speak English

8 speak Hindi

6 speak Russian

6 speak Spanish

4 speak Arabic

50 speak other languages 

FOOD:

30 would always have enough to eat (15 would be overweight) 

50 would be malnourished

20 would be undernouished (would be dying of starvation) 

FREEDOMS:

48 can't speak, act according to their faith and conscience 

due to harassment, imprisonment, torture or death

52 can

20 live in fear of death by bombardment, armed attack,

 landmines, or of rape or kidnapping by armed groups

80 do not

EDUCATION & TECHNOLOGY:

12 are unable to read

1 has a college degree

12 own a computer 

8 have an internet connection

HEALTH:

12 are disabled

1 adult has HIV/AIDS

LIVING STANDARDS

43 live without basic sanitation

20 have no clean, safe water to drink

80 live in substandard housing

68 breathe clean air

32 breathe polluted air

MONEY:

6 people own 59% of the world's wealth (all of them from the United States)

74 people own 39%

20 people share the remaining 2%

21 people live on $1.25 (US) per day or less 

The village spend $1.24 trillon (US) on military expenditures

$100 billion (US) on development aid

If you keep your food in a refrigerator

your clothes in a closet

If you have a bed to sleep in

and a roof over your head

you are richer than 75% of the entire world population

Appreciate what you have & do your best for a better world.