Foster Care

My parents' hearts are HUGE. Within this past year and a half, my parents have gladly accept the role as foster parents. It all began when there was a family in need. With a child needing a home and an empty bedroom in the house, my parents took a baby girl. This was not something that they had planned to do with their life; they just knew they needed to help. This baby's name was Mel, and she sure was precious. Soon, Mel became part of the family and everyone fell in love with her!

A few months later, another surprise came. After receiving a phone call from a state worker, my parents were asked to take another child. This time, it was a 5 year old in need. Her name was Lilly, and she was Mel's older sister. Happy to keep sister together, my parents opened up their hearts and homes to another child. Although this REALLY was not in their life plan, they never complained. Just like Mel, Lilly was swooped up, loved, and welcomed to the family. 

With two children in the home, my parents really seemed to keep busy. On top of raising two foster children, they had three of us kids! And, on top of that, they both had full-time jobs that they had to maintain. Life was challenging for them, or so I believe. But, believe it or not, a few months later my parents received another phone call. This time, a state worker was asking my parents to welcome a teenager into the home. Without hesitation, my parents said yes! We now have Kaela in our family! 

As time has progressed, these three girls have made a special place in my heart. I consider each of them my sisters, and would do anything for them. I love them dearly, and I cannot begin to imagine how much my parents love them. As I said, my parents' hearts are HUGE! Just when I think that they cannot possibly love another kid so much, they go and prove me wrong. They are just so willing to help, love, and care for anyone and everyone. 

Today, my mom told me that they have welcomed another child into their home. I have not met her yet, but I know that her name is Hailey. She is a teenager like Kaela. I have a feeling that they will become good friends. I also have a really good feeling that my parents' hearts are about to grow even bigger! 

A Greater Understanding and Appreciation for the Temple

As the membership within the Church continues to grow throughout the world, so has the need for temples. In 1985, President Hinckley declared:

The sacred and important work that goes on in temples must be accelerated, and for this to happen, it is necessary that temples be taken closer to the people rather than having the people travel so far to temples (in Conference Report, Oct. 1985, 71; or Ensign, Nov. 1985, 54).

These words of President Hinckley were inspired, and he was certainly committed to fulfilling this inspiration (D&C 88:119). When President Hinckley became the Prophet of the Church, 77 temples were built and dedicated to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And even with the passing of our beloved President Hinckley, this work continues to progress; there continues to be a commitment to building new temples. Now, the Church has 143 operating temples, 13 under construction, and 14 announced. Temples now begin to dot the earth, making available sacred ordinances to more saints and their loved ones that have gone before them.

And what a great blessing this is to us all. To reiterate the magnitude of this blessing, President George Q. Cannon said:

Every foundation stone that is laid for a temple, and every temple completed … lessens the power of Satan on the earth, and increases the power of God and Godliness (Logan Temple cornerstone ceremony, 19 Sept. 1877; quoted in Nolan Porter Olsen, Logan Temple: The First 100 Years [1978], 34).

Undoubtedly, this stands as a witness to the Lord’s plan in bringing the Church forth “out of obscurity and out of darkness” (D&C 1:30). President Hinckley added his testimony to this by stating: “The latter-day work of the Almighty, that of which the ancients spoke, that of which the prophets and apostles prophesied, is come. It is here” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1999, 94–95; or Ensign, Nov. 1999, 74).

As temples dot the earth, what does this mean for us as Latter-Day Saints? If the time is now, what is our role in the Lord’s work?

I believe it all begins with being worthy and prepared to enter the House of the Lord. Today, we need to prepare our hearts, minds, and souls to enter the doors of the temple. Within the temple, there are very sacred and beautiful ceremonies performed. In explaining the sacredness of these ceremonies, President Hinckley explains that the ordinances administered in the temple “represent the ultimate in our worship. These ordinances become the most profound expressions of our theology” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1995, 72; or Ensign, Nov. 1995, 53).

With this being said, members must prepare themselves for such an experience. All too often, curiosity is constituted as ‘preparedness’. With interest and questions in hand, members struggle to understand the doctrine of the temple. Here, answers are sought and confusion may be experienced. While this may be an honest ad true attempt at preparing for the temple, this is not the correct way of going about this. In order to truly prepare for the ordinances of the temple, simple steps must be made. Faith, repentance, baptism, and confirmation are among these steps. In doing these things, we should approach the Lord with a humble heart, willing to put the cares of world aside. I believe these things enable the Spirit to abide with us and our hearts, minds, and souls are better prepared to receive the further light that the temple offers. 

We must also enter the temple worthy and clean, unspotted from the world. At times, this requirement involves members overcoming addictions and turning their hearts over to Christ, our Redeemer. In addition to this, members must strive to maintain the covenants that they have made, and keep their lives in harmony with the commandments of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to have a goal to be worthy, and we should not let anything overcome this target.

Once the time is right and priesthood leaders determines worthiness, a temple recommend will be given. Of this temple recommend, President Hinckley has this to say, “ I urge our people everywhere … to live worthy to hold a temple recommend, to secure one and regard it as a precious asset…” (“Of Missions, Temples, and Stewardship,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 53). If we were to regard our temple recommends as a precious asset, I believe our attitude would change. Perhaps then all members would ensure that their temple recommend is current; we would not allow them to expire, and we would always remain worthy of them. Perhaps then, members would come to realize of things of most importance. To value a temple recommend in such a way would mean that members would treasure the temple and hold it most dear above other worldly things. 

With a temple recommend in hand, we must then go to the temple. And we must continue to attend the temple.

I come from an area where I was among a few members of the Church. With that being said, one could imagine that there was not a temple close by. In order to partake of the blessings of the temple, the local members would have to travel two hours to the temple. And while two hours is not much, it was a sacrifice. Nevertheless, it was a sacrifice that members were willing to make. However, this meant that attending the temple was not something done on a regular basis. Personally, this taught me much, for while in the House of the Lord I tried to appreciate every moment. It was a very sacred and special time for me.

Upon coming to college, I remember being delighted to learn Rexburg had a temple. Amazed, I found that the temple could be seen in almost every part of the city, and I soon found that it could even be seen from my living room window. It was as if it were there, standing tall as a constant reminder: look to the temple in all things. Looking at it, I promised myself that I would not take such a blessing for granted.

My first year in college, I was diligent to this promise. Each week I set aside time to serve in the temple. At this time, it did matter the workload or stress, temple attendance was a priority. Unfortunately, since that time, I found that I was breaking the promise that I made. I began to realize that I was taking the blessings of the temple for granted.

Since that first year of college, the temple became a beautiful piece of scenery, rather that a place of worship. I would pass by the temple day after day, appreciating the grandeur of it all, but yet not taking the time to go inside. Since my first year of college, I have gotten married and life has gotten a little more hectic. There seemed to be not enough time to attend the temple.

‘Not enough time’ is the lie that I accepted, but in my heart in knew the truth: in my busy life, I was not finding time for the Lord. The realization of this truth hurt. I could find time to complete my homework, clean my house, all the while maintaining a marriage and friendships, but I could not make time for the thing that mattered most. This was my own personal challenge.

In order to overcome this, I had to turn to the Lord for strength. With devotion, I decided that I would begin to attend the temple regularly. I would like to say that this was an easy thing to do, but it was not. Before going to the temple, I would worry about the homework that was due, along with any other responsibilities that seemed to be demanding my time. I prayed that I would have the time to complete all things that were required of me, and I prayed for faith. I wanted the reassurance that everything was going to work out; I wanted to know that I could make it through my busy schedule. I had to put my trust in the Lord. And as time progressed, I found that He is the very best one to put your trust in. 

It is my belief that each of us has some sort of personal challenge. And attending the temple requires us to work and sacrifice to overcome these personal challenges. For some the challenge may be not having a temple near by. In these instances, extensive time and money must be given in order overcome such challenge. For others, such as us, we encounter other battles. Some among us may be fighting against bad health; for others it may be a busy schedule. There are also those that have families, making it hard to set aside time to attend the temple.

The reality is this: there may be a million reasons to not go to the temple, but there will always be more important reasons to attend the temple. And while sacrifices are difficult, I can promise that these sacrifices are worth it.

While in the House of the Lord, our minds are able to reflect upon eternal matters. It is here that we can escape the world and all of the worries that are encompassed therein. Here, we can reflect upon saving ordinances. Here, we think about our loved ones. We can serve and help bring salvation to those that are dead (D&C138: 48). And it is here that we are blessed.

In regards to these blessings, President Thomas S. Monson beautifully offers us these words:

As we go to the holy house, as we remember the covenants we make therein, we will be able to bear every trial and overcome each temptation. The temple provides purpose for our lives. It brings peace to our souls—not the peace provided by men but the peace promised by the Son of God when He said, ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (“Blessings of the Temple,” Ensign, Oct. 2010)

It is my testimony that temples are truly the House of the Lord (D&C 109:13). While in the temple, I know that we participate in sacred, saving ordinances that enable us to return to the Father’s presence. I am so thankful for the temple that we have here, and I know that it is a great blessing to us all. I pray that we may not take this blessing for granted. It is my witness that temple attendance blesses our lives, as well as others. It is my hopes that we may overcome personal challenges in order to attend the temple. As we do so, our lives will be blessed beyond measure.

It is also my testimony that we can feel closer to the Lord as we attend the temple. Let the temples stand as a constant reminder of Christ and His sacrifice for us. Let us reflect upon the covenants in which we have made. And when we have doubts, concerns, questions, or desires, may we look to the temple and find peace in knowing that Heavenly Father in never far away.

Something Worth Celebrating

Today my parents celebrated their 23rd weddings anniversary! I feel especially blessed to have them in my life to lead and guide me. They are truly wonderful people. Since the time that I could remember, my have been by my side. They have taught me what was right, and steered me away from the things that are wrong. Time after time, they have allowed me to make decisions, supporting me even when I was not making the best choices. They have allowed me to fail, and have picked me up to help me succeed. They have pushed me to be better, and taught me to settle for nothing than my best. They have given countless hugs and words of encouragement. And when I've had bad days, they have shared tears. But we have shared more than that. Together, as a family, we have shared countless laughs, good times, and memories. Without a doubt, they are some of my very best friends.

Understanding Adversity

A number of years ago, I participated in a Young Woman’s program known as Young Woman’s in Excellence. Here, the entire young woman and their supporters came together to recognize achievements throughout the year. And, like all young woman events, there was a cheesy skit that concluded the night. This night, our skit was called Snow White and the Seven Values. In our rendition of this child’s fairytale, Snow White was a young woman who spent most of her days singing with birds, dressing up in fancy gowns, and dreaming about marrying Price Charming in the temple.

Now, as we all know, Snow White, of course, had a wicked queen for her stepmother. Knowing that Snow White was the fairest of them all, the wicked stepmother did all she could to make Snow White fall. With this, Snow White had no choice but to run away. And from here, she was led to a cottage called Personal Progress, where the seven values lived. As the story unravels, Snow White begins to have a happy, wonderful life because she stayed close to all of the values. In fact, she was able to overcome various obstacles with these values. And, in the end, Price Charming came running in to take Snow White to the temple, and, undoubtedly, they lived happily ever after.

With the conclusion of the skit, it is obviously understood that if we stay close to the gospel, we will have happy fairytale lives. I have spent much time contemplating this thought. I wish that “happily ever after” was realistic, but I am afraid that it just isn’t so. While this is a beautiful thing to consider, I believe that with this understanding we are deceived---because the truth is this: our lives are not simple fairytales. In fact, the reality of life is far from a child’s tale. Here, in the world that we live in, the daily newspaper screams horrifying headlines. Here, in real life, good people are involved in accidents---children develop illnesses. In addition to those dismaying experiences, we live in a world where families and homes are broken. We live in a place where values and beliefs are challenged. Here, the life experiences we are all having can get pretty dark.

As I have grown up, I have met and visited will all sorts of people---and, with this, I have learned that one thing is for certain: no one is immune to sorrow and suffering of all kinds. However, as sad as that sounds, I have come to realize that challenges and adversity, as the Prophet Joseph Smith has taught, are “at the core of saintliness” and are an essential part of our Father’s plan for us. This teaching is further emphasized as we Romans 8:16-17: “we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”  

Sheri Dew, former member of the Relief Society General Presidency, agrees with these principles by saying, “If you’re serious about sanctification, you can expect to experience heart-wrenching moments that try your faith, your endurance, and your patience.”

I believe that this is a hard concept to grasp. Too many of us are caught up in a false understanding that trials only come as a form as punishment. Too many of us are lead to believe that the wicked are those that suffer. To all of those that have had this thought, know this: burdens, trials, and struggles come to all of us---even to faithful, tithe-paying, temple-attending, scripture-reading, meeting-supporting Latter-day Saints. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not insurance against pain, it is resource in event of pain. When pain comes, and it will, rejoice that you have a resource to deal with your pain. Understand, burdens are just part of life, and we all struggle with burdens that are grievous to bear.  There is nothing reproachful about having burdens, and there is nothing wicked in the struggle.

Calfred Broderick has this to say about the matter: “I do not want you to believe for one minute that if you keep all the commandments and live as close to the Lord as you can and do everything right…and pay your tithing and attend all your meetings, accept calls from the bishop, and have a temple marriage, I do not want you to believe that bad things will not happen to you. And when that happens, I do not want you to say that God was not true. Or, to say ‘They promised me in primary…they promised me from the pulpit if I were very, very good, I would be blessed…[but] when [bad] things happen, do not say God is not keeping his promises to me. “

You may ask why, why do bad things have to happen to good people? Well, as we discussed earlier, it is to sanctify us; to make us more like our Father in Heaven. In addition to this, President Boyd K. Packer reassures us that, “ Life will not be free from challenges, some of them bitter and hard to bear. We may wish to be spared all the trials of life, but that would be contrary to the great plan of happiness, ‘for it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things’. This testing is the source of our strength.

When our faithful prophet, Joseph Smith, was in Liberty Jail, he cried to the Lord for a source of comfort in his time of sorrow, and the Lord gave it to him by saying, “If the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good”.

Nevertheless, when pain unbidden and unwanted comes into our lives, the natural man begins to question how could this possibly be for my own good? And at this moment of weakness, we join the thousands of voices in the chorus: “Why did the Lord let this thing happen?” Pointing our finger at God, we blame our Beloved Father for all of our grief and pain. But, doing this, we are but deceived. You see, our loving Father does not want us to suffer.

But we do suffer, and there are times when we suffer so much. There are times when trials come and we think we are not strong enough to make it. In these trying times, we should remember this: we have been assigned to take the test of mortality during the most rigorous and demanding time in the world’s history, but we have not been left alone. No, we have not been abandoned. Doctrine and Covenants 69:6 reads, “Be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord and with you, and will stand by you…”

In thinking of the Savior, my thoughts are turned to His time of distress. In the Garden of Gethsemane and on Calvary’s Hill, Christ pleaded to the father. However, though perfect, Christ was chosen to endure the hardship and sorrows of all things. And, as in all things, his response is the perfect example for our own response to trials: “Not as I will, but as thou wilt.” Later, our Savior gave an account of the pain of his own experience: “Behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; but if they would not repent they must suffer even as I; which suffering caused myself…to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit”. Knowing this alone reassures us that we can endure all things, for none is more qualified than our Savior to see us through our mortal trials than he who descended below all things. 

The Savior atoned precisely so we wouldn’t have to carry our burdens alone. He knew that this load would be too heavy for any of us. Thus He has promised, “Come unto me, all ye that…are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you…For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

I hate pain. I hate injustice. I hate loss. I hate all the things we all hate. But we all came to a world where we are not protected against this. Furthermore, I would like to suggest that we fought a war in heaven for the privilege to come to a place that we knew would be unjust. Doing this, every one of us accepted a personal set of challenges that sometimes seem to be earmarked for us personally. We understood this in our premortal existence.

Though this thought may sound overbearing, C.S Lewis offers words of encouragement by saying this, “God who foresaw your tribulation has specifically armed you to get through it, not without pain, but without stain.”

So, you will face some personal difficulties, but we can make it through! We are not alone; there is help. There is power available to both you and me, power beyond the veil. In closing, I would like to share this quote from our apostle Jeffery R. Holland:

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

Throughout these challenging experiences, we are refined and humble---we are taught and blessed. And when these thing happen, we can be powerful instruments in the hands of God to make us better people, to make us more grateful, more loving, and more considerate of other people in their own times of difficulties. 

Yes, we all endure hardships, individually and collectively, but even in the most severe of times, those problems and prophecies were never intended to do anything but bless the righteous and help those who are less righteous move toward repentance. Have hope and know that God and his Son loves us. “Jesus waits with open arms to receive those who finally overcome by faith and hope. His welcome will consist not of a brief, loving pat, but, instead, being clasped in the arms of Jesus.”

God lives and he does not live less though we have injustice and adversity, pain and unkindness. God is in heaven. We chose to come to this unjust world and endure hardships of all kinds. But God is God and he loves us. His son, Jesus Christ, lived and died for us. Because of who we are and because of who He is, there is hope for each of us; there is hope even in the times of our darkest despair. The uses of adversary are the uses that we put them to. It is my hope that we allow our experiences to purify and teach us, not define us and destroy us---this is my prayer for us all.

Ten Months Ago

Ten months ago I married my very best friend in the world. By the world’s standards, you could say that we married pretty fast: engaged after three months and married after six! Many shook their heads and wondered if it would last. And while it has only been ten months, I can confidently say that it will! It has been nearly a year and Dan and I are completely and totally in love; we have not left that “honeymoon” stage. In fact, I believe that our love grows more and more each day.

So, here ten months…and here is to eternity! CHEERS FOR FORVER!

Of course, Dan and I had to have the first look! Dan waited patiently as I tapped him on the shoulder and told him to turn around. I was excited, but I think he was even more excited. So, there I was: his bride!

We were married and sealed in the Rexburg, Idaho Temple on August 24, 2013.

And for our pictures, we went out to the sand dunes! It was so much fun to run around in the sand with a wedding dress on, and the sunset was picture perfect.

That day was a happy, grand day! And since that day, the happiest continues! We love each other. We honestly just LOVE each other!

Love From Mel