Forget not to be Happy--Now!

The end of May we had a Relief Society Salad night at Kawanis Park.  There was a great turn out of girls.  Jessica Maughn, our fearless Relief Society President asked me to give a thought....

Stephanie Nielson is my hero.  I admire her and look up to her, even though I have never met her.

In August 2008 she went with her husband, Christian and his flight instructor in a small aircraft for a “day trip” from Mesa to New Mexico.  When taking off from the airport to return home, they got tangled in some power lines and their plane caught on fire and crashed.  Stephanie and her husband survived the crash.  Christian had burns over 35% of his body.  Stephanie had burns over 83% of her body.  They had 4 young children waiting for them at home ranging in ages from almost 2 to 6.   Stephanie was in a coma for 3 months. She spent 3 more months recovering in the AZ Burn center.  After her accident, Stephanie no longer looked like Stephanie.  She, at first, didn’t feel like her old self.  Physically, she was in a lot of pain.  Eventually, with the persuasion of her family she started blogging again--she was an adamant blogger before the accident and had many followers, but she had lost her drive to continue after the accident.  She now feels responsible to tell and share her story.  Life is still difficult Physically for Stephanie.  If any of you have seen her, you understand when she says, “I am not my body.”  She also has said, “Some days I’m proud of this face. . . other days I think, oh man, I sure miss the old me.”  This experience has strengthened her.

She tells of an experience of while doing the laundry she went to her closet and touched all her clothing and she said she had a wave of emotion come over her.

  “I missed me again.  I mourned for that woman again. I felt that familiar sadness.  But then it was followed by a beautiful spiritual confirmation that this is my new life.  It is good.  It is OH so good.  Then I felt that I should bring home me.  Because it is still me and those clothes still fit.”

She had learned that even though she isn’t attractive to look at, and maybe some would find it difficult to look at her, she is still her.  She sees things differently and she sees life as being more than her physical appearance. She’s grateful to be on the earth.  Her role is more divine.  She is a mother who enriches and teaches the gospel of Jesus Christ and sees her life as a privilege.  She knows that God is in control and will be there every step of the way helping her and giving her strength.  Stephanie knows that God has a plan for her and will help her.  I do not believe that His plan included her being severely burned in a plane crash.  I believe that He allows the consequences to happen according to the decisions we make.  She chose to take that ride in the airplane that day.  Our Heavenly Father chose to keep her alive.  He has given her the strength to know who she is and to know what is really important in life.

 “Spiritually, I have a better sense of who I am, what my divine purpose is, what I’m doing here on earth and why I’m still here.  Life has a different meaning than it did before.”

There is a plan for each of you.  It is a plan that will ultimately give you the greatest joy and happiness you will ever experience.  Our responsibility is to act and go everyday with happiness and peace.  To have faith and trust in God that He will guide our every step.

Stephanie has chosen to stand up and be an example to all women. She has chosen to have gratitude for her life.  She has learned to trust and rely on her Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  She has chosen to try and make a difference in the lives of others.  She has chosen to not sit in her home and mope about the way she looks and feels.  She has chosen to move forward with strength and courage.  She has learned that life is not about your physical appearance, it’s about what you do with your life!  She has found her true Beauty.

Pres. Uchtdorf gave the talk “Forget Me Not” last September and in it he reminded us to “Forget not to be happy NOW”.  He spoke about Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and the golden ticket that everyone hoped to find.  He said, 

“So many people today are waiting for their own golden ticket—the ticket that they believe holds the key to the happiness they have always dreamed about.  For some, the golden ticket may be a perfect marriage; for others, a magazine-cover home or perhaps freedom from stress or worry.There is nothing wrong with righteous yearnings—we hope and seek after things that are “virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy.”  The problem comes when we put our happiness on hold as we wait for some future event—our golden ticket—to appear.”

You girls are in the stage of life where you don’t really know what lies ahead and you know there are big and very important decisions to be made.  It’s easy to look for things we want and forget to see the good things that we have right now. It’s so important that we enjoy the time of life that we are in.  I don’t care how old you are and what stage of life you are in, there are always surprises around the corner.  There are always decisions to be made.  So find joy in the journey and forget not to be Happy NOW.

Pres. Uchtdorf continues: “This is not to say that we should abandon hope or temper our goals. Never stop striving for the best that is within you. Never stop hoping for all of the righteous desires of your heart. But don’t close your eyes and hearts to the simple and elegant beauties of each day’s ordinary moments that make up a rich, well-lived life.The happiest people I know are not those who find their golden ticket; they are those who, while in pursuit of worthy goals, discover and treasure the beauty and sweetness of the everyday moments. They are the ones who, thread by daily thread, weave a tapestry of gratitude and wonder throughout their lives. These are they who are truly happy.”

As I was reading Stephanie Nielson's blog today she wrote last week:

Surgery and change. Here a little and there a little.But still smiling, still blessed and certainly still happy. 

I think she is very disciplined and that is one way she makes sure that she is happy.  She set some new rules for herself:

NO texting, talking, instagraming, playing with or touching my phone while nursing.NO computer work from the hours of 3:30 (when the children come home) to bedtime.NO work after 10:00. That is the time I want to spend with Mr. Nielson. 

A few days before that she blogged:

All I can think about is how blessed I am, how happy I feel,and how grateful I am to be alive, to have a family,to know and feel God's love.

This is why Stephanie Nielson is my hero.  Even though she didn’t find a golden ticket, she makes the best out of what she’s been given.  She has learned to get up every day and face the challenges before her.

She sets a perfect example for her children.  I’m sure she has really bad days and I’m sure she says things to her children that she regrets later and I’m pretty sure she is not perfect—but she is still my hero—someone I can look to and say I can be like that.  I can be happy every day no matter how hard the road gets.

She recently gave birth to her 5^th child.  Something she and her doctors didn’t know if she would be able to do.

Her oldest daughter Claire who would be about 10 wrote a poem about their family.  This is what she said about her new baby sister:

Charlotte is our miracle,
Charlotte is our perfect angel,it must mean Heaven is here.Perfectly clean and pure
she is the 5th pea in the pod,
she is our jewel,she is our heart
she is our miracle.

Her wonderful spirit has shown through her children. 

It’s not your clothes that give you value.  It’s not your pretty face or your lovely hair.  It is what’s in your heart.  It’s how you look at life.  It’s how you treat those around you.  Forget not that God loves you for who you are.  Forget not to be happy NOW.

Just a little side note--present day--I just finished reading Stephanie Nielson's  book Heaven is Here.  I recommend it to EVERYONE!!  Such a great story of courage and faith and hope.

Always Remember Him

I gave a talk in the YSA 251st ward on Sunday,  May 27.  Why is it that we get so scared when we give a talk?   I wish I could give a talk and not be nervous.  I was amazed how emotional I got while giving it.  Anyway, here is the talk. . .

Tomorrow is Memorial Day.  I looked it up in Wikipedia and found out that Memorial Day began back after the civil war to pay honor to those who had died in the Civil War.  It later expanded to honoring anyone who died in any war.  In the early years of the 20^th century people began to place flowers on the graves of anyone who had passed away.  On the Today show Friday morning there was a story on Memorial Day and how it has become the day that marks the beginning of summer vacations.  The journalist telling the story said, “It’s more than a 3 day weekend, more then the beginning of summer.  It’s important to remember those who gave their lives for us.”   And I add to that, it’s important to remember family, friends and loved ones who have gone on before.

Every Sunday we come to Sacrament Meeting to partake of the sacrament and to remember Jesus Christ.  When the Church was first organized in 1830 the Lord commanded, It is expedient that the church meet together often to partake of bread and wine in the remembrance of the Lord Jesus; (D & C 20: 75)

And almost 2000 years previously Luke said,  19 ¶And he took ^abread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Dallin H. Oaks gave a talk in 1988 entitled, Always Remember Him.  He said, “To remember means to keep in memory. In the scriptures, it often means to keep a person in memory, together with associated emotions like love, loyalty, or gratitude. The stronger the emotion, the more vivid and influential the memory.”

Here are some examples of strong emotions of love, loyalty and gratitude:

#1

My brother who lives in Vernal which is about 2 ½ hours away, is in town this weekend and staying with us.  Even though he doesn’t live that far we don’t get to see each other very often, probably on an average of 2-3 times a year.  This is the 3^rd time already this year so we are doing well.  We are only a year difference in age and have always been close.  When we get together it makes me remember our childhood.  I remember ice-skating on the tail of our pond on our farm in southern Missouri.  Or the time when he and I went out to the pasture to bring the cows in to be milked and a snake bit him.  In Southern Missouri there are lots of poisonous snakes.  At the time he didn’t know what kind bit him, he only saw it was a snake and took off running the half mile back to the house—a very poor decision he realized later when the doctor told my mom it obviously wasn’t a poisonous snake since he was doing fine—if it had been poisonous the running back to the house would have pumped the poison through his blood system and would have caused severe illness and probably tissue damage.  I remember when I got engaged.  My brother was on his mission and since I was his favorite sister Kim decided he would write to him and break the news to him.  He introduced himself as having 11 fingers, purple hair and was 4’ 11” and weighed 300 lbs.  We still laugh about that and how it was a great introduction because he wasn’t worried about me marrying him in the least and he has liked Kim ever since.  And more recently we remember our older sister who passed away 3 years ago.  We talk of her and remember her motherly tendencies and how she cared for us and how she loved us while at the same time she sometimes hated us.  How we can still hear her laugh and how blessed we are to know she hasn’t left us, she’s only gone on before us to do another work.  Even though there are many years between now and my childhood memories, I will always cherish and remember them.

 #2

Twenty-nine years ago this past April, Bishop Roper and I were expecting our third child.  At the time I was Primary President.  It was a Sunday just about 5 days before my due date, and I remember teaching sharing time in Primary that day, and in the back of my mind I was noticing that our baby wasn’t moving.  I tried not to think about it and figured that I was active and that it was just sleeping.  As the day went on, I continued to not feel any life.  I think that night I mentioned it to Kim and we thought that it was a little odd.   The next morning I still had not felt any life and so I talked to my sister-in-law who was a nurse and she told me that was normal at the end of the pregnancy and that I was probably going to go into labor soon.  Well, by evening, she had changed her tune and told me to call the doctor.  He immediately had me go to the hospital where they first listened for a heartbeat and couldn’t find one.   They then did an ultra-sound and determined that the baby was dead.  Heartbroken, they sent us home to “get a good nights rest.”  Yeah right! As if that was going to happen.  They told us to come back the next morning when they would induce me.  Our little Meggie was born the following day.  The next day while still in the hospital I awoke from a nap to find some flowers on my nightstand.  With it was a card with some money inside.  The card was not signed.  This was an anonymous gift of love that we were able to use to buy Meggie a headstone for her grave sight.  To this day, I do not know who was so generous but I will always remember that gift.

#3

This is a great time of year.  As a teacher it is the best time of year as we end another school year, although Bishop Roper may disagree—it’s an overwhelming busy time of year for him. But I’m sure he will agree that it’s a time of year when we reflect on great teaching moments.  I am a Reading Recovery Teacher.  I teach the very lowest readers in first grade.  I work with them one on one and try to get them up to grade level in their reading.  This year I have seen some amazing success.  I taught a little boy at the beginning of the year, who was reading on a level 0—which means he wasn’t reading.  I worked with him until the first of February at which time he tested out of the program.   When he was tested again this past week, he was reading on an end of the year 2^nd grade level.  His confidence and love for reading has taken off.  As a teacher, it is so satisfying to know that you have helped someone else learn something that will help him the rest of his life.  As an educator, I also am blessed to see teachers who have made a huge impact on the lives of others.

These 3 examples relate to why we always remember Jesus Christ—we should experience and attach emotions like love, loyalty and gratitude.

Every Sunday, we meet together to REMEMBER what the Savior did for us just as my brother and I remember our childhood.  The emotions we have, the love and the joy and even the sorrows and we feel gratitude keeps those memories alive.  Though the years are going by quickly, we will always hold tight to those memories and will always remember them. 

When Christ visited the Nephites he said, 7 And this shall ye do in remembrance of my body, which I have shown unto you. And it shall be a testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you.

As we partake of the sacrament each week we not only remember Jesus Christ but we remember our own baptism.  We remember our commitment to follow Him, to take His name upon us and to keep His commandments.   That not only do we want to follow Him, but we strive to have our family members and others around us do the same.  And as we remember Him, we realize our responsibilities and duties to proclaim the gospel, perfect the Saints, and redeem the dead.  We feel the emotions of that special time in our life.

We also remember Jesus Christ for the Gifts that he gave us, just as an anonymous giver gave us a gift that we will always remember. Jesus gave us the atonement and eternal life.  He gave us the Gift of the Holy Ghost. 

In the hymn, “Reverently and Meekly Now” (#185) it says:

“Think of me, thou ransomed one;

Think what I for thee have done.

With my blood that dripped like rain,

Sweat in agony of pain,

With my body on the tree

I have ransomed even thee….

At the throne I intercede;

For thee ever do I plead.

I have loved thee as thy friend,

With a love that cannot end."

He has given us so very much!

Our Heavenly Father has many gifts that he wants to bestow upon us.  Many that are just waiting for us to acknowledge them and to use them.  In Doctrine & Covenants 46: 10-12 10 And again, verily I say unto you, I would that ye should always remember, and always retain in your minds what the gifts are, that are given unto the church.

11 . . . .; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.

 12 To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby.

It continues on and gives many examples of gifts that are given to man.  We need but only to search and find the gifts that have been given to each of us.  And remember them and use them to profit others.  

Oliver Cowdery was told of a gift that was given to him:

2 Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.

 3 Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation; behold, this is the spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground.

 4 Therefore this is thy gift; apply unto it, and blessed art thou, for it shall deliver you out of the hands of your enemies, when, if it were not so, they would slay you and bring your soul to destruction.

 5 Oh, remember these words, and keep my commandments. Remember, this is your gift.

As we remember the Savior each Sunday, we should also remember the gifts He has given us. 

Jesus Christ was a teacher among men.  Everywhere he went he taught.  He was a master teacher as he told parables and stories of how to live our lives.  He not only taught with words but he taught by his example.  In Matt 4: 23 we read, “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom. .”  vs. 25 “and there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee.” and continuing on into chap. 5:1-2 “And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: and he opened his mouth and taught them.”  He taught them the beatitudes, which are the blessings available to us.  He taught about the light of the world and reminded them about the teachings of Moses.  And then He taught them a higher law, to love one another.  He taught them about prayer, repentance, forgiveness and obedience and many other things.  And when He finished speaking it says in Matt 7:28-29, “the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”  His words had made an impact on their lives. 

Helaman taught his sons to not only to remember our Savior, but also remember our beloved family members….Helaman 5:9

9 O remember, remember, my sons, the words which king Benjamin spake unto his people; yea, remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who shall come; …

 Helaman 5:6

6 Behold, my sons, I desire that ye should remember to keep the commandments of God; and I would that ye should declare unto the people these words. Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first parents who came out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I have done that when you remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were good.

Tomorrow, our family will go to the Provo Cemetery and put flowers on the graves of beloved family members and as we do so we will remember Bishop Roper’s mother and father. And even though, I never knew his father, I will remember what he has done for my husband.  I will remember how his mother was like a second mother to me.   We will remember Kim’s brother who loved him as any little 6-year-old boy would love his 5-year-old brother.  We will remember our own Meggie, who needed only a body and then she was allowed to return to the other side.  We will remember grandparents who taught us and loved us and set great examples for us.  And we will remember that “they were good.”

We remember family and friends who gave so much for each of us.  Who taught us and loved us and gave us gifts of the heart.  We get to remember the good lives, which they lived.  Memorial day has become one of my favorite holidays.  We pay our respects and honor those we love by remembering them with flowers and stories of the past. And as we remember all the good that we have in our lives, let us strive to show and share and teach others of the good that they can have in their lives.

EVERY SUNDAY--We remember Jesus Christ as we partake of the sacrament.  Who loved us and taught us and showed us the way. 

Who set the perfect example of how to live. 

Who served others unselfishly. 

Who gave his life for us that we might live again with our Heavenly Father. 

Who atoned for our sins. 

Who took upon him all of our sorrows and pains so that our burdens would be bearable.

The gospel is a wonderful thing.  It’s all about families.  It’s all about remembering.  It’s all about our Savior Jesus Christ.  It’s all about love and charity.  We are a blessed people.  Let us always remember Him who gives us all things, even Jesus Christ.

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So Hollis and ALL his family came after church and we had a great visit.  We did reminisce about the "good ole days".   His memories and my memories and then we had memories with our children.  It was a great day.  Happy Memorial Day!   REMEMBER

The Worth of Souls/Soles

This past week our YSA Ward had a Relief Society Meeting.  The theme was "The Worth of Soles/Souls".  They asked each of the girls to bring a shoe that described them and either a favorite scripture or one that went along with their shoe.  It was so fun to the see the shoes that they brought and I LOVED their scriptures.  It was great to get to see a little bit into each of the girls and get to know them better.  Then they asked me to give a message.

Of course I brought some shoes too.
1.   The first pair was a pair of hiking boots.  These shoes have great soles.  They are strong and durable.  But they are not worn or used.  I have had these boots for probably over 5 years.  I bought them for girls camp one year when we were going the 1^st week in June after a very cold and snowy winter and we were told to expect lots of mud and probably snow still at our camp sight.  I think I wore them one day—even though there was lots of mud and snow and it was cold.  They were uncomfortable!  They have sat in my closet ever since. These have not served me very well.


2.  Here is another pair of shoes.  These are my husband's shoes.  They are probably less than 5 years old.  These shoes though have much different wear.  He has worn these shoes until the soles are paper thin.  They have seen a lot of use.  He would still be wearing them if I hadn't made him buy some new ones.  They have served him well.  

3.  A third pair of shoes are my favorite sandals that I wore the past 2 summers.  I love these shoes.  Their soles are solid and thick and show some wear but still have some good wear left on them—although the insides are really worn.  These shoes have great worth and have served me well. 

Our lives can be like these shoes.  Our souls may be strong and durable, but if we just sit around in the closet and wait for someone to need us, then we are of no use.  We have got to put on these shoes and let our souls serve us and others well.

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

Our Heavenly Father knows our worth.  He knows that our souls are children of Him and that we have a divine potential of being like Him and like his son Jesus Christ.

As we put on our shoes, we can go to work in helping all of our sisters find their worth.   On Sunday, one of our good sisters came up to me at the Luau and said she was so happy to see me and that she needed a hug.  She had spent the weekend in "the city of sin" and she was in need of the strength we gain from each other and the love from our Savior and Heavenly Father.  Her soul was maybe feeling a little weak.  As I gave her a hug, I felt love from her as I was able to give love and strength in return.  We can give strength to each other and help their souls find strength and worth.

We make mistakes in our lives, we do things we may regret later, we get down on ourselves and don’t always feel like we have worth or that we have any abilities; we compare ourselves to others and have a hard time seeing our own strengths and good points.  As Pres. Uchtdorf might say,  FORGET NOT THAT YOU ARE OF GREAT WORTH.  

We need each other!  Women need other women!  Be a friend to other women in your lives.  I have a dear friend.  We went out to lunch a couple of weeks ago.  When I was having a hard time earlier this year, I went to her house and cried on her shoulder and she was a great strength to me.  Right now, her life is really hard as she has taken in her invalid mother after having a stroke a few months ago,  and her grumpy father to live with her.  She has no time for herself.  She especially needs others to lift her and help her through this difficult time.  Women need other women.

As I was reading my Book of Mormon this week, I finished Mosiah and started Alma.  I love this first chapter.  These great Nephites not only understood their worth but they were willing to share and give and help everyone around them to find their own worth as well. 

King Mosiah has passed away and Alma the younger is appointed to be the first judge.  Nehor is a very large and strong man and went about preaching false doctrine to deceive the people to turn them away from God.  He is lifted up in pride and he wears costly apparel, which to me is a symbol of his worldliness.  He slays Gideon who is a great man of God.  Nehor is brought to Alma who sentenced him to death.  But sentencing him to death did not do away with the priestcraft which he introduced to the Nephites.  The followers of Nehor went about seeking after riches and honor.  There was a law against lying so they “pretended to preach according to their beliefs.”  Then they started persecuting the members of the church because of their humility and because they weren’t proud.

This was a very hard time for the church.  BUT, in Alma 1: 25-27: “nevertheless, they were ^asteadfast and immovable in keeping the commandments of God, and they bore with ^bpatience the persecution which was heaped upon them.

 26 And when the priests left their ^alabor to impart the word of God unto the people, the people also left their labors to hear the word of God. And when the priest had imparted unto them the word of God they all returned again diligently unto their labors; and the priest, not esteeming himself above his hearers, for the preacher was no better than the hearer, neither was the teacher any better than the learner; and thus they were all equal, and they did all labor, every man ^baccording to his strength. 

27 And they did ^aimpart of their substance, every man according to that which he had, to the ^bpoor, and the needy, and the sick, and the afflicted; and they did not wear costly ^capparel, yet they were neat and comely.”

They understood the worth of souls.  They didn’t esteem themselves to be better than anyone else.  They saw themselves as equal—one amongst each other.  They shared what they had and they were a support to each other.

And because they weren’t focusing on themselves, they began to progress and they became rich and they had all things in abundance—they had everything they needed and more!  And they still didn’t set their hearts on riches and they continued to help those who didn’t have as much as themselves.  And those who had left the church became even more prideful and idle and and lived riotous lives—lying, stealing, robbing, committing whoredoms and on and on.

THESE NEPHITES KNEW THE WORTH OF SOULS.  They got their shoes out of the closet and put them to good use.

We live in a time and all of us are in a situation where we have been blessed with many material blessings.  We need to be careful that we don’t let our riches lead us to pride.  That we always reach out to those around us and give of ourselves.  We can give the things that others are in need of and never think that we are better than they are.

Sunday—I looked at you and listened to you and felt an overwhelming feeling of love for you.  I felt like a mother to you.  I just wanted to put my arms around all of you and tell you how special you are in the eyes of the Lord.  And as daughters of God and as your ward mom I want to give you some advice:

As we approach the summer months, please be careful how you dress.  When you choose your summer attire, choose modesty over popularity or fashion.  Be careful, even when just around your apartments, that your shorts are a modest length, that your tops are not too low cut.  As you choose swimwear, choose the most modest that you can.  Even if you’re just out sun-tanning choose modesty over fashion.  Be aware that young men see you differently than you see yourself.  They have a lot of hormones pumping around and they don’t need you making them pump even more!  A lot of skin can create a lot of heart pumping.  Even the best of boys are still boys!  I’ve heard the question, how can we support the men in their priesthood?  By being modest this summer.

Next advice:  Be careful what you post on the internet—on facebook, YouTube, twitter, any of the social networks.  Once they are on there, they are on there and it’s hard to take it back.  These can affect future employers, future education, future spouses and families.  Keep it clean, keep it modest, keep it worthy of a daughter of God who has great worth.

BE WOMEN OF VIRTUE AND INTEGRITY AND FAITH—HUMBLE AND MEEK

CHOOSE YOUR SHOES WISELY—LET THEM SERVE YOU WELL!

The WORTH of SOLES/SOULS is great in the sight of God.

Scripture Memorization

Early in January, I was listening to the talk  by Elder Richard G. Scott from last October Conference.  He was talking about scriptures and kind of gave a challenge to memorize scriptures and the good that it would do. "Learning, pondering, searching, and memorizing scriptures is like filling a filing cabinet with friends, values, and truths that can be called upon anytime, anywhere in the world.  Great power can come from memorizing scriptures. To memorize a scripture is to forge a new friendship. It is like discovering a new individual who can help in time of need, give inspiration and comfort, and be a source of motivation for needed change."  You may want to look up his talk and read through it.The Power of Scripture   So I decided (even though I have never been good at memorizing scriptures and haven't really felt like it was necessary) to memorize one scripture a month.  That's pretty small and should be attainable right?  But I wasn't sure how you go about choosing which scripture to memorize and decided to choose a topic and go to the topical guide and look up scriptures on that topic and decide from there which one to memorize for the month.  I chose the word "believe" since that seems to be my word lately.  There are a lot of scriptures with that word so I chose the ones I liked and pasted them into a word doc.  I now have 2 pages of scriptures!!!   Then I went through each one, and chose one that I wanted to memorize.    I challenge each of you to do the same--or something similar according to how you feel prompted.  The challenge is on.   I decided to print off the scripture and post it in 3 places where I would see it often..inside my kindle fire which I read my scriptures from daily; on the refrigerator door, which is obvious why I will see that one; and on the mirror where I put my makeup on and do my hair every day.  This has proved to be very helpful.  I see it often, and I read through just a line or 2 each time I see it until I've got that part memorized and then I go to the next line.  I'm happy to say, it is working!! 

My January scripture: 
Alma 24:19  And thus we see that when these Lamanites had learned to believe and know the truth, they were firm and would suffer even unto death rather than commit sin.  And thus we see that they buried their weapons of peace, or they buried their weapons of war for peace.

I love this scripture.  I love the thought that these people were so committed to the Lord.  They symbolically buried all the things in their lives that would destroy them.  We, as people of God, can and should do the same thing.  We can bury our pride, our impatience, our worldliness, our criticism of others, or whatever it is that keeps us from progressing, so that we can have peace in our lives.

I was able to memorize that scripture within the first 2 weeks of January so I decided to choose another one that I had for the theme of "believe".  This is the one I went with:

Mosiah 4:9  Believe in God, believe that He is and that He created all things both in heaven and in earth.  Believe that He has all wisdom and all power, both in heaven and in earth.  Believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.

I love this one too.  It has given me so much strength as I try to go through every day trials and I don't quite understand why some things happen the way they are.  And then I believe in God and I know that He has all wisdom and I know that I can't comprehend everything that He does comprehend.  I know I have to TRUST Him.  It has given me strength and courage and faith to continue on!

For February, I went with a scripture that is a bit harder, but as the month has gone on, I have learned to love this scripture so much.  I am amazed at how much the Lord has helped me to memorize these scriptures and how much strength I have felt from them.

2 Nephi 2: 26-27  And the Messiah cometh in the fullness of times that He might redeem the children of God from the fall.  And because that they are redeemed from the fall, man has become free forever, knowing good from evil, to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.

Wherefore man is free according to the flesh, and all things are given them which are expedient unto man, and they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

I've got verse 26 memorized and part of verse 27.  I've got just over a week to get it finished.  Again. . .   The Challenge is ON!!  Please join me.  I'd love to hear of your experiences with memorizing scriptures.