The Weak and the Simple of the Church

Last Sunday Jordan and I got the privilege to speak in Sacrament meeting. I would like to share with you my talk.

Elder Marvin J Ashton stated in a 1973 General Conference…

“I am certain our Heavenly Father is displeased when we refer to ourselves as ‘nobody.’…We do ourselves a great injustice when we allow ourselves, through tragedy, misfortune, challenge, discouragement, or whatever the earthly situation, to so identify ourselves. No matter how or where we find ourselves, we cannot with any justification label ourselves ‘nobody.’ As children of God we are somebody”

President Boyd K Packer in a recent conference address observed…
There is another principle unique to the Lord’s Church. All positions to teach and to lead are filled by members of the Church. This too has been set forth in the scriptures. One verse in the Doctrine and Covenants established the order of leadership in the Church for all time.
“Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments; . . .
“The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, . . .
“ . . . That every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world;
“That faith also might increase in the earth;
“That mine everlasting covenant might be established;

From D&C section 1:23 & 24 we learn, “That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers.
“Behold, I am God and have spoken it; these commandments are of me, and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding”
I personally am very grateful for those scriptures, which explain that the Lord will use the “weak things of the world.”

Each member is responsible to accept the call to serve.

Elder Henry B Eyring stated
And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them."2
That explanation helps us understand why we face trials in life. They give us the opportunity to prove ourselves faithful to God. So many things beat upon us in a lifetime that simply enduring may seem almost beyond us. That's what the words in the scripture "Ye must . . . endure to the end"3 seemed to mean to me when I first read them. It sounded grim, like sitting still and holding on to the arms of the chair while Brother Cress pulled out my tooth.
It can surely seem that way to a family depending on crops when there is no rain. They may wonder, "How long can we hold on?" It can seem that way to a youth faced with resisting the rising flood of filth and temptation. It can seem that way to a young man struggling to get the training he needs for a job to support a wife and family. It can seem that way to a person who can't find a job or who has lost job after job as businesses close their doors. It can seem that way to a person faced with the erosion of health and physical strength which may come early or late in life for them or for those they love.

I have an Uncle who has served in the Stake presidency in Jerome. Almost 3 years ago he had stroke that left him partially paralyzed and his ability to speak has been a very difficult challenge.
His lifetime dream was to serve a mission with his wife. Three years ago that dream seemed to be shattered. How would my uncle be able to serve a full time mission if he can’t speak, or still needs some help getting around the house? My parents were called this past year to serve Salt Lake City Temple Square mission. My uncle and aunt supported my parents but were sad because they couldn’t fulfill their dream.
Due to their faith they will be able to speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world On December 5, 2008 , less than 2 weeks from today, my uncle and aunt will be serving a full time mission. They have been called to Salt Lake City Family History mission. I truly believe that the weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, . . .
But the test a loving God has set before us is not to see if we can endure difficulty. It is to see if we can endure it well. We pass the test by showing that we remembered Him and the commandments He gave us. And to endure well is to keep those commandments whatever the opposition, whatever the temptation, and whatever the tumult around us. We have that clear understanding because the restored gospel makes the plan of happiness so plain.

In closing may I share with you a quote from President Gordon B. Hinckley he said it this way: “You can be a leader. You must be a leader…in those causes for which the Church stands. …The adversary of all truth would put into your heart a reluctance to make an effort. Cast that fear aside and be a valiant in the cause of truth and righteousness”

And so the church moves on. It is carried upon the shoulders of worthy members living ordinary lives among ordinary families, guided by the Holy Ghost and the Light of Christ, which is in them!

SWEETHEART TAG
The rules are posted at the beginning.Each person answers questions about their sweethearts.At the end of the post, the person then tags 6 people and posts their names; then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment, letting them know they have been tagged.
What is your husbands name? Jordan McKay Lott
How long have you guys been married? 177 days
How long did you date? Umm off and on for 2 1/2 years and then we were engaged for 5 months
How old is he? 30
Who is taller? Jordan
Who can sing best? Jordan by far!
Who is smarter? I do have a pretty smart husband so Jordan is.
Who does laundry? I do. Unless Jordan needs something of his washed then he will do it.
Who pays the bills? For the most part I pay the bills.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I do, its closer to the bathroom and down the road to the kid's room.
Who mows the lawn? Jordan does. He likes to.
Who cooks dinner? We both do. I do most of the time but Jordan is pretty good in helping me out.
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? He will first even though I'm the one who is usually wrong. But then I will take the blame.
Who kissed who first? Jordan tried to kiss me first and I turned away but the next night we both kissed each other.
Who wears the pants? That would be me!
Now I tag whoever wants to do it. Have fun!!!

Happy Birthday Jordan!

It was Jordan's 30th birthday yesterday! We didn't do much for the day of. We both worked long days and came home and both of us needed alone time. We talked about our day and how it was busy and some what stressful. More so for Jordan then me. We went back to Twin to get some food and then came back to watch Kong Fu Panda! It was great to hear Jordan laugh. To forget about work and to spend time together which we really didn't get to do all week.
Now that may sound like a boring birthday but I did do a surprise for him on Tuesday. Stan and Cathy took us to dinner at Canyon Crest that evening. It was a really nice place to spend with loved ones. Cooper was even there to enjoy our evening. After dinner Jordan and I went to rent Kong Fu Panda to watch. But when we got home to Jordan's surprise there were a lot of cars in front of our house! We came in and all of Jordan's close friends were there. We had his high school buddies and their families and then there were his golfing buddies and their wives (which that includes my boss as one of the golfing buddies). Then of course we had Stan, Cathy and Cooper and Wade and Terra from work. It was really nice to have the house full of people who make a difference in our lives.
It wasn't easy to keep it a secret from Jordan and to sneak around. He knew something was up but didn't know what. I lost sleep over it and probably more sleep if I didn't have help from his parents, Tracy, Matt and Wade. Thank you so much. Well, I do have pictures but they are on Tracy's camera. Once I get them I will post them.
Thanks again for the ones who helped out and came and made a fun night! I had fun and so did my 30 year old husband!!! We are no longer in same decade age nor will we be for quite some time.

I got tagged

Tagged
So here are the rules of being tagged: list 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 surprising facts and then tag 5 other people.

3 joys
My Husband
Family
The gospel

3 fears
Failure
Snakes & Spiders
The unknown

3 current obsessions/collections
Blogging
Clean House
Facebook

3 surprising facts
Write with my left hand but do everything else with my right
Miss running the 400 in track
Actually love to cook when I know what to cook

I tag these 5 people:
Alise, Brooke, Emily, Mary & Michelle