Families 'R Us

On Friday night I found myself shopping with some friends for a baby shower gift. We found ourselves at Babies ‘R Us, the most logical place to find a baby gift. As we sat in the amazingly comfortable recliners that they had on display we found ourselves looking around and noticing the people in the store. There were the pregnant women with their spouses, looking for the perfect items for their to-be baby. There was the family of five with all of the kids making a lot of ruckus over a toy that they really want. With all of this happening one of my friends commented that “coming here is kind of motivational.” At first, it just seemed as if this was a funny statement, but in all reality our trip to this store helped to show how much a greater emphasis is put on the family here in “Happy” Valley than in the rest of the world.

The Savior taught that “for this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and twain they shall be one flesh (Matthew 19:5).” Most people view marriage and having a family as something that is secondary to having a career. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a different perspective. The leaders of our church declared in The Family: A Proclamation to the World that “God's commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.” We know that it is one of our purposes to have a family and take care of them. A career is an important thing, but our family is the only thing that we can take with us. So the next time you are in Babies ‘R Us take a look around and realize just how lucky we are to have such an eternal perspective on the importance of the family.

Lost in Orem

To an outsider, Utah can be a very foreign place. The big open sky. Mountains that touch the sky. People actually being friendly to strangers. While all of these can be shocking at first, most people quickly adapt to these things. One thing that takes a little longer is the grid system. On a recent trip to a wedding reception located at 200 W 665 S in Orem, my roommates and I were overwhelmed by the complexity of the so called “simple” grid system. It was smooth sailing as we left Provo and entered Orem. That is when the problems started. As we crossed State Street looking for 200 West, we were surprised when that street didn’t exist. Instead there was only Orem Blvd. (how do streets such as Palisade and Paradise drives fit into the numbered grid system exactly?). As we made a quick trip through the Target parking lot and headed south, we eventually found 220 West which sent us through a maze of dead ends and cul-de-sacs. To make a long story short, after many turns and much frustration, we made it to the reception and had an enjoyable time. This trip taught me an important lesson, which will not soon be forgotten.

When Brigham Young entered the valley, he set up the grid system with wide roads so the saints would be able to move more easily. Granted that he was the prophet, Brother Brigham probably never imagined the world in which we live today, where Targets and superhighways dot the land. As were lost in Orem, I realized just how important it is that we have a modern prophet, who is aware of the “named” streets and dead ends that make up the street system of Utah. If the last instruction that we had, was the instruction that came from Brigham Young, we would all be lost. God knew this, and that is why he has called a living prophet for our day so we can make it to our destination safely and on time. That destination is back to our Heavenly Father, who loves us so much that He has called a prophet to lead and guide us. It is up to us to follow his instruction so we do not end up veering off the path and running into dead ends, that leave you stuck without anywhere to go. If we follow the living prophet’s counsel then we will be able to navigate our way safely through the “grid” system and return to our Heavenly Father, who is waiting with open arms to welcome us back into His presence.

All for One, One for All

Throughout the New Testament, Jesus referred to His disciples as His friends. Even as Judas approached Him to give Jesus the kiss of betrayal, the Savior “said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come?” (Matthew 26:50). The love that Christ must have had for His disciples must have been great. They were the ones who were willing to leave their professions and follow Him. They were the ones who stood by Him when His authority was questioned by the Pharisees and the Sadducees. It must have been hard to say goodbye to His closest friends with whom He spent so much time preaching the Gospel. I would venture to say that it was this unified purpose that made the Savior so close to His apostles. I have found that this unifying cause can be a great way to build friendships.

When I was on my mission, all the missionaries were united in the purpose of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the people of Hungary. While everyone did not get along with everyone, we had a common purpose which united us all. The more we served with each other the better friends we became. When the times got tough and hard, we relied on each other to help us overcome our struggles. Some of the best friends I have today I met on my mission. As I have had the opportunity to hang out with these individuals outside of the mission I realized just how much we bonded on the mission. The experiences that we shared in Hungary have created a unique bond, that will most likely last forever. I think that is what God intended for us, just like with the original twelve apostles. I’m sure they relied on each other’s strength after the Jesus died. So it is the same with my mission friends. When the times get tough, they will be the ones that I will rely on because of the bond that was created in spreading the “Good News” of the Savior.

The Sabbath gives us many opportunities to reflect upon the previous week. Whether it is during Church or at home afterwords, Sunday offers us the rest that we need to tackle the tasks that lie ahead of us during the upcoming week. I think that an essential element to this reflecting is uplifting music. Music can bring the spirit into a situation like no other thing I know. From the Doctrine and Covenants we learn that “the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads” (see D&C 25:12). Music can help put us in the right frame of mind to receive blessings in the form of revelation.

At first I thought that this was just a modern occurrence that has happened because of church choirs and spiritual music. The most amazing thing that I found in my recent study of the New Testament is that Jesus Christ Himself found comfort in a hymn right before he atoned for the sins of the world. The account that Mark gives says: “And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives” (Mark 14:26). I’m sure that this gave a lot of comfort to the Savior as He realized that His time had come. It must have been very bittersweet as the Twelve and the other people who had gathered for the occasion sang that hymn. I hope that we all can continue to listen to uplifting music to help bring the Spirit into our lives.