I just wanted to share...

I don't know of too many people who read my blog who aren't members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but if you aren't we have a bi-annual conference that the entire church gets to watch via Satellite or listen to over the computer. After the conference we get a magazine with all of the talks transcribed for us to re-read. The people who talk are prophets and apostles and other members of the church to teach us guidelines for our lives. Anyway, I've been reading the talks and wanted to share some of the important things I am learning.

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin in his talk Come What May , and Love it speaks of how to deal with things that come our way. His Mother once said to him "Come what may, and love it". He poses the question, "How can we love days that are filled with Sorrow?" He answers, "We can't - at least not in the moment." But he gives us some guidelines for how to get through some of the hard things.

First, he says Learn to Laugh.

Second, seek for the eternal - realize that we have eternity to learn and grow

Third and my favorite and the reason I am posting this, the principle of compensation,

He says, "The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude. 

"One of the blessings of the gospel is the knowledge that when the curtain of death signals the end of our mortal lives, life will continue on the other side of the veil. There we will be given new opportunities. Not even death can take from us the eternal blessings promised by a loving Heavenly Father.

"Because Heavenly Father is Merciful, a principle of compensation prevails."

A second talk I love is by Elder Dieter F Uchtdorf who is quickly becoming my favorite apostle! He speaks like he truly understands human sadness and life's shortcomings in general! His talk The Infinite Power of Hope really touched me! 

He begins with a story about his mother during World War II. His father was drafted into the German Army leaving her to care for her 4 children, alone! She finally decided to flee Czechoslovakia to Germany where her parents were. She boarded a train with her 4 small children, Elder Uchtdorf being only 3 at the time. At one of the stops she exited the train to find food for her children, when she returned the train was gone! She searched and searched for the train and instead of losing hope and wallowing in despair, she found where the train had been moved. Luckily it had not left without her. Elder Uchtdorf says, "I know with certainty: her faith overcame her fear, and her hope overcame her despair. She was not a woman who would sit and bemoan tragedy. She moved. She put her faith and hope into action."

He closes his talk with these few statements. "The example of our mother, even in the worst of times, to move forward and put faith and hope into action, not just worrying and wishful thinking, sustained our family and me and gave confidence that present circumstances would give way to future blessings." 

I would like to be a person who moves forward and puts faith and hope into action instead of worry and wishful thinking!

He then quotes Nephi from the Book of Mormon, "Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upong the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."

"And to all who suffer - to all who feel discouraged, worried, or lonely - I say with love and deep concern for you, Never give in. Never surrender. Never allow despair to overcome your spirit.

Those are some of the portions that impressed me in my reading thus far. Thanks for reading and letting me share.