Daughters of Zion

"It is precisely because the Daughters of Zion are so uncommon that the adversary will not leave them alone."

The more often I have thought about the role of women in the church, the more I have come to realize how important it is that the daughters of the Lord come to know who they are. The daughters of Zion are, in fact, uncommon. We are uncommon because we believe in the family unit: we yearn to be mothers, to have children, to nurture. This undoubtedly sets us apart from many of our sisters in the world... we are unique, uncommon... and it is not a bad thing. We were meant to be a peculiar people--to set an example--surely the women of the church are no different in this manner than the men.

Our divine nature to create and nurture leaves the women of the church as a great threat to Satan... and that is why he works so hard on us. I feel like this is amplified within the LDS church. There is a stereotype of the perfect LDS woman: she has a vegetable garden, cans the products from her garden, keeps an immaculately clean home, produces children who always behave well in sacrament meeting, and is perfectly well kept at all times. This stereotype exists within our church, and far too many women believe that if they cannot meet this "cookie-cutter-mormon woman" they are somehow failing-- somehow less of a woman than her neighbor. This is a lie. Satan works so hard to convince the daughters of Zion that they are not enough. But this is not how the Lord wants his daughters to view themselves. A daughter of Zion needs to "lay aside the things of the world, and seek for the things of a better"--the things that actually matter.

Afflictions

D&C 24: 7-8

7: For thou shalt devote all thy service in Zion; and in this thou shalt have strength.

8: Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many, but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days.

"Be patient." "Endure." "Everyone has afflictions." I have heard all of these phrases many times in my life... and admittedly, I myself have passed them on as words of advice or solace when a friend or loved one is struggling. I feel like this is good advice, but perhaps there is something more we could remind our friend, or ourselves when we are struggling. Perhaps we could share the truth that is found in the end of verse eight--the reality that Lord is with us. How amazing is that? The Lord is literally with us to lift us up and help us bear our afflictions "even unto the end of our days." Our ability to be patient and endure our afflictions is not something we can do alone. We are were not meant to suffer them alone. I was not meant to suffer alone.

Another incredible thing is that before the Lord even informed us about the trials that we would have, he gave us a solution to the problem. In verse seven we are counseled to give service, and then we are promised strength as a blessing for giving service. Here is yet another evidence that Heavenly Father is so incredibly kind and loving. He provides a solution to our problem before he even informs us about the problem that we will be faced with. Furthermore, He promises to remain by our side while we are encountering those afflictions and problems. Could there be a more perfect father? I cannot imagine one.

Voice of The Lord

D&C 21: 5-6
5. For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.
6. For by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his names's glory.

I think about how often we seek to hear the voice of the Lord, how often we seek to get answers to specific questions. Whom to marry, which career to choose, or how to influence a certain family member or friend that seems to be struggling. But what about the things that we don't realize we need answers to? How do we seek an answer to a problem for which we are currently ignorant to? Are we to wait until the problems are upon us and then suppose the Lord will produce new doctrine or revelation that will aide us in our situation? While there are situations where personal revelation are necessary, many times the Lord has already provided answers to our questions--well in advance to our seeking for them--he does this through the voice of his Prophets.
Living prophets are one of the greatest blessings I can imagine. Not only because it testifies of God's love for his children, but because by obedience to their counsel and command we can obtain eternal glory. With this knowledge, who then are we to question any of the brethren's teachings? Can we limit what God wants us to tell us about any subject? No. Is it going to be easy to accept everything that the brethren council us to do? Probably not. But that is not the point. The point is to choose to be obedient to the Lord's commandment. If we choose to sustain the brethren, as prophets, seers, and revelators, then we should choose to accept the doctrine that they teach as well. This conscious choice to be obedient on our part will bring us great blessings.

Prayer

Misery loves company, and because of his choices, Satan is miserable. He will do anything in his power to bring us down to his level; he will do anything to ensure that we do not succeed. Satan works so hard to get us down. But we cannot let him win. Even passive lethargicism is a feeling that we need to be weary of. Life is beautiful. It was meant to be embraced. There will be times when it will be hard to see the silver lining in the storm cloud, there will be times when falling into a pessimistic attitude will be much easier than choosing to be optimistic, but we must not fall for Satan's traps. When we are at our lowest, we are more susceptible to his tactics. I am under no delusion that we can outsmart Satan: he is very good at what he does. But this does not mean he is an unbeatable foe. When those difficult times come, the times where we are at our very lowest, the times when we are struggling the most, pray. There is power in prayer. Satan cannot be our master if we choose to give our will to another.

Reality of Maturity and Happiness

"To the immature, other people are not real."

We all experience the same emotions: we all know joy, sorrow, and loneliness. Even though we come to learn these emotions through differing circumstances and situations, we are united in that we, as people—as humans—have all felt them. We can relate to each other. I feel as if many of us are better at relating to those we know, but the true test of one’s maturity and character is how they treat those they don't know. Once we can learn to acknowledge that the stranger sitting next to us is as real as we are—that they are as human as us—I believe we become more mature beings, coming closer to our divine potential.

"The kind of people we are cannot be separated from how we interpret the world around us." This quote, along with the entire section about how to obtain happiness is incredible. Life is difficult, this is a fact. It is also true that often times, it is fraught with illness, affliction, grief, and pain. But that does not necessitate that it be devoid of happiness. Warner put it beautifully when he said that life "is more like a decision than a condition." It is far too easy to fall a victim of circumstance and allow ourselves to justify a bad attitude. We must remember that Happiness is an attitude, not a diagnosis. Unlike the trials you are faced with, which you often have little control over, you do have complete control over your attitude. If we choose to be happy, then we will see or interpret the world in a much more positive light. I am not suggesting that we become ignorant to that which is bad in the world, but rather, to take notice of what is good, and choose to dwell on that. Life is what we choose to make it.

Balancing Desires

The home is crumbling. The family is crumbling. The basic unit of eternity is being attacked from all angles. Confusion of gender roles and supposed stereotypes has inflicted an internal struggle for those who seek to desire both career as well as family success. The struggle between our desires to be successful in the academic or business world and our desires to be successful in the home are constantly competing... how do we satiate these seemingly opposing desires? We turn to the temple.

Protection from the increasing wickedness can be found there. The strength that one receives from regularly attending the temple will act as a shield against the lies the adversary would have members of the church believe. The temple offers a place where members can leave the things of the world and focus on what truly matters: eternal principles and knowledge. This knowledge along with promptings of the Holy Ghost will help us find a way to balance all of the righteous desires of our hearts. As we attend the temple regularly, and seek to make it a part of ourselves, the spirit of the temple will be with us not only while we are inside of those hallowed walls, it will always accompany us. As we seek to carry the spirit of the temple with us, the good and great things we will accomplish in this life will not only be within the walls of our homes... it, like all light, will spread into every aspect of our lives.

Education and Women

"I am feminist." As of late, I find myself saying this with more frequency and more pride than ever before. Why am I feminist? Because I understand what being feminist really is. It has nothing to do with the stereotypical, bra-burning, man-hating female who is running rampant in the streets. Rather, being feminist is being a proponent of feminism.

What, then, is Feminism? My Women's Studies professor always described it as women taking control of their own destiny. The longer I have thought about that definition, the more I have come to love it. Why do I love it? Because it helps even out the playing field that society has created; being born a woman does not make you a victim of an unfortunate circumstance. Women can be informed. Women can be educated. Women can be opinionated. Women have options. The notion that women are capable of creating whatever future they want for themselves is a feminist belief--a belief that I personally find empowering.

Why is a feministic attitude so empowering? Because if embraced, it negates every derogatory thought, statement, joke, ect. that has ever been said about a woman. Women are strong: although there is a biological difference that puts us at a slight disadvantage to men, emotionally and mentally we have the same capacities that they do. The statistic that boys are better at math than girls are... is a lie. If there is any quantifiable, notable difference in the ability to compute math problems between boys and girls it has been derived from social conditioning rather than from an actual biological difference. But I digress... my point is this, women are capable of doing anything they set their mind to--including becoming educated.

There is no reason that women cannot become as educated as men, and in my opinion, women should be as educated as their male counterparts. There are many benefits to women being educated, but the most over-arching theme that I've seen is that education can improve a woman's quality of life--that is not to say that a woman cannot have a great life if she is not educated; however, if she is educated, the potential for her quality of life is increased. If you educate about her potential, her value, her worth I believe that you will, in fact, change her life. If you want to decrease teen pregnancy as well as the amount of women who are being domestically abused, educate them. Far too many women do not understand that they have the right to say no: that they deserve to be treated as an equal, and that they are not here on earth merely for the enjoyment of man. If you teach women that they are worth something, that they have options other than remaining in meaningless, demeaning, subservient roles, the world would change. Do I have statistical evidence to back up these claims? Presently, No. But give me a few years, a MSW and I think you'd be surprised what I'll be able to show you.

Faith to Move Mountains

"As I think about faith, this principle of power, I am obliged to believe that it is an intelligent force. Of what kind, I do not know. But it is superior to and overrules all other forces of which we know... We have had this great power given unto us, this power of faith. What are we doing about it? Can you, can we, do the things that the Savior did? Yes. They have been done by the members of the Church who had the faith and the righteousness so to do. Think of what is within your power if you but live the Gospel, if you but live so that you may invoke the power which is within you." -President J. Rebuen Clark Jr. (In Conference Report, Apr. 1960, p.21)

How many forces and principles do we know? We know of gravity and inertia, as well as the conservation of mass and energy. But let us not forget the principle of faith. . Faith is not only a principle, it is a power: a power with which miraculous things can occur.

We read in the scriptures about ancient prophets who were able to perform miracles and command the elements, and change the face of the earth… all because they had enough faith. I feel as though many of us will not be called to defy the physical forces of science and move mountains from one hemisphere to another... but many will be faced with huge spiritual mountains that need to be conquered. When life's inevitable trials and tribulations come upon us, how do we overcome them? How do we become victorious? We establish a principle to which man's teaching alone cannot compare: Faith.

But how do we establish such faith? How do we harness the power that is within us? We work. As simple as it sounds, that is what must be done. Great blessings and power do not come to those who simply wish for them. If we desire to have the kind of faith that our Savior does, we must be willing to pray sincerely daily, have daily scripture study, serve others, and attend the temple regularly. This notion of daily diligence allows us to live in a manner so we can "invoke the power that is within us."

The power within us is real. Our capacity to overcome the trials and mountains in life is real. If we work for the power that is within us. If we magnify our potential. If we have faith.

Humanity and the Lies We Tell Ourselves

Humanity. What does it mean to treat someone humanely? Warner claims that our own humanity is intimately tied with our ability to perceive or sense others needs and feelings. Warner also states that “to recognize another individual as a person, even if we don’t see a face or hear a voice, is to know that we should treat him or her differently from the way we would treat a mannequin or a statue.” A statue doesn’t mind if you take advantage of it or if you ignore it for days. The difference between a statue and a person is a person has feelings. A person has needs. But how can we know how to fulfill these needs? One must find in them a willingness to act upon the impressions that they receive; one must learn to act.

We must learn to look outside yourself and search for the opportunity to fulfill those needs. We know what you should do to help someone. We receive thoughts and impressions that we should go visit a friend at work, say a kind thing to a stranger, or write a note to an old friend. But what keeps us from actually doing them? Selfishness. Selfishness, in large part, is the belief that our situation is more difficult or more important that those who surround you. We often justify our tendency to put our needs and desires above others, but that does not make it right. We must fight the urge to get so caught up in our own lives that we forget to look around us—that we forget to treat those around us as people, as individuals who have feelings and emotions, and who experience life just as we do. When we can learn to stop justifying our mistreatment of others, we will become more humane.

The Work

D&C 4:3 Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to do the work.

"It is not necessary for you to be called to go into the mission field in order to proclaim the truth. Being on the man who lives next door by inspiring confidence in him. By inspiring confidence in him, by inspiring love in him for you because of your righteousness, and your missionary work has already begun." -Elder George Albert Smith (In Conference Report, Oct. 1916, pp. 50-51.)

Desire. What an interesting word. A desire of the heart is more than just a mere wish—it is a sincere longing. I feel as though the desires of one’s heart and their willingness to act upon their intentions often go hand in hand. A lie that circulates in the church is that the only work to be done is that of formally called missionaries. However, if one simply has the desire to serve the Lord, then there is work for you... and you can be a missionary of sorts. A missionary doesn’t have to be preaching the doctrine of the church all of the time. That is not to say that a disciple of Christ should turn down opportunities to share the gospel… but some of the work that needs to be done requires more than just preaching. There are far too many members who come to church feeling lonely. There are far too many members of our community that feel alienated from their “Mormon neighbors” because of their religion. How do we bridge these gaps? How do we soothe these troubled souls? We reach out to them. We love them. We share with them the love of their Heavenly Father. Not only by informing them of it, but by showing them love. We instill in them the confidence they need to feel like they are no longer an outcast: neither in the place they call home, nor in the place they come to worship. Is full-time missionary service important? Undoubtedly. But that is not the only work to be done. Anyone who has the desire love, to care, to share any small truth of the gospel has been called. The work is not only informing people about the gospel, it is helping them along the way.

True Love

So I'm currently in a Doctrine and Covenants class, and I have to write a paper every class period about something that I learned.... I have a feeling that I will love these assignments :) it's almost like not even doing homework at all! Here's the one from today :)

Doctrine and Covenants 1:17
"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;"

Natural disasters, physical ailments, guilt, sin, wickedness in various forms, these problems—calamities if you will—are filling the earth like efy kids fill the Creamery on ninth on a hot summer’s night. Simply put, the world today has a lot of issues. I’ve heard a lot of pessimistic views expressed recently about the state of the earth, and there seems to always be a follow up question of how a loving Heavenly Father could send the children to such a fallen place. A place where the aforementioned calamities cause so much pain and suffering. Suffering which, in large part has been brought on by the very children who have been blessed to inhabit the earth.

Heavenly Father loves His children. He knew before the trials and calamities even started the pain and sorrow it would bring to those who fell captive to the ways of the world. He knows all things. He knew that there would be those who chose to corrupt the world which had been given as a gift to the children of men. So what did He do? Did he send the children that He loves and cares about so much to fend for themselves? No. He called a prophet so that He could lead his church by revelation. He gave us commandments. Commandments that if one chooses to follow will not become a hindrance to our social acceptance, but an aide to our eternal progression.

One of the many beauties of this gospel is that it teaches that we have a loving Heavenly Father.He is real. He has not sent us here to suffer alone. He, with his infinite knowledge, has prepared ways to keep us safe and happy… the only thing that we have to do is to choose to follow what He has asked.

Truth

I’ve been assigned to read “Bonds that make us Free” by C. Terry Warner for my Psychology of Gender class this semester… and I can already tell that I’m going to love it. The first treasure that I found was in the preface. Here, the author warned the reader of the danger of taking any advice at face value and accepting it as truth. There is wisdom in finding out for one’s self what truth is. Truth is subjective to each individual… and as such, there is no better authority on what is right for you, than yourself. That is not to say that you cannot learn from those who are experts in a certain field or from your spiritual leaders… just don’t follow anyone blindly. You have a mind. You have been given the gift of discernment and judgment. Use it. Test the things that are being presented to you—think them over carefully, and if you determine them to be truthful, embrace them; if you find them to be untrue, discard and avoid them.

Warner has more than just advice for accepting truth in relation to theories or doctrine... he also illustrates the importance of finding truth about the relationships you are in—and being honest with yourself about what is really occurring. It is hard to admit to yourself when you are mistreating someone. It is hard to admit that you are in the wrong. But that does not mean it is not the truth. It does not matter how educated or experienced you are if you are hurting the ones you love by mistreating them. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect. There are no extenuating circumstances that denote otherwise. It breaks my heart that often times the ones that we hurt the most are the ones that are closest to us: the ones we should be the most sensitive and kind to are sometimes the recipients of the vilest cruelty. When opposing opinions or difficult situations present themselves, loved ones become viewed as enemies. This is something that must be avoided.

New Favorite Scripture

3 Nephi 17:1o

"And they did all, both they who had been healed and they who were were whole, bow down at his feet, and did worship him; and as many as could come for the multitude did kiss his feet, insomuch that they did bathe his feet with their tears."

I read this scripture the other night, and I fell in love. It's beautiful. In classic literary critic fashion, I will break it down and explain the reasons I love it so dearly.

"And they did all... bow down and worship him" I love this part of the scripture because it teaches an essential gospel truth. Through Christ's Atoning sacrifice, everyone can be made clean. Everyone can be allowed to be put on a level playing field. there are so many things in life that separate us from one another: whether it be level of education, economic status, occupation, physical limitations... but one act was the great equalizer, that act was the Atonement. The Atonement provides the same opportunities and affords the same privileges to every woman, man, and child regardless of race, social class, or any other defining characteristic. The Atonement works for everyone. The Atonement brings people from all walks of life, and no matter their circumstances, it lifts them to a higher place, a place they could never hope to reach by themselves.

Along with that, is the next part of the scripture "both they who had been healed and they who were whole." This too teaches important truths. First, there is the phrase "they who had beenhealed" it's in past tense! We have evidence in this scripture of Christ's healing powers. Now the people in this scripture who had been healed, had been physically healed. This scripture is taken from the account of Christ's visit to the Nephites in the Americas. But because this scripture is referring to the physical ailments that Christ healed, that does not mean that he is only able to heal those who are physically wounded. He can heal the soul. He can heal hearts. He can heal any sorrow, any grief, any pain. As it is, he can heal those who are afflicted in any manner. Why can he heal those who are afflicted in any manner? Because he has gone beneath it all. He has felt every individual pain, both emotionally as well as physically. He has been there. And he knows how to heal us as individuals.

The other notable part of that phrase is the part that says the ones who were "whole" also bowed down to worship Christ. How humbling it is to be reminded that we all need Christ. There is not one among us who is whole without the help of our Savior. Those who have never had a need to use the forgiveness and mercy that is offered through the Atonement in large ways still need Christ too. He is the redeemer of all mankind, not just the redeemer of the sinners, or the outcast and down trodden. It pains me to see those who have embraced the process of repentance and forsaken their sins, and yet still feel as though they will never be worthy of someone who has never sinned in a large way... because everyone needs Christ. No one would be able to receive exaltation without him. We all need our Savior, those who are broken, those who are in the process of mending, and those who have been made whole.

The other lesson that I learned from this scripture was about expressing thanks to God. First, after Christ had healed sick, those who had been healed, as well as those who were already whole, "bow(ed) down at his feet, and did worship him." This reminded me of the importance of being thankful for the wonders and miracles that have been preformed in our behalf. Miracles don't have to be large. They don't have to be life altering. But we do need to express thanks for them.

Another thing to take notice of is the fact that the people bowed when they worshiped and were giving thanks. Usually, I am opposed to anything that signifies inequality and or servitude, but not when we're praying. Here, in this case, it is of vital importance to remember who is the master and who is the servant. The act of kneeling signifies that the one worshiping acknowledges their master, and accepts Him and His power; we come to our Heavenly Father in a physical state that symbolically represents our humility. The scripture then continues on to describe the manner in which it is appropriate to worship Christ... and, I would add, our Heavenly Father. "As many as could come for the multitude did kiss his feet, insomuch that they did bathe his feet with their tears." Notice that they did kiss his feet and bathe his feet with their tears. These were not casual worshipers. These were not people who took lightly the miracles that they had witnessed.

I love this scripture. For so many different reasons, but I think underlying theme that I fell in love with was the notion that we all have need to worship our savior. It doesn't matter who we are, where we have been, what we have done, or what has been done to us. Because of Christ, and through his Atonement, we are all made equal. We are all made clean. And that is why we worship him.

Sand Bags

Potato Farmers. Hicks. Uneducated. Uncultured. Simple. Traditional. I've heard all of these words used in describing the stereotypical Idahoan... most of them in the past week. And it breaks my heart. The people that are found in South Eastern Idaho are part of a dying race. They are a type of people that the world scoffs at, and yet, they have so much to offer. Let me explain.

The Snake River is flooding. Predictions are that it will be much worse than it was in '97. Blackfoot is one of the areas that is experiencing the most damage. But it's not the city that is experiencing the brunt of the flooding, it's the people that live out in the country who are suffering. Homes are being ruined. Crops are being lost--entire fields are being washed away. I dont know if anyone who is unfamiliar with farming can understand how much money lies in a single field, and how damaging losing an entire crop can be... especially to a small family farm. In times of strife or hardship, I believe that one's true character is made evident. I believe that is true for a community as well.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to go fill sand bags. Its a simple task really. You take a bag, fill it with sand, tie it, and then stack it on a pallet. The pallets of sand bags were then distributed to homes around the community that needed it. All in an effort to try and help save their homes from the flooding river. Pretty simple, right? Yes. Not because its easy work, or because it doesn't take skill-- simple only because of the amazing people that live in this community.

I witnessed some of the most selfless love yesterday. There was equipment being used, at the cost of the owners, so that the sand bags could be filled faster and more efficiently. There was food provided for the workers. There were selfless people who donated their time to come and bag sand for people that they might not even know. Why? Because that's how we do things out here in the sticks. The same "simple-minded potato farmers" that are "uncultured and uneducated" are the same people who are willing to give everything they have to help their neighbors. They saw a need, and they found a way to meet it. They're selfless. They know how to work. They aren't afraid to get a little bit dirty. And they love unconditionally.

I'm so proud to say that I'm an Idaho farm girl.