::: blog

a week ago today was general conference. i really enjoyed the talks and the time to think about where i am at in my life and what i need to do from here. i had questions going into general conference (mainly about direction, debt, and dating: the three things i seem to be worrying about recently) and they were all answered. i posted my notes from conference on my scripture wiki, but if you want to actually listen to the talks you can find them at the church’s website, or on www.byu.tv (under the tab “LDS Church Broadcasts”).

click here to see my notes in my scripture wiki.

here are some screen shots from the broadcast:

here is a list of three of the talks that i felt a particular affinity for:

• Let Him Do It with Simplicity — Elder L. Tom Perry
• The Ministry of Angles — Elder Jefferey R. Holland
• Come to Zion — Elder D. Todd Christofferson
• Pray Always — Elder David A. Bednar
• Gospel Teaching—Our Most Important Calling — William D. Oswald

Today at church, John Lilegren gave a talk on structure and order in the Kingdom of God and quoted the following poem, which he found in a talk given by Thomas S. Monson in April 1986 General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also know as the “Mormons“), entitled “Call of Duty.”

Father, where shall I work today?
And my love flowed warm and free.
Then He pointed out a tiny spot
And said, “Tend that for me.”
I answered quickly, “Oh no; not that!
Why, no one would ever see,
No matter how well my work was done;
Not that little place for me.”
And the word He spoke, it was not stern;
He answered me tenderly:
“Ah, little one, search that heart of thine.
Art thou working for them or for me?
Nazareth was a little place,
And so was Galilee.”

(Meade McGuire)

so i thought i would watch the byu devotion today, not knowing who was speaking, or what they were talking about — and this is what i found. it seemed to me to be a bit of a message that i do need to do what i have been feeling i need to do, that is, make more friends and get out of my post-mission solitude and restricted comfort zone. i really liked what she said and how she said it; and despite none of it being earth shattering or revolutionary, if applied it truly would push the world forward towards eternal bliss and aid in the creation of a web of friendships linking us together through the ages, and move forwards towards that perfect day, when (as written the in the doctrine and covenants 130:2)

“that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy.”

so, all of that to say that i enjoyed the talk and took some notes, which i will include here in my blog.

BETH VAUGHAN COLE

of the BYU College of Nursing

(given on the 4th of April, 2008)

to view, visit http://byub.org/devotionals/

When Upon Life’s Billows: Take a Friend

4 recomendations for the college student
(that is, for me… and you, by extension):

• make friends
• have a wide variety of friends
• make your spouse your friend
• make christ your friend

1. don’t neglect the making of friends

scriptures on “FRIENDS”

• exodus 33:11
• 1 samuel 18:1
• mark 5:19
• john 15:13
• john 11:5,11,35

friendships take time and attention
qualities of a good friend:

• knows you,
• likes you,
• wishes the best for you,
• take time for you
• makes you a better person,
• inspires you,
• sustains you at critical times.

2. have a wide variety of friends

be friends with those of differing strengths

don’t be offended by those who are not your friends, this makes you blind to other opportunities.

value each and every individual you meet, remember, as C.S. Lewis wrote in The Weight of Glory:

“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics.”

and then, continuing:

“There are no ordinary people. You have never met a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it s with immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry , snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.”

3. make your spouse your friend

affection is a beginning, but it will take more to sustain a life-long relationship

take time to listen to each other and your dreams

work to become such an one, so the other can say years from now, that

“he/she gets better and better as i get to know him/her.”

4. make Christ your friend

“What a Friend We Have in Jesus”

Verse:
What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and grieves to bear.
What a privilege we often carry
everything to God in prayer.

Oh what peace we often forfeit,
oh what needless pain we’re to bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Are you different because you know Christ?

What have you done because of your relationship to Him?

LEARN TO LOVE — LEARN TO GIVE — LEARN TO BE A FRIEND

I’m Going to Send You Down to Earth

“I’m going to send you down to Earth,”
God said, to me, one day.
“I’m giving you what man calls birth;
Tonight, you start away;
I want you, there, to live with men,
Until I call you back again.”

I trembled as I heard Him speak,
Yet knew that I must go.
I felt God’s hand upon my cheek
And whished that I might know.
Just what, on Earth, would be my task,
And timidly I dared to ask.

“Tell me before I start away,
What Thou wouldst have me do?
What message wouldst Thou have me speak?
When shall my work be through?
That I might serve Thee better on the Earth,
Please tell me the purpose of my birth.”

God smiled and gently, sweetly said,
“Oh, you’ll find your task.
I want you free, life’s path to tread,
So do not stay to ask.
Remember this, if your best you’ll do,
That I will ask no more of you.”

Often as my work I do,
So common place and grim.
I sit and sigh and wish I knew,
If I were pleasing Him.
I wonder if in all my Earthly test,
If I have truly tried to do my best?”

reading the daily paper today, i realized that there really is not much “news” at all…..

in other words, i completely agree with the late President Gordon B. Hinckley, who said:

“[The Book of Mormon] is a chronicle of nations long since gone. But in its descriptions of the problems of today’s society, it is as current as the morning newspaper and much more definitive, inspired, and inspiring concerning the solutions to those problems.”

i also agree and have experiences wihat President Ezra Taft Benson wrote back in 1986:

“It is not just that the Book of Mormon teaches us truth; though, indeed, it does that. It’s not just that the Book of Mormon bears testimony of Christ; though, indeed, it does that too. But there is something more. There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to seriously study the book. You’ll find great power to resist temptation. You’ll find the power to avoid deception…. These books contain the voices of the Lord to us in there latter days.”

and so it is… with study and prayer comes power and a feeling of peace and love. yesterday as i taught about Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, i felt that once again. i felt to “rejoice in the words of Isaiah” as does Nephi for the things he teaches me about life today. and, it is as current as the morning news and much more inspiring.

(if anyone out there wants, they can get a free copy of the Book of Mormon, all that they have to do is go to www.mormong.org and then, at the bottom of the page click on the link to request a free copy).