I Believe in Cooking

I Believe in Cooking

I believe in cooking or should I say I believe in eating.  I love to cook and then eat.  My favorite things to cook are Chinese and Mexican meals.  I like both of them hot and spicy.  Cooking makes me feel good and eating makes me feel even better.  When I cook Chris says I don’t know how to cook for less than 20.  So we always either have lots of leftovers or we have a lot of people to dinner.  There is something about cooking that really gets my creative juices flowing and it is very rewarding to create something that other people enjoy eating.  So if you are looking for a creative outlet, try cooking.  I believe in cooking and eating.

I believe in Siblings

I believe in Siblings

I believe in siblings, because they enrich my life.  At least mine are wonderful and have been and continue to be so supportive or our decision to serve missions for the next few years.  They are great examples of Christ like living and I love them and appreciate them so much.  I am the baby of the family and they have a few years of experience on me.  I feel their commitment and testimonies in the way they live and they bless my life.  Beth and Ed must be really proud of their kids and how they have stayed faithful and raised up a posterity to bring joy and rejoicing to their lives.  Thanks Gar who has passed away and his wife Molly, Tad and wife Tove, Van and wife Maude, and Alice and husband Bob who has passed also, I love you and admire you and I am so grateful you are my siblings.  I believe in siblings.

I Believe in Being Agents

I Believe in Being Agents that Act and

Not Objects that are Acted Upon.

This was really what I talked about in church last Sunday.  Elder Bednar in April 2012 conference said:

"As bearers of God’s holy authority we are agents to act and not objects to be acted upon."

Last week in conference he said: 

"As we are yoked with Him through sacred covenants and receive the enabling power of His atonement in our lives, we increasingly will seek to understand and live according to His will.  We also will pray for the strength to learn from, change, or accept our circumstances rather than praying relentlessly for God to change our circumstances.  We will become agents who act rather than objects that are acted upon."

I have thought a lot about what this phase means to be agents who act and not objects be acted upon.   I believe Elder Bednar thinks this is important he has been talking about this for more than 2 years.  So what does it mean to be agents who act and not objects that are acted upon? 

 Let’s start in D and C 58: 26-28, 

26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.

 27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

 28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.

I believe Elder Bednar is saying agents act for themselves they don’t wait to be told to do good.  That agents are anxiously engaged in a good cause and do many things of their own free will and agents bring to pass much righteousness.  

Let me read verse 28 again.  For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves, and inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.

Elder Bednar is teaching us that learning to become agents will help us gain eternal life.  It is not enough to keep the commandments we have to be anxiously engaged in a good cause and bring about much righteousness of our own free will.  We have to choose to be engaged in the work of salvation.  We have to act for ourselves.  I believe in being agents that act and not objects that are acted upon.

I Believe in General Conference

I Believe in General Conference

I believe in general conference should be a given, since I am a believer.  But really, can you get better advice and a good helping of the Spirit, any other place?  More than a few times I found myself wiping the tears out of my eyes.  I love to feel the Spirit bearing testimony of the truth.  I love the talks; they are always so upbeat and uplifting.  The doctrine is clear and I come away grateful for being a member and having the time to listen to all 10 hours of conference.  I believe you will be a better person if you try and follow the messages of general conference.  I will enjoy reading and listening to these talks again and again.  I believe in general conference.

I Believe in Not Taking Offense

I Believe in Not Taking Offense

I believe in not taking offense.  For me life is really too short to spend time being offended.  I believe it is a waste of time and counterproductive.  It gets you nowhere and it blocks the Spirit.  Being angry or upset at someone drives the Spirit away and makes it really hard to forgive and forget.  Ultimately we have to learn to forgive if we ever want forgiveness of our sins.   So why waste time being offended and block the ability to forgive.  Forgive and forget.  Move on with your life and you will be a lot happier and you will be closer to being forgiven.  Everything for me boils down to how do I get back to Father in Heaven.  What must I do?   I must learn to forgive those that have offended me.  So I believe in not taking offense.