Be Not Entangled

Hello Sisters!

This last week, I took my kids to the river to play.  I joined them for a little bit, and then watched them along the river bank.  While I sat there, I noticed some huge spider webs spun between the tree trunks next to me.  

I must confess, I'm not very keen on spiders, but I was mesmerized as I watched a small ant that had fallen into the web.  He dangled from a strand for about one second.  The huge spider sat watching a waiting in it's lair, but he immediately rushed to it, snatched it, and took it right back into it's lair.

I'm not sure what the little ant was doing up in the tree near the web in the first place, but I was reminded of this experience as Sis. Herbert read Galatians 5:1 during the lesson on Obedience on Sunday.

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

"True freedom lies in obedience to the councils of God." (Proverbs 6:23)

I really believe that.  I think that Satan truly wants to drag us down.  We have to keep the commandments and watch ourselves.

3 Nehpi 18:18-20

Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name; And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.

Don't forget that nasty spider waiting in the wings.  Find freedom in obedience. Smile, and keep the Holy Ghost near you!

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

Hope you have a wonderful week!

Sincerely,

Lydia

Stay on the Path

Hello Dear Sisters!

Isn’t summer wonderful!  I hope you are enjoying the sunshine and making happy family memories.

Speaking of memories, I can remember a summer as a young teenage girl when I got to spend a week with my grandparents in Salt Lake City.  It was really fun for me to have that one on one time.  I had just gotten my license and my Grandpa let me drive while he took me home to Idaho.  I think I was reminded of this drive, because Doug and I just made it as we dropped our kids off for a few days with Grandparents.  One part of that drive with Grandpa really stuck with me.  I can remember we had just made it over the Malad pass and could see the valley below, but in the far distance, we could see a billowing cloud and a wall of gray.  
​We continued on our course, singing silly songs and talking together, but we noticed the wall getting closer and closer.  It was confusing because it was such a lovely, sunny day, and everything seemed fine.  As we got a little closer we could see it was a very thick wall of rain.  As a new driver, I was a little nervous.  My wise Grandpa suggested that I pull off to the side of the highway.  I did so just in time.  The wall hit with intense force.  Hail, wind, and rain pounded the car and impaired the view.  The intense storm blew over pretty quickly, and it was almost surreal the way it returned to a lovely sunny day again.  I’m not sure what would have happened if I hadn’t heeded my Grandpa’s wise council to pull over.  I think it would have been very easy to lose control of the car and drive off the road.

We have a wise prophet that has a very clear view of what lies ahead.  He is experienced and in-tune, and he and his apostles issue warnings and give wise council regularly.  If we are not careful to heed this council, our view may become impaired and we could very easily drive of the path.

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I would encourage all of us to listen to and obey our prophet’s council.  He recently asked us to read the scriptures every day.  Here are his words:

This morning I speak about the power of the Book of Mormon and the critical need we have as members of this Church to study, ponder, and apply its teachings in our lives. The importance of having a firm and sure testimony of the Book of Mormon cannot be overstated.

We live in a time of great trouble and wickedness. What will protect us from the sin and evil so prevalent in the world today? I maintain that a strong testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and of His gospel will help see us through to safety. If you are not reading the Book of Mormon each day, please do so. If you will read it prayerfully and with a sincere desire to know the truth, the Holy Ghost will manifest its truth to you. If it is true—and I solemnly testify that it is—then Joseph Smith was a prophet who saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Isn’t that perfect council?  It’s simple, but so important.  Read your scriptures every day and follow the prophet!

I hope you have a lovely week!  Stay on the path.

Sincerely,

Lydia

Allegory of the Icy Driveway

Dear Sisters,

So… how about all this snow? J  It is actually all this white stuff that inspired my thoughts this week.

I recently had the “opportunity” to chip away at a driveway full of frozen packed ice and snow.  We have often had sweet neighbors take care of us, so I don’t want to dismiss their kindness, but they had plenty snow of their own to worry about.  Doug gets to plow snow at the temple whenever it comes down and I’m at work, so between the two of us, we don’t usually get to it very early.  We had both come home tired and quickly forgot about our driveway.  We left it for a day thinking the sun might melt it, but the frozen mess remained. 

Finally, after I nearly got stuck trying to pull into the driveway, I decided I had better address it.  As I chiseled away at the ice with a metal shovel so that my van could get through, I kept thinking, “I wish I would have just shoveled this when the snow was fresh.  It would have been so much easier!  Why didn’t we do that?!”  I found myself repeating this question several times throughout this tedious, labor intensive process.  I usually do my pondering during the menial tasks, when my mind wanders.  It was at this point that I recognized that there was a lesson to be learned here. 

While I chipped at the ice, I considered how it could represent our unrepentant sins, mistakes, or even grudges.  The longer we wait to address them, the more difficult the process of repentance can become.  It is hard work either way, but if we “frankly forgive” or “speedily repent” in the beginning when “the snow is soft,” then the heart might not have quite as much time to “freeze and harden.”  If you have something you need to repent of, don’t wait another day—get the shovel out and chip away at the ice.  Schedule an appointment with the bishop if it is something you need help addressing.

“When we sin, we turn away from God.  When we repent, we turn back toward God.  The invitation to repent is rarely a voice of chastisement but rather a loving appeal to turn around and to “re-turn” toward God.  It is the beckoning of a loving Father and His Only Begotten Son to be more than we are, to reach up to a higher way of life, to change, and to feel the happiness of keeping the commandments.  Being disciples of Christ, we rejoice in the blessing of repenting and the joy of being forgiven.  They become part of us, shaping the way we think and feel.”  -Elder Neil L. Anderson

Although my hours of hard work on the ice were unpleasant, it was satisfying once it was complete.  I still had some rough patches here and there, but was happy to find that when the sun came out the next day, it was just warm enough to melt the remaining slush away, resulting in a clear driveway.  I felt that the sun could represent the Son of God’s atonement.  He heals without a scar.  He promises that if we forsake our sins, he will remember them no more.

 “Any pain entailed in repentance will always be far less than the suffering required to satisfy justice for unresolved transgression.  The Savior spoke little about what He endured to satisfy the demands of justice and atone for our sins, but He did make this revealing statement:

“For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I; Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup.” -Elder D. Todd Christofferson

Sisters, I testify that the Savior can heal you.  If there is something in your life that you know you need to change or fix, don’t put off clearing that driveway any longer—catch it while the snow is fresh.  And if it’s already frozen, it’s not too late… pull out your shovel and get to work. J You will not regret your efforts.

Whatever the cost of repentance, it is swallowed up in the joy of forgiveness.

I hope you have a wonderful week.  Stay warm.  Travel save.  And truly, good luck with your driveways. ;)

Sincerely,

Lydia

In this there is Safety and Peace

Dear Sisters,

I meant to get an email out all last week, and the time just got away from me, but you have been in my thoughts and prayers.

I thought I would just share a few thoughts from my lesson last Sunday.  I apologize if you are hearing it for the second time, but I miss you primary and young women sisters, too. J

With our ward Relief Society theme of “Faith to Follow the Prophet”, I have felt impressed for some time that I needed to emphasize the importance of keeping the commandments, especially since that was the title of one of our prophets most recent talks.  He reminded us that the commandments are not restrictions that keep us from being happy, but are in fact they way to happiness.

This spring, we were able to enjoy the fruit of our fall planting labor, as we watched the beautiful bulbs pop up. 

At one point, I noticed a plant growing around the tulips.  I didn’t recognize it, so I decided to leave it and see what it might turn out to be.  I described it to my husband and asked what it was, and he warned me not to pull it out, but let him spray it or it would come back more aggressively.

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I soon found out he was right.

This weed craftily bound itself around the nearby tulips and choked them out.  It curled itself around the stems to climb high, but in the end, they all fell.

This experience caused me to ponder how, like the weed, Satan tried to bind us and take away our precious gift of agency.  And also, how sometimes, when the weeds are really bad, we might need "an expert" or “the Savior” to help us remove them.

·         2 Ne 2:27: (Note the way Satan is described in this verse.)

o    27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

Sisters, just as the song says, I testify that there is great “safety and peace” in keeping the commandments.

“When we keep the commandments, our lives will be happier, more fulfilling, and less complicated. Our challenges and problems will be easier to bear, and we will receive His promised blessings.” 

(Pres. Monson)

I hope each of us will "choose liberty and eternal life" by clinging to the Savior.  Please take a moment this week to reflect on how keeping the commandment has made your life happier, more fulfilling, and less complicated, and express gratitude to the Lord for giving you commandments to live by.

I love you and hope you have a wonderful sunshiny week!

Sincerely,

Lydia

Patience is a Virtue

Dear Sisters,

HONK HONK!!! 

You’ve all witnessed an impatient driver.  I spend quite a bit of my day on Washington carting kids to and from school.  Just this last week, I pulled up next to a lady who laid on her horn the second the light turned green and the car ahead of her didn’t immediately move. 

Patience really is a virtue, and one that I want to be good at RIGHT NOW! J  It takes a lot of practice, and though I get lots of opportunities to exercise it, it is an area where I usually need quite a bit of work. 

This morning, I told my kids the story of Job, who was a model example of patience.  

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To recap, Job was a righteous man, blessed will posterity, property, riches, and success.  Satan told the Lord that he felt the only reason Job was obedient was because he had everything he could want.  The Lord knew Job would be faithful no matter what, and he allowed Satan to tempt Job.  As a result, poor Job quickly lost EVERYTHING.  His servants left, his animals died, his crops failed, his entire family either died or disowned him, but Job still expressed his faith in the Lord.  Then he even lost his health, as his skin became covered with painful sores.  His friends turned against him saying he must have done something wicked for God to curse him.  Here are the words of this humble, patient man…

 Job 16

 15 I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.

 16 My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;

 17 Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure.

 18 O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.

 19 Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.

 20 My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.

Job 19

 25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.

And thankfully, there is a happy ending...  Job does see God, and is taught and blessed, and becomes prosperous again.  I think the Lord quite loves patient people. J

Often times, the Lord has a plan for us that we may not be able to fully comprehend yet.  Or there may be reasons blessings are withheld that are not clear to us.  All we see is the “green light,” but we may have missed the old lady crossing the street, causing the car in front of us to pause.

The world would be a better place if we all developed more patience, and our lives would be much better if we took a moment to pause with patience, and trust in the Lord’s wisdom and plan for our lives.

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I hope you find great blessings and happiness this week, and I hope that you will be patient if the blessings come a little slower than you were hoping. ;) Trust that they WILL come!

Love you all!  Praying for you!

Sincerely,

Lydia

Remember...

Dear Sisters,

As I have been reading through Alma in the Book of Mormon, I find it interesting that most of his sermons begin with a brief history of their forefathers.  (See Alma 5:3-6) 

I think this is very intentional.  These people needed a call to repent, and what better way than to urge them to remember their ancestors, who, not so long ago, were in captivity and losing battles because they would not repent.  He is encouraging them to change their ways so that history does not repeat itself.  He follows the account with a series of questions:

 6 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, you that belong to this church, have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers? Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has delivered their souls from hell?

Alma’s “history lesson” and questions are good for us to ponder today.  Our ancestors and history are important.  Remembering is vital to salvation.

Elder Marlin K. Jensen said:

“If we pay close attention to the uses of the word remember in the holy scriptures, we will recognize that remembering in the way God intends is a fundamental and saving principle of the gospel. This is so because prophetic admonitions to remember are frequently calls to action: to listen, to see, to do, to obey, to repent. When we remember in God’s way, we overcome our human tendency simply to gird for the battle of life and actually engage in the battle itself, doing all in our power to resist temptation and avoid sinning” (emphasis added “Remember and Perish Not,” Ensign, May 2007, 36–38).

I am grateful for Alma’s bold invitations to “remember” our history.  We are richly blessed, living in a good land, but if we don’t remember our pioneer ancestors and consider our family history, we might forget the sacrifices that were made for us to enjoy this good life.

Take some time this week to remember your ancestors.  Perhaps we could even take it a step further, and do some family history research, or record some memories.  I know our lives will be happier and fuller by “remembering.” (And I think nothing would delight our good Bishop more.)

Spencer W. Kimball said:

“When you look in the dictionary for the most important word, do you know what it is? It could be ‘remember.’ Because all of [us] have made covenants…our greatest need is to remember. That is why everyone goes to sacrament meeting every Sabbath day—to take the sacrament and listen to the priests pray that [we] ‘may always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given [us].’ … ‘Remember’ is the word” (Circles of Exaltation [address to religious educators, Brigham Young University, 28 June 1968], 8).

I love you sisters and hope you have a wonderful week “remembering” your blessings!

Sincerely,

Lydia

Keep Trying & Book of Mormon Stories

Dear Sisters-

Are you staying cool?  We have had quite a heat-wave, haven’t we?  

It was worth going to church, if only just to be in that lovely air-conditioned building. :)  But—that wasn’t the only good that came of it.  The Garners gave excellent talks, and Sis. Herbert gave a wonderful lesson from Elder Relund’s recent talk “Latter-day Saints Keep on Trying.”  My favorite quote was from Pres. Monson:

“One of God’s greatest gifts to us is the joy of trying again, for no failure ever need be final.”⁸ Even if we’ve been a conscious, deliberate sinner or have repeatedly faced failure and disappointment, the moment we decide to try again, the Atonement of Christ can help us. And we need to remember that it is not the Holy Ghost that tells us we’re so far gone that we might as well give up.

This is a good reminder for us as we struggle through life.  It is so comforting to be reminded that the Savior has descended below all.

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

I enjoyed a fun-filled camping trip with in-laws at Bear Lake this last week.   I had an experience I wanted to share.  My sister-in-law has not been active in the church for about ten years.  She has just recently started coming again, and bringing her cute son with her.  I shared a tent with my cute nephew, and we were telling stories before bedtime.  I started to tell about “Nephi and the Broken Bow” from the book of Mormon, and I was delighted to hear this cute little boy finish my sentences and recount the whole story because he had gone to primary once with his mom, and he remembered the whole thing.  His eyes lit up.  He even told me he had seen a “real liahona” because his teacher had brought a compass to show the class.

This experience made me consider two things: First, that children remember Book of Mormon stories!  Their little spirits recognize truth.  Take every opportunity to share what you are reading with your children, grandchildren, or young friends.  They will remember and return to it. 

The second thing that struck me, is how important our service in the church is.  His primary teacher likely doesn’t know what an impression she made on this little boy hungering for light and truth.  She might even think that her role is rather insignificant.  I wish I could tell her how grateful I was for her quiet preparation of that primary lesion—for making it engaging and memorable for a little boy who doesn’t come very often, and probably doesn’t sit very still.  This little experience brightened my heart, and I wanted to share it with you.

Keep reading and studying the Book of Mormon sisters!  I know it will strengthen your faith and change your life! Have such a wonderful week!

Sincerely,

Lydia Stewart

PS—I know I am probably not the best at “waxing philosophical,” but I do try to be prayerful about what to share with you each week, and I have put my thought from past rs emails together on a blog, in case you missed any, or would like to look back and read.  Here is a link if you are interested: Ponderings from a ProgressingPresident

"I began to pray unto the Lord"

Hello Sisters—

I am back in the saddle!  I so enjoyed seeing many of you at church yesterday.  Your smiles lift me!  I felt like the talks and lessons were all so good.  What a blessing you are in my life!

How is your Book of Mormon challenge coming?  Are you reading every day? (It is NEVER too late!  Start now!)  I would love to hear about anything you are learning—please share.  I love to hear your feedback! 

May I share something that hit me during my reading last week in 1 Nephi  8:5-10.  As you read these five verses about Lehi’s vision, imagine that you are Lehi.  You have found the Lord and you want to follow him….

 5 And it came to pass that I saw a man, and he was dressed in a white robe; and he came and stood before me.

 6 And it came to pass that he spake unto me, and bade me follow him.

 7 And it came to pass that as I followed him I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste.

 8 And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies.

 9 And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious field.

 10 And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.

As I read those versed, I thought about how frightening it must have been for Lehi, who was just trying to follow the Lord, but got lost along the way, in the “dark and dreary waste” for “many hours”.  Sometimes I feel like that; I am just trying to do good things and I know what is right, yet I get discouraged or stuck in a particular trial for what seems like “many hours”.  I love Lehi’s example though; instead of despairing, he prayed really hard, and begged for mercy and help.  It is significant to note that the Lord did not swoop down and pull Lehi right out of the darkness; rather, he “turned on a small light” by showing him a field, and then the tree of life in the distance.  It was then that Lehi had to move himself toward the tree, but now he knew the way.

In those moments when we are wandering in darkness, I urge each of us to follow Lehi’s wonderful example, and pray for mercy.  I testify that the Lord will help!  Whatever you are struggling with probably won’t disappear right away, but the spirit will speak to your mind and heart, and show you how to get through your struggles.  This thought really helped me this last week, and I know the Lord is just waiting to show us the way, if we will just ask him.  Don’t travel in the darkness longer than you need to.

 

Sisters, I love you very much!  Please take on our challenge to read the Book of Mormon before Chrstimas this year, and to read EVERY DAY!  I know you will learn so much!  I hope you have a wonderful week, and I look forward to seeing you at our fun Relief Society activity this Wednesday.

Sincerely,

Lydia

Scripture Power

Dear Relief Society Sisters,

You know that day when your brothers show up with a moving van at 11:30pm, and you kind of drop everything to accommodate them?  Well, that is what happened to me last night, and I apologize I didn’t get our email out, but I do quite like my brothers, so I don’t feel too terrible. :)

My message this week is simple.  We as a presidency would like to issue a special challenge to the Relief Society sisters of the Lorin Farr 4^th Ward.  We have been praying to know how to strengthen testimonies, increase faith and unity in our Relief Society, and lighten burdens in your lives.  As we have prayed and pondered together, we feel inspired that reading the Book of Mormon will bring great blessing to each of you.  We would like to challenge you to read and complete the Book of Mormon before Christmas this year, if possible.  That gives you six months, and with a chapter a day, there will be more than enough time to finish!  If that challenge feels daunting, then please at least  commit to read something in the book for Mormon each day, even just a verse or two. 

We have consecutively had beautiful lessons on the Book of Mormon, and we want each of you sisters to experience the fulfillment of President Benson’s promised blessings in your own lives, as you study and search the Book of Mormon.  So please take us up on this challenge and start today! 

“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 resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called “the words of life” (D&C 84:85), and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon. When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance.” (Ezra Taft Benson)

I testify that these promises are true, and they can be yours! 

We love each of you very much!  We are praying for you and if it is appropriate, can I ask that you pray for us?  We need your prayers and support.  There is so much we want to do for you and for our families, and we need prayers to be effective and have the energy and mental capacity for what is needful in our service.  Thank you so much.

Sincerely,

Lydia

The Parable of the Sower

My Dearest Sisters of the Lorin Farr 4^th Ward--

Happy Sabbath!  I hope you’ve had a lovely, restful Spring day.

Were you able to watch General Conference?  Wasn’t it so up-lifting!  And it isn’t too late to tune in: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-parable-of-the-sower?lang=eng

Each one of you were particularly on my mind as I watched and listened, and one talk really stuck out in my mind.  Elder Oaks talked about “The Parable of the Sower”: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-parable-of-the-sower?lang=eng

Wasn’t it a great reminder for us to re-evaluate where we are with the gospel?  It is put so simply, I was even able to use it for our Family Night lesson this last Monday, so you are fortunate enough to also have some illustrations by my very own wee ones. J

 

This parable is found in St. Mark 4:3-8 (https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/mark/4.5-6?lang=eng#4)

 3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

 4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

 5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

 6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

 8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

In just a few short verses, we are warned of circumstances and attitudes that can keep us from receiving the “seed of the gospel” to “bring forth a goodly harvest.”  If my 3 year old can get it, you can understand, too. :)

Take a moment with me, to examine where your seed of the gospel word has ended up. 

•  Has it fallen by the way-side? (unprepared, hard-hearted)
• Is it on stony ground to be scorched by the sun? (merely converted to the many attractive characteristics of the Church and not the foundational doctrines, for example the social aspects.)
• Choked by thorns? (materialism, false doctrines, worldly pleasures, fear)
• Or has it been carefully planted in good ground? (praying, scripture reading, serving, and regularly partaking of the sacrament to always have His Spirit to be with us)

Sisters, I love and care deeply about each of you. Your troubles give me cold sores and keep me up at night. J (I wish I were kidding.)  I want great happiness and success for each of you, and I testify that this will happen as you allow your testimony to grow deep roots in good gospel ground!  Be active!  Participate!  We need you, and we LOVE you!

Sincerely,

Lydia

PS. I am making some major visiting teaching changes, and have talked to many of you, but if I haven’t talked to you yet, PLEASE contact me ASAP if you would be willing to participate in Visiting Teaching, and you will make my day and help cure my cold sores. J