Open the Heavens

David, Isaac, and Abby were all sick today. So, even though I offered to stay home and watch the babies to let Dave sleep (he didn't sleep all night long and more than once last year when I wasn't feeling well I wished with all I had for just one time that Dave could miss class or call in sick to work or miss Guard and let me have a morning off; so I wanted to do him that same favor), he still was good enough to ship me off to church.

What a glorious gift that was! I can't remember the last time I got to sit through Sacrament Meeting and LISTEN to all the talks and THINK about what was being said and how it could/should be applied to my life; what I needed to repent of and change; how I could better serve God and be a part of His great work; what my family needed to thrive, etc. It was SUCH a blessing! Then I got to go to Sunday School and the lesson was JUST what I needed that day to remind me of some weaknesses I have that I can improve upon. Then I went to Relief Society and the lesson was PERFECT as well -- filled with so many uplifting, empowering messages that left me literally floating on air and just so excited and happy to be a woman, to be alive, to have the Gospel, to have my little family, to have the Priesthood in my home, to get to visit sisters in my ward and learn to know and love them, etc. It was amazing! I felt like the heavens just opened and the revelation poured down in abundance!

There was one part of the RS lesson that really caught my attention. At the very end, we read this quote from the first prophet of our church, who restored the Church of Jesus Christ in these latter days. He said, speaking to the women of the Church, though it really applies to everyone:

“If you would have God have mercy on you, have mercy on one another. … We are full of selfishness; the devil flatters us that we are very righteous, when we are feeding on the faults of others. We can only live by worshiping our God; all must do it for themselves; none can do it for another. How mild the Savior dealt with Peter, saying, ‘When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.’ [Luke 22:32.] At another time, He said to him, ‘Lovest thou me?’ and having received Peter’s reply, He said, ‘Feed my sheep.’ [John 21:15-17.] If the sisters [love] the Lord, let them feed the sheep, and not destroy them. …

“Sisters of the society, shall there be strife among you? I will not have it. You must repent, and get the love of God. Away with self-righteousness. The best measure or principle to bring the poor to repentance is to administer to their wants.”

“Notwithstanding the unworthy are among us, the virtuous should not, from self importance, grieve and oppress needlessly, those unfortunate ones—even these should be encouraged to hereafter live to be honored by this society, who are the best portions of the community. Said he had two things to recommend to the members of this society, to put a double watch over the tongue: no organized body can exist without this at all. … The object is to make those not so good reform and return to the path of virtue that they may be numbered with the good. …

“… Search yourselves—the tongue is an unruly member—hold your tongues about things of no moment—a little tale will set the world on fire.”

“The little foxes spoil the vines—little evils do the most injury to the Church. If you have evil feelings, and speak of them to one another, it has a tendency to do mischief.”

“Do not injure the character of anyone. If members of the Society shall conduct themselves improperly, deal with them, and keep all your doings within your own bosoms, and hold all characters sacred.”

It is so true -- all of it! So my new goal (though not for the first time) is to completely avoid saying anything negative or harmful about anyone.