Eternal Marriage

My talk on Eternal Marriage from church

                Good morning everyone! For those of who you may not know me, my maiden name is Alicia Brown, and my recently married name is Alicia Harbison. I used to attend the Erie 2^nd ward during my first two years of medical school at LECOM. For the past year I have been living in Horseheads, NY rotating at Arnot Ogden Medical Center. I am currently a 4^th year medical student, who is back in Erie to study for my next big board exam that I will be taking at the beginning of July. I am very thankful to the different families that have opened up their homes for me and Tim to stay in for the past 4 weeks. We are so thankful for your generosity.

                I was given the topic of talking on “Eternal Marriage” and since Tim and I have almost been married for two months now, I thought I would start with a little bit on our story. At the beginning of my 3^rd year of medical school I moved to Horseheads, NY to start my rotations. I was attending the nearby ward, and trying to make friends. One of the young women that I met encouraged me to try to attend the YSA ward of the stake that met in Ithaca. I knew that this may be a bit difficult since I wasn’t living in the ward boundaries of the YSA. However, I got in contact with the branch President and started to attend FHE, institute, and then was officially allowed to go to the meeting that Sunday. I am very thankful to Bishop Duke and President Kreuger for allowing me to do this.

                Tim and I technically met that Monday at FHE where we watched “Frozen”. It wasn’t until the following Sunday during church that we ended up talking, since Tim had given a talk on Father’s Day, and I only knew his name because his name was in the program. I asked him where to go for the next part of church, and then asked if I could join him on a planned movie trip that he was attempting to do. We exchanged phone numbers, and as he puts it, I never stopped texting him since. By that Wednesday we were officially dating. Tim was in Ithaca for the summer due to an internship working on particle accelerators at Cornell University. He grew up in Dallas, TX and was about to start his senior year at BYU-Idaho majoring in physics. We had about 8 weeks of dating while in NY. Then he headed back to Idaho to finish school.

                We started talking about marriage and the importance of it early on. By the time Tim left, we knew that we wanted to get married, both sets of parents knew, and we knew it would only be a long waiting game until Tim graduated for us to get married. Thankfully, I had already set up a rotation in Idaho and then had a break month afterwards which allowed us to be reunited in the fall when Tim proposed, and Tim spent Christmas with my family and me. Then we had about 4 months until I saw him after he graduated. We were sealed in the Palmyra, NY temple on April 25, 2015. It has been extremely hard, meshing two different lives and points of views together, but it has been very worthwhile. Neither of us knew how hard it would be, but we both agree that this is one of the best decisions we have ever made.

                Keeping Christ and the temple in the center of our relationship from the beginning is what made this relationship different for me from any other relationship. We knew of the eternal potential, and wanted us to go the distance together, with Christ at the head. I’ve been in other relationships in the past where one or both of us had different views on God, and that definitely led to their demise. Having a solid foundation in the gospel and its truths helped nurture us.

                From the Bible Dictionary on the topic of marriage, it reads, “Latter-day revelation tells us that marriage under the law of the gospel and the holy priesthood is for eternity, and that men and women thus sealed in marriage continue to have children throughout eternity.” And from Preach my Gospel, “Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and is central to God’s eternal plan for the salvation of His children….[this] enables family relationships to endure beyond the grave.” It goes on to say that the marriage can only be eternal when performed with the sealing power in the temple and if the couple follows the covenants that they have made both together and individually.

                This is what makes marriages in our church significantly different from other people’s marriages. It deals some with wording, a lot with covenants, and what the person believes. For example, I have been to a couple of non LDS weddings after joining the church and it felt so sad to me to hear the words, “til death do us part”. The marriages that those couples have entered into is only temporal, and I have a good guess that most of them would want to be with their spouse forever, but they weren’t sealed. In Matthew 16: 19 Christ is talking to Peter saying, “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” And later on in Kirtland, OH, Elijah appeared to Joseph Smith and gave him the key to the same sealing power, to once again bind people together for all eternity. This has been passed down through the priesthood to various sealers in different places through the years. That’s why we talk about being married for time and all eternity. For those of us who have been sealed to our spouse, we know that we will stay united forever.

                Eternal marriage is not only to keep love birds together, but it is also essential for our eternal progression. In Doctrine and Covenants 131: 1-4, “In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees: And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage]: And if he does not, he cannot obtain it. He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase.” What this passage is saying is that through the eternal covenant of marriage, we help each other make it to the highest degree of the celestial kingdom. By loving each other, following the commandments, and keeping true to the covenants we entered into, we exalt each other. I am as important to Tim’s salvation as Tim is to mine.

                Another interesting part of marriage is the melding together of two separate people into one whole. This is talked about in Matthew 19: 4-6, “Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” Tim did exactly this. He moved from one side of the country to another, without knowing anybody else really at all, just so that he and I could start our lives together. It has been an interesting change, going from just thinking about how something would affect one person’s life to how it affects both. Trying to put the other person ahead of yourself, just like how Christ taught us to love each other. This is done through a lot of talking, trust, and communication.

                With eternal marriage comes eternal families. Where we are put into family units that are started originally in heaven, come down to earth, meet up, start having children, and then can continue to have children in the eternities. It is one of the earliest commandments, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it” (Gen 1:26-28). We were given a wonderful commandment to bear children and rear them up in the way of the Lord. A good description of this comes from Sermons and Missionary Services, “There is a passage in our Scriptures which the Latter-Day Saints accept as divine: ‘This is the glory of God – to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man’. Likewise we could say that this is the glory of men and women – to bring to pass the mortality of the sons and daughters of God, to give earth-life, through honorable marriage, to the waiting spirits, our Father’s spirit children who anxiously desire to come to dwell here in this mortal state. All the honor and glory that can come to men or women by the development of their talents, the homage and the praise they may receive from an applauding world, worshipping at their shrine of genius, is but a dim thing whose luster shall fade in comparison to the high honor, the eternal glory, the ever-enduring happiness that shall come to the woman who fulfils the first great duty and mission that devolves upon her to become the mother of the sons and daughters of God.” What a spectacular glory that will be. I know that Tim and I eagerly anticipate that day.

                I would like to conclude my talk by bearing my testimony. I know that this gospel is true. I know that God has a plan in mind for each of us, one better than we could have ever imagined. That’s what led Tim and I to each other a little over a year ago, and we are both eternally better for it. I know of the truthfulness of eternal marriages, the struggles that come, but that we can grow better and closer to each other as we follow our covenants and commandments of God. I would also like to thank this ward who first took a shy girl into their arms back in October 2012 when I first joined the church. You all made this transition so much better. I say all these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

The Importance of Motherhood

With my marriage to my best friend, Timothy Harbison, right around the corner (3 months away), I have a lot of thoughts going through my mind. What's it going to be like? Will I get everything done in time? Will I be able to make it until then? And questions of the like. One thing that I've been thinking about a lot is my desire to become a mother.

I've always wanted to be a mother. Ever since I was a little girl growing up, I yearned for the day that I could have children. Having and bearing children is one of the wonderful gifts and miracles that God allows us to partake in. He's giving us a bit of his creative power to make life, and life is very similar to ourselves. It is a wonderful gift, and an incredible responsibility.

Some of the importance of family is found in, "The Family: A Proclamation to the World."

The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

Together, fathers and mothers have been divinely created to help each other in the raising of children. For all of this to work, the house needs to be centered on God. For without God, we could not have had this wonderful power bestowed upon us. I know that being a good parent is a very difficult and demanding job at times; however, it is also very rewarding. There are going to be many sleepless nights, fights between parents and children, and tears shed, but there will also be lessons learned, faith shared, and family bonds strengthened.

For me, it is very important to start building my family soon after getting married. I am just so excited to start on this new adventure and I don't want to wait very long. Plus, as a future doctor (hopefully a pediatrician) there is no good time to start a family. If I were to wait until the money was perfectly stable, we both had good jobs, a good house, etc, we would never have kids. I think that I have reached the point in my life where I am ready to become a mother. I know that becoming a mother soon after getting married will put some strain and stress on my new marriage, and on finishing medical school, but I know that God will lead and direct Tim and I with what we should do, and how to obtain our goals. Children are wonderful blessings that are available to us. I know that I have been shown that by my own wonderful mother.

My mother wanted to have many kids, but she was blessed to only have me. She gave me so much love and affection through my growing up period, and even now, as I've entered adulthood. She has been there through sickness, heartaches, difficulties with school, working, and moving to different parts of the country. She has always been steadfast in her own faith, and has shown me the importance of putting others above herself. No matter how my mom is feeling physically, she puts on a smile and greets the day with happiness and joy. She knows that there are many others in worse situations and conditions than she is in, and tries to help them as best as she can. And she prays for everyone that she knows. I hope to become at least half of the mother that my mom is to me .

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles shared this message about the importance of motherhood: click here.

I know that it will be hard, but it will be worth it. I am making motherhood a priority in my life. I cannot wait to have children with my best friend, Timothy Harbison, at my side, with Christ leading and guiding our way.

A Year Full of Blessings

Tonight I got to have Family Home Evening (FHE) with my fiance, Tim. We watched a Mormon messages message on the real meaning of Christmas. We had both been having a rough time recently, and Tim had the great idea for us to write about our blessings. I thought I would share some of those here.

Blessings this past year:

• My mom is still cancer free and doing generally well health-wise.
• My dad still has his job and is healthy.
• I finished up my second year of medical school. 
• I took and passed my first step of my medical boards.
• I moved twice, the second time to a much better location due to a very kind landlord.
• I learned how to be more outgoing so that I would try new things.
• I started attending Cornell student ward.
• I met Tim, started dating him, fell in love, got engaged, and have started to plan our futures together.
• I got to travel and drive far distances for rotations and to spend time with loved ones.
• I checked off more states on my travel to list.
• I have learned how to be a bit more patient when dealing with others.
• I got to travel safely home to visit my parent's house for Thanksgiving and learned the importance of power and electricity.
• I will get to take Tim home with me for Christmas to spend time with my family.
• Being able to attend Kenny and Elizabeth's wedding in Dallas and meeting the future in (out) - laws.
• Having my parents accept Tim and help me with the wedding planning.
• Being successful in my rotations and learning that I can handle things that once seemed impossible.

The greatest gift, and hidden blessing that I've been able to enjoy this year was meeting Tim. We really did meet at the perfect times in our lives, and have had so many opportunities for our relationship to grow and blossom. We both have such a strong faith in Christ, and I'm excited to establish a family together under Christ.

131 days to go!!

 

Why I decided to wait for love...and why I'm getting married in the Temple

Meeting my current fiance is not something that happened in the normal way. There's no real reason why we should have met. Timothy Jacob Harbison is from Sachse, Texas and I'm from Nashua, New Hampshire. But, there were definite events that caused us to meet. On my side, I decided to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I then started to make the necessary changes in my life so that I could, someday, get married in the house of the Lord. The reason why I knew that I wanted to get married in the Temple was so that I could be sealed for all time and eternity to my future spouse. Matthew 18:18, "Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Here, Matthew is recounting Jesus talking to the disciples about different things, started with the great lesson on who shall be first in the Kingdom of Heaven, and moving to how things will be accounted for in the future. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is one of the few in existence that proclaims to have the same set-up of apostles, prophets, and a direct line of authority from Jesus Christ. Because my church has this authority, we are able to make sacred covenants in the Temple, like done in Biblical times, to bind ourselves more closely to God and Jesus Christ.

On Tim's side, he has always tried to put himself into the best situation possible to support his future family. This has led him to excel in academics and become a very wanted student for internships. He has completed many research projects, and because of this knowledge and exemplary academic skills, he managed to obtain two internships this past summer: one in Ithaca, NY and one in Idaho Falls, ID. We met while he was in Ithaca, at the Cornell student ward. My rotations in medical school caused me to be based out of Horseheads, NY, and I really wanted to meet more people of my age group and stage in life, so I got permission to go to the Cornell student ward. We met shortly thereafter and started dating after about a week or so.

I've been in many relationships in the past, as has Tim, however, for both of us, this one has been very different. For me, I've been more focused on making sure that the Church, the Temple, the Scriptures, and the Godhead are a major part of our lives and our relationship. Some of my favorite memories are just spending time together going to Church, Church sites, or the Temple. We both understand the importance of making and keeping Temple covenants, since we are both endowed and have done the best to live our lives in a manner that exemplifies those covenants. If you are interested in reading/seeing more about our Temple clothing, in a church sponsored article, please click here. Plus, this relationship was more about the eternal possibilities instead of gratifying the flesh in our current life. This has helped us temper our passions for each other, attempting to keep them within the guidelines that the Lord has set forth. 

Tim treats me in a way that I never thought would be possible. He treats me with so much love, affection, and respect. He always places my desires and wishes above his own. He has reworked his schedule to make sure that I was well taken care of this week. He is respectful of my parents, a great delight to my friends, and will make an amazing husband and father to our future children.

This past Saturday was a really special day. Not only that it was our 4 month anniversary, but because of what happened: 

I had finished up my month rotation in McCall, Idaho doing general and orthopedic surgery. My first stop on my vacation month was to spend time with my (then) boyfriend Tim in BYUI. On Friday night, we got to go to a very special masquerade ball held in a couple of the gyms with both a live band playing in one section, and a DJ in the other section. It was really magical.

On Saturday, Tim told me that he had to go take a test, and then got stuck helping people with Physics (because my guy is just that smart and wanted). I was actually getting a bit aggravated with him because he made me wait. He then took me back to the Physics department room, claiming that he needed a notebook for homework from there. As we exited, he walked me by the Planetarium, where the door was opened, and he said that that wasn't supposed to be that way, and went to "investigate" it. I followed, begrudgingly. As I entered down the stairs, he had decorated the place with these heart shaped lights, green and blue, and had a lunch set out for us, a bouquet of roses, and a bottle of sparkling cider. He told me Happy Anniversary, since it has been four months since we started dating. I was amazed by how much work and detail he put into that. I commented to him, that I didn't know how he was going to top that for the proposal. Little did I know....

After our lunch, he said that he wanted to show me one of the movies. He put me in a seat, and then went to choose one, skipping the "sea monsters" version. The lights went down, a song started playing, and a compilation of how Tim felt for me appeared on the dome. He wrote down many qualities of me for why he loves me, and said that he thought I was an angel when he first met me. He had many pictures of us, both together and separate. I started crying. After the pictures and words filled up all the screen, words formed asking, "May I have this dance?". The song, "Waltz for Jennifer" by FFH started playing. We danced, while I was shaking. At the end of the dance, he stopped, dropped down on one knee, and asked me to marry him. I was crying when I gave him a shaky yes. It was the best surprise ever. :)

 

We are hoping to get married in the Palmyra Temple on April 25, 2015. Our marriage will not end in death, neither will we be parted. It will continue on, throughout all of the eternities, and I couldn't be happier with my eternal companion.

The Value of Virtue over Virginity

I recently moved into a new ward, located in Elmira, NY. Since I've been a member for awhile now, I've started attending Gospel Doctrine instead of Gospel Principles. In the Gospel Doctrine class, we've been covering the Old Testament. Last week we went over the book of Ruth. She has quite an incredible story. She was married, and then her husband died. She had a sister-in-law, Orpah, who also had a husband who had recently died. Ruth and Orpah were traveling with Naomi, the mother of their deceased husbands.

"And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. The Lord grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband" Ruth 1:8-9.

Naomi was aware that she, also being recently widowed, would be unable to provide adequate support for her daughters-in-law, and they were also of an age where they could easily remarry. Naomi wanted the best for them, and she believed that having them leave her would provide the best options. At first, both Ruth and Orpah said that they wanted to stay with Naomi, but after some persuading, Orpah decided to return to her mother's home. Naomi was surprised that Ruth stayed, but Ruth replied, "Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me" (Ruth 1:16-17). Ruth's response was very powerful. She had learned Naomi's true character, how she interacted with others, how she practiced her faith, and knew that she wanted to follow after her. She was willing to give up all she knew, and to move to a new place to continue living the right way.

Later on, Ruth meets up with Boaz, who happens to be a kinsman, and he treats her kindly. Naomi helps with this, and they become acquainted, and later on married. However, Ruth was not a virgin when she married. She had been married previously. Now, for some people, both back then and now, that may have been an issue. But, before I give my opinion on the topic, read what Boaz had to say about Ruth: "It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore...And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman" (Ruth 2:11, 3:11). Ruth had been living in the area for not a terribly long period of time, but long enough for people to create an impression of her. Probably initially they were a bit worried, with her being a Moabitish woman, but then they actually met her and learned of her character. She helped out Naomi so much by gleaning wheat for her, and supporting her to the best of her capabilities. People had noticed how she cared more for Naomi than her own needs, by not pursuing younger men that she could potentially marry. Ruth had proved herself loyal, a hard worker, a very caring individual, compassionate, and a woman of good moral character. Plus, she was following the God of Naomi, meaning that she was following after Elohim. All of these are very desirable characteristics to have in a wife. This is an example of a case where virtue outshines virginity.

Now, don't get me wrong, both virtue and virginity are extremely important aspects to have, and both should be striven for. But, say for example, that a young woman is unaware of the consequences of her actions, makes a bad decision in her teenage years, and then has the stigma of not being a virgin following her head for years to come. If she changes her way, puts herself on the right path, starts following the commandments, then shouldn't her past be fully forgiven and washed clean, like how it's written in Isaiah? And shouldn't other people judge her the way that God judges her? If we were to look at the statistics, a very small percentage of teenagers make it through those years of their lives chaste. Now, some commit the act and keep it up, while others do it a few times, are aware of the wrongness of their actions, and truly repent. These people deserve a second chance, and are granted it by God, but not always by society. I think that more people should be compassionate to those individuals who have truly repented and changed their ways. More people need to view people with Christ's eyes.

The teacher of the lesson in my ward made these points. He also mentioned the importance of teaching virtue to the youth in our wards. We need to make sure that the youth know that if they mess up, break the law of chastity, that all hope is not lost for them. Their is forgiveness, a way to right the wrong, and to forgive themselves as well. If someone really repents, they are viewed as a virgin again in the eyes of God. On the flip-side, just because someone is a virgin, does not mean that they live virtuously. They may be a virgin, but they may push the boundaries on what they should or should not be doing. The actions and desires of the heart is the true judge of a person's character, and all of that is evaluated by God. I'll get off my soapbox now. I hope I didn't offend anyone; that was not my intent.

I will close by bearing my testimony. I know that Christ's atonement covers all of our sins. I know that I have been washed clean of my misdeeds, and that in God's eyes I am pure. Yes, I still screw up, but I know that as I continue to live my life in a way that is pleasing in his sight, that I will grow closer to Him each day. I know that God loves all of us, and wants us all to return to Him. I am so thankful for Christ's sacrifice, and all things that the Gospel has done for my life. I say all these things, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Visiting with Sister Sampson and Sister Holmstead, some wonderful missionary friends of mine.

What the Atonement means to me

Easter is such a wonderful time of year. It's when we remember Christ's ministry on the earth, leading up to his betrayal, crucifixion, and resurrection. It's the most amazing gift ever. That Christ would willingly sacrifice his life so that the whole world would be saved. Before the world was created, Christ was a part of this plan.

There was a council in heaven, before the worlds were created. The spirits were trying to determine a plan to save the world. Two plans were proposed. One was from Satan, saying, "Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor" (Moses 4:2). Christ also offered a plan; He  wanted to allow people to have free will, also offered to do whatever the Lord required, and that all the glory would go to God. The council decided to follow Christ's plan. A third of heaven fell away and followed Satan. Christ was willing to do anything that was required, even sacrificing his whole life, so that the world would be saved.

When Christ was in the garden of Gethsemane, he prayed to His Father for strength. He needed strength to be able to go through all the pain and agony that would occur during his betrayal and death on the cross. In the garden, he suffered much. In Doctrine and Covenants 19:18-19, "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, and shrink-Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men." Christ decided to follow through, because he knew that doing so would save all people. He knew all people that were, are, and that would be, could see them all, and loved each and everyone of them. Both there, and on the cross, when Christ suffered unimaginable pain and agony, he felt all our pains, sorrows, sins, and anguish. Christ bore it all.

By dying, being buried, and rising again from the dead, he atoned for all the sins of the world. He provided a way for us to have eternal life. All are given immortality, but only some will live with God forever. Those that live with God for all of eternity are those that are faithful, have followed his commandments, have made and kept sacred covenants, and have endured through life's difficulties. We will all stand trial before God, and Christ will cover the sins of those who have chosen Him.

This atonement means so much to me. By it and through it, I know that I have been redeemed. All my sins have been wiped away and mean no more. Yes, I have screwed up in my past, and I will make other errors in my future, but as long as I continue to repent and change my ways, I will be forgiven, for each and every one of them. Christ has felt all my pains and sorrows. He knows exactly what I am going through, in every moment of my life. He is the great Comforter and Protector. I know I can always turn to Him in any situation, and that He will guide my life. Through Him, I can become more than I could be on my own. I know that God has a perfect plan for my life, and I strive my best to live it, day by day.

Me on Easter.

Lessons learned from General Conference: Who/what are you ligated to?

Let me start off by saying that I absolutely love General Conference! I love listening to inspired words given to us, twice a year, from our beloved Prophet, his counselors, the quorum of the twelves Apostles, members of the Seventy, and other general authorities. Their words share relevant messages for all people. And it's a great reminder that revelation has not ceased, that God is the same today, like He was in the past (Hebrews 13:8). Anyway, I thought I would share some of my highlights from conference, centered around one of the messages, this one presented by Elder Russel M. Nelson, "Who/what are you ligated to?"

Elder Nelson, who was a heart surgeon, mentioned that ligation means to tie something to something else. What a person is tied to is what they focus on, what they strive to achieve, what they emulate their life on. In fact, the word "religion" comes from the  Latin religiōn-  (stem of religiō )conscientiousness, piety, equivalent to relig ( āre ) to tie, fasten ( re- re- + ligāre  to bind, tie; cf. ligament) + -iōn- -ion; cf. rely (dictionary.com). Our religion is what we are tied to.

We should all be ligated to Christ, and should live our lives in a manner that shows that to others. We also need to make sure that we act like we're following Christ daily, not just on Sundays when it's easy, but also when we are faced with adversity, and it is easier to just back down. That's especially when we need to stand firm in our faith. It is better to stand alone than to not stand up at all.

Elder Dieter F. Utchdorf said that we can be grateful when we are burdened or sorrowed. We need to remember that the Lord has never, nor will He ever, leave our side. He is always there, waiting for us to turn to Him. We are commanded to thank the Lord in all tings. Commandments are a way for us to exercise our agency and receive blessings in return. We should seek gratitude as a way of life, independent of whatever may happen. When we are grateful to God in any circumstance, we can experience the warmth of Heaven's grace. One of my favorite lines from Elder Utchdorf's talk was, "Don't wait for the rainbow instead of thanking for the rain." So many people, myself included, pray for deliverance out of a problem, instead of having the strength to make it through. We need to be thankful for the hard times, because it shapes us and helps us develop some good attributes along the way. One day, we will learn the reason for our trials. Through everything, we should stay ligated to the Savior.

Elder M. Russell Ballard pointed out the importance of being persistent and consistent in anything you do. We should be consistently following the Savior, and should be persistently sharing the message of His love and Gospel to our friends, family, and even strangers. We need to replace our fear with true faith, and then the Lord can work even more through us.

Sister Jean A. Stevens, first counselor in the General Primary Presidency mentioned that you can feel peace in the midst of turmoil. no matter where you are on the path of life's difficulties, you are NOT alone. You are tied to the Savior, and the Savior is tied to you, willing and wanting to help.

Bishop Gary E. Stevenson, from the presiding Bishopric, compared our life to the four or so minutes that people in the Winter Olympics perform their event. The olympians spend many years perfecting their skills to perform for a short period of time. After that time is over, they will reap the benefits of their practicing. So is life. We have such a short time on the earth compared to the amount of time that will be in the life to come. We need to live our lives in such a manner that God will be able to tell us, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

Elder David A. Bednar also talked about difficulties in life. We need to think and evaluate if the load we're carrying giving us the needed traction to help us return to Heavenly Father. If not, it may not be something that we need to be bearing in our lives. We also need to remember that happiness is not the absence of a load. We can be happy, even through trials.

President Thomas S. Monson reminded us that we cannot fully love God unless we love our neighbors, and we cannot love others fully unless we love God. We need to recognize someone's need and then fulfill it. Just think of how many people's lives we can change by a simple act of kindness. It's vast and innumerable.

There were many other great talks. The best thing about all these talks, with their vast and varied subjects, is that they all pointed back to Christ. This is what our church is all about. It's even in the name, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We claim Christ as the center of everything that we say and do. All of the speakers closed their talks with their testimony of the Savior, and how that has been important in their lives. I would challenge each and everyone of you to reread, watch, listen to the different conference talks, and then attempt to live what you learn. You can go to lds.org to learn more,or just click here to learn more about General Conference. Remember, in all things to tie yourself to Christ. He will never lead you astray.

After one of the sessions of General Conference: Sister Holmstead, Sister Sampson, me, Elder Rasmussen, and Elder Linford.