Andersonland

In our Family Home Evening this week we had a lesson on Alma 5 and we discussed the question, “Can others see His image in your countenance?”   We have all had the experience of seeing someone that we don’t know but guessed that they were Mormon.  So we looked at random photos of people and tried to determine if they were Mormon or not.  Then we listed the attributes that we used to make out determination.  We included attributes that can’t just be seen.  The list included hair length, language, number of bottles of root beer they were buying, white shirt and tie, whether 80 other people at Disneyland wer wearing the same t-shirt…  We had some fun with this.

As the lesson evolved a classic Anderson story was related which I thought everyone knew but I learned we apparently had not told  to the younger generation.  So in the interest of preserving family lore I will relate it here.  I apologize in advance for the word I have to use.

While living in Fairport my sister came to live with us.  She was 15 and was not doing so well in life.  She attended church while living with us and the youth rallied around her and became friends.  During a Young Women’s testimony meeting one of the youth was giving her heart felt opinions on judging.  At the time our friend Holly Tuttle, who is an amazing, righteous woman  and a model of decorum was the Young Women’s President.  The Young Woman went on to relate further about judging by saying that her experience with my sister had taught her about judging.  She said, “for example if you looked at the way this sister dressed and the way she talked and the way she acted, you would thing she is a real slut but in fact she is really nice.”   Curtis was in the meeting at the time and he said that Holly about passed out at hearing the word “slut” in a YW testimony meeting.

So if your words, actions and dress can’t be used to judge you what is there?  In Alma 5, Alma asks a long list of questions that a person can use to judge themselves on whether or not their behaviors will help others to see the example of the Savior.  In contrast to the story of Heather I want to add to family lore the story of Cody this year.

It has been a rough year for Cody with basketball and he has not been treated fairly.  I will admit that I had hoped that his strict adherence to Gospel standards would have translated to a position in the starting line up but the opposite has happened.  Instead of getting angry Cody has been the first one off the bench to congratulate the other players when they are doing well.  He has faced some real adversity and bias and has risen above it and found ways to be positive.  I am really proud of him.  If you judged him by the way he has acted and what he has said you would say he is a follower of Jesus Christ.

The following fictitious story is a fun reminder that as baptized members of Christ’s church we need to be so very careful of how we represent Him.

A stressed out woman on a busy boulevard was tailgating the man in front of her. Suddenly the light turned yellow just in front of him. He did the right thing and stopped at the crosswalk, even though he could of gunned it and accelerated through the intersection. The tailgating woman hit the roof, leaned on the horn, and screamed in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersection behind him.

As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a loud tap on her window, and she looked up at a police officer with a very serious expression on his face. The officer ordered her to get out of the car with her hands up. He handcuffed her and took her to the police station, where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a cell.

A few hours later a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. The woman was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects. He said, “I’m very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn and cussing a blue streak. I noticed the “Choose the Right” license plate holder, the “Go Cougars’ and “Come with me to Primary’ bumper stickers, and the chrome-plated “What would Jesus Do?” emblem on the trunk. Naturally I assumed you had stolen the car”

A few hours later a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. The woman was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects. He said, “I’m very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn and cussing a blue streak. I noticed the “Choose the Right” license plate holder, the “Go Cougars’ and “Come with me to Primary’ bumper stickers, and the chrome-plated “What would Jesus Do?” emblem on the trunk. Naturally I assumed you had stolen the car”

Yesterday I taught in Young Womens.  I love to teach and I find it fairly easy but I do put a lot of effort into reading and pondering on the topic.  I was excited to present about “Avoiding Crisis Living”.  Though that may not immediately appear to be a Gospel centered topic, the more I studied, the more relevant I decided it was.  My experience yesterday proved that it truly is a vital concept for our eternal welfare.

One of the points we covered was that we all have the same amount of time given to us, so we don’t  master time but as we learn to utilize our time wisely we become masters of ourselves.  How we use our time here on earth is essential in our progression.

Last night for scripture study, the TO based Andersons were reading from Moses 7.  I love this section of scripture.  To think that the knowledge of Enoch and his prophecies were taken out of the Bible is sooooo sad.  What an amazing man and an amazing time period.  It struck me how similar his time period was to ours.  We know that his people became so righteous that the whole city was translated. But these people weren’t living at a time of peace on the earth.  The opposite is the case.  The Lord says of society at that time, “Wherefore, I can stretch forth mine hands and hold all the creations which I have made; and mine eye can pierce them also , and among all the workmanship of mine hands there has not been so great wickedness as among thy brethren“.

If Enoch’s people could become so righteous, at a time of the worst wickedness, what is our potential.  Can we create a society like Enoch’s in the midst of wickedness.   I think this section of scripture was preserved to come forth in these days to remind us that in the gathering midst of evil that we have not been sent here to fail but to flourish and that we can become more righteous.  we can’t become casual and try to blend in and fit into the world.  We need to raise our personal standards so that we can rise above this sordid world.  And Enoch’s people testify that we can.

I am now studying Divine Nature for Personal Progress.  I was asked to list the Divine Qualities in 2 Peter 1.  He lists qualities as building blocks. He starts with virtue and says that if you have that then you can have knowledge, then temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and finally charity.  It is interesting to me that it appears to me that you cannot truly have charity – the pure love of Christ – unless you have first developed all these other qualities.

He then remarks that:

9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

I was thinking about how when we extend kindness to someone, who may be undeserving because they were unkind to us, that the world would call this being blind but Christ would say that actually our eyes have been opened. We extend kindness in these circumstances because we remember that he granted us the greatest kindness, Eternal Life even though we we may have been vilest sinner.  We can see afar off to the greater reward and in turn we are on the path to obtaining Charity.

Happy BIrthday to me, Happy BIrthday to me…..

I asked Brittny to create a new section on Andersonland as a birthday present.  I hope you will all share in the gift.  I have been working on Personal Progress and as  I learn and discover cool things through study and the power of the Holy Ghost I I have a great desire to share the testimony that I receive.  Since there are getting to be more than a few of us, I thought it would be cool to share with one another.  I hope this becomes a place that we can share and strengthen each other’s testimonies.

This morning I was studying faith by reading Elder Nelson’s talk from this past General Conference.  Here are a few of his comments that struck me this morning.

“To prepare to meet God, one keeps all of His commandments. It takes faith to obey them, and keeping His commandments will strengthen that faith”.

“All that the future holds in store for each sacred child of God will be shaped by his or her parents, family, friends, and teachers. Thus, our faith now becomes part of our posterity’s faith later.” – for those of us who are already parent’s this comment stuck out to me as an indication of how important it is that we share our faith openly with our children and also that our deep faith can be a gift to future generations.  It made me realize how important it is that I develop and witness my faith in my Savior to my posterity – hence this blog.

“Teach of faith to keep all the commandments of God, knowing that they are given to bless His children and bring them joy.4  Warn them that they will encounter people who pick which commandments they will keep and ignore others that they choose to break. I call this the cafeteria approach to obedience. This practice of picking and choosing will not work. It will lead to misery. To prepare to meet God, one keeps all of His commandments. It takes faith to obey them, and keeping His commandments will strengthen that faith.”

“To develop enduring faith, an enduring commitment to be a full-tithe payer is essential. Initially it takes faith to tithe. Then the tithe payer develops more faith to the point that tithing becomes a precious privilege. ”

“Why do we need such resilient faith? Because difficult days are ahead. Rarely in the future will it be easy or popular to be a faithful Latter-day Saint. Each of us will be tested. The Apostle Paul warned that in the latter days, those who diligently follow the Lord “shall suffer persecution.”12  That very persecution can either crush you into silent weakness or motivate you to be more exemplary and courageous in your daily lives.” – This comment helped me because I worry that I will not be strong enough to resist the difficulties that lie ahead.  I read of people with great courage who have suffered so much for the Gospel’s sake and I don’t see myself as being that strong, even though I am certain of the truth of this Gospel.  However this comment made me realize that I should not look with fear to potential difficulties but just work on my faith and if I do that I will be prepared for the future.

“President Monson continued: “My beloved brothers and sisters, fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith.” – I guess that says it all about the importance of building our faith.

I love you all and hope that my faith will help and bolster you.  I love my Savior Jesus Christ and know that he truly is our Savior.

The Momster