Hope singing "Come Unto Christ"

Hope singing "Come Unto Christ"

He Is There For You!

Have you ever had to wait a LONG time for an answer to a prayer? Maybe you are still waiting. For those of you who have experienced this waiting, you know how exhausting and difficult it can be. 

Weeks before General Conference, I had been praying and hoping I would receive an answer and help with several different struggles I have been having. I watched and listened to all six sessions and loved every minute of all of them. But, I couldn't help feeling discouraged at the end of it all when I still struggled severely with one particular challenge. Did my Heavenly Father not care about how I was feeling? Did I not have enough faith? 


I sat down to read my scriptures that evening and some council from my Bishop came to mind: "If you don't receive an answer, keep going back to Him in prayer." I've always known that was council from God, so I did just that. I went to my room and prayed, even though I had prayed about this countless times before. I prayed for a long time. My husband must have thought I turned to stone as he kept coming in and out of the room and finding me in the same position on my knees. 

As I was praying, I realized that I didn't need to know all the answers, but I DID need to rid myself of the anger that kept creeping back into my heart and mind. I pled with Him to take this and other bad feelings away from me, so I could be happy and at peace. I told Him I wanted to trust Him completely, but I needed to know how to do it. 

And then a thought came to mind—a phrase from Sister Neill F. Marriot, who had spoken in Conference on Saturday. "...but, this doesn't mean that things are good," she had said. Yes, THAT is how I felt. Instantly, I knew that I needed to watch and listen to that talk again. 

Listening to her inspired words a second time, I knew this talk was written for me. Even though Sister Marriot didn't know me, the Lord knew me. It was His message to me, through this heavenly woman. I wrote down the impressions that came to me. And as I wept and allowed myself to mourn, a sweet, profound peace filled my entire soul. It was more poignant than any other joy I have ever felt, with the exception of the joy of my children. The Lord loved me! He WANTED to help me. 

I know this sweet, joyful feeling was the Holy Spirit touching, even grasping, my soul. I know this for a fact because there is no possible way that ANYTHING from this world of shallow sophistication could produce such a beautiful stirring and remarkable healing of my soul. Only God could do this!

I was reminded of President's Uchdorf's statement: "We don't believe in God because of what we don't know, we believe in God because of what we DO know!"

I believe in God because He has answered my prayers. I believe in God because the Holy Spirit has testified to me that He is there! I believe in God because I have received strength and wisdom and persistence and patience from Him greater than my own ability. 

I know The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has His true and complete gospel. I know He speaks to our current prophet, Thomas S. Monson. 

I also know that God is truly our Heavenly Parent. He and His Son, Jesus Christ, care about EVERY one of His children. He takes us how we are and molds us to become better and better if we let Him.  

Watch Sister Neill's F. Marriot's talk in Conference

Science and Religion--opposing perspectives or complimentary witnesses?

I have always believed that all the things we learn from science testify of God's intelligence. 

No Tongue Can Speak

10/22/2014

No Tongue Can Speak

The past few weeks have been wonderful for my wife and me. We made a trip to Utah and were able to have our newly adopted son sealed to us for time and all eternity, and we also witnessed another of our sons receive his endowments and make the sacred covenants of Salvation with God in the temple. He will soon dedicate the next two years of his life to God's service as he begins his service as a full-time missionary.  We also shared some very tender moments and feelings with my oldest son and his wife as they seek guidance and comfort from God in the major medical decisions they face with their sweet little boy that suffers from seizures and other complications of spina-bifida.

I have taken some time to reflect upon these events and I must say, words cannot describe how I am feeling right now. My heart is full and my gratitude for the blessings I have in my life is overflowing. My feelings remind me in a small way of how the Nephites felt when the Savior visited them and prayed for them: Nephi wrote, "And no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which did fill our souls as the time we heard Him pray for us to the Father."

In my own weak and fragile heart, the Lord is bearing witness to me that I am blessed with a wonderful and beautiful family. He is telling me this in words that I cannot speak, for it is impossible for words to formulate the feelings in my heart. If even in a small way, if I could formulate words in my mind, my tongue could not speak them, because it is witnessed to me feelings that are being spoken spirit to spirit.

I am filled with gratitude for the loving, tender mercies of my Father in Heaven that has blessed my life so greatly. I am grateful for a wonderful and fabulous wife, who for over 30 years has never left my side, even through all of my failures and faults. I have had much to repent of in my life and continue daily trying to improve my standing with God. I have come such a great distance from the wandering ignorance of my youth and weaknesses of my soul, and I realize that I have a great distance still yet to travel before I am ready to return home to God.  I have learned that I cannot make it on my own and I need the Lord's help.

As a youth, I thought that intellect was greater than experience. I thought my intellect would guide me through this life and get me back home to my Father in Heaven, not the experiences I would face. I was arrogant and prideful and I pitied those who didn't see things my way. Don't get me wrong, I know and understand that the "Glory of God is intelligence", but as I have grown older, I have come to realize that through the atonement,  weaknesses and life's trials are usually the vehicles that God uses to elevate our intelligence that will ultimately purify our hearts. That is why the Lord created the Plan of Salvation. It was the only way we could gain the true intelligence we needed to become like him. I have come to learn that intelligence is not the same as knowledge, Intelligence is what we do with our knowledge in the service of others and to do good in this world. Some of us are given incredible weaknesses, some are given trials of various nature, some of us are placed in homes that are not centered around Christ, while others are bound by customs and laws that do not let them practice freely their religious beliefs. Many of us feel trapped and bound by the chains of habits and vices that we have acquired and cannot seem to escape. The trials each of us face in this life are endless, many are even unique, but all are calculated to give us the opportunity to rise above them and become perfected through the Atonement of Christ.

The Apostle Paul wrote, "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecution, in distresses for Christ's sake: When I am weak, then I am strong." Here is the
apostle Paul, one that is  listed as being among the greatest apostles to ever walk the earth, who was a man of great faith, well educated, brilliant, spiritual, of high standing, knew the scriptures well, and frequently received powerful revelations; and yet the scriptures tell us he was given a thorn in his flesh. We don't know what that thorn was, but we know it must have tormented him greatly, for he wrote, "...there was given me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me". On at least three occasions it brought him to his knees, pleading with God to remove it. He later came to understand that it was the "thorn in his flesh" that transformed his ministry and made him who he was, by forcing him to rely on the Lord and seek the strength he needed to grow in intelligence and to develop in character. Because of this weakness that often plagued him, he learned to turn to the Lord in a way that he couldn't, if he had never been given a thorn in the flesh. Once when he was pleading with the Lord to remove the thorn, the Lord answered him and said, "My Grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness"

My testimony to each of you is that I know God lives, I know he loves us in a way that I cannot comprehend. My simple mind and weak spirit do not have the ability to comprehend or even scratch the surface of the magnitude of His love for me. I do not claim to fully understand the atonement or comprehend its extent or the limits of its reach, for it is eternal and my prideful mind seems to always focus on here and now. However, from time to time, I catch a glimpse of it when I visit the temple, look into the eyes of my wife, fall to my knees in prayer, or hold a sleeping baby in my arms. I feel the effects of the atonement when I repent, I long for it when I have sinned, I cherish it when I am forgiven, I am strengthened by it when I partake of the sacrament, and I sense the magnitude of it when I look at the billions of stars in the sky and contemplate that God, our Great Redeemer,  who created the world and universe, the greatest of all, the very being by whose command, all these elements obey, suffered and paid an infinite price for me, a price so great that no one can or ever will be able to comprehend it, a price so great that it made Him, the greatest of all, the creator of all things, fall to the earth, tremble, and bleed great drops of blood from every pore. It was a suffering so intense that it made the earth shake, the sky darken, the Sun hide its face, and the stars refuse to shine. The price he paid for me was infinite and eternal. In that hour of his suffering, he fought the greatest battle that has ever been fought and conquered and subdued all things, including my soul, which he freely offers back to me in a perfect form through my obedience. How can I ever formulate words to explain how these feelings burn so deep into my heart. It can't be done. I know from where I came and where I have been, I know why I am here; I know where I must go and I don't want to return home alone. I know to whom I wish travel this path with. It is my family.  Words cannot explain it, I just feel it and know it. I cannot and will not leave any one of them behind. I have also come to realize that just as I am bound to my family and posterity, so must I be bound to my ancestors. I love that the plan of Salvation centers on this very principle. It awakens my soul to the ordinances for the dead performed in the temples today. It burns within me and speaks to me like an awakened memory from the past, cherished words from my Father in Heaven that somehow faded as I passed through the veil into mortality.

Many years ago, I had a discussion with a young man about the gospel. He stated to me that he believed in God and knew that God was good. Our discussion turned to the Temple and about how families can be together forever. He then told me, "I don't think I need to go to the temple. If God is good, he will not take my family away from me when we die." I was young then and perhaps didn't understand myself the very purpose of life. I have had time to contemplate his statement and through the years have come to realize just how far off the mark this young man was. My spirit screams inside of me that God loves us and wants us to become like him so much that he created the Plan of Salvation so that we could gain the knowledge, experience, and intelligence we needed to elevate us to his level. Something we couldn't do as spirits in his presence while living in the pre-existence. It required us to fall from God's presence so that we could learn for ourselves through our free agency to hate sin by experiencing the effects of it in our lives. All of us will commit sins in one way or another and all of us will feel the effects of sins committed by us and others. Coming to this earth gave us the opportunity gain a body, exercise faith, and learn to trust God in ways we could not, while in his presence. Above all else, the most important part of the plan is that through the atonement, we will not be left in this fallen state. It gives us a way to be brought back to stand in God's presence to live with him once again, but this time as immortal and exalted beings, perfected in body and soul, not as individuals, but as families, bound together by the covenants of the priesthood. This is why we read in the Scriptures that "All the Sons of God shouted for joy" when the plan of salvation was presented. It was a perfect plan to teach us what we needed to know through the fall, and to redeem us to a higher level through the atonement. Everything that God has done, every commandment, every action, every word, every creation, every law of God, every scripture, every word spoken by the mouth of His prophets, and especially the very atonement for which our Savior paid such an infinite price, was done for us, so that we could be together again as families. With all of this that he has done for us, is it any wonder that he would require us to receive the greatest of all his blessings under covenant. The very purpose of the temples are to provide a sacred place where we can make those sacred, eternal covenants with God. Covenants that cannot be broken by God. It is a place where heaven touches earth and the veil is thin so that our minds can comprehend and receive the intelligence and instruction we need to return to our Father in Heaven. It isn't, as this young man explained that, "God is so good that he won't take our families away from us". The real truth is that God is so good and loves us so much that everything he has done, he has done so that we can live together forever as families.  Families are meant to be together forever.

 With that being said, there is one thing that he cannot and will not do. He will not take away our free agency. Our free agency trumps all other gifts given to us from God. It was a gift so great that it caused a war in heaven by some who wished to take it away. We know that 1/3 of the hosts of heaven were lost in that war. Oh, how the heavens must have wept on that dreadful day. We also know that that war continues on earth today. We must make our choices and choose the path we will follow. He will prompt us, guide us, give us weaknesses to motivate us to stretch and reach for something better. Through the Atonement he will be there to catch us when we fall, heal our spirits when we are physically or spiritually ill, comfort us when we are in need of comfort, and lead us to God if we are willing, obedient, and seek the truth, but he will never force us.

There are so many ways in which I learn truth. I read it in good books such as the scriptures, I learn of it from my parents and friends, I am taught it by educators, I have even received pure revelation in direct answers to my prayers, and have felt it through the promptings of the Holy Ghost and in so many other ways.  But, the way that seems to impact me the most and seems to tie them all together, is that I learn from my own experiences and trials. You see, it is then, while I am struggling in my weakness that I realize that I can't do it alone and that I need my Father in Heaven's help. It is while I am on my knees pleading for His help that I feel closest to him. It is moments like these when that I realize that God is in control of all things and that all things will ultimately work for my benefit if I put my trust in him. It has been said that, "Sometimes God calms the storm, other times He lets the storm rage and he calms us". I know this, I have experienced it over and over in my life. I have had what I consider (in my own pity party way) a hard life. An event that occurred nearly 30 years ago that involved falling from a ladder and crushing my ankle, kept me from reaching my earthly desires. I lost my business and all that I owned and went through many years of poverty. I wasn't able to give my children all that I thought they should have. My aspirations of providing for my family was crushed along with my pride that was dashed to pieces. So many people spend all of their time climbing the ladder to success only to realize when we get to top that they have climbed the wrong ladder.  Metaphorically speaking, I can truthfully say that I was climbing the wrong ladder, when the Lord took it out from under me. I am so thankful that he did. While I would never wish the bad experiences I have had in my life on someone else and I do not wish to ever go through them again, I am truly grateful for a loving Father in Heaven that I know is in control and has taught me so much.  He knew what experiences I needed to go through. He gave me an eternal companion that stuck with me through it all. He placed in my care my wonderful children that gave me a reason to get out of bed each morning when all I wanted to do was give up. He provided for me the opportunity to grow in faith and trust in him. He has given me a love, a faith, and a hope that I never would have had, if I had not fallen from the ladder and experience the hardships that I did. I have a beautiful family to love and who loves me. I have wonderful grandchildren with good hearts and loving noble parents, and I have the most wonderful in-laws in the world. I now serve as a Bishop and can relate to others who are experiencing trials and hardships in their lives. I can counsel with them in a non-condemning way because I have learned so much when I was walking in similar shoes. It allows me, in the office I hold and the calling I have been given, to give them guidance and assistance that I could have never done before.  

In Short, I feel my Savior's love and know where to find him. I testify of Him, and am grateful for Him. My gratitude for Him, though simple and weak compared to some, is profound in my eyes when I look at where I was and how far the Lord has brought me. I cannot imagine a life without Him. I am grateful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I am grateful to hold the priesthood which blesses the lives of my family. I am thankful for temple covenants, ordinances, sealing powers, and the restoration of the Gospel. Most of all, I am thankful for my Savior and the infinite sacrifice that He made for me. 

My heart goes out to each of you. If you have not done so lately, I admonish you to search your souls. Fast for a day if you need to, to bring in the spirit. Set aside your education, media, friends, and even your intellect, for a moment. Drop to your knees in humble prayer, exercise your faith and petition God with a determined desire to follow the commandments and most of all, listen to the witness and answers He will give you with a determination to live by them, no matter what the cost. In doing so, you will have an even greater experience than I have had this day and you will feel his love for you in a way that words cannot explain and that the tongue cannot speak. 

If you are a member of the church and have not attended in a while, I invite you to come back. I invite you to feel and experience the friendship and camaraderie of a wonderful church family. I invite you to have the priesthood blessings in your life. If you are not a member, I invite you to learn more. Seek out a friend in the church or contact the missionaries. They will be glad to help.

 I kneel in prayer on your behalf and pray that the Lord is ever with you and that God's blessing will be found in your life, in the name of our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Sincerely,

Bishop Charles Martineau

Kids...They Will Tell You How It Is

Kids often have an uncanny way of telling the truth, don't they? They are not always aware of the "polite" or "politically correct" thing to say. But, we also know that they are often spot-on in their observations, and aren't as afraid to share them as adults can be. 

My faithful, pure, believing five-year-old son had a very direct and to-the-point conversation with my unbelieving husband. I was in the next room and overheard what was said.  

Son: Dad, do you see the world?
Dad: Yes, look at the pretty snow.
Son: Jesus Christ created it!
Dad: What?
Son: Jesus created the earth!
Dad: You can think that; that's okay.
Son: It's TRUE, Dad.
Dad: Well, I don't think it is.
Son: It IS true, Dad! Do you think the world just came to be? It is true.
Dad: I don't think so, son.
Son: It's true, Dad! I'm right and you're wrong.
Dad: It's not nice to tell people they're wrong.
Son: Well, Dad. It's true.

I was so proud of my boy! His conviction! He would not be convinced otherwise, despite his tender age of five! 

It reminds me of two scriptures, "And Jesus saith unto them, Yea, have ye never read out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?" (Matthew 21:16) and "...yea, even babes did open their mouths and utter marvelous things..." (3 Nephi 26:16).

Children are among the most faithful ones. And I am beyond grateful to my Heavenly Father for mine.



~Your friend, Hope, a Christian blogger

Be thou an example of the believers

The Apostle Paul wrote an epistle to his beloved companion Timothy in which he provided inspired counsel equally as applicable to you and me today as it was to Timothy. Listen carefully to his words: “Neglect not the gift that is in thee,” “but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” (1 Tim. 4:14, 12.)

I have been pondering on this scripture, thinking of the age in which Paul and Timothy lived and the time we live in now. I feel that Paul was speaking of the written word separate from the spoken word. He counseled that we be examples of believers in what we write and express on paper, in print, etc. In his age writing was a very important form of communication. Since published books were not available, the written letter was paramount.

I feel that in our age this extends much further because of the internet. A modern "example of a believer in word" extends to those who blogs, write facebook entries, tweet, post captions on pictures, and comment on others' social media. Does it go so far as to include what we re-share on our Facebook wall, re-pin on Pinterest or even what we click "like" on?

I would really like your thoughts and insight into what you feel the difference is between being a "believer in word" and a "believer in conversation". I would also be interested in your insights into how we can be an example of a believer in word in this modern age. Please comment below and join in this discussion. Thanks!

A Little Bit of Trust Goes a Long Way

Have you ever received a prompting to help someone but didn't do it because it might be awkward, embarrassing or inconvenient? I almost did exactly that a couple of days ago. I'm sure glad it turned out the way it did...

I was driving home from taking my daughter to school on a VERY snowy day. I happened to see a car, going the opposite direction as me, having a difficult time driving up the residential hill. 

Turn around and ask if they need help, a thought came to me. 

What? What am I going to do? I countered back to myself. I know nothing about cars and I have no means of towing them up the hill. 

Turn around and ask if they need help, the thought came again. 

Oh, please no. I am still in my pajamas!

Just ask them. 

I slowed my car to a stop and checked my rear-view mirror to see the car continue its futile efforts through the snow. I was certainly WILLING to help them, but I still didn't know what I could do. And then I thought, maybe they need a phone? I could lend them that. 

So I obeyed the spiritual prompting I had received, turned my car around until I reached the struggling vehicle; I rolled down my window and asked the young couple if they needed help. The young woman asked if I would help push their car. "Of course," I replied. 

I jumped out of my own car, pretending not to care that these strangers were seeing me in my blue-striped pajamas and helped the tiny woman push the car as the young man did his best to drive it. But, the wheels kept spinning and spinning and our progress up the hill was slow. 

Finally, we stopped for a break. The woman and I looked up to see how much farther we needed to go. The hill was now, somehow, the LONGEST hill I had ever seen. 

The young man hopped out of the car, telling us he didn't want us to have to push any longer. I suggested to the woman that she drive so the young man could help push the car. Shamefaced, she told me she didn't know how. So then I offered to drive to which they both agreed. With me driving and the extra muscle in the back we made it up that massive hill within two minutes! Hooray!

When the Holy Spirit whispered to me to help this couple I had no idea how I could, but the Lord knew. I just needed to TRUST Him. And I am so glad I did! In the end I felt I was the one being blessed. 

-Your friend, a Christian blogger, Hope