The Resurrected Christ In America~

The Resurrected Christ in America

The signs of the times as prophesied by ancient and modern day prophets of the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ are continuing to become more and more apparent. I believe that the 2nd coming of our Savior is near. I would love to witness this great event. Whether it occurs in my life time; I do not know. However, I do feel that my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren will see this great day. We are told that it will be The Great and Dreadful day of the Lord. I look at it as a great day.
In the Book of Mormon we read where the people of that time looked forward to the coming of the Savior; his birth, atonement, death and resurrection as was foretold by the prophets of their day. Following Christ's death and resurrection, what did he do? In the New Testament; John 10:16; Christ states: " And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." I believe those sheep were the people living then in ancient America. The Book of Mormon provides a history of those people who had the writings of ancient prophets and the teachings of their own prophets prophesying of Christ’s birth, death and resurrection. I believe that Christ did visit these people. I would like to share with you today this great event as found in the Book of Mormon. Pause for a moment and read of the background of this visit. What the people were doing at that time and the events leading up to the coming of the Savior can be found in the Book of Mormon beginning in 3 Nephi, chapter 8.

 Let me share with you some verses from my favorite part of the Book of Mormon as found in 3 Nephi 17.
1.    Behold, now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words he looked round about again on the multitude, and he said unto them: Behold, my time is at hand.
2.    I perceive that ye are weak, that ye cannot understand all my words which I am commanded of the Father to speak unto you at this time.
3.    Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again.
4.    But now I go unto the Father, and also to show myself unto the lost tribes of Israel, for they are not lost unto the Father, for he knoweth whither he hath taken them.
5.    And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus spoken, he cast his eyes round about again on the multitude, and beheld they were in tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with them.
6.    And he said unto them: Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you.
7.    Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy.
8.    For I perceive that ye desire that I should show unto you what I have done unto your brethren at Jerusalem, for I see that your faith is sufficient that I should heal you.
9.    And it came to pass that when he had thus spoken, all the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their blind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted in any manner; and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him.
10. And they did all, both they who had been healed and they who were whole, bow down at his feet, and did worship him; and as many as could come for the multitude did kiss his feet, insomuch that they did bathe his feet with their tears.
11. And it came to pass that he commanded that their little children should be brought.
12. So they brought their little children and set them down upon the ground round about him, and Jesus stood in the midst; and the multitude gave way till they had all been brought unto him.

13. And it came to pass that when they had all been brought, and Jesus stood in the midst, he commanded the multitude that they should kneel down upon the ground.
14. And it came to pass that when they had knelt upon the ground, Jesus groaned within himself, and said: Father, I am troubled because of the wickedness of the people of the house of Israel.
15. And when he had said these words, he himself also knelt upon the earth; and behold he prayed unto the Father, and the things which he prayed cannot be written, and the multitude did bear record who heard him.
16. And after this manner do they bear record: The eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father;
17. 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 filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father.
18. And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying unto the Father, he arose; but so great was the joy of the multitude that they were overcome.
19. And it came to pass that Jesus spake unto them, and bade them arise.
20. And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full.
21. And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.
22. And when he had done this he wept again;
23. And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones.
24. And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them.
25. And the multitude did see and hear and bear record; and they know that their record is true for they all of them did see and hear, every man for himself; and they were in number about two thousand and five hundred souls; and they did consist of men, women, and children.

I seldom read this passage of scripture without crying. I just picture my sweet grandchild who is blind being lead forward to see the Savior and being healed. How I would love to be a witness of this great moment. I have a strong testimony of my Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that he lives and loves us all. I know that he will come again. He is our redeemer, our resurrected Lord and Savior and our king. He is the King of Kings and he will reign upon this

land as promised. We must prepare now for the Great day of the Lord.

The following video is one of my favorite children's songs.            

I WONDER WHEN HE COMES AGAIN~

 

The Healing Power Of The Atonement~

When I reflect upon the meaning of the Atonement in my life I recognize that the Savior has walked with me and carried me through many experiences. The list of our struggles seem long and at times very hard to bare. My husband and I have had severe health issues. We have gone through financial reversals. We lost our home. We have moved a total of 22 times and been in 4 different states. We have had cars and household appliances that have stopped working when there was no other way to get them repair or get news ones. We have child rearing difficulties. We have both lost our parents in death. I cared for my dear mother for the last few months of her life; which was a sweet experience. However, it hurts no matter what to lose your parent. We have also both lost our oldest sibling.Two of our grandchildren have had challenging health issues. Both of them, we almost lost in death. They spent many weeks in the the Intensive Care Units.We have had adult children with all kinds of their own difficult life experiences. I find when I visit with friends that they too are going through the fiery furnace of earthly experiences. This is one of the reasons that we left the pre-mortal life to gain a body and experience life on earth.
In the Book of Mormon; Alma 7:11-12 this comforting thought is given:
11. And He (Christ) shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will 'take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
12. And He will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
Again, in 2 Nephi 9:21 we find the following:
21. And He (Christ) cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.
Christ.
These scriptures tell us that as he walked the roads of life, he felt the pains and sicknesses of all mankind. Then He went forth and completed his work with the infinite Atonement.
In the book; "The Infinite Atonement by Tad R. Callister, he stated:
No mortal can cry out, "he does not understand my plight, for my trials are unique." There is nothing outside the scope of the Savior's experience. As Elder Maxwell observed, "None of us can tell Christ anything about depression."As a result of his mortal experience, culminating in the Atonement, the Savior knows, understands, and feels every human condition, every human woe, and every human loss. He can comfort as no other. He can lift burdens as no other. He can listen as no other. There is no hurt he cannot soothe, rejection he cannot assuage, loneliness he cannot console. Whatever affliction the world casts at us, he has a remedy of superior healing powers." I know these scriptures and thoughts to be true.
                                  Our Beloved Savior paid the ultimate price for us.

 The Savior is there to help us through whatever life challenges we may face. He will comfort us, heal us, guide us and forever love us. He himself knows how deep our pain is because he has suffered beyond what we suffer.
Our Savior beckons us to come unto him, lay your burden at his feet, you are not alone, he is with you. Christ will abide with us.
I could fill a book with the times he has lifted me, healed me, comforted me and listened to me. Because the list is long of the His many tender mercies in my behalf, I will share just one profound experience.
At the time my husband and I with our children were living in Las Vegas, Nevada. My husband had just received a promotion and was being transferred to Spokane, Washington as the Pharmacy Director of a mail service pharmacy that was opening up.
He had been out of town for a few days and when he returned we attended a company picnic. When we arrived home he was not feeling very well, which he thought was due to the greasy food we had ate at the picnic. In the middle of the night, he woke me up and said he had severe pain in his chest. At that time he was 45 years old so we decided he was probably having a gall bladder attack. He was pale, sweaty and in pain. We let the children know that I was taking him to the hospital. When he arrived they immediately went into action drawing blood, putting in an IV and doing some X-rays. In a short time they came back and told us that he was having a heart attack. They treated this quickly with IV medications.  I of course, was frantic, worried, scared and a whole range of emotions. Lots of what ifs and what should I do. I called immediately two brethren from our ward to come and give my husband a priesthood blessing.This blessing brought great comfort to my soul. I felt that my husband would survive this. He was scheduled for a Angiogram and then a possible Angioplasty to open up the arteries that were blocked. They found 3 arteries that were partially blocked; one of the main ones was 90% blocked. They also found that his heart had created some new pathways so that the damage was not very much. He went through the procedures with no difficulty. I had prayed so hard while he was having this procedure so I was so grateful that the report was positive.
 Our moving van came two days later and left with our belongings for Spokane. I was so grateful that I had my children and some friends help with getting the rest of our house packed for the move. Three days later we were on our way with our children by plane to Washington. The first night in our hotel room my husband started with severe pain in the right side of his chest and he started to run a fever. I had no physician at the time; so I called the local hospital and asked for the Heart Intensive Care Unit. I had been an ICU nurse so I knew if I asked for the names of a good heart specialist they would give me some names. I then took him to the ER and he was admitted with the name of the first heart specialist given to me when I called. I felt the  spirit direct me in this decision. I again felt helpless and afraid. He ended up in the hospital for about 4 days with an inflammation of his right lung. He was started on pain  and anti-inflammatory medications. He came home and by then we had moved all of our belongings into our new home. My children were such a support at this time. We also called our local Bishop and received help from members of our faith.
Two weeks later we had a set back. In the middle of the night my husband woke up in pain and was starting into shock. I did the procedure for shock and called 911. It was a blessing that the fire station was just around the corner so they were there in a few minutes.
He spent the next 10 days in the hospital with the inflammation of the right lung that caused also fluid on the lung. He had to have chest tubes inserted to drain the fluid. The lung specialist had told us that some of the fluid was becoming like jelly and that he may need a procedure in lay terms called a lung peel. He discharged my husband from the hospital and told him to come back to his office in two weeks and he would see how  the x-rays of the lung looked.Our family and our extended family held a fast for him and he received a blessing from our newly assigned home teacher from our church. Again, I felt the peace and comfort of the Savior and I knew all was well.
 A miracle did happened at that time when we returned to the Lung Specialist's office for the follow up appointment. The X-ray showed that the lung fluid was completely gone. Even the doctor didn't believe the X-ray; he was greatly surprised by it and had thought there was no way the fluid would have been completely absorbed. 
After a few weeks my husband went back to work. He did well for almost a year. He then started again with chest pain and this time it was diagnosed as Gall Bladder disease and they wanted to remove his Gall Bladder. However, they first wanted to do an Angiogram to see how the arteries  in his heart were doing. After this test he was told that the Angioplasty had failed and that he needed to have a triple heart by-pass surgery. They scheduled this surgery. quickly. Again we fasted as a family and he was given a priesthood blessing. For the third time, I felt that same peaceful assurance that all would be well.
I can't say that I felt calm all of the time, I did my share of crying and pleading with the Lord to save him. My prayers were constant and intense. I plead for his life many times in long prayers. I did have faith and hope. I said my favorite scripture over and over which is Proverbs 3:4-5; "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, lean not on thine on understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he will direct they path." I knew I had to place this burden at the feet of the Savior. 
Although we were new to the area we did receive great support  from our church. To me I still felt alone and needed the comforting arms of the Savior to console my  heart. My husband came out of surgery looking very pink and healthy. I then realized I hadn't noticed before that his color was dusky. I felt a little guilty that I did not see this since I was a nurse.  He did have his gall bladder out a few months later and he was a new man. He has been healthy and doing well for the last 22 years and I pray that we have even more years together.
Our family learned many lessons through this experience. We learned that prayers of faith are answered. We learned that priesthood blessings bring healing not only to my husband but to us in the form of comfort and peace. Through all of this my sweet eternal companion exercised great faith in his Savior and his healing powers. He often kept me calm and reassured me that he would be OK. 
So when life seems hard remember that you do have a Savior who loves you. He knows you personally and he knows exactly how to comfort and bless your life. He will always be there for you. He will carry you when the burden seems to much to bare. He is the Messiah, the Anointed one and he be there for you. In the book, "The Continuous Atonement" by Brad Wilcox, a closing thought:" He will hold us in His strong embrace continuously." He is the God of miracles; I know this to be true.
Just have faith in Him, our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

My Savior, Redeemer and King~

by Greg Olsen~

As Easter is approaching I have been thinking about my testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I truly love my Savior, with all of my heart and soul. My relationship with the Him is deep and abiding. I feel His love in my life. I believe in Him. I trust in Him. I follow Him. He is the "Savior and Redeemer of my soul".
This precious relationship has become to me a source of strength and peace. I know  that He knows me and loves me. I know that in the pre-mortal world I chose to follow Him and His plan for us all.

Art by Greg Olsen

I know that in this earth life I am here to gain a body, experience life, and develop a trusting relationship with Him. I truly, "Stand all Amazed At The Love Jesus Offers Me,"
I have had many prayers answered through Him. He is our deliverer and mediator. He gave freely his blood, sweat, tears and life for us. He died and was Resurrected for us; that we might live again.  He suffered for us beyond anything we can comprehend. We close our prayers in His sacred name. He is our Savior, Redeemer and King.

                                                         Art by Greg Olsen
My favorite scripture is found in Proverbs 3:5-6.
5 .Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Through the years I have used this scripture many times while going through the fiery furnace of life experiences. Life is not easy nor was it meant to be. I know that He walks with me and beside me on my daily journey through this challenging world. I do not know what I would do if I didn't have this faith in my Savior. I have deep gratitude for His many tender mercies. In my joys He is there. He desires for us to have happiness and joy; He is the way, the truth and the light.

I am blessed with an Eternal Companion that shares this strong belief in Christ. The two of us are together in our relationship with our Redeemer. We together walk hand in hand with Him.

Art by Greg Olsen 

Take My Hand~ by Greg Olsen 

 

`Take my hand and follow me;

There are things ahead for you to see.

Little wonders are all around

And tender mercies to be found.

We'll take our time -no need to run;

Breathe deep the air and feel the sun.

The grass is soft and just be still;

Our heats will tell us God is real!

Small graces along our path appear;

They let us know that heaven's near.

So take my hand anew each day;

The walk is lovely, and I know the way

 

 Take a moment and enjoy this beautiful rendition of Savior, Redeemer of My Soul by a favorite singer of mine Dallyn Vail Bayles~

 

A Letter To My Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren~

I have been thinking a lot about my precious grandchildren and great grandchildren. I have 13 granddaughters and 2 great granddaughters along with 18 grandsons and 1 great grandson. It is often difficult to have one and one moments with each of them because many of them live far away. I do have a blog entitled: Grandpa and Grandma's Twitterings. This blog is in the development stage and I hope it will be a fun way to connect with them all.
When we visit our grandchildren, I can tell which one of these spirited children will give their parents a run for their money. Through the years while raising my own children I have gained wisdom through the process of struggles and trials that go along with parenthood. However, to me my grandchildren are wonderful and each one is unique and very special spirit. I know that all of them have been reserved to come to come to earth; each with an assigned purpose in the winding up scenes before the 2nd Coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Today, I thought I would write a letter to them all. There are only a few of them that are at an age to read and understand the feelings of my heart.

Dearest and beloved Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren:

Here are some thoughts from my heart to yours.
Babies are such a miracle. How could anyone not know that they have come to this earth from a pre-mortal realm where they left their Heavenly Parents and their Elder brother Jesus Christ. The veil was drawn at birth and you cannot remember that wonderful pre-mortal life. I know that in that state I knew you all and that you were assigned to come into our earthly family. 

When I have held each of you adorable and precious grandchildren and great grandchildren in my arms; I can see in your sweet little faces that you had just freshly left the courts on high. I like to think that perhaps you received a blessing from our loving Heavenly Father as you left for this great adventure.  Here you came to earth to fulfill your divine and chosen earthly mission. How I loved to kiss your little cheeks, necks and tiny little feet and hold you close to my heart. You were and are so precious and innocent to me. I know that you are truly Sons and Daughters of our Heavenly Parents. As I looked into your angelic little faces I know that you have strong spirits that were prepared  to tackle your earth life experiences. At that moment I prayed that your earthy parents and we as your grandparents could provide the support  and teachings you will need as you sojourn through life. 
So dear grandchildren and great grandchildren this is my hope and prayer for you. Here are some thoughts that come from my heart and hopefully to yours.
In the beginning as you are taught to pray; I pray that you will always know that you have a kind wise Heavenly Father and your Elder Brother Jesus Christ who are there to listen to your prayers. I myself like to picture that I am at the knees of my Father in Heaven as I praise Him, give gratitude for His countless blessings and pray for my everyday needs. There will come emergencies into your life when only prayer can give you that comfort, peace and direction that you seek. I know beyond doubt that our Heavenly Father and our Savior knows your name; you are his child and He knows your needs.

Our Father in Heaven wants us to return to Him clean and pure and He will help us accomplish this if we but reach up through prayer for Him. God is our 911; Prayer is our emergency line. Use prayer to reach Him wherever you are and in whatever situation you find yourself in.
I pray that you will love the scriptures. I hope that you will find within the scriptures answers to your prayers and a closer relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that as you read the stories, prophecies and counsel within those pages that you will feel the Spirit of the Holy Ghost whisper into your ears that these are eternal truths. Perhaps you will feel like you have heard some of these thoughts somewhere before. Feast upon the words of Christ especially found in "The Book of Mormon".

Another thing that I pray for is that you will be given opportunities and teaching experiences  when you will feel the Spirit of the Holy Ghost. I pray that you will understand, feel and obey that special gift that you have been given at your baptisms. This is a priceless gift; learn to let it guide you.

The question is asked; what else can you do to bring more happiness and joy into your lives? I found that the answer is to serve one another. Finding opportunities to serve your family, friends and neighbors will bring into your soul great happiness. I pray that you will think outside of yourself and what you think you need and look for opportunities to serve others. When your heart is troubled, when you are alone and afraid; go out and serve someone. Those troubles will just slip away. It is one of the greatest sources of help for depression and those down days we all have.
Many years ago I was quite ill and at the time was working as a Hospice nurse. I had to drag myself to work. However, once I visited my first patient I would lose that feeling of hopelessness in my physical distress. I would think to myself; this dear person I am working with will die soon and I still have time to live. When you don't feel like serving another is the exact time to do just that. Look for opportunities to serve and your life will be greatly blessed.
Learn to work; work is a principle of power. By working and accomplishing tasks you will find more satisfaction in your life. Perhaps your work in the beginning will be helping at home, then working a job to prepare for going to college or on a mission. Have a goal to work towards and you will find that your happiness will multiply.
You will one day want to find an eternal companion. I pray that you will choose well. I pray that you will go to your Heavenly Father in prayer to verify that this young man or woman whom you love is the one you should marry. This one decision will be the biggest decision you will every make in this life.
I pray that I might live to see you all married in the Temple of our Lord. The temple is the crowning joy of this life. To be an eternal family is so important to me. I pray with all my heart and soul that all of our families will be in the Celestial Kingdom together. I desire with all my heart that there will be "No Empty Chairs" in our family.

The temple is a oasis. It is the fountain of Living Water. Here you will learn of eternal truths. Here you will provide saving ordinances for ancestors who are waiting to receive their blessings though you.  Here if you come prepared  you can receive answers to prayers and revelation for all of the important decisions that you will make in life.

 Last of all here are a few moments in my life  that have filled my heart with joy. The kind of joy that I would term exceedingly great joy; an exquisite joy. The first was when I knelt across the alter to be married and sealed to your grandfather many years ago. What a very good man I chose to be my eternal companion. I hope you will look to him as a true disciple of Jesus Christ.  He is there to support you in any way he can. Another moment was the day that our last child was married and sealed in the temple to her chosen companion. In that beautiful temple sealing room sat all of my children and their beloved spouses. We were together as one family with "No empty Chairs". Finally, but not least the moments when I held each of you sweet ones in my arms and welcomed you into the world; just as I had held my own sons and daughters.

This kind of joy is indescribable and you have to experience it to know.
I pray you will.

With great love to you all; I send these thoughts to you all today.

My three precious Great Grandchildren: Lilly, Jadyn and Sagan ~





A Few Life Regrets and Resolutions~

Our Family in 1981 - Families Come First~

Last October in our semi-annual General Conference for The Church of Jesus  Christ of Latter-day Saints; President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency gave a beautiful message on the subject, "Of Regrets And Resolutions".

Last month one of our Relief Society Lessons was given on this particular talk. As I listened to this wonderful lesson it brought to my mind a few thoughts about Regrets that I have had in my life and also Resolutions to change some of those regrets.
President Uchdorf stated the following: "The path toward fulfilling our divine destiny as sons and daughters of God is an eternal one...We must begin to walk that eternal path Today;
We can not take for granted one single day. I pray that we will not wait until we are ready to die before we truly learn to live."
In my own life I do have regrets. This talk caused me to ponder upon some of those regrets and analyze how I resolved some of them and how to prevent having regrets.
 
President Uchtdorf gave the following three resolutions.
1. Resolve to spend more time with those we love.
During the years of raising my children I had to work off and on. I am a nurse by profession.  I usually worked shifts and other assignments that allowed me to be home with my children during the crucial moments when I felt my family needed me. My last position was in Hospice Home Health Care. Most of the time I could schedule around my children's activities. In the summer of course this was more difficult because they were home more. Also, if one of my patients were dying or had died; I needed to go and be with them and their family.  Sometimes, this caused an interruption in my mothering care. Later on I became the Director of the Hospice Home Health and my hours to be home were more restricted. At the time, I felt that I was doing OK. However, later on after I quit and became a more full time mother; I realize that my working did have an affect upon my children. Working at that time was a necessity and I didn't have much choice. I learned later on that my one daughter felt like I wasn't there for her very much. One of my younger daughters couldn't remember me being home very much. One of my son's had some big challenges and I didn't know about some of it because I was at work. I really have some regrets and often have wondered how I could repair that damage. For my last four children I was able to be a full time mother during most of their teenage years.  This was such a blessing in my life. All of my children came through this period of time with a few scars but basically they have remained true to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.They have served missions for our church and been married in the temple .However, I do regret that I wasn't home with them more. I know I did try to be a loving mother; but I also feel I failed in giving them the time they needed with me.
Back then Family Home Evening was very inconsistant for our family. I have a testimony of that program and recognized that it can bring great blessings into your home when you have  regular Family Home Evenings each week.
Another quick regret is that I didn't have time to see or call my parents as often as I should have. Now both of them have passed away. I miss them so much.
We also didn't have family reunions with our extended families so that has been sad. Now that we live near our brothers and sisters; we do see them a little more often.
Treasure family relationships and provide time in your life for them.
President Uchtdorf gave the following thoughts; "When Jesus Christ interacted with those around Him, they felt important and loved. He knew the infinite value of the people He met. He blessed them, ministered to them. He lifted them up, healed them. He gave them the precious gift of His time."
If we fail to give our best personal self and undivided time to those who are truly important to us, one day we will regret it.
"Let us resolve to cherish those we love by spending meaningful time with them, doing things together, and cultivating treasured memories". ~ Pres. Uchtdorf.
 
So ask yourself, how can I encourage quality family time in my home?

For now I can just hangout and enjoy each of my sweet Grandchildren - This is the biggest blessing of being grandparents instead of parents.

2. Resolve to strive more earnestly to become the person God wants us to be.
I must say on this one that I try very hard to be the kind of person Heavenly Father wants me to be. Of course,I am far from accomplishing this. I do realize that we are here on earth to learn and grow in our testimony of the Savior. We are here to make choices every day; we have agency a true gift. I and we are all imperfect. However, I believe that I can work on attributes that will bring me closer to my Savior and closer to my goal of becoming the person God wants me to be.
 I am now in the retirement years of my life without children at home. I have more time to delve into the scriptures and other good books. I have always been one to pray alot; but now my prayers are more intense and meaningful. I understand what prayer can bring to my life to help me on a daily basis. I frequently get answers to prayers through the scriptures and other things I read.  I find more time to provide service to others which has broadened my experiences and taught me many lessons. Going to the temple more often and serving there weekly has opened my eyes to many truths.
My regrets would be that I didn't realize that the scriptures are the prime source for raising children and solidifying marriages. I tried to be a good mother; but I would have been a better one if I had studied the scriptures more intently while raising children. I didn't realize that they had the answers to every problem that came up through those child raising years.
Although we did go to the temple fairly often through the years; if I would have been more consistant; I would have found greater strength and revelation through temple service.
Now I see the blessings from doing those things mentioned above. Sometimes we get so busy that we do not do those things that will bring us closer to the person God wants us to be.
In Pres. Uchtdorf's message he said: "Discipleship is the pursuit of holiness and happiest
self.
Let us resolve to follow the Savior and work diligence to become the person we were designed to become. Let us listen to and obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit. As we do so Heavenly Father will reveal to us things we never knew about ourselves. He will illuminate the path ahead and open our eyes to see our unknown an perhaps unimagined talents.
The more we devote ourselves to the pursuit of holiness and happiness, the less likely we will be on a path to regrets. The more we rely on the Savior's grace, the more we will feel that we are on the track our Father in Heaven has intended for us.

How will following the Savior help me to discover the woman God wants me to become? What can I do to be a better disciple of Christ?

3. Resolve to find Happiness, regardless of our circumstances.
I have a little clause in my partriartical blessing that states that I am to be optimistic and cheerful. I must say that I usually am the one in the family to be the most optimistic. I also through the years have tried to be cheerful and happy. I told my husband when we were first married that I would go with him  and live where ever we needed to live and that I would be happy with him even if we lived in a tent. Through the years we moved a lot. Sometimes in rental homes in the same ward and homes that we bought and sold. We lived mostly in three bedroom homes and had our three boys in one room and three girls in another. I always felt happy in whatever home I have lived in. Each of these moves and homes bring to mind many sweet memories along with a few sad ones. In later years we were fortunate to have more living space; but it also brought more rooms to clean. I just know I have been greatly blessed by having a good attitude through the years of raising children and moving into different states and homes. We have moved a total of 22 times and have lived in four different states.
Through life experiences I have always tried to be happy. I have tried hard to live in the present. I can't say that I haven't been depressed over different experiences; but I never remain that way for very long.
A closing thought by President Uchtdorf: ".....No matter our circumstances, no matter our challenges or trial, there is something in each day to embrace and cherish. There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and joy if only we will see and appreciate it.
Perhaps we should be looking less with our eyes and more with our hearts. I love the quote: "One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes."

What can I do to see and acknowledge the good things in my everyday life?

Pause for a moment and answer those questions??You will be greatly blessed if you do~