Cultivate Faith, Hope & Love ~

I have discovered throughout my life that being happy was a choice. My husband and I have had a life time filled with many adventures. We have had many good times and many difficult moments. We have lived in different areas and have had to move our family several times. Uprooting our family with those various moves was hard. I decided early on that I would be happy no matter where we lived. I often used the mantra that I would "bloom where I was planted." 

When we have had struggles financially, physically, spiritually, emotionally and mentally; I have walked by faith. I would move forward with one foot in front of the other with hope in our future. I have always had faith and hope in our Heavenly Father's plan of happiness for us.

As I have grown through the years so has my love for others. I do love people and care deeply for Heavenly Father's children; my spirit brothers and sisters. 
I have tried to develop and cultivate faith, hope and love into my everyday life. 

Like everyone else, I do have my down moments; when life seems too hard; but I trust in the Lord and try not to let discouragement enter into my heart. I know where that source of discouragement and discontent comes from. 
My favorite scripture is found in Proverbs 3: 5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths".


Here is one of my favorite stories that have increased my faith, hope and love. Enjoy~

A Summer With Great Aunt Rose~

by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf 

Second Counselor in the First Presidency

The story is about a girl named Eva. There are two important things you should know about Eva. One is that she was 11 years old in this story. And the other is that she absolutely, positively did not want to go and live with her great-aunt Rose. Not at all. No way.

 Here is the link to the story . 

May We Feel The Love Of Our Savior In Our Heart~

I have great love for all of you and a particularly profound love for the members of my family. Each child, grandchild, and great grandchild has blessed my life in countless ways. I have a deep love for the friends I have made over the years within the various wards and stakes where we have lived. I have gained many beloved friends while serving in Temples.  I'm grateful for those amazing friends from school years who have blessed my life over and over again. Then there are the wonderful new friends that I have made through social media; you are greatly loved as well. 

My heart has love for our Heavenly Father's children. Since beginning our full time mission in November; I have had the privilege to meet with, serve, teach and love so many new friends. Because Valentine's Day is a time for remembering and celebrating Love; I thought I should share my deepest hopes and even desires for myself and each one of you. 

I find joy in reading in the Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi chapters 11 and 15. These chapters explain the vision given to the Prophet Lehi. In that vision, Lehi beheld a beautiful tree and the "fruit thereof" was most precious. He partook of the fruit and wanted his family to partake as well. He saw his family moving on the path towards the tree; but only his wife and part of his family found their way to him. Two sons would not follow on the path. His greatest desire was for his entire family to come and partake of the fruit of the Tree of Life. He knew that this fruit was the most precious of all; that it represented the love of God.
He saw that the only way to make it to the tree was to follow the path and hold on to the Iron Rod. The Iron Rod was the word of God and would guide those on the path to the tree. He beheld the things of the world that would cause them to depart from the path and let go of the Rod of Iron. He was deeply saddened by those who would not follow the path or who started, but strayed from it.  

My hope for each of us is to feel His love as we come unto Him, who can lift, heal and guide. May we feel the arms of the Savior of the World around us, and experience the enduring love that comes through His Atoning Sacrifice. May we also reach upward to our Loving Heavenly Father in thought and prayer, and feel the Spirit touch our souls to know that They love us more than we can possibly imagine. 
May each of you to feel love from friends and family, and most of all, from our Heavenly and divine parents. 
Hugs for you all!

Why The Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints Build Temples ~

The Kirtland Temple was the first temple built in the Early Days of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  A short history of this temple can be found here. 

 Due to persecution the Saints left Ohio and moved to Missouri and short time later they were again fleeing from Missouri where they settled in Nauvoo, Illinois. There they build the Nauvoo Temple. They were again expelled from the state and a short time later they started west where they hope to worship their God in peace.  

The Nauvoo Illinois Temple was rebuilt and dedicated in 2002 and you can read about the history of this temple here.

This is the temple where my husband and I were married and sealed for Eternity~

The First Temple to be started after the Saints came west following their expulsion from Nauvoo, Illinois was the Salt Lake Temple. It took the Saints 40 years to build this beautiful temple. You can learn about the History of the Salt Lake Temple Here and Here.
Why does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Build Temples? I have had this question asked of me many times through the years. 

The Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints have built beautiful temples throughout the world to do sacred ordinances for the living and the dead. We will soon be dedicating our 150th temple at the Provo City Center Temple in March. 

Here are a few thoughts on why we build these lovely temples.
"Temples are literally houses of the Lord. They are holy places of worship where the Lord may visit. Only the home can compare with temples in sacredness. 
Throughout history, the Lord has commanded His people to build temples. Here are pictures of two of these ancient temples.

Here you can read about Ancient Temples ~

Today the Church is heeding the Lord's call to build temples all over the world, making temple blessings more available for a great number of our Heavenly Father's children. 
The principal purpose of temples is to provide the ordinances necessary for our exaltation in the celestial kingdom. Temple ordinances lead to the greatest blessings available through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. All we do in the Church - our meetings and activities, our missionary efforts, the lessons we teach and the hymns we sing-should point us to the Savior and the work we do in Holy Temples.  
When we first go to the temple we receive the temple endowment. We receive instructions and we make covenants to live righteously. 
Another temple ordinance is Celestial Marriage. We believe that in the temple we can be sealed as husband and wife forever if we are faithful to the covenants that we make. 
The children that come into our families are born under that covenant or if adopted a can be sealed to their parents in the temple. 
People who have died without essential gospel ordinances may receive those ordinances through the work done in temples." ( True To The Faith; A Gospel Reference; pg.170-171). 
"Temple work is the evidence that God has extended to every individual who has ever lived upon the earth, and who will ever be born into this mortal experience, the blessings and opportunities of salvation , immortality, and eternal life. The Lord's holy house is a place of peace, safety, and love. It is a place where the Spirit resides. It is a place of instruction in the ways of the Lord. It is a place of sacred covenants that open the gateway to the presence of the Father and the Son in the everlasting eternities." ( Essential Gospel Teachings by Richard J. Allen;  pg. 355.).
.....There is no greater work than helping people come unto Christ. This is our work and our glory ; to help Heavenly Father in bringing to pass His eternal plan of happiness - the immortality and eternal life of His children. Family history and temple work is the culmination of His plan. For the Lord has said: "This is eternal lives - to know the only wise and true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent. I am He. Receive ye, therefore, My law" (D&C 132:24.). ( Essentials Gospel Teachings by Richard J. Allen; pg. 356.). 

My eternal companion and I have served in two temples as temple ordinance workers for a total of 13 years.  This has been one of the sweetest and most sacred experiences we have had as a couple.  Here are the photos of those two temples; the Spokane Washington Temple and The Jordan River Temple. 

Here is a short article on how the church pays for the building of  temples.

All of the Temples that we worship in and the Chapels that we meet in through out the world are paid from Tithing funds. Tithing funds also pay for other things. There are no paid clergy in our church. All assignments and callings are non paid positions of service. 

Hope you all enjoyed learning a little bit more about why we build temples.