Mother's Day can bring mixed feelings to many of us. There are all types of different kinds of mothers. In fact, I believe that because we are women we are mothers whether we have a child or not. A loving Heavenly Father has blessed us as part of our heavenly genetic make-up a nurturing heart. Here we have opportunities to let that grow within us as we have, teach, work with and enjoy moments with children. Here is a link to an article you might enjoy entitled: "Five Types of Mother." Here is a list of the 5 types of Mothers as found in this article: The Imperfect Mother, The Childless Mother, The Mother Battling Infertility, The Mother Who Placed Her Child For Adoption, and The Mother Who is Waiting To Reunite With Her Children In Heaven. Always remember that you are enough. Here is a video by "The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints entitled: "You Are Enough."
I want to wish you all a very Happy Mother's Day no matter what your circumstances might be. You are a beloved daughter of our Heavenly Parents, and you have s loving brother, Jesus Christ. You are never alone because they are always near. Reach for them in those moments of mothering doubts. I have been blessed with an angle Mother who taught me well what a good Mother is supposed to be. She has passed on into the Spirit World, and I miss her more than words can express. I would give anything to dial the phone and hear her precious voice. I still need her wisdom and guidance. There are times when I do feel her near. My dear Mother in law is also on my mind frequently. She too is in the heavenly realm. I have sincere gratitude for her son, my husband who has blessed me beyond measure and I know she had a significant influence on him becoming the magnificent husband and father he is today. Then I have three beautiful daughters, and lovely three daughters-in-law and two granddaughters in-laws that I think are terrific mothers. I loved to watch them as they nurture their children. Then many friends show me how much they love their families and are dedicated to caring tenderly for them. Many women have no children, but as they interrelate with children, you can see their nurturing side. I would call them mothers. Motherhood is the greatest calling that we can have on this earth. We can fulfill that divine desire of our Heavenly Father to lovingly care for his children as they come into this world. Have a spectacular Mother's Day Celebration all you marvelous women out there. With Great love to you all!
The following document was written and signed by our First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in April of 2000.
The Living Christ
The Testimony of the Apostles
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
As we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ two millennia ago, we offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth.
He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New. Under the direction of His Father, He was the creator of the earth. “All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3). Though sinless, He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness. He “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38), yet was despised for it. His gospel was a message of peace and goodwill. He entreated all to follow His example. He walked the roads of Palestine, healing the sick, causing the blind to see, and raising the dead. He taught the truths of eternity, the reality of our premortal existence, the purpose of our life on earth, and the potential for the sons and daughters of God in the life to come.
He instituted the sacrament as a reminder of His great atoning sacrifice. He was arrested and condemned on spurious charges, convicted to satisfy a mob, and sentenced to die on Calvary’s cross. He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. His was a great vicarious gift in behalf of all who would ever live upon the earth.
We solemnly testify that His life, which is central to all human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary. He was the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world.
He rose from the grave to “become the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Cor. 15:20). As Risen Lord, He visited among those He had loved in life. He also ministered among His “other sheep” (John 10:16) in ancient America. In the modern world, He and His Father appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, ushering in the long-promised “dispensation of the fulness of times” (Eph. 1:10).
Of the Living Christ, the Prophet Joseph wrote: “His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun, and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying:
“I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father” (D&C 110:3–4).
Of Him, the Prophet also declared: “And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!
“For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—
“That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God” (D&C 76:22–24).
We declare in words of solemnity that His priesthood and His Church have been restored upon the earth—“built upon the foundation of … apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone” (Eph. 2:20).
We testify that He will someday return to earth. “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together” (Isa. 40:5). He will rule as King of Kings and reign as Lord of Lords and every knee shall bend, and every tongue shall speak in worship before Him. Each of us will stand to be judged of Him according to our works and the desires of our hearts.
We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son.
This past month in celebrating Easter, I thought about the great message that came from this critical document that was published by our Prophet and Apostles in of April of 2000. This last Sabbath Day our Stake Presented a spectacular Choir production entitled: "The Living Christ." The music and narration were powerful, and my testimony was strengthened. I have a deep faith in our Living Christ. I know that He suffered for all of our sins and died on Calvery and three days later, He broke the bands of death and lives again. Because of Him, we can all live again. As I have had my own family pass into the Spirit World; I know that I will see them again. This brings great comfort to my soul. Enjoy this beautiful rendition of "I Know That My Redeemer Lives."
I have a deep abiding love for, and testimony of my Savior, Jesus Christ. He is our "Divine Redeemer." Jesus Christ lived a life of love for all. He is the Anointed One, who chose in the pre-earth life to come as a newborn baby and then grow to become our Messiah. He taught us how to live through his examples. He established His Church with Apostles, whom he chose and gave authority to do as He had done. He gave pure love, lifted all, healed the sick, lame, and those in despair. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He suffered for all sins, and afflictions that we may experience in this life and then walked the path to Golgotha where he was crucified. Three days later our Redeemer was resurrected, and therefore because of Him, we will all live again, someday. Here is an exclusive Easter Video.
Here too is a very endearing video by Claire Ryann when she was three years old. I treasure this video because I know her mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. This sweet child sings like an angel, and this is my favorite song by her.
This is a favorite quote because I know that our Mediator with the Father is always there for us in our moments of need. He loves us and as we reach for Him; the Savior can comfort and heal us of our afflictions. I thank my Heavenly Father every day for His precious son, our Savior. He is the way, the truth, and the light. I invite you all to "Come Unto Christ" and learn of Him.
If you have a few moments, I invite you to listen to this rendition by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square as they sing: "O, Divine Redeemer."
I witness to you that I know my Redeemer Lives. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is His restored Church with a living Prophet and Apostles who receive revelation for our day from Jesus Christ, our Devine Redeemer.
While searching for spring; the finicky month of March went by with lots of varied activities.
My dearest young granddaughter, Emma was scheduled for an Endoscopy in March. Here are some photos of her while she was waiting to be registered for the test, changing into PJ's, waiting to go in for the test, waking up from the test and then going home. We were so grateful that Emma did so well. The test results were that she has esophageal inflammation. She is now on a special diet for a while to determine what foods may have contributed to the diagnosis. She was a trooper and so delightful.
Our Relief Society Presidency was asked to provide a dinner for our Stake Presidency members which consisted of 14 people. This was a dinner in between two meetings that they had for our bi-annual Stake Conference. Here is just a snapshot of a couple of the table decorations. It was a privilege to make this dinner for them.
We had the fun blessing for having one of our families visit us from Idaho. This is my 3rd son, James, his wife, Amber and their two children Taylor Jo and Averi. We had such a great visit with them all.
Next, we celebrated our Granddaughter, Alyssa's 15th birthday. This is the sweet family that is living with us right now. They will soon be moving into their own home, and I will miss the day to day contact with this remarkable family. This is our 5th child and middle daughter, Jenni, husband Michael and their children, Alyssa, Emma, and Ben.
More fun photos from this happy celebration. Our Alyssa received mostly art supplies and these art pictures she asked for. I loved the items she received. No clothes for her this year.
Benjamin made his own Pinewood Derby car to race in a Cub Scout event. I was so proud of him for making it all by himself. We enjoyed watching the races, and he had a lot of fun.
It has continued to snow off and on here in Utah. We are starting to see a few signs of spring. We still need to wear a coat on most days.
My dear Sister In Law, Amparo Gledhill passed away on March 20th,2019. She had fought a 2 year battle with Cancer. She is the wife of my oldest brother Mac Gledhill, who died in 2010. We were so sad to lose this endearing sister of ours. We had just visited her in Las Vegas a few months ago. I had tried to stay in touch, and we always enjoyed our moments with her family and her. We lived in Las Vegas for 7 years; we have been close with their family throughout the years. Her Granddaughter, Misty wrote the beautiful poem above, and it describes her well.
Here is a photo of her family: Front row Kathy, Mirna, Amparo; Back row, John, Gabe, and Gus. Then the picture on the right side is her grandchildren; there are a few missing in the photo.
Here are a few photos from the luncheon held after the funeral. Amparo had lived in the same home for over 40 years, and she had a lot of friends and family come. She had three sisters and some nieces and nephews that came from Mexico for the funeral. She was much loved by many.
On the Saturday after the funeral, we drove up to the Las Vegas Latter-Day Saint Temple. It was a beatutiful day and we really enjoyed the sunlight and the surroundings.
On Monday, we drove home and stopped in Cedar City to see the newer Cedar City, Utah Latter-Day Saint temple and then onto Monroe, Utah to visit my beloved 98-year-old Aunt Alene. We had a fantastic visit with her. It was a busy month with lots of love, sadness, activities and etc. Now we are still searching for Spring.
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth." (Articles of Faith. # 6) This photo above is our Prophet, President Russell M. Nelson in the center with his First Councilor, President Dallin H. Oaks and 2nd Councilor, President Henry B. Eyring. Then we have our 12 Apostles. 1st row sitting; Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Elder Jeffery R. Holland, Elder M. Russel Ballard, Elder David A. Bednar, Elder Quentin L.Cook, and Elder D.Todd Christopherson. 2nd-row standing is Elder Gary E. Stevenson, Elder Ronald A. Rasband, Elder Neil L. Andersen, Elder Dale G. Renlund, Elder Gerritt W. Gong and Elder Ulisses Soares. "We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof." (Articles of Faith #5.) These men are Prophet, Seers, and Revelators that hold the keys given to Peter from Christ and restored to the Prophet Joseph Smith by Peter, James and John when the church was restored in these the Latter days. This weekend the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will hold their Semi-Annual General Conference. Here we will listen to all of these brethren and other General leaders of the church. We look forward to these messages which will lead, guide and direct our more than 16 million members of the church worldwide. "We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God."( Articles of Faith # 9 )
Here is a video of their testimony of the Living Christ~ Here is the information for viewing General Conference on Saturday, April 6th and Sunday, April 7th. Come, See and Listen to a Prophets voice and hear the word of God.
Our conferences are a wonderful experience. We hear from our leaders the messages that they have been guided through the spirit to give. As we listen to their words we can also receive revelation for our own lives. Each conference we have exciting changes that have come about through direct revelation from our Savior, Jesus Christ to our Prophet and Apostles. We believe that Jesus Christ is the head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost. (Articles of Faith#1.) You can find all of the Articles of Faith here.
I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father who cares for all of His Spirit children on this earth. He wants us all to return and live again with Him some day. He has provided that way through the Glorious Plan of Salvation. We have the Anointed One who came to earth to show us the way and then went through the Atonement in Gethsemane, the Crucifixion on Golgotha and the Resurrection from the Garden tomb for all of us. As we follow the Savior and repent and are baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and other ordinances of salvation; we can return and live with Them again. A way has been provided for all of God's children to hear this plan and choose their path whether in this earthly life or in the Spirit World.
I know the scriptures are true. We believe in the Old and New Testament . We believe in The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. It is the the dealings of God with the inhabitants of Ancient America. As you commit to read this book and pray about it; you too can receive a witness that it is true.
I invite you to come and listen to the Conference addresses and the beautiful music by the Tabernacle Choir and then pray about what you hear and if you pray with real intent you will receive a witness of the truths spoken.
This is a historic weekend for The Church of JesusChrist of Latter-day Saints. I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We are excited that the new Rome temple will be dedicated this weekend by our Prophet, President Russell M. Nelson. The First Presidency and the twelve Apostles are all in Rome for this memorable occasion. The video above is a walkthrough of this beautiful temple, and you will learn many things about what we do in the temples. Temple worship is essential to our faith. You can read about why we build temples here. Here is some information on how many temples we have throughout the world: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) has been a prolific builder of temples throughout its history. There are 161 dedicated temples (151 currently open; and 10 previously dedicated, but closed for renovation), 12 under construction, and 28 announced (not yet under construction). Today our beloved Prophet President Russell M. Nelson met with Pope Francis at the Vatican. You can read about that visit here. I wanted to testify to you of the importance of the temples in our faith. I hope you will take the time to watch the video and read the links. It will help you better understand our beliefs. I feel that it is important for us all to love one another as true brothers and sisters that we are. We can all benefit by learning about different faiths and beliefs and have the common ground of reference. I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father and a divine Savior Jesus Christ. They love all their children that are upon this earth. We believe in Eternal Families and that we can return to live with our Heavenly Parents someday. The temple ordinances are steps we take towards Eternal life. I presently serve in the Jordan River Temple as an Ordinance Worker. I assist the patrons as they come to the temple in various ways. I love being in the temple. I love watching the patrons come in and see the joy on their faces as they do this great work. A temple is a place to find comfort, love, peace, and answers to life struggles. It is a house of revelation.
A few weeks ago we visited our son Travis, Amanda and their children. We were there for two of our grandson's priesthood advancements. While we were sitting in their Sacrament meeting my youngest Granddaughter, Haven was tracing with her fingers the veins on my hand. I explained that they were kind of like roads. She smiled and continued to be fascinated with my old worn hands.
It reminded me of a post I made several years ago when I noticed that my hands were aging. Now they are ancient and worn hands. I thought that this was worth posting again since it reminded me of when I used to look at my own sweet Mother's hands as she aged and also those of my Grandmothers. Our hands do tell a story.
MY GRANDMA'S HANDS
Grandma, some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the patio bench. She didn't move, just sat with her head down staring at her hands. When I sat down beside her, she didn't acknowledge my presence, and the longer I sat I wondered if she was OK Finally, not really wanting to disturb her but wanting to check on her at the same time, I asked her if she was OK. She raised her head and looked at me and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking," she said in a clear voice strong. "I didn't mean to disturb you, grandma, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands, and I wanted to make sure you were OK," I explained to her. "Have you ever looked at your hands," she asked. "I mean really looked at your hands?" I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them. I turned them over, palms up and then palms down. No, I guess I had never really looked at my hands as I tried to figure out the point she was making. Grandma smiled and related this story: "Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life. "They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed upon the floor. They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. As a child, my mother taught me to fold them in prayer. They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots. They held my husband and wiped my tears when he went off to war. "They have been dirty, scraped and raw, swollen and bent. They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son. Decorated with my wedding band, they showed the world that I was married and loved someone special. They wrote my letters to him and trembled and shook when I buried my parents and spouse. "They had held my children and grandchildren, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn't understand. They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the rest of my body. They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw. And to this day when not much of anything else of me works really well these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer. "These hands are the mark of where I've been and the ruggedness of life. But more importantly, it will be these hands that God will reach out and take when he leads me home. And with my hands, He will lift me to His side, and there I will use these hands to touch the face of Christ." I will never look at my hands the same again. But I remember God reached out and took my grandma's hands and led her home. When my hands are hurt or sore or when I stroke the face of my children and husband I think of grandma. I know she has been stroked and caressed and held by the hands of God. I, too, want to touch the face of God and feel His hands upon my face. This piece was originally published as “Grandpa’s Hands” copyright 2004. The revised version above is posted with the permission of the author. I now look at hands with awe at the many things that our hands do and the feats they have accomplished.I too want someday to touch the face of my beloved Heavenly Father and my Savior, Jesus Christ.
