Category: Jesus Christ

Thought journey about love and faith on an early morning

When I want to understand my relationship with God, forged by covenant, my go-to article is by President Nelson. A key point revolves around the Hebrew word, hesed. This week, this paragraph stood out to me,

Hesed is a special kind of love and mercy that God feels for and extends to those who have made a covenant with Him. And we reciprocate with hesed for Him.

The Everlasting Covenant by President Russell M. Nelson, Liahona, October 2022.

Wait, I can reciprocate hesed (loving kindness) to God?

In other words, hesed isn’t just Heavenly Father’s role in the covenant relationship? He truly wants my love?

How, then, can I show that love?

in gratitude for God’s merciful love (hesed), we show our loyal love (emunah) by keeping His commandments.

Faith: A Bond of Trust and Loyalty by Elder Sandino Roman

So, keeping commandments is the way I show loving kindness/devotion to God. That seems obvious, now that I write it.

Elder Roman used a different Hebrew word, emunah, rather than hesed, to describe our role in the covenant relationship. What does the word, emunah mean?

The short answer is faith, but like all Hebrew words, it is rich in meaning.

From website Chabad.org

So, I am to practice, hone, and create a lifestyle of action to show my love for God.

By doing, I come to know God. This is how I build a loving relationship with Him.

The process isn’t, “know then do.” The process is “do in order to know.” This is faith. This is love.

And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient.

Exodus 24:7

15 ¶ If ye love me, keep my commandments.

John 14:15

So, I can show love for God through obedience, crafting a life of faithful action.

If all of this is true, a key question is, What is the most important faithful/loving/obedient act that I can do right now?

Maybe it is to apologize to someone.

Or, it could be to share my faith with others.

Perhaps it is to praise God more and whine less.

It’s often going to be temple work.

Always, it is to acknowledge that the Savior makes a relationship with God possible.

Whatever the Spirit inspires us to do to show love for Heavenly Father today, may we do it and find rest in Him.

A few lists to end the year

I love the quiet days between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Although the silence was painful after our family left, I have begun to order my thoughts about the past year, journaling, reading notes, reviewing my planner, and organizing myself for the new year.

I love reflecting on questions like these during the quiet hours. I will include a few of my answers, too.

What are the lessons from 2025?

  • God can fix things so quickly, so completely, and so elegantly.
  • I have true friends on whom I can call when I need help.
  • I can trust God’s wisdom when my trials don’t go away.

What books and people did I keep close to me?

  • Book List Here, with my favorites in bold. I read the Doctrine and Covenants the most because I was teaching it.
  • People: my family, a few close friends.

What do I want to remember?

  • How Tim and Queenie looked in the sealing room at the temple on their wedding day.
  • Playing with our grandson in the backyard and at the beach.

How have I grown?

  • I trust God a bit more.

What were some triumphs?

  • Wedding luncheon for Tim.
  • A few special moments during lessons I taught in church.

How did the Savior show up in my life?

  • In word: the scriptures, words of prophets, impressions during prayer and in the House of the Lord.
  • In power: to endure challenges.
  • In music: during my most challenging moments, good music came to my mind. (Shalom by Dan Forrest; Slow Down, sung by Sissel; Seek the Lord by my mom, in her voice; I Want to Be Strong, a song we sang at Girls Camp 30+ years ago.)
  • Through people who listened to me and loved me.
  • In fresh ideas
  • In chastening: He helped me change my thinking. Often.

20-83 extra hours

This is a figure I saw this weekend of the number of extra hours of labor that women take on during Christmas time. This seems accurate to me.

I have never wanted to cultivate resentment about the effort it takes to create some extra Christmas magic. When the kids were younger, this meant I tried not to hurry them as we created simple traditions. When they were teens, the magic came from devoting our lives to support their dance and musical performances. When our adult children can’t be with us, I adjust my expectations and send packages.

Whatever is required of us this Christmas, I know that we can take inspiration from the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. He showed us how to love and serve.

Our charge

The article by President Russell M. Nelson from 2020, The Future of the Church: Preparing the World for the Savior’s Second Coming is amazing. It was listed in the Come Follow Me study guide for Doctrine and Covenants 133. Here are a few passages that I marked.

I have been thinking about building physical, emotional, and spiritual reserves that can buffer me against stress.

The thing about building a reserve, whether it is financial, spiritual, or physical, is that it is done with consistent, small acts over a sustained period of time.

We can do that. We must do it. There are things during these challenging times that, with God’s help, “only members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can accomplish.”

Studying about this lately

This month, I have some opportunities to teach about the trials of the early Latter-day Saints. As part of my preparation, I compiled my highlights from general conferences and church magazines on the subject of trials. Perhaps there is something in this document that would be helpful to you.

trials quotesDownload

Many treasures, hidden riches, and even my knowledge of God have been gained during difficult times.

And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.

Isaiah 45:3