Hello dear Family.  I have two things to share that are somewhat related.

#1. I was immediately struck by the beauty and symbolic significance of the photo found on the inside front cover of the February 2014 Ensign. (If you don't still have the hard copy of the magazine you can look up the pdf version online and see the photo). It shows a snaking river, the bank of which is bordered by rich green trees. The land surrounding the river is completely bare--just desert sand. The scripture accompanying the pictures was Jeremiah 17:7-8:

"Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and...her leaf shall be green."

I love this picture because it gives me hope as a parent. I frequently fear the moral degradation of society and have mild panic attacks when I think of my children growing up surrounded by wickedness. How will they stay strong and cleave to good when they are so bombarded by evil? This picture was a powerful, visual reminder that righteousness and purity can survive, nay :), flourish, even in a polluted or desolate environment as long as we are connected to the source of all good--Jesus Christ.

Our homes, our hearts, our minds, our spirits etc. can all be like the trees surrounding the river--alive with goodness--even though everything around us is morally desolate. We do not have to surrender to our surroundings. What hope!

#2.  Not long ago my friend and I were discussing the downfall of society and how we expected America and everything positive in the world to crumble during our lifetimes. In the middle of our conversation I got a text from my mother.

Her text said, "October 26,1973, President Harold B. Lee at a Ricks College devotional prophesied that the United States would never fail and urged optimism."

I read the text three times in disbelief and then told my friend what it said. My mother's timing was SO perfect! How did she know we were just talking about how we expected America to fail? She was not at our location and could have had no way of knowing what we were talking about. I called my mom and she said the passage had just jumped out at her as she was reading President Eyring's biography so she decided to send the text to her kids.

Here's President Lee's message in full:

"Men may fail in this country, earthquakes may come, seas may heave beyond their bounds, there may be great drought, disaster, and hardship, but this nation, founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail....I plead with you not to preach pessimism. Preach that this is the greatest country in all the world....It is the nation that will stand despite whatever trials or crises it may yet have to pass through. We must be on the optimistic side."

 ~Harold B. Lee, Have Faith in America, October 26,1973

It was a stark reminder to have faith and not fear. I will now repent of my pessimism. :) I love you all!

Sarah