Ammon's Address

Elder Tidwell
6500 Atherton St.
Long Beach 90815

So I loose Ammon's address constantly and I thought putting it here would be good for me and anyone else who needs it.

Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee..

A long time ago, okay, it seems like a long time ago but let's be real here; I haven't hit 30 yet so it wasn't that long ago when I was in the MTC. I had two wonderful companions, one of whom is now in MoTab and she's incredible. She's the one I want to talk about for a minute. One Sunday night at our weekly MTC fireside/devotional she sang this very song. I had heard this hymn before but I had never felt such a strong spirit as when she sang it that night. I love the first verse:
Jesus the very thought of thee
What sweetness fills my breast
But sweeter far thy face to see
And in thy presence rest
The second verse is also one of my favorites;
Nor voice can sing, nor heart can frame,
Nor can the mem'ry find
A sweeter sound than thy blest name,
O Savior of mankind!
I'm sure we all have a hymn or perhaps have felt the Spirit impress upon our minds and hearts a reminder of how much we love the Savior at some point in our lives. It may have been a Primary song, an EFY song (those always make Tyler get emotional ;) ), or maybe just listening to a hymn can cause us to have a reaffirmation of our testimony. That night was one of those moments for me in the MTC. I can't hear that song without feeling that same strong spirit I felt when my sweet MTC companion sang it. It reminds me how even thinking of our Savior can bring a certain spirit into our lives, our words become kinder, our actions become more meaningful, and it truly fills our minds and hearts with a peace, sweetness, and longing to meet our Savior and find rest with Him in the presence of our Heavenly Father. I can't think of Pres. Faust without connecting him to "This is the Christ" and Pres. Hinckley to " My Redeemer Lives." Music has a powerful influence and we are blessed to have hymns that can bring a sweet reminder to us of our love for our Heavenly Father and the Savior especially when we are in need of said reminder.
Switching gears a little bit as I was reading in Mosiah this week I love Mosiah but I enjoyed Chapter five a little more this time. Maybe I'm in need of something and found whatever my soul was hungering for in its verses. I love the reminder we have that we are made free and offered the granted the gift of salvation because we have made covenants and will be found at the right hand of God based on our obedience of course. I can't forget this simple phrase in verse 12 that I need to remember as I go through life each day.
" Retain the name written always in your hearts."
Going back to the effects of the hymn that I love so dearly because it awakens my spirit to a remembrance of my love for the Savior, is it His name written in my heart? I surely believe that it is though sometimes if one were to  look it may be slightly faded as I do err daily. I want you all to know I do have a testimony of our Savior, of the power of His example, the Atonement, and of His love for each of us.  Love you guys, hopefully my jumbled thoughts make some sense :)
Kelly Kelly

His Peace

     I've dreaded these past four months since Travis started school 3 1/2 years ago. I mean come on it’s no secret that I am CUH-RAZY about that 6’1” tower of awesomeness and being away from him sounded miserable. (I don’t know how you all can be away from him on a regular basis) And while yes I would never in a million years choose to be apart this long I think I will cherish the things I've learned in the past few months forever. I could write a million posts about everything I've learned but I think a 4 word sermon could sum up the most important thing Go to the temple! Well ok you guys know I can’t say anything in just 4 words so I’ll expound a little bit.

    When Travis started school we made a goal to get to the temple every month. I’ve watched as this goal has helped us have a more eternal perspective on this whole med school experience which in turn has taken away so much potential stress.  Well I thought I would be exempt from this goal during these months he was away. I told myself Karen you have 4 kids a nursing baby a two hour drive to the closest temple and no husband. You’re excused for these 4 months. However the spirit said “um… haven’t you learned anything about the peace the temple brings, you need the temple now more than ever. “ So I put my faith in the Lord that if I kept my goal of monthly attendance a way would be provided. Somehow each month it has continued to happen and I have once again been reminded that in this gospel there really is no such thing as a sacrifice because we are “unprofitable servants” and every attempt we make to sacrifice something, the blessings will come back a hundred fold.

President Monson has said that “ As we go to the holy house, as we remember the covenants we make therein, we will be able to bear every trial and overcome each temptation. The temple provides purpose for our lives. It brings peace to our souls.” I have felt that peace carry me through what I thought was going to be a huge trial for me. As I have seen my bond with Travis only grow stronger I have been reminded that the only true way to strengthen our relationship with our spouse is to strengthen our relationship with Jesus Christ.

     In the Lectures on Faith Joseph Smith outlined the three things necessary to understand our relationship with God in order to exercise Faith in him they are “First; a knowledge that God exists second ;correct ideas of his character, perfections and attributes and third that the course we are pursuing is according to his mind and will”. I don’t think anything helps to accomplish those three things and in turn strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ more than the temple. It testifies of him, teaches us about him and his true nature and shows us how to become like him.

     So much of the temple from the outside of the building to the baptistery to the endowment is symbolic. I think I’ve always thought that symbols must have 1 specific meaning that I’m supposed to figure out.  This last time I finally came to a realization that that is not true. There is not some test I’ll ever take to figure out what all the symbols mean. What I’m supposed to be learning is whatever the spirit teaches me that day and use it to draw closer to Christ with the understanding it may be something completely new and different next time. We’re so used to a specific set of correct answers that it becomes easy to over think the gospel and the temple. I think the purpose of symbolism is to take a normal object or sign and find out how it testifies of Jesus Christ and then bring that mentality out into the world. Look at the general authorities and how they are able to use almost everything from sports, street signs, jobs, sickness, art projects, planes and even pickles to find symbolism in to help bring them closer to God.  I believe that is a result of the training they receive in the temple that all things good testify of the Savior.  

     I have felt the spirit of the temple in my life and experienced the peace it brings. It is the ultimate pure form of service beside parenthood that we have to offer. It is the one place as Elder Bednar puts that “we more completely and fully take upon us the name of Jesus Christ.” It is where we find His peace to get us through whatever awaits us outside its walls. 

"The Language of our Fathers"

In the first chapter of 1 Nephi, Nephi talks about being taught in all the learning of his father including his language which we know was reformed Egyptian which they used to engrave the plates. Later in the chapter Nephi speaks of another part of the language of his father.

14 ....Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish!

15 And after this manner was the language of my father....

In the March Ensign of 1994 there is an article entitled "Helping Children Hear the Still, Small Voice" in it there is a paragraph that Karen shared with me that really got me thinking. It reads: Many teachers of foreign languages believe that children learn a language best in “immersion programs,” in which they are surrounded by other speakers of the language and called upon to speak it themselves. They learn not just to say words, but to speak fluently and even to think in the new language. The proper “immersion” setting for a spiritual education is in the home, where spiritual principles can form the basis for daily living. “And thou shalt teach [the Lord’s words] diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deut. 6:7).

I feel this is precisely the experience Nephi had with his parents and I know this was the experience we had being raised by Tid and Rose. I would encourage all of us to make this a part of our homes to ensure that our children are being immersed in the gospel. There is a great talk by Elder Holland entitled "A Prayer for the Children" that speaks of this that I would encourage all of you to read.

Oh That I Were An Angel

     Saul and David are returning home after David has slain Goliath and Saul begins to be very upset.  His rages increases when some people praising them say "Saul has killed his thousands but David has killed his tens of thousands." At this moment Saul begins to be jealous of David, but the most interesting part is that he tears down his own accomplishments because someone else performed better than him.  

     We all have these Saul moments and so did Alma in Alma 29.  He says his famous oh that I were an angel speech. But let’s think about where he was coming from. His best friends had just returned from the Laminates with ridiculous amounts of success in bringing the laminates to the truth. Alma had just returned from Ammoniah a city that had to be destroyed because of its wickedness. It can be assumed that Alma was a little jealous of his friends and probably started to tear down his own accomplishments.  But Alma being the great guy that he is catches his self just as we all must when we have our Saul moments.  First he realizes all the blessings in his life. Then he realizes that God knows his purpose, and God will give him what he needs to accomplish those things. The result is in Alma 29:14 "but I do not joy in my own success alone, but my joy is more full because of the success of my brethren, who have been up to the land of Nephi" This is amazing to me, what was once bringing him down suddenly becomes  a part of his joy.  Counting our blessings doesn’t just make us more joyful in our own blessings, but also in the blessings of others. 

      I was amazed when I learned this in seminary and started to examine myself for the Saulness in me.  As you all know Ammon is my closest sibling in both age and relationship. We always had the same friends and spent a lot of time together.  What you all also know is that Ammon is an incredible people person, everyone loves him because he has a fantastic personality.  If you were to ask me before today if I ever got jealous of him I would say never.  But upon examining my self today I realized how often I tore down my blessings because of Ammon's blessings.  I always wanted to be a great communicator and for the past few months have been praying for that gift.  As you could probably guess by talking to me, I am still don’t have that charismatic personality. But after learning about Alma I realized that I was praying for the wrong reasons, sure my intentions were good just as Alma's but we both sinned in the fact that we let other peoples success get in the way of realizing our own blessings.  I was praying not to be the person God wanted me to be but was tearing down the person I was.  It wasn’t about improvement it was about changing myself.   God knows us each individually He knows what gifts we need to accomplish our purpose.  

       When we look at what we have and would accomplish, we would not give it up for what we wish we had.  As you can guess my prayers are a little different now I do not pray to have a charismatic personality I pray for the ability to accomplish the tasks I need to fulfil His purposes.  We have all the energy in the world to be ourselves but once we try to be someone else we become exhausted.  So examine your lives and have an Alma moment whenever you have a Saul moment because we all get jealous, but what’s important is that we don’t let is consume us. We need not say oh that I were an angel or oh that I was charismatic or oh that I was in this financial situation.  All need to say and work towards is Oh that I was the Eli (you fill in your name instead of mine) that God wants be to be and then work with him to be it.
-Cheesy "the blog hog" Tidwell

p.s. sorry if you read this before I edited it I think is was confusing before

p.s.s sorry for being a blog hog but I keep learning a lot of lessons about myself that I feel I need to share.

p.s.s.s I am glad I am related to all of you. Your testimonies strengthen me so much and you have done things for me for which I could never express.  I’m so grateful for this blog! It seems like you guys post things right when I need them the most and you’re all so full of insight and testimony.

Do We Know What We Have?

Dear precious ones, I'm thinking how very gratful I am for the power in the Priesthood.What a powerfull manifestation of Heavenly Father's love for us. Homework from mother and grandmother: Read and ponder Gen. Conf. talk by Carole M. Stephens, Do We Know What We Have? Know that I pray for each one of you every day, you are all so very amazing and I'm am so thankful for you all. Stay true to the Faith the Way back to Father in Heaven, because of our Savior's selfless Atonement. I   love you all so very, very eternaly much. Love, Momma and Grandma

Purity

Here's a little philosophical food for thought. :)

A few weeks ago I took my niece to a fireside where Sheri Dew was the main speaker. At one point in her talk she briefly mentioned how we should all be on a quest to become more pure--more pure in the way we dress, the things we say, the things we read, watch, and listen to etc.--then she moved on to other topics.

I was struck by the word pure and pondered it for a while after the talk was over. After pondering I discovered why I was so intrigued by Sister Dew's word choice. I usually think in terms of "good" or "bad" when I'm deciding whether to watch, listen to, read, wear, or say something. This is problematic though because so many things are a combination of good and bad. I usually deem something "good" if the uplifting and true parts in it outweigh the negative and false parts of it, and something is "bad" if the opposite is true.

But what would happen if I started thinking in terms of purity instead? Something can only be pure, by definition, if it is completely untainted. It cannot be a mix of good and bad parts. It has to be all one or the other. Purity is such a clear standard. It is easy to decide if something is pure or not--much easier than determining if something is good.

Striving to participate in and surround myself and my family with only pure things is such an inspiring, and incredibly difficult, goal. But I think I'm going to go for it.

Your devoted fan,

Sarah