All Things Testifiy of His Love

     One thing that has been on my mind as I have read the scriptures lately is the love of God.  Every thing He does is a testimony of His infinite love. In 2 Nephi I was reading a chapter where the Lord was strongly rebuking the people.  As I read it I couldn't help but wonder what happened to the Loving Heavenly Father we know of.  But then I noticed something at the end of His rebuking He left a even stronger message of love, an invitation to Come Unto Him, so that they would not have to suffer the horrible things of which He had spoken of.  As I looked at other examples of rebuking it was always the same.  He always left an invitation to come unto Him.  His rebuking is a plea.  It is not about revenge or punishment. It is a loving warning from our Heavenly Father.  Wicked NEVER was happiness.  He cannot change that, He can only help us as agents of choice, to understand that eternal principle.

     Anther example I found of this was in Helaman. Nephi is given the ability to do anything he wants because he would not do anything contrary to the desire of God.  Of course Nephi having the same desires of God, wanted to bring others unto Christ.  But the people of Nephi at that time were extremely prideful.  So Nephi asks for a famine in order to humble the people.  The famine last for three years!  Before it stopped the people had asked for it to stop, they had suffered, people probably died.  But it was not taken away until the people humbled them selves and repented, until they change.  That is why God allows bad things to happen to us. Because it will change us.  One of my favorite stories is the one Elder D. Todd Christofferson told in conference awhile ago (there is an awesome Mormon message about it.)  In the story a man on a farm cuts down a current bush because it was too large and producing no fruit.  After he cut it down it appeared that the bush was crying and he thought he heard it complain about cutting it down.  Saying he had impeded on his progress.  The man replied that he was the gardener and that he knew what he wanted the bush to be.  Years later the man faced a trial in his life in which he was upset to God to.  The words he said came back to him, "I am the Gardener here and I know what I want you to be"  He later thanked God saying " Thank you Mr. Gardener for loving me enough to cut me down."

    This principle of loving disciple from a Heavenly Father is everywhere.  During Mission prep we were talking about the Plan of Salvation.  We talked about how in sprit prison some people would have to suffer.  I thought this strange, why would Heavenly Father make His children suffer for sins that were already paid for.  But once again I realized it was for change.  I believe it was Elder Oaks that taught " the repenting sinner must still suffer for his sins, but that suffering has a different purpose than payment or punishment, the purpose is change."  If the Telestial kingdom is going to better than the current Earth the people are going to have to change.  A kingdom is only as glorious as the people in it.  That is why they must suffer, to help bring out of them every bit of good.  To help them understand that wickedness will only bring them sadness and pain.  In the words of Tupac "that's just he way it is" 
I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who loves me enough to cut me down.  I am grateful for my Savior who has made it possible for me to change. Let us love, for God is Love
-yo yo yo Cheeseman

Missionary Work and the Atonement

I love, love, love this talk from Elder Holland. I loved it while I was serving a full-time mission, and I love it now as a member missionary.
"Anyone who does any kind of missionary work will have occasion to ask, Why is this so hard? Why doesn’t it go better? Why can’t our success be more rapid? Why aren’t there more people joining the Church? It is the truth. We believe in angels. We trust in miracles. Why don’t people just flock to the font? Why isn’t the only risk in missionary work that of pneumonia from being soaking wet all day and all night in the baptismal font?

You will have occasion to ask those questions. I have thought about this a great deal. I offer this as my personal feeling. I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him? It seems to me that missionaries and mission leaders have to spend at least a few moments in Gethsemane. Missionaries and mission leaders have to take at least a step or two toward the summit of Calvary.

Now, please don’t misunderstand. I’m not talking about anything anywhere near what Christ experienced. That would be presumptuous and sacrilegious. But I believe that missionaries and investigators, to come to the truth, to come to salvation, to know something of this price that has been paid, will have to pay a token of that same price.

For that reason I don’t believe missionary work has ever been easy, nor that conversion is, nor that retention is, nor that continued faithfulness is. I believe it is supposed to require some effort, something from the depths of our soul.

If He could come forward in the night, kneel down, fall on His face, bleed from every pore, and cry, “Abba, Father (Papa), if this cup can pass, let it pass,” then little wonder that salvation is not a whimsical or easy thing for us. If you wonder if there isn’t an easier way, you should remember you are not the first one to ask that. Someone a lot greater and a lot grander asked a long time ago if there wasn’t an easier way.

The Atonement will carry the missionaries perhaps even more importantly than it will carry the investigators. When you struggle, when you are rejected, when you are spit upon and cast out and made a hiss and a byword, you are standing with the best life this world has ever known, the only pure and perfect life ever lived. You have reason to stand tall and be grateful that the Living Son of the Living God knows all about your sorrows and afflictions. The only way to salvation is through Gethsemane and on to Calvary. The only way to eternity is through Him—the Way, the Truth, and the Life."

I'm grateful for the experiences we have as full-time missionaries and member missionaries wherever we may labor. It is hard work and sometimes when investigators or friends reject something that is so precious to us it brings us sorrow and confusion and a slew of other feelings. Why wouldn't someone accept the gospel? I experienced while serving a mission, it was really hard to see someone progress then have them just completely drop us and choose to reject the gospel. Like Elder Holland says, we need to take a step toward the summit of Calvary and spend a little time in Gethsemane. Not only when we sorrow for those who choose to reject the message but when I first went out in the field I realized how inadequate I was. I have a lot of faults and I still had them then and as a full-time missionary I think your past wrongdoings and your faults are magnified at least at first. It brought me closer to the Savior, my understanding and gratitude for the Atonement grew exponentially. I know the Atonement carried me as a full-time missionary and I know it still does as I strive to do what is right and also as I make my feeble attempts to share the gospel. I can always do better, no matter whether I am successful at sharing the gospel or not, my testimony will grow, my relationship with the Savior will deepen, and the way to salvation will be clear in my eyes. I love the gospel and I love you all. Also, a shout out to Cheeseman for choosing to serve the Lord for two full years and watching you as you have developed your testimony in the last couple years has been a testimony builder for me. I wish I had prepared as well as you have when I was preparing to serve a mission.
Here in Iowa and everywhere there are a lot of people that I meet who are comfortable and complacent when it comes to religion and I can see the potential if they will just take a little step closer to the Savior by coming to know Him better through the restored gospel. However, I still love them, I pray to serve them, and I am hopeful for the day when they will accept the gospel and I can truly rejoice with them. For now, I try to do what I can and recognize the Savior's hand in my life as I try to be a better missionary and receive the blessings of the gospel. Love you all! Hopefully this all makes some sense :)
Kelly Kelly

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

 

Where in the World Will Cheeseman Serve a Mission

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" Matthew 28:19



Put your predictions in the comments. We love you Cheeseman!

Regret

I have a very bad habit of saying things without really thinking about them and silences can make me feel really awkward so that means I start over-talking to compensate. I often regret the things I say and last night when I talked to the young men about my mission and shared a thought with them I spent over an hour before falling asleep reviewing in my mind the things I should have said. I should have engaged them more, I should have had them play a little game to get some of the ones who didn't care, involved. I shouldn't have said that Tyler would beat them ;) if they misbehaved. I should have told the, about my mission president and how we revered and tried so hard to follow his example. I tossed and turned and regretted so much the things that I said. I do that with normal conversation too, I think too much and regret far more than I should. It would bring me a lot more peace if I resolve not to replay over and over again every situation that I think would be better after it's all done. President Uchtdorf said in a conference address that we determine our own happiness. We do, we can choose to be however we wish to feel or think. I love this excerpt from president Uchtdorf's address:
"We shouldn’t wait to be happy until we reach some future point, only to discover that happiness was already available--all the time! Life is not meant to be appreciated only in retrospect. “This is the day which the Lord hath made … ,” the Psalmist wrote. “Rejoice and be glad in it.”

Brothers and sisters, no matter our circumstances, no matter our challenges or trials, there is something in each day to embrace and cherish. There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and joy if only we will see and appreciate it.

Perhaps we should be looking less with our eyes and more with our hearts. I love the quote: “One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.”

We are commanded “to give thanks in all things.” So isn’t it better to see with our eyes and hearts even the small things we can be thankful for, rather than magnifying the negative in our current condition?"
I know that this is true and as President Uchtdorf later states that;
"The Savior can wipe away our tears of regret and remove the burden of our sins. His Atonement allows us to leave the past behind and move forward with clean hands, a pure heart, and a determination to do better and especially to become better. (Of Regrets and Resolutions)"
I shouldn't lose sleep over the dumb things I may have said and continue to live in the past. If there is something to be repented of then of course, repent and move on. If there is a situation I need to fix, then do what's right and press forward. I'm grateful for the gospel and for the knowledge of our Savior and of the power of the Atonement.
Kelly Kelly

Disappointments Can Be Blessings In Disguise

     This past trimester at school I have been struggling in Chemistry.  I really wanted an A in that class because I love Chemistry, and it is important to me.  Anyways this past week we had a quiz in chemistry.  In preparation for the quiz I studied and prayed, a lot.  And when I finally took the quiz I failed it, terribly.  I remember going home for lunch crying, asking our Heavenly Father why He let this happen to me. I had been trying so hard to do what He wanted me to.  I had prayed for His strength as I studied and took the quiz.  But as I prayed I got this feeling that it wasn't over yet, there was still time.  So I decided to continue with my faith still in Christ.  I didn't stop studying or praying.  I kept going. Later that same week we had a test on the same subject, and I got a perfect score.  (And just so you all know that doesn't happen in that class.  My teacher purposely makes the tests really hard, so that when we take the AP test we will be more comfortable.)  I was so happy after.  And as I gave gratitude to my Heavenly Father I realized something.  Failing that quiz is what helped me.  Chemistry has a weird nature, because it involves a lot of math.  The quiz required plugging in a bunch of numbers to get an answer.  Because I failed it I looked into where those equations came from in order to remember it better.  It turned out that is what the majority of the test was on, the concepts not the math.  Because I failed the quiz I was able to learn the material better, and after that test my grade was up to an A.
     That miracle was simple and seemingly unimportant (after all what is an A in chemistry in the long run),  but it taught me a powerful lesson.  Our Heavenly Father knows what He is doing, and He will help us.  No matter what the trial is we can trust that it is for our benefit.  C.S. Lewis explains this concept by relating a childhood experience.   He recalls his repeated toothaches and his desire for relief, but likewise the nagging fear that if he disclosed his pain, his mother would take him to the dentist.  He said "I knew those dentists; I knew they started fiddling about with all sorts of other teeth which had not yet begun to ache...If you gave them an inch, they took an ell."  Then He makes this comparison:

 "Our Lord is like the dentists...Dozens of people go to Him to be cured of some one particular sin which they are ashamed of... Well, He will cure it all right: but He will not stop there.  That may be all you asked; but if you once call Him in. He will give you the full treatment....'Make no mistake', He says, ' if you let Me, I will make you perfect. The moment you put yourself in My hands, that is what you are in for.  Nothing less, or other, than that.  You have free will, and if you choose, you can push Me away. But if you do not push Me away, understand that I am going to see this job through.  Whatever suffering it may cost you in your earthly life whatever inconceivable purification it may cost you after death, whatever it costs Me, I will never rest, nor let you rest, until you are literally perfect, until my Father can say without reservation that He is well pleased with you, as He said he was well pleased with Me.'

 

     We are in the pursuit of Godhood! The refining process won't be easy but it will be worth it. As Al Fox says in her video Continue " You will not have to go through anything that would not be the best for you.  You will not be withheld from any of the very best ever created.  Continue in Him.  Those times when you are discouraged , when you feel your prayers are not heard.  Those are the times when your Father in Heaven is closest to you.  You are in good hands"

 

    Our loving Father in Heaven is really looking out for us.  He knows what we need to become like Him.  He lets bad things happen to us, not to punish us or that He doesn't love us, rather it is because He loves us.  He loves us enough to let us go through hard times, as bad as it hurts Him to do it, to hurt the children He loves so dearly.  He does it because He knows it is the only way we will be fully happy.  Faith in Jesus Christ is still the answer.

Sorry that this is all really jumbled.  It was written as more of a journal entry, this subject has really been on my mind since I read Josh's talk. 
-If it ain't cheeseman, it ain't cuddly