First Presidency Message for August and Testimony Meeting

I love President Monson, and I am grateful for the testimony that I have gained that he is a Prophet of God. The First Presidency message for the month is titled "May We So Live," which he, President Monson, wrote. In it, he talks about life and how it is quite fragile and that death comes whether we like it or not...how depressing it would be to think that those we love and care for were just gone when they died, never to enjoy their personality nor their presence again. 

Then President Monson quotes this beautiful scripture:

"I am the resurrection, and the life," spoke the Master. "He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die."

What a beautiful reassurance.

To go with the title of the message, President Monson then talks about how we should live our lives, asking ourselves the question "have I done any good in the world today?". We should strive to always do good, and to live the best we can so that we can honestly say that we have no regrets for how we used our time here on the Earth. 

My Grandma Raisor made a cross stitch that for years hung over my bed when I lived in Arizona, and it read something to the effect of "Count that day lost whose low descending sun sees from thy hand no worth action done". I don't know where the quote comes from, but it made me pause and think at the end of every single day to make sure that I really had done something 'worthy'. 

Now, I like being lazy, I will admit it. I like to curl up with a bowl of chocolate ice cream, a bag of the most buttery popcorn imaginable, a comfy blanket and a good movie...I could live that all the waking hours of the day. BUT I have a sense of responsibility that is within me, and so I go to work, I clean the dishes, I make food, pay the bills...and I try to build the family relationships and the friendships that I have. AND I try to fulfill all my church responsibilities. And I do many other things that are fulfilling and 'worthy' things to do. I am not perfect at any of these things, but I do try most of the time to do my very best...I am a very slow learner with some things...

So, everyone, go out and make a cross stitch for yourself and make sure at the beginning of each day to do something so that you don't come up with a lot of empty yesterdays...:) 

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Testimony meetings are always very interesting things to me. I am a firm believer in actually bearing your testimony when you get up there at least at some point, thus 'testimony meeting'.I admit, I do get irritated when not one real testimony is given over the pulpit. I love the testimonies that are truly a testament of a persons faith in Christ. 

I really appreciated a few of the ones shared today. Something that stuck out to me was Patriarch Dyer, who is 90-something; he said something to the effect of "I appreciate that the Lord is patient with me..." It made me think a bit, because he is much closer to the end of the road than I am here on this earth, and if he is still working on being better and repenting and such, man have I got a long way to go! 

Incidentally, he proposed again to me...:) For those of my avid readers who don't know Patriarch Dyer, he is a wonderful man, I believe he is still the stake patriarch out here, and he loves to take any young woman aside and say "you know, I am looking for a second wife!" Of course it's just in play. His dear sweet wife has been very sick, and for the first time in their marriage I guess they have been separated because she is stuck in a nursing home.  This must be terribly hard for Patriarch, but he just keeps plucking away! Today he asked me when the last time was that someone popped the question, and I told him it was 1 1/2 years since the last time I got that question..last week he grabbed my left hand and was so excited to see that my ring finger was bare, it was really cute.

Anyways, back on topic. 

Just wanted to share a short testimony with all of you. I know that Jesus is the Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. He suffered in the garden and died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins so that we may return to live with our Father in Heaven. I know that the family is central to the plan of happiness and that the family as a fundamental unit of society needs to be protected. I have a testimony that Joseph Smith was and is the Prophet of this the dispensation of the fullness of times, and that President Thomas S. Monson is the Prophet here on the Earth today. I know the Book of Mormon is truly another testament of Jesus Christ.

Happy Sabbath, my family and friends. :)