I have been writing and submitting since 1996. That’s twenty-six years. And I just received my 168th rejection. So I’ve decided to self publish or indie publish. To begin my indie publishing career, I purchased three e-books on Amazon. Two were in the genre I want to publish, fairy tale retelling, and one was a clean romance. The first one had a lot of plot or action, but not much character growth and the second one was pretty good. The clean romance, While You Were Speaking by Maria Hoagland, was well done and fun. Then I read through my book again and discovered that it was a lot like the first e-book I purchased, lots of plot but little connection to the characters.
At my writing group last night, Neysa Jensen shared from Jane Friedman’s website that plot is the external events and story is the internal transformation. We care about the character and the story through that internal transformation.
Today I read about Job from the Old Testament and his trials in D. Todd Christofferson’s talk, Our Relationship with God. I used to think that we study the scriptures for examples of people who always do what is right and try to emulate them. But Job cried out against God, saying that he’d been wronged. God chastises Job, and Job admits his sins and is humble before God. I can relate to Job. I can appreciate his story. His flaw, his despair, his abandonment. In our Come Follow Me study we’ve learned about Moses and the Israelites. They were a people who murmured and sinned again and again, but God refined them and prepared them for the promised land. They grew and progressed like Job, and that’s the story I can understand. The story isn’t about perfection. The story is about turning to Jesus Christ and allowing Him to teach and shape us.
I am fearful of this next step in writing. There’s so much I don’t know. My current manuscript is not as good as I originally thought. But I have a deep need, a desire, and a push from the Spirit that this is what I should be doing. I need to let my story be one of growth. Growth is painful. If expressing yourself through writing is not your thing, you may not understand this creative need I have. This trial may seem silly compared to yours, but there is probably something that is unfulfilled in your life for which God can do miracles if you let him. President Russell M. Nelson urged us to “seek and expect miracles.”
I’m committing to my characters’ growth. I’m committing to my own growth. I’m committing to story and miracles.
As I thought about buying Christmas presents and preparing for the Christmas season, I felt anxious and overwhelmed. But then I pondered and prayed and realized that being with family and feeling the Spirit of Christ through service and worship are what makes Christmas meaningful and memorable to me.
I created a Nativity Activity for our family to do this year. This could be done starting on December 1 or leading up until Christmas day depending on the Nativity pieces you have. Or you could do this as one activity on Christmas Eve.
Nativity Activity 2021
Mary
Read: Luke 1:26-38
Discuss: When was the last time you received direction from God? Share your experience.
Do: Thank your mother for something she has done for you in the past week.
Joseph
Read: Matthew 1: 18-25
Discuss: Joseph’s marriage turned out differently than he expected, but he was still obedient to the Lord. When has something turned out different from what you expected? How were you blessed for following the Lord?
Do: Thank your father for something he did for you this past week.
Donkey
Read: Luke 2:1-5
Discuss: We don’t know if Mary rode a donkey, but Mary and Joseph and their belongings had to be transported to Bethlehem. What was a trip or vacation you took recently that required preparation? How did you help that trip to happen? How did others help that trip to happen?
Do: In your prayer today, thank Heavenly Father for transportation.
Stable
Read: Luke 2:6-7
Discuss: Where were you born? What were you wrapped in? What are your mother and father’s thoughts about your birth?
Do: Clean a room in your house or put away a few items.
Baby Jesus
Read: Alma 7:10-12
Discuss: Jesus’ life experiences and His atonement allow him to understand our problems. We can help others by being compassionate during their hard times. When is a time someone helped you or when you helped someone?
Do: Look for someone today who needs a hug or smile and give a hug or smile.
Angel
Read: Luke 2:8-14
Discuss: Have you ever been afraid? What did you do? How were you able to obtain peace?
Do: Think of someone who has been an angel in your life—someone who has helped you, brought you peace, or given you good news. Thank that person.
Shepherd
Read: Luke 2:15-20
Discuss: When was a time you hurried (made haste) to do something you felt prompted to do? What happened because of your obedience?
Do: Praise a sibling today.
Lamb
Read: Alma 7:14 or Isaiah 53:7
Ponder and do: The Savior Jesus Christ offered himself as a sacrifice to atone for the sins of man. What do I need to repent of today? Ask Heavenly Father to let you know and ask the Savior for help to know what to do to repent/to change. Then do it. Report back in prayer to your Heavenly Father.
Cow
Read: Genesis 1:24-26
Discuss: How have you taken care of a pet? How has the pet blessed your life?
Do: Give your pet extra attention today.
Wiseman (3)
Read: Matthew 2:1-11 (or through 15)
Discuss: What is the best gift you’ve received? What is the best gift you’ve given?
Do: A gift can be an item, your time, or service. Give a gift today of an item, or spending time with a family member, or serving someone.
Much of our property in Garden Valley is on a steep hillside with a creek at the bottom. We built a path to make it easier to get to the creek. Our son spent a lot of time digging deeper into the dirt with a shovel and pickaxe and moving rocks to create steps and a higher edge for the path. We also used logs. It is probably hard to tell from this picture, but towards the top right on the right side of that yellow twine is where we started the path. It ran pretty straight along the hillside and descended from the top right to the bottom left of this picture. After we made the path, we found out that we had been mistaken about our property line. Notice again the yellow twine. That more closely marks our correct property line which means that about half of the path is on the neighbor’s property. This past month we started a new path near that middle tree at the top of the picture. A direct path would have been too steep so we did more of a zig-zag path and then reconnected in the middle. The path is narrow because we are making it with shovel, pickaxe, and our hands.
That was the story of our path on the property. Now for the sermon. (Last week my older son said he was excited to read about the picture of the big rock on our property and then ended up reading a sermon. You’re welcome!). In the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, we make covenants which are promises between us and God that bind us to Him, protect us, and lead us back to Him. When we keep those covenants we are on the covenant path. The first covenant we make is at baptism. We make more covenants in the temple. Today in Relief Society we discussed “Why the Covenant Path” by Elder D. Todd Christofferson. I chose the covenant path when I was eight years old because I felt good going to church and being kind to others, and I believed what my parents taught me and what I learned at church about Jesus Christ. After being baptized, I received the gift of the Holy Ghost. This gift directed me as a child, as a teenager, and as a young adult in choosing the right, discerning right and wrong, repenting when I sinned, and serving others. As a young teenager I attended the Las Vegas Temple open house with my family and felt so much joy, awe, and happiness that I knew I wanted to be married in the temple. I was married to Alden Holm in the Mesa Arizona temple and made more covenants that day as I received my endowments and was sealed to Alden. Since then I’ve had to choose each day to keep the covenants I made at baptism to always remember my Savior and keep his commandments and the covenants I made in the temple to live the law of obedience, strive to keep the commandments of God, obey the law of sacrifice and the law of the gospel of Jesus Christ, to keep the law of chastity, and to help in the Lord’s work. I continue to choose to keep my covenants because of the blessings I’ve received. To me those blessings are evident in four areas: family, church service, personal growth, and spiritual growth.
Family
I love my husband. I love my children. Being a mom and a wife is rewarding and difficult. I am committed to being a mom and a wife because I have made covenants to my husband and to my Heavenly Father.
Church Service
While serving at church, I have felt a portion of the love that Heavenly Father feels for His children. I have been blessed to serve beyond my capacity. I have received guidance and strength.
Personal Growth
I have prayed about what to study in college, how to continue to increase my talents and abilities, which classes to take and groups to join. As I have kept my covenants, I am blessed to receive guidance in my personal growth.
Spiritual Growth
This is the main reason why I stay on the covenant path. Spiritual growth is in every area of my life. I stay on the covenant path, because as I keep my covenants and seek for personal revelation, I am directed by my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ through the Holy Ghost. I am given thoughts that teach me. I receive inspiration to talk to someone, to serve someone. In my scripture study, I receive answers to questions. I have a personal relationship with my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I am becoming more than I could be on my own because I keep the commandments, sacrifice, consecrate, keep myself sexually pure, and serve others. I have power to be what the Lord wants me to be because I have made covenants.
Staying on the covenant path can be less treacherous than choosing to get off because I know I am choosing what God wants me to choose, because there is clear direction, and because I won’t have to suffer the consequences of unwise decisions. The covenant path can also be difficult. It may not be the path that some friends and family choose. It may lead to persecution. But mostly, in order to be made into the person my Heavenly Father needs me, I will be tried and tested. Throughout my life as I keep my covenants, Heavenly Father keeps His covenant to me by blessing me with His Spirit, protecting me, and in power to do His work. This leads to joy and peace in this life and eternal life or life with our Heavenly Father after we die.
Much of our property in Garden Valley is on a steep hillside. We had dirt moved to clear a larger flat area to park and eventually build. We thought moving the dirt wouldn’t take much time with the right equipment, but underneath the pine needles and dirt, there were huge rocks. The one in the picture is about the size of a small car. While it took more time to move the rocks, we were able to extend the flat area with a strong foundation of more rocks.
My favorite scripture is from Helaman, “And now…remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall” (Helaman 5:12). Jesus Christ is our sure foundation. One of the ways to develop a foundation built on Jesus Christ is through family scripture study. During our Roundy family Zoom while discussing family traditions that help us build on the foundation of Jesus Christ, my brother, Spencer, asked how we have meaningful family scripture study. He jokingly said I could answer his question through a post on my website. Challenge accepted.
I think that many of us think we are failing at some imagined standard of meaningful family scripture study, so I wanted to know what others are really doing. I asked my amazing running friends about their family scripture studies. In that group is the wife of a bishop who has eight children, the wife of a Stake Presidency member who has six children and coaches cross country, a mother of ten children who does a weekly gospel podcast with friends, and a mother of five children who designs homes. I admire each of these women and often seek advice and support from them. None of our scripture studies are the same. Here’s our typical scripture studies in our current situations.
Two teenage children left at home: Read about five verses each in The Book of Mormon right before bed, mostly on weeknights. Sometimes the oldest child misses depending on what is going on.
Four teenage children left at home: Read a few verses each from The Book of Mormon in the morning around 6:30 am as they are trying to eat and get ready for school.
Six children left at home (one young adult, two teenagers, three elementary-aged children): Read around 6:15 am from the Doctrine and Covenants following along with the Come Follow Me lesson. One of the teenage children misses scripture study because he leaves for early-morning seminary. Sometimes the youngest is still in bed.
Five children at home (two young adults, three teenagers): Read the Doctrine and Covenants section from the Come Follow Me lesson about two nights a week with a longer lesson on Sundays. Encourage all family members to read The Book of Mormon on their own.
One teenage child left at home (that’s our family): Read two pages of The Book of Mormon around 6:20 am before the bus comes and while I’m trying to make a simple breakfast.
Most of my friends including myself don’t have meaningful discussions during family scripture study. Some of us have switched between morning and evening scripture study. Our family is more consistent with early morning study and our children are more docile then. During the summer we had scripture study before bed but often forgot.
I am the oldest of six children, and I remember having scripture study consistently during the school year early in the morning. My mom made sure we got up. My dad contributed with insightful comments. I remember that for a while we learned a hymn. Since I was the first to leave home, I didn’t see how scripture study changed over time in my family. We’ve had to adjust as our children have gone to school at different times and had different activities and jobs. We’ve had times where we memorized scriptures and The Family Proclamation. But mostly we’ve consistently read a couple of pages every week day from The Book of Mormon.
I’ve often wished we had more in depth discussions, more sharing, more teaching. My brother said that when they try to have more meaningful family scripture study, their children have tantrums and get up and leave. He doesn’t want to force them. A few years ago, I was frustrated with the gap between what I thought our study should be like and what was happening. We had a family council. My family jokes that I should just tell them what I want them to do, not ask them. But this time I did ask. I’d been learning more about how family councils should work. I expressed that I wanted us to learn more. We discussed options. I presented some ideas and what my children decided on worked out much better than what I suggested. They decided that after reading our two pages, one person would share what they learned from their personal scripture study. That worked really well for a while.
I now think that having consistent family scripture study is meaningful family scripture study. That through our consistency, we emphasize the importance to our children of the scriptures and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I wrongly assumed that this consistent scripture study would guarantee that my children would not struggle. Now is when I need to rely on my faith that those consistent family scripture studies have built a foundation for myself and my children. Elder Steven R. Bangerter said, “I believe that it is less a question of whether our children are ‘getting it’ in the midst of our teaching, such as while striving to read the scriptures or to have family home evening or to attend Mutual and other Church meetings. It is less a question of whether in those moments they are understanding the importance of those activities and more a question of whether we, as parents, are exercising faith enough to follow the Lord’s counsel to diligently live, teach, exhort, and set forth expectations that are inspired by the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is an effort driven by our faith—our belief that one day the seeds sown in their youth will take root and begin to sprout and grow” (“Laying the Foundation of a Great Work,” October 2018 General Conference).
Spencer, thank you for asking a meaningful question. Running friends, thank you for your examples and faithfulness. Mom and Dad, thank you for years of consistent and meaningful family scripture study that laid a foundation for my testimony and a knowledge of where to turn for questions.
My daughter came to me upset by a post she read on social media about Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s speech this week to the faculty of Brigham Young University. She has empathy for and wants to support those who are LGBTQ+ and this post criticized Elder Holland and emphasized parts of his speech which seemed to speak out against LGBTQ+ members and those who support them. I want to share with you what I’ve learned as I’ve pondered, prayed, and studied about this experience and how we can discern light and truth in social media.
Go to the source
My daughter and I listened to all of Elder Holland’s talk. I heard the parts of the speech that were used in the social media post, and I heard other parts that showed Elder Holland’s great love and empathy for those who are LGBTQ+. Elder Holland said, “Let me go no farther before declaring unequivocally my love and that of my Brethren for those who live with this same-sex challenge and so much complexity that goes with it. Too often the world has been unkind, in many instances crushingly cruel, to these our brothers and sisters. Like many of you, we have spent hours with them, and wept and prayed and wept again in an effort to offer love and hope while keeping the gospel strong and the obedience to commandments evident in every individual life” (The Second Half of the Second Century). Read the entire source and ponder the whole of the content.
Discern the intention of the post
One of my scripture study questions this week was, “How do I have clear thinking?” When I read posts that criticize the church and church leaders, my thoughts start racing and my head is full of confusion and darkness and I wonder if this church I’m a part of is the correct way to follow Jesus Christ. I don’t like that confusion, that darkness. “The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth. Light and truth forsake that evil one,” (Doctrine & Covenants 93:36-37). Light dispels darkness. Light is from Jesus Christ. In the account of Amlici in Alma 2, we learn that, “[Amlici] being a very cunning man, yea, a wise man as to the wisdom of the world,” drew away many of the people after him and “it was his intent to destroy the church of God” (Alma 2:1-2, 4). Amlici used his skills and wisdom to create contention and confusion. Ask yourself with a post, is the intention to draw me closer to Jesus Christ and my neighbors or to draw me away from Jesus Christ and my neighbors? Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf spoke at Education Week about conflict and contention. He said, “Conflict is inevitable. Contention is a choice. Contention is one way people choose to respond to conflict…we can choose a better way. … Let us emulate the gentle Christ. And we do that through learning to love God and reaching out to bless others,” (Five Messages That All of God’s Children Need to Hear).
Connect with individuals
Instead of engaging on social media and getting worked up about posts and injustices, connect with people in real life. Talk. Discuss ideas. Listen. Ask if you are being supportive in the way that person needs. You can do the most good in the lives of others as you interact directly.
Create uplifting posts
Elder David A. Bednar has encouraged us to “sweep the earth with messages filled with righteousness and truth, messages that are authentic, edifying, and praiseworthy, and literally to sweep the earth as with a flood,” (Apostle Offers Counsel About Social Media). Use Elder Bednar’s tips to create your own posts of light and truth and follow his suggestions in reverse to analyze the posts of others. Is the content trustworthy and constructive? Does the message uplift? Is the opinion overbearing?
Work to receive personal revelation
Personal revelation is the way to know if you are following Jesus Christ and if you are following leaders who follow Jesus Christ. When you have questions and you will, know that your loving Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ want to communicate with you. They want to show you how you can love and serve them and others. Learning how to and increasing your ability to receive revelation is work, but work that is necessary. Choose to do the work to receive revelation through studying the scriptures, asking questions in prayer, recording your answers, and acting on the revelation you receive.
Jesus Christ is the true light
Jesus Christ is “the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (Doctrine & Covenants 93:2). Now more than ever with all the information we receive, we need to be able to discern between that which invites light and truth and that which invites contention and dissension. Then we need to choose light. We need to choose to follow Jesus Christ.
I was discussing with my young adult son some of the current issues of race, gender, and sexual orientation. He said he doesn’t want to be on the wrong side of history. In the history of my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there was a time when black men of African descent were not ordained to the priesthood. In light of current racial equity awareness, it might seem that our church was on the wrong side of history. We need to be careful about presentism, judging the past with our current perceptions, and remember that the culture of racism has changed, not just by our church, but within many social constructs. For a greater understanding of Race and the Priesthood, read the essay published by the church.
We might ask, if the church was founded on the teachings of Jesus Christ and the teachings of Jesus Christ are true, aren’t they true at all times in history? When Jesus Christ lived on the earth, he taught that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love our neighbor (Matthew 22:37-39). This is the highest law we can live. In ancient Israel the people were not ready to live the higher law so they were given the law of Moses by revelation to the prophet Moses through the god of the Old Testament who is Jesus Christ.
This week I read the account of the prophet Nephi in 3 Nephi from The Book of Mormon. This was shortly before Christ was born, and the people who believed in the prophesied signs of Christ’s birth were going to be put to death by the unbelievers if the signs didn’t happen by a designated day. Nephi sorrowed for the wickedness and was worried about the believers. “And it came to pass that he went out and bowed himself down upon the earth, and cried mightily to his God in behalf of his people” (3 Nephi 1:11). We have a prophet in our day, Russell M. Nelson. As I read about Nephi, I imagined President Nelson bowed down crying to God on our behalf. I know that President Nelson speaks to God, and I want to be a believer, one who looks to Christ and follows the prophet. I choose to be on the right side of the prophet.
My favorite scripture is in the “Come Follow Me-Book of Mormon lesson” this week, Helaman 5:12. Helaman teaches his sons to remember that “it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation.” I am living with a lot of uncertainty right now as are most of us. I don’t know what school will be like in the fall. I wonder if Covid-19 is dangerous for me and my family. Other questions I have are: Do masks help? Are we being controlled by the government? What will happen with the elections? How do I discern truth in the media, podcasts, social protests? When will I be able to attend church in a building with the rest of my congregation? When will I be able to attend the temple? I was reminded in our family’s video chat lesson for “Come Follow Me” today that I don’t need to fear when my foundation is built on Jesus Christ. That foundation is built through the daily things I do such as reading scriptures and praying as a family, my personal scripture study and prayer, daily repentance, and acting on revelation. My daughter-in-law shared a metaphor using an experience we had together on our family reunion in Star Valley, Wyoming last week. We visited the world’s largest intermittent spring. The hike is on dusty trails at first and then surrounded on both sides by walls of rock. At times on the hike, the dust from the wind was so bad, we had to close our eyes and turn our backs. And it was a little scary when the wind blew and we were on the edge of the path. But the rocks around us were firm and steadfast, and the winds didn’t blow the entire time. Similarly, the trials and whirlwinds of life don’t blow all the time, but we need to have Jesus Christ as our sure foundation so “that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall” (Helaman 5:12).
I also love this video, “Spiritual Whirlwinds.” Look for the image behind the young man.
The question that came into my mind today was, “What can I understand more about baptism?” Baptism is one of those topics that I struggle to understand. I’ve had several meaningful experiences that have touched my heart and soul and strengthened my testimony, but I have a desire to know and understand more. However I knew that I was going to read selected verses in Mosiah 4-6 as suggested in the Come Follow Me lesson, and I didn’t think baptism was mentioned in any of those chapters.
In Mosiah 4:11 I read “received a remission of your sins” and “humble yourselves.” This could be a reference to baptism because we receive a remission of our sins when we repent and are baptized and we also show our humility. Then I noticed a suggested talk, “Always Retain a Remission of Your Sins” by Elder David A. Bednar. As I listened to the talk I knew why I’d been prompted to ask about baptism. I love to receive personal revelation. I know that the Holy Ghost teaches me, prompts me, and comforts me. I don’t struggle with the idea of the gift of the Holy Ghost. Elder Bednar taught this truth from the prophet Joseph Smith, “Baptism is a holy ordinance preparatory to the reception of the Holy Ghost; it is the channel by which the Holy Ghost will be administered.” This was an “Ah ha!” moment for me. One I knew intellectually before, but which spoke to my spirit today. I wouldn’t have the gift of the Holy Ghost if I hadn’t had the faith to be baptized.
I learned more about baptism today. I also learned that the Savior knows me and my concerns.
