H  U  M  I  L  I  T  Y

Humility is the Christlike attribute I am concentrating on, and I am learning a lot about it. Here are some things I studied today:

Admit.

Apologize.

Be slow to anger.

Be quick to forgive.

Repent.

Cultivate more love.

Speak kinder.

("Is Pride Stopping You From Being a Loving Spouse?" by Aspen Yip, April 2026 Liahona)

Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (Matthew 11:29).

Am I meek and lowly of heart?

I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things (Alma 26:12).

Do I give credit to God for the strength He has provided me?

Always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive (Alma 7:23).

Am I grateful for all that I have received?

I cried unto him in prayer and supplication (Enos 1:4).

Are my prayers earnest and sincere?

When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves (2 Nephi 9:28).

Do I think I have an issue figured out without asking God for counsel?

Submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord (Mosiah 24:15).

Am I patient and cheerful while serving the Lord?

Matthew and I have to be careful about what we do for missionaries, because word gets around and they post pictures and look at each other's pictures. We love doing things for them, but we need to be fair and cautious, so we are sometimes secretive. 

But once in awhile a situation presents itself and I cave. On Sunday night, these two marvelous sisters were studying scriptures on the temple grounds. They can do that because they live close by. Matthew was traveling home from a meeting and I was taking a Sunday night stroll and saw them. We visited and I offered to make them a fruit smoothie which they were grateful for. I love these two because they have both overcome challenging situations at home, and yet they glow. They are valiant and determined. 

It is the talking with individuals that I enjoy the most. 

 

I listened to Susan Porter's talk during the Christmas Devotional 2025, and I appreciated her message about feeling God's light no matter the life experience she was going through. 

She told about a memorable Christmas Eve when her husband was in the hospital fighting for his life after surgery. Their family fasted and prayed. Due to the alertness of a nurse in the hospital, Bruce Porter was diagnosed with a respiratory illness and treatment was provided. The darkness they experienced was replaced with light and hope and Bruce recovered.

Six years later on Christmas Eve, Susan's husband was again in the hospital. He received a diagnosis and the doctors had a plan, but Bruce was told by the Spirit that there was nothing the doctors could do to save his life. Two days later he passed peacefully away at home surrounded by his family.

"Although each Christmas Eve had a different outcome, each one is sacred to us. Were tears shed, deep sorrow felt, along with loss and loneliness? Yes! And did we feel the light of God's love? Yes! At what felt like the going down of our sun in our lives, He gave us light and understanding."

"During our lives, there will be times when the sun may go down on our hopes and dreams. But because Jesus Christ came to earth and rose on the third day triumphant over sin and death, there will be no permanent darkness at the going down of the sun."

"There will be no permanent darkness when our nights come."

We are at a training seminar for all of the mission leaders in the Philippines. It is our pleasure and blessing to be staying at a nice hotel. Amidst the hours of formal training, we were given a "free" afternoon today. What a treat it was to sit on this beautiful deck, look out at the ocean, and take time for personal study. There was actually a bit of a breeze which made the heat bearable. I read these words written by John Greenleaf Whittier, and I loved them:

Yet, in the maddening maze of things,

And tossed by storm and flood,

To one fixed trust my spirit clings.

I know that God is good!

Yes, He is good! The pace of life sometimes feels like a maddening maze, and I am tossed about by earthquakes, displaced missionaries, and a flood of responsibilities. Yet, I have a fixed trust in God, and my spirit clings to the testimony I have of His goodness, His strength, His mercy, and the power He bestows on each of us as we strive to keep our covenants.

For he [God] has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being. Blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land (Alma 26: 35, 36).

 

 

I received word this week that a dear friend passed away. How I love her! I now have another friend in heaven and I look forward to the day I see her again.

Here is what I learned from Sally:

Sally remained upbeat and cheerful, even humorous, though her health and mobility declined. She was attentive to others and interested in conversation. 

Her love of the Book of Mormon was evident. I often walked into her room and saw her with the Book of Mormon on her lap, reading from it. She told me it was her favorite book and that she loved it. 

Sally adored her family! She loved showing me pictures of them and telling me about each member of her family. She knew about their lives, their concerns, and their joys. She prayed with faith for them, and she looked forward to phone calls from family. Surely the best treat of all was when one of her children picked her up, and it was not for the purpose of driving her to another doctor's appointment, but it was to take her to one of their homes for a family dinner or event. She lived for those special occasions! 

She faced adversity with patience and perspective. She lovingly served her special-needs daughter until she could no longer physically do so. And, Sally loved music! She begged for me to play the piano for her, and her knowledge of classical composers impressed me. She would name the composer as soon as I began a classical piece. She loved classical music best of all, but she also loved church music and songs from musicals. 

I am truly grateful to have known her. Her life and example strengthened me.

This was such a great BYU devotional when the head football coach, Kalani Sitake shared experiences from his life and encouragement to every listener. Here is a glimpse.

 

I have a friend named Laurie who is finishing her mission this week.  She and her husband have been mission leaders in Brazil the past three years. She wrote this in September, 2024, and I learned from it:

Am I speaking perfect Portugues? Absolutely not! But I understand and am understood and it is absolutely wonderful.  In the first year of our mission I asked Rick if he could fast forward and get to the end of our mission with no negative consequences, i.e. we'd have done well and it would be over, would he do it? He was a little put off by this hypothetical question and said, "Of course not! I want to experience it all." But I admit that I was totally in for the fast forward. The days were very long that first year when I could only understand parts of what people were saying.  Year two things changed and I started to hear about the miracles first hand and it was a lot more fun. Now in year three, if given the option to fast forward to the end of our mission, my response would be the same as Rick's, "Of course not! I want to experience it all." Now that I understand what's going on and can fully participate. I don't want to miss a minute.

 

This is a picture of Lydia Partridge and she is a hero of mine. 

Steven C. Harper of the Church History Department describes Bishop Edward Partridge and his wife Lydia and their children as the "pioneering family of the law of consecration" ("The Law of Consecration" video, Gospel Library, churchofjesuschrist.org).

Let me provide a little background. Edward and his wife were searching for a church that taught the New Testament gospel. Four young men appeared at the door of Edward Partridge's hat shop. Lydia recognized the truth she knew from her Bible teachings, and she wanted to be baptized, but Edward sent the young men away. Edward sent an employee after the men to purchase a book from them. After traveling to New York to meet the Prophet Joseph Smith, Edward was baptized. 

In section 41:9 we read of Edward's calling to be a bishop unto the church, to leave his merchandise and to spend all his time in the labors of the church. Edward was given the responsibility to administer the law of consecration among the saints. That would be no easy task! 

At one point Edward went with Joseph from Ohio to Missouri and wrote to Lydia that he couldn't come back to help she and the girls move. Edward warned Lydia that once she joined him in Missouri, "We have to suffer and shall for some time many privations here which you and I have not been much used to for years." Lydia obeyed the revelation to move.

The Partridge family moved from Kirtland to Missouri, and then on to Illinois. At one point Edward served a mission and was imprisoned. In 1833, after the birth of five daughters, Edward and Lydia welcomed a new baby son., Edward Partridge Jr. When the baby boy was three weeks old, Edward was drug to the center square of Independence; he was beaten, tarred and feathered. 

In 1840 at 46 years of age, Edward died, leaving a wife and children, ages 6-20. One of Edward and Lydia's daughters wrote, "When I look back and remember the great responsibility that rested upon my father as first Bishop--his poverty and privations, and the hardships that he had to endure, the accusations of false brethren, the fault-finding of the poor, and the persecutions of our enemies-- I do not wonder at his early death."

I pay tribute to Lydia for remaining faithful through all of this!

 

I went to the Draper Temple today and  my mind was permeated with many details of life. In the celestial room after the endowment session, I shut my eyes and prayed, telling the Lord everything that was in my heart. I have this concern, and this concern, along with this issue and that issue. I am thinking about a hospice patient who is near death, and a friend who is battling cancer, and another friend, and a family member here and a family member there, and so on. My list went on. 

I paused and pondered. I remembered President Nelson declaring, "Whatever problem you have, the answer is always found in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ." I had the time today to examine each issue and think about how Jesus Christ and His teachings could help that situation, or that person. 

When I arrived home, none of the issues or people had left my sphere, and yet, I felt empowered somehow to deal with them. I felt stronger physically, spiritually, and emotionally. It is through Jesus Christ that I am blessed with the spiritual power needed to face life. I cannot solve on my own many of the issues I am wrestling with, and I certainly cannot solve all of the issues of the people I am concerned for, and yet, I can do something for them. I can express love and show support. I can pray in faith and ask for them to be granted Heavenly strength. I can do whatever is in my power to work on an issue, and then turn it over to Jesus Christ, knowing He can work wonders. I rest assured that He knows what is in my heart and that He will help me.

His grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9).

 

A thoughtful daughter gifted me this book and there are some nuggets within: 

Have you ever seen a mother comfort a dirty child? Children are dirty at least 50 percent of the time anyway, but it’s still a little surprising to see a fresh and clean mother cradling a child with a bloodied nose or mud-caked trousers.  When a child needs comfort, a mother doesn’t think of maintaining her distance to keep herself clean but scoops up the child and gets right to the business of comforting. In the same way, our Father comforts us, not at a distance, but in His arms, getting bloody and muddy.  Bring your fears and hurts to the One who comforts you.  He does not flinch or retreat from the burdens you bring, from the wounds that undo you.  You will find peace in His loving embrace (pg. 57).

Peace is a stability of mind, not a stability of circumstances. The peace of God keeps our hearts calm in the midst of whatever the world throws at us (pg. 156).

Go to the source.  Don’t begin on the fringes.  When we hesitate to call out to the Lord for help, we put off the one thing that can actually bring healing and justice.  He offers us an end to weeping and a gracious ear when we call for help. Run to your watchful Father, for as soon as He hears, He will answer you.  Bring your darkest fears and your deepest secrets; bring your heartbreak and your embarrassment.  There is One who is attentive to your heart (pg. 126).

The first thing on the list is “Seek God.” Start there.  Wake up each morning with your compass pointing toward Him. Set your feet in His direction. Let the pursuit of God by your first priority…and then live (pg. 188).

God is my rearward. "And they shall go out from all nations; for I will go before them, saith the Father, and I will be their rearward" (3 Nephi 21:29).

God is my refuge. "In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God" (Psalms 62:7). "God is a refuge for us" (Psalms 62:8).

God is my help. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1)."God is mine helper" (Psalms 54:4). "Thou hast been my help" (Psalms 63:7). "Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing to both small and great" (Acts 26:22).

God is my defense. "My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart" (Psalms 7:10)."Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence" (Psalms 59:9). "He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be moved." (Psalms 62:6).

God is my support. "My God hath been my support" (2 Ne. 4:20). "Cry unto God for all thy support" (Alma 37:36).

God is my rock. "Neither is there any rock like our God" (1 Samuel 2:2). "He only is my rock and my salvation" (Psalms 62:2). "In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength" (Psalms 62:7). "Yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness"

(2 Ne. 4:35).

Both God the Father and Jesus Christ offer love and support to me, and to all mankind.

I believe in the power of a smile! It is interesting to me that the personal message Brother Hart received that cold morning was to smile.

I really like this new hymn! The lyrics by Lina Sandell-Berg are beautiful. 

"God's Gracious Love"

1.Day by day, God’s gracious love surrounds me

As a balm to soothe my troubled heart.

Countless cares and worries that confound me

Fade away or quietly depart,

For His heart is kind beyond all measure,

And He comforts us as He knows best.

Ev’ry day, with all its pain and pleasure,

Mingles tears with peace and rest.

2.Day by day, the Lord is ever near me,

Granting loving mercies for each hour,

And my care He gladly bears, and cheers me

With His counsel pure and holy pow’r.

I’ll not fear for what may come tomorrow,

Though the path ahead I cannot see.

He assures that in all joy or sorrow,

“As thy days, thy strength shall be.”

3.Help me rest in quiet consolation.

Help me trust Thy promises, O Lord.

When I’m faced with daily tribulation,

Help me find the strength to live Thy word.

Then, dear Lord, when toil and trouble find me,

Hold me steadfast in Thy pow’rful hand.

Day by day, Thy strength will bear me kindly

Till I reach the promised land.

 

What a surprise! I liked this book! Savannah made lots of good points, such as:

"I like to tell people about the God I know.  The one whose hand rests gently on my shoulder, whose presence I can feel behind and beside me when I’m under pressure. The one whose persistent but kind nudging can prod me into perspective, whose forbearance and tenderness can coax me into change.  The one who surprises and delights me with the imagination of his creation and the beautiful potential of his humanity. The one whose revelations spark my intellect and ignite my passions and purpose.  The one who melts me with unexpected favor and unmerited generosity. The one who holds me, firmly and purposefully, when the weight of my disappointments and setbacks threatens to crush" (pgs. x, xi).

"It is a great comfort when our perspectives are broadened, when we see the events of our lives in a bigger picture, a better light, a God’s-eye view that makes sense of even the most unimaginable sadness in our lives.  God does not cause evil and suffering. But he can transform it. It is a phenomenally fine distinction, but one that matters" (pgs. 223,224).

"Imagine it—God loving you.  Seeing you, appreciating you, delighting in you.  Knowing you, having compassion on you, healing you, forgiving you.  See it, appreciate it, grasp it, hold on to it. Inhale deeply of his goodwill and attune yourself to evidence of his love.  Look for it everywhere" (pg. 10).

 

Tonight our Book Club had a wonderful discussion about this book.  It was an unusual night in that everyone seemed to have liked the book. There were many lines and paragraphs that I have reread and pondered.  Here is a sampling:

When Naomi passed, I asked God to take away the pain.  I believed he could, and I pointed out to Him that doing so made sense.  Spare me this grief so I can get back to work, I told Him.  But He didn't; He saw me through the pain, but He didn't take it away.  He honors our sorrow by allowing us to experience it.  How else to deepen us? How else to increase our trust? Instead of fighting the pain, He asks us to surrender to it. Only then can it begin to heal us.  Thank Him for the emptiness.  He will fill it when He sees fit (pgs. 272, 273).

I have come to accept that at present I have only a partial view of reality; there are answer I will not be given until I leave this life.  I know that my Lord is the God of wheat fields and oak tress, of mountains and valleys. and that His answers, like HIs works, often require time (pg. 278).

This growing old is the great test, you know--the challenge we've been preparing for all along (pg. 264).

We have a friend named S. who recently underwent surgery for tongue cancer. Forty percent of his tongue was removed in a surgery that took nearly ten hours. A patch of skin was removed from his arm to use to reshape his tongue, and then a piece of skin was removed from his leg to patch up his arm. Because his tongue was swollen after the surgery, a tracheotomy was inserted along with a feeding tube. 

After the surgery, S. was very uncomfortable. The first few days and nights post-surgery were very tough. Little by little, S. began to feel better. He was able to leave the hospital after a few days, and then was able to have all drains, the feeding tube, and the tracheotomy removed. He began to talk a little. Later he began to try to eat soft foods. Talking and eating were (and are) difficult. S. told us that you don't realize how much you use your tongue until you can't use it anymore.

We saw S. a couple of weeks post-surgery. We could understand everything he said, but we could tell that talking was tiring for him, so we conversed mainly with his wife, although he added comments periodically. We sat in their home amazed as both S. and his wife told us of the ways they have recently seen the Lord's hand in their lives, and of all the tender mercies that have been poured out upon them.  

Instead of complaining, they praised God. Instead of whining, they witnessed of the Savior. We admire their faith!

 

Elder Karl D. Hirst gave a beautiful talk at the October 2024 General Conference. During the talk he included hints as to how we can feel love from our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and when and where we can feel it. Here are some of the hints, scattered throughout his talk. I love these thoughts:

His arms are not shortened. They are always long enough to "[reach our] reaching" and embrace each one of us.

I really enjoy the symbolism of mountains being evidence of the certainty of God's love.

The house of the Lord is the home of our most precious covenants and a place for us all to retreat and sink deeply into the evidence of our Father's love for us.

I have also enjoyed the comfort that comes to my soul when I wrap myself more tightly in my baptismal covenant and find someone who is mourning a loss or grieving a disappointment and I try to help them hold and process their feelings.

Birdsong, feeling the sun or a breeze or rain on my skin, and times when nature puts my senses in awe of God--each has had a part in providing me with heavenly connection.

Perhaps the comfort of faithful friends.

General Conference.

Music.

Serving.

A journal.

Your unique place of personal suffering. I wonder, if Jesus were to choose a place where you and He could meet, a private place where you would be able to have a singular focus on Him, might He choose your unique place of personal suffering, the place of your deepest need, where no one else can go? Somewhere you feel so lonely that you must truly be all alone but you aren't quite, a place to which perhaps only He has travelled but actually has already prepared to meet you there when you arrive? If you are waiting for Him to come, might He already be there and within reach?

I really like these words from Maurine Proctor. I have read them repeatedly.

I asked my class, "What was Laman and Lemuel's most basic problem?"

We know that Nephi, Laman and Lemuel literally took a journey through the wilderness, and eight-year-marathon that took them from Jerusalem to the shores of the Arabian Sea--and then beyond. This journey, however, was also a metaphor of everyone's life experience.  It applies to all of us.

Here in mortality, we are cast into the wilderness, taking a wilderness journey, where, like Nephi's family, we experience the tremendous heat of trail, the tedium of the way, the wandering through a sometimes trackless desert, the hardship, the thirst.

Nephi's journey, which is a type of our journey in life, was joyously transformed because he did know the dealings of that God who had created him. 

He did not face anything alone or without purpose.  God walked by his side, led him to the more fertile parts of the wilderness.  He knew who stood by him. 

Their (Laman and Lemuel) "knew not the dealings of that God who had created them" and therefore their wilderness journey was going to be merely a miserable, futile experience. They became ripe for discouragement, despair, and anguish.

Surely, as sons of Lehi, Laman and Lemuel had been taught about God, just as Nephi had--but, nonetheless, and obviously, they did not know Him. They had not learned what they had been taught, because to come to know the dealings of that God who has created us, it is not enough to have someone else tell you about him.  You learn about who he is, in those hours in your room on your knees.  He reveals himself to you when you seek him with all your heart and when your whole mind and soul is inclined toward him.

Laman and Lemuel did not want to pay that price, and so they paid other, agonizing prices instead, throughout the entire journey.  They suffered, not because the Lord imposed suffering upon them, but given the nature of the journey, it was the natural consequence of attempting to go it alone. Because at their core, they knew not God, at their core they could only respond to the reality of the journey with the outlook of the natural man.

Meridian Magazine, January 4, 2011, "It Wasn't Because Laman and Lemuel Had a Bad Attitude."

I really enjoyed hearing the voice of Hugh B. Brown on this video. I have heard people tell this story, but I had not heard Hugh B. Brown tell the story in his own words, until I saw/listened to this. What an endearing message! "Thank you Mr. Gardener for cutting me down."

A classmate suggested I read the talk by Thomas S. Monson titled "The Divine Gift of Gratitude," which I did today. Here are a few favorite lines:

"My brothers and sisters, do we remember to give thanks for the blessings we receive? Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love.

This is a wonderful time to be on earth. While there is much that is wrong in the world today, there are many things that are right and good.

If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues."

I thought it an appropriate time to list some of the blessings I am grateful for:

I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

I am grateful for the members of the Godhead.

I am grateful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I am grateful to serve in the temple.

I am grateful for the power that comes through covenants.

I am grateful for the scriptures.

I am grateful for President Nelson and other church leaders.

I am grateful to be a sister, wife, mother, and grandma.

I am grateful for families and the support we give one another.

I am grateful for the blessing of friends.

I am grateful for a body and mind that work.

I am grateful for books and the freedom to read and learn.

I am grateful for the beautiful world I live in and eyes to see it.

I am grateful for music and ears to hear it.

I am grateful for prayer.

I am grateful for adversity and challenges.

I am grateful for weakness.

I am grateful for each new day.