May 30, 2024 • 31 mins
Join me for a profound reflection on how God consecrates trials for our good. Through stories of how my family grew from 5 to 13 with 8 adopted siblings, I delve into the complexities and blessings found in life's challenges. I talk about how my upbringing taught me the power of discernment, unconditional love, freedom from victimhood, and finding joy in difficult circumstances. Inspired by Lehi's teachings to his son Jacob in 2 Nephi, this episode explores the miraculous transformation of pain into sacred experiences through faith in Jesus Christ.
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00:00 Introduction and Purpose
00:54 Personal Story: Mother's Inspiration
01:41 Adoption Journey Begins
02:56 Expanding the Family: Five Sisters from India
05:09 Symbolism of the Law of the Leper
12:08 Consecration of Trials
15:13 Gifts from Trials: Discernment, Love, and Overcoming Victimhood
26:43 Final Thoughts and Reflections
31:12 Conclusion and Sponsor Message
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Amber (00:00):
Elder Gerrit W.
Gong said, In a miraculous way,the purpose of creation and the
nature of God are to knowbeginning and end, to bring
about all that is for our good,and to help us become sanctified
and holy through Jesus Christ'sgrace and atonement.
(00:24):
Thank you so much for joining inagain, and thank you so much for
all of your kind and generousreviews.
Your positive ratings andreviews help my podcast reach
more people.
So I really appreciate the timeyou take to rate and review my
podcast.
You are listening to the HopeSmiling Brightly podcast,
(00:46):
episode six, how God canconsecrate every trial for our
good.
When my mother was a young girl,she read a book that would
greatly affect her future.
It was a book about a ministerand his wife who were unable to
have children of their own.
(01:07):
They ended up adopting childrenfrom all over the world instead,
and eventually were able to getpregnant.
They ended up with a family of12 children.
When my mother read this story,a desire sparked within her.
She knew she wanted to be amother.
of many, many children.
(01:30):
But it was when she was pregnantwith her fifth child that she
realized to have any morechildren would be a risk to her
life.
She was devastated.
But it wasn't long that myparents decided adoption would
be a great option.
My sister was still a baby whenthey started the paperwork to
(01:51):
adopt more children through LDSSocial Services.
But they had no idea what wascoming.
They were a bit surprised whenthey were contacted and told
about a child that they werehaving a hard time placing for
adoption.
It was a baby boy, 5 months old,only weighing about 8 pounds.
(02:13):
They were told he had a litanyof physical and mental
disabilities.
But they needed to find a familywho could love him.
My mother wasn't so sure.
She had a brother who had mentaldisabilities and had to be
institutionalized.
It was very painful, and shewasn't sure she could go down
that road.
(02:34):
So my parents asked if theycould just see the baby.
One look into his blue eyes wasall it took.
And that's where their adoptionjourney began.
I could talk for hours about mybrother, so I'm sure I'll do
another episode telling you someof his amazing and miraculous
(02:55):
story.
When I was about seven yearsold, my parents decided they
were ready to add to theirfamily again.
But this time they thought itwould be nice to find maybe a
brother and sister, a siblinggroup to adopt since quite often
families only wanted one childand siblings would get
(03:17):
separated.
And if they could prevent thatfrom happening, they wanted to
try.
They were thinking, maybe two.
So it came as quite a shock whenan international adoption agency
approached my parents and askedthem if they would consider
adopting five sisters from anorphanage in Calcutta, India.
(03:39):
Once again, it wasn't somethingthey had ever dreamed of, but
when they got on their knees andasked Heavenly Father, if these
five girls belonged in ourfamily, they got a sure answer.
And it was yes.
I still remember when my parentssat us down to ask us what we
(04:02):
felt about doubling the size ofour family.
The reactions were mixed.
Understandably, this wouldchange our lives forever.
When I found out it was fivegirls, I was like, oh yeah, the
odds will finally be in myfavor.
(04:22):
Let's do it.
It was interesting that not longafter that, I was on a field
trip to the local planetarium,was sitting and gazing up at
what looked like a real sky,learning about all the different
constellations.
When the instructor pointed outa constellation I had never
heard of, the constellation wasthe seven sisters.
(04:47):
In that moment, peace andknowledge came to me, and even
though I was only eight yearsold, the spirit witnessed to me
that is what my family wouldhave.
Seven sisters.
That peace and knowledge carriedme through the years to come.
(05:09):
Can I add in a side note here,something really important that
I learned about promptings justbecause we get a clear prompting
doesn't mean it's going to gosmoothly and turn out perfectly.
God doesn't always ask us to doeasy things, but he asks us to
(05:31):
do things that will be for ourgood.
Remember this.
There's a principle that I thinkwe can apply to any personal
revelation we receive.
And here it is.
The validity of promptings ofpersonal revelation is not
measured by how things turn out,but the effect it has on the
(05:55):
person we become.
It took longer than we expected,and we had to jump through a few
hoops.
But finally, my five sistersfrom India arrived, and two
sisters became seven.
When my sisters arrived, theydid not know any English.
But as soon as they were able tocommunicate, they let us know
(06:20):
that they had another familymember that was left behind in
the orphanage in Calcutta.
A cousin who was a boy.
My parents didn't even thinktwice.
They started the applicationprocess to adopt him as well.
And no, it didn't end there.
There were foster kids that camein and out of our home.
(06:41):
One of my dad's good hippiefriends.
passed away.
And so her children came to livewith us off and on as well.
Our home was crazy, busy, butfull of love and open to anyone.
Our family rounded out at 13shortly after my mom became a
(07:02):
teacher.
One of her students had adisrupted adoption.
That is when a child is adoptedand the adoption doesn't work
out.
That was infuriating to my momand she wasn't going to have it.
So my parents decided to adoptthat sweet boy as well.
When I tell people about myfamily, their first response
(07:24):
usually is, wow, your parentsmust be amazing.
And they're right.
My parents are amazing.
There is no way I could do whatthey did.
The second response I usuallyget is, wow, was that hard?
Hard doesn't quite explain it.
(07:50):
I don't even know if there is aword for it.
If I responded to that questionin my teenage years, I probably
would have let you know in allthe details, all the ways my
life was so hard.
But I have a quite differentperspective now.
If you were to ask me if it washard, I would say, yeah, it was
(08:13):
hard, but not as hard for me asit must've been for my siblings
who were orphaned and rippedaway from a culture and a
country that they loved.
Now, as I tell stories of myupbringing, I usually just share
the crazy and funny, but don'tget me wrong, nobody escapes
(08:38):
childhood unscathed.
The most painful and tryingexperiences of my life happened
before I turned 18.
But I am grateful for everysingle one of those experiences.
And this is why.
Imagine with me for a moment thesymbolism from the Law of the
(08:59):
Leper in the book of Leviticuschapter 14.
I know what you're thinking,Leviticus?
Is there anything that makessense or is inspiring in
Leviticus?
Well, if you listen here longenough, you will know that I
love symbolism.
And so yes, when you look at thesymbolism in Leviticus, it is
(09:21):
absolutely beautiful.
Here it is.
For a leper to be cleansed, apriest would take two birds.
The first bird is killed in anearthen vessel.
Then the second bird is taken tothe vessel.
Now, if you were like me, when Iread this for the first time,
(09:43):
you feel sadness for the secondbird because you know what
happened to the first, and soyou see what's coming.
Why does it have to die too?
But no.
In Mercy, the second bird isdipped in the blood of the
first, then pronounced clean,and set free into an open field.
(10:09):
I was overcome as I realizedthat the second bird's life was
saved.
Because the first bird died.
In fact, it was given a freshstart.
The Savior gave his life so wecould not only live, but live
free of all that would bind us.
(10:31):
It makes sense that we wouldthen choose to give our lives
back to him.
How many of us essentially clipour own wings with guilt, shame,
resentment, anger, thoughts ofworthlessness.
How many of us are hoppingaround on the ground instead of
(10:52):
spreading our wings and flying?
Which view would you rather havein this life?
Every pain, every joy is that sowe can become what the Savior
sees in us.
Nothing is so beautiful than tobe cleansed and set free.
(11:13):
But that can never happen ifthere is nothing to be cleansed
and set free from.
The Savior doesn't cause thispain to happen.
It is an inevitable part oflife.
But He is there to take thatpain and use it to teach us.
to fly.
(11:34):
What will we do with our livesthat are saved because of the
first life that was given?
When we are able to recognizewhat can be or what has been
consecrated for our good, wecan't help but make something
more of what we've been given.
It brings new purpose to ourlives.
(11:56):
My hope is that as you listentoday, the Spirit will inspire
you with something that mightbring renewed purpose into your
life.
So what does it mean, the wordconsecrate?
To consecrate is to make sacredor for sacred use.
(12:20):
What comes to your mind when youthink about the most difficult
trial of your life?
Is it sacred to you yet?
I promise it can be.
When we turn to God in ourtrials, He miraculously creates
such beauty from them that theybecome sacred to us.
(12:42):
When we are healed, forgiven,able to forgive through the
Savior, our pain becomes sacred.
One of the greatest sermons onhow to approach trials is in 2
Nephi chapter 2, when Lehispeaks to his son Jacob.
(13:03):
He said to him, In thy childhoodthou hast suffered afflictions
and much sorrow and thisaffliction and sorrow that Jacob
experienced was pretty muchbecause of the sins of other
people.
Lehi then reminds Jacob of oneof the results of going through
(13:23):
these trials.
He says, Thou knowest thegreatness of God.
There is opposition in allthings.
And when we go through greattrial, we also see how great God
is.
and then Lehi said words that Iknow you'll recognize.
(13:45):
and He shall consecrate thineafflictions for thy gain I've
been pondering a lot how theLord did the same thing for me
and why my upbringing is sacredto me.
Most inflections, trials weexperience in life, help us gain
Christ like attributes.
(14:06):
And a lot of those afflictionscome as the result of other
people.
I'm sure we all can think ofpeople that are like, Wow, they
are here to just bring trialsinto my life.
But we can think of it morepositively and say, wow, they're
(14:28):
here to help me learn Christlike attributes.
But I'll tell you what, for asmany people in your life that
fall into that category, youprobably fall into that category
for someone else.
I know that's definitely thecase when it comes to me, but I
guess I can say with pride, Hey,I've helped a lot of people gain
(14:52):
Christ like attributes.
As they've had to deal with myweaknesses growing up, everyone
in my family had to learn whatit was to sacrifice, to forgive,
to repent, to have patience, tocompromise, and how to get along
with different cultures,viewpoints, lifestyles.
(15:13):
But today I want to talk aboutthree things that Heavenly
Father consecrated for my gainthat I think might help anyone
who has gone through any type oftrial.
The first thing my trials gaveme was the ability to discern.
Lehi also said to his son Jacob,for it must needs be that there
(15:37):
is an opposition in all things.
Witnessing opposition cultivatesthe ability to discern between
opposing things.
I remember though, wishing thatI could have been sheltered from
the evil of this world.
But on the other hand, Itreasure my gift of discernment,
(16:00):
a gift that wasn't free.
It was cultivated because ofopposition, and now is priceless
to me.
If Adam and Eve had stayed in astate of innocence, that state
that I was wishing I could stayin, they would have had no joy,
for they knew no misery, doingno good, for they knew no sin.
(16:23):
What a gift to be able todiscern between righteousness
and wickedness, holy and unholy,happiness and misery, truth and
deception, to be able to discernthe true intentions and
character of someone.
And the more we are able todiscern, the more we are able to
(16:45):
cultivate the ability to use ouragency for good, which is one of
the main purposes of this life.
I saw both sides of the coin anddecided which one I wanted more
of in my life.
I had a greater desire to dowhatever it took to discern what
(17:07):
would bring good, and what wouldbring a greater portion of the
Holy Spirit into my life.
What are some of the thingsyou're better at discerning in
your life because of trials?
As God continued to consecratethings for my gain, the second
thing I received was the abilityto love others as Christ does.
(17:31):
In verse 3 of this same chapterwe're talking about, Lehi told
his son Jacob, thy days shall bespent in the service of thy God,
and we know when we are in theservice of our fellow man, we
are only in the service of ourGod.
As I have loved you, love oneanother.
(17:55):
My family took this song and,with my sisters, translated it
into their native language, andwe sung it at their baptism.
I will never forget the words.
Ami tomake balobashi, balobashishabaike.
As I have loved you, love oneanother.
(18:17):
James Q.
Wilson wrote, We learn to copewith the people of this world
because we learn to cope withthe members of our family.Those
who flee the family flee theworld,bereft of the.
family's affection, tutelage andchallenges.
They are unprepared for theworld's tests, judgments and
(18:40):
demands Close quote.
we aren't supposed to haveperfect families.
Rather, we are supposed to havethe families that will help
perfect us.
I learned firsthand the greatresponsibility we have to help
our brothers and sisters.
No matter how hard it might be.
(19:03):
Love is what heals, notjudgment.
And I learned that the people wejudge the most harshly probably
have gone through things that wecan't even imagine.
It's one thing to love someonethat's easy to love.
(19:24):
It's another thing to learn tolove someone that maybe it has a
hard time receiving your love.,Or someone that maybe your
personalities clash.
Loving all the people that areeasy to love isn't what
cultivates charity.
What cultivates charity, thepure love of Christ, is learning
(19:45):
to love people unconditionallywith all of their faults,
without judgment, without tryingto change them, but just giving
love.
I also got to experience theother side of love.
Let's face it, my family becamethe ward service project.
We often found huge bags of usedclothes and shoes that we loved
(20:11):
going through.
I'll never forget the secretSanta gifts that showed up at
our door on one Christmas thatwas going to be particularly
slim.
I was incredibly grateful of thesacrifice of others that allowed
us to get food from the bishop'sstorehouse when my parents
(20:32):
couldn't afford it.
President Thomas S.
Monson said, I believe thesavior is telling us that unless
we lose ourselves in service toothers, there is little purpose
to our own lives.
Those who live only forthemselves eventually shrivel up
and figuratively loose theirlives while those who lose
(20:54):
themselves in service to othersgrow and flourish and in effect,
save their lives.
Close quote.
And let's not forget that whenwe are in the middle of a trial,
it's looking outward, findingsomeone else to love that helps
lift our own burdens.
(21:16):
In fact, that's exactly whatChrist did as he hung on the
cross, yet turned to his motherin concern for her.
What a gift the Lord gives uswhen we have the opportunity
amid our trials to turn ourconcerns to the needs of someone
else.
(21:36):
And the third gift that oftencomes from our trials, the
ability to overcome victimmentality.
Lehi also told Jacob that Adamfell that men might be.
And men are, that they mighthave joy.
Here he is talking to Jacob, whohad a very difficult upbringing,
(22:00):
and he's telling him he'ssupposed to have joy.
In the very next verse he says,We are redeemed from the fall.
We have become free forever,knowing good from evil, to act
for ourselves, and not to beacted upon.
Elder Stanley G.
Ellis said, Hard is theconstant.
(22:22):
We all have challenges.
The variable is our reaction tothe hard.
Close quote.
I don't think anyone can gothrough life without being
victim to the poor choices ofothers at some point.
There were circumstances in mylife that there was no question
(22:45):
that I was an innocent victim.
But I learned that just becausesomeone chooses to victimize me
doesn't mean I have to live as avictim.
I have a choice.
When we let someone else'sactions define us, it is like we
are letting them victimize usOver and over again, long after
(23:10):
the action has passed, there areso many clever ways Satan tries
to take away our agency.
And one way is by simplyconvincing us we have none, and
that we are subject to ourcircumstances.
But it behooveth the greatCreator that he suffereth
(23:33):
himself to become subject untoman in the flesh, and die for
all men, that all men mightbecome subject to him.
2 Nephi 9:5 Ironic that when webecome subject to Christ, we
find real freedom.
(23:54):
And ye shall know the truth, andthe truth shall make you free.
John 8:32.
Elder F.
Enzio Bouche said, We arebeginning to become alive as we
take knowingly fullresponsibility for our own life,
and we stop blaming ourcircumstances.
(24:15):
Close quote.
Elder Matthias Held said, We canrest assured that our
difficulties, sorrows,afflictions, and pains do not
define us.
It is how we go about them thatwill help us grow and draw
closer to God.
It is our attitudes and choicesthat define us much better than
(24:37):
our challenges.
Close quote.
Growing up, I wanted joy, but Irealized that if I was only
waiting for joyful circumstancesto feel joy, I was going to live
a lackluster life.
E.
W.
Wilcox wrote,'Tis easy enough tobe pleasant When life goes by
(25:00):
with a song, But the manworthwhile Is the man who can
smile When everything goes deadwrong.
We are practicing joy in thislife but guess what you can't
practice joy in Joyfulcircumstances that just comes
naturally it is when we aregoing through things where the
(25:23):
natural man response would besorrow that we really get to
practice joy.
What do you think PresidentNelson had to go through to
testify of this truth?
He said, The joy we feel haslittle to do with the
circumstances of our lives, andeverything to do with the focus
(25:45):
of our lives.
Close quote.
How do you think the Savior wasable to endure the greatest
suffering known?
By focusing on joy.
And this is how we can getthrough our greatest suffering.
As we understand and cultivatethis priceless gift, a promise
(26:06):
of comfort could never make usgive up the opportunity to
cultivate the ability toexperience joy in any
circumstance.
President Nelson also said, whatwill you and I be able to endure
as we focus on the joy that isset before us?
What repenting will then bepossible?
(26:27):
What weakness will become astrength?
What chastening will become ablessing?
What disappointments, eventragedies will turn to our good
and what challenging service tothe Lord will we be able to
give?
Close quote.
Discernment, love, freedom fromvictimhood.
(26:47):
These are just some of thefruits of my trials, and I
wouldn't be surprised if you'veexperienced some of it too.
In the end, God knows what he isdoing.
Though, it's hard not tosometimes feel that we got the
raw end of the deal.
And we wonder why we are goingthrough such a difficult
experience.
(27:07):
But remember what was said inJacob 5:21-22.
And it came to pass that theservant said unto his master,
How comest thou hither to plantthis tree, or this branch of the
tree?
For behold, it was the poorestspot in all the land of thy
vineyard.
And the lord of the vineyardsaid unto him, Counsel me not.
(27:32):
I knew that it was a poor spotof ground.
Wherefore, I said unto thee, Ihave nourished it this long
time, and thou beholdest that ithas brought forth much fruit.
God is nourishing you.
Have you recognized the fruit heis bringing forth in your life?
(27:54):
Okay, I can't help it.
I want to share with you onemore bonus gift that God often
gives through our afflictions.
And yes, it's in 2 Nephi chapter2.
Lehi told his son two morethings he could be grateful for
because of his trials.
In verse four, the first thing,Thou hast beheld in thy youth.
(28:20):
His glory, when we experiencethe healing, the mercies, the
love of our savior, that isexperiencing a portion of his
glory.
But what I think is even morebeautiful is the next line.
Thou art blessed.
Now, listen to this.
(28:41):
Even as they, unto whom he shallminister in the flesh.
Do you hear that promise?
That promise that applies toanyone who has suffered great
affliction?
The Savior, ministered tosinners, lepers, the blind, the
sick.
(29:02):
You are blessed, even as thoseChrist ministered to in the
flesh.
If there were no trials, noimpossible circumstances, there
would be no need for Christ tominister to you.
No need to Behold his glory.
No need for miracles.
(29:23):
But, if you could touch the hemof his garment, or call out,
Have mercy on me, son of David,or whisper, If thou wilt, thou
canst make me clean, What wouldyou ask for?
How would he minister to you?
(29:46):
Have you recognized how he hasfulfilled that promise to you in
your life?
The greatest miracle is hishealing, not just physically,
but spiritually and mentally.
And this miracle comes as heconsecrates our trials, our
afflictions for our good.
(30:10):
You know, I'm not going to endthis podcast without offering
you a question.
Whether there is an afflictionthat is still painful or not in
your life, there is a powerfulquestion to ask that will bring
abundant gratitude, a questionthat will help you see the great
(30:30):
love and compassion your creatorhas for you.
Here it is.
Ask God.
How have you turned this trialfor my good?
I promise there are things youhaven't seen yet.
There were some things Irealized for the first time as I
(30:53):
was preparing for this podcast.
As the answer comes, that trialwill become incredibly sacred to
you.
Christ is consecratingafflictions for your gain.
Christ is hope, smilingbrightly.
(31:20):
I am so grateful to be able tohave the time and means to
produce this podcast, but itwouldn't be possible without
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(31:41):
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com and set up a delivery to get15 percent off retail price and
free shipping on any orders overa hundred dollars.
Elder Gerrit W.
Gong said, In a miraculous way,the purpose of creation and the
nature of God are to knowbeginning and end, to bring
about all that is for our good,and to help us become sanctified
and holy through Jesus Christ'sgrace and atonement.
(00:24):
Thank you so much for joining inagain, and thank you so much for
all of your kind and generousreviews.
Your positive ratings andreviews help my podcast reach
more people.
So I really appreciate the timeyou take to rate and review my
podcast.
You are listening to the HopeSmiling Brightly podcast,
(00:46):
episode six, how God canconsecrate every trial for our
good.
When my mother was a young girl,she read a book that would
greatly affect her future.
It was a book about a ministerand his wife who were unable to
have children of their own.
(01:07):
They ended up adopting childrenfrom all over the world instead,
and eventually were able to getpregnant.
They ended up with a family of12 children.
When my mother read this story,a desire sparked within her.
She knew she wanted to be amother.
of many, many children.
(01:30):
But it was when she was pregnantwith her fifth child that she
realized to have any morechildren would be a risk to her
life.
She was devastated.
But it wasn't long that myparents decided adoption would
be a great option.
My sister was still a baby whenthey started the paperwork to
(01:51):
adopt more children through LDSSocial Services.
But they had no idea what wascoming.
They were a bit surprised whenthey were contacted and told
about a child that they werehaving a hard time placing for
adoption.
It was a baby boy, 5 months old,only weighing about 8 pounds.
(02:13):
They were told he had a litanyof physical and mental
disabilities.
But they needed to find a familywho could love him.
My mother wasn't so sure.
She had a brother who had mentaldisabilities and had to be
institutionalized.
It was very painful, and shewasn't sure she could go down
that road.
(02:34):
So my parents asked if theycould just see the baby.
One look into his blue eyes wasall it took.
And that's where their adoptionjourney began.
I could talk for hours about mybrother, so I'm sure I'll do
another episode telling you someof his amazing and miraculous
(02:55):
story.
When I was about seven yearsold, my parents decided they
were ready to add to theirfamily again.
But this time they thought itwould be nice to find maybe a
brother and sister, a siblinggroup to adopt since quite often
families only wanted one childand siblings would get
(03:17):
separated.
And if they could prevent thatfrom happening, they wanted to
try.
They were thinking, maybe two.
So it came as quite a shock whenan international adoption agency
approached my parents and askedthem if they would consider
adopting five sisters from anorphanage in Calcutta, India.
(03:39):
Once again, it wasn't somethingthey had ever dreamed of, but
when they got on their knees andasked Heavenly Father, if these
five girls belonged in ourfamily, they got a sure answer.
And it was yes.
I still remember when my parentssat us down to ask us what we
(04:02):
felt about doubling the size ofour family.
The reactions were mixed.
Understandably, this wouldchange our lives forever.
When I found out it was fivegirls, I was like, oh yeah, the
odds will finally be in myfavor.
(04:22):
Let's do it.
It was interesting that not longafter that, I was on a field
trip to the local planetarium,was sitting and gazing up at
what looked like a real sky,learning about all the different
constellations.
When the instructor pointed outa constellation I had never
heard of, the constellation wasthe seven sisters.
(04:47):
In that moment, peace andknowledge came to me, and even
though I was only eight yearsold, the spirit witnessed to me
that is what my family wouldhave.
Seven sisters.
That peace and knowledge carriedme through the years to come.
(05:09):
Can I add in a side note here,something really important that
I learned about promptings justbecause we get a clear prompting
doesn't mean it's going to gosmoothly and turn out perfectly.
God doesn't always ask us to doeasy things, but he asks us to
(05:31):
do things that will be for ourgood.
Remember this.
There's a principle that I thinkwe can apply to any personal
revelation we receive.
And here it is.
The validity of promptings ofpersonal revelation is not
measured by how things turn out,but the effect it has on the
(05:55):
person we become.
It took longer than we expected,and we had to jump through a few
hoops.
But finally, my five sistersfrom India arrived, and two
sisters became seven.
When my sisters arrived, theydid not know any English.
But as soon as they were able tocommunicate, they let us know
(06:20):
that they had another familymember that was left behind in
the orphanage in Calcutta.
A cousin who was a boy.
My parents didn't even thinktwice.
They started the applicationprocess to adopt him as well.
And no, it didn't end there.
There were foster kids that camein and out of our home.
(06:41):
One of my dad's good hippiefriends.
passed away.
And so her children came to livewith us off and on as well.
Our home was crazy, busy, butfull of love and open to anyone.
Our family rounded out at 13shortly after my mom became a
(07:02):
teacher.
One of her students had adisrupted adoption.
That is when a child is adoptedand the adoption doesn't work
out.
That was infuriating to my momand she wasn't going to have it.
So my parents decided to adoptthat sweet boy as well.
When I tell people about myfamily, their first response
(07:24):
usually is, wow, your parentsmust be amazing.
And they're right.
My parents are amazing.
There is no way I could do whatthey did.
The second response I usuallyget is, wow, was that hard?
Hard doesn't quite explain it.
(07:50):
I don't even know if there is aword for it.
If I responded to that questionin my teenage years, I probably
would have let you know in allthe details, all the ways my
life was so hard.
But I have a quite differentperspective now.
If you were to ask me if it washard, I would say, yeah, it was
(08:13):
hard, but not as hard for me asit must've been for my siblings
who were orphaned and rippedaway from a culture and a
country that they loved.
Now, as I tell stories of myupbringing, I usually just share
the crazy and funny, but don'tget me wrong, nobody escapes
(08:38):
childhood unscathed.
The most painful and tryingexperiences of my life happened
before I turned 18.
But I am grateful for everysingle one of those experiences.
And this is why.
Imagine with me for a moment thesymbolism from the Law of the
(08:59):
Leper in the book of Leviticuschapter 14.
I know what you're thinking,Leviticus?
Is there anything that makessense or is inspiring in
Leviticus?
Well, if you listen here longenough, you will know that I
love symbolism.
And so yes, when you look at thesymbolism in Leviticus, it is
(09:21):
absolutely beautiful.
Here it is.
For a leper to be cleansed, apriest would take two birds.
The first bird is killed in anearthen vessel.
Then the second bird is taken tothe vessel.
Now, if you were like me, when Iread this for the first time,
(09:43):
you feel sadness for the secondbird because you know what
happened to the first, and soyou see what's coming.
Why does it have to die too?
But no.
In Mercy, the second bird isdipped in the blood of the
first, then pronounced clean,and set free into an open field.
(10:09):
I was overcome as I realizedthat the second bird's life was
saved.
Because the first bird died.
In fact, it was given a freshstart.
The Savior gave his life so wecould not only live, but live
free of all that would bind us.
(10:31):
It makes sense that we wouldthen choose to give our lives
back to him.
How many of us essentially clipour own wings with guilt, shame,
resentment, anger, thoughts ofworthlessness.
How many of us are hoppingaround on the ground instead of
(10:52):
spreading our wings and flying?
Which view would you rather havein this life?
Every pain, every joy is that sowe can become what the Savior
sees in us.
Nothing is so beautiful than tobe cleansed and set free.
(11:13):
But that can never happen ifthere is nothing to be cleansed
and set free from.
The Savior doesn't cause thispain to happen.
It is an inevitable part oflife.
But He is there to take thatpain and use it to teach us.
to fly.
(11:34):
What will we do with our livesthat are saved because of the
first life that was given?
When we are able to recognizewhat can be or what has been
consecrated for our good, wecan't help but make something
more of what we've been given.
It brings new purpose to ourlives.
(11:56):
My hope is that as you listentoday, the Spirit will inspire
you with something that mightbring renewed purpose into your
life.
So what does it mean, the wordconsecrate?
To consecrate is to make sacredor for sacred use.
(12:20):
What comes to your mind when youthink about the most difficult
trial of your life?
Is it sacred to you yet?
I promise it can be.
When we turn to God in ourtrials, He miraculously creates
such beauty from them that theybecome sacred to us.
(12:42):
When we are healed, forgiven,able to forgive through the
Savior, our pain becomes sacred.
One of the greatest sermons onhow to approach trials is in 2
Nephi chapter 2, when Lehispeaks to his son Jacob.
(13:03):
He said to him, In thy childhoodthou hast suffered afflictions
and much sorrow and thisaffliction and sorrow that Jacob
experienced was pretty muchbecause of the sins of other
people.
Lehi then reminds Jacob of oneof the results of going through
(13:23):
these trials.
He says, Thou knowest thegreatness of God.
There is opposition in allthings.
And when we go through greattrial, we also see how great God
is.
and then Lehi said words that Iknow you'll recognize.
(13:45):
and He shall consecrate thineafflictions for thy gain I've
been pondering a lot how theLord did the same thing for me
and why my upbringing is sacredto me.
Most inflections, trials weexperience in life, help us gain
Christ like attributes.
(14:06):
And a lot of those afflictionscome as the result of other
people.
I'm sure we all can think ofpeople that are like, Wow, they
are here to just bring trialsinto my life.
But we can think of it morepositively and say, wow, they're
(14:28):
here to help me learn Christlike attributes.
But I'll tell you what, for asmany people in your life that
fall into that category, youprobably fall into that category
for someone else.
I know that's definitely thecase when it comes to me, but I
guess I can say with pride, Hey,I've helped a lot of people gain
(14:52):
Christ like attributes.
As they've had to deal with myweaknesses growing up, everyone
in my family had to learn whatit was to sacrifice, to forgive,
to repent, to have patience, tocompromise, and how to get along
with different cultures,viewpoints, lifestyles.
(15:13):
But today I want to talk aboutthree things that Heavenly
Father consecrated for my gainthat I think might help anyone
who has gone through any type oftrial.
The first thing my trials gaveme was the ability to discern.
Lehi also said to his son Jacob,for it must needs be that there
(15:37):
is an opposition in all things.
Witnessing opposition cultivatesthe ability to discern between
opposing things.
I remember though, wishing thatI could have been sheltered from
the evil of this world.
But on the other hand, Itreasure my gift of discernment,
(16:00):
a gift that wasn't free.
It was cultivated because ofopposition, and now is priceless
to me.
If Adam and Eve had stayed in astate of innocence, that state
that I was wishing I could stayin, they would have had no joy,
for they knew no misery, doingno good, for they knew no sin.
(16:23):
What a gift to be able todiscern between righteousness
and wickedness, holy and unholy,happiness and misery, truth and
deception, to be able to discernthe true intentions and
character of someone.
And the more we are able todiscern, the more we are able to
(16:45):
cultivate the ability to use ouragency for good, which is one of
the main purposes of this life.
I saw both sides of the coin anddecided which one I wanted more
of in my life.
I had a greater desire to dowhatever it took to discern what
(17:07):
would bring good, and what wouldbring a greater portion of the
Holy Spirit into my life.
What are some of the thingsyou're better at discerning in
your life because of trials?
As God continued to consecratethings for my gain, the second
thing I received was the abilityto love others as Christ does.
(17:31):
In verse 3 of this same chapterwe're talking about, Lehi told
his son Jacob, thy days shall bespent in the service of thy God,
and we know when we are in theservice of our fellow man, we
are only in the service of ourGod.
As I have loved you, love oneanother.
(17:55):
My family took this song and,with my sisters, translated it
into their native language, andwe sung it at their baptism.
I will never forget the words.
Ami tomake balobashi, balobashishabaike.
As I have loved you, love oneanother.
(18:17):
James Q.
Wilson wrote, We learn to copewith the people of this world
because we learn to cope withthe members of our family.Those
who flee the family flee theworld,bereft of the.
family's affection, tutelage andchallenges.
They are unprepared for theworld's tests, judgments and
(18:40):
demands Close quote.
we aren't supposed to haveperfect families.
Rather, we are supposed to havethe families that will help
perfect us.
I learned firsthand the greatresponsibility we have to help
our brothers and sisters.
No matter how hard it might be.
(19:03):
Love is what heals, notjudgment.
And I learned that the people wejudge the most harshly probably
have gone through things that wecan't even imagine.
It's one thing to love someonethat's easy to love.
(19:24):
It's another thing to learn tolove someone that maybe it has a
hard time receiving your love.,Or someone that maybe your
personalities clash.
Loving all the people that areeasy to love isn't what
cultivates charity.
What cultivates charity, thepure love of Christ, is learning
(19:45):
to love people unconditionallywith all of their faults,
without judgment, without tryingto change them, but just giving
love.
I also got to experience theother side of love.
Let's face it, my family becamethe ward service project.
We often found huge bags of usedclothes and shoes that we loved
(20:11):
going through.
I'll never forget the secretSanta gifts that showed up at
our door on one Christmas thatwas going to be particularly
slim.
I was incredibly grateful of thesacrifice of others that allowed
us to get food from the bishop'sstorehouse when my parents
(20:32):
couldn't afford it.
President Thomas S.
Monson said, I believe thesavior is telling us that unless
we lose ourselves in service toothers, there is little purpose
to our own lives.
Those who live only forthemselves eventually shrivel up
and figuratively loose theirlives while those who lose
(20:54):
themselves in service to othersgrow and flourish and in effect,
save their lives.
Close quote.
And let's not forget that whenwe are in the middle of a trial,
it's looking outward, findingsomeone else to love that helps
lift our own burdens.
(21:16):
In fact, that's exactly whatChrist did as he hung on the
cross, yet turned to his motherin concern for her.
What a gift the Lord gives uswhen we have the opportunity
amid our trials to turn ourconcerns to the needs of someone
else.
(21:36):
And the third gift that oftencomes from our trials, the
ability to overcome victimmentality.
Lehi also told Jacob that Adamfell that men might be.
And men are, that they mighthave joy.
Here he is talking to Jacob, whohad a very difficult upbringing,
(22:00):
and he's telling him he'ssupposed to have joy.
In the very next verse he says,We are redeemed from the fall.
We have become free forever,knowing good from evil, to act
for ourselves, and not to beacted upon.
Elder Stanley G.
Ellis said, Hard is theconstant.
(22:22):
We all have challenges.
The variable is our reaction tothe hard.
Close quote.
I don't think anyone can gothrough life without being
victim to the poor choices ofothers at some point.
There were circumstances in mylife that there was no question
(22:45):
that I was an innocent victim.
But I learned that just becausesomeone chooses to victimize me
doesn't mean I have to live as avictim.
I have a choice.
When we let someone else'sactions define us, it is like we
are letting them victimize usOver and over again, long after
(23:10):
the action has passed, there areso many clever ways Satan tries
to take away our agency.
And one way is by simplyconvincing us we have none, and
that we are subject to ourcircumstances.
But it behooveth the greatCreator that he suffereth
(23:33):
himself to become subject untoman in the flesh, and die for
all men, that all men mightbecome subject to him.
2 Nephi 9:5 Ironic that when webecome subject to Christ, we
find real freedom.
(23:54):
And ye shall know the truth, andthe truth shall make you free.
John 8:32.
Elder F.
Enzio Bouche said, We arebeginning to become alive as we
take knowingly fullresponsibility for our own life,
and we stop blaming ourcircumstances.
(24:15):
Close quote.
Elder Matthias Held said, We canrest assured that our
difficulties, sorrows,afflictions, and pains do not
define us.
It is how we go about them thatwill help us grow and draw
closer to God.
It is our attitudes and choicesthat define us much better than
(24:37):
our challenges.
Close quote.
Growing up, I wanted joy, but Irealized that if I was only
waiting for joyful circumstancesto feel joy, I was going to live
a lackluster life.
E.
W.
Wilcox wrote,'Tis easy enough tobe pleasant When life goes by
(25:00):
with a song, But the manworthwhile Is the man who can
smile When everything goes deadwrong.
We are practicing joy in thislife but guess what you can't
practice joy in Joyfulcircumstances that just comes
naturally it is when we aregoing through things where the
(25:23):
natural man response would besorrow that we really get to
practice joy.
What do you think PresidentNelson had to go through to
testify of this truth?
He said, The joy we feel haslittle to do with the
circumstances of our lives, andeverything to do with the focus
(25:45):
of our lives.
Close quote.
How do you think the Savior wasable to endure the greatest
suffering known?
By focusing on joy.
And this is how we can getthrough our greatest suffering.
As we understand and cultivatethis priceless gift, a promise
(26:06):
of comfort could never make usgive up the opportunity to
cultivate the ability toexperience joy in any
circumstance.
President Nelson also said, whatwill you and I be able to endure
as we focus on the joy that isset before us?
What repenting will then bepossible?
(26:27):
What weakness will become astrength?
What chastening will become ablessing?
What disappointments, eventragedies will turn to our good
and what challenging service tothe Lord will we be able to
give?
Close quote.
Discernment, love, freedom fromvictimhood.
(26:47):
These are just some of thefruits of my trials, and I
wouldn't be surprised if you'veexperienced some of it too.
In the end, God knows what he isdoing.
Though, it's hard not tosometimes feel that we got the
raw end of the deal.
And we wonder why we are goingthrough such a difficult
experience.
(27:07):
But remember what was said inJacob 5:21-22.
And it came to pass that theservant said unto his master,
How comest thou hither to plantthis tree, or this branch of the
tree?
For behold, it was the poorestspot in all the land of thy
vineyard.
And the lord of the vineyardsaid unto him, Counsel me not.
(27:32):
I knew that it was a poor spotof ground.
Wherefore, I said unto thee, Ihave nourished it this long
time, and thou beholdest that ithas brought forth much fruit.
God is nourishing you.
Have you recognized the fruit heis bringing forth in your life?
(27:54):
Okay, I can't help it.
I want to share with you onemore bonus gift that God often
gives through our afflictions.
And yes, it's in 2 Nephi chapter2.
Lehi told his son two morethings he could be grateful for
because of his trials.
In verse four, the first thing,Thou hast beheld in thy youth.
(28:20):
His glory, when we experiencethe healing, the mercies, the
love of our savior, that isexperiencing a portion of his
glory.
But what I think is even morebeautiful is the next line.
Thou art blessed.
Now, listen to this.
(28:41):
Even as they, unto whom he shallminister in the flesh.
Do you hear that promise?
That promise that applies toanyone who has suffered great
affliction?
The Savior, ministered tosinners, lepers, the blind, the
sick.
(29:02):
You are blessed, even as thoseChrist ministered to in the
flesh.
If there were no trials, noimpossible circumstances, there
would be no need for Christ tominister to you.
No need to Behold his glory.
No need for miracles.
(29:23):
But, if you could touch the hemof his garment, or call out,
Have mercy on me, son of David,or whisper, If thou wilt, thou
canst make me clean, What wouldyou ask for?
How would he minister to you?
(29:46):
Have you recognized how he hasfulfilled that promise to you in
your life?
The greatest miracle is hishealing, not just physically,
but spiritually and mentally.
And this miracle comes as heconsecrates our trials, our
afflictions for our good.
(30:10):
You know, I'm not going to endthis podcast without offering
you a question.
Whether there is an afflictionthat is still painful or not in
your life, there is a powerfulquestion to ask that will bring
abundant gratitude, a questionthat will help you see the great
(30:30):
love and compassion your creatorhas for you.
Here it is.
Ask God.
How have you turned this trialfor my good?
I promise there are things youhaven't seen yet.
There were some things Irealized for the first time as I
(30:53):
was preparing for this podcast.
As the answer comes, that trialwill become incredibly sacred to
you.
Christ is consecratingafflictions for your gain.
Christ is hope, smilingbrightly.
(31:20):
I am so grateful to be able tohave the time and means to
produce this podcast, but itwouldn't be possible without
Thrive Life.
Thrive Life is the best freezedried food that you can possibly
find with a 25 year shelf life,high quality food, and a
delicious taste.
(31:41):
You cannot put a price tag onpeace of mind and preparedness.
So go to amber.
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