What to do with your light

"Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house." -Matthew 5:15

I was reading this scripture the other day and a new idea popped up into my head. Any good girlscout or boyscout knows what happens if a little flame is covered--it goes out. If it doesn't get any oxygen it dies. I think this can be a good way to think about our faith, too. If we hide it and cover it, it's likely to die. Reading the next verse in Matthew can help us know what to do:

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." -Matthew 5:16

We should go about doing good; putting our faith into actions :) That way we can bring a lot of light (and help show the way to be happy) in a sometimes very dark world.

*Today's art piece is by Simon Dewey entitled "Let Your Light So Shine." I borrowed the image from familyartusa.com :)

A Worthy Goal

"Love is one of the chief characteristics of Deity, and ought to be manifested by those who aspire to be the sons of God. A man filled with the love of God, is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race." The Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr., 1840

I love this quote and just reread it this day and wanted to share it :)


PS- I know a lot of people are curious about Joseph Smith. If you want to learn more about him, here's a good website: www.josephsmith.net (the image I found is from this site)

Looking on the Heart

So, I think today I will share with you a piece of Sierra Philosophy. I want to talk about little children. I don't think there are many who aren't moved by a hopeful little gappy-toothed smile or a tiny hand with dimpled knuckles reaching upward. Our hearts are moved by children. But why should this fade? In so many ways, we are all still children. We are certainly still children of God, though our wrinkles may hide it a bit. Yet, really, we are all still learning so much and in so many ways are no more mature than little ones. If this is so, why does our compassion seem to end as dimples fade? I think that if we were to remember the little child that is still so largely a part of everyone, we would find it much easier to love them and have compassion for them. Who knows where they have been in their lives? We surely don't, but God does. I don't think it would be hard even to find a piece of compassion for someone we feel is so terrible if we were presented with a photograph of them when they were two. And so, let's have a little more compassion and patience and gentleness toward each other :) Sometimes it isn't easy, but I think remembering images of hopeful little smiles will do a lot in softening our hearts and our minds. Happy Valentine's Day!

PS- This is a photo of my mommy and me when I was little :) Maybe it will make you feel more compassionate toward me?

PPS- Here is a good talk about charity, the pure love of Christ:

The Great Commandment
by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

(You can find it at lds.org or use this link: http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=f318118dd536c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=d5551b3e50cf5110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=1 )

Amistad Through Hands

I sat down at a table today in the student center, planning to talk to my mom for a bit and then to read the scriptures before doing homework. Plenty of people were around eating lunch, watching the news, talking on the phone like me, studying, etc. I wasn't paying much attention (mom was telling me about my brother Johnny's latest romantic scheme) but on some level I realized that there was a boy sitting at the table across from me. I felt like I had seen him before (but that's a pretty common feeling on campus). Anyway, I remember thinking that maybe I should call my mom later and talk to this boy--not because I wanted to be flirtatious; he was sitting by himself, too, and I thought he might enjoy some friendly conversation. At some point while I was thinking about this, a bubbly blonde girl came up and smiled animatedly at him. They began to talk cheerfully, but not with their voices--with their hands.

It was so intriguing to watch. I don't know if you've ever seen people conversing in sign language, but to me it looks like joy in motion. It's interesting that, though there are technically no sounds, sign language draws the attention and turns the head just as much as the sound of happy speech (at least for me). I've only seen sign language a few times. To me it is beautiful.

Anyway, I continued to talk to my mom on the phone but was a bit distracted by the excited facial expressions, raising eyebrows, smiles, as well as waving, dipping, linking, and swooping hands that I could see across the table from me. It was so interesting and lovely to watch. Also, I was happy to see the boy so happily engaged in conversation. Only after the blonde girl came up did I realize that he had a hearing aid.

I love the way smiles make the face blossom. It made me so happy to see him smiling. It seems like you don't really see people until they smile or in some way interact with others. Smiling really does make the face (and seemingly soul) come alive---it's like a robot in a movie coming out of hibernation mode (yea--that was a pretty geeky analogy). The point is: I love to see people smile. Even more, I love that we have the ability to help people want to smile. I'm so grateful for friendship. It's such a nice feeling to be connected to others and to have little moments throughout your day where people recognize you and say hello :). I'm glad I got to witness such a nice little moment of friendship.

Later, as I was thinking about all of this I remembered one of my favorite things. I love that our Savior, Jesus Christ, was (and is) a friend to everyone. It really strikes me that he spoke with, ate with, and befriended even those who were shunned by the rest of society. Though I might feel compassion toward someone with leprosy, it might be difficult for me to physically take their hand. But Christ did so unflinchingly. For example, we read in Matthew 8: 1-2, "And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if though wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed."

Just as I saw hands bringing friendship at lunch today, Christ's hands brought friendship to the outcasts and bring it also to everyone. I don't think there are many hands more beautiful than those that reach out in love.

*The photo for this post came from www.prints.com. The artist is a man named Greg Olsen--you can see more of his art at http://www.gregolsengallery.com/