Exercise makes us stronger

At the gym today I noticed a few men who were working the circuit of Weight machines with me. I noticed a larger gentleman who appeared to be in good physical health, and as he switched to use the Machine after me, He had to reduce the weight that I had just used on the machine. This happened a few times and It made me think about the fact that I , A much smaller, woman, was able to lift more weight than this man. Not because I am necessarily stronger, but Because I have been consistently exercising those muscles, and have conditioned myself to where I am able to lift a heavier load than a few of these men.

I have to admit for a few minutes I was a bit "proud " of my accomplishments, but then my mind turned to another type of "exercise,"
An Exercise of the heart ,  our capacity to Love others, and see them as God sees them.

 Five years ago, I think I was pretty good at loving and not judging, but now with the growth and "exercise" I have had by learning that I have a gay son , I can Love so much more .

My ability to look past the labels, and boxes that people are in. To  see their eyes, and look into their hearts has grown tremendously.
The exercise I have used to try and be more like my Savior each day, has strengthened my ability to be a better child of God. I am certainly not perfect by any means, but I am stronger.

Another exercise is that of listening to the Still small voice and following its promptings. Learning to recognize that the Lord will often speak to us through Feelings


D&C 8:2-3  Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.

 3 Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation

D&C 9:8-9  

But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.

9 But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong; therefore, you cannot write that which is sacred save it be given you from me.

For years I have been praying about these issues regarding my gay son and so many others. I have not had any great revelations, but I have had MANY feelings,impressions and answers through music and other means, but mostly from the feelings that accompanied these experiences..

There was no denying that what I was feeling was what the Lord wanted me to know and DO.   As I exercised recognizing the spirits promptings in my life, It got easier. I could recognize when I would have those strong feelings that what I was doing was exactly what the Lord wanted me to do, even though many in the world , would judge me and even criticize me for doing something against what "they" thought was right.
People could not understand why a good mormon woman would go to a Gay pride parade, and then even go to a festival and give out hugs.

Hmm....... So do they think that they really didn't deserve to have my friendship and Love ?
I spent 10 hours at that festival talking with people, Listening to their stories and yes, hugging many of them.

The spirit let me know that I was doing exactly as the Savior expected of me. That does not mean I didn't have some anxious feelings. I spent a good majority of the day at our booth alone, because no one else would join me. That was a bit hard, and it gave me pause to reflect on the events going on. As I continued to exercise my Faith and trust in the Lord to help me accomplish his work, it became easier. Being a shy person compounded my anxiety to have to talk to,  and hug perfect strangers, but as I let the spirit work through me I could even approach them before they came to our booth.

 I remember a particular young woman. My guess was she was about 20-22 years old. She had a bit of a look of disgust on her face as she approached our booth, and she asked" Are you really a Mormon? " Yes I am I told her. I go to church every week. She said "so Why are you doing this? "  I explained that I was just there to show love and compassion to them. That even though I was Mormon that I loved them and I wanted to be there for them if they needed someone to talk to , or even if they just needed a hug"  She paused and stared at me for a moment then told me her heartbreaking story of growing up Mormon and Gay. How she was ostracized from her family . I cried with her, and when she was done, She said "this is cool"  I asked her if I could give her a hug and she agreed. I could sense her staunch demeanor melting just a bit as I could step in for just a moment and extend to her some love and understanding she had so desperately needed for so many years. All I did was listen for a while and give her a hug, but I knew it made a difference. We met many other wonderful people and even families. One is pictured here. These gentleman have adopted 4 children ( only the littlest one is pictured here)






“Your happiness now and for the eternities will unquestionably be determined by whether or not you follow the spiritual guidance of the Lord communicated through the Holy Ghost…


“The counsel of others and the programs of the Church are useful aids but not the best source of fundamental direction in your life. That guidance comes from the Lord through the Holy Ghost.


“Spirituality yields two fruits. The first is inspiration, that is, to know what to do. The second is power—the power of God or the capacity to do what one has been instructed to accomplish.” (Richard G. Scott, Finding Peace, Happiness, and Joy, p. 39-40)


Just like Physical exercise helps our body become stronger,

When we exercise our heart, and our mind , they become stronger. Why do they give us math problems to take home for homework? Because the "exercise " helps us learn the skill better.


So many in todays world do not want to exercise the skill of empathy, or even compassion. It takes effort to step out of the comfortable box that you know and listen to an others story. To truly try and see their point of view. It does not mean in the end that you may even agree with them. That is OK. But when you allow your heart to be open to the spirit of another, you cannot help but be changed. Little by little you will become better at being a true disciple of Christ. OF mourning with those who mourn, Bearing one anothers burdens and comforting those who stand in need of Comfort.

Working with Special needs children, I have been with some difficult children and adults. Life for some of them has been very difficult. AS I set aside my prejuidces and try to see them as the Savior sees them, I can find an empathy and love that I would not otherwise have. It does not mean I may not still struggle with their behaviors, but I can still love them. I can still do all in my power to help them. And least of all I can have empathy for the path they have walked.

I think all of us can use a little more exercise in our lives , in helping all of Gods children through this difficult journey of life.





from M Russel Ballard New Era March 2016





I believe that if we could truly understand the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, we would realize how precious is one son or daughter of God. I believe our Heavenly Father’s everlasting purpose for His children is generally achieved by the small and simple things we do for one another. At the heart of the English word atonement is the word one. If all mankind understood this, there would never be anyone with whom we would not be concerned, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, or social or economic standing. We would strive to emulate the Savior and would never be unkind, indifferent, disrespectful, or insensitive to others. Richard G Scott

I think that says it all