I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel of (Jesus) Christ ! Romans 1:16

In the last session of the LDS General Conference Elder Tad R. Callister spoke of his ancestor's experience with the Book of Mormon, "Years ago my great-great-grandfather picked up a copy of the Book of Mormon for the first time. He opened it to the center and read a few pages. He then declared, “That book was either written by God or the devil, and I am going to find out who wrote it.” He read it through twice in the next 10 days and then declared, “The devil could not have written it—it must be from God.”1
That is the genius of the Book of Mormon—there is no middle ground. It is either the word of God as professed, or it is a total fraud. This book does not merely claim to be a moral treatise or theological commentary or collection of insightful writings" and then he recounted the following story, simple, yet I could feel the sincerity of this young girl and I saw myself in her words ...

She Knew It Was True
Some years ago I attended one of our worship services in Toronto, Canada. A 14-year-old girl was the speaker. She said that she had been discussing religion with one of her friends at school. Her friend said to her, “What religion do you belong to?”
She replied, “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormons.”
Her friend replied, “I know that church, and I know it’s not true.”
“How do you know?” came the reply.
“Because,” said her friend, “I have researched it.”
“Have you read the Book of Mormon?”
“No,” came the answer. “I haven’t.”
Then this sweet young girl responded, “Then you haven’t researched my church, because I have read every page of the Book of Mormon and I know it’s true.”
I too have read every page of the Book of Mormon, again and again, and I bear my solemn witness … it is from God.

If you have not read the Book of Mormon, you too can know that it is true. One of the scriptures in the Book of Mormon states, " And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost (Moroni 10:4). This I Believe! Give yourself a gift ... it is almost Christmas ... learn for yourself if it is "the word of God or a total fraud."

To read or listen to the entire talk given by Elder Tad R. Callister go to http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/the-book-of-mormon-a-book-from-god?lang=eng

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.

I have a new gratitude journal and as I wrote today that was the quote. My mother, Catherine Rose Rahier Lillie died early this morning, November 6, 2011. I wanted to be there, but I didn't know her death was that eminent. My sister called me. She had just left the rest home and returned to the home where she was staying and received a call to go back. Mother died before she got back. I wasn't there ... This morning I was writing things I am grateful for and things that my "Charming Gardener" mother taught me or things she instilled in my soul that have made me blossom. I love sewing and above my sewing table I have a quote that says, "Thanks to my mother's tender care, for she materials did prepare, and taught my hands to sew!" She made me beautiful clothes for my Barbie doll and then had a milliner make matching hats with hat stands. I even had a wooden orange crate wardrobe for the clothes. I love flowers, I love cooking and entertaining, and finding and "stashing" the perfect new recipe. I LOVE history, and she would read roadsigns and tell me stories of "Indians" that lived by their home by the river (Carlton, Saskatchewan, Canada). We even would look for arrowheads and try and find the Indian burying ground. I want to relearn knitting and she was a beautiful knitter and crocheter. When she was in the rest home I would bring crotchet needles and knitting needles and try and have her knit. In the early part of her time there she tried, but later her fingers became arthritic and her arms didn't bend well. It was sad to see her not be able to do things that she loved; solitaire, scrabble, reading and reading and MORE reading, and there is no rehabilitation in a rest home, at least there wasn't for her. She even lost her voice after her stroke and when she would speak it would be very softly. She was, I thought, a great teacher. When I was young she would teach me French on a small chalkboard. Growing up she had limited schooling, some say she reached an eleventh grade level. I have some of her school books. She always spoke of her teacher, Doug Brown and I believe I have a picture of Doug Brown. I know she wished she had had more education, but it was the 30's and she had to leave home at the age of twelve to work. Education has and will always be very important to me. And I suppose most of all she, maybe not directly, taught me to love God or at least gave me opportunities to learn about and love God. As a child religion was important to her and her family, or at least she talked about her church and I am sure in a small community the church played an important part in their life. Her father was a Belgian Catholic, her Grandmother Minnie was a German Lutheran, her mother Isabella was an Anglican and when we were young we went to the St.James United Church at the corner of our street, Woodlawn Street, in St. James (Winnipeg), Manitoba, Canada. When the missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints came to our home, mother was home from work recuperating from foot surgery. She listened to them, Elder Bruce R. McMurtrey and Elder Benny Richard Smith. Sometimes she took us to church and often we went with others. My name is Sharon Arlene Lillie Hewlett. My mother is Catherine Rose Rahier Lillie. I am a Mormon and I Believe that my mother is better than she was a day ago. I know that there is a post mortal life where our spirits live until the resurrection. I am still sad, but I prayed that she wouldn't have to spend more time in the rest home. I am sad that I didn't spend more time with her, but life got in the way and I could have put life on "hold" a little more. So the most important things in my life I learned from my mother and owe to my mother and my father. They had little but they gave me a home, food to eat, a family, traditions and the opportunity to give my children even more. I have never complained about what I didn't have. I thought I had it all, at least in the things that count. Mother, I love you, I am grateful for your giving me birth and for you being my "charming gardener."I will blog for you and because of you ... This I Believe! This is a Christmas and a Thanksgiving song. One of my new favorites. It has given me peace today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOEsbLSUDYY&feature=fvsr