When you come to the edge of all the light you know ...

Attached to my refrigerator, for many years, has been a saying, written on a ripped piece of notebook paper, given to me by, I think, our cousin Ernie Hewlett. Somehow, with a new refrigerator that does not magnetize on all sides, it became lost, but last night as I was going through one of many stacks of papers … sometimes true cleaning means just stuffing “junk” into a bag until there is time to throw it away … eventually you realize you really didn’t need most of it … going through my papers I found the little piece of wisdom I had been holding on to for so long. The saying states, “ When you come to the edge of all the light you know and are about to step off into the darkness of the unknown - Faith is knowing that one of two things will happen; You will be given something solid to stand on or you will be taught how to fly.” Many in the world “knock” faith … it is for the weak they say, or a product of religion … how can you have faith in something you do not see or cannot prove … EXACTLY! That is what faith is. If you could prove everything or see everything there would not be a need for faith. I have faith in a loving Heavenly Father who knows the end from the beginning and knows where I fall in that timeline. I have faith that he knows who I am. I have faith that he also knows each of my children personally… knows their strengths and weaknesses, their fears and sorrows and has a plan for each of them. This past summer, just before I left for Canada to take care of my mother, I was asked to speak in our church meeting the Sunday before the July 24th holiday, which in Utah celebrates the entrance on the Mormon Pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley. Knowing that I needed to prepare the talk while I was away, I took a book with me to read. The book, "The Price We Paid," by Andrew D. Olsen tells the "extraordinary story of the Willie and Martin Handcart Companies who suffered almost unspeakable tragedies including the loss of life, during their trek to Zion. My husband's great, great Grandmother, Elizabeth White Stewart and her family were in the Hodgett Wagon Company, that were asked to accompany the handcart immigrants. We know her story well, and I thought I knew many of their stories, but I was and am so moved by their journals and accounts. The book became my constant companion for the next almost two weeks. When my mother slept I read. Sometimes I read to her and when I headed home after a long day I read again. I marked and marked the book. I can't bear to take the tags off the pages. There were some days where I was overcome, but when I think of faith names come to mind; Job, Abraham and Isaac, Lehi and his family, many of my friends and church leaders, Tami Slock, my neighbor, and certainly, the Mormon Handcart Pioneers. I used a quote by Elder Wilford W. Anderson in my talk, " Faith in the Savior requires more than mere belief. The Apostle James taught that even the devils believe and tremble. But true faith requires work. The difference between the devils and the faithful members of the Church is not belief but work. Faith grows by keeping the commandments, We must work at keeping the commandments." From the Bible Dictionary we read that," miracles do not produce faith but strong faith is developed by obedience to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in other words, faith comes by righteousness." ...

"And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a a lambfor a burnt offering: so they went both of them
together. And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the baltar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me."

When you come to the edge of all the light you know ... Faith requires work. I have so much to learn about faith. Faith is listening and following those so quiet prompts, even if you do not understand why or how you can do what is asked. I love stories about faith ... I suppose it increases my own and certainly gives me greater resolve to go and do and go and do better. This I Believe!

The Best Sunday Ever !!!!

THE BEST SUNDAY EVER !!! That was what one of our "younger" members of our LDS Ward (church) said today, as hundreds of people and almost as many trucks, shovels, rakes and chain saws hauled away a massive amount of post storm debris from our neighborhood, the entire Mueller Park LDS Stake, and many other areas in Davis County. Following a hurricane-like storm last Wednesday night and Thursday morning, with winds up to 100 miles an hour in some areas, some people have spent every waking hour cutting down trees and piling the limbs on the curb. The city of Bountiful said that if it was placed out on the side of the street they would come by and haul it away. Then came the pronouncement Saturday night that we may be in for another forceful storm tonight. The Priesthood Quorum leaders met early Sunday morning at our church Stake Center and decided that church would be short, at least in the official sense, and that before and after meetings we were to go out and "bring it all in." Another call for rescue. So to church we went, some in suits and ties and others in jeans and work clothes. What a great site and a wonderful meeting. One young man said that it was the perfect beginning to the Christmas Season. Some smelt of pine and I am sure others had different odors, but not one would have noticed, as the spirit of gratitude and service was everywhere. After the meeting everyone went to work, young and old, rich and poorer, abled and some a little disabled. Some could cut down trees, others could rake and pick up needles and dirt, some lifted and hauled away broken fences. Someone on the radio said yesterday, that many fences were brought down, and it wasn't just the wooden ones.I think that was true in our neighborhood also. Big trucks and front-end loaders dug up and carted off huge stumps and giant logs. Who knew there were lumbermen among us! Some even baked cookies and brought around hot chocolate. Everyone could do something. It was also said today, that the trees that came down were all shallow-rooted trees, mostly pine. I had similar thoughts the past few days. It speaks to where we need our roots to be ... firmly planted and running deep. Service helps anchor our roots and so does a testimony Sunday, a day of physical work. shared with neighbors and friends under crisp blue-grey skies. The shepherds had tended the flock, I am sure there were a few new stars in the skies and I know the magi had both given and received gifts. It is Sunday, the Sabbath, and the storms may rage around us, but we will pull together and together make it through today and any day that we need to. That's what brothers and sisters, children of a loving Father in Heaven do! My insides are smiling bigger than my outsides, but all of me is warm. Service warms us and brings peace to our souls, and this certainly was one of the BEST SUNDAYS EVER. This I Believe! Merry Christmas ...