LOOK up! -Sacrament talk on Obedience.

A sacrament talk build and put together by me (Leighann) from a talk given by Carl B. Cook @October Conference 2011. I dont' write my talks word for word. most just in phrases so I hope it translates and makes sense written down.

Primary aims of science is to discover additional laws.  When scientists discover these higher laws and obey them, marvelous things can happen.
I've been helping Garrett with a report on astronaut Buzz Aldrin so the example of space exploration stands out at the moment.   Successful landing of men on the moon is and example of importance  of obedience.  Many scientists spent years concentrating on discovering and obeying the natural laws that governed gravity, jet propulsion, and other things. Their obedience resulted in the successful landing of a man on the moon.

We can achieve excellence in material and spiritual matters through exercising and utilizing obedience.
The Lord reveals to Joseph Smith the power or Obedience D&C 130:18-19
How can we gain more  knowledge.... D&C 130:20-21
Heavenly Father wants us to grow and progress. He laid out the way; ...."HIS WORK AND HIS GLORY to bring to pass the immortality and eteranal life of man" Moses 1:39.

Whenever  I get discouraged I always know I have ONE cheerleader :) Possible to progress, advance, and grow through obedience to eternal laws.

Obedience is essential to progression! The Lord wants to help -HE is bound actually.  D&C 82:10
The First Law of Heaven = Faith

Heavenly Father is desperate for us to open the door and look for Him. He had given us tools  -PROPHETS!

Elder Cook's experience:  

"At the end of a particularly tiring day toward the end of my first week as a General Authority, my briefcas was overloaded and my mind was preoccupied with the question, how can i possibly do this? I left my office or the Seventy and entered the elevator of the Church Admin. Building. As the elevator descended, my head was down andI stared blankly at the floor.  

The door opened and someone entered, but i  didn't look up. As the door closed, i heard someone ask,  What are you looking at down there? I recognized the voice -- it was Pres Thomas S. Monson.

I quickly looked up and responded, "oh nothing".  Im sure my that clever response inspired confidence in my abilities!

But he had seen my subdued countenance and my heavy briefcase.  He smiled and lovingly suggested, while pointed heavenward, "it is better to look up!" As we traveled down one more level, he cheerfully explained that he was on his way to the temple.  When he bid me farewell, his parting glance spoke again to my heart, "Now remember, it is better to look up."

As we parted, the works of a scripture came to mind: Believe in God; believe that he is....; believe that he has wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth." As I thought of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ's power, my heart found the comfort I had sought in vain from the floor of that descending elevator. 

Since then I have pondered the i experience and the role of prophets. I was burdened and my head was down. As the prophet spoke, I [literally] looked to him.  He redirected my focus to look up to God, where I could be healed and strengthened through CHrist's Atonement. That is what prophets do for us. They lead us to God."

when  given this talk i was confused for a good week and a half.  This was based on personal experience with the prophet, and i don't have one of those that I can draw from.  BUT,  I got emotional and felt the Spirit every time I read it starting my preparation again and again.

Then after much prayer and pleading, the thought came to me, most definitely through the Spirit; 

What are my elevator moments?  when am I "overloaded", "preoccupied", say to myself  "How can I do this", "stare blankly...."  Ive had many now that I have to look back.....  new babies, callings, new job, moving, college/school, diagnosis of disease/illness.  

This is what prophets do for us, remind us and lead us to God.

Pres Monson is a wonderful example of looking up.  He should and could be weighed down and overwhelmed.  He exercises great FAITH, obedience, optimism, and love for others.  He has a can do, will do attitude. Trust the Lord. Relies on promises blessings and promises him----> the Lord blesses him.

Pres Monson exemplifies looking up to God. If we follow the prophets lead we won't feel overloaded, preoccupied.  

How can i? If I think about my worries, carpools party details, vacation plans, being on time, gardeneing, bills..... these are really of no significance - certainly not eterenal. if it was the Lord would help me.  when I have faith to LOOK UP!

When the children of Israel were bitten by poisonous serpents, Moses was commanded to raise up a brass serpent on  a pole.  The brass serpent represented Christ.  Those who looked up at the serpent, as admonished by the prophet, were healed.  But many failed to look up, and they perished.

Cook suggests the experience with Pres. Monson in the elevator  is a metaphor to Remember Christ.  It gives us power. Knowledge and strength to exercise the Atonement in our lives whereby we are RELIEVED of our anxieties, FORGIVEN and healed of sin, FAITH and strength to endure to the end.

When I ask a child in my home to follow instructions/obey I sometimes get a response with "you just want me to do what YOUwant, not letting me choose!"

Why is obedience important to lean and master ---> return to heaven?  isn't  obedience doing what someone else wants?  does it take away our free agency?

Unless we have an obedient heart we are not prepared to obey lays that lead bad to God   Jeremiah 7: 23-34

James E Talmage:  Obedience is the means [how] we progress, advance, grow, and develop.

Perhaps this First Law of Heaven, Obedience, goes hand in hand with Faith.

purpose  of your experience on earth is to be tried and tested to prove our obedience once the veil over our eyes and we forget our pre-existience with our Heavenly Father.  We have proven our obedience  because we are here!

when we obey our 

bedtimes  - we are alert, energy

school - good grades, advancement

speed limits/laws - safety protected physically, financially

James E. Talmage:  "we have to conclude obedience is a source of power.  

it doesnt take away our agency it empowers us.

Spiritually looking up in not a one time cure or a checklist.  Every week at sacrament we have the opportunity to receive a gift/blessing to take sacrament and renew covenant and remind us to remember Him.   Encouraging us to keep His commandments.   The promise given to us in return; His spirit can be with us always.  

When we are obedient through prophets, apostles, and priesthood leaders and through feelings that come after we pour out our hearts and souls to Heavenly Father in prayer. He leads us as we forsake the things of the world, repent, and change. He leas us as we keep His commandments and try to be more like Him. And He leads us through the Holy Ghost.  In order to be guided in life's journey and have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, we must have a 'hearing ear' and a 'seeing eye', both directed upward.  We must act on the direction we receive.  We must look up and step up. And as we do, I know we will cheer up, for God wants us to be happy.  

We are Heavenly Fathers children. He wants to be part of our lives, to bless us,and to help us.  It is His work and glory. He will heal our wounds, dry our tears, and help us along our path to return to His presence. As we LOOK UP to Him, He will lead us.

New Hair = new outfit

Amidst an MS attack September 2011.  after 8 days of steriods and limited mobitity it is safe to say I was not feeling great or pretty.  I scheduled a hair day for myself to get a cut and color, Savanah and i went to Ross and I picked up this cute sweater dress.  I felt pretty in the moment and wanted to capture my feelings visually for the coming days and weeks ahead of me on what always seems to be a long depressing journey to covery (hopefully).

25 Random Things About Me

25 Random Things About One of Us

1. I sucked my thumb until I was 14 years old. My big sister,Louise sufficient scared me when she asked me what I was going to tell my date when on a late night I popped my thumb in my mouth. Got me thinking.....I started to sleep with my hand under my pillows. I stlll sleep with my hands under my pillows out of habit.

2. I wet my bed until I was 10. 

3. I lived In Africa for 1 1/2 year when I was 9. We went swimming at he Marine barrack after school everyday and swam in Sharks Bay, Indian ocean almost every weekend.

4. As a teenager I wanted to tan so bad, I use to 'lay-out' on a white sheet and rub cooking oil all over my body. I burn, blister and peel every time. Now I have come to terms. :)

5. I failed one class in college - Human Physiology. I loved the content and the teacher, however that was the term I met my husband and I didn't concentrate on studies very well. I retook the class pass/fail........AND PASSED.

6. My first kiss was sloppy and awkward, I was 17. He knew what he was doing, I didn;t have a clue beside mouth open. (okay, that is a little embarrassing)

7. I have 5 sisters and 3 brothers. and I love when we can get together with all our kids. But I think we need a siblings only gathering to get to know each other as grown ups. When we get together we tend to assume the childhood roles, not always a good thing, trust me.

8. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis Feb 13, 2002. I would like to forget that day.

9. I HATE to cook. It is so irritating to me that I spend and hour or more preparing a meal and it is gone in less than 15 minutes. The only thing that is left is a sink full of dirty dishes, more jobs.

10.I have never been in a car accident, but I tend to "bump" into things every now and then. Most recently the garage door, i my defense it was the doors fault, it didn't go up all the way but high enough that I couldn't see it out the back.

11. I stole a car and didn't get caught. When I was 14, my parents went to Hawaii on vacation. I found my dad's truck keys, invited my two best friends sleepover and we drove 20 minutes to toilet paper a boys house. We got caught by his father, a high school teacher; who ran into my mom at her work and told her after the fact. Far as I now my dad still doesn't know. Shhh. I probably should have gotten in a little more trouble because I stole the car again when I was 15 and roped my little sister in this time to drive 2 block to the high school. My dad took us both down to the police station for a "talkin' too". That was the end of my juvenile delinquent days.

12. Jamie and I had our first date on Valentine Day 1992. Spring Break he took me to California to visit his mission, i turned 19 on April 8th; April 17 we were engaged. We waited until September to get married because I still need to meet his family in Michigan. He had a summer job already lined up so i followed him home and stayed a month. He flew back to Logan for the wedding one week before Sept. 5 wedding. 

13. I gave birth to my first child Katelyn on my 21st birthday. I wasn't due until April 22 and doctor told me the day prior that I was tight as a drum it would be awhile. I guess I had to prove him wrong. I invited my two little sisters over for a sleepover and decided to rearrange some furniture. I left for the hospital at 9pm to get "checked" and came back home 2 days later with a baby.

14. I stole this one from my sister Louise, but it still applies. I have double jointed thumbs. Double jointed thumbs made it really difficult to open those old push-button car doors. My thumb would just about bend in half BACKWARDS. It's not painful when they bend like that though.

15. I LOVE a clean house. So much so, I often forget to have real fun.

16. I could stare out the window ans watch the trees blow in the wind for hours. I think nature is amazing and beautiful and I like to observe the behaviors of God's other creature imaging what the manner of their creation could be.

17. My favorite animal is a monkey. They are so curious and playful.

18. One of the first jobs I remember having was smashing potato bugs. We always had a huge garden growing up. The 4 younger kids chore was to pick potato bugs off the plant and collect them or smash then between two rocks. I chose the later. 

19. I love home remodeling and then decorating. Jamie and I gutted our home in AZ down to the studs and rafters. It was the hardest job, but so satisfying when we were done. It took us 6 months and we only had help from an electrician, and cabinet install was included in price. I have a talented husband he can figure out how to do anything.

20. I do not like cooked peas. My mom told me when I was little that someday I would like pea: I think the verdict is in. I am 35 and I still I don't like cooked peas. Neither does Jamie, I knew he was the one for me.

21. I don't know what I want to be when I grow up either. I wanted to be Dental Hygienist, but got married and had baby and it wasn't feasible to transfer universities, because Jamie had school, a job, and we managed and apt building we talked his parents into buying. Social worker was next on the list. I didn't think I could leave the job at work. My final choice was Family and Human Development, which qualifies me to teach preschool. I wasn't thinking clearly. After spending 3 year raising my own children until graduation, the last thing I wanted to do was put my kids in daycare to run a daycare for other parents. I had children so I could raise them, not someone else. 

22. I got my Lactation Educator certificate. I did an internship at Logan Regional Hospital with the Nursery and Lactation Consultants and completely loved the healthcare environment. 

23. my dad nicknamed me "pumkin" and my little sister called me "Yanny".

24. In kindergarten I had a hard time writing the number 5. It was curving and straight all combined. I copied off of Alan Evans paper next to me.

25. I completely cheated my whole way through Geometry class in 10th grade, not the proudest moment for me. The teacher never got up from the desk, he read us the instructions from the text, and gave us the homework assignment, then he would often fall asleep. To correct homework and tests we were suppose to trade papers with a neighbor, we would fake a trade and correct our own; writing in the answers. The whole class to my knowledge was in on it. We didn't learn a thing. Shame on me/us.