Helaman’s Army

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I felt a surge of emotion that did not usually accompany me when I addressed the brothers and sisters in my Young Single Adult Sunday School and bore testimony of the need to reach out to less actives. I was also emotional thinking of a convert who had become activated. I knew she was so special as my calling brought me in contact with her. Though she was not attending Church actively when I first started calling her, she would read the Book of Mormon at work. That was such an example to me as I thought it meant that she was open. I was more shy about such things in public. After we took her to a Fireside, she became very active and there were some sisters that became very close to her and socialized a lot.

How could I convey to the brothers and sisters who had always known the Gospel how very badly people needed what we had? I looked out at those who I perceived to have come from good homes.  I think that the majority were here for Dental School and one for Medical School. There were local people here as well. I knew what I knew from the contrast in my life. I did have a faith from my youth that I treasured. I knew that the Restored Gospel had brought me such peace and closeness with God to a degree that I never experienced in the faith of my youth.  Those were blessed days for me in my relationship to Heavenly Father.

I do now believe that members can know how much they have been blessed even if they have not had the contrast in their own life.  I hope that I am getting the following correct as the mind can sometimes splice events together or confuse person and place.

There was an Elder in my mission who was very respected. Somebody posed a question to him as to whether he had been Spiritual prior to his mission. From his comments, I think that he had been blessed with God with the ability to be very spiritual but that he opted to live a more normal life and not be true to his gifts. He said on his mission that he realized how very much people needed the Gospel.

In my Institute class, there was a young man who I think at first thought it was presumptive or being a bother sharing the Gospel as a missionary. He too would have the awakening that people really need the Gospel.

I know life members can have their own conversion experiences.  And they can have trials as well. One of my missionary companions had nightmare experiences prior to her mission that I do not know if I could survive. She was very blessed with testimony.  I think that she said that she felt like she brought her testimony from heaven with her into this life. In speaking of those who are not members of the Church who have the Light of Christ and the blessings that can come from the Light of Christ, she said that they did not know what they were missing compared to the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

I can try to use all the words to teach about the blessings and not properly convey how very much the world needs the Gospel.  My heart has been so touched and my cup has run over with the joy that I have known since being baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. My over-zealous friend who shared the Gospel with me later shared that he felt prompted that I needed the Gospel. I wasn’t even looking and didn’t even know what the Restored Gospel was even on a limited scale. He knew what the Gospel meant to him and he shared despite initial rejection on my part. I am so grateful for member missionaries and full-time missionaries. I give thanks for the Priesthood and those who are worthy Priesthood holders. I do know that I have been blessed.

In an effort to heed the Prophet’s counsel, we’ve [my house] have been trying to pay off our debts as fast as possible. It’s tough, we allowed ourselves to get a bit over our heads. But we are making progress, and it is tough.

In October 1998 conference, Gordon B. Hinckley suggested “that the time has come to get our houses in order”. Prophetic to say the least, look at the country now (and the world). Financial woes abound, uncertainy prevelant.

I was looking at a graph, and it shows a pretty good increase since 1980 in the number of bankruptcies. I know you could say there’s an increase in numbers of people, and what about the drop at the end (they changed the laws), but look at the bigger picture there, the yellow mark - that indicates the percent paid towards debt. Bankrupt or not, more money is being paid to debt each year.

The article that I am quoting from [Climbing Out of Debt] gives some very good steps, that my family is now trying to implement. So let’s go over them!

1 Paying an honest tithing. Each month we always pay our tithing first. If we are to get out of debt, we really do need the Lord to “open … the windows of heaven, and pour [us] out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Mal. 3:10).

Often our financial efforts are hampered by misfortune that devours our resources, such as unexpected car and household repairs, illness, and so forth. The Lord promises that He “will rebuke the devourer for [our] sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of [our] ground” (Mal. 3:11). When we pay our tithes, the Lord can bless us so that our unexpected challenges are minimized and so that we are better able to manage the resources we have.

I’m not sure how LDS members miss this one, I can testify that my family would have been in dire straights numerous times if we weren’t paying our tithing. I have a great testimony in this because of those miracles. There have been veryt spectacular times where we needed money in an emergency and all the sudden the money is there to use!

2 Paying a generous fast offering. When I was in college, President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) taught that the Lord would bless Church members if they were able to double their fast offerings. We thus made it a point, even while students, to pay more than the cost of our meals as a fast offering. As our means have increased, we have increased our offerings, and the Lord has abundantly blessed us.

We try to add extra into Fast Offerings each month, though I think we can spare more to add to this for us, but again - what I have isn’t mine. My earning potential, the pay I do earn, these things all came from the Lord!

3 Giving time, talent, and energy toward building the kingdom of God. We have learned that when we are busy in the Lord’s work, losing ourselves in serving others, we have less time to worry about the things we don’t have. Material possessions are seen in the proper perspective.

For example, service greatly minimizes the time we spend watching television, thus limiting the advertisements or shows we view that would make us feel bad about the material things we don’t have. Decreasing our wants makes it easier to avoid debt.

I’ll admit, I can get a bit gruff about helping others. But in my house, we’re always either doing a project around our house or with one our extended families houses. By the end of the day though, I’ll always admit at how good I feel about what I accomplished for our family or someone else’s.

4 Following principles of self-reliance. Producing food in our garden and striving to purchase on-sale items for food storage have allowed us to save greatly on food expenses. This has not only helped us to be more self-reliant, but also allowed us to apply the money we saved toward debt elimination.

PROPHETIC, say it with me. Look around, look at what’s happening. I know, you can’t always grow everything you need in a garden, but we have a small yard and have managed to get a nice little garden box in. We grow beans, peas, spinach, tomatoes, etc to help off set some costs. We also try to use the coupons and base our meals in accordance to what’s on sale.

But I also think there is more here then just food and coupons, self reliance is also good around the home, home repairs, etc. What can you fix on your own that can save you money? We’re putting in a small concrete pad next to our single width driveway (winter parking nightmare) but we’re doing everything but mixing the concrete ourselves, there by saving hundreds of dollars. I’m learning what I can from my father in law on home repairs and DYI things around the house too.

5 Cultivating gratitude. Reflecting on the multitude of blessings we enjoy and thanking Heavenly Father for them allows us to focus on that which we have rather than on that which we have not. Recognizing all the blessings we have reduces the desire to acquire material possessions.—Robert and Mary Merrill, East Wenatchee First Ward, Wenatchee Washington Stake.

We try to stick to a template for our family prayers - 10 things we’re grateful for. Like I said before, what I have isn’t mine, the Lord provided and the gratitude belongs to him! We’re still working on the material wants, but we make progress. I’m trying to help my oldest understand that the things he wants, he won’t want in a few years (or months). Currently he is into bionicles, but I’m trying to help him understand that his money might be better spent on a tool [leatherman] instead which would last longer and be more useful in the long run.

This isn’t a burden too great for anyone to overcome. In our house we’ve incorporated fasting to help us to know how to live within our means and guidance on methods to do so. We’ve made progress, and we have the Lord to thank for it.

In an effort to heed the Prophet’s counsel, we’ve [my house] have been trying to pay off our debts as fast as possible. It’s tough, we allowed ourselves to get a bit over our heads. But we are making progress, and it is tough.

In October 1998 conference, Gordon B. Hinckley suggested “that the time has come to get our houses in order”. Prophetic to say the least, look at the country now (and the world). Financial woes abound, uncertainy prevelant.

I was looking at a graph, and it shows a pretty good increase since 1980 in the number of bankruptcies. I know you could say there’s an increase in numbers of people, and what about the drop at the end (they changed the laws), but look at the bigger picture there, the yellow mark - that indicates the percent paid towards debt. Bankrupt or not, more money is being paid to debt each year.

The article that I am quoting from [Climbing Out of Debt] gives some very good steps, that my family is now trying to implement. So let’s go over them!

1 Paying an honest tithing. Each month we always pay our tithing first. If we are to get out of debt, we really do need the Lord to “open … the windows of heaven, and pour [us] out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Mal. 3:10).

Often our financial efforts are hampered by misfortune that devours our resources, such as unexpected car and household repairs, illness, and so forth. The Lord promises that He “will rebuke the devourer for [our] sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of [our] ground” (Mal. 3:11). When we pay our tithes, the Lord can bless us so that our unexpected challenges are minimized and so that we are better able to manage the resources we have.

I’m not sure how LDS members miss this one, I can testify that my family would have been in dire straights numerous times if we weren’t paying our tithing. I have a great testimony in this because of those miracles. There have been veryt spectacular times where we needed money in an emergency and all the sudden the money is there to use!

2 Paying a generous fast offering. When I was in college, President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) taught that the Lord would bless Church members if they were able to double their fast offerings. We thus made it a point, even while students, to pay more than the cost of our meals as a fast offering. As our means have increased, we have increased our offerings, and the Lord has abundantly blessed us.

We try to add extra into Fast Offerings each month, though I think we can spare more to add to this for us, but again - what I have isn’t mine. My earning potential, the pay I do earn, these things all came from the Lord!

3 Giving time, talent, and energy toward building the kingdom of God. We have learned that when we are busy in the Lord’s work, losing ourselves in serving others, we have less time to worry about the things we don’t have. Material possessions are seen in the proper perspective.

For example, service greatly minimizes the time we spend watching television, thus limiting the advertisements or shows we view that would make us feel bad about the material things we don’t have. Decreasing our wants makes it easier to avoid debt.

I’ll admit, I can get a bit gruff about helping others. But in my house, we’re always either doing a project around our house or with one our extended families houses. By the end of the day though, I’ll always admit at how good I feel about what I accomplished for our family or someone else’s.

4 Following principles of self-reliance. Producing food in our garden and striving to purchase on-sale items for food storage have allowed us to save greatly on food expenses. This has not only helped us to be more self-reliant, but also allowed us to apply the money we saved toward debt elimination.

PROPHETIC, say it with me. Look around, look at what’s happening. I know, you can’t always grow everything you need in a garden, but we have a small yard and have managed to get a nice little garden box in. We grow beans, peas, spinach, tomatoes, etc to help off set some costs. We also try to use the coupons and base our meals in accordance to what’s on sale.

But I also think there is more here then just food and coupons, self reliance is also good around the home, home repairs, etc. What can you fix on your own that can save you money? We’re putting in a small concrete pad next to our single width driveway (winter parking nightmare) but we’re doing everything but mixing the concrete ourselves, there by saving hundreds of dollars. I’m learning what I can from my father in law on home repairs and DYI things around the house too.

5 Cultivating gratitude. Reflecting on the multitude of blessings we enjoy and thanking Heavenly Father for them allows us to focus on that which we have rather than on that which we have not. Recognizing all the blessings we have reduces the desire to acquire material possessions.—Robert and Mary Merrill, East Wenatchee First Ward, Wenatchee Washington Stake.

We try to stick to a template for our family prayers - 10 things we’re grateful for. Like I said before, what I have isn’t mine, the Lord provided and the gratitude belongs to him! We’re still working on the material wants, but we make progress. I’m trying to help my oldest understand that the things he wants, he won’t want in a few years (or months). Currently he is into bionicles, but I’m trying to help him understand that his money might be better spent on a tool [leatherman] instead which would last longer and be more useful in the long run.

This isn’t a burden too great for anyone to overcome. In our house we’ve incorporated fasting to help us to know how to live within our means and guidance on methods to do so. We’ve made progress, and we have the Lord to thank for it.