Often I think that the biggest tests of our faith and courage aren't necessarily in the trials and struggles that we understand and go through. Instead, I think some of the biggest tests of our trust in God are in the moments where there is such uncertainty and doubt, and nothing seems clear about what is next. That is one of the reasons that I am so grateful for the Pioneer heritage that we have.
I thought about that a lot today, as we celebrate the life and history of the pioneers, they were willing to leave absolutely everything they knew and understood to travel across a vast wilderness that was little understood to resettle in a land that nobody seemed to really want. Mountain men who traveled the region bet them they would never be able to grow crops there, the past empire builders had left it largely untouched. But these brave men and women left their homes, their temples, literally everything that would not fit into a wagon or handcart and left. When they arrived they truly transformed a desert, making it bloom. Frequently once settled they would be called to leave their new homes, and go to settle another forsaken and barren region. And they did it.
Often, I feel that we are called to do the same. While we are not asked to settle deserts, or create new towns we are asked to put our trust in the Lord, unfailingly, even when we don't understand or cannot see the end result. We are asked to leave our comfort zones, and trust that the Lord has a plan, and that He will ensure that we are taken care of. In essence, we are asked to "be of good comfort." In some ways I feel that this is the hardest part of the Gospel plan, is to take those steps outwards, and move into the unknown and do so with faith and not fear.
In those times, I love the words of the hymn that "Come, come ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear, but with joy wend your way, though hard to you this journey may appear, grace shall be as your day." Might I share one more story of pioneers that is closer to my home. Many years ago, my mother and her family joined the Church after hearing the lessons taught by the missionaries. It was many years before my grandparents finally were baptized, but in the end my mother and her entire family were sealed together. They too left the things that they had known, and because of their courage I have the blessings of the gospel and of an eternal family. So I am grateful for the examples of generations of pioneers, who serve as examples of faith and trust, and remind us in our moments of fear and uncertainty that there are greater things ahead, if we will just place our trust in our Heavenly Father and in our Savior Jesus Christ.
Sunday, 24 July 2011
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
Moving Forward
So, tomorrow morning I start my journey back home to Utah, where I plan on finishing school in December and then who knows what else. To be honest I have very mixed feelings, it will be good to be around my family again, and it will be good to be done with school. On the other hand the past few years have been amazing, and full of wonderful opportunities, and it feels weird realizing that a significant chapter of my life will be ending soon, and that I need to figure out what comes next. In addition, it is hard to leave Scotland, and it will be hard after my internships in DC and Edinburgh to be super excited about going back to a more routine existence in Provo.
But, I guess that is what life is all about, we cannot stay in the same places forever, and life is all about changing. The real question becomes whether we really trust the Lord or not, and whether we believe that He has something better in store for us. Elder Holland has an amazing talk on this, about how Christ has promised us that as we follow Him our paths will be guided and there will be better things ahead, which is pretty awesome. And I think that is the test, is whether in these hard times, the times of uncertainty is whether we will trust Him.
Luckily, experience has taught me that is true. From Jerusalem, to a mission, to DC to Edinburgh, the Lord does have wonderful things in store for us. There is happiness and goodness ahead of us, even if we can't see it.
In short, with rambling, I guess what I am saying is that change is hard, and it should be. We don't want to give up everything from our past, and we shouldn't. There are friendships to strengthen, and memories to cherish. There are lessons to learn, and experiences to help us grow. And I think that is one reason that change is tough, is so that we seek to hold on to the important pieces of the past. But, the trick is to take those lessons and those important things and move forward, and not seek to live in the past. When we do that, then we can trust that there are good things to come.
But, I guess that is what life is all about, we cannot stay in the same places forever, and life is all about changing. The real question becomes whether we really trust the Lord or not, and whether we believe that He has something better in store for us. Elder Holland has an amazing talk on this, about how Christ has promised us that as we follow Him our paths will be guided and there will be better things ahead, which is pretty awesome. And I think that is the test, is whether in these hard times, the times of uncertainty is whether we will trust Him.
Luckily, experience has taught me that is true. From Jerusalem, to a mission, to DC to Edinburgh, the Lord does have wonderful things in store for us. There is happiness and goodness ahead of us, even if we can't see it.
In short, with rambling, I guess what I am saying is that change is hard, and it should be. We don't want to give up everything from our past, and we shouldn't. There are friendships to strengthen, and memories to cherish. There are lessons to learn, and experiences to help us grow. And I think that is one reason that change is tough, is so that we seek to hold on to the important pieces of the past. But, the trick is to take those lessons and those important things and move forward, and not seek to live in the past. When we do that, then we can trust that there are good things to come.
Monday, 11 July 2011
Poland and Other Thoughts
So, this week after my final week of work, which I have loved absolutely and will miss a great deal, I was able to take a few days and visit Krakow Poland. When people asked why, in honesty it was because I wanted to take the opportunity that I had to visit Auschwitz, the most infamous site of the Holocaust.
Auschwitz was perhaps the most sobering and somber place that I have ever visited. The feelings and emotions that are encased in those walls are palpable, real and heartbreaking. This was the site of the deaths of some 1.5 million people, all within a little town called Oswiecism, Poland. The whole time during the visit I pondered on the meaning of what had happened, and continually the question came to mind of how it was possible that men and women could do such horrendous things to other men and women. They would watch them as they froze to death, standing in line for roll calls for no purpose or point. Random beatings, arbitrary executions, and torture. And the most horrifying, the mass murder of millions, who were sent unknowingly to their deaths thinking they instead that they were being sent to showers. It was hard to believe, and impossible to comprehend.
Yet, I know that if I were to return to Poland I would visit again, only to experience the same thoughts and feelings. Why? I don't know if I can truly answer that question, beyond the understanding that ignoring history cannot change it. Instead as we seek to understand history, we can change the world that we are in today, and can shape the future to be a better place.
An example of this was found in something that we did the next day. We visited Schindler's Factory, the enamelware and munitions factory which supplied the German war effort, yet also allowed Oscar Schindler to save the lives of some 1200 Jewish people. He risked his life for that, knowing that in Poland helping Jews was punishable by death. He was not alone, many tried to help the Jewish people risking everything because they knew it was the right thing to do.
I think it was these two sites combined that made such a powerful and life changing impact on my soul. In two days I was witness to both the absolute best and absolute worst that we as human beings can become. In dehumanizing others, the Nazis had become animals whose sole purpose was to gain power and cause sorrow and suffering. On the other hand there are dozens of examples, both in Holocaust stories and elsewhere, of people who will make any sacrifice and pay any price sometimes to help absolute strangers.
Indeed the city of Krakow itself is a vital example that life truly is beautiful. It is a city of vibrant life, with heartwarming beauty. It is a reminder of why we live and love, the story of a city that has seen the worst of human history and yet defies that ugliness, daring us to find joy in the majesty of life. The Kazimierz serves as a beckoning call that the human spirit prevails over pain and tragedy. The town's many Churches climb to the skyline, reaching out to a loving God who will never abandon mankind. In short, I loved this city. From street performers, to an amazing concert in an ancient fort, to the running of the rubber duck I loved this city.
The Churches, including the LDS Church which we visited, amazed me. For decades these people lived under Communist rule, which in many places completely destroyed religion. Yet in Krakow, dozens of peoples filled the Churches, attending masses, taking time from busy lives to remember that Being who gave us life. It was an invaluable reminder to me of the importance of religion. The LDS Church was very small, but the faith that was evident was amazing.
These are my musings regarding my time in Krakow, it was a wonderful trip that truly changed my life. It was also a great opportunity to spend time with a friend, Claire, and to be reminded that life is wonderful.
Auschwitz was perhaps the most sobering and somber place that I have ever visited. The feelings and emotions that are encased in those walls are palpable, real and heartbreaking. This was the site of the deaths of some 1.5 million people, all within a little town called Oswiecism, Poland. The whole time during the visit I pondered on the meaning of what had happened, and continually the question came to mind of how it was possible that men and women could do such horrendous things to other men and women. They would watch them as they froze to death, standing in line for roll calls for no purpose or point. Random beatings, arbitrary executions, and torture. And the most horrifying, the mass murder of millions, who were sent unknowingly to their deaths thinking they instead that they were being sent to showers. It was hard to believe, and impossible to comprehend.
Yet, I know that if I were to return to Poland I would visit again, only to experience the same thoughts and feelings. Why? I don't know if I can truly answer that question, beyond the understanding that ignoring history cannot change it. Instead as we seek to understand history, we can change the world that we are in today, and can shape the future to be a better place.
An example of this was found in something that we did the next day. We visited Schindler's Factory, the enamelware and munitions factory which supplied the German war effort, yet also allowed Oscar Schindler to save the lives of some 1200 Jewish people. He risked his life for that, knowing that in Poland helping Jews was punishable by death. He was not alone, many tried to help the Jewish people risking everything because they knew it was the right thing to do.
I think it was these two sites combined that made such a powerful and life changing impact on my soul. In two days I was witness to both the absolute best and absolute worst that we as human beings can become. In dehumanizing others, the Nazis had become animals whose sole purpose was to gain power and cause sorrow and suffering. On the other hand there are dozens of examples, both in Holocaust stories and elsewhere, of people who will make any sacrifice and pay any price sometimes to help absolute strangers.
Indeed the city of Krakow itself is a vital example that life truly is beautiful. It is a city of vibrant life, with heartwarming beauty. It is a reminder of why we live and love, the story of a city that has seen the worst of human history and yet defies that ugliness, daring us to find joy in the majesty of life. The Kazimierz serves as a beckoning call that the human spirit prevails over pain and tragedy. The town's many Churches climb to the skyline, reaching out to a loving God who will never abandon mankind. In short, I loved this city. From street performers, to an amazing concert in an ancient fort, to the running of the rubber duck I loved this city.
The Churches, including the LDS Church which we visited, amazed me. For decades these people lived under Communist rule, which in many places completely destroyed religion. Yet in Krakow, dozens of peoples filled the Churches, attending masses, taking time from busy lives to remember that Being who gave us life. It was an invaluable reminder to me of the importance of religion. The LDS Church was very small, but the faith that was evident was amazing.
These are my musings regarding my time in Krakow, it was a wonderful trip that truly changed my life. It was also a great opportunity to spend time with a friend, Claire, and to be reminded that life is wonderful.
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