Experiences, Thoughts, and Feelings of a Latter Day Saint (LDS)

Tonight, I am watching my son Isaac play soccer. He is such cute kid with an amazing heart. Every game he hopes to fill the star position – goalie. The coach has his favorite four that he rotates into the position each game. Today was different.

Today the coach breaks from tradition by sending Isaac in to replace the keeper. Isaac’s excitement is contagious as he pulls the special jersey over his head and the padded gloves onto each hand. He gets into position with his arms spread wide and a slight bounce in his legs. The ref blows the whistle and the red team progresses the ball down the field. Isaac defends against a well placed kick from a scrappy little guy with a quick step. Isaac takes the ball runs to the edge of the goal box and kicks the ball back out to mid field where, unfortunately, the red team again takes control of the ball. Once more, Isaac successfully blocks the ball from going in the goal. He takes the ball and boots it again but this time it doesn’t make it to mid field but instead veers off of Isaac’s foot to a group of red uniforms about ten yards from the goal box. All converge on the ball while Isaac realizes the situation. He advances to the ball just as a red cleat lifts the ball into a gentle arc two feet above the head of the Green Tornadoe’s newest goalie. A backward leap is not enough to stop the ball from dribbling across the white line.

The game is now tied 1-1. Thus ends Isaac’s three and a half minutes in the most coveted position on the team. Isaac is quickly replaced by Shane. The look of disappointment is as real as the prior excitement. He pulls the gloves back off and with much chagrin transfers them to the new goalie.

The coach yells for Isaac to go to the “Forward” position. He runs to his new assignment. Although I know his discouragement, he seems to embrace the new challenge with determination. I am feeling more disappointment than I’m sure he is. I love this little guy so much I want nothing but the best for him.

The whistle blows again but this time it is our turn to take the ball out. Isaac pulls out to the outside while the ball jostles between his team mates. There it is — the perfect pass. Right to my little buddy. He is past the first defender. The rest of the red team is converging. I don’t know how but he makes it through. He kicks and…………………………………he scores. His first goal of the season.

What a blessing that he didn’t get another chance at what he thought he wanted – being goalie. How often does God put us in the right place rather than in the place we thought we should be?

How often do we think we know what is best for us only to have God put us where we are supposed to be?

“Mormons just follow anything blindly. They believe anything and will just go along with anything the Mormon religion says.”

I read this the other day as a comment on a blog about “How to know if you have the spirit in your life.”

To this I say a resounding, “YES”. Mormons are sheep because we are led by the Good Shepard. Mormons follow the Shepard that will lead us back to our Father’s presence. I am proud to say that I am part of the flock that is shepherded by the Son of God, who himself is called the Lamb of God.

Being a sheep doesn’t mean just following blindly. Every member of the LDS is challenged to ask God if the teachings are true. Every one of us has to know for ourselves and to ask the maker Himself.

In the last chapter in the Book of Mormon it states,

3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how ^amerciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ^bponder it in your ^chearts.

4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ^aask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not ^btrue; and if ye shall ask with a ^csincere heart, with ^dreal intent, having ^efaith in Christ, he will ^fmanifest the ^gtruth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may ^aknow the ^btruth of all things.

I know the Book of Mormon is true and I didn’t have to take anyone’s word for it.

Neither did Daisy Chou

The Family (sans one little bear) watching the play Marry Poppins at the Capitol Theater. I love this play.

My favorite plays in order are:

1. Shakespeares Tempest – A message of forgiveness and love. Plus I had over-the-stage balcony seats to watch Patrick Stewart in NYC. I could have reached out and shined his head I was so close.
2. Wicked – Saw this with Nicole in Chicago about 5 years ago. Music is awesome, effects were amazing.
3. Mary Poppins – Saw it in NYC and SLC loved both. My favorite thing about this play is how much it focuses on the family and balancing work and life. Heaven knows I need to balance.
4. Phantom of the Opera – Again in NYC. Saw it with friends from the Manhattan 3rd Ward. The music…
5. Les Miserables – Bring Him Home.
6. Little Mermaid – Saw this play this summer with the family at my favorite theater in the world – The Tuacahn

This is how we do it. We all get cozy with our blankets. The little kids even bring their mattresses down.

We are glad that Mom had fun in Washington but we are even happier that she made it safely home to us.

Brooke, Isaac, Elise Garner, Karina Garner and I went to Deseret Book for the book signing of Brandon Mull’s newest series – The Beyonders. We actually went to Barnes and Noble to get the book because it had an amazing holographic cover. Very cool. Thanks Jen Coons for the tip.

This is the kids with Brandon. I was very impressed with him. Brandon Mull is the kind of person that took time with each of the kids individually despite the fact that the line was enormous. Instead of hurrying them along he asked them each questions to validate them. I was inspired because I asked him how he got into writing. He had a similar path as me, a career in marketing and living the corporate life then just decided that he would start writing. So he did.

I love my kids. They are not only cute by appearance but their personalities are truly adorable. The youthful innocence they keep is beautiful. This week, mostly on Tuesday, we shared a couple of experiences that kept me in stitches.

Tuesday:

Malia – Previously in the week she had hounded, my beautiful wife, Nicole to see if she could have a toy cell phone when they were at the store. During breakfast on Tuesday, Malia remembered the cell phone. “Mom can I have my cell phone now?”, she asked. Nicole responded sweetly, “As soon as you do some jobs for me, like I told you.” Malia beamed brightly back, “Mom, I did my jobs. I brushed my teeth and ate breakfast and said my prayers and played with Kate and watched Scooby Doo and gave hugs.”

We all laughed at her beautiful young perspective. For her, the things that fill her day are her jobs. How would it be if all we had to do each day was brush our teeth, say our prayers, and give hugs.

Brooke and Isaac – This same day, a few minutes later, Brooke and Isaac loaded into my car so I could take them to school. They were having a small argument about wether our not we had taken our dog Nala on vacation with us. Brooke tried to deny that she had said something so I started to sing an impromptu song in my goofy way, “Being wrong, oh it’s ok, as long as you don’t roll in the hay.” Isaac jumped in excitedly, “I want to roll in the hay! That sounds fun!” Brooke immediately retorted, “No you don’t, there are needles in it.”

Needles in haystacks, rolling in the hay, and jobs for kids kept me in stitches. Now you know why I have the Cutest Kids in the World!

As I sat in Sunday school, I watched my friend Jonny Moon pull out a burp cloth from his diaper bag and wipe baby slobber from the shoulder of his nice black suit. His beautiful red-headed new-born, with dimples that never end, had just left a memento of the bond they share on his shoulder. After putting her gently back in the baby carrier, he ardently tried to remove the blemish from his Armani. Although he was trying to look nice by scrubbing his shoulder, I found myself longing for a spot of spittle myself. I wished for a goober of my own. My youngest is now three and because she is mobile I don’t get the same number of opportunities to hold her as I used to, which means not as many spots.

I didn’t always have this longing for crusties on my  clothing. When Nicole and I were first married, I would wear my suit to an “important” meeting with “important” people only to find out after the meeting was over that I had smears of slobber streaked down my shoulder. I would feel embarrassed and a little frustrated that the blob of baby blubbering made me look less professional. I would get tired of sending my suit to the dry cleaners repeatedly.

My tune has changed. Instead of embarrassment and frustration I see reminders of a sweet baby that shares a special bond with me. I have to admit that I have left a few less conspicuous patches of love on my dress clothes longer than a “professional” should. Spots left on my clothes as a reminder throughout my day that there is a little girl at home eagerly waiting to run into my arms with screams of excitement when I walk through the door. When I see PB&J that was transferred from her cheeks to my clothes it reminds me that each of my kids also ran into my arms until they grew to big.  Each time I see a dab of dried drool it reminds me that every night I have a package of love bundled up in pink piggy pajamas who smiles as I move her head from my shoulder to her pillow. It reminds me that I need to take every opportunity to hold her tightly before she grows up. It reminds me that I don’t have much time left to pick her up and squeeze her tight, give her “Ba-Dumps” up the stairs, and rest her sleepy head on my shoulder…

…even if it means a smear of slobber on my suit.

In the October 2010 conference Elder Neil L. Andersen
gave a talk called Never Leave Him. The talk focuses on overcoming offense and shame. I was particularly struck by the truth of the following words:

Offense comes in many costumes and continually finds its way onstage. People we believe in disappoint us. We have unanticipated difficulties. Our life doesn’t turn out exactly the way we were expecting. We make mistakes, feel unworthy, and worry about being forgiven. We wonder about a doctrinal issue. We learn of something spoken from a Church pulpit 150 years ago that bothers us. Our children are treated unfairly. We are ignored or underappreciated. It could be a hundred things, each very real to us at the time.

In our weakened moments, the adversary seeks to steal our spiritual promises. If we are not watchful, our injured, childlike spirit will retreat back into the cold, dark crust of our former bloated ego, leaving behind the warm, healing light of the Savior.

Elder Andersen also shares how to overcome this:

How do we remain true to the Savior, His gospel, and the ordinances of His priesthood? How do we develop the faith and strength to never leave Him?
Jesus said, “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

Isaac was baptized on February 5, 2011