Church Life

So much of who we are and what we do is based on our religion.  The most important things in life are the things that bring us closer to Heavenly Father and our striving to live with Him after this life- our daily prayers, daily scripture studies, repentance and taking the sacrament, attending the temple, and truly striving to be closer to Him.  That is what we do as Christians, and there is a wonderful peace that comes in knowing that we are following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Some of these things that we do is because of our membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  When we get together to worship, we "talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, preach of Christ, we prophecy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know where to look for a remission of their sins."  There are great blessings that come from teaching our children that they can be saved from their sins and return to live with their loving Heavenly Father again!

I had the opportunity to speak in stake conference a few weeks ago- we don't have a paid preacher in our church, the members take turns sharing testimony and talks (like sermons) each week after we take the renewing emblems of sacrament. Twice a year all of the Mormons in the Ames (but not Des Moines) area (about 3,000 members) are invited to join in two meetings special meeting where we sing, worship, and learn doctrine all together.  It's a great meeting to sit in, and a slightly intimidating one to speak in.

My topic was forgiveness, and heaven knows I have plenty of experience in that area (both the giving and needing to receive), so I took the angle of one strong experience and testifying of what I know is true- that God commands us to forgive others, so we can experiment on forgiving others and receive His forgiveness in return.  The meeting was running a little late, so my original 12 minute block of time was cut to 7 minutes, which was fine by me.  I don't think I have a gift for speaking to large crowds (including the 5 congregations around the state that the meeting was broadcast to), but I do enjoy writing and I know what I like to hear when I'm in the crowd, so I was able to deliver without stumbling over my words or putting anyone to sleep, I think.  And I received many kind words of appreciation afterward, including notes in the mail and the kindest email.  It's not very often that a stay-at-home mom receives accolades for the work she does (I just want to thank you for changing another diaper/making another meal/vacuuming the floors yet again) so I really let the words of affirmation wash over me as I received them-

Hi Melanie - you don't know me but I just wanted to write and say that your talk was the highlight of the whole stake conference for me. My family recounted and discussed the whole thing for probably an hour after we got home. It was so honest and smart and well delivered. And the splinter analogy is one that I will repeat and think of many times in the future. Thanks so much for your preparation. It was really awesome. 

I'm now inspired to thank and compliment more people for the things they do.  Such kind words!

Culturally, our religion provides a wonderful close-knit family that strengthens, supports, serves, and uplifts each other.  We had a women's retreat last month that included the opportunity to camp over night.  I wasn't too keen on the idea- the overnight low was 38 degrees!- but I went and really enjoyed the memories made.

It's a treat to get to get to know so many remarkable women throughout Iowa. 

And the opportunities for service in our church are endless!  At the women's retreat, we tied up 70 fleece blankets to donate to The Preemie Project here in Iowa.  We made another batch at our Relief Society Spring Fling, and also enjoyed mini-classes on gardening, organizing your home, entertaining in the summer, and fun things to do in Iowa (I'm always looking for those!).

On of my favorite parts about our church is the opportunity to interact with young men and women that have dedicated their lives to sharing the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Missionaries serve away from their families (and pay their own way to do so!) and get to call home twice a year- on Mothers Day and Christmas Day.  We were lucky to get to host the elders for the big day this month.

I sometimes get the feeling that there is a preconceived notion in Iowa that Mormons are complete weirdos.  It could be the modest dress or the fact that we don't drink alcohol or coffee (and try to avoid anything habit forming, really).  It could be that we have a bigger family or that we spend three hours at church on Sunday.  It could be that we donate 10% of our income to our church (as we are taught to in the Bible).  Or it could be that we go to the temple to worship our Heavenly Father, and that we not only invite Christ into our hearts as our Savior and Redeemer, but that we also continue to work and serve and sacrifice to show our dedication to Him for our entire lives.  There is great peace that comes with knowing where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going- together as a family- after we die.  And that is the beauty of the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!