Every March, the women of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints remember and celebrate the founding of the Relief Society, which the Prophet Joseph Smith declared to be “the Lord’s organization for women.” President Spencer W. Kimball reminded sisters of the blessings of this organization, pronounced upon the Society by Joseph:

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Joseph Fielding Smith, speaking of marriage, explained the beauty and importance of the covenant. “Marriage is a principle that, when entered into, presents more challenges and blessings than any other.… Nothing will prepare mankind for exaltation in the kingdom of God as readily as faithfulness to the marriage covenant. Through this covenant, perhaps more than any other, we accomplish the perfect degree of the divine will. If properly received, this covenant can be the means by which man gains his greatest happiness. The greatest honors in this life and in the life to come—honor, dominion, and power in perfect love—are blessings that flow from it. These blessings of eternal glory are held in reserve for those who are willing to abide in this and all other covenants of the gospel.”

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President Hinckley once gave a great allegory of life. Quoting an old newspaper article, he said: “Life is like an old-time rail journey—delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride” (“A Conversation with Single Adults,” Ensign, March 1997, 58).

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It seems that everyone who watched this October’s General Conference was deeply moved by Elder Jeffrey Holland’s testimony of the Book of Mormon. The Holy Ghost testified of its truth. His testimony strengthened my resolve yet again to continually learn from the pages of that book, and through it to come ever closer to the Lord Jesus Christ. This process of feasting on the words of the Book of Mormon also helps one to live by continual personal revelation, the only true safety in these last days.

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This month our thoughts turn to gratitude. I was pleasantly surprised to receive so many articles on gratitude; in fact, many more than I had space to print. The topics ranged from gratitude for strength in trials; to gratitude for a house full of messy children with their attendant dishes and laundry and toys; to gratitude for the journey of learning through infertility, health trials and personal hurdles. They covered simple “thank you’s” to gratitude for fasting.

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As a child in Northern Virginia, the Washington D.C. Temple was “my” temple. My parents were baptized in 1974, the summer the temple opened for public tours before its dedication. My parents volunteered as tour guides. I still have the tickets from the tours. I always loved to drive the beltway and see the temple appear magically on the horizon over the crest of a hill.

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There are two types of counsel to have: the kind we obey quietly and the kind for which we stand up and be counted. The former would be counsel like having more fervent prayers, more faith, or to repent. The latter would be calls for temple service, missionary service, service projects, or even bigger calls.

Those who seek to follow inspired priesthood counsel understand that no matter the challenges inherent in the call, the blessings of God will ultimately attend their righteous efforts. For example, the Lord asked for 500 men to join the Zion’s Camp march. The call was answered by just over 200 men. Those men, along with some women and children, walked 1,000 miles, endured harsh conditions, difficult weather, mobs and plagues of disease.

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The Lord loves a good agricultural image. During His earthly ministry, he used them often in teaching opportunities. He especially loves teaching about missionary work in this way. “For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul” (D&C 4: 4).
But one thing often overlooked in these images is the amount of time it takes to bring forth the work. Think of the mustard seed, which needs many years to grow before birds can nest in mature branches (see Luke 13). The process is slow.

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This issue of Desert Saints Magazine focuses on counsel from President Monson, given in the October 2008 General Conference. He spoke of the changes that inevitably happen in our lives. Some are slow and imperceptible, some come suddenly. Some are expected, while others turn our lives upside down.

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My sweetheart and the funniest guy
you know, Dave Ellis.

What a great message our Father in Heaven gives us. Of all the names He could be known by, He chooses simply “Father.” More than any superlative title, He wants us to speak of Him with the term that reminds us of our close relationship to Him.

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Danielle and her mom. I love you Mom!

As we approach yet another season of mother appreciation, I feel to rejoice in what the Lord has done for women. Whether or not we bear children in this life, our calling, our nature, is to mother Father in Heaven’s children. Ours is the job to bear up souls, to love, to listen, to lead, to guide. (See Sheri Dew, “Are We Not All Mothers?,” available at lds.org).

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I have loved being the editor of Desert Saints Magazine since its inception seven-and-a-half years ago. I am proud of the hundreds of articles we have brought to you over the years, meant to inform, uplift and entertain. I hope this magazine has been a blessing to your life in some small way. I know it has blessed my life in many ways.

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This month’s issue of Desert Saints Magazine is on simplifying our lives and de-cluttering our priorities. While we’re at it, I think now is as good a time as any to prune right to the trunk of the tree. It is becoming clearer every day that all “things,” meaning external stuff, are expendable and could be gone at any time.

So I propose looking at the very essence of who we are. We are Father in Heaven’s children who are covenant members of His church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We are on the earth in the final stages of preparation for the return of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The first sign of the Second Coming, by the way, was when God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove in 1820. The hour is now very late.

We were told in the October 2008 general conference by an apostle that we are witnessing the fall of Babylon and it is time now to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord and the establishment of Zion. (See Elder Todd D. Christofferson, “Come to Zion.” Many other messages echoed this same tone.)
I suggest using this key piece of information in evaluating your life, your priorities, your finances and your heart.

The time is now for us to repent, set our hearts and lives in order, seek the face of the Lord, and keep His commands, whether from the scriptures or the voice of our living prophets, with exactness.

All the best,

Editor@DesertSaintsMagazine.com

This month, as Desert Saints Magazine celebrates love and marriage, I feel the need to remember the real definition of love.
True love is from God. It is the way in which He loves His children. It is the pure love of Jesus Christ, which we can both access and share with the world as we become more like Him.

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It’s always good to start the new year on a bright note. So here are a few things to make you smile:

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