"Useless Cares"

I was reading a Conference talk the other day, when something in it really hit me. I'd heard it before, but I'd never seen it like this before. I wanted to share it.

The talk was The Rock of Our Redeemer by Elder Andersen. He was talking about the Mormon pioneers being forced from their homes yet again, and having to cross this river in the middle of winter. At that time some of them wrote in in their journals about how it would seem that they should be sad and depressed, but that they were full of faith and rejoiced to the Lord. Later in his talk he says:

"When we strive to keep the commandments of god, repenting of our sins and promising our best effors to follow the Savior, we begin to grow in confidence that through the Atonement everything will be all right. Those feelings are confiremed by the Holy Ghost, who drives from us what our pioneer mother and fathers called "our useless cares." In spite of our trials, we are filled with a sense of well-being and feel to sing with them that indeed "all is well."

If you don't know the song Come Come Ye Saints, in the song it says:

"Tis better far for us to strive
Our useless cares from us to drive
Do this and joy, your hearts will swell
All is well! All is well!"

As I read his talk, I thought about what the pioneers could have thought were useless cares. As they sat in the freezing winter with no place to go. What are my useless cares? A nice clean home. Or even just a home at all. Would it really matter if I had no building to call my home, and had to live in a tent or even a lean-to? Would I rejoice in the Lord with faith, the way the pioneers did if I was called to their situation? Would I be like Job's wife and complain? I'd like to think that I could make light of any situation I was placed in. And that I'd just comment "Hey, I've been wanting to go camping for a while now." Of course, more importantly, even if I had completely nothing, would I still give thanks because of the Atonement of Christ and rejoice in the knowledge that I can be with my Father in Heaven again? I hope so. 

Here's some "useless cares" that I want to work on "driving" away:

• Wanting nicer clothes
• Trying to come up with more creative ideas than the last craft blog I read
• Always wanting Rowan to nap a little longer so I can read longer
• Having/getting a house
• Constantly worrying about food storage
• Wishing that I could do more theater/acting
• Wanting to sing better

There's plenty more, I'm sure. But I guess overall, I just need to stop with worrying about things that really just don't matter in the long run and have faith in the Lord that he will bless me for my good decisions. There's my thought for the day.

Where is your energy?

For my visiting teaching message this month I choose to use President Uchdorf's message on HOPE. I love that he choose to use that as his topic, since it seems that it is one of those that seems to get put on the back burner for a lot of us. Especially with the stress and worry that everyone seems to live with each day...What will I make for dinner? When will I have time to do my homework? I don't think I'm going to pass that class. Will I ever get married? To who? When will I have time to prepare a lesson for church? Rush, rush, frown, frown...Life can be stressful. Well, one of the girls I visit teach told me about a quote she heard that came from a blog of a woman who's family started to write her blog for her after she and her husband were severly burned in a plane crash and had to be put into a self-induced coma. Here is what it said, (I think her sister wrote it):


Hope is the anticipation that the outcome will be good.

Worry is the anticipation that the outcome will be bad.

Faith is the anticipation that whatever the outcome, it will be for our good.


Isn't that awesome! I've decided that I'm going to hang that on the wall in my home. So many times we forget that God has a hand in everything, and like Elder Wirthlin's Mother used to say "Come what may, and love it." I want to put that on the wall too. It's like there's an order to the process of the quote above. First it's worry. Something bad has, or might happen, and we worry about it instantly. Then, if we're on the right path, we stop worrying and put faith in God that no matter what, it's for our good and it's something to learn from. Then we hope for the best outcome. I just love that. What a happier way to live life.
Not to mention, if you're worrying and having negative thoughts about the bad outcomes, then you're just putting negative energy into it, but if you're hopeful then it's all good thoughts that you hope for and think about (sounds like "the secret").

So, fresh courage take, and have HOPE!

~Crystal