Remember

Posted at 11:38 AM ET, 09/08/2011
9/11 destruction allowed us to spiritually rebuild
By Thomas S. Monson

The calamity of September 11th, 2001 has cast a long shadow. Ten years later, many of us are still haunted by its terrible tragedy of lost lives and broken hearts. It is an episode of anguish that has become a defining moment in the history of the American nation and the world. This week, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, along with Tom Brokaw, will pay its own homage to the unforgettable events of September 11, 2001.

There was, as many have noted, a remarkable surge of faith following the tragedy. People across the United States rediscovered the need for God and turned to Him for solace and understanding. Comfortable times were shattered. We felt the great unsteadiness of life and reached for the great steadiness of our Father in Heaven. And, as ever, we found it. Americans of all faiths came together in a remarkable way.

Sadly, it seems that much of that renewal of faith has waned in the years that have followed. Healing has come with time, but so has indifference. We forget how vulnerable and sorrowful we felt. Our sorrow moved us to remember the deep purposes of our lives. The darkness of our despair brought us a moment of enlightenment. But we are forgetful. When the depth of grief has passed, its lessons often pass from our minds and hearts as well.

Our Father’s commitment to us, His children, is unwavering. Indeed He softens the winters of our lives, but He also brightens our summers. Whether it is the best of times or the worst, He is with us. He has promised us that this will never change.

But we are less faithful than He is. By nature we are vain, frail, and foolish. We sometimes neglect God. Sometimes we fail to keep the commandments that He gives us to make us happy. Sometimes we fail to commune with Him in prayer. Sometimes we forget to succor the poor and the downtrodden who are also His children. And our forgetfulness is very much to our detriment.

If there is a spiritual lesson to be learned from our experience of that fateful day, it may be that we owe to God the same faithfulness that He gives to us. We should strive for steadiness, and for a commitment to God that does not ebb and flow with the years or the crises of our lives. It should not require tragedy for us to remember Him, and we should not be compelled to humility before giving Him our faith and trust. We too should be with Him in every season.

The way to be with God in every season is to strive to be near Him every week and each day. We truly “need Him every hour,” not just in hours of devastation. We must speak to Him, listen to Him, and serve Him. If we wish to serve Him, we should serve our fellow men. We will mourn the lives we lose, but we should also fix the lives that can be mended and heal the hearts that may yet be healed.

It is constancy that God would have from us. Tragedies are not merely opportunities to give Him a fleeting thought, or for momentary insight to His plan for our happiness. Destruction allows us to rebuild our lives in the way He teaches us, and to become something different than we were. We can make Him the center of our thoughts and His Son, Jesus Christ, the pattern for our behavior. We may not only find faith in God in our sorrow. We may also become faithful to Him in times of calm.

Thomas S. Monson is president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

A Prophet's Daughter

Saturday began innocently enough with a 7am Worldwide Wide Leadership broadcast. I must admit to being jealous  just a bit of Brigham's stake who chose to watch the broadcast significantly later in the morning than we. The conference was focused on following up to the launch of the new Church Handbook of Instructions. Underscore by the introduction by  President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency “The handbook will become a treasure to you as you use it to help lead others to choose the way to eternal life. That is its purpose.”I enjoy how they blend these sessions with a mix of speakers, panel discussions; live talks and video feeds. It was a nice start of the day.

The meeting was followed by setting up the Relief Society room for a dinner that the Stake YM presidency and wives would prepare and serve to the Stake Presidents and YW presidents of the 7 Chicagoland area stakes later in the day. Finished setting up and watched our Ward's girl basketball team play basketball. Then off to home for house cleaning chores and losing to Parker in ping pong. The latter being a particularly painful point for me.

The back to the Stake center to decorate for the 7- stake dance and set up chairs for an Ann M Dibb fireside that proceeded the dance. We anticipated some 700 youth to attend the fireside - we got around 1,000 +. The fireside was well done.

 She spoke of standards and For Strength of Youth, then of prophet's speaking on standards and youth, the she gave a brief history of her father, a video clip of his biography, bore his testimony of his prophetness, did a lengthy question and answer about the prophet fielded questions from the kids, and than shared a video clip of President Monson bearing his testimony.

A few  items of interest: one was speaking of an experience of his youth that "the lesson was not lost on my father" - he learned changed and grew from experience; he has always been about doing good; and lastly his favorite scripture

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.Proverbs 3: 5-6

I enjoyed her as a speaker. Her remininces brought to mind Dad's favorite intereactions with President Monson before he was prophet. He had visited the home and gone swimming with Dadd in the backyard after meeting; and then in SLC at the church offices when Dad was set apart as the Chicago temple president. Dad felt a very personnel connection with Monson.

Her presentation was followed by a dance and needless to say it was well attended. They had a better dance mix then usual, though I'm still amazed how those doing the music can kill all activity by picking the wrong song - literally stopping all dancing. It eventually ended and then we cleaned up the building with the "no trace left behind motto".  With the dance ending at 10:15 I pulled in at home at 11:20pm A long but enjoyable day. My pictures of the day didn't turn out well.