Come Listen to a Prophets Voice

"Twice a year, modern-day prophets and apostles gather at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, to speak the words of the Lord. " (1)

General conference only comes twice a year, and this weekend is it!!!!! I am so excited for conference!!!!

So what is general conference anyways?

General conference is a time when we get to listen to a prophets voice! Conference is five different sessions spread across two days. The sessions include, "Messages... given by the First Presidency, members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and other General Authorities and general officers of the Church." (2)

"The messages, which are broadcast to the world, are prepared under the guidance of the Holy Ghost and are directed to every person, in every country, in every circumstance. Everyone has something to gain from general conference, according to Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He says that with the companionship of the Holy Ghost, each individual participating in the conference is entitled to personal revelation. 'If we teach by the Spirit and you listen by the Spirit, some one of us will touch on your circumstance, sending a personal prophetic epistle just to you,' Elder Holland says."(1) 

Conference is a time where we get to gather as friends and families to hear the sacred words from the prophet and apostles. It is a time of peace love, revelation, instruction and introspection. Conference is especially exciting while on my mission! My companion describes it as the super bowl for missionaries!! It definitely is exciting now, but it has been exciting in the past as well. I remember in April of 2009 my priests quorum made the trek to Salt Lake for the conference! It was a wonderful experience. We had the opportunity to see the sites of the area, and prepare to hear the prophets voice!

It was special to be there in person, however I remember for many years growing up watching conference in the church building, and while at BYU watching it on a laptop in my living room with my roommates! No matter where we have the opportunity to watch, whether it be at the conference center, in a church building, or in our own home, we can feel the spirit of the conference! 

Just as the people in 3 Nephi 11 who, "While they were thus conversing one with another... heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard... And it came to pass that again they heard the voice, and they understood it not. And again the third time they did hear the voice, and did open their ears to hear it; and their eyes were towards the sound thereof; and they did look steadfastly towards heaven, from whence the sound came. And behold, the third time they did understand the voice which they heard."

The third time, they understood the voice, because they opened "their ears to hear it and their eyes were towards the sound thereof." So it is with general conference this weekend. We can hear the words of these great men and women that will speak to us, but if our ears are not opened and if our focus is not on them and the spirit we will not understand the things that God wants to tell us!!!

There is a God and he loves each and every one of us. He has something to tell us this weekend no matter who we are or the background we came from, or the position we are no in! I know that is true! I have seen in over and over at conference time, when I open my ears to hear, and my eyes to see!

You can watch conference at a church building near you, or online at lds.org.

 

Dying For Happiness: Happiness Can Be Found

Happiness can be found in our lives! I know that is true, I found it in my life and I know that you can find it in yours as well! I was able to go from discouragement and despair to happiness and hope, and so can you!!!



 Elder Wirthlin talked about four ways that can help us find happiness in our lives. We can learn to laugh, seek for the eternal, understand the principle of compensation, and trust in the Father and the Son.

• Learn to Laugh
   There are times in our lives where we just simply don't feel like laughing. We are sad or hurt, and by golly we are going to stay that way! How wrong. Attitude is a choice, and when we learn to have a good attitude about our circumstances, whether they be good or bad we will better be able to endure through and overcome our trials! This was demonstrated in my last two posts, (see Trial of my Life Part 1 and 2) as I was negative about my stutter and angry at the world, things got worse, not better. However, when I decided to change my attitude things improved and got easier! It was hard to laugh, but I was able to learn to make light of some negative situations in my life. When people would tease me, I would laugh with them, which often would catch them off guard, but it made it easier for me to handle it! After stuttering severely while reading out loud in class, I began to smile and chuckle rather than put my head down and beat myself up inside! This happiness helped me to make the change with more ease!


• Seek for the Eternal
  Elder Paul V. Johnson said, "[Trials] are vitally important to the process of putting on the divine nature. If we handle these afflictions properly, they will be consecrated for our gain" (1) All of the trials and afflictions in our lives happen for a reason. There is something that we can learn from each of them that will prepare us to return to live with our Heavenly Father. Seeking for the eternal in the midst of our trials makes a large difference. Just as Joseph Smith, we must remember that, "thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high." (D&C 121:7-8) And, "that all these things shall give thee experience,and shall be for thy good. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?"(D&C 122:7-8) Christ truly has descended below everything that we will ever go through, and is therefore qualified to help us on any and every trial we go through! Seeking for the eternal is a huge help in being happy, because we are able to see that there is purpose in life and there is a purpose for our trials! This principle helped pull me through, because I knew that there was more. I knew that I was more than just some kid who couldn't speak like everyone else. I knew that God knew who I was, that he loved me, and that he had a plan for me!!! As I sought for the eternal, I was able to see past the cloud of darkness and see the light of Christ's love shining on the path that I was supposed to travel on!


• Understand the Principle of Compensation
  "The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way." (2) In the case of Job, "the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before." (Job 42:10) The Lord will compensate us for our loses and sacrifices, He will also do it in his own way. We will receive the things that really matter most, which are not always what we think we need or deserve in the moment! I was compensated for my trial! I did not receive flawless speech like I thought I needed and deserved, but I gained peace, humility, patience, love, and understanding through my trial. And since then I have received so much more, one of which is that my stutter is now manageable! The Lord does compensate us through our trials. The blessings may not come in the moment, but they will come!
   
• Trust in the Father and the Son
  "I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day." (Alma 36:3) Trusting in God plays a big role in finding happiness through trials. We must trust that this trial will actually be for our good, and that we will actually be able to over come it and grow from it! Our heavenly Father Knows us and loves us and we must trust him that he will do with our lives what we need. He can see all things, many things that we cannot see at the time. I had no idea at the time of my trial in High School that I would be on a mission and find several people who I could immediately relate to because they also had a stutter. I had to trust that God knew what He was doing when he put this trial on me, and I had to trust that he would help me through it, which he did!!! "The Lord Jesus Christ is our partner, helper, and advocate. He wants us to be happy. He wants us to be successful. If we do our part, He will step in. He who descended below all things will come to our aid. He will comfort and uphold us. He will strengthen us in our weakness and fortify us in our distress. He will make weak things become strong." (2) I know without a doubt that we are loved! God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ loves each and every one of us. They love me, and they love you! Trust in them, and they will help you!!!

"I know why there must be opposition in all things. Adversity, if handled correctly, can be a blessing in our lives. We can learn to love it. As we look for humor, seek for the eternal perspective, understand the principle of compensation, and draw near to our Heavenly Father, we can endure hardship and trial. We can say, as did my mother, 'Come what may, and love it.'” (2)

I know that these things are true, and I know that these four principles can help us be happy and love life, no matter what happens! I know that applying these things can be hard at times, but I know that they help and that we can be happy in the midst of our trials. I saw it in my own life, and I know that it can happen in yours!

As we turn to Christ and his Gospel Happiness Can Be Found!

Dying for Happiness: The Trial of My Life ~ Part 2

A continuation from: "The Trial of My Life ~ Part 1"

So now that the commitment to God was there, the work began. Once a week I had therapy with Dr. Susca, and then the hard part, implementing what I learned into my regular speech. I had to begin to stutter, and I had to be okay with stuttering in front of my friends, peers and adults. It was hard, but with the newly found happiness and positive attitude it began to become easier. I am so grateful for good friends who supported me through this trial, and did not show frustration or annoyance towards my stutter. One friend even said, "It never really bothered me, and sometimes I even found it fun to try and guess what he was trying to say."  One funny experience that I remember in this time, trying to stutter and not hide it was with this same friend.

I loved Jamba Juice, I mean who doesn't, it is just so delicious, but there was always one thing that I hated about. They ask for your name to put on the order. It is proven that with many people who stutter one of the hardest things to say is there name. I was no different. So this one time, we go to Jamba Juice and order, and she asks for my name, JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ... I pause and try to get my composure. JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ, I tried again, but it was just not coming. Third times the charm right? JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ, nope, still not happening! Then my friend stepped in and said my name to the lady who I am sure was frustrated by this point. It was a hard experience, but as we left we all laughed about it, and made light of the whole situation. Again, I am grateful for friends who made my trial easier and more fun!

After continued effort on my part and counseling from Dr. Susca I began to get my stutter under control, the proper way, not by hiding it. I was able to talk  more freely and with more confidence, and I was able to communicate my desired thoughts.

Mom continues, "We will be eternally grateful for Doctor Susca's willingness to help get Elder Dye on his mission.  He is not a member of our church, but he knew about the pressures missionaries would face, so he would 'test' him.  Question his faith, and put him in uncomfortable situations in order to teach him how to respond."I was able to talk again, which I knew meant that I would be able to serve a mission. A goal I always had, but an achievement that seemed far distant for quite some time. How could I serve a mission if I couldn't talk? Well, God is love, and He loves us, and he will "Prepare a way for [us] that [we] may accomplish the thing which he commandeth [us]." (1 Nephi 3:7)

Mom concludes, "As parents it's sometimes very difficult to watch our children suffer.  I'm so thankful for a son who did not give up on his desire to serve a mission. Who did what it took to be prepared and for wonderful people willing to accept him and his challenges.  I know when we take our problems to the Lord we will be directed in ways that we would never have thought of on our own.  The Church is true. The gospel of Jesus Christ can bring joy and happiness to our lives if we keep the commandments and rely on the Lord."

"If [we] will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put [our] trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind... he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver [us] out of bondage." (Mosiah 7:33) Whether that bondage be a speech impediment, an addiction, an inappropriate relationship, or any other trial that we can face in this life, through Christ, there is a way out! That I know!

If there is any one who reads this that has questions that I could answer or a trial that through my experience might be able to help you through, PLEASE let me know. Leave a comment or email me, jordan.dye@myldsmail.net.

To read the Previous Posts in the Series and learn about upcoming posts, check out the Series Page.

Dying for Happiness: The Trial of My Life Part 1

"Elder Dye was a late talker." Said my mother. "He only said a few words until he was 3 years old and I tried to put shoes on him that were too small. He said 'Mommy, these shoes owie my feet'. I was shocked. He really could talk. He started speech 'therapy' in kindergarten and was doing quite well. The only problem was that he had a slight hesitation when he said certain things. He stopped speech in the fifth grade. He said it wasn't helping anymore and he didn't like missing classes."

For as long as I remember I have had trouble with my speech. I had the hesitation, or stutter, from a young age. My mother is right, I quit going to speech in the fifth grade because I thought it was a waste of time and didn't like missing class, but mainly because I did not like being the outcast in my class, having to leave to go learn how to speak like everyone else already did. So the hiding began. I began to substitute words that I could say for words that I thought I would stutter on. I got quite good at this. Actually really good at it. For a while my mother did not know that the stutter was a problem because I hid it from everyone. I hated being the outcast.

My mother continues, "When he was a junior in High School the 'hesitation' started getting worse.  We really did not know where to turn for help."

My mother asked if I wanted to go back to speech therapy at the school. I told her "NO WAY! They don't know what they are talking about and don't know how to help me." So the hiding continued. After hiding my stutter for so long, it began to get harder and harder to hide it. In my Junior year, with the added stress of High School life, and being involved in many other things, the efforts to hide my stutter began to come to no avial. There began to be more and more words and sounds that I would stutter on and less and less ways I could get around it.

For most of my life I was a happy person and mainly had a positive attitude about things. But as the stress increased, so did the stutter, and as a result my positive attitude began to decrease.

"By his senior year it was so bad it was difficult to watch him speak.  His face would become distorted as he tried desperately to express himself.  It became very worrisome to all of us." Said my mom.

As the stutter and difficulty to speak continued to increase, depression also began to increase. As depression increased, so did my stress level, which as stated earlier made my stutter worse. So as you can tell, it was a cycle that continued to get worse and worse. In the midst of this deadening cycle, other things in my life also began to change. I noticed that I was not reading the scriptures as much, and my prayers were quite pathetic when they happened. I began to wonder if God really loved me, and I had come to the conclusion that I was probably viewed as an outsider, even to God. From the experiences earlier in my life, I knew that there was a God and I knew that he had power. But I began to make my self believe that He no longer cared about me! It got to the point to where I knew that something had to change. But I did not know where to turn.

Mom continues, "I asked him what he was willing to do and he said anything.  I have a good friend whose a speech pathologist and she suggested I do research online to find help about stuttering.  That is really the first time I heard the word Stutter. After much fasting and prayer I found the name of a Dr. Michael Susca who taught at the University of Pacific in Stockton California. About 45 minutes from our home. I called what I thought was an office number and discovered I had the cell phone number of Dr. Susca. After talking with him for an hour and then talking it over with my husband and Elder Dye, we decided to take him up to Stockton for an evaluation. Dr. Susca said that Elder Dye had learned how to cover his stutter and he had run out of techniques.  He then said he needed to learn to 'stutter his brains out.' It was a blessing in our lives to find such a respected and qualified person to help our son."

This was when things began to change. I realized that I was a normal person, even if I didn't speak like most other people. I learned that Dr. Susca had a stutter as a boy and now is 100 percent fluent. Hope began to enter into my life. Although, my attitude was still negtive and I was still quite depressed. So I decided that I needed to turn to one more person to help me through this. The person who knows me and what I am going through.

As I prayed I asked if he was there and if he knew me. In a way my prayer was that of the Children's song, "A Child's Prayer." "Heavenly Father, are you really there? And do you hear and answer ev’ry child’s prayer?" I felt a warmth and love that I had not felt before. I knew that God was there, I knew that Christ knew what I was going through. I learned that the atonement was there for everything we suffer in this life, not just our sins. (see Alma 7:11-13) I learned that there was a way out, and that Christ was willing to take me on the path out from this depression and trial, if I was willing to let him. So on we went. I began to pray more and read the scriptures more, and through this was when I knew without a doubt that the Book of Mormon and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was true.  I saw my attitude begin to change, I felt happiness and peace that I had not felt in a long time! I knew that I was not an outsider!

Continue reading "The Trial of My Life Part ~ 2"

Dying For Happiness: The Blessings of Service

"Calling yourself a Christian brings with it the duty and the privilege of a lifetime of service.

"Jesus Christ said, 'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends' (John 15:13). This doesn't mean we have to die to show our love for our friends. We lay down our lives every time we put someone else's needs before our own. (And the 'friends' mentioned in the scripture above can be understood to be everyone we meet, since Jesus also commanded us to 'love one another.')

"We lay down our lives through service. Church members have many opportunities to serve. We can do small acts of kindness for our neighbors, take part in community service, fulfill responsibilities within our local congregations or contribute to the Church's large-scale humanitarian efforts. These actions, whether great or small, let us feel the happiness of connecting with our brothers and sisters and remind us that God often allows us to be the answer to someone else’s prayers." (Mormon.org/service)

I know that service to others brings so much happiness into our lives. From a young age my parents taught me the importance of serving others, and how to do it. From helping at every move and planned service project in the ward, to quietly helping others in time of need, to reaching out to the community and sharing the light of Christ.

I have loved to do service, yes, I like many teenagers had my moments where I didn't see the point if I wasn't getting an immediate reward. However, I learned that the rewards from selfless service are great. The happiness that it brings to me and those I serve is enough for me! Two of my favorite yearly service opportunities were the City Clean up Day, and the Christmas Basket Project. At these two projects I got to see directly the blessings and happiness that it brought into the lives of those we served. My great friend, Cathee was the one in the community who organized these two projects. She is not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but she knows the importance of helping others. I got to work closely with her over the years and grew to love her greatly. One summer she asked me to do something for her, and I could not say no. She asked me to be a youth representative on the Board of Directors for the Hughson Family Resource Center. I then spent many hours volunteering at the center and helping others who were less fortunate than I. I also had the great opportunity to team up with other youth in the community to help make the lives of youth and children in our town better!

It was such a great experience for me, I learned and grew so much through that service. I am eternally grateful for Cathee and others who gave me a chance, as a youth to grow and be blessed through service. For I know that "when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." (Mosiah 2:17).

To read the Previous Posts in the Series and learn about upcoming posts, check out the Series Page.

Dying For Happiness: The Priesthood

As I continued to grow in the gospel, my knowledge of it's power and strength grew. This knowledge especially grew when I received the Aaronic Priesthood. It was an amazing feeling as a twelve year old boy to know that God trusted me enough to give me his power and authority to help bring others unto salvation. What a great responsibility. This song sums up being a young man who holds the priesthood in a great way.



It is true, we need to learn our duty by the Prophets voice. We have opportunities to serve and to lead, even as a youth. It was such a great learning experience for me to learn and grow as a person and in the gospel through having those responsibilities. Due to the Priesthood I learned from a young age how to lead others in accomplishing a purpose. I was then able to take that trait into all other aspects of my life and lead in different ways throughout my life. When I was 17 one of my friends learned about the church and decided that he wanted to be baptized. He asked me if I would baptize him.

Of course, I said that I would love to. Although I was excited I was also a little nervous. I was a teenager, and I would be performing an ordinance for this friend that is required to live with God again. It was a great thought to know that God trusted me enough to allow me to do such an important thing! I felt so good after the baptism, and it helped me to better understand the priesthood and the blessings that come with it! I know that the Priesthood is real and that it truly is the power of God! I know that it can bless all of our lives if we allow it, whether we hold the Priesthood or not.

To read the Previous Posts in the Series and learn about upcoming posts, check out the Series Page.

Dying for Happiness: The Younger Days

In 1991 there was a young couple who were about to have their fifth child. There were some complications and the child decided to be stubborn and want to be different. He would not turn in order to come out of his mom in the proper natural way. The father of the child laid hands on his wife and by the Priesthood of God which he held, gave her a blessing. There were many people who told this man to bless that the child would turn in order to come out properly, however, in the blessing the father was inspired to say that the child would do what was best for him and his mother. On the morning of January 18 a beautiful baby boy was born, by cesarean section. At the time of birth the mother lost a lot of blood due to the bursting of a vein. Doctors said that if it had not been for that stubborn baby boy, the mother's life would have been in great danger, and could have easily died. Due to the power of priesthood that the young father held, the boy and mother were both alright. Today that boy is 20, still stubborn, and by the same Priesthood that his father held on a mission to preach the gospel to all he can.

Yes, that stubborn little boy was me!

As you can tell from that account, I have always had the gospel in my life, and the priesthood has always been close to my heart! I was raised in the church, and taught often by my parents of the truthfulness of the gospel, and the blessings that come from keeping the commandments of God. Growing up, the gospel was always a big part of my life. We took time to be together and teach each other of the importance of the Gospel. Yes we did it at specific times likes family prayer and family home evening, but we also did it every day. In everything we did we taught each other! Living the gospel was a joy for me, I loved the spirit and happiness that I felt and how close I was with my family!

Another way I learned of the gospel was at course at church! I loved primary and particulary loved singing the songs! I learned many valuable lessons from those simple songs. One of my favorite is A Child's Prayer, which teaches that Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers.

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When I turned eight, I was baptized by my father who holds the Priesthood of God. I don't remember much about that day, but I know that I was happy and peaceful! I also received the gift of the Holy Ghost, which was a huge help in my life.

Even from a young age, I knew that God was there, and I knew that the Gospel brought me happiness!

Next Post in the Series: "The Priesthood"