Thursday, July 29, 2010

Pageant

July 27, 2010

Pageant has been long and hard and everyone is feeling it. We're all exhausted. We have one more week. One more fantastic week. I want to work my hardest. This is the last week I will ever be able to help Heavenly Father during pageant. I want to be led by the Spirit and to be bold in my testimony. This week is going to be the best week ever. I know it.

For a change, I really don't have very much to write about.  I would like to say though, that I know this Gospel is true and I know that the priesthood is on the earth and I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me and everyone else on this earth more than anyone could ever comprehend. I have been doing a lot of pondering about the atonement recently and at the risk of sounding less that professional, it blows my mind. I do not understand it, but I cannot deny it. It is real. I feel it everyday.  I know that Thomas S. Monson is God's mouth piece on the earth today as was Moses in his time. I know that Jesus Christ is the head of this Church and that President Monson is under his direction.  It fills me with joy to know.

3Nephi 11:1-15

Sister Bailey

Changed

July 20, 2010


     Bishop McMullin is in town and has been speaking with the missionaries periodically. It’s been wonderful to have him here. Today was the last time he’ll speak to us while he stays here. I forget what circumstances led him to say this, but he said, “There the two met, those who had no faith and those who were endowed with Faith”. It stuck out to me. It made me reflect on the different people in my life who I have learned the most from. They have generally been people who have walked very different paths than I have, including, but not limited to, my parents and siblings. Just because we spend most of our time under the same roof doesn’t mean we haven’t walked down different paths in life. The lessons I’ve learned from them are absolutely priceless. I hope they’ve learn from me also. It also has made me think about bridge building. Bishop McMullin had mentioned something about bridge building in his devotional today and again, I forget why, but it sparked a chain of thoughts about the Savior for me and what role he has played in each of those special relationships I’ve had in my life. He is the only one who understands us each perfectly. The only one who could ever help us understand each other and learn the lessons we have to teach each other. He commands that we love one another, and he helps our hearts touch. He commands that we lift one another and he holds us steady as we do. Every commandment He gives is made possible through the aid we receive from Him: “For I the Lord God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee” –Isaiah 41:13.

     Nauvoo is an incredible place. For all those who I’ve seen this summer, I’m so glad you came. To all those I haven’t I hope you come here one day. It will be so worth your time and energy and effort to make it here. The world falls away and nothing is more important than how you feel and what you can do to keep that feeling with you when you leave. God’s love is here. It is felt around every turn and I am so humbled to be so immersed in it. It has healing powers and it has changing powers. It will change you if you let it. It has changed me. He has changed me.


Sister Bailey

Monday, July 19, 2010

Holiness to the Lord.

July 13, 2010

     Transfers. I am still in Nauvoo and I am now companions with Sister Bitter. She was Sister Cordoba's MTC companion. Pageant has been fantastic. I knew it would be. It has also had it's struggles, and I knew it would. That's one perk on your second summer, you know what's coming.

     There is a family here on the family cast from the Mica Peak ward! The Lake family! I love seeing them light up as they tell me the different miracles they've seen each day. It been so good to serve with them. They are a fantastic family.

     I'm excited for this next transfer. I feel like I have so many blatant growing opportunities in front of me. The theme of my summer this year is "what happened next". The Lord has blessed me with "what happened next" glimpses into the lives of those I see here in Nauvoo. Somehow, word gets back to me of something that happened next, they turned in referrals, they bore a testimony they didn't think they had, they resolved to read the Book of Mormon, they made it to the person they needed to see. One instance happened just yesterday. I had met a couple early in the morning and took them on a very short tour due to time. They didn't have very much time at all. They were non-members and had a lot of questions. I did my best to answer and then sent them on there way. They had asked me what they should see before they leave. I said a quick prayer in my heart and sent them to the Heber C. Kimball house after bearing a short testimony. The thought crossed my mind to tell them about the referral card and then came an assurance that doesn't come very often, "the person they need to see is at the Heber C. Kimball home. They will take care of them". They left, I prayed and then went on with my day. I was grabbing some lunch in the basement and trying to eat around the Young Performing Missionaries so I didn't get in any one's way when Sister Murdock came up and asked me if I had been serving in the morning. I said that I had and she asked me who had sent "Tim and Evett" to the Heber C. Kimball home. I said that I had. She burst into a recounting of what had happened. She said they walked in and told them that a sister at the visitor's center had told them to see that home before they left Nauvoo. Sister Chambers took them on a tour and ended up stringing the Joseph Smith story through out the tour. They took a Book of Mormon, said that they had "felt good" while they were here, and filled out a referral card. Sister Chambers had told Sister Murdock that she "needed that". I was able to see Sister Chambers later and thank her for taking care of them. We were able to rejoice in the miracle we were both blessed to be apart of. It was so wonderful. If Sister Murdock hadn't shared I never would have known. I would have known that I had been prompted to send them there, but I would not have been able to know what happened next. It was fantastic. Things like that have been happening all summer for me. Little "By the way" tender mercies that could only be arranged by God Himself. I have been so grateful for every single one. They are miracles, but only to me. Heavenly Father really does express His love and answer prayers the way each of His children will receive them and can recognized them.   

     Zone conference was fantastic. I am so grateful to to President and Sister Ludwig for all the hard work that they do. I remembered each talk from last year, but received such different revelation. I love how the scriptures and the spirit work like that, molding to you and He molds you. They give you what you need to keep going and moving forward. During companionship study Sister Bitter read a scripture. I can't remember the reference, but it talked about moving mountains and being supported by Him. The last line says, "Therefore, walk with Me". Sister Bitter shared it because she felt power as she read it, and she was right. It was a powerful scripture. It reminded me how powerful each of us becomes when we "walk with Him". We must be moving, and we must be moving forward, because that is the direction He is heading in. When we "walk with Him" we become powerful.

     Anyway, during Zone conference, I received two main treasures of revelation.  The first came from the movie about John Rowe Moyle, a man who was a Stone mason on the SLC temple and had His leg removed just bellow the knee. He made a wooden leg and continued to walk the 20 or so miles to Salt Lake in order to fulfill his calling. He is the one who chiseled out "Holiness to the Lord" over the door to the Temple.   As I watched I resolved to spend a life time in His service. And I will.

I love you all I love this work. I love Nauvoo.  


Sister Bailey


Monday, July 12, 2010

Bring on the Rain

July 6, 2010


All the second summer sisters came down with a bad case of deja vu (sp). It rained on dress rehearsal night just as it had last year. It was so weird to be standing there, to be doing it all over again. Sister Parker remarked, “its not real sisters, we’re not standing here”. But we were: pageant cards and pencils in hand, visitors, though sparse, in their seats and Peoria/Des Moines Elders by our side. We all headed out to speak to those waiting for the performance and as we did the skies started leaking, just as it had the summer before. And then it poured sending the visitors and family casts running for cover under the gazebos and tents that had been set up, just as they had the summer before. I approached a couple seated on the rows towards the back who looked determined to make it through the storm. They were Brother and Sister Bell from Provo Utah and as it turns out they had my sister in law in their graduate program! It really is a smaller world than we make it out to be. We talked about how all the sisters were being reminded of last summer and joked about how Satan seems to be pretty consistent in his efforts to bring us down. He doesn’t even seem to change his tactics very often! It made me think of endurance and how, if we can just endure until he’s run out of ideas, the rest will all just be repetitive. We will know how to handle the things that come our way. I spoke with them one more time before the night was over, and it was over sooner than we had anticipated. After the first down pour another came, this time with thunder and lighting ripping across the sky. The rehearsal was canceled. As we drove home, sopping wet, I thought a lot about the conversation I had had with the Bells. We were right I think, Satan doesn’t seem to change his tactics very much, but we underestimated his efforts. He may bring rain, but sometimes, he brings it harder. Last year we had rain, but the show was able to go forward. This year one could barely see through the down pour. I also reflected on how the cancellation had gone. Most of the Sisters knew we were leaving; Sister Pulleyn and I seemed to have missed the word. The other Sisters even grabbed our stuff for us. We saw them heading, running rather, out to the parking lot and decided we better follow. President Ludwig had told all the sisters to go home. We hadn’t heard. If we hadn’t been paying attention enough to see then we would have been left. It made me very grateful for the Prophet and the direction we receive from him and had me reflecting on the importance of listening to his voice and heeding his word as I sipped hot chocolate at the kitchen table after a hot shower. Satan sends rain storms throughout our lives, and some hit harder than others. And if we listen to the prophets, the one we have today and the ones who have been here in the past, we will know what to do. We will be able to act rather than be left behind in the confusion of it all.

I also saw the Lakes!!! I love the Lake family! They are here on one of the family casts for the pageant from the mica peak ward in Spokane!!!!! It was such a treat to see them! It only reiterated my thoughts about heaven and eternal families in the world to come.

Speaking of family, it has been fantastic having my mother and father here this past week. I’ve seen them more than I had expected and was able to take them through Carthage this past Sunday along with 51 other people. It was a very special experience for me and one I won’t soon forget. I know that I am very lucky being in one of the few missions in the world in which they encourage your family to come and see your mission while you are serving. The strangest part about it all is to think how soon I will see them. Life will be much different then and I have been so grateful to know that I will be doing it with Sister Morgan. I am so glad I will not be alone in the last moments of my mission. I love her.

Sister Pulleyn and I went through the temple this morning in the session before my parents did. It was fun to know that they were somewhere in the same building as I was. I felt close to them.

I love this gospel. I love this work. The summer is flying by.

I love you all. Keep close to God and know that even if you can’t see Him, He is somewhere in the same building, a face amongst the 53 ‘strangers’, and just a prayer away. Time is shorter than it seems.


Sister Bailey

“Be still my soul, the time is hastening on, when we shall be forever with the Lord”




This is the Christ

June 29,2010

I love all of you with all of my heart and soul. I do.
We just barely came from the temple. It is always incredible to go to the temple, but this time seemed more spiritual than others. I love the temple. Today I was thinking about the scripture that teaches us that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. As I have served, this scripture has come up a lot on my mission. I love this scripture, it teaches us more about God and His expectations for us in this life. It can be a real strength in trying to understand the true nature of God. As I sat in the temple and thought about these things, how much sense that scripture sometimes makes and how misunderstood it can be at other times, an analogy came to me in the form of a soccer game. Strange sounding I know, but bear with me. So in this analogy God is a soccer player. He is the best soccer player around. On the best team. And the best in all things including sportsmanship. So, He follows all the rules. These are the results of two of His team’s games:

GAME ONE:

God’s team: winner

Satan’s team: not winner

GAME TWO:

God’s team: winner

Other team: not winner

God’s team won in both cases. In fact, the score might have even been the exact same in both games! The rules were the exact same in each game. When ever soccer is played, it’s played by the same rules; there is always a winner and a not winner, but the means by which those rules are followed are different. Even so, God uses different means to comply to the same rules in order to come off victor (because good always triumphs over evil.) There fore, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever just as any soccer game would be played under the same regulations, but a goal made using your feet is just as valid as one using your head.

Thank you for letting me express the things that have crept into my heart as I have studied and pondered. IT may seem like a silly analogy to think of in the temple, but it helped me and further concreted my understanding.

Sunday was a fantastic day. My uncle and aunt, Brent and Janet, showed up in the Lyon Drug store (a restored historic site I was serving at that day) and it was like a piece of heaven. I think that’s how dying is going to feel like. One moment we will be here and then we will come around the corner and see a family member or friend that we haven’t seen in years and we will first think, “oh look, It’s Brent and Janet” (or mom and dad, or grams and gramps, or our spouse) and think nothing of it and then all of the sudden we will think again and shout with joy! Brent! Janet! Mom! Dad! Mi amour! And we will realized that we have made it. That, just as we always knew He would, all His promises have been made and kept, that families are eternal and the we have come home. He has lead us safely there and all is well. I was in an incredible mood for the rest of the day and then went down to Carthage for the 166th commemoration of Joseph and Hyrum Smith’s Martyrdom. The spirit was great and the weather impeccable. The morning had even “dawned cloudy and wet”. The song we sang was one from the very first hymn book and it went better than expected. I’m pretty sure angels stood behind me to whisper the notes in my ear. I think there has been a group of angels called to serve an 18 month mission in heaven just to help me with the songs I’ve sung on my mission. And another concourse assigned for the same duration to help with everything else. If they are suppose to be secret, they have some improving to do, because I can feel them.

After the “official” commemoration we all prepared to take part in what each of us looked forward to most on the commemoration. We went into the jail by ourselves. We listened to a program that the Carthage sisters had put together. They had pulled out different quotes and testimonials of that day and of those men and applied each accordingly to the rooms in that place. IT was amazing. As we went through and paid our tributes and listened with our hearts to the things that the spirit shared with us I was acutely aware that I was one of few who was privileged to have such an experience on that day. When we got to the martyrdom room three testimonies were shared of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s divine calling. We sang “Joseph Smith’s first prayer”. The song took on completely new meaning for me as I sang the song and then listened to the tape. I felt like him. As those men came marching up those stairs and he heard them, I felt his calmness. The first two verses of “Joseph Smith’s first prayer” became his thoughts as he reflected back on what now seemed like a simpler time, when he asked his question, and “saw a pillar of light exactly over his head, above the brightness of the sun, and as the light rested upon him he saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description standing above him in the air. One of them spake unto him, calling him by name, and said pointing to the other, 'This is My Beloved Son, hear Him!' ”. I felt his heart wrench as his brother Hyrum fell to the floor and I felt the peace as he walked to the window and the second two verses of that song began to happen. He was no longer remembering. A light descended and He heard a familiar voice, “Joseph, this is my beloved, hear Him” He had made it home.

I Cannot say that this is how that day happened, that this was Joseph Smith’s experience, but that is how it played out in my mind. June 27th 1844 is one of those “great and terrible” days on the earth. We then sang “Praise to the man” as the spirit bore witness of who that man was. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet. I know that Jesus is the Christ and that He lives! And I know that He will answer all and any of our questions in humble prayer before Him. He loves us.



Sister Bailey



Carthage

June 22, 2010

"If These Rooms Could Speak"

If these rooms could speak,
What would they chose to say?
Which one would cry the loudest
Of the injustice done that day?
Would there be any shaky sighs,
Or mournful groans of pain?
Would there be anger in their sermons
From when a prophet here was slain?
Or would joy run through their timbers
To stand and testify!
Of the Lord's anointed servant,
Who had come here that day to die?
Would the dining room and parlor
Sing praises to the family
That gave and loved and served the man
In whom a goodness they could see?
Would the first floor cell tell
Of the songs they sang
And of the testimony borne
Of the book that bears the Savior's name?
Would the staircase raise a guilt filled cry
For carrying those feet?
For helplessly supporting those
Who sought for God's defeat?
And would the dungeon awesomely explain
The miracle it knows it saw:
Death conquered by charity
The weight of a mattress and some straw?
And that room that saw the bullets fly,
Would it declare with thunder,
The evil that stood outside it's door
The men determined to put him under?
Would they whisper the solace of forgiveness,
And beckon towards the Christ,
For whom his blood was spilt,
To whom he gave his life?
No.
I think they'd stand in silence
Much like they do now,
Fostering the spirit,
To pierce as deep as each heart will allow.
So the spirit can be the teacher,
And the room provide a place
For the holy ghost to heal men's hearts
Each according to it's case

Written by: Sister Anne Bailey