My talk

Ok so this may not be the greatest but it is what it is.

Good morning brothers and sisters I will give a BRIEF family introduction, as brief as I can anyway, and then go on to my talk.

Many of you know me and my family due to the fact that I must look some sort of a sheep herder walking through the halls of the church. If you don't My name on the records of the church is Margaret Lee White Shumway. However if you were to call me by that Name, I would spin suddenly, looking for my grandmother. My Aunt renamed me Mar'Lee at a very young age and that is the only name I have ever gone by.

I met My husband, Randy in 1991 through his wonderful younger sister and my best friend, in the LDS institute @ USU, not another byu romance but close. We were married Jan 3 1992, in the Logan temple. We moved in March of that year to Tacoma WA where the first of our now 7 Children were born. Christine came in to our world one day before her due date on Nov. 2 1994. Then came tyler in Blackfoot Idaho, the earliest and scariest for me on Aug 6th 96 he was 5 ½ weeks early. Then Sean on April 26 98, Janet on Jan 2 2000 and Sydnie on April 22 2002 all born in various Ut locations each with their own set of special circumstances. Then to CA where Brianne messed up my math by coming in an odd year on April 2 2005, we then moved 2 “The springs” and were blessed with Kyla on May 1 2007. yup almost 1 year ago. Somehow I have managed to have a child just about every other move we have made, you do the math, the good news I don't think we are moving again anytime soon. Now Let me answer the question that some of you are asking. We are not military, nor do I think are we nomads.

As you know our FAMILY has been asked to speak on how following the scriptures blesses our everyday lives.

To see these blessings, I thought that first it would be nice to have a definition of what the scriptures are. Using the wonderful recourses available to me through the church websites. I found this on the LDS facts page for BYU studies.

How do Latter-day Saints define the idea of "scripture"?

I will paraphrase.

Latter-day Saint scripture is substantially larger than the traditional. It includes the "standard works."which are The old testament New testament book of morman, doctrine and covenants and the Pearl of great price. Although "scripture" usually denotes written documents, in LDS sources it is also defined as "whatsoever [God's representatives] shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost" (D&C 68:2–4), which implies an acceptance of modern-day prophetic revelation as scripture. Latter-day Saints bind themselves by covenant to obey scripture, but they are also assured that important records will yet come to light. Importantly, Latter-day Saints understand that scriptures are a result of divine revelation to prophets and that individuals must study the scriptures and seek personal revelation in order to understand their immediate meaning and relevance.

So to My understanding. This means that Not only are the standard works something that blesses us but also each talk we hear in conference or each story we read in the ensign, a primary song or hymn, can bless our lives as well.

I have to admit when Brother Muffler gave us this subject, the first thing that went through my mind was “ I am the last person on the planet who should give this talk, I am NOT by any means great at scripture study, and I struggle just to read one story in the Ensign most days. But the next thought that came into my head was “be thou humble”. Hey wasn't that a scripture?. I couldn't at the time tell you what scripture, or where to find it, but I knew it was scripture and that I needed to be humble and accept the task given to me. OH by the way and that scripture is Doctrine and covenants 112:10

because I was unsure that I could fill the time given me for this talk. I asked some of my friends how the scriptures have blessed their lives. These where some of their responses.

My friend in Las Vegas who some how knows Isaiah better than anyone in my generation, she just seems to have a connection to him. When I can't understand a passage in Isaiah I know I can call her. She can almost always explain it. She simply says “the scriptures are my rock”.

from a friend to the East of here,” I have a testimony that reading the Scriptures daily provides me with comfort and strength during some of the most difficult times in my life. At those times when I felt that I had nowhere to turn, I would often look forward to that time each day where I would be able to lose myself in the Scriptures. Doing so would give me the renewed strength to keep moving forward even when I wanted to give up.”

From “The Oakwood ward”.” I don't read as much as I should. When I do, everything goes better. When I don't, I'm on my own, and it's not a pretty thing. It's hard enough to be a mom even when you do have the Spirit with you. When you don't, well, you know how it goes”.

I thought of a couple of scriptures as I read their testimonies. this is the one that seemed to stick. Psalms. 62: 2. He only is my rock and my salvation, These wonderful woman have found this blessing.

finally a friend I lovingly call my big brother, he lives in Alaska. “I work among some of the less than religious people in the construction industry. Some may say this is a curse that makes keeping my testimony difficult. It does not. I look at my coworkers and see the giant void in their lives and work harder to keep it filled in mine. I have a great love for those who have gone before and, for some, even died that I may have the scriptures to enjoy. I am not one that fervently studies the scriptures like I should, but the knowledge of what they are worth is still there. I also have a firm knowledge of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I know that Nephi truly existed and saw the things he saw and did the things he did. In the book of Mormon, an angel shows Nephi all the inhabitants of the world. Now I am sure that any righteous angel would still have a good sense of humor, and building on that I am sure that if a man in this time honked and waved at Nephi, said angel would surely show Nephi this man. I honk and wave about 4-5 times a week just to make sure I make it easy on the angel. This is how sure I am that these stories in the Book of Mormon truly happened”.

I love the honesty in his testimony. He knows the joy and strength that the scriptures bring him, he is a bit of a nut, but he is blessed daily and kept strong with his faith.

Though I haven't FORMALLY studied the scriptures in a LONG time. I have been blessed by them. when I do read the scriptures at times I can see the story unfold around me like a movie, in Alma 24:17 I can feel the commitment of the Lamanites when they chose to bury their swords never to fight again.

Then later in chapter 53. I felt the joyful anguish only a mother can feel, when each of the 2000 stripling warriors took up arms. It must have been hard for each of them to let their child go, to do what was right for the better good. As weird as it sounds it has always been my prayer that someday I will feel that with my boys, and maybe my daughters, as They go off on a mission. In modern times modern revelation has helped me confirm my desire to be home for my children and husband. It is my choice instilled in me as a YW and young wife,I have never had any desire to change that. It is my knowledge of the eternities through the scripture s that has helped me not only to let the spirits who have chosen me to teach them, but also to know that there will be a day that I will be able once again to put my arms around my mother, whom lately I truly miss, and tell her face to face how much I love her along with my aunt and grandfathers and all those who have gone before. It is scriptures that help me teach my children the principles of gospel. Baptism, Eternal Marriage, unconditional Love, service, Missionary Work the list goes on and on..

It is the scriptures and the knowledge of this gospel that have made my testimony as strong as it is. I know that the boy Joseph saw our father in heaven and his son our brother Jesus Christ. I know that it was through the power of Heavenly Father that Joseph smith translated the Book Of Mormon, for Us to learn from. I know that Joseph smith was a man of God that he follow Heavenly fathers direction with steadfast fath. And I KNOW that President Monson has been called of god to be our modern day prophet. To bring us those scriptures that we need to heed in this day. It is my prayer that we will not only be blessed but that we will regonize those blessing in our day to day lives. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen

well there ya have it. Let me know what ya think.