In the event when something sad, hopeful, and destructive slams into the same cursed holiday weekend over and over

I haven't had the easiest last four or five years of my life. Mind you it's been a blessed time overall and even happy many times, but I have had some serious trials jam packed in five years and most of it in the last two that have dealt with infertility and dreading Mother's Day more and more. But I hope you all had a better Mother's Day than me this year. Mother's Day for me is a cursed holiday, at least for the past five years. In fact, I haven't been to church on a Mother's Day Sunday in five years.

My husband and I next month will have been married for six years. I don't have a shadow of a doubt that I picked the right man to be with for all eternity. When I met him I didn't have the faintest clue how much he'd be my rock in life. He's been with me through depression, job loss, bankruptcy, and probably the most important, infertility.

The first two years of our marriage we lived like any poor starving student family complete with both of us working several jobs and me going to school full time. We were happy and even happier when we found out I was pregnant, but then shocked when we lost the baby five weeks in and less than a week before Mother's Day. The irony in that did kind of sting (little did I know that the next four would be worse). We were sad but we new we could try again. Three months later we were pregnant again and then disappointed. A year later, the same thing. 

At this point we were going through our other trials including business bankruptcy and then a year later personal bankruptcy, then losing our car, and losing several jobs all due to the bad economy; we also finally diagnosing my 12+ years of depression and got on meds, however, that was after the Second Annual Depressing Mother's Day Colossal Breakdown (didn't cry last year so I ended up crying this year, plus my depression was almost at its worst at this time). 

We then decided to start seeing reproductive specialists. After hundreds of expensive medical tests, surgeries, and discovering new medical problems related to infertility (that has lead me to go from only having to take allergy medicine all my life to taking practically every drug in a pharmacy every morning and evening) it was determined that we qualified for IVF. Oh, and somewhere in the middle of all this, Mother's Day came around again, and me being in annual mourning ended up in the Third Annual Depressing Mother's Day Colossal Breakdown when I found out three (maybe one more? Can't remember) of my sister in laws had all just had miscarriages within a month of Mother's Day. 

And so, couple thousand dollars in meds and procedures later we found out we were pregnant. We almost got through the first trimester before the baby died. Disappointed again we decided to try again a few months later. Which was- you guessed it- right before Mother's Day. And right before that day we got a call from the IVF lab that all our embryos had died. Cue the Fourth Annual Depressing Mother's Day Colossal Breakdown. Oh so very disappointed Alex and I decided to take a year off from anything fertility. 

I spent a year taking better care of myself, serving others, and getting back to my poor starving artist days. I made new friendships, and lost some friendships. And the unfortunate irony, it was my best friend who dumped me two days before Christmas. (Why oh why do I still celebrate holidays!?!?!) For the next three months I fell into the deepest depression I had ever experienced. My happy meds were upped and I started taking another type of medication. 

I have to admit if I could get away from all the medications that have accumulated exponentially in my life the last two years I would. If I could heal all my ailments with herbs and meditation I would. But I haven't quite figured out how to do that successfully, so for the time being my happy meds are my best friend. Since they've added the new medication my world has turned upside down. If I thought my depression was better with the one pill I was crazy! The new medication completely made it possible for me to be a better me. Even with that small speed bump around Christmas, I found myself happier and healthier in mind, body and soul. Which was good because in march I was headed into surgery to prep for possibly our last IVF cycle. Then at the end of April we started the cycle. 

One day before Mother's Day (should've really avoided doing anything this day. Maybe hide myself in a deep dark hole where I couldn't see or hear anything. Then maybe this Mother's Day wouldn't have been so bad.) we traveled to the IVF center more than two hours away from our house. Minutes before we were leaving I started hurting in the abdomen (I was hyper stimulating). Over the next two hours the pain got worse, by the time we got there I was desperate to be on pain meds and anesthesia. I went under for the egg retrieval and woke up still in a bit of pain. There had been thirteen eggs collected, which was the most we'd ever gotten. We were very excited at the larger chances and as we went home we couldn't wait to get that call the next day to see how many fertilized. 

And then came the curve ball.

My dad was kind enough to have driven us to the IVF center and back. When we got home I got comfortable on the couch very much drugged to relieve the hyper stimulation pain. At some point my father started bursting into tears and told us, for private reasons not of my father's fault, my mother had taken my two younger siblings and had left him. When I learned why I, was crushed. Our family dynamic was suddenly destroyed. 

I won't go into anymore detail since my family is still struggling with this trial through counseling and pray (it is getting better and everyone is healing) and deserve the privacy. 

But the horrible thing about this incident, excluding the obvious, was this was the first Mother's Day ever that I had not visited, seen or heard from my mother. It was probably the first that I had ever hated her so deeply, as well (I've forgiven her now). It was one thing to have my Mother's Days crushed on one end of motherhood year after year but to suddenly and gruesomely destroy the other end was too much. This last Mother's Day was supposed to be a much more hopeful one, a bit sad from the memories, but hopeful. Instead it was the Fifth Annual Depressing Mother's Day Colossal Breakdown.

So, what am I going to do in the future to avoid that event when something sad, hopeful, and destructive slams into that cursed holiday weekend?

 I'm going to Fiji!

---Gretchen

More Than Just the Winter Blues

{Warning: This is a very personal post! You may or may not agree or understand, but this has been a recent and personal journey of mine that I feel to share…}

This past winter was a very difficult one for me. I’ve struggled on many levels. For the first time in my adulthood, I felt consistently down. I didn’t feel like myself. I got moody, irritable, and critical at the snap of a finger (Usually my own finger being pointed at someone else .) At first I just thought I had the winter blues. But after a few months it still wasn’t going away. {And I actually learned when it was time to put myself to bed, because I had nothing nice to say!}     

One day as I was feeling really down and out of sorts, these feelings took a name! I realized I was experiencing depression. As I validated what I was experiencing and was honest with myself, I realized I really needed the Lord’s help. Such a simple concept really, but many times, the answer is simple. I knew I wasn’t going to wake up the next day, “all better.” I knew then that I was being given a personal trial that could allow me to become closer and more like my Savior if I so chose.

I also took a personal life evaluation and recognized several contributing factors to my feelings of stress, discouragement, and negativity. Some of these factors I could control, most of them I could not. But either way, I understood that it was essential that my spirit be nourished on a daily basis. I began to devote more time to uplifting reading whether in the scriptures, conference talks, or church books. I had a newfound craving for spiritual messages. I could feel the hunger in my spirit. My personal prayers also became more meaningful and specific. I acknowledged what I was feeling, but sincerely prayed for the strength and guidance to overcome these feelings. I also focused on what factors I could control and strived to become at peace with those I could not. As I fed my spirit and tried to replace negative feelings with positive ones, I slowly started to feel better. I say slowly, because I had to work very hard at my negative feelings and they still got the better of me on many occasions. But I also saw progress, which renewed my hope and my resolve to keep trying. 

I also found Pres. Uchtdorf’s talk entitled, “Grateful in Any Circumstances,” most encouraging. He explained that we do not have to be pleased with our circumstances, but we can choose to be grateful for and acknowledge the blessings we do have. President Uchtdorf also taught the higher law of gratitude which is to be a grateful person, not just grateful for certain things. I’m encouraged by his words and feel a sincere desire to embrace this for myself and strive to cultivate a disposition of gratitude. 

I don’t remember the exact day anymore, but I do remember recently waking up one day and feeling like this fog had been lifted off of me and I felt more like myself again. In the spirit of gratitude I said a prayer and thanked Heavenly Father for this blessing. Although I still had a long way to go, I also knew that my prayers were heard and were answered.

My heart goes out to any and everyone who has experienced depression or may be going through it themselves. This is a very personal emotion because everyone experiences it differently and on different levels, but there are shared feelings. I’ve only shared from my own experiences. But I do know that we are loved eternally by our Heavenly Father. I know that our struggles are known and understood by our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I am truly grateful and humbled by His infinite atonement that extends us the grace and mercy we need to not only be cleansed but also healed. Although I would not choose to feel depressed, I am grateful for the deeper understanding I have gained because of this trial. I move forward striving to feel His love more abundantly, being more mindful and grateful for His bounteous blessings, and daily exercising the power of our Savior’s infinite atonement.

---Dalynne

Revelation

I taught a lesson recently in church about revelation. I have been pondering this topic for quite a while. Elder Bednar gave a talk about the different ways revelation can come if you have the Gift of the Holy Ghost. He mentioned some being: visions, dreams, visits from heavenly messengers, and inspiration. He then went on to say how many accounts in the scriptures are of visions, dreams, and heavenly messengers, and said that those do happen. However, they are more of the exception than the rule. He explained that the Lord teaches us line upon line.

Nephi did not know how he would obtain the plates from Laban. He had to try three times, with the first two being failures. The third time, he proceeded all on faith, and it was revealed to him how to obtain them when he stumbled across passed out Laban. How many times in our lives do we get frustrated because we are symbolically on our way back to Jerusalem and the Lord has not revealed to us what we should do? We have to have faith and proceed, doing the best we know how, until the path becomes clear. I dont think Nephi would have handled it very well if he knew from the beginning he would have to kill Laban to save the sacred text.

When I think back on the times I know i have had revelation, the revelation has come after my faith has been tested and before things fall apart. It comes at the perfect time for everything to fall into place and work out for my good.

I believe if we pray for inspiration and opportunities to practice communicating with the Spirit, those opportunities will be granted to us if we watch for them. Our loving Heavenly Father wants to communicate with us, and the more opportunities we allow ourselves to hear those promptings, the more familiar we will become with them. President Monson is a wonderful example of listening to the Spirit and has told many stories of times that he has acted on a prompting and has been so glad he did. May we all strive to have more faith in the Lord's timing and create more opportunities to feel the promptings of the Spirit.

-Jashley

An Experiment with Granola

Today I made some granola. I have made this recipe before, and loved it. It’s a
chocolate granola, so that will tell you right there just how delicious it is.
I had a hankering for this granola, and thought I probably had all of the ingredients.

After digging through my loose recipes in the cupboard, I finally found it and started compiling ingredients.

I realized I didn’t have the right kind of nuts that it called for. So I decided to use sliced almonds and walnuts instead of smoked almonds. I think that the last time I made this recipe, I used pecans…

Though the recipe didn’t call for it, I added some coconut, because I had it on hand and I LOVE coconut in granola.

I also decided to add some craisins. Chocolate and craisins would taste great together, right?

And a little extra honey wouldn’t do any harm, either.

After mixing all of the ingredients, I realized that I had followed only about half of the recipe. It had turned into a Carson Creation, with only the basics from the actual recipe. And you know, the last time I made granola I made it a little different from the recipe, as well. But not the same as today.

And I do this a lot in cooking. Do you? Decide to add a little here, or substitute
something else there? (Substituting has become huge in my house, because I almost always am missing one specific ingredient on the list. Lack of planning? Or intuitive replacement?!)

This made me think about life. There are so many ways to get to a great outcome. And each person can add their own flair of creativity to their recipe of life. Some people use walnuts instead almonds, because it’s what they have. And you know what—they taste great!

And sometimes, it doesn’t matter how amazing the ingredients sound that go together in one recipe, or how often you’ve made the recipe before—it might not
turn out. Even though the chocolate called for in this granola sounds amazing, I put a little too much in, and lost a lot of the taste of the other ingredients to chocolate. Also, I have made granola many times before—but today, I burned it.

    You can do so many little things to a recipe to make it better, but you can also do so many little things to a recipe to ruin it!

Fortunately, adding the craisins and some fresh (uncooked) coconut to my granola evened out the burned and over-chocolaty taste. And now the bit of burned is How about that? My mistake created an interesting flavor. Different, and not what I was expecting, but still delicious. Although I did learn that using foil instead of actually adding a kind of smoky taste that I really like. parchment paper will make it cook faster—and burn faster, too. 

And of course, I can always start over from scratch. There is always the option to try again.

If I make a mistake (I mean other than in cooking), I can fix it with a little help from the Lord. He can help me find a way to make it better, and even help me appreciate what my mistakes have added to my character. I have learned that with every mistake I repent of, I gain compassion and understanding. He can even help me have the courage to completely throw out a bad habit and start afresh. 

And you know, it might be a good idea to share what I have learned while making mistakes and asking the Lord to help me fix them. I may be able to help someone else feel less alone, or avoid the same mistake altogether.

Do you ever read reviews for recipes when you are getting them online? After many trials and errors, I realized that was a good idea. To get hints about what will help or hinder the recipe from those who have already made the recipe. If I add what I learned about using foil vs. parchment and adding too much chocolate, someone else might avoid a burned and over-chocolaty batch of granola.

It takes courage to try the same recipe again after learning from yours and others’ mistakes. But that is what creates perfect recipes, and really good cooks.

So here is my advice (at least, for chocolate granola :D )

 

The Carson Version of Chocolate Granola

½ cup (or a little more) of almonds, walnuts, or pecans (or a mixture)
½ cup shredded coconut (I like the sweetened kind in the baking isle)
2.5 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips 

½ cup craisins or dried cherries
 

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper (don’t use foil—trust me). Put oats, nuts, and coconut on baking sheet and toss.
Mix the oil and honey together, then drizzle over ingredients on baking sheet, and toss to combine. Bake in oven for 16-20 minutes until brown, tossing occasionally. When done, put hot granola in a bowl and add the chocolate chips. Don’t do more than ½ cup, or it will be too chocolaty (unless you added a significant amount of the other ingredients over what the recipe calls for)! You want to do it while it’s hot—the melting chocolate creates clusters of granola. Add the craisins and mix all together. Store in airtight container. Tastes really good on vanilla ice cream :D

So, how are you going to tweak this recipe?

-Carson

Tucking In Grandma

          My grandma and my uncle Gordon live in a senior center nearby, and I go visit every Sunday night. Most nights I’m there, Uncle Gordon asks if I can get Grandma ready for bed. She always says that I’m probably much too tired and shouldn’t have to stay and help her. I always say I don’t mind, that I’d be happy to help. Then I help pull her out of her chair, set her hands on her walker, and guide her as she shuffles through the bedroom and into the bathroom.
          The first time Uncle Gordon asked if I would get Grandma ready, I definitely minded. I had never helped anyone get ready for bed. Or at least, no one older than five. I frantically called my mom for instructions, then tried to stay calm and do my best. It didn’t help that Grandma was sick and I had to change all her clothes. I helped her clean up and get into her silky red pajamas. I put her black wig on the mannequin head on her dresser. Then she sat on her walker and handed me her teeth. Dentures are plastic and slippery, and I nearly dropped them. But I managed to brush them in warm water and Crest and hand them back to her all minty fresh. And all the while Grandma encouraged and complimented me like I’d been doing this my whole life. That’s just who Grandma is.
          When we were done with her teeth, I helped her over to her bed. We sat on the edge, and I held her hand while I said a prayer out loud that she would feel better and would be able to sleep through the night. Then I pulled the blankets back, tucked her into bed, and kissed her goodnight. It was probably the kindest thing I’ve been able to do for my grandma, and I wanted to go home and cry.
          Helping Grandma get ready for bed has become fairly routine now. Every Sunday night, Gordon and I sing a few hymns together while I play them badly and Grandma smiles like it’s the most beautiful sound she’s ever heard. I don’t know if she can really hear any of it. Then Gordon says, “After this song, will you get Mom ready for bed?” So we play one more hymn, and then Grandma and I slowly make our way to the bathroom.
          Now, as I help her get ready for bed, we talk. I tell her about the car I just bought, she asks about gas mileage. I tell her about the guys I just went out with; she asks which one I like best. She asks about work. We talk about Grandpa. She tells me I’m amazing, and I tell her I got it from her.
          She always tells me I’m amazing. And when I help her, I begin to believe she might just be right—and that I may have inherited more from her than I’d thought.
-Lori

Cleaning Frenzy

Growing up my amazing mother always wanted us to keep the house clean.  Her famous words, “ten people can clean in 20 minutes, what it would take one person to clean in an hour!” still ring in my ears as a clean my own home today.  While I never understood her constant need for our house to be clean, I would hurry through my chores as fast as I could so I could move on and play with my friends.  She was notorious for making us do things over and over again until it was finished met her standards.  Never before have I seen such perfect vacuuming lines as I have seen in my mother’s home.  At the time it was torture, but now I am so grateful for how she taught me.  I now understand that she was trying to have a clean home so the spirit would be able to dwell there.  That is not to say that it was perfectly clean all of the time, that is near impossible with no kids, let alone with eight, but it did make a difference in the spirit of our home when it was clean versus dirty.  The spirit likes to dwell in organized clean places. My mother has also often told me, “You wouldn’t see dirty clothes laying on the floor of the temple would you? Why do you think it is ok to leave your clothes on your floor?”  Oh mom, you are so wise.

The other part of a clean home is how it affects the contention.  It is amazing how different the day would go when we would arrive home from school to a clean home with church music playing softly in the background, as opposed to less perfect days when things weren’t as clean when we got home and we were loud and rowdy and itching for a fight.  There was definitely less contention when our home was clean. 

         Now that I am married and cleaning my home on my own, with the help of my husband of course, I find that I have a hard time keeping up.  I will see some dishes in the sink and think, “oh there is only three dishes in there, I will do it later” and three days later, there those three dishes still lay multiplied by four.  There are simply things that I like doing that are way more fun and exciting than dishes or vacuuming.  As it is probably apparent to all of you, I have come to realize that if I do just a little cleaning every day I can easily stay on top of everything and have plenty of time to spare doing the things that I enjoy doing. 

         I came across this cleaning chart that I have loved! It is easy to follow, colorful, and has pictures. It really gets the endorphins flowing!  I have used this chart for a while now and it has made such a difference.  The daily chore is so simple, and I finish so quickly that I feel like I can conquer the world! 

         I have found that I do so much better when I feel like something is “due” for the day. Having just finished college 12 days ago, I am still very much in the mindset of due dates and studying for final exams.  I like feeling like I have to meet a deadline, and this chart helps me do just that. I think the most important thing is to realize that you are doing you best, your house doesn’t have to be clean 100% of the time, but knowing that you are trying is what matters! So good luck to all of you out there! *I never in a million years would have guessed I would be writing about cleaning, I guess people really can change!*

-Kim

The Value of Motherhood and Womanhood

We live in a time when the idea of motherhood is degraded. A lowly station, not worthy of praise or recognition. Not to be aspired to, devalued and overlooked. And yet the time, work, and effort required of mothers is without price. Who can measure a mother's worth? Who can measure the worth of a child? It is unfortunate that the insignificance of motherhood is perpetuated by men AND WOMEN alike. How can women downgrade their own eternal value and nobility?

We are often overlooked, under appreciated, undervalued, even sometimes in our own homes. We are probably all guilty of overlooking our own mother. We often don't recognize and notice everything a mother does. It is all behind the scenes.  But to be a mother, suddenly all the invisible efforts come out of the woodwork.

I am guilty of expecting praise and recognition only to be disappointed. We have to find our own value. We cannot look outside ourselves. We have to find it within ourselves, and in God. We have to be proud of our motherhood and stand for it. We can change the world one day at a time, one child at a time.  I learning this slowly.  It's hard to recognize your own value when others don't. It's hard to think you are doing a great work when your work includes piles of dirty laundry, when you wade through mess after mess, find it hard to get yourself ready for the day, and struggle with how to teach your children to whine just a little less. The tasks of motherhood are usually very mundane. We are more than our surroundings. Our work is more than the mundane daily tasks. We cannot expect others to value us if we do not value ourselves and the nobility of our work.

This past weekend I stood alongside the bed of a woman who had just given birth to a beautiful baby boy. The father had tears in his eyes, for his son was not expected to live longer than a few hours. His mother held him tightly, but smiled down at him. I expected to see grief and heartache. Although I am sure she felt an abundance of sadness, she was just so grateful to hold him for a few hours and listen to him breath, and consider the hope of raising him someday, to get a glimpse of the future. They had called many loved ones to come visit, family and friends, to come and see their son before he was to be called back home. This mother knew she was giving up her son now, but knew she was not losing him forever. He would be hers to hold again because motherhood is eternal. She has no idea, but she inspired me.

As President Monson said so well, "Who can probe a mother’s love? Who can comprehend in its entirety the lofty role of a mother? With perfect trust in God, she walks, her hand in his, into the valley of the shadow of death that you and I might come forth unto life...  The 'Mother forgotten' is observed all too frequently. ... May each of us treasure this truth; one cannot forget mother and remember God. One cannot remember mother and forget God. Why? Because these two sacred persons, God and mother, partners in creation, in love, in sacrifice, in service, are as one."

I am making a resolve to daily find my own value in motherhood and womanhood, to rely less on the praise of others, and to find fulfillment with God in my sacred calling.

-Laura Morris

You Know Enough

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=911029441001

As human beings we are imperfect.  It’s easy to recognize all the things we do wrong in our lives, and that causes us to feel we are inadequate.  Heavenly Father sent us here to be successful, in every aspect of our lives.  He wants us to be happy, He wants to see us accomplish our goals.  Whether it be something we want to accomplish at work, in our homes, in a church calling, or any other goal we might have, Heavenly Father is there to help us, and He has given us the knowledge we need to succeed.

-Alyssa

Mothers

Happy Mother's Day 2014!

To commemorate the wonderful women in our lives, I'd like to post a quote that I feel expresses the sentiment perfectly.  This is from a talk given at the BYU Women's conference in 2010 by Dallin H. Oaks.

"The greatest example of service, because it is so unselfish and so expressive of the will of God, is the action of a mother for her children.  In her story, 'The Invisible Woman,' Nicole Johnson likens the mother's role to that those builders made great sacrifices to build a cathedral 'they would never see finished.' Though their individual efforts were 'invisible' to the world, their actions were 'fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.' She likened this to a mother's essentially invisible work with her children.  She wrote that her own invisibility sometimes felt like an 'affliction,' but she wisely observed that this was the 'cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness.' Nicole Johnson concluded: 'As mothers, we are building great cathedrals.  We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, [but] at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women."

Overcoming Sadness and Finding Joy

When I was in Nursing School, we learned about Postpartum Depression.  I passed the test, did all the homework, and thought "surely mothers are just being self-centered, and not appreciative of their new children"  Yes. I realize this was horrible of me to think, and you know what? I definitely learned my lesson.  That lesson was learned through having children of my own, and suffering myself through this depression.  

At the time, I didn't understand what was going on. Here, I had a wonderful baby boy who was adorable, I had a loving supportive husband and things were going fine. No major setback, no major trials, nothing. But I HATED life. I would cry every night, and would yell and scream for no reason.  At the flip of a switch too.  One second I would be happy and laughing, and literally 2 SECONDS later, I was screaming and yelling and crying. My poor husband. Here he thought he married a sweet girl, only to find out I was a total Monster!  The first year after my little boy was born, was absolutely horrible, in my mind. I seriously could not think of anything good. Ever. Any day or night.  It was hard, to say the least.  Several things made it harder than it probably had to be.

First, I was in denial about what it was.  Postpartum Depression?  Me?  No way!  Life just stinks.  I refused to call it what it was, and seek help for it. And because of that, I was in a constant cycle of happy...sad...try harder...nope, still sad.

Second, Even after I started to realize it was Postpartum Depression, I thought 'I can handle it', 'I don't need help'.  I was too prideful to even consider asking for help. I thought, If the 'pioneer women could raise 10 children by themselves, by Golly, I should be able to handle 1.  This is such a horrible thought process, because it minimizes our own trials ( or someone else's trials) by comparing them.  People can handle different things. What is hard for me, may be easy for you, and vice versa. 

Third, I had this crazy notion that I was the only one who was suffering through this.  I seriously thought, 'This is only happening to me'. Boy, is that wrong!  So many women are going through this, but we keep it to ourselves.  Its hard when we seem to only see the 'perfect lives' of people, but we need to realize we are not the only ones struggling with this, there is strength in knowing we are not alone.  

Not to say Postpartum Depression isn't difficult by itself, because it surely is!  but, I also think I made it that much worse because of these three things.  And the more I have talked to other mothers...the more I have realized many of us go through this and do these three things.  

So many women go through this struggle. We need to never be afraid or ashamed. There are those who can help, either because they have gone through something similar or because they simply LOVE you! 

But there is hope.  There are so many ways that we can endure through this struggle and come out of this trial with happiness and hope in the future!  We are here to have JOY!  and to focus on the good in our lives!  And no, I'm not saying we can just think 'I'm going to be happy'  and then, magically we are happy.  I know it doesn't work like this. And I know some people struggle with Depression for years, possibly most of their lives.  No, what I am saying, is that when we put forth effort, whatever effort that is, big or small. then we will be blessed for it. Our Savior has not left us alone. He is here for us and He wants us to succeed. 

Elder Scott, in a talk entitled "Finding Joy in Life" wrote: "Sadness, disappointment, and severe challenge are events in life, not life itself. I do not minimize how hard some of these events are. They can extend over a long period of time, but they should not be allowed to become the confining center of everything you do. The Lord inspired Lehi to declare the fundamental truth, “Men are, that they might have joy.”  That is a conditional statement: “they might have joy.” It is not conditional for the Lord. His intent is that each of us finds joy. It will not be conditional for you as you obey the commandments, have faith in the Master, and do the things that are necessary to have joy here on earth." You can find the talk here

I have learned that we can have hope for the future.  And this has come to me through faith, patience and understanding. 

To those who struggle with Depression, or any other mental struggles, I would suggest another talk, by Elder  Holland 'Like A Broken Vessel' found here.

-Cherstin