Heaven's Eyes

 Once my daughter was able to sit up in her high chair and begin eating food by herself, I used that time to load/unload the dishwasher and generally clean up the kitchen. While doing so, particularly on Sunday mornings, I would play music from the Tabernacle Choir. But I often found myself playing their renditions of “Where you are” and “Circle of Life” more than “I am a Child of God” or “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” I particularly became fond of “Through Heaven’s Eyes” from The Prince of Egypt as sung by Brian Stokes Mitchell. The lyrics are a powerful reminder of the importance of perspective (I removed some of the repetition and “La-lai-lai-lai-lai-lee-lai-lai” in the interest of space)

“A single thread in a tapestry

Though its color brightly shines

Can never see its purpose

In the pattern of the grand design

And the stone that sits on the very top

Of the mountains mighty face

Does it think it's more important

Than the stones that form the base?

So how can you see what your life is worth

Or where your value lies?

You can never see through the eyes of man

You must look at your life

Look at your life through heaven's eyes

A lake of gold in the desert sand

Is less than a cool fresh spring

And to one lost sheep, a shepherd boy

Is greater than the richest king

If a man loses everything he owns

Has he truly lost his worth?

Or is it the beginning

Of a new and brighter birth?

So how do you measure the worth of a man

In wealth or strength or size?

In how much he gained or how much he gave?

The answer will come

The answer will come to him who tries

To look at his life through heaven's eyes

And that's why we share all we have with you

Though there's little to be found

When all you've got is nothing

There's a lot to go around

No life can escape being blown about

By the winds of change and chance

And though you never know all the steps

You must learn to join the dance

So how do you judge what a man is worth

By what he builds or buys?

You can never see with your eyes on earth

Look through heaven's eyes

Look at your life through heaven's eyes”

The song is beautiful and the lyrics are stirring! If only I could bottle up the feelings I have when I hear this song and keep them with me always!

Of course sometimes in life we have the opportunity to see or feel things through “heaven’s eyes”. It can come through being a parent for the first time. It can come through a particularly uplifting church meeting or temple session. Perhaps it comes when praying sincerely and earnestly. Or in a myriad of other ways.  My father recently shared that he experienced this at a funeral for his best friend from high school. Words failed to fully express how he felt about it all, but I could feel the meaning of what he was sharing. He said that he felt joy and that the joy swallowed up all of the pain and suffering that had occurred. Perhaps this is what Alma meant as he described he experience to his son Helaman: 

“Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.” (Alma 36:21)

It wasn’t that the negative or bad experiences had not occurred or were not still “bad,” but in the moment, they were swallowed up in joy. That is one of the great miracles of the atonement of Jesus Christ. In the most recent General Conference, Elder Brian K. Taylor quoted Sister Lynda Reeves regarding a heavenly perspective on trials. This is the full quote from Sister Reeves in 2015:

“Sisters, I do not know why we have the many trials that we have, but it is my personal feeling that the reward is so great, so eternal and everlasting, so joyful and beyond our understanding that in that day of reward, we may feel to say to our merciful, loving Father, “Was that all that was required?” I believe that if we could daily remember and recognize the depth of that love our Heavenly Father and our Savior have for us, we would be willing to do anything to be back in Their presence again, surrounded by Their love eternally. What will it matter, dear sisters, what we suffered here if, in the end, those trials are the very things which qualify us for eternal life and exaltation in the kingdom of God with our Father and Savior?”

As I wrote earlier, the trials and hard things that my Dad experienced were not dismissed or not still present. He was fully aware of the fact that he would be going to work again on Monday. He would have to make business decisions, he would have to make choices for his calling, he would have to potentially deal with people who were upset. He could still remember the challenging situations he had experienced, but he felt that those things were swallowed up in the joy of Jesus Christ. This must be one way in which he saw his life through Heaven’s eyes. 

I close with the words of another song, “You Raise Me Up” as sung by BYU’s Vocal Point: 

“There is no life, no life without it's hunger

Each restless heart beats so imperfectly

But when you come and I am filled with wonder

Sometimes I think, I glimpse eternity”

When we invite the Savior into our lives, He will raise us up and sometimes He will raise us so high that we have the chance of seeing things as He does, even if for a small moment.

That Person is a Child of God… Therefore What?

(Guest post by Spencer's dad)

Last month, I wrote an article called “I am a Child of God… Therefore What?” When we see ourselves and others as children of God, will we see them differently?  How would seeing them as children of God change how we interact?

At the conclusion of that article I wrote “Over the next ten days I will consider those questions. In two weeks I will write up some observations I made as I tried to see those around me ?”  Ten days was only the beginning of my re-visualizing the world. A month later I have three conclusions (so far):

1. We are all like the crooked tree we saw off the Old Alaska Highway.  As you look at the attached photo you can see that the top of the tree was bent at a 90 degree angle over the road. No other tree have this unique growth pattern.  No doubt a scientist could study “90 degree Tree” and conclude why this one is unique.   (It is already unique because I gave it a name)

Each of us (children of God) is as unique as 90 Degree Tree.  Our path of life has taken us to places we never imagined (both good and bad).   Our experiences and choices have brought us to where we  today.   It is easy to see how 90 Degree Tree is different than all of the other trees.  It is not as easy to see or accept how different we each are inside and outside.

2. Each child of God is as amazing as 90 Degree Tree. In the last month my eyes have been opened to how amazing each person is no matter where they are on the path.  God sees us as someone of worth. God does not define us by our current or life long challenge. The pine cone does not look much like a tree, but we know that each seed has the potential to become something much different.  We have potential to become something much different than what we have been if we allow God to nourish our seed of faith. 

3. Each child of God grows at different rates (in different seasons).  In our 16 months in the Yukon no one would have expected a tall pine tree to grow from seedling to tower over us. Steady long-term growth will bring that seedling to its towering potential. During spring and summer 2023 we saw flowers grow from seeds to full bloom.  Before we leave this month some flowers will begin their growth cycle. 

Our hope, as missionaries and as church members, is that we can help each other grow.  The gospel provides for us the spiritual nourishment to understand our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  Church meetings allows us to learn from each other and grow our flower.  The programs of the church give us the structure where we can put theory into action.   As we serve children of God we feel the Lord’s love for them (and for us).  

We've Got a Dream!

(Guest Post by Russell)

My daughter loves music. It is one of the joys of my day to see her look at the blank TV and start waving her hand as if directing music. This is her cue that she is ready for listening to music on the TV. We have introduced her to the likes of the Tabernacle Choir, Home Free and their many guests, BYU’s Vocal Point and Noteworthy, and, of course, a myriad of Disney music. One favorite has become “I’ve got a Dream” from Disney’s Tangled. In one of the more recent viewings of this song, I received a insight that reminded me of Elder Sabin’s October 2023 General Conference talk, “Hallmarks of Happiness.” Let me set the stage and make the connection.

In his attempts to scare Rapunzel away from the real world, Flynn Ryder takes Rapunzel to “The Snuggly Duckling,” a tavern of sorts with all sorts of ne'er-do wells. Initially, things look bleak as no one seems to be in the mood to help an innocent looking girl and her vest wearing accomplice. But, in a stroke of chance, her mentioning that she is on a quest of sorts to fulfill her dream, these ruffians’ hearts are pricked and the ensuing song, “I’ve Got a Dream” begins. The number opens with a Hook handed thug (that is how he is referenced in the credits, no name, just “Hook Hand Thug”) expounding on his harsh nature but inner desire to be a concert pianist. Let me pause a moment to reference Elder Sabin’s talk. He shared the following story:

“Several years ago, on a flight home from a Church assignment, Sister Sabin and I found ourselves seated directly behind a very large man who had a big, angry face tattooed on the back of his bald head as well as the number 439.

"When we landed, I said, 'Excuse me, sir. Do you mind if I ask the significance of the number tattooed on the back of your head?’ I didn’t dare ask about the angry face.

"He said, ‘That’s me. That’s who I am. I own that territory: 219!’

"Four hundred and thirty-nine was the actual number on his head, so I was surprised he got it wrong since it was so important to him.

"I thought how sad it was that this man’s identity and self-esteem were based on a number associated with a gang territory. I thought to myself: This tough-looking man was once someone’s little boy who still needed to feel valued and to belong. If only he knew who he really was and to whom he really belonged, for we have all been ‘bought with a price.’”

I suppose I made the connection between these 2 stories because of the follicular challenged nature of the men in both stories, Hook Hand Thug, and Unnamed Man with 439 on his head. I think both the song and Elder Sabin’s commentary after the story highlight the truth that each person is a child of God and that at some point, everyone was someone’s little boy or little girl with dreams much bigger than how their life may have gone. So the next time you see someone who is “malicious, mean, or scary,” has a “sneer that could curdle dairy” try to remember that “way down deep inside” they’ve got a dream.

From Dad Bod to God Bod

(Guest post by B)

“Dad bod” is a slang term in popular culture referring to a body shape particular to middle-aged men. The phrase has been adopted in U.S. culture to refer to a male who was once particularly lean or fit, but over time has gained an excessive amount of body fat, typically around the waist, leading to a "beer belly".  ---Wikipedia

In the recently released trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder, one line from Korg the stone-like Kronan warrior goes into storytime mode with the line “He went from dad bod to god bod.”

This line, while incredibly humorous and relevant in our day, instantly hit me as a reminder of our own individual divine potential.  

As Latter-day Saints we understand that all people are children of Heavenly Parents and have the potential to become like Them (see Acts 17:29; Ephesians 4:6; Hebrews 12:9). The Savior’s admonition to become perfect as He is perfect is an evidence of our divine potential.

Many features found on earth give rise to powerful scriptural symbols. The wildernesses of Jared, Moses, and Lehi symbolize the testing of faith. The thorns and thistles that came after the Fall typify the trials of mortal life. These symbols teach us about the nature and purpose of mortality, but they do not teach us that we should think negatively of the earth. After all, the Lord Himself has declared the earth to be good.

Divine patterns, then, are the processes, fundamental laws, principles, and truths that the Lord seems to follow in ordering and organizing his heavenly and earthly realms. In revealing these divine patterns to his mortal children, the Lord reveals his patterns of truth and righteousness, which, if identified, understood, followed, traced, copied, or imitated, will give us additional motivation to cleanse our souls of earth-stain, crack through accumulated earth crust, and retrace the patterns to our heavenly home.

We can draw three lessons from nature’s grandeur: first, God exists; second, God is powerful; and third, God loves us. One way we can feel a surety of the Creator’s existence is to observe His handiwork. A marvelous way to do this is to gaze into a star-filled sky on a moonless night or to watch the many varieties of summer bee and butterflies on a single lavender bush.  As Alma taught, “All things denote there is a God;”

The knowledge of God’s existence teaches us of His power.

We are keenly aware of God’s majesty and power when we see His handiwork in motion. Next time you stand at the foot of a roaring waterfall or at the toe of a mighty glacier, reflect on the power of the Creator.

The very existence of this earth impresses upon us the reality that God loves us. Our answer may be found in asking another question: how important must mankind be to God, seeing that He has created all of this for us? We are surrounded by signs of God’s love for us.

There are other fundamental lessons to draw from the Creation—lessons of what the Creator might expect from us. By virtue of living upon the earth we shoulder two responsibilities. The first is to care for our beautiful home.

At the Creation of the world God placed Adam and Eve as caretakers, with dominion over “every living thing that moveth upon the earth,” and gave them instructions to “replenish the earth, and subdue it” (Abr. 4:28). The earth, then, was created for us and given into our care. It is within our power to do with it what we like, but since it is God who entrusted it to us, it is to Him we shall answer for what we choose to do.

A second responsibility man owes is gratitude. Gratitude is an essential ingredient in accepting any gift from God.

We can show gratitude by following the second great commandment to “love thy neighbor as they self”

As followers of Christ, we all have a responsibility to create a supportive and loving environment for all God’s children. Such a support network makes it much easier to live the gospel and to seek the Spirit while navigating any aspect of mortality.

So then, how do we put off the natural “dad bod” in us all and become, as Korg put it a “god bod?” We gain an understanding of our individual divine potential. We seek a personal knowledge of our Eternal Father’s existence, His power and His love for us. We strive to follow divine patterns, help others along our way, and do our very best to follow the Savior’s admonition to become perfect as He is perfect.

We are made in the image of our Heavenly Parents, and they don’t make mistakes. As we come to understand those parts of ourselves we don’t initially like, our emotions, fears, attractions, difficulties, or physical imperfections we can take comfort and know we are just as THEY need us to be.