lds poetry by kelly miller: And Nothing Shall Offend Them

Wednesday, July 22, 2026

And Nothing Shall Offend Them

Through the strengthening power of the atonement
An offense is over-ruled. We triumph
We can live together with at-one-ment
If we petition in prayer for guidance

Keeping covenants requires dedication
And, of the many who've left their covenants
They are in need of our inspiration
We need prayer to break down walls of offense

Why have they not been participating
In the blessings and programs of the church?
Offtimes they're lifestyles are dissipating
And, grievances have turned them away hurt

These are some of the reasons some have cited:
Some felt excluded and without a friend.
Until some have moved or died
Some vow to not set foot in again

With commandments they struggled to live within
They avoided change and went another way
Do they remember the spirit given?
Do they remember what the scriptures say?

Where once they might have viewed us severely
We pray that they might feel of our concern
If we'd visit and ask them sincerely
Perhaps the spirit might help them return

One of the Lord's disciples has proclaimed
It is time to stop feeling offended
Each of us do things of which we're ashamed
It's time for the lost sheep to feel tended

All must act and not be acted upon
As free agents we can choose for our good
It is time to find the faith that we stand on
The Holy Ghost will witness how we should

[Verse 1] Through the strengthening power Of the atonement An offense is overruled We triumph We can live together With at-one-ment If we petition in prayer For guidance Keeping covenants Requires dedication [Pre-Chorus] And of the many who've left Their covenants They are in need Of our inspiration We need prayer To break down walls Of offense [Chorus] It is time To stop feeling offended It is time To stop feeling offended We can heal We can come back together We can heal If we turn and believe [Verse 2] Why have they not been participating In the blessings and programs Of the church? Offtimes their lifestyles Are dissipating And grievances Have turned them away hurt These are some Of the reasons Some have cited Some felt excluded And without a friend Until some have moved Or died Some vow To not set foot in again [Pre-Chorus] With commandments They struggled to live within They avoided change And went another way Do they remember The spirit given? Do they remember What the scriptures say? [Chorus] It is time To stop feeling offended It is time To stop feeling offended We can heal We can come back together We can heal If we turn and believe [Bridge] Where once they might have Viewed us severely We pray that they might feel Of our concern If we'd visit And ask them sincerely Perhaps the spirit Might help them return One of the Lord's disciples Has proclaimed Each of us do things Of which we're ashamed It is time For the lost sheep To feel tended [Chorus] It is time To stop feeling offended It is time To stop feeling offended All must act And not be acted upon As free agents We can choose for our good It is time To find the faith that we stand on The Holy Ghost Will witness how we should

Elder David A. Bednar
“And Nothing Shall Offend Them,”
Liahona, Nov 2006, 89–92

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He's Been There Before

He's Been There Before by Elder Troy Whittle
The alarm bell rings at 6:30, I stumble to my feet
I grab my companions bedding and pull off his sheets
A groan fills the room, is it already time to arise?
It seems like just a second ago I was able to shut my eyes

The morning activities follow- study, prayer and such
When it's time to leave the apartment, you feel you haven't accomplished much
"We have a super day planned," My comp. says with a grin
I lowly utter a faithless breath, "Yeah, if anyone lets us in."

With the word of God and my faithful Schwinn, we ride off in the street prepared to
Face another day of humidity and heat
It's 9:30 in the evening, the day is almost through
My champion and I are riding home not accomplishing what we thought to do

We ride up to the mailbox, hoping to receive a lot
Only to look inside and hear my echo reverberate "air Box"
We go up to our apartment, the day is now complete
The only thing to show for our work is a case of blistery feet

It's past 10:30 p.m. My companion is fast asleep,
Silence engulfs me all about and I begin to weep
In the midst of sadness, I kneel down to pray
I need to talk to father, but I'm not sure what to say

"Oh, Father" I begin, "What happened to us today?
I thought we'd teach somebody, but everyone was away
My hands, my aching hands- worn, hurt and beat;
If our area was any smaller, we'd have knocked every street"

"Why on missions are the days so much alike?
The only difference about today was the flat tire on my bike
Will you send some cooler weather? The heat is killing me
I sweat so bad, it gets in my eyes, it's very hard to see"

"Why do I have to wear a helmet, isn't your protection enough?
People always laugh at me, and call me stupid stuff
Please send us investigators so I may give them what they lack
I want to give them Books of Mormon, the weight of them hurts my back"

"And what about my family: They don't have much to say
I'm sick of not hearing from home day after day after day
Oh Father, Why am I here am I just wasting time?
Sometimes I just want to go home, I'm sorry but that's on my mind"

"My companion, Heavenly Father, what are you giving me?
"The way he rides his bicycle, I don't think he can see
Now you have it, I can't go on, I don't know what to do
That, my Father in Heaven, is the prayer I have for you"

My prayer now finished, I stand up, then jump right into bed
I need my rest for tomorrow, we have another long day ahead
Sleep start to overtake me, I seem to drift away
Then it seems a vision takes me to another time in another day

I'm standing alone on the hill. The view is very nice
A man walks to wards me and says, "My name is Jesus Christ"
Tears of joy well up inside, I fall down to His feet
"Arise," He states, "Follow me to the shade. You and I need to speak"

My attention's towards my Savior, total and complete
He says, "Your mission is similar of what happened to me
I understand how you feel, I know what you're going through
In fact, it would be fair to say I've felt the same as you"

"I even know how you felt when no one listened to you
At times I felt not quite sure what else I could do
I know you don't like to ride a bicycle, for you a car would be sweet
Just remember the donkey I rode wasn't equipped with 21 speeds"

"I understand you don't like sweating, in fact it's something you hate
I remember when I sweat blood from ev’ry pore, oh the agony was great!
I see you don't like your companion- you'd rather have someone else-
I once had a companion named Judas who sold my life for wealth"

"It's hard to wear a helmet and have people make fun of you
I remember when they put thorns on my head and called me King of the Jews
So you feel burdened down by the weight of your pack
I recall how heavy the cross was when they slammed it on my back"

"Your hands hurt from tracting and knocking on doors all day
I guess when they pounded nails into mine, I ached in a similar way
It's hard not to hear from home when your family's not there to see
I lost communication on the cross and cried, "Father, why hast Thou forsaken me?"

"We have a lot in common, but there's a difference between us you see
I endured to the end and finished my mission, so follow and do like me"
He embraced me with His arms and His light filled me with His love
With tears in my eyes I watched as He went back to the Father above

I stood with awe and wonder when a beep rang in my head
I listened and heard the alarm, then realized I was in my bed
My companion let out a groan, "6:30 already, no way!"
I sat up and said, "Come on, I'll even carry your scriptures today!"

No matter what we go through, when we feel we can't take more
Just stop and think about Jesus Christ, He's been there before
By Elder Troy Whittle
Texas Houston
listen to this as a song
Mission
https://ldspoetrybykellymiller.blogspot.com/2008/06/hes-been-there-before.html

153 -views 2015 a decade ago

Global Statistics

Visits from 153 countries registered.

No.	Country	Date of Last Visit	Percent & Number of Visits
1	United States	June 15, 2015	82.86%	25,281
2	United Kingdom	June 14, 2015	2.61%	795
3	Canada	June 13, 2015	2.42%	737
4	Australia	June 13, 2015	1.81%	551
5	Philippines	June 14, 2015	1.35%	412
6	New Zealand	June 14, 2015	0.99%	303
7	India	June 14, 2015	0.79%	241
8	Brazil	June 14, 2015	0.58%	176
9	Germany	May 15, 2015	0.49%	151
10	Mexico	June 3, 2015	0.40%	121
11	South Africa	June 8, 2015	0.34%	105
12	Russian Federation	Apr 20, 2015	0.26%	80
13	France	June 3, 2015	0.21%	64
14	Malaysia	June 5, 2015	0.14%	44
15	Czech Republic	Apr 17, 2015	0.14%	42
16	Pakistan	Mar 21, 2015	0.13%	41
17	Spain	Apr 28, 2015	0.13%	41
18	Italy	June 8, 2015	0.13%	39
19	Netherlands	May 28, 2015	0.12%	38
20	Europe	June 11, 2015	0.11%	35
21	Indonesia	May 18, 2015	0.11%	35
22	Cote D'Ivoire	May 17, 2015	0.11%	35
23	Japan	Apr 17, 2015	0.11%	33
24	Singapore	May 28, 2015	0.11%	33
25	United Arab Emirates	Apr 25, 2015	0.10%	32
26	Argentina	Apr 27, 2015	0.10%	31
27	Korea, Republic of	Feb 1, 2015	0.10%	31
28	-	May 10, 2015	0.10%	31
29	Thailand	Apr 5, 2015	0.10%	30
30	Ireland	May 19, 2015	0.10%	29
31	Jamaica	June 1, 2015	0.09%	28
32	Turkey	June 14, 2015	0.09%	28
33	Trinidad and Tobago	May 18, 2015	0.09%	26
34	Sweden	May 8, 2015	0.09%	26
35	Guatemala	May 5, 2015	0.08%	24
36	Denmark	May 10, 2015	0.08%	23
37	Saudi Arabia	May 1, 2015	0.07%	20
38	Nigeria	Apr 4, 2015	0.07%	20
39	Hong Kong	Apr 18, 2015	0.07%	20
40	Colombia	May 29, 2015	0.07%	20
41	Chile	Mar 23, 2015	0.06%	19
42	Finland	Mar 25, 2015	0.06%	19
43	Taiwan	Mar 28, 2015	0.06%	18
44	Romania	May 17, 2015	0.06%	18
45	Fiji	Feb 27, 2015	0.06%	17
46	Ghana	May 8, 2015	0.06%	17
47	Belgium	May 30, 2015	0.05%	16
48	Switzerland	Apr 12, 2015	0.05%	16
49	Poland	Apr 6, 2015	0.05%	15
50	American Samoa	Apr 10, 2015	0.05%	14
51	Ecuador	Feb 23, 2015	0.05%	14
52	Serbia	Mar 10, 2015	0.05%	14
53	Austria	Apr 8, 2015	0.04%	13
54	Senegal	Nov 24, 2014	0.04%	13
55	Norway	June 1, 2015	0.04%	13
56	Uruguay	Aug 18, 2014	0.04%	12
57	Peru	Apr 13, 2015	0.04%	12
58	Portugal	Apr 6, 2015	0.04%	12
59	Kenya	Oct 29, 2014	0.04%	12
60	Tonga	Dec 9, 2014	0.04%	11
61	Dominican Republic	Mar 12, 2015	0.04%	11
62	Hungary	Feb 16, 2015	0.03%	10
63	Guyana	Apr 28, 2015	0.03%	10
64	Bangladesh	Jan 19, 2015	0.03%	9
65	Algeria	Feb 5, 2015	0.03%	9
66	Kuwait	Mar 30, 2015	0.03%	9
67	Egypt	Apr 4, 2015	0.03%	9
68	Belize	May 8, 2015	0.03%	9
69	Costa Rica	Feb 4, 2015	0.03%	8
70	Bahamas	Jan 9, 2015	0.03%	8
71	Israel	Feb 27, 2015	0.03%	8
72	Ukraine	Jan 24, 2015	0.03%	8
73	Asia/Pacific Region	June 9, 2015	0.03%	8
74	Honduras	Feb 6, 2015	0.02%	7
75	Cyprus	Mar 21, 2015	0.02%	7
76	Guam	Apr 10, 2015	0.02%	7
77	Greece	June 2, 2015	0.02%	7
78	China	Dec 16, 2014	0.02%	7
79	Panama	Apr 7, 2015	0.02%	6
80	Morocco	Mar 3, 2015	0.02%	6
81	Sri Lanka	Sept 28, 2014	0.02%	6
82	Iraq	Feb 25, 2015	0.02%	6
83	Togo	June 6, 2015	0.02%	6
84	Botswana	May 7, 2015	0.02%	6
85	El Salvador	Apr 23, 2015	0.02%	5
86	Vietnam	Oct 30, 2014	0.02%	5
87	Cook Islands	June 3, 2015	0.02%	5
88	Bulgaria	Oct 27, 2014	0.02%	5
89	Lithuania	June 23, 2014	0.02%	5
90	Slovakia	Jan 19, 2015	0.02%	5
91	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Mar 23, 2015	0.02%	5
92	French Polynesia	Nov 23, 2014	0.02%	5
93	Bahrain	Nov 11, 2014	0.02%	5
94	Slovenia	Jan 16, 2015	0.02%	5
95	Grenada	Mar 10, 2015	0.02%	5
96	Qatar	Jan 15, 2015	0.02%	5
97	Saint Lucia	May 8, 2015	0.02%	5
98	Puerto Rico	Feb 27, 2015	0.01%	4
99	Tunisia	Jan 23, 2015	0.01%	4
100	Malta	Mar 22, 2015	0.01%	4
101	Croatia	Jan 20, 2015	0.01%	4
102	New Caledonia	Jan 13, 2015	0.01%	4
103	Barbados	Apr 29, 2014	0.01%	4
104	Azerbaijan	Jan 14, 2015	0.01%	4
105	Moldova, Republic of	Nov 29, 2014	0.01%	3
106	Lebanon	Feb 11, 2014	0.01%	3
107	Zimbabwe	July 23, 2014	0.01%	3
108	Benin	Feb 19, 2015	0.01%	3
109	Antigua and Barbuda	Aug 1, 2014	0.01%	3
110	Isle of Man	Dec 20, 2014	0.01%	3
111	Bhutan	June 8, 2015	0.01%	3
112	Venezuela	May 14, 2014	0.01%	3
113	Georgia	Mar 3, 2015	0.01%	2
114	Namibia	Oct 22, 2014	0.01%	2
115	Armenia	Jan 12, 2015	0.01%	2
116	Virgin Islands, U.S.	June 20, 2014	0.01%	2
117	Jordan	May 19, 2015	0.01%	2
118	Mozambique	June 23, 2014	0.01%	2
119	Uganda	Aug 4, 2014	0.01%	2
120	Marshall Islands	Jan 28, 2015	0.01%	2
121	Mauritius	Feb 20, 2015	0.01%	2
122	Oman	May 12, 2014	0.01%	2
123	Curacao	Apr 29, 2015	0.01%	2
124	Sierra Leone	Apr 26, 2015	0.01%	2
125	Samoa	Nov 1, 2013	0.01%	2
126	Saint Kitts and Nevis	June 30, 2013	0.01%	2
127	Macau	July 18, 2014	0.01%	2
128	Albania	Aug 17, 2014	0.01%	2
129	Dominica	Mar 12, 2013	0.01%	2
130	Ethiopia	Jan 8, 2015	0.01%	2
131	Estonia	Mar 20, 2015	0.01%	2
132	Cape Verde	May 27, 2013	0.00%	1
133	Cayman Islands	July 27, 2014	0.00%	1
134	Cambodia	Sept 16, 2013	0.00%	1
135	Myanmar	July 18, 2014	0.00%	1
136	Lesotho	Jan 12, 2013	0.00%	1
137	Mongolia	Mar 14, 2015	0.00%	1
138	Zambia	Apr 22, 2013	0.00%	1
139	Montenegro	Nov 19, 2014	0.00%	1
140	Kazakhstan	Jan 9, 2015	0.00%	1
141	Nicaragua	May 29, 2014	0.00%	1
142	Paraguay	Mar 10, 2013	0.00%	1
143	Haiti	Feb 1, 2015	0.00%	1
144	Timor-Leste	Feb 21, 2013	0.00%	1
145	Iceland	June 20, 2014	0.00%	1
146	Aruba	Jan 9, 2014	0.00%	1
147	Liberia	Jan 3, 2014	0.00%	1
148	Northern Mariana Islands	Oct 9, 2014	0.00%	1
149	Gibraltar	Jan 27, 2014	0.00%	1
150	Swaziland	June 16, 2014	0.00%	1
151	Jersey	Mar 30, 2013	0.00%	1
152	Niue	Nov 30, 2014	0.00%	1
153	Latvia

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Wednesday, July 22, 2026

And Nothing Shall Offend Them

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