lds poetry by kelly miller: November 2011

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Men's Hearts Shall Fail Them

Let not your heart fail
Midst timultuous times
Trust all will be well
As to faith one aligns

Monday, November 28, 2011

Light the eyes of children
Put laughter on their lips
Lift their hearts to heaven
Their joy- life's richest gift

A Bright Shining Star
THOMAS S. MONSON
2010 First Presidency Christmas Devotional
December 5, 2010

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Peace on the Earth

Peace on the Earth
Can be found today
If we humbly search
God's laws show the way

This is the Way

Step on the sacred grounds
Where the holy temple lay
Feel God's love that surrounds
Towards heaven, this is the way

When You Take Off the Badge

When you take off the badge
Your mission call does not end
No matter what your age
You've the gospel to help send

Be Thankful for each Trial

Be thankful for each trial
That settles in to stay
Being humble all the while
Strength comes no other way

Called to be your Teacher

Called to be your teacher
What is it I can share
To start, I am eager
To show you that I care

The Lord Uses a Scale

The Lord uses a scale
Different than we know
To measure and tell
The worth of a soul

We each have a purpose
Wonderful and grand
A talent for service
Wherever we may stand

Some walk in marble halls
With richness to impart
Others- in stable stalls
Give too, from the heart

God loves the humble
The prayerful and meek
For they spread His gospel
As they're given words to speak

You Matter to Him
President Dieter F Uchtdorf

Outwardly Manifest What's in Your Heart

Outwardly manifest
What's in your heart- display
Serve the Lord, do your best
His light will show the way

Quiet Dignity

You've quiet dignity
Elegance and grace
So filled with charity
Your smile's an embrace

You've confidence to speak
With charity also
Humbly as one meek
You present what you know

Respect is what you give
Helping others stand up tall
Offering perspective
You're a leader to us all

This is not me.
I oft speak before thinking and have to slow down.
My house is chaos and I am forever seeking....
Perhaps that is why I write?
Hope you have been blessed to know
someone like this and can share...

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Say Not in Grief

Say not in grief
My love is no more
But hold to belief
In the living Lord

Monday, November 14, 2011

Our Tears Testify

Our tears testify of the love
Felt at the passing of this son
Sent now to Heaven above
To continue on his mission

Faith, forgiveness urged at funeral services for missionaries killed in Texas accident- Joseph Walker Desert News
Elder Nelson- "Our tears testify of our love for this wonderful, exemplary elder," Elder Nelson said. "Your Redeemer knows exactly how you feel."

http://desne.ws/v9sCEF

The Bible and the Book of Mormon

The Bible and the Book of Mormon are now woven together
For enlightenment, they have become one in our hands
As you pore into one you are drawn into the other
Fulfillment of Ezekiel's prophecy now forever stands

Elder Boyd K. Packer, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said that the Bible and the Book of Mormon “are now woven together in such a way that as you pore over one you are drawn to the other; as you learn from one you are enlightened by the other. They are indeed one in our hands. Ezekiel’s prophecy [in Ezekiel 37:15–19] now stands fulfilled” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1982, 75; or Ensign, Nov. 1982, 53). Boyd K. Packer, “Scriptures,” Ensign, Nov. 1982, 51

Sunday, November 13, 2011

A Book of Mormon Story

What the Book of Mormon has done for me- the most
Is fill me with the love of God come of the Holy Ghost
Old Testament prophets have left great marks on me
Having laid a foundation... filled with fond memories
The Book of Mormon adds to this, making my life complete
The Spirit I feel inside is ever sweet to greet

Starting around 600 BC, in Jerusalem
A prophet left the city, taking his family with him
Obediently, this they did by way of God's command
Later, then, they sailed to their own promised land
Generations of records were compiled by one of the last
A prophet named Mormon helps us learn from the past

God continues to speak to His people today
Still requiring of us that we obey and pray
Prophets testify of the Savior- His suffering for man
As a second witness He came to the Book of Mormon's land
The words offer us comfort and peace unto good cheer
Truly to the Americas, He did appear!

sorry this is not very good poetry- but the video is excellent!

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Standing on the Side of Love

Standing on the side of love
In the absence of fear
I place my trust in God above
And feel His Spirit near

In all the Annals of History

In all the annals of history
Jesus is the only one
Who could know sin and misery
Perfectly... to atone

If you could take all that is grand
Of all the days the earth has known
You'd have one speck of a glimpse at hand
Of the perfection it took to atone

This is the one truth most worth knowing
He is peace and security
He can lift us from our burdens- growing
Unto salvation with purity

In life it is expected
That we will all fall to Satan's lure
We came here to be tested,
To find our Savior, repent, and endure

To appease the demands of justice
He stands both willing and able
To extend mercy as we trust Him
And become a covenant people

The One Truth Worth Knowing
President Boyd K. Packer
LDS.org click on post title to go directly to http://lds.org/study/prophets-speak-today/unto-all-the-world/the-truth-most-worth-knowing?lang=eng

There is a Mediator, a Redeemer who stands both willing and able to appease the demands of justice and extend mercy to those who are penitent

Friday, November 11, 2011

Pause and Remember

We pause to remember
Solemnly with pride
Our American heroes
Who now live and have died

We owe these men and women
Our respect and admiration
We give thanks for each veteran
For their service to this nation

Mitt Romney
Today, Veterans Day, we pause to remember - and to take solemn pride in -
America’s heroes. We owe the men and women who have served in our armed forces our respect, our admiration, and our eternal gratitude.

We Who in Freedom Live Today

We who live in freedom today
Remember those so brave
Who believe in the American way
Our sovereign rights to save

The greatest act that one can do
Is to do what's hard, but right
To face their fears and enemies too
And be steadfast in the fight

If we were ever to forget
Life's lessons would be gone
But a patriot's heart will never let
The lapse of freedom's song

Thus in the season where colors fall
And families gather near
Let us also pay tribute to honor's call
And thank our veterans dear

Dear veterans how we thank you
And we need you still today!
Help us remember and renew
Our pledge under God always

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

When I was a Little Boy

When I was a little boy
I was bored in school
I disturbed class to annoy
Thinking it was cool

For when the teacher said, "enough!"
Through the office came my reward
In their efforts to be tough
They sent me home to be bored

But my mom was a teacher
At another school
And each day she would share
Lessons of the golden rule

This was a public class
And the Bible was a friend
For the lessons taught us fast-
Goodness wins in the end

Yet, I continued my ways
In the days before detention
To my mother's class always
Enjoying that attention

Then one day...she said, "enough!"
And put me in a Christian School
They lacked "authority"... it was tough
Though I was young, I could not be fooled

I learned about lip service
And that was when I changed my ways
I rose to a higher purpose
And will do so for the rest of my days!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Chasing

Chasing all the wrong things
I sought to fulfill my dreams
But no lasting peace was tasted
And oh the time I have wasted

Someone Tried

Someone tried
To destroy my name
Claiming I'd
Do what would bring me shame

My daughter had her Facebook hijacked and they deleted pictures and made rude propositions in her name...Unfortunately she suspects a few old friends. They would have to know her email password as well. The new definition of mean girls- use what they know about you to make you look bad.

You Stepped in Drama

You stepped in drama
Get yourself out
Let it be a comma
To goodness about

Become a Light for all to See

Become a light for all to see
Illuminate what comes of Christ
Read, study, pray...consistently
Radiate love... and do what's right

Become a beacon of righteousness
Testify of all that you feel
Help others know of God's existence
That the windows of heaven are real

President Thomas S. Monson
Become a Light for All to See
LDS.org click post's title to go directly to Our Prophet Speaks Today

http://lds.org/study/prophets-speak-today/unto-all-the-world/become-a-light-for-all-to-see?lang=eng

The Captain of the Soul- Invictus/ The Soul's Captain by Elder Orson F. Whitney

Invictus by William E. Henley
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance,
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

The Soul's Captain [The Answer]
by Elder Orson F. Whitney
of the Quorum of the Twelve
Art thou in truth? Then what of him
Who bought thee with his blood?
Who plunged into devouring seas
And snatched thee from the flood?
Who bore for all our fallen race
What none but him could bear.
The God who died that man might live,
And endless glory share?
Of what avail thy vaunted strength,
Apart from his vast might?
Pray that his Light may pierce the gloom,
That thou mayest see aright.
Men are as bubbles on the wave,
As leaves upon the tree.
Thou, captain of thy soul, forsooth
Who gave that place to thee?
Free will is thine — free agency
To wield for right or wrong;
But thou must answer unto him
To whom all souls belong.
Bend to the dust that head "unbowed,"
Small part of Life's great whole!
And see in him, and him alone,
The Captain of thy soul

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 Mission

153 Countries Visited! June 2015

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