Laborers in the Vineyard

Elder Holland's General Conference talk "Laborers in the Vineyard" really struck me, particularly when he said:

Then this piercing question to anyone then or now who needs to hear it: “Why should you be jealous because I choose to be kind?”

Brothers and sisters, there are going to be times in our lives when someone else gets an unexpected blessing or receives some special recognition. May I plead with us not to be hurt—and certainly not to feel envious—when good fortune comes to another person? We are not diminished when someone else is added upon. We are not in a race against each other to see who is the wealthiest or the most talented or the most beautiful or even the most blessed. The race we are really in is the race against sin, and surely envy is one of the most universal of those.

Furthermore, envy is a mistake that just keeps on giving. Obviously we suffer a little when some misfortune befalls us, but envy requires us to suffer all good fortune that befalls everyone we know! What a bright prospect that is—downing another quart of pickle juice every time anyone around you has a happy moment! To say nothing of the chagrin in the end, when we find that God really is both just and merciful, giving to all who stand with Him “all that he hath,”² as the scripture says. So lesson number one from the Lord’s vineyard: coveting, pouting, or tearing others down does not elevate your standing, nor does demeaning someone else improve your self-image. So be kind, and be grateful that God is kind. It is a happy way to live.

When I heard that, I immediately thought of Etsy. I ashamedly admit I have had some envious feelings. Elder Holland opened my eyes to see that I am not diminished when someone else is added upon and that I should not be jealous because Heavenly Father chooses to be kind. Instead, I should rejoice when someone experiences success and be grateful when Heavenly Father blesses me in other areas.

Another thought that came to mind is bitterness I have been harboring for years toward another person's success. The person received a scholarship I greatly desired, and instead of being grateful for the still extremely generous scholarship I did win, I cried because I didn't beat her, or at least get the same prize. The past fews years I've realized how blessed my husband and I are not to have student debts, and this talk made me realize even more how ungrateful I've been all these years for the financial blessings and college education I did receive.

I hope that if any of you have bitter feelings as I did that you will let them go through the Atonement of Christ and replace them with joy for your brothers' and sisters' blessings from a generous and loving Heavenly Father.

Goodbye Giveaway

If you have not heard yet, Rachelle will no longer be captain of the LDS Etsy team. As her goodbye and thank you to all of you she is giving away 3 pairs of flower bobby pins from her shop.

Mandatory Entry: Follow this blog. Leave your Etsy username.

1 entry: Leave a sweet note for Rachelle!

1 entry: Like the LDS Etsy team on Facebook. Leave your username.

1 entry: Suggest a way the team can improve.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. The mandatory entry must be done in order for your other entries to count. All entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. PST on Monday, April 30. The winner will be announced here and in the team forum Tuesday, May 1. The winner will have 48 hours to claim the prize or another winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to U.S. LDS Etsy team members only. Good luck!

Captain's Message: Mountains to Climb

Image by SimplySalBoutique on Etsy

Taken from a General Conference called "Mountains to Climb" by Henry B. Eyring in April 2012:

“….Many of you are now passing through physical, mental, and emotional trials that could cause you to cry out as did one great and faithful servant of God I knew well. His nurse heard him exclaim from his bed of pain, “When I have tried all my life to be good, why has this happened to me?”

You know how the Lord answered that question for the Prophet Joseph Smith in his prison cell:

“And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

“The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?

“Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever.”

….If we have faith in Jesus Christ, the hardest as well as the easiest times in life can be a blessing. In all conditions, we can choose the right with the guidance of the Spirit. We have the gospel of Jesus Christ to shape and guide our lives if we choose it. And with prophets revealing to us our place in the plan of salvation, we can live with perfect hope and a feeling of peace. We never need to feel that we are alone or unloved in the Lord’s service because we never are. We can feel the love of God. The Savior has promised angels on our left and our right to bear us up. And He always keeps His word.”

Best Wishes,

Rachelle