Friday 21 November 2014

“Our Primary Colours”


There is a Primary song that sings: “Our Primary colours are one, two, three red, yellow and blue. Each one has a message for you and me. Each is a symbol true! Red is for “Courage” to do what is right, yellow for “Service” from morning till night. Blue is for “Truth” in our thought and our deeds. We will be happy when this is our creed.” With that song in mind, I am going to match a colour with superlatives to describe each member of my family. I hope they inspire some life and colour into your lives. When I was young my parents taught me that RED stood for COURAGE or for someone who is COURAGEOUS, VALIANT, HEROIC, DETERMINED, GALLANT, BRAVE and FEARLESS. These words describe Isaiah perfectly, even though he has Down syndrome; that has not deterred him from qualifying for the NSW state swimming championships 4 years in a row.

The colour YELLOW reminds me of Ariana who amidst all of her disabilities, now with life threatening seizures, she is HAPPY, CHEERFUL, CONTENT, BRIGHT and ENERGETIC, and even though she is autistic and blind, she has a CLARITY, INTENSITY, VITALITY and OOMPH that many of us do not possess. She is our sunshine and light that often illuminates the pathway for our family’s future. PINK is my favourite colour, why? It invokes the characteristics of being BOLD, AMAZING, DARING and WILLING to SUBMIT to the will of the Supreme. This colour also reminds me of my wife Leihana and her TENDERNESS, SENSITIVITY, CARING and her LOVE unfeign. Her favourite colour is BLUE which also describes her personality, whilst in the midst of many different challenges; she gave birth to 2 beautiful angels who are disabled. To us as a family, she is our CONQUEROR, STRONG, DURABLE, RESILIENT, ROBUST, STURDY, SERVES, LOYAL and very SOLID.

The colour GREEN is Fale Junior’s favourite which also describes him perfectly. He is a GOGETTER, RISK-TAKER, CONFIDENT and full of HOPE. He always takes the opportunity to be involved, even if his peers do not. The other superlatives that come to mind are GO, FREEDOM, SUCCESS, PROSPERITY, FRUITFUL and BOUNTIFUL. The colour WHITE really represents my 13 year old daughter Kiana and the standards she holds dear and her character of being WELL-MANNERED, TRANSPARENT, SPARKLING, CLEAN, PURE, INNOCENT, BLAMELESS and GUILTLESS and full of INTEGRITY. The colour PURPLE reminds me of each of the children and I guess many of you and what you may each potentially achieve. It is a colour that is often paired with HONOUR, HERITAGE, PRIDE, IMPORTANCE, SIGNIFICANCE, PROMINENCE, ROYALTY and NOBILITY.

And finally, Viliami, BLACK has often been misrepresented with negative connotations. Not in this case, as the oldest child, he has had many challenges which at times seemed dark or (the stereo type) “black”, yet he remained TRUE, HONEST, AUTHENTIC, POWERFUL and COMMANDING in his FOCUS and FAITHFUL in his COMMITMENT in defending his standards, ideals and very GIFTED, CLEVER and SMART in finding solutions for himself and his younger Down syndrome brother and blind, autistic sister. So, what colour and or colours describes you and each member of your family? What emotions do they represent and inspire in your lives? Are they one of Courage, Honesty, Nobility, Innocence, Happiness, Faith, Strength or CHARITY? They each have a specific meaning and purpose that describe who we each are as human beings and what we all hope to become. Why not put a little colour into your lives; find a colour, match each family member to it, and then use the above superlatives to describe who they are. Each one has a purpose, an importance, significance and a heritage that is from a heavenly heritage, nobility and royalty.

Love, love, love,


Spiritual References: Ezra 3:12, Job 28:27, Psalms 16:11, 30:5, 37:11, Proverbs 23:31, Ezekiel 1:4, 8:2, Isaiah 64:4, 1 Corinthians 2:9-12, Acts 17:29, Romans 8:17, 2 Corinthians 3:18, 2 Nephi 2:10-13, 25 “Men are that they might have joy” D&C 76:10, 88:20-22, 25-26, Moses 4:28, 5:10, Abraham 3:22, 23-27, Hymn 226 “Improve the Shining Moments”, 227, 228, 229, 230, Children’s Songbook, 228, 258 “Our Primary Colours” 

Thursday 13 November 2014

“They Hunger After Righteousness"


Amos who saw our day over 2,500 years ago prophesied “…they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord…” The Lord expanded this truth to the Jews, but added that there is a spiritual reward: “Blessed are they which do hunger after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” And to the Ancient Americans he added a gift that would not only feed them the truth, but it will consistently take away the hunger “for they shall be filled…with the Holy Ghost.” It is the Holy Ghost that fills the hunger, but only through personal righteousness, without that we are wandering lost without direction and vision.  In the midst of a world that is in darkness with the philosophy of men, Amos wrote “I will darken the earth in the clear day”…mankind are hungering and thirsting for righteousness and for the word of the Lord. To the Samaritan woman, the Lord taught: “…whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst…a well of water springing up unto everlasting life.” and “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger…”

What many spiritually hungry individuals do not understand is that the hunger can only be satisfied by the simple principle, humility or as the Lord taught “For I will not accept none of your sacrifices…ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh…I will baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost.” After attending the YW’s “New Beginnings Night” in 2013, Kiana (then 11yrs) taught us in our family scripture reading that: “these are my young women’s values”: “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.”

Our sons and daughters, youth, primary children and all human beings who have ever lived or are living…when moved upon by the Holy Ghost will recognise truth. We cannot hide or drip feed them anymore. Therefore parents, leaders, teachers, priesthood holders, we must constantly and consistently watch, allow them to learn for themselves and then teach diligence, when diligence is learned, then add virtue, when virtue is learned add knowledge that gives wisdom and so forth until all those young women/men values are embedded in not only theirs, but also into our hearts, minds and spirit. President J. Reuben Clark Jr. taught “Youth are hungry for the truth and for the things of the Spirit and eager to learn the gospel. They want it straight, undiluted. They want to know about our beliefs; they want to gain testimonies of the truth. They are not now doubters, but inquirers and seekers of the truth.” Stop diluting the truth with half-truths…that is Satan’s MO, but it must not be ours. We need to provide them with the truth without watering down the principles and standards of God. Petting is NOT ok when dating, using some swear words here and there is NOT ok to use, God lives and is not dead and if they are to go on a mission, don’t give them incentives, they must find their own foundation and purpose to go, otherwise they will flounder and blame you for every mistake they make.

To Simon Peter the Lord warned “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you…But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail thee not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” Our first and foremost call in this life is “To Bring Souls unto Christ” or “To strengthen our brethren/sisters”.  Many are caught in the chains of darkness, doubt, fear, they are timid, inhibited, and are constantly paralysed by the world and the adversary. There has never been a greater need and time for us as parents, leaders, teacher and those whom are fully converted…to teach pure doctrine and establish God’s eternal and undefiled truth, laws and commandments within our community, within our youth, and most importantly within the walls of our homes. Their souls, not only children, but each and every human soul on this earth whether they recognise it or not, they are hungering and thirsting after righteousness and the values, principles, laws, commandments and truths established by God. Teach them the truth, straight and undiluted.

Love, love, love,

Spiritual References: Numbers 14:24, Deuteronomy 6:5, 10:12, 26:16, Joshua 24:15, 1 Samuel 3:1, Proverbs 21:21, Jeremiah 29:13, Amos 8: 4-14, Mathew 5, Mark 12:30, Luke 22: 26-34, John 4, 6, 21: 15-17, James 5:16, 1 Peter 1: 2-9, 1 Nephi 1:5-8, 2 Nephi 9:51, Enos 1:4, Omni 1:26, Mosiah 3:19, 3 Nephi 9:19-20, 12, Moroni 10:32, TG Spirituality, Access to God