I have some questions myself, for Sali or anyone else who believes in the “Sunday face”. Do you view others the same way you view yourself, with all their shortcomings? Or do you only view yourself with shortcomings? Do you believe other’s have no shortcomings? I can fully testify that you won’t meet a single person in church or outside of church without shortcomings, whether they wear them on the outside or not, they are there.

I had an experience a few months ago that helped me to understand how our Heavely Father views us when a miracle no less happened a Sunday morning that I was to teach a RS lesson. I awoke with no feeling in my legs due to a disease that plagues my body. I was determined not to call a last minute substitute and had to TOTALLY submit my will that day to my Heavenly Father and in doing so his spirit filled me to the brim. I still had no feeling in my legs, but I had strength to stand, and I knew it wasn’t my strength. You might think that was the miracle, but it was not. The miracle was in the moment my body filled with the strength of my Savior I was also filled with light that offered me the ability to see people (and the world) as I had never seen them before. I saw no flaws in peoples faces, their countenances shown forth like the sun at noon. I felt an unmeasurable amount of love for people I had never even met before. I could see love radiating around and toward everyone, and sadly I could also see those who did not receive that love radiating and offered toward them.

I wish I could say I retained that ability and that strength, and believe you me I tried, but life took hold and my will took over and it began to fade a little each day. Dang I wanted it to stay, but failed to submit enough to keep it. I am back to my old self. Lacking yet yearning.

I don’t want to judge anyone, but offer a thought that perhaps there is love radiating toward us that will help us to view ourselves in the way the Savior does and that in doing so will help us to have the power to overcome all things. We are daughters and sons of God and that divine nature is within us. We need to focus our attention on that divine nature and not the natural man born to us with our bodies. Sali I assure you that you really are what that sister saw in you that day. She was seeing you through the Savior’s eyes. I have shortcomings a many, some grevious to my mind, but when I recall the love I felt that day from my Savior I do not doubt he loves me just the way I am and that he loves you the way you are. I have no doubt there is a “Sunday face” but heres to hoping we are all trying to make that Sunday face into an everyday face.

I just consider myself really lucky that some people are fooled.

One thing that irritates me though, is when women constantly deny what I’m saying about myself. I feel like saying “Hey, it’s the TRUTH, I’m not looking for a compliment!” The Sunday face (or weekly face!) that THEY put on me is as much to everyone’s detriment as mine, as no-one ever finds out who the other woman really is.

Wow – I just delurked, all the way from Oz=)

Since, here in mortality, we all see through a glass darkly, I guess the only one who sees us as we truly are is God. Our challenge, then, is to try to see ourselves as God sees us (and to see others as God sees them).

I think that is more difficult for some of us than it is for others. Some of us focus so doggedly on our own weaknesses and mistakes that we fail to see how magnificent (though imperfect) we really are–how beautiful and strong, how funny and caring and persevering.

Of course, others of us have just the opposite problem.