Women of Faith, Virtue, Vision, and Charity

Free LDS Temple Art

2012-01-19T18:13:00.000-05:00

Thought there would be interest in this...

The LDS temple artwork [at this website] is available free for families who otherwise could not afford to have beautiful pictures in their home. These images are free for personal or church use (just not for profit). Click on the image, save to your computer and print with your favorite print shop. If you use them in a cute project or feature them on your site, please link back!

"Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself" (George Albert Smith lesson #2)

2012-01-16T22:00:00.002-05:00

"The measurement of the result of what love and charity may bring into the world is impossible. Opportunity is offered in every branch and ward and mission field to go about

radiating sunshine

developing happiness and lifting up those who are discouraged, and bringing joy and comfort to those who are in distress."
--President George Albert Smith

The exact phrase "Love thy neighbor as thyself" appears in the scriptures 8 times. How quickly can you find one of the references? Our Relief Society presidency was pretty quick -- both Devon and Margie found D&C 59:6 in a very short time!

President Smith had a goal to love all his neighbors -- throughout the entire world.

“I do not have an enemy that I know of, and there is no one in the world that I have any enmity towards. All men and all women are my Father’s children, and I have sought during my life to observe the wise direction of the Redeemer of mankind—to love my neighbor as myself. … You will never know how much I love you. I have not words to express it. And I want to feel that way toward every son and every daughter of my Heavenly Father."

Here is a story that perfectly illustrates this goal:

“On a cold winter morning, the street cleaning crew [in Salt Lake City] was removing large chunks of ice from the street gutters. The regular crew was assisted by temporary laborers who desperately needed the work. One such wore only a lightweight sweater and was suffering from the cold. A slender man with a well-groomed beard stopped by the crew and asked the worker, ‘You need more than that sweater on a morning like this. Where is your coat?’ The man replied that he had no coat to wear. The visitor then removed his own overcoat, handed it to the man and said, ‘This coat is yours. It is heavy wool and will keep you warm. I just work across the street.’ The street was South Temple. The good Samaritan who walked into the Church Administration Building to his daily work and without his coat was President George Albert Smith of The Church ofJesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His selfless act of generosity revealed his tender heart. Surely he was his brother’s keeper." (President Thomas S. Monson)

Throughout the lesson, President Smith used many action words to describe how to love. He encouraged us to evidence our love by our conduct, by our gentleness, by our faith, by our charity, by imparting of our substance, by saying a kind word, by teaching the truth, by our visits, by disseminating our light, by lifting others up, by bringing joy and comfort.

President Smith also taught that loving others helps us feel good as well. He used words like happiness, enriched, peace and warmth when describing how we will be blessed.

"I have only good will in my heart for mankind. I haven’t any animosity in my heart toward any living human being. I know some that I wish would behave themselves a little better than they do, but that is their loss, not mine. If I can get my arm around them and help them back on the highway of happiness by teaching them the gospel of Jesus Christ, my happiness will be increased thereby. … You cannot drive people to do things which are right, but you can love them into doing them, if your example is of such a character that they can see you mean what you say."

President George Albert Smith

May we be inspired to love all of God's children and serve them as we can.

Sacrament Meeting Talk: Vermena Lee on Callings

2012-01-05T22:00:00.001-05:00

This talk was give January 1, 2012 by Vermena Lee.

A fresh start, a fresh new year in which we can improve and change our lives.

A calling is an official assignment in the church, extended by the Lord’s authorized leaders to serve, lead or teach in a particular way. We are called and sustained which is to receive support from the other members, and then set apart. It’s all about doing the Lord’s work.

For this talk I'll focus on 3 areas when it comes to serving in a calling. Magnifying your calling, recognizing the blessings of that calling, and doing our best until released.

First, magnify your calling
When we talk about serving in a calling, we talk of “magnifying it.”

President Monson said this:

Magnifying a calling means to build it up in dignity and importance, to make it honorable and commendable in the eyes of all men, to enlarge and strengthen it, to let the light of heaven shine through it to the view of other men.

Sister Kathleen Hughes, a former counselor of the general R.S. presidency said this:

But does the phrase “magnify your calling” ever make you nervous? It has worried me! Recently I read a talk in which President Thomas S. Monson said on the subject: “And how does one magnify a calling? Simply by performing the service that pertains to it” (Priesthood Power, Ensign, Nov. 1999).

Sisters, we can do that! I hear women say that their callings are wearing them out or that they don’t have time to serve. But magnifying our callings does not mean staying up all night preparing handouts and elaborate table decorations. It does not mean that each time we do our visiting teaching we have to take something to our sisters. Sometimes we are our own worst enemies. Let’s simplify. The message of a good lesson comes through spiritual preparation. Let’s put our focus on the principles of the gospel.

Sister Dorothy Moore from Malad, Idaho said in an article in the Ensign that fasting and praying helped her and her counselors to serve more effectively rather than planning grandiose activities and making extravagant visual aids. Not only did they receive new ideas for dealing with problems, but the Spirit touched the children in greater measure and prepared them to learn what they taught.

Magnify means to enlarge, Elder Scott said “Remember, don’t magnify the work to be done, simplify it.” When we do our callings, it is the Lord who enlarges our efforts.

Second, callings bring blessings and inspiration

The second area of callings is the blessings that come with them and the right to receive inspiration for our callings. Being called to serve in whatever capacity brings blessings and greater meaning into our lives.

As we magnify a calling, we learn to love those we serve, those who we work with and those who preside over us. (Bro. Bo Wennerlund, a sealer in the Stockholm Sweden temple)

A friend of mine was called to be the gospel doctrine teacher, teaching the OT. How overwhelming that was for her! We had the stake president, a temple sealer and a stake patriarch in the class and many more seasoned members who had by far more knowledge of the OT than she. She felt a bit intimidated. As she prepared and taught, she gained a love for the OT and it expanded her testimony and knowledge of the scriptures she never would’ve if she had not that calling.

When we are set apart for our callings, we are blessed with the right to receive revelation for that particular calling. I am to receive inspiration for my calling as others do for theirs.

A few months ago I substitute taught the CTR4 class. I admit I didn’t do a very good job, later I was talking to Sister Pope about my experience. She said she figured out what worked for her to teach those children. Of course she did—she was entitled to do so.

I was talking to my mother about this subject and she was recently released as a R.S. teacher. She said she received blessings for that calling and now it is time for another sister to receive those blessings. She said this new sister teaches the lessons differently than she does, but that’s okay because it’s the same gospel and the same doctrine.

We all do our best in a calling and then receive "callings of release"
A certain calling might be more appropriate at one point in a member’s life than at another; as stated in Ecclesiastes, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.”

Our callings become a stimulating and joyful part of our life. Bro. Wennerlund said,

No wonder we feel sad and perhaps even frustrated when our release comes! In my opinion, this is natural. In fact, I feel if we are not a little sad, we have not appreciated our calling enough! Personally, I have never actually felt happy to be released from a calling, simply because I have loved all the callings I have had.

I counted quickly how many “average” callings a sister could have in a ward, I counted 40. Say we look at a lifespan of 20 to 80. That's less than 2 years per calling.

Brother Sang Han, Seoul Korea said this:

Often, those who do not have a firm foundation of experience in the Church see a release as a bureaucratic demotion or a loss of social status. But, except for a limited number of General Authorities, most members of the Church throughout the world are constantly receiving new callings and also “callings of release.” Yes, I feel that a release from a responsibility in the Church is actually another type of calling.

I love that—every Sunday thousands are being called, thousands are being released.

I served a mission for 18 months and when it was over, it was time for me to move on to the next part of my life. Others needed to receive the blessings associated with missionary work.

I’ve also seen some members unable to “move on” after being released. In one ward, a new Sunday school teacher was called and her lessons were being interrupted by the former teacher still trying to teach!

This other brother I knew went back to his mission and stopped by one of his apartments. It was a time of day that when he was a missionary, he was out contacting. Much to his surprised he found the current missionaries at home. He felt it was his right to reprimand them since he has served there. But it was not his stewardship to correct them. It was their mission president’s.

Sometimes we tend to compare our efforts to those who are serving in callings that we previously had and find fault with them.

Elder Oaks said, "Fault finding is the act of pointing out faults, it is related to backbiting and evil speaking.” They are all unchristian. In a small branch of the church, one brother started finding fault in others in their various callings, then continued to pick apart their testimonies, and then onto their characters. Sadly, it led to the dissolvement of that branch.

We are aware that we are not to criticize the Lord’s anointed, which we assume means the prophet and other general authorities. Anointed can include the ‘elect’ ones, and that is everyone who has been baptized. When we criticize or find fault with others in their callings we are breaking the second commandment, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”

A friend of mine was recently called to serve as president in an auxiliary. She felt she was being compared to the last president and was expressing her frustration.

I remembered a MASH episode, in which the company clerk, Radar, went home and his position was replaced by Corporal Klinger. Klinger wasn’t doing a good of a job as Radar had done and everyone was on his back about it. Finally the company commander, Colonel Potter sat down with Klinger and said this:

Col. Sherman Potter: I guess we both realize you’re no Radar.

Klinger: So they tell me, sir.

Col.: But, by the same token, Radar is no Klinger.

Klinger: I don’t follow you, sir.

Col: Folks around here were pretty fond of Henry Blake when he ran this fort, weren’t they?

Klinger: Well, sure the Colonel was a top notch kind of guy!

Col.: I don’t mind telling you my first few days in his shadow were a mite uneasy. No one was jumping for joy over me. I was no Henry Blake. Never tried to be. That didn’t make me any better or worse, just different. The point is, the folks here gave me the time to get comfortable and make this job Sherman Potter’s. I guess I forgot that when you took over for Radar. What I’m trying to say is, you need the time to make this job Max Klinger’s. So, just do it! And if you need any help, just knock on my door. Is that clear?

Klinger: Crystal, sir.

Col: From now on, Radar’s office is closed, Klinger’s office is open.

So as we begin this New Year with new resolutions, let us get a fresh new start on magnifying our callings, enjoy the blessings that come during the time that we have them, and be more supportive to others in their callings.

Vermena Lee

"Be Not Troubled"

2011-12-13T12:48:00.002-05:00

Signs of the Second Coming: Gospel Principles Chapter 43

2011-12-13T12:40:00.006-05:00

"For I will reveal myself from heaven with power and great glory, with all the hosts thereof, and dwell in righteousness with men on earth a thousand years, and the wicked shall not stand." Doctrine and Covenants 29:11

Toward the end of His life, Jesus' apostles approached Him to ask about the Second Coming. (Matthew 24) Part of Jesus' response included the parable of the fig tree.

"Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors." (Verses 32-33)

The video in the post above -- "Be Not Troubled" will explain more about the Savior's discussion with his apostles and about the parable.

Why should we know the signs of the Savior's coming? Because our loving Heavenly Father wants us to be physically and spiritually prepared. The obedient and faithful will study the scriptures and know the signs.

There are two types of signs. One type are the signs that show a "time of trouble such as never was" (Daniel 12:1). These include those mentioned in the following scriptures:

Doctrine and Covenants 45:27

Doctrine and Covenants 88:91

Doctrine and Covenants 88:90

Doctrine and Covenants 29:16

Doctrine and Covenants 29:14

Doctrine and Covenants 29:15

Doctrine and Covenants 29:17

Matthew 24: 9

Matthew 24: 10

Matthew 24: 24

Matthew 24: 7

There are also signs that bring great joy! These can be found in the following scriptures:

Doctrine and Covenants 45:28

Doctrine and Covenants 90:11

Doctrine and Covenants 2

Doctrine and Covenants 49:24

Joseph-Matthew 1:31

Malachi 4:5-6

3 Nephi 21:23-25

Articles of Faith 1:10

In addition to these signs, we have also been provided with advice and promises from our Savior. These wonderful things can be read in the following verses:

Matthew 24:6

Matthew 24:22

Matthew 24:26-27

Matthew 24:42

Doctrine and Covenants 87:8

Doctrine and Covenants 38:30

Doctrine and Covenants 88:92

Matthew 24:13

Because the Book of Mormon was written for our day and has been called a "type" of things that will happen here and now, it is helpful to study the events leading up to the Savior's appearance in the Americas and compare them to the signs of the times that have been revealed to us. Here is a timeline that I (Debbie) came up with as I studied Helaman and the first part of 3 Nephi.

Time Event
BC 52 wars and corruption in the government
BC 50-49 the righteous cause the Gadianton Robbers to flee; 10,000 are baptized
BC 38 the Nephites defeated because of wickedness
BC 30 Lehi and Nephi preach; many converts
BC 29 prosperity and peace
BC 24 Gadianton Robbers take over the government
BC 20 the government incites the people against Nephi; Nephi is given great power
BC 16 famine; many perish; many repent; rain comes
BC 7 Gadianton Robbers entrenched in the land
BC 6 Samuel prophesies; there are more wicked people than good
BC 1 the wicked plan to destroy the believers; wonders in the heavens; great signs and great miracles
AD 1 sign is given; new star; day/night/day with no darkness
AD 3-9 wickedness increases; satan very powerful
AD 15 war with Gadianton Robbers
AD 18-19 Nephites win; repentance and prosperity
AD 21-26 pride, wealth, class distinctions; church rent with dissension; prophets slain; Gadianton Robbers conspire to take over government
AD 29-30 government overthrown; Nephi preaches constantly; ministrations from angels; many baptisms
AD 32-33 tempests, earthquakes, fires, whirlwinds; many destroyed
AD 34 darkness for 3 days; people bemoan their fate; the more righteous are preserved; Christ speaks from the darkness; the Father introduces His Son; Christ descends and states, "Behold, I am Jesus Christ."

What one specific thing can you do in the next few months to be better prepared either physically or spiritually?

"And at that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins. For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide and have not been deceived -- verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day. And the earth shall be given unto them for an inheritance; and they shall multiply and wax strong, and their children shall grow up without sin unto salvation. For the Lord shall be in their midst, and his glory shall be upon them, and he will be their king and their lawgiver." Doctrine and Covenants 45:56-59

The Blessings of Tithing

2011-11-27T13:32:00.000-05:00

God’spurpose in giving us commandments is to bless us. He wants to give us eternallife, the greatest of all His gifts (see D&C 14:7).To receive the gift of living with Him forever in families in the celestialkingdom, we must be able to live the laws of that kingdom (see D&C 88:22).

Hehas given us commandments in this life to help us develop that capacity. Thelaw of tithing is one of those preparatory commandments.

Tithing has a special purpose as apreparatory law. Early in this dispensation, the Lord commanded certain membersof the Church to live the higher law of consecration—a law received bycovenant. When this covenant was not kept, great tribulations came upon theSaints.The law of consecration was thenwithdrawn. In its place the Lord revealed the law of tithing for the whole Church.

On July 8, 1838, He declared: “Andthis shall be the beginning of the tithing of my people.

“…Those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interestannually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever.”

Thelaw of tithing prepares us to live the higher lawof consecration—to dedicate and give all our time, talents, and resources tothe work of the Lord. Until the day when we are required to live this higherlaw, we are commanded to live the law of the tithe, which is to freelygive one-tenth of our incomeannually.

Thereare at least three ways that paying a full tithe in this life prepares us to feel what we need to feel to receive thegift of eternal life.

First, when we pay our tithes to theChurch, our Heavenly Father pours out blessings upon us. Anyone who hasconsistently paid a full tithe knows that is true.

Tothose who faithfully and honestly live the law of tithing, the Lord promises an abundance ofblessings. Some of these blessings are temporal, just as tithes are temporal.But like the outward physical ordinances of baptism and the sacrament, the commandment to pay tithing requires temporal sacrifice, whichultimately yields great spiritual blessings.

Iknow of a couple who lived thousands of miles from the nearest temple. Althoughthey earned little, they faithfully paid their tithing and saved all that they could tojourney to the house of the Lord. After a year, the husband’s brother—not amember of the Church—unexpectedly came forward and offered them two airplanetickets. This temporal blessing made possible the spiritual blessings of theirtemple endowments and sealing. An additional spiritual blessing came later as thebrother, touched by the couple’s humble faithfulness, joined the Church.

Tithing develops and tests our faith. Bysacrificing to the Lord what we may think we need or want for ourselves, welearn to rely on Him. Our faith in Him makes it possible to keep templecovenants and receive eternal temple blessings. Tithing is a principle of faith more than a principle of finances.

Video Clip - Elijah and the widow of Zarapheth

Second, all of us who have paid a consistentfull tithe feel greater confidence in asking God forwhat we and our families need. He has promised blessings even greater than wecan receive when we have been faithful to our covenant to pay our tithes (see Malachi 3:10).

In the case of tithing, the Lord has said, “Bring ye allthe tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and proveme now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows ofheaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough toreceive it.”

Wouldany of us intentionally reject an outpouring of blessings from the Lord? Sadly,this is what we do when we fail to pay our tithing. We say no to the very blessings weare seeking and praying to receive. If you are one who has doubted theblessings of tithing, I encourage you to accept theLord’s invitation to “prove [Him] now herewith.” Pay your tithing. Unlock the windows of heaven. Youwill be abundantly blessed for your obedience and faithfulness to the Lord’slaws and commandments.

Third, those who pay tithing feel an increase in their love of God andof all God’s children. That increase of love comes from understanding how theFather uses the tithes we offer to bless people in this world and for eternity.

ThroughHis authorized servants, He expends the tithes with great care. The tithe payerhelps the Lord build temples, where families can be sealed forever. The tithepayer helps Him send the gospel to people everywhere. The tithe payer helps Himrelieve hunger and suffering in His own way through His servants. Any of thoseservants can tell you how love increased because tithing was used to blesspeople. And so can the faithful tithe payer.

The Lord desires that all His children have the blessings of tithing. Too oftenwe as parents do not teach and encourage our children to live this law becausetheir contribution only amounts to a few cents. But without a testimony of tithing, they arevulnerable. In their teenage years, they become attracted to clothes,entertainment, and expensive possessions and risk losing the special protectionthat tithing provides.

Fathers and mothers, as you prepare for tithing settlement Iencourage you to gather your little ones around you and help them count theirpennies. Help your young men and young women consult their records and takeinventory of their annual increase. What a marvelous opportunity this is toplant the seed of faith in the hearts of your children. You will start them ona path that leads to the temple. The generations of your ancestors before youand your posterity after you will rise up and call you blessed, for you willhave prepared your children to perform saving ordinances on their behalf. It isno coincidence, my brothers and sisters, that under the direction of God’sliving prophet on the earth today, President Gordon B. Hinckley, temples arespreading over the earth. Keeping the commandments, which includes paying our tithing, willqualify us to enter those temples, be sealed to our families, and receiveeternal blessings.

In a few weeks each of uswill have the sacred opportunity to sit once again with our bishop and settle our tithing with the Lord. Your bishopwill be gentle and kind. He will understand the challenges you face. If youcannot pay back what you missed paying in the past, go forward. Begin today.Share with your bishop your commitment to pay a full tithe in the future, andwork out a plan to return to the temple as soon as possible. As soon as youhave demonstrated your faith in paying tithing over a period of time andkept the other necessary commandments, you will be able to enjoy the eternalblessings of the temple. I plead with you, do not let this opportunity pass by.
Sources:
Elder Henry B. Eyring, The Blessings of Tithing, Ensign June 2011
Elder Robert D. Hales, Tithing: A Test of Faith with Eternal Blessings, October 2002 General Conference

The Gathering of the House of Israel (Gospel Principles, lesson 42))

2011-11-23T22:42:00.000-05:00

I invite you to take a trip back in time and learn some facts about the house of Israel!

We begin with Abraham and the Abrahamic Covenant. (For more information on this covenant click here) This covenant was renewed with Abraham's son Isaac,

and Isaac's son Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, and Jacob's twelves sons, whose posterity became known as the 12 Tribes of Israel.

The twelve tribes grew in size and eventually split into two kingdoms because they could no longer live together in peace. Ten tribes moved to the north; the remaining tribes remained in the south. Jerusalem was included in the Southern Kingdom's land.

Because of continual wickedness, the Northern Kingdom was conquered in 721BC. They were captured and forced to relocate away from the Promised Land. Some of these Israelites escaped their conquerors and went north.

Then, in 586 BC, the Southern Kingdom was conquered and forced to relocate to Babylon. To see maps of before and after the Babylonian Invasion, click here. To watch a video explaining the Babylonian invasion, check out the Church's "Old Testament Visual Resource DVDs." (A short video describing this DVD set can be seen here.) Watch "Eyewitness News at Six (586BC)" on Disc 2.

Some Israelites were able to return to Jerusalem, but after the time of Jesus, Rome conquered Jerusalem and the tribes were again scattered all over the world.

Time to leave the ancient world and return to our dispensation!

Where is the house of Israel today? All the literal descendants of Israel and all who have been adopted into the house of Israel are members of the house of Israel. (To read about how to be adopted into the house of Israel, click here.) Every resident of the earth, living or dead, is (or can be) part of the house of Israel.

On April 3, 1836, Moses appeared to Joseph Smith in the Kirtland temple where he committed unto Joseph the keys of the gathering of Israel. (D&C 110:11) Today, President Monson holds the keys of gathering.

Why does the Lord feel that gathering Israel is so important? So that those gathered can:

learn the gospel and prepare to meet the Savior,

build temples and do work for the dead,

strengthen one another,

and prepare to share the gospel with others.

First, the people are gathered spiritually. "There are many nations represented in the . . . Church. . . They come because the Spirit of the Lord rested upon them; . . . receiving the spirit of gathering, they left everything for the sake of the gospel." (President Joseph Fielding Smith)

Second, the people are gathered physically. During the early church, Saints were encouraged to emigrate to Utah. In the present time, Saints are encouraged to remain in their own countries. "The choice to come unto Christ is not a matter of physical location; it is a matter of individual commitment. People can be 'brought to the knowledge of the Lord' without leaving their homelands. True, in the early days of the Church, conversion often meant emigration as well. But now the gathering takes place in each nation. . . . The place of gathering for Brazilian Saints is in Brazil; the place of gathering for Nigerian Saints is in Nigeria; the place of gathering for Korean Saints is in Korea; and so forth. Zion is 'the pure in heart.'" (Elder Russell M. Nelson)

How do we fulfill our responsibility to help gather Israel?

MISSIONARY WORK and TEMPLE WORK!

"But, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers." Jeremiah 16:15

If you happen to have the "Old Testament Visual Resource DVDs" mentioned above, I recommend the short video on the second disc entitled Gathering of Israel. It will really motivate you to go forth and GATHER!

Lesson: Covenant-Keeping Women

2011-11-06T22:05:00.003-05:00

Aubrey did a good job with the lesson on keeping our covenants. I loved being reminded that we
are covenant-keeping women who should not be distracted by the world, and that we, like the sisters of old, need to live each day with faith. Take a few minutes in your scripture-study time to read these references and reflect on your life and your covenants. e

1. The Power of Covenants, Elder D. Todd Christofferson

2. Covenants, Elder Russel M. Nelson

3. Cleave Unto the Covenants, Barbara Thompson

4. Chapter 3 of Daughters in My Kingdom, a history of Relief Society

.

What Does It Mean to Be a Mormon

2011-11-06T14:07:00.002-05:00

Did you miss the ABC news clip?

Here it is:

Look for Aubrey in the the choir and Brigham Hood during a service project.

e

Lesson: Mental Health and the Gospel

2011-10-30T21:05:00.001-04:00

Devon gave a great 5th-Sunday combined RS/PH lesson. Here are the notes from her lesson. I didn't edit much, so you'll get the full lesson and MORE. Please discuss this important topic with your family and friends. e

Mental Health: Finding Understanding and Hope

Alison Cooke has been to see her bishop at least ten times in the past two years. She has served a mission and is now Relief Society president in her university singles ward. But somehow she can’t overcome an agonizing feeling deep in her heart that the Lord doesn’t really love her, and it is interfering in her desire to accept dates and even imagine thinking about marriage someday.

Life seems to be getting too fast and too complex for Bill Oatley. He has a calling in the Elder's quorum, a business of his own, a growing family, and a marriage that could use some attention. Each morning he carefully marks his planning calendar. But each night he lies in bed with a racing mind, a churning stomach, and the uncomfortable feeling that he isn’t quite making it, and he doesn’t know how long he can keep up before he just can’t do it anymore.

When Marion Caulfield’s children were small, she felt fulfilled as a wife and mother. But now her oldest son has postponed his mission indefinitely. And her oldest daughter is getting more and more involved with a nonmember boyfriend. Heartsick, Marion alternately blames herself and lashes out at her children. She grieves over their choices and fears what the future may bring.

These are fictional examples, but they represent the many members of the church who are suffering from types of mental illness.

When we say Mental Health or Mental Illness, what exactly are we talking about?

Anxiety Disorders (OCD, PTSD), Mood Disorders (Clinical Depression, Mania), Psychotic Disorders (Schizephrenia, Phobias/Disorders, etc……we all have moments when we’re not feeling very mentally healthy, but mental illness is when these things inhibit a person’s ability to cope and function normally, and it generally persists for longer than just “having a bad day.”

Depression: Everyone feels blue from time to time but when feelings of sadness, hopelessness and even thoughts of death cloud your daily life it's not the blues—it's clinical depression. An estimated 14.8 million Americans ages 18 and older suffer from major depression, a mood disorder that when left untreated can be chronic, recurrent and disabling.

Anxiety is a normal human emotion that we all experience. But when panic and anxiety symptoms escalate into anxiety attacks and panic attacks, it may be an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, and panic disorder. There is excellent treatment for anxiety attacks, as well as panic attack symptoms, including medication and psychotherapy.

Chronic stress may boost anxiety. There can be effects of constant stress on hormones—that can lead to anxiety disorder. Many factors can cause anxiety, including mental conditions as well as external factors like personal finances or marital problems.

Prevelence

According to the National Institute of Mental Health approximately 26.2 percent of American adults will have a psychiatric disorder that is severe enough to be diagnosed.

How many people in our ward are suffering from some form of mental illness? One? Two? None? Chances are good that your estimate is too low. Many of us don’t realize how widespread mental illness is, partly because it shows few physical signs.

“Victims of mental illness, for the most part, look normal,” explains the mother of a young woman who has been in and out of hospitals with depression. “They don’t limp or stutter. The scars are on the inside.” But many victims feel pain and confusion so great that life is almost unbearable. And family members of the victim often suffer grief and isolation as they struggle to understand the nature of their loved one’s illness and search for ways to help. (Mental Illness: In Search of Understanding and Hope, Jan Underwood Pinborough, Ensign, Sept 1990)

WHY are we talking about this at church?

Because we have made covenants to mourn with those who mourn and comfort those who stand in need of comfort, and frankly, members of our wards and families need us to comfort them and understand them. They don’t need us to judge, belittle, or ignore cries for help.

If the Savior were here, I believe he would be helping heal a lot of the mental illnesses that we suffer from, not just the solely physical ones. And possibly that healing would occur simply by listening to someone and praying for them with all our hearts.

If you don’t know of someone that you can actively help, then simply try to educate yourself a little better about some of the things we’ll be talking about today so that when the time comes that you are asked to home or visit teach someone who is currently suffering, that you will be prepared to really give effective assistance! This really does affect all of us, and if you haven’t realized that it’s because you may not have been paying attention.

Increasing our understanding of mental illness helps us reach out with love and compassion to those who are suffering.

Myths and misconceptions

Myths and misconceptions about mental illness unfortunately are found among Latter-day Saints just as they are in the general public. These harmful attitudes include the following (Myths about Mental Illness, Elder Alexander B. Morrison, Ensign, April 2005)

Myth #1. All mental illness is caused by sin.

Make no mistake about it—sin, the deliberate breaking of God’s commandments, does indeed result in behavior that is hurtful to self and to others. And for every transgression there must be a consequence or punishment. The demands of justice are inexorable, unless the person concerned invokes the power of the mercy provided by Christ’s Atonement by repenting of the sin and recognizing Christ as his Savior.

The power of sin to harrow up the soul is vividly exemplified by the words of repentant Alma:

I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins. … I was tormented with the pains of hell. … The very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror. Oh, thought I, that I could be banished and become extinct both soul and body (Alma 36:12–15).

Those who, like Alma, experience sorrow during the repentance process are not mentally ill.

If their sins are serious, they do require confession and counseling at the hands of their bishop. As part of his calling, each bishop receives special powers of discernment and wisdom. No mental health professional, regardless of his or her skill, can ever replace the role of a faithful bishop as he is guided by the Holy Ghost in assisting Church members to work through the pain, remorse, and depression associated with sin.

That being said, however, it must be emphasized that in many instances aberrant thoughts, actions, and feelings result from mental illness and not from sin. They come from disease, not transgression. They are not God’s way of punishing the sinner. To assume they are is not only overly simplistic but also contrary to the teachings of the Church.

The truth is that many faithful Latter-day Saints who live the commandments and honor their covenants experience struggles with mental illness or are required to deal with the intense pain and suffering of morally righteous but mentally ill family members. Their burdens—and they are many—can be lifted only by love, understanding, and acceptance.

Myth #2. Someone is to blame for mental illness.

It is a common human tendency to blame others or oneself for whatever goes wrong in life. Many victims of mental illness wear themselves out emotionally by futile attempts to remember something they, their parents, or someone else might have done that resulted in their suffering. Some blame their problem on demonic possession. While there is no doubt that such has occurred, let us take care not to give the devil credit for everything that goes awry in the world! Generally speaking, the mentally ill do not need exorcism; they require treatment from skilled health-care providers and love, care, and support from everyone else.

Most often, victims blame themselves. Many seem unable to rid themselves of terrible though undefined feelings that somehow, some way, they are the cause of their own pain—even when they are not. Parents, spouses, or other family members also often harrow up their minds trying futilely to determine where they went wrong. They pray over and over again for forgiveness when there is no evidence that they have anything of note to be forgiven of. Of course, in the vast majority of instances none of this works, for the simple reason that the victim’s thoughts and behavior result from disease processes which are not caused by the actions of others, including God.

Ascribing blame for mental illness causes unnecessary suffering for all concerned and takes time and energy which would better be used to increase understanding of what actually is happening—to get a complete assessment and proper diagnosis of the illness involved, to understand the causes, to get proper medication and learn behavioral and cognitive techniques that are part of the healing process. As victims, loved ones, and all the rest of us increase our understanding, then patience, forgiveness, and empathy will replace denial, anger, and rejection.

Many factors play into how and when a person may develop a mental illness, such as genetic predisposition, brain chemistry, chronic stress (such as physical abuse), infection and environmental contributors (including major life changes such as divorce).

Myth #3. All that people with mental illness need is a priesthood blessing.

I am a great advocate of priesthood blessings. I know, from much personal experience, that they do inestimable good. I know too that final and complete healing of mental illness or any other disease comes through faith in Jesus Christ. In any and all circumstances, in sickness and in health, in good times and bad, our lives will improve and become richer and more peaceful as we turn to Him.

Dallin H. Oaks said in his talk in April of 2010:

The use of medical science is not at odds with our prayers of faith and our reliance on priesthood blessings. When a person requested a priesthood blessing, Brigham Young would ask, “Have you used any remedies?” To those who said no because “we wish the Elders to lay hands upon us, and we have faith that we shall be healed,” President Young replied: “That is very inconsistent according to my faith. If we are sick, and ask the Lord to heal us, and to do all for us that is necessary to be done, according to my understanding of the Gospel of salvation, I might as well ask the Lord to cause my wheat and corn to grow, without my plowing the ground and casting in the seed. It appears consistent to me to apply every remedy that comes within the range of my knowledge, and [then] to ask my Father in Heaven … to sanctify that application to the healing of my body (Dallin H. Oaks, Healing the Sick).

We must understand, however, without in any way denigrating the unique role of priesthood blessings, that ecclesiastical leaders are spiritual leaders and not mental health professionals. Most of them lack the professional skills and training to deal effectively with deep-seated mental illnesses and are well advised to seek competent professional assistance for those in their charge who are in need of it.

Remember that God has given us wondrous knowledge and technology that can help us overcome grievous problems such as mental illness. Just as we would not hesitate to consult a physician about medical problems such as cancer, heart disease, or diabetes, so too we should not hesitate to obtain medical and other appropriate professional assistance in dealing with mental illness. When such assistance is sought, be careful to ensure, insofar as possible, that the health professional concerned follows practices and procedures which are compatible with gospel principles.

Myth #4. Mentally ill persons just lack willpower.

There are some who mistakenly believe that the mentally ill just need to “snap out of it, show a little backbone, and get on with life.” Those who believe that way display a grievous lack of knowledge and compassion.

The fact is that seriously mentally ill persons simply cannot, through an exercise of will, get out of the predicament they are in. They need help, encouragement, understanding, and love. Anyone who has ever witnessed the well-nigh unbearable pain of a severe panic attack knows full well that nobody would suffer that way if all that was needed was to show a little willpower.

No one who has witnessed the almost indescribable sadness of a severely depressed person who perhaps can’t even get out of bed, who cries all day or retreats into hopeless apathy, or who tries to kill himself would ever think for a moment that mental illness is just a problem of willpower. We don’t say to persons with heart disease or cancer, “Just grow up and get over it.” Neither should we treat the mentally ill in such an uncompassionate and unhelpful way.

Myth #5. All mentally ill persons are dangerous and should be locked up.

Sensational and incomplete media reports have conjured up stereotypical portrayals of the mentally ill as crazed and violent lunatics, dangerous to others as well as themselves. The truth is that the vast majority of people with mental illness are not violent, and the great majority of crimes of violence are not committed by persons who are mentally ill.

Furthermore, over the past 40 years, as effective medications for mental illness have become available and effective support programs have been developed, it has been shown that most mentally ill people—like those with physical illnesses—can live productive lives in their communities. They do not need to be locked up. Like everyone else, most mentally ill persons receiving proper treatment have the potential to work at any level in any profession, depending solely on their abilities, talents, experience, and motivation.

Myth #6. Mental illness doesn’t strike children and young people.

As noted by the National Institute of Mental Health, the truth is that an estimated 10 percent of children in the United States suffer from a mental health disorder that disrupts their functioning at home, in school, or in the community.

The majority of children who kill themselves are profoundly depressed, and most parents did not recognize that depression until it was too late. I reiterate: no one is immune to mental illness.

Myth #7. Whatever the cause, mental illness is untreatable.

As mentioned, during the past 40 years numerous medications have been developed by the multinational pharmaceutical industry. These products have proven of inestimable worth to millions. They are not perfect, nor do they work effectively in every instance—far from it, unfortunately. But we are getting closer to the day when physicians will have available effective drugs which are specific in correcting the biochemical lesions concerned, without the side effects which too often limit the effectiveness of medications today. I have no doubt that such developments, which we are already beginning to see, will result in striking advances in the treatment of mental illness over the next decade.

We live in a time when victims of many mental disorders can find helpful treatments.

Unfortunately, many individuals and families struggle alone with illnesses that can be treated. “It isn’t a sign of weakness to get the help you need,” says Dorthea C. Murdock of LDS Social Services. “It is a sign of strength to say, ‘I have a problem and I need help.’ Hope and help are available.

The key to that hope is understanding. For the victim of mental illness, hope lies in being properly diagnosed and treated—the sooner the better. And for family members of the mentally ill, help comes best from those who understand the illness.

Taking a prescription is in no way against any church teachings, and should in fact be discussed as a treatment option with a healthcare professional. If anyone even thinks to themselves that they would never take a drug or allow anyone in their family to on some antiquated principle in their mind, then they need to re-evaluate their reasons to see if pride could be a factor in that decision. It is better to be humbled and get real help than allow someone you love to suffer for foolish reasons!!!

How Can We Help?

(Mental Illness: In Search of Understanding and Hope, Jan Underwood Pinborough, Ensign, Sept 1990)

1. Express love and interest to both the suffering individual and their family.

Remember that they are people with ordinary human feelings. Very few mentally ill people are violent; properly treated, most are not. In fact, they are usually withdrawn and inclined to harm themselves rather than others. The father of a young man with schizophrenia expresses gratitude that the elders quorum presidency in his ward recently stopped by and spent an hour talking to his son. The son was overjoyed when the elders quorum president, a busy father, invited him over for dinner. These caring expressions meant all the more because the young man has so few other relationships.

Be willing to listen to family members of the mentally ill express their feelings. “It’s great to take a meal over,” says Dr. Richard Ferre, “but that avoids the problem of having to deal with someone else’s pain.”

We’re not professionals? What should we do/say when someone wants to talk or confide in us?

First, just understand…and not judge! Love, love love!
Don’t say things like, “just get over it…” or “just don’t think about it” or “it will just go away if you ignore it.” Instead, listen and validate someone else’s feelings…don’t ever minimize or use platitudes.
Encourage them to talk with the Bishop, who can refer them to a professional (or to their doctor.)
Go the distance…this won’t be easy! Stick with them!

Friends and acquaintances may feel frustrated when they try to cheer and reassure a loved one suffering from severe depression. Often the person is too fatigued and irritable to respond positively to such attention, and isolation and guilt increase on both sides. But a loving friend or priesthood leader who is willing to simply listen can be a lifeline.

“I will always be grateful for a sister in my ward who was willing to listen to me during my depression,” says one woman. “She had also been through a depression, and she could reassure me from her own experience that the terrible blankness and hopelessness I felt inside would pass. Often the only way I could feel God’s love for me was through her compassionate, understanding friendship.”

We can listen, and when prompted by the Spirit, possibly help others see how they might be distorting gospel principles, and helping to give them hope. There are many ways that we can help one another through our perspective of clearly seeing the gospel—that can help some of the symptoms and aggressors, but ultimately, we need to be aware that we are not professionals, and when we need to…we must encourage others to get the help they need.

2. Withhold judgment and increase acceptance.

If a family doesn’t show up for a church activity, be understanding. If a child behaves inappropriately in church, welcome that child anyway.

We each go through things that are hard during our lives. At any given time, most of us have things that we worry about and that overcome our lives and often , and we should treat everyone as though they are going through heartache, so we will treat them with the Love of the Savior.

It’s important to realize that each person has his own time, his own moment, his own struggle.

No one is immune to serious problems, including mental illness.

3. Look for any needed help that you can do (that does not require a professional).

By really listening, you can learn what the true needs of a family are. Maybe a family needs someone to watch the other children while they take an ill child to the hospital in the middle of the night. In one ward, Relief Society sisters took turns taking a mother who could not drive and her mentally ill child to weekly doctor appointments.

If you suspect that a close friend or family member may be suffering from some form of mental illness, consider how you could encourage that person to get prompt professional and spiritual help. The bishop can refer members of his ward to LDS Social Services practitioners or to community resources for evaluation. Family physicians can also make referrals. Most communities have competent mental health professionals—including psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and social workers—who can give help within the framework of Latter-day Saint values.

4. If you are suffering, please seek help and talk to someone.

There is no need to suffer silently, and reaching out to others may bless them as well.

With most people, "things are more complicated than they seem on the first visit," Goodstein tells WebMD. "Almost always, there's something more going on, and a doctor just can't know all that in one visit. It's erroneous if they think they can."

It's important to get treated for any mood disorder, because it can affect your own quality of life -- as well as the people around you, Goodstein adds. When you're depressed—for any reason—"You don't care about yourself. You don't care about those around you. And often, you don't have the motivation to get help because you feel hopeless," he says. "You might think there's no way to solve your problems. But that's not true. We can treat your depression, so you'll be better able to find solutions to your problems."

The Atonement brings healing

The Lord can heal us from any affliction.

John, Chapter 9:2-3, “Who did sin, this man or his parents?” Jesus said “hath this man sinned or his parents.”

Sometimes we have a tendency during difficult times, to say, “well who sinned, who messed up? Parents, me, who?"

Neither. We have weaknesses so that the works of God can be made manifest in our lives, and so we will turn to him, and look to him for peace.

When we learn to take the Sacrament and view our lives through His Eyes, that we can find healing and comfort and rest from our troubles. I hope each of us can remember that in our lives, and also share that with those we are blessed to serve.

The ultimate source of healing is spiritual.

Breaking the word atonement into three parts—at-one-ment—suggests the truth that only divine love can finally make us whole—emotionally and spiritually.

As Mormon explains, the power to become like the Savior—whole, fully developed—comes from being filled with charity, or “the pure love of Christ”: “Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him.” (Moro. 7:47–48.)

Alma describes the transforming effect of experiencing the Lord’s atoning love. Struck down for trying to destroy the Church, Alma was racked in his soul “with eternal torment.” Then, as he remembered his father’s prophecies of the Savior’s atoning love, he pleaded for mercy and was filled with an exquisite peace and joy. (See Alma 36:6–21.)

Healing comes when we, too, not only know—but also feel—that the Savior loves us, even in our weakness.

Dr. Dean Byrd, field manager for LDS Social Services, suggests that we can feel this love by reading the scriptures in a personalized way. For example, we could read John 3:16–17, “For God so loved [me], that he gave his only begotten Son, that [believing in him, I] should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn [me]; but that [I] through him might be saved.”

The atoning love of the Savior includes his willingness to bear not only the burden of our sins—which would separate us forever from our Father—but also our day-to-day burdens of fear and anxiety—which would deprive us of peace and joy.

As Sister Patricia Holland explains, giving our burdens to the Lord sometimes requires us “to make that leap of faith toward His embrace when we are least certain of His presence. … When we hand our fears and frustrations to Him in absolute confidence that He will help us resolve them, when in this way we free our heart and mind and soul of all anxiety, we find in a rather miraculous way that He can instill within us a whole new perspective—He can fill us with ‘that joy which is unspeakable and full of glory.’ (Hel. 5:44.)”

D&C 101:16 Be still, and know that I am God.

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,” He said. “… Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28–30). He and only He has the healing balm of Gilead needed by all of God’s children.

There is help. There is happiness. There really is light at the end of the tunnel.

It is the Light of the World, the Bright and Morning Star, the light that is endless, that can never be darkened. It is the very Son of God Himself.

To any who may be struggling to see that light and find that hope, I say: Hold on. Keep trying. God loves you. Things will improve. Christ comes to you in His ‘more excellent ministry’ with a future of better promises. He is your ‘high priest of good things to come.’ (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, An High Priest of Good Things to Come, Ensign, Nov. 1999)

Devon

Additional references used in this talk:

Keeping Mentally Well
Jan Underwood Pinborough
Ensign, Sept. 1990

Rising Above the Blues
Shanna Ghaznavi
New Era, April 2002

HANDOUT

Conditions Recognized as Mental Illness

The more common types include:

Anxiety disorders: People with anxiety disorders respond to certain objects or situations with fear and dread, as well as with physical signs of anxiety or nervousness, such as a rapid heartbeat and sweating. An anxiety disorder is diagnosed if the person's response is not appropriate for the situation, if the person cannot control the response, or if the anxiety interferes with normal functioning. Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and specific phobias.
Mood disorders: These disorders, also called affective disorders, involve persistent feelings of sadness or periods of feeling overly happy, or fluctuations from extreme happiness to extreme sadness. The most common mood disorders are depression, mania, and bipolar disorder.
Psychotic disorders: Psychotic disorders involve distorted awareness and thinking. Two of the most common symptoms of psychotic disorders are hallucinations -- the experience of images or sounds that are not real, such as hearing voices -- and delusions -- false beliefs that the ill person accepts as true, despite evidence to the contrary. Schizophrenia is an example of a psychotic disorder.
Eating disorders: Eating disorders involve extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviors involving weight and food. Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder are the most common eating disorders.
Impulse control and addiction disorders: People with impulse control disorders are unable to resist urges, or impulses, to perform acts that could be harmful to themselves or others. Pyromania (starting fires), kleptomania (stealing), and compulsive gambling are examples of impulse control disorders. Alcohol and drugs are common objects of addictions. Often, people with these disorders become so involved with the objects of their addiction that they begin to ignore responsibilities and relationships.
Personality disorders: People with personality disorders have extreme and inflexible personality traits that are distressing to the person and/or cause problems in work, school, or social relationships. In addition, the person's patterns of thinking and behavior significantly differ from the expectations of society and are so rigid that they interfere with the person's normal functioning. Examples include antisocial personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, and paranoid personality disorder.

Other, less common types of mental illnesses include:

Adjustment disorder: Adjustment disorder occurs when a person develops emotional or behavioral symptoms in response to a stressful event or situation. The stressors may include natural disasters, such as an earthquake or tornado; events or crises, such as a car accident or the diagnosis of a major illness; or interpersonal problems, such as a divorce, death of a loved one, loss of a job, or a problem with substance abuse. Adjustment disorder usually begins within three months of the event or situation and ends within six months after the stressor stops or is eliminated.
Dissociative disorders: People with these disorders suffer severe disturbances or changes in memory, consciousness, identity, and general awareness of themselves and their surroundings. These disorders usually are associated with overwhelming stress, which may be the result of traumatic events, accidents, or disasters that may be experienced or witnessed by the individual. Dissociative identity disorder, formerly called multiple personality disorder, or "split personality", and depersonalization disorder are examples of dissociative disorders.
Factitious disorders: Factitious disorders are conditions in which physical and/or emotional symptoms are created in order to place the individual in the role of a patient or a person in need of help.
Sexual and gender disorders: These include disorders that affect sexual desire, performance, and behavior. Sexual dysfunction, gender identity disorder, and the paraphilias are examples of sexual and gender disorders.
Somatoform disorders: A person with a somatoform disorder, formerly known as psychosomatic disorder, experiences physical symptoms of an illness even though a doctor can find no medical cause for the symptoms.
Tic disorders: People with tic disorders make sounds or display body movements that are repeated, quick, sudden, and/or uncontrollable. (Sounds that are made involuntarily are called vocal tics.) Tourette's syndrome is an example of a tic disorder.

Warning Signs of Mental Illness

Mental illness, like other serious disorders, is marked by several early warning signals. Although each of us may experience one or more of these symptoms at one time or another, we should become concerned and get help if they persist or recur frequently.

Prolonged or severe depression
Undue, continuing anxiety and worry
Tension-caused physical problems
Withdrawal from society; isolation
Confused or disordered thinking
Hallucinations or delusions (may be of a religious nature)
Unjustified fears
Obsessions or compulsions
Inappropriate emotions
Substantial, rapid weight gain or loss
Too much or too little sleep
Excessive self-centeredness
Loss of touch with reality
Inability to maintain good interpersonal relationships
Inability to cope with or overcome problems in school, at work, or at home
Inability to manage everyday routines and responsibilities in school, at work, or at home
Inability to take care of one’s personal needs
Extremely immature behavior
Negative self-image and outlook

(Adapted from Now at Last, pamphlet, The American Mental Health Fund, n.d., pp. 2–3.
Anxiety Disorder)

Symptoms that may indicate an anxiety disorder

Are you constantly tense, worried, or on edge?
Does your anxiety interfere with your work, school, or family responsibilities?
Are you plagued by fears that you know are irrational, but can’t shake?
Do you believe that something bad will happen if certain things aren’t done a certain way?
Do you avoid everyday situations or activities because they cause you anxiety?
Do you experience sudden, unexpected attacks of heart-pounding panic?
Do you feel like danger and catastrophe are around every corner?
Do you have emotional symptoms of anxiety, such as feelings of apprehension and dread, anticipating the worst, or watching for danger?

Do you have physical symptoms, such as:

Pounding heart
Sweating
Stomach upset or dizziness
Frequent urination or diarrhea
Shortness of breath
Restlessness
Trouble concentrating
Tremors and twitches
Muscle tension
Headaches
Fatigue
Insomnia
Irritability
Regularly feeling tense and jumpy

(Adapted from WebMD.com)

If you identify with several of these signs and symptoms, and they just won’t go away, you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder, and could benefit from speaking with a mental health professional.

Clinical depression

Not everyone will experience the same depressive symptoms, but one or a combination of the following symptoms should be a warning. Prolonged (longer than two weeks) and severe symptoms are a sign that you need to ask for help. Some of the most common symptoms of depression are:

A persistent sad, anxious, or empty feeling
Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you used to enjoy
Decreased energy or increased fatigue
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
Trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting up
Appetite change and/or weight loss or gain
Restlessness and irritability
Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, stomachaches, or other chronic pain
Thoughts of death or suicide

(National Institute of Mental Health)

Helping others with depression

If you have a friend who is depressed, offer your support, patience, and encouragement. Remember, people with depression can’t just snap out of a low mood.

And never ignore talk of suicide or any other signals your friend might be giving you. Tell a trusted church leader or doctor about your friend’s threats immediately. Not all suicidal teens will behave in the same way, but here are some warning signs that your friend needs help, and fast:

They want to be alone all the time.
They are moody and irritable.
Their personality has changed abruptly.
They are using drugs or alcohol.
They are sleeping too much or not enough.
They are giving their possessions away.
They have talked about suicide or wanting to die.

Ways to help yourself when suffering

Get the appropriate level of professional help from: a doctor, your Bishop, LDS Family Services, or even local crisis lines.
Pray whenever you need help and comfort.
Read the scriptures and other uplifting books.
Listen to uplifting music.
Ask for a priesthood blessing.
Serve others. You have a lot to offer.
Spend time with your family and friends. Let them help you.
Eat healthily & Exercise Regularly.
Be patient. You’ll improve gradually once you seek treatment.
Talk to a friend.
Try to break negative thought patterns.
Prioritize what you need to do, and set realistic goals on a schedule you can handle.
Start a worthwhile hobby to get your mind off things.
Keep a journal.

(Taken from New Era article, Rising Above the Blues by Shanna Ghaznavi, April 2002)

Baby Pics!

2011-10-29T12:08:00.000-04:00

Thought you'd love to see Melinda's baby...

A few minutes old

A couple of days old [look at her hair! delightful!]

1 month old

Congratulations to Melinda and Emiliano Rosales on the birth of Chloe Elizabeth Rosalis (#5!), September 14, 2011.

Our Harvest Feast: Resources

2011-10-19T17:03:00.005-04:00

Sarah Kinghorn:
Thank you for planning Tuesday's activity. I can tell that a lot of work went into the evening. It was wonderful. Great job! Love, Sarah

Here are the handouts for you to download for yourself and your family. They were found on becominglds.blogspot.com

1 Nephi 3:7 Memory Scripture
2 Nephi 32:3 Memory Scripture
Book of Mormon Scripture songs
Book of Mormon Stories
Child's Scripture Study Chart
Daily Chart
Scripture Chart
Gospel Art Kit Scriptures
Scripture Chart Color

Debbie Horton:
Hello all! This is the link to the Book of Mormon curriculum that I mentioned at the RS activity. I have purchased the version for 4-7 graders and if you would like to see it, let me know and I will bring it to church. Debbie
www.discoverthescriptures.com

Anyone have any photos from the evening? I'd love to post them.

e

Lesson: Temple Work and Family History

2011-10-16T20:34:00.004-04:00

Gospel Principles, chpt 40,
Temple Work and Family History
taught by Debbie Horton

This chain represents the steps necessary for each of us to obtain Eternal Life...faith, repentance, baptism, confirmation, priesthood, endowment, eternal marriage, endure to the end.

This chain that represents the steps necessary for our ancestors who have passed on is the same but with links missing. While in the Spirit World, they obtain their own faith and repent. And, because they must follow the same steps we do, they must somehow endure to the end, but there are some links missing and we must help.

We must help fill in the missing links of the chain
David A. Bednar, General Conference, Oct 2011:

The introductory events of the Restoration revealed a correct understanding of the Godhead, emphasized the importance of the Book of Mormon, and anticipated the work of salvation and exaltation for both the living and the dead. This inspiring sequence is instructive about the spiritual matters of highest priority to Deity.”

A. Theodore Tuttle, April 1980:

The Prophet Joseph taught that you and I are to become saviors on Mount Zion. We are to gather, build temples, seek after our dead, and perform all the vital ordinances. This work welds eternal links that bind us to each other and to our fathers. We are exalted as family units.

Teachings of Joseph Smith, 472-73:

But how are they to become saviors on Mount Zion? By building their temples … and going forth and receiving all the ordinances … in behalf of all their progenitors who are dead; ... and herein is the chain that binds the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, which fulfills the mission of Elijah.

The Prophet Joseph Smith declared:

The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us it to seek after our dead… For it is necessary that the sealing power should be in our hands to seal our children and our dead.

D&C 128: 15, 18:

And now, my dearly beloved brethren and sisters, let me assure you that these are principles in relation to the dead and the living that cannot be lightly passed over, as pertaining to our salvation. For their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation… neither can we without our dead be made perfect … unless there is a welding link … between the fathers and the children.

Resources to help us

Fortunately, there are many resources that can help us in our quest to do the work for our ancestors. The first two you should know about are the Ward Family History Consultant and Familysearch.org. They can help you go through the following steps:
   •   Find Them
   •   Determine if the Temple Work has been done.
   •   If not, do it. Then find more.
   •   If so, find more.

Jenny Boyer told of learning of the first Boyers to settle in this area. Through a series of connections she is now helping to restore and ancestors headstone, protect the historical church and correspond with a man who is helping her fill in her line. Her testimony is that if we are willing the Lord will help us do our family history work even when our lives are busy.

Additional opportunities

In addition to providing temple ordinances for the ancestors we know about, we can help those in the spirit world in many other ways. We should seek the guidance of the Spirit as we prayerfully consider what we might do. Depending on our circumstances, we can do the following things:

Attend the temple as often as possible. After we have gone to the temple for ourselves, we can perform the saving ordinances for others waiting in the spirit world.
Do research to identify ancestors who are more difficult to find. Family history consultants can guide us to helpful resources.
Help with the Church’s indexing program. Through this program, members prepare genealogical information for use in the Church’s family history computer programs. These programs make it easier for us to identify our ancestors.
Contribute family history information to the Church’s current computer programs for family history. These programs contain genealogies contributed by people all over the world. They allow people to share their family information. Family history consultants can provide more information about the Church’s computer programs.
Participate in family organizations. We can accomplish much more for our ancestors as we work together with other family members.

Those of our ancestors who have accepted the gospel are waiting for the temple ordinances to be performed for them. As we perform these ordinances in the temple for our ancestors, we can share their joy.

Debbie's challenge: Choose one thing, something, anything from related to family history and do it...today!

You'll be glad you did. You'll feel the Spirit of Elijah and you'll find the time in your busy lives.

e

Healing the Broken-Hearted

2011-10-16T19:40:00.001-04:00

Women who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints share the devastating effects of pornography on marriage and how their hearts and marriages have found healing and hope through recovery.

View this video here.

This episode was aired on KSL between conference sessions.

If you or someone you know have been dealing alone a family member in addiction, it's time to talk to women who understand. It's important to share your struggles and talk about it and bring it into the light. Join us Sunday evenings at 7:30 for an hour at the Valley Forge 1st ward.

Other resources to explore:
Take the pledge "As a family, we commit to making safe media choices in order to protect our family and keep our home a happy and healthy place to be..."

Internet Safety 101, a checklist and website. Implement both safety rules and software tools to protect children online. Focus on the positives of Internet use while teaching children about the dangers and how to make wise choices online.

Net Nanny is a powerful, yet simple to install parental control and internet safety solution that helps parents protect their children and monitor their Internet use. Net Nanny can block not only pornography, but hate sites, questionable chat rooms and other dangers of the Internet. Other internet filters.

Pornography Harms is a website that provides ready access to credible, peer-reviewed research documenting the harms of pornography.

e

Don't Forget: Our Harvest Feast, Tuesday

2011-10-15T21:38:00.001-04:00

Sign up to bring to help bring the food for dinner. An bring your appetite for feasting on the good word. Scripture study is the topic.

Lesson: The Law of Chastity

2011-10-09T21:43:00.001-04:00

Married or not, teaching kids or keeping your own covenants, the law of chastity is for all of us.

This video shows young adults from different religions talking about their choice to stay sexually pure.

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The Law of Chastity, taught by Connie Thornloe.

Here are just a few excerpts. We encourage you to read the full text.

What is the Law of Chastity?

We are to have sexual relations only with our spouse to whom we are legally married. No one, male or female, is to have sexual relations before marriage. After marriage, sexual relations are permitted only with our spouse.

A note to Parents

Children are naturally curious. They want to know how their bodies work. They want to know where babies come from. If parents answer all such questions immediately and clearly so children can understand, children will continue to take their questions to their parents. However, if parents answer questions so that children feel embarrassed, rejected, or dissatisfied, they will probably go to someone else with their questions and perhaps get incorrect ideas and improper attitudes.

It is not wise or necessary, however, to tell children everything at once. Parents need only give them the information they have asked for and can understand. While answering these questions, parents can teach children the importance of respecting their bodies and the bodies of others. Parents should teach children to dress modestly. They should correct the false ideas and vulgar language that children learn from others.

Consider watching this video with your teenagers: Chastity: What are the limits?

Satan wants us to break the law of chastity

Satan sometimes tempts us through our emotions. He knows when we are lonely, confused, or depressed. He chooses this time of weakness to tempt us to break the law of chastity. Our Heavenly Father can give us the strength to pass through these trials unharmed.

Breaking the law is extremely serious

It is extremely important to our Heavenly Father that His children obey the law of chastity. Members of the Church who break this law or influence others to do so are subject to Church discipline.

Forgiveness can come to those who truly repent

Peace can come to those who have broken the law of chastity. The Lord tells us, “If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, … all his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him” (Ezekiel 18:21–22). Peace comes only through forgiveness.

Blessings come to those who keep the law

When we obey the law of chastity, we can live without guilt or shame. Our lives and our children’s lives are blessed when we keep ourselves pure and spotless before the Lord. Children can look to our example and follow in our footsteps.

Read the full text here: The Law of Chastity

US Census 1790-1830 Now Free Online

2011-10-01T06:00:00.002-04:00

Hi All,

The US Census 1790 - 1930 is available for free at the following website:

http://www.archive.org/details/us_census

I haven't examined the entire site, so I'm not sure if the records for every state/territory have been completely converted to a digital format, but my understanding is that the project is expected to be completed within the next 6 months, so if you don't find your records now, you should be able to by March, at the latest.

This is a fabulous blessing—up until this point everyone either had to go blind examining microfilm/fiche at the library, or pay to access this via a subscription service (like Ancestry). Now you can do your searching at home! The census is a fantastic place to get very valuable information about your family—birth places and years, immigration dates, occupation, children that you didn't know existed because they died young . . .

So get started!

Marie

Conference Special You Won't Want to Miss

2011-09-30T06:00:00.000-04:00

Deb Chiapelli wanted me to share this with you. It's about a special being aired on Sunday between conference sessions. Catch it if you can.

http://babrownfam.blogspot.com/2011/09/dear-family-and-friends.html

Dear Family and friends,

Our family has has been working with Deseret Media on a conference special that will be shown between the Sunday sessions of conference on October 2. It is on recovery from a pornography addiction. Ben was abused when he was eight. The shame he felt from that abuse led him into a pornography addiction that he has dealt with it his whole life.

I found out about his addiction a year after we were married. Consequently I was devastated and felt incredibly betrayed. Over the course of our marriage his addiction has cycled. The constant fear and turmoil was very devastating to me. After Gracie was born I hit a new low. Miraculously I found a therapist in town that specifies in pornography addiction recovery. This group of therapists are pioneering an effort to show the world the devastating effects this addiction has on woman. Ben and I have been in extensive therapy for over 2 years now and during that time Ben has been sober.

Enjoy Conference weekend. We'll still have support group on Sunday evening at 7:30pm. We're on Step 1. Come with resolve to start a anew!

Ellen

Congratulations to Melinda!

2011-09-29T18:00:00.000-04:00

Melinda Rosales had her baby girl, Wednesday, September 13th!

We so happy for you, Melinda, and hope to see the little one soon. Send pics so I can post.

e

Margie's Pumpkin Cookies Recipe

2011-09-28T21:23:00.001-04:00

Here is the recipe for the Pumpkin cookies that I made for RS.

I use semi-sweet chocolate chips, even though the recipe calls for milk chocolate.

Enjoy!
Margie

All RS recipes found here permanently.

Congratulations to Bukki

2011-09-27T20:54:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to our new sister, Bukki,
who was baptized Sunday afternoon!

She has had so many big changes in her life and we hope this step will give her comfort and peace and happiness.

The Relief Society Presidency

Forget-me-not

2011-09-26T10:40:00.002-04:00

Sugardoodle.net posted this great visual reminder from President Uchtdorf's soon to be classic talk:

Now we just need to REMEMBER (which for me is sometimes easier said than done!) Beautiful image from a beautiful talk!

Image created by Jocelyn at www.beinglds.blogspot.com - Thanks Jocelyn!

Lesson: Service, Joy, Kindness

2011-09-25T20:13:00.002-04:00

Flecks of gold

Margie combined two lessons into one this month. Kindness Begins with Me and Finding Joy Through Service. Both are conference talks given in April Conference and chosen as our lesson topic for the 4th Sunday of each month by the Bishop.

A simple math formula:

Me + Service = Joy!

Being kind is an act of service
Our Savior taught us about and lived a benevolent life. Jesus loved all and He served all. Centering our lives on Jesus Christ will help us acquire this attribute of benevolence. For us to develop these same Christlike attributes, we must learn about the Savior and “follow in His ways.”

An invitation
I would like to invite each of you to do at least one Samaritan-like act this coming week. It may require that you reach beyond your usual friends or overcome your shyness. You may courageously choose to serve someone who doesn’t treat you well.

I promise that if you will extend yourself beyond what is easy to do, you will feel so good inside that kindness will start to become a part of your everyday life.

You’ll see that benevolence can bring joy and unity to your home, your class, your ward, and your school. “Remember this: kindness begins with me.”

Sometimes we don't believe serving will make us happy...why?

Often we feel helpless in dealing with our lives and that leads to depression. Sometimes we want to fix everything and just can't. We forget that faith enables and fear disables. We give into our fears. Sometimes we just love our self-will and agency too much and forget that if we let go and let God direct our days and lives we'll be happier. Sometimes we get too busy and too caught up in so many things.

Simplify, focus
Elder Ballard counsels us:

Brothers and sisters, the gospel of Jesus Christ is simple, no matter how much we try to make it complicated. We should strive to keep our lives similarly simple, unencumbered by extraneous influences, focused on those things that matter most.

What are the precious, simple things of the gospel that bring clarity and purpose to our lives? What are the flecks of gospel gold whose patient accumulation over the course of our lifetime will reward us with the ultimate treasure—the precious gift of eternal life?

I believe there is one simple but profound—even sublime—principle that encompasses the entirety of the gospel of Jesus Christ. If we wholeheartedly embrace this principle and make it the focus of our lives, it will purify and sanctify us so we can live once again in the presence of God. ...

It is only when we love God and Christ with all of our hearts, souls, and minds that we are able to share this love with our neighbors through acts of kindness and service—the way that the Savior would love and serve all of us if He were among us today.

When this pure love of Christ—or charity—envelops us, we think, feel, and act more like Heavenly Father and Jesus would think, feel, and act.

First, charity begins at home.

The single most important principle that should govern every home is to practice the Golden Rule—the Lord’s admonition that “all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matthew 7:12).

Another place where we have ample opportunity to serve is in the Church.

Our wards and branches should be places where the Golden Rule always guides our words and actions toward each other. By treating each other kindly, speaking words of support and encouragement, and being sensitive to each other’s needs, we can create loving unity among ward members. Where charity exists, there is no place for gossip or unkind words.

A third area where we can serve is in our communities.
As a pure expression of our love and concern, we can reach out to those who have need of our help.

Great things are wrought through simple and small things. Like the small flecks of gold that accumulate over time into a large treasure, our small and simple acts of kindness and service will accumulate into a life filled with love for Heavenly Father, devotion to the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and a sense of peace and joy each time we reach out to one another.

e

Photo credit

Live Blogging of RS Women's Conference

2011-09-24T19:51:00.017-04:00

Hi sisters,

Can't join you at the stake center, so I'll have to view it at home on the computer. I'll be live blogging just to keep myself focused.

Saratoga Utah Choir: The Morning Breaks. White shirts, dark skirts, pink rose corsages. Love seeing the sign interpreters.

Sister Julie B. Beck is conducting. She addresses us.

Title: "What I hope my granddaughters will understand about Relief Society"

RS today is organized after a pattern of discipleship that existed in the ancient church. Women have always been vital to the church. To Martha, Christ encouraged to choose the better part. Faithful women continue to contribute to the growth of the church.

As the Lord restored his church, He again followed the pattern of discipleship. Emma was given instructions in how to increase in faith and righteousness. The Lord has always needed faithful women. Men's missions were possible due to sisters who cared for home, and businesses, and welcomed new members and fellow-shipped them.

Privileges, blessings and gifts of the priesthood come to women through Relief Society. The priesthood pattern...called, sustained and set apart to do a work...teach, inspire, organize sisters to assist in salvation.

RS is an essential part of preparing the saints for the temple. First RS meetings, facing the hill..."a select society...choice, virtuous and holy". The first sisters valued the temple..."the grand prize and first goal." Pay attention in the temple...to be armed with power and blessed to receive the key of the knowledge and power of God, as committed disciples.

The important influence and capacity of the Relief Society worldwide...an ever-expanding sisterhood. Early efforts established patterns of discipleship now applied globally...but adapted in an ever-changing world.

Unrealized expectations, disease, war, natural disasters, addictions...bleach the bones of strength and exhaust us. In every ward there is a RS to strengthen each other in own homes and communities. Impressive and heroic work. Never inconsequential. A place of safety and a refuge, to protect the homes of Zion. We are taught and strengthened. The influence of righteous women blesses many of our Heavenly Father's children.

Learn one step at a time through Visiting Teaching. We used to focus on visits and teaching, and many written and unwritten rules. With so much need for relief and rescue...we need to follow a higher path...sincerely caring for His children. Now we report about spiritual well-being and improve in our ability to do what He would do if He were here. CARE ABOUT OUR SISTERS. Not the perfection of our statistics.

"My visiting teacher helps me grow spiritually and care about me and my family, and takes action without being invited."

Bishop and RS President need sisters to help with caring for all in the ward.

Seek inspiration of the Almighty and we will see the miraculous.

VT can be the pattern of discipleship that the Lord will recognize when He comes again.

The RS History is a witness...timeless truths and examples that will bless our lives. The First Presidency invite us to study it.

Become strong faithful women who apply the principles and patterns of Relief Society in our lives.

Choir: Sweet is the Work

Silvia Allred, First Counselor

Joseph's teachings became the foundation of Relief Society. Always consistent with the teachings of the prophets. Paul referenced faith, hope and charity, but the greatest is charity. Then he listed the qualities of charity.

Joseph said, "Don't be limited in your views regarding your neighbor's virtues...let your hearts expand, bear with faults and errors of mankind."

Charity is not a single act...it's a state of being. Kind feelings that engender loving actions. Bestowed upon the Lord's true disciple....a divine gift to seek and pray for.

How will we develop charity? Desire, pray that we may be filled with it. Reading the scriptures daily.

The Savior said "Feed my sheep." We should minister to those around us. Compassion to all. Forgive.

Joseph Smith practiced charity, kindness, affection, compassion and concern.

Pres. Monson wears the mantle of charity...a true minister of the Lord. "Accept people as they truly are."

Through charity we are willing to serve when it is inconvenient. Kind, self-less, accepting, loving. It's how we become more like the Savior.

Visiting teachers, through small acts of charity, you follow the Savior and minister.

One woman's visiting teachers take her to the doctor and the hospital and care for her home and family. Another sister wanted to learn to read, her v.t. sat with her and practiced. Other visiting teachers served a young mother and these acts softened the heart of her nonmember husband. The history is filled with such accounts of selfless service.

Feelings of charity come from the atonement of our Savior.

We can find joy even when our unmet needs are great.

Live up to privileges...angels will be associates, said Joseph Smith.

Dedicated visiting teachers visit and care for one another. They follow the Savior's example. Their acts of charity have a healing power.

When you read the RS history you'll find this important gospel principle woven through the whole book.

Use all your resources to do good to all those around you including your own family.

Sister Barbara Thompson, Second Counselor, Cleave unto the covenants you have made

Her parents have passed on and she has had the opportunity to read their precious records, partriarchal blessings...promises were made that Satan would have no power over her if she kept her covenants.

Cleave to covenants and joy and protection will come.

Principles and ordinances are received by covenants. Cleave, adhere firmly and closely. Promised blessings follow.

Baptism, faith, repentance to prepare, commitment to keep commandments and bear one another's burdens. Promised to always have His spirit to be with us.

Relief Society prepares His daughters to receive the blessings of the temple..."out of darkness into marvelous light."

Early saints spent their time days and nights in the temple so that they could receive their endowment in the temple.

All that we are and all that we possess...to do good...the temple is source of these covenants.

Joy and blessings come...we obtain salvation through His name and His atonement. King Benjamin's people made covenants to keep commandments...joy, remission of sins.

Ammon and brethren helped thousands come unto Christ. "How great reason we have to rejoice...heart is brim with joy." Making and keeping covenants to have his Spirit to be with us and fill us with joy.

Sarah Rich, Nauvoo woman: "Many blessings in the House of the Lord...comfort, joy, sustain in unknown journey before us."

When people sift through our possessions after we die will they find evidence that we kept our covenants?

Keeping covenants is true joy and happiness, comfort and peace, protection from the world.

Choir and congregation: Hark, All Ye Nations

President Uchtdorf:

Walking through a beautiful garden, noticed the tiniest flower...forget-me-not. Means so much to me. Easy to overlook, yet beautiful blue, mirrors the skies.

German legend: God left one plant unnamed...small voice said, "Forget me not, Lord."

5 petals, 5 things to remember:

1. Forget not to be patient with yourself.

God is fully aware that you and I are not perfect. The people you think are perfect, are not. We spend so much time comparing our weaknesses with their strengths. We never celebrate our good efforts because they seem less. God wants to help us to turn all our weaknesses to strengths...long-term goal. Stay of the path of discipleship...keeping working on it...stop punishing yourself. Be compassionate and patient with yourself. Be thankful for all the small successes in your life. God notices them and they are not small to him. Our journey toward perfection is long but we can find wonder and delight in the tiniest steps

2. Recognize good sacrifice from foolish sacrifice.

Every person and situation is different. How can we tell the difference for our own situation? "Am I committing my time and energy to the things that matter most?"

3. Forget not to be happy now.

In Willy Wonka story everyone was desperate to find the golden ticket and forget the simple joy of the candy bar. Many are waiting for the golden ticket to happiness...perfect marriage, magazine home...putting our happiness on hold. Some dream for the ideal, one thing that we put our lives on hold for. We may become bitter and angry. We fail to notice the blessings we do have. If we spend our days waiting for fabulous roses we could miss the beauty and wonder of the forget-me-nots all around us. Never stop hoping for the righteous desires of your heart, but see the rich ordinary moments around us, the everyday moments. Thread by thread of gratitude weaved throughout our lives.

4. Forget not the "why" of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The gospel is not a long list of tasks, to-do list, busy schedules. The gospel is not an obligation but a pathway...to peace and glory and fulfillment in the life to come. The what and how is necessary but the majesty springs from the why. When we remember why we has the gospel, is becomes light, precious and sweet. Let's not be unaware of the beautiful landscape around us, why we obey...mundane into majestic, obedience to consecration.

5. Forget not that the Lord loves you.

Sometimes we feel insignificant. I proclaim with all my heart and soul...you are not forgotten. Sisters wherever you are, whatever your circumstances may be, no matter how dark the days may seem, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be...your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. The most majestic and powerful being of the universe...knows you and your name. You are the daughters of His kingdom. He loves you because you are his child. The love of God and power of the gospel are redemptive and saving...dress any wound, heal any hurt, soften any sorrow. Continue to increase in faith and personal righteousness. Accept the gospel as your way of life. Treasure the gift of service in RS...strengthen home and families, seek our those who need your help.

I hope the forget-me-not will be a symbol of your lives, of the little things that can make your happy.

Thank you for all you do to bring the joy of the gospel of Jesus Christ to others.

Never forget that you are truly precious daughters in God's kingdom.

Choir: Now Let Us Rejoice

That's it! What great words of counsel from our leaders. Just what I needed to hear. How about you?

e

Breaking Ground for Philadelphia Temple

2011-09-18T21:57:00.001-04:00

The Temple Groundbreaking Ceremony was held yesterday, and it was wonderful! What an exciting time for us all! If you didn't get a chance to attend, here is the depiction of what the new temple is going to look like along with the site plan.

The Local News was there covering the groundbreaking, along with several Newspapers and other media outlets. Here are a few links and clips from around the web.

ABC News Coverage and Local ABC News Video

Philadelphia Inquirer Article

Church Newsroom Article along with additional photos

Also, here is a short video from the LDS Newsroom interviewing members who attended the ceremony, including some of our very own Stake and Ward members...watch for some familiar faces!

Philadelphia Temple Groundbreaking

Devon

Owenna's Stake Conference Talk

2011-09-13T20:53:00.034-04:00

If you weren't able to attend Stake Conference this last weekend, Owenna was kind enough to send me her talk to share with you. It was wonderful (of course!) and I'm so glad she is letting me put it on the blog to share with everyone. Enjoy! Devon

PUT YOUR OWN HOUSE IN ORDER

Given by Owenna Nagy

Valley Forge Pennsylvania Stake Conference 9/11/2011

As the reality of a temple in Phila. gets closer, we’re all feeling something different. Many have great plans for being able to increase their temple work. Others who hold temple recommends but who haven’t been in a very long time, for a variety of reasons, are sorting out whether distance was really the main obstacle or not. Others are eagerly working toward qualifying for their very first recommend so that they can stand in that holy place. And still others with perhaps only a minimal understanding of temples, frankly aren’t sure what all the buzz is about, and wonder if it will ever have anything to do with them.

I would like to share some things I personally have learned along the way as my own testimony of the temple has developed.

When I was in my late 20s, early 30s, I was facing a number of problems that so far exceeded my coping skills that I was drowning. We had six children (four birth children, plus a niece and nephew whom we were raising) living in a cramped upstairs apt. while my husband was grinding away to complete his Ph.D. In addition to grad. student poverty, and the challenges of raising a blended family, a black cloud of depression and doubt hung over everything. I was burdened by all these things that I thought were somehow my own failures, and I felt it was my duty to fix everything. I begged for help through prayer and fasting, but so far as I could tell I was on my own. This went on for a couple of years. One morning in prayer, the following thought was spoken into my mind with great power, “first put your own house in order.”

This was scarcely the answer I expected since I was looking for help fixing everyone else. The interpretation of this admonition has expanded line upon line in the intervening years, until it has become a powerful part of my way of thinking.

My immediate understanding of “put your own house in order” was that my emphasis should be my personal repentance, nor everyone else’s. My response to everyone else should be to give loving encouragement, not to try to “lovingly” “make” them do what I knew they should. I learned that the more you treat others lovingly, the more you ease the way for them to learn from the Spirit. Put your own house in order is not the same thing as saying ignore the family’s problems and just think about yourself, but more like the Lord saying “you’re of more use to me as a loving example than as a nag.”

Yet another time, “put your own house in order” came to mind to encourage me to put as much care into preparing FHE for my family as into preparing a lesson for church.

Another time “put your own house in order” was used to make me aware that my heavy involvement in a community action group, which had been right for a season, now needed to be set aside to attend to matters at home.

There was a period of several years when I didn’t go to the temple because my attendance had become a source of tension in the home. First put your own house in order came to my mind giving me permission to step back for a season and nurture my family. After the passage of a five years, that very same phrase let me know that it was time for me to resume temple attendance.

But the most powerful use of this scripture came to me in a most unexpected way several years later. I was (still) in anguish over the spiritual welfare of my family. We were dealing with some rather severe problems at home, and I really felt like the ship was going down. This phrase came to me at this time with an entirely different meaning. It was the house of my eternal extended family that I needed to help put in order through family history and temple work. The connection between help with family problems and temple work was that I needed to get the whole team on the case – not just people on this side of the veil. There were relatives on the other side who would be freed to help my family if they were brought into the gospel through vicarious baptism and temple ordinances. This connection between temple work and calling on the powers of heaven for my earthly family had been quite lost on me before.

Some time later I came across Bishop Vaughan Featherstone’s promise that “if we will faithfully attend to our temple work, unseen angels will watch over our children,” confirming what the Spirit was teaching me. It is the great principle of vicarious work on which so much of the work in temples is based. I was familiar with the principle that “they without us and we without them cannot be made perfect”, but had applied it only to me helping them with work for the dead, not to my ancestors to whom I have been sealed in the temple helping my family here.

In the dedicatory prayer for the Kirtland Temple, Joseph Smith prayed that “no combination of wickedness shall have power to rise up and prevail over thy people upon whom thy name shall be put in this house.”

Few of my family’s challenges have miraculously gone away. But the hope I live with has been dramatically changed, as I have tried in my own weak way to put my own eternal house in order. I’m such a back slider, and too often I don’t continue as I commence, and there are many distractions in life. But my peace is wrapped up in the Joseph Smith’s promise that “When a seal is put upon the father and mother, it secures their posterity, so that they cannot be lost, but will be saved by virtue of the covenant of their father and mother.” (Teachings PJS, 320-32)

This is why I count myself among those who love going to the temple. Do not doubt that the blessings of the temple are for everyone, after the proper preparation has been made. Why should we doubt ourselves? We were born at this time to be a temple worthy, covenant keeping people. Each of us – sent here at this time to be a light to our families and those around us.

The Lord watches over us all, whether we have been to the temple or not. Our names are written on His palm. But He calls us all to come closer, to claim the crowning blessings of the temple.

-Owenna

Stake & General Relief Society Meeting

2011-08-29T14:12:00.002-04:00

Mark your calendars to join us for this beautiful event for the sisters in our Stake. We will be carpooling from our building at 6:10 pm. Hope you can make it!

Devon

Hurricane Irene - Church cancelled for Sunday

2011-08-27T11:56:00.000-04:00

Hi Sisters,

Below is a message from the Bishopric regarding Sunday meetings being cancelled. In addition to all Home Teachers spreading the word and checking on their families, it would be great if we could each try to reach out to our Visiting Teaching sisters and make sure they've gotten the message about Sunday meetings as well. Plus, it's a perfect time to find opportunities to serve and be there for one another.

Please let me know if anyone has any needs come up that other ward members can help with as well. Love to you all, and hope everyone stays safe, happy, and DRY this weekend!

Devon

Message from Bishopric:

Hello Everyone,
Due to the coming storm, the bishopric would like to alert the ward membership to the following:

1. There are NO meetings on Sunday, NONE.

2. Please make sure that you contact your Home Teaching families to make sure that they are adequately prepared for the storm. Get their cell phone numbers.

3. Home Teachers please contact EVERY family you home teach Sunday, following the storm to find out if they #1. are Okay and/or #2. need any help. After contacting them, contact either President Stephens or Phil Tiller to report in.

4. Here are some guidelines as you prepare your family and those you home teach:

CHARGE your cell phones. When landlines and electric are down, this will be vital to contacting everyone! (If your HT doesn't have your cell number, now might be a good time to email it to them!!!) :)
Have extra water for drinking and flushing toilets stored ahead of time in case the purity of our water systems is compromised. One good way to take care of the toilets is to fill your bathtub ahead of time.
Check your sump pumps for operation by dumping a couple of buckets of water into the sump to see if the pump comes on.
Have lots of batteries and flashlights. Candles are a poor source of light because of the very high danger of causing a fire.
Be CAREFUL cleaning up after the storm, be aware of live electrical wires. Never, ever try to move them. This is truly a job for professionals.

A little bit of preparation will help us make sure our ward family weathers this storm well.

Take care,
Your Bishopric

Lesson: Family Responsibilities

2011-08-21T21:38:00.001-04:00

Gospel Principles 37 Family Responsibilities
Taught by Sarah Kinghorn

Each person has an important place in his or her family.

Through prophets the Lord has explained how fathers, mothers, and children should behave and feel toward one another. As husbands, wives, and children, we need to learn what the Lord expects us to do to fulfill our purpose as a family. If we all do our part, we will be united eternally.

In the Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting: Building Up a Righteous Posterity, February 9, 2008
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, in Patterns and Replicas says,

Now, I hope this helps you understand why we talk about the pattern, the ideal, of marriage and family when we know full well that not everyone now lives in that ideal circumstance. It is precisely because many don’t have, or perhaps have never even seen, that ideal and because some cultural forces steadily move us away from that ideal, that we speak about what our Father in Heaven wishes for us in His eternal plan for His children.

Individual adaptations have to be made as marital status and family circumstances differ. But all of us can agree on the pattern as it comes from God, and we can strive for its realization the best way we can.

In the sacred responsibilities of parenthood, “fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102). They should work together to provide for the spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and physical needs of the family.
Some responsibilities must be shared by the husband and the wife. Parents should teach their children the gospel.

How can we teach our children the gospel?

Watch with All Perseverance
Elder Bednar, April 2010 Watching with All Perseverance:

This early warning system applies to children of all ages and contains three basic components: (1) reading and talking about the Book of Mormon with your children, (2) bearing testimony of gospel truths spontaneously with your children, and (3) inviting children as gospel learners to act and not merely be acted upon. Parents who do these things faithfully will be blessed to recognize early signals of spiritual growth in or challenges with their children and be better prepared to receive inspiration to strengthen and help those children.

Parents should be vigilant and spiritually attentive to spontaneously occurring opportunities to bear testimony to their children. Such occasions need not be programmed, scheduled, or scripted. In fact, the less regimented such testimony sharing is, the greater the likelihood for edification and lasting impact.

For example, a naturally occurring family conversation at dinner may be the perfect setting for a parent to recount and testify of specific blessings he or she received during the course of relatively routine activities that day. And a testimony need not always begin with the phrase “I bear you my testimony.” Our witness can be declared as simply as “I know I was blessed with inspiration at work today” or “The truth in this scripture always has been a powerful source of direction for me.” Similar opportunities to bear testimony also can arise while traveling together in a car or bus or in a multitude of other settings.

One of the best ways parents can teach their children is by example.

Husbands and wives should show love and respect for each other and for their children by both actions and words. It is important to remember that each member of the family is a child of God. Parents should treat their children with love and respect, being firm but kind to them.

Parents should understand that sometimes children will make wrong choices even after they have been taught the truth. When this happens, parents should not give up. They should continue to teach their children, to express love for them, to be good examples to them, and to fast and pray for them.

President Boyd K. Packer, Our Moral Environment, May 1992:

The measure of our success as parents…will not rest solely on how our children turn out. That judgment would be just only if we could raise our families in a perfectly moral environment. And that now is not possible. …When parents keep covenants they have made at the altar of the temple, their children will be forever bound to them.

How can husbands and wives support each other in their roles?

Single parenting
I contacted a few of my friends who are single parents or who have been in the past and the response to the question “where can single parents turn for support” was tremendous. I would like to share some of their thoughts with you.

Single parents can turn to the sisters in the ward, visiting teachers and home teachers for support.

“As far as support as a single parent, it was mainly through the sisters in the ward/branch. My family wasn’t supportive, and my friends were few and far between. My visiting teachers made sure I was well informed of activities and socials that brought me closer to the kind of environment that I needed to have…I tried to attend as much of that as I could so that I could talk with other mothers and see what child-rearing techniques were useful, what daycares were the best, etc.”

How can we support single parents?

1. Be understanding

“The hardest thing for me to do was to go to church on Sunday. I would walk in and feel like the whole congregation turned and scoffed. To me, that was the biggest slap in the face I could have received. I thought, if these people are living the gospel like they are supposed to, they would not make a big deal out of it. Instead of being self-righteous, maybe they could have been more open to being more understanding and supportive?”

2. Offer specific help

“When it comes to single parents, no matter why they are single – never married, divorced, widowed, a deployment, whatever – they want you to show them that you care.”

It is best to offer specific help or ask specifically what you can do. For one of my friends the young men came over and mowed her lawn the first summer after her divorce. She said it was a nice thought but something she had been doing and didn’t need help with. “When they are mowing my lawn every week I feel bad asking for other things that I really do need.”

3. Be inclusive

“I guess I just do feel like I could use more support from the ward, mostly in the socialization area. People actually could still have me and my kids over with their family for dinner or a get together, but it’s like they think we don’t want to be around a family with a dad since we don’t have one.”

“It is hard to explain to someone what it is like to sit at home with your kids during a holiday meal, just the three of you, then later show up at church and hear multiple people tell you how they would have invited you over but they thought someone else had invited you, and in the end no one did.”

4. Help make the priesthood available to the family

“…even if it means sacrificing your husband so he can run an errand or help with a single sister’s to-do list, or just encourage him to be a better home teacher and offer blessings to the family."

“President Hinckley’s words of encouragement and love fill my heart with hope and eyes with tears every time I read this to this day."

For you who are single parents, I say that many hands stand ready to help you. The Lord is not unmindful of you. Neither is His Church.

May He bless you, my beloved sisters who find yourselves in the situation of single parenthood. May you have health, strength, vitality to carry the heavy burden that is yours. May you have loving friends and associates to bear you up in your times of trial. You know the power of prayer as perhaps few others do. Many of you spend much time on your knees speaking with your Father in Heaven, with tears running down your cheeks. Please know that we also pray for you.

With all that you have to do, you are also asked to serve in the Church. Your bishop will not ask you to do anything that is beyond your capacity. And as you so serve, a new dimension will be added to your life. You will find new and stimulating associations. You will find friendship and sociality. You will grow in knowledge and understanding and wisdom, and in your capacity to do. You will become a better mother because of the service you give in the work of the Lord.

Fathers

By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families.

A worthy father who is a member of the Church has the opportunity to hold the priesthood, making him the priesthood leader of his family.

The father shares the blessings of the priesthood with the members of his family. When a man holds the Melchizedek Priesthood, he can share these blessings by administering to the sick and giving special priesthood blessings. Under the direction of a presiding priesthood leader, he can bless babies, baptize, confirm, and perform priesthood ordinations. He should set a good example for his family by keeping the commandments. He should also make sure the family prays together twice daily and holds family home evening.

The father should spend time with each child individually. He should teach his children correct principles, talk with them about their problems and concerns, and counsel them lovingly.

M. Russell Ballard, Fathers and Sons: A Remarkable Relationship, Ensign, Nov 2009, 47–50:

Find your own best way to connect. Some fathers like to take their sons fishing or to a sporting event. Others like to go on a quiet drive or work side by side in the yard. Some find their sons enjoy conversations at night just before going to bed. Do whatever works best for you. Where or when this happens isn’t nearly as important as the fact that it happens.

What positive examples have you seen of fathers raising their children?

Mothers

President David O. McKay said that motherhood is the noblest calling. It is a sacred calling, a partnership with God in bringing His spirit children into the world. Bearing children is one of the greatest of all blessings. If there is no father in the home, the mother presides over the family.

President Boyd K. Packer praised women who were unable to have children of their own yet sought to care for others. He said:

When I speak of mothers, I speak not only of those women who have borne children, but also of those who have fostered children born to others, and of the many women who, without children of their own, have mothered the children of others.

My own mother could not have children of her own for many years. This caused a great deal of heartache. Despite the grief she felt, she was still able to mother the children of others through friends' children and callings in Primary and Young Women. I was adopted after 9 years of infertility and my sister was adopted almost 2 years later.

Latter-day prophets have taught, “Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.”

A mother needs to spend time with her children and teach them the gospel. She should play and work with them so they can discover the world around them. She also needs to help her family know how to make the home a pleasant place to be. If she is warm and loving, she helps her children feel good about themselves.

What positive examples have you seen of mothers raising their children?

Children
Children share with their parents the responsibilities of building a happy home. They should obey the commandments and cooperate with other family members. The Lord is not pleased when children quarrel (see Mosiah 4:14).

What did your parents do that led you to honor and respect them?

What are some traditions and practices that can make home a happy place?

A loving and happy family does not happen by accident. Each person in the family must do his or her part. The Lord has given responsibilities to both parents and children. The scriptures teach that we must be thoughtful, cheerful, and considerate of others. When we speak, pray, sing, or work together, we can enjoy the blessings of harmony in our families. (See Colossians 3.)

New Relief Society Book

2011-08-20T20:34:00.000-04:00

Diversity and Strength of Mormon Women Highlighted in New Relief Society Book LDS Newsroom

From LDS Newsroom: All Mormon women over the age of 18 belong to Relief Society, which helps women in their efforts to follow Jesus Christ, increase their personal faith, strengthen families and serve others. This work and Relief Society women both past and present are the focus of a new book soon to be released by the Church, Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society.

Copies of Daughters in My Kingdom will be distributed to women around the world to be used as a resource for personal study and for teaching in the Church and in the home. The book will be mailed next week to all English-speaking Church congregations and will be printed in 25 other languages in the next few months. With this diversity of cultures among the 14 million Church members, President Beck said the book needed to have broad appeal.

It sounds wonderful and very inspiring! We'll be eagerly awaiting arrival of the book to our area!

Devon

Lesson: Eternal Families

2011-08-14T22:20:00.003-04:00

The Family Can Be Eternal, Lesson 36, Gospel Principles, by Debbie Horton

Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God. … The family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children
(The Family: A Proclamation to the World Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102).

After Heavenly Father brought Adam and Eve together in marriage, He commanded them to have children.

He has revealed that one of the purposes of marriage is to provide mortal bodies for His spirit children. Parents are partners with our Heavenly Father. He wants each of His spirit children to receive a physical body and to experience earth life. When a man and a woman bring children into this world, they help our Heavenly Father carry out His plan.

At home, with our families, we can learn self-control, sacrifice, loyalty, and the value of work. We can learn to love, to share, and to serve one another.

Fathers and mothers are responsible to teach their children about Heavenly Father. They should show by example that they love Him because they keep His commandments. Parents should also teach their children to pray and to obey the commandments (see Proverbs 22:6).

Do any of us have the ideal family?

What of those families where a parent is missing or those who don't have children. How can we support one another in our various situations?

These were some of the responses that the sisters gave.

Don't make others feel as though not having children is second class. Be sensitive.
Choose to mother the children around you...in the ward, in your extended families, in the neighborhood. Your influence is much needed and welcomed.
Remember that Eve was called the mother of all living before she had one child. It is an important role whether or not we have children. The desire to have a child was planted in us from the beginning.
Contribute to the world in ways that others with children may not be able to, given their circumstances.
Consider adoption. (a plug from Debbie)
Understand that we speak here of the ideal. We should be striving to fulfill this ideal in the ways that we are able and leave the rest to faith.
No matter what the difficulty in our family, turn to the Savior and walk with him and he will support you.
Give gratitude to God in whatever circumstance we find ourselves for the way things are at this moment. Learn, grow, participate in the life you've been given, and trust God.

What can we do to counter how the world looks at families, with our youth?

Examples are powerful. Look to parents, extended family ward members for how to be a good parent.
Attend church together, don't allow fighting, actively teach your children.
Take the Proclamation on the Family and teach it line by line, each week.
Exhibit your commitment to families and share your testimony of the importance of families.
Teach your children the whole plan of salvation so they can see themselves in the big picture.
Stay involved with extended family.
Choose to end any practices of neglect or abuse in your family line.

What does harmony in the home look like? Sound like? Feel like?

Mosiah 4:14-15:

And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the evil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness.

But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another.

How to have a successful family

All of us want to have happy, successful families. Debbie asked us to look at this list and circle one or two of these that you are doing okay with and pat ourselves on the back. Now choose the one that the Spirit whispers you can do better at. Make it a goal to improve this week.

Have family prayer every night and morning (see 3 Nephi 18:21). Pray together as husband and wife.
Teach children the gospel every week in family home evening.
Study the scriptures regularly as a family.
Do things together as a family, such as work projects, outings, and decision making.
Learn to be kind, patient, long-suffering, and charitable (see Moroni 7:45–48).
Attend Church meetings regularly (see D&C 59:9–10).
Follow the counsel of the Lord in D&C 88:119: “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.”
Keep a family history, perform temple work together, and receive the sealing ordinances of the temple.

The family is the most important unit in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Church exists to help families gain eternal blessings and exaltation. The organizations and programs within the Church are designed to strengthen us individually and help us live as families forever.

President David O. McKay said,

With all my heart I believe that the best place to prepare for … eternal life is in the home
(“Blueprint for Family Living,” Improvement Era, Apr. 1963, 252).

e

References:
The Proclamation
The Church Handbook: Families and Church in God's Plan

Photo credit

New "Teaching the Gospel" Website

2011-08-10T22:42:00.001-04:00

This church website is for everyone. At some point we will all be teachers in the church, as well as teaching in our home. This will be a great help.

“Every parent, every Sunday School teacher, every youth teacher, every teacher in Primary, and the youth themselves are teachers,” said Brother Russell T. Osguthorpe, Sunday School general president. “This website says, ‘We can give you some help, we can give you some ideas, we can help you understand what it means to teach well.’”

New website announcement article
Teaching the Gospel website

Great resource!

e

Lesson: Personal Revelation and the Scriptures

2011-08-07T17:00:00.009-04:00

Taught by Ellen King (me!)

Sisters, we've been taught well over the last few weeks about personal revelation, what it is, where it comes from, what we can do, how we know we receive it, etc.:

Margie - Waiting on the Road to Damascus
Valerie - Obedience
Amanda - Developing Talents
Aubrey - Aligning our will to God's
Owenna - Two Lines of Communication

Today I'd like to add one more rock of understanding to the guide post of revelation in our lives.

Personal revelation

Personal revelation comes when we seek through prayer and meditation to know the Lord’s will for us, and to have the power to carry it out.

We talk a lot of prayer as the door to personal revelation and understand that well, but what does meditation mean to you?

To me meditation means to focus on a concept or idea or word or phrase and think deeply about it. I do this best when studying the scriptures.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks:

The idea that scripture reading can lead to inspiration and revelation opens the door to the truth that a scripture is not limited to what it meant when it was written but may also include what that scripture means to a reader today. Even more, scripture reading may also lead to current revelation on whatever else the Lord wishes to communicate to the reader at that time.

We do not overstate the point when we say that the scriptures can be a Urim and Thummim to assist each of us to receive personal revelation

(Dallin H. Oaks, “Scripture Reading and Revelation,” Ensign, Jan. 1995, 8).

Have you ever been listening to General Conference and have thoughts come into your head that are completely unrelated to the talk? That’s what he’s talking about.

I promise you today that prayerful meditation as you read the scriptures
will increase your personal revelation.

Here is a specific way to study that will increase your personal revelation. I think many of us know we should be studying the scriptures daily, but haven’t really been taught how to do that. And even if we have, it’s good to change up how we are doing it.

Scriptures that teach about personal revelation
Here are several that teach us about personal revelation and what we can do to increase it.

D&C 88:63 - Draw near to God
2 Nephi 32:3 - Feast on the words of Christ
1 Thessalonians 5:17-19 - Be grateful
 Jacob 4:10 - Take counsel from his hand 
Alma 5:46 - Fast often

Capturing
Now I have an exercise for you called “capturing” that I use often that opens my eyes and mind and heart to what the Lord wants to tell me, to personal revelation.

Here are the steps:

Underline the scripture. Look for the word or phrases that YOU need to attend to.
Copy it down in writing. Possibly substituting your name in it.
Write out the thoughts that come to you from these phrases.

Here is one woman’s discovery about capturing…

Capturing–Taking My Finger Off the “Fast Forward” Button, by Colleen Harrison.

Many years ago, as I was reading the Book of Mormon, I came to the following verse:

Jacob 1:4 — And if there were preaching which was sacred, or revelation which was great, or prophesying, that I should engraven the heads of them upon these plates, and touch upon them as much as it were possible, for Christ’s sake, and for the sake of our people.

The words I have [emphasized] highlighted are the ones that blazed out at me. Why? Because the Lord had orchestrated (guided, arranged) my life not long before, so that I [had] attended a two week seminar at BYU where I had learned to “capture.” The teacher, Brother Chauncey Riddle, had said, “When you read the scriptures, don’t just underline the standard verses. Pray for the Spirit to highlight the verses–or even single words or phrases that you need to pay attention to. And then pay attention by taking the time and effort to write out the thoughts that are coming to you through those words and phrases.” Then he gave us an assignment to go home and practice by capturing every verse in the 32nd chapter of 2 Nephi. (There are nine.)

I did the assignment, and I could not believe the difference it made to me and how much the scriptures opened up to my mind and made sense and made a difference in my thinking. It was as if I had finally taken my finger off the fast forward button on my CD player and let the words slow down enough that I could actually understand them.

...[When you write] do not judge your penmanship, grammar, spelling, or even the content. You just let what’s inside that needs to be said tumble out. You suspend all criticism of yourself, of your heart and mind, and let the spirit–your spirit guide you.)

I have found that if I combine this technique with sincere prayer, with honest and humble intent, having faith in Christ to be with me through His Light within me, the thoughts that begin to tumble forth are not just my own thoughts, but they become the thoughts He is “whispering” into my mind. What started out as a monologue (just me going on about my thoughts and feelings, reactions to life), begins to be a dialogue.

It was when I first started doing this that I began to realize that the Spirit of God, specifically the Spirit of Christ, was always “walking” with me, always willing to “talk” to me in my thoughts and impressions in my mind, and in the tenderest feelings of my heart.

...He was there, inside me, in the Kingdom of God within–in that deepest, truest, most eternal place–where my real self could be found and connected with.

And that’s what slowing down to capture did for me. It put me back in touch with the voice of both my own truth and the voice of Christ–of His Truth.

The exercise
Try this capturing today, right now, it only takes 10-15 minutes. Some of us already do this (scripture journaling) and some of us have never been taught how to do this. So practice.

Look up the verses above and choose one that speaks to you.
Underline it in your scriptures.
Copy it down long-hand. This is important. It slows you down and helps you begin to retain it.
Put your name in the places where it makes sense.
Now say prayer asking for His inspiration.
Begin to write.
Focus on your thoughts.
Don’t worry about your handwriting, grammar or spelling.
Just pen your thoughts, the truth that speaks to you and why, the counsel you need to heed, the comfort you need to hear.

Ready, set, go.

...

...

...

And, stop.

How was it? What do think? Did you learn something new?

Creating a dialogue with God while studying takes practice. So keep it up.

Use the scriptures as a source of personal revelation

Elder Oaks continues,

For us, the scriptures are not the ultimate source of knowledge, but what precedes the ultimate source. The ultimate knowledge comes by revelation.

… The word of the Lord in the scriptures is like a lamp to guide our feet (see Ps. 119:105), and revelation is like a mighty force that increases the lamp’s illumination manyfold. We encourage everyone to make careful study of the scriptures and of the prophetic teachings concerning them and to prayerfully seek personal revelation to know their meaning for themselves.

...Because we believe that scripture reading can help us receive revelation, we are encouraged to read the scriptures again and again. By this means, we obtain access to what our Heavenly Father would have us know and do in our personal lives today. That is one reason Latter-day Saints believe in daily scripture study.

Finding time

Now, when are you going to get time for this personal revelation?

Daily, he says.

Hmph, not likely, you're thinking

Sisters, I’m giving you permission to be selfish in this one thing.

Permission to do one less task in your day. Permission to go to your bed half an hour early, rise half an hour early, degree a quiet hour at your house, declare a reading meal (which is that everyone brings a book to read at dinner, no talking), or spend 10 extra minutes in the bathroom.

You must do this for your sanity, for your nurture, for your personal revelation, to know the will of God for you and have the power to carry it out.

Continually giving to others without refueling and loving yourself is unhealthy, and can lead to habits that become even more unhealthy.

Take the time to do what it takes to receive personal revelation in your life...draw near to the Lord, be grateful in every day and every prayer, feast on the words of Christ, take counsel from the Lord, and know that the Spirit of revelation is IN you.

I testify today that prayerful meditation as you read the scriptures will increase your personal revelation and help you draw near to the Lord, to know God’s will and have the power of the Holy Ghost with you.

e

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Get Mothering Help from the Prophets

2011-08-02T21:19:00.000-04:00

Did you know every General Conference is filled with advice for mothers?

Well of course you did.

Ah, but did you know it's be been gathered all in one place for your convenience?

Here are summaries from the last three conferences.

Teachings for Mothers: October 2010
Teachings for Mother: April 2010
Teaching for Mother: April 2011

A few excerpts:

“So if you are trying to do the best you can—if, for example, you keep trying to hold family home evening in spite of the bedlam that sometimes reigns in a houseful of little bedlamites—then give yourself high marks and, when we come to that subject, listen for another which addresses a topic where you may be lacking. If we teach by the Spirit and you listen by the Spirit, some one of us will touch on your circumstance, sending a personal prophetic epistle just to you”
(Jeffrey R. Holland, “An Ensign to the Nations,” Apr. 2011 general conference).

“We have all heard the advice to condemn the sin and not the sinner. Likewise, when our children misbehave, we must be careful not to say things that would cause them to believe that what they did wrong is who they are. 'Never let failure progress from an action to an identity,' with its attendant labels like 'stupid,' 'slow,' 'lazy,' or 'clumsy.' Our children are God’s children. That is their true identity and potential. His very plan is to help His children overcome mistakes and misdeeds and to progress to become as He is. Disappointing behavior, therefore, should be considered as something temporary, not permanent—an act, not an identity. We need to be careful, therefore, about using permanent phrases such as 'You always …' or 'You never …' when disciplining. Take care with phrases such as 'You never consider my feelings' or 'Why do you always make us wait?' Phrases like these make actions appear as an identity and can adversely influence the child’s self-perception and self-worth”
(Lynn G. Robbins, “What Manner of Men and Women Ought Ye to Be?” Apr. 2011 general conference).

e

Lesson: Emergency Preparedness and Provident Living

2011-07-31T20:49:00.001-04:00

Our combined RS/PH lesson this week was on Provident Living, given by Kellen Wentzel. Kellen did a great job.

Here is a bit of what he reminded us we should be doing. In addition to a 72-hour kit we should prepare:

Three-month supply of food that is part of your normal daily diet.
Drinking water.
Financial reserves.
Longer-term supply of basic food items.
Medication and first aid supplies.
Clothing and bedding.
Important documents.
Ways to communicate with family following a disaster.

But just as important is to prepare spiritually, to get the education you need to get a good job, and to avoid debt.

Find more information at providentliving.org.

e

Singles Fireside Sunday

2011-07-30T21:31:00.000-04:00

Learn, Share, Create

2011-07-25T06:00:00.004-04:00

Do you have talents in taking photographs, making videos, or creating other types of media?

This site will help you share your media with the Church and other members.

The new section of LDS.org is designed to help members access gospel-oriented media such as videos, audio files, and still images in one trusted location, and members can help achieve that goal by submitting their own work.

Your submission will go through an acceptance, editing, and tagging process and are then placed in the LDS Media Library for general Church membership to use in teaching in the home and performing their callings.

Media Library materials may also be used for personal blogs, websites, and other places where members would like to share gospel messages.

It's wholesome. It will be free.

But first we must Create and Contribute.

Learn more at LDSTech.org.
Go straight to Create.LDS.org.
See a list of current photo needs and video needs.
Learn how to submit.

For now it's a call for photography and videos. Eventually you'll be able to submit music, writing, scripts, even blog templates.

Get busy.

e

Lesson: Waiting on the Road to Damascus

2011-07-24T16:31:00.001-04:00

Teachings for Our Times, Waiting on the Road to Damascus,

Pres. Uchtdorf, taught by Margie Clark

Are we like or unlike Paul, on the road to Dasmascus?

... there are some who feel that unless they have an experience similar to Saul’s or Joseph Smith’s, they cannot believe. They stand at the waters of baptism but do not enter. They wait at the threshold of testimony but cannot bring themselves to acknowledge the truth. Instead of taking small steps of faith on the path of discipleship, they want some dramatic event to compel them to believe.

They spend their days waiting on the road to Damascus.

Elder Bednar's insight in The Spirit of Revelation, in April 2011 conference, tells us that revelation and testimony come in two ways:

A light turned on in a dark room is like receiving a message from God quickly, completely, and all at once. Many of us have experienced this pattern of revelation as we have been given answers to sincere prayers or been provided with needed direction or protection, according to God’s will and timing. Descriptions of such immediate and intense manifestations are found in the scriptures, recounted in Church history, and evidenced in our own lives. Indeed, these mighty miracles do occur. However, this pattern of revelation tends to be more rare than common.

The gradual increase of light radiating from the rising sun is like receiving a message from God “line upon line, precept upon precept” (2 Nephi 28:30). Most frequently, revelation comes in small increments over time and is granted according to our desire, worthiness, and preparation. Such communications from Heavenly Father gradually and gently “distil upon [our souls] as the dews from heaven” (D&C 121:45). This pattern of revelation tends to be more common than rare.

If the mighty manifestation does not come to us, what do we do? We look for line upon line learning and gradual gentle understanding over time...all while our feet are moving forward.

Belief comes one step at a time

Margie gave an insight from one of her children when they were eight years old. After having been to a friend's house where the friend had every doll and outfit of a certain brand of dolls, and her daughter had a single doll and a few accessories, Margie asked how she felt about that. The answer was 'it's okay...wanting something makes it better.'

Wanting and working for a testimony makes it more powerful and meaningful when it comes.

President Uchtdorf explains:

The truth is, those who diligently seek to learn of Christ eventually will come to know Him. They will personally receive a divine portrait of the Master, although it most often comes in the form of a puzzle—one piece at a time. Each individual piece may not be easily recognizable by itself; it may not be clear how it relates to the whole. Each piece helps us to see the big picture a little more clearly. Eventually, after enough pieces have been put together, we recognize the grand beauty of it all.

Then, looking back on our experience, we see that the Savior had indeed come to be with us—not all at once but quietly, gently, almost unnoticed.
This can be our experience if we move forward with faith and do not wait too long on the road to Damascus.

Elder Benar confirms this:

I have talked with many individuals who question the strength of their personal testimony and underestimate their spiritual capacity because they do not receive frequent, miraculous, or strong impressions.

Perhaps as we consider the experiences of Joseph in the Sacred Grove, of Saul on the road to Damascus, and of Alma the Younger, we come to believe something is wrong with or lacking in us if we fall short in our lives of these well-known and spiritually striking examples.

If you have had similar thoughts or doubts, please know that you are quite normal. Just keep pressing forward obediently and with faith in the Savior. As you do so, you “cannot go amiss” (D&C 80:3).

Try these three ideas for strengthening your testimony and commitment to serve, from President Uchtdorf...

Harken and heed
Serve
Share

Harken and heed

I testify to you that our Father in Heaven loves His children. He loves us. He loves you. When necessary the Lord will even carry you over obstacles as you seek His peace with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

Often He speaks to us in ways that we can hear only with our heart. To better hear His voice, it would be wise to turn down the volume control of the worldly noise in our lives.

Think of a time when you felt the Lord's love carry you or speak to your heart. Turn to Him in gratitude often, for the small and big things, and you will see his love manifested in your life.

Or perhaps our morning prayers should include more often the phrase, "Lord, what wilt thou have me do?" as Paul responded on the road to Damascus. And then we should be up and doing.

Serve

Another reason we sometimes do not recognize the voice of the Lord in our lives is because the revelations of the Spirit may not come directly to us as the answer to our prayers.

...The answer may come through the voice and wisdom of trusted friends and family, the scriptures, and the words of prophets.

Let's look for his love and guidance all around us.

Let's be thinking and praying for others and their well-being. By becoming the answer to someone’s prayer, we often find the answer to our own.

It has been my experience that some of the most powerful promptings we receive are not only for our own benefit but also for the benefit of others. If we are thinking only of ourselves, we may miss some of the most powerful spiritual experiences and profound revelations of our lives.

Often, the answer to our prayer does not come while we’re on our knees but while we’re on our feet serving the Lord and serving those around us.

There are times when the Lord reveals to us things that are intended only for us. Nevertheless, in many, many cases He entrusts a testimony of the truth to those who will share it with others.

...the Lord expects the members of His Church to “open [their mouths] at all times, declaring [His] gospel with the sound of rejoicing.”

Owenna reminded us that one may have the gift of faith and another to believe on their words, meaning one experience may be meant to be shared with all, for the benefit of all. Even recalling the goodness of God in the scriptures can become our own experience; we make it our own.

In conclusion

Brothers and sisters, dear friends, let us not wait too long on our road to Damascus. Instead, let us courageously move forward in faith, hope, and charity, and we will be blessed with the light we are all seeking upon the path of true discipleship.

Newborn Kits - Service Activity

2011-07-23T17:56:00.000-04:00

A big thanks to all who came and/or donated items for our Relief Society Service Activity this week. We ended up with a lot of great Newborn Kits to donate to Montgomery Hospital for the newborns in their Labor & Delivery Unit. Everything will be so loved and appreciated by the new babies and their mothers! A great time was had by all!

And also thank you to Margie for coordinating these activities for us. What a great opportunity for us to help out in our community!

Devon

Pioneer Day

2011-07-20T06:00:00.002-04:00

Pool Party and Devotional

2011-07-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

And wear your swimsuit for a refreshing dip in the pool!!!!

Make-Everything-OK Button

2011-07-18T06:00:00.002-04:00

http://make-everything-ok.com/

Try it! It really does make you feel better.

e

Lesson: Obedience

2011-07-17T14:54:00.001-04:00

Gospel Principles, Chapter 35, Obedience, taught by Valerie Kielkopf

We Should Obey God Willingly

What difference does it make to obey willingly rather than unwillingly?

When Jesus was on the earth, a lawyer asked Him a question:

“Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

“This is the first and great commandment.

“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

“On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:36–40).

From these scriptures we learn how important it is for us to love the Lord and our neighbors. But how do we show our love for the Lord?

Jesus answered this question when He said, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father” (John 14:21).

Each of us should ask ourselves why we obey God’s commandments. Is it because we fear punishment? Is it because we desire the rewards for living a good life? Is it because we love God and Jesus Christ and want to serve Them?

It is better to obey the commandments because we fear punishment than not to obey them at all. But we will be much happier if we obey God because we love Him and want to obey Him. When we obey Him freely, He can bless us freely. He said, “I, the Lord, … delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end” (D&C 76:5). Obedience also helps us progress and become more like our Heavenly Father. But those who do nothing until they are commanded and then keep the commandments unwillingly lose their reward (see D&C 58:26–29).

We Can Obey without Understanding Why

Why do we not always need to understand the Lord’s purposes in order to be obedient?

By keeping God’s commandments, we prepare for eternal life and exaltation. Sometimes we do not know the reason for a particular commandment. However, we show our faith and trust in God when we obey Him without knowing why.

Adam and Eve were commanded to offer sacrifices to God. One day an angel appeared to Adam and asked why he offered sacrifices. Adam replied that he did not know the reason. He did it because the Lord commanded him. (See Moses 5:5–6 )

The angel then taught Adam the gospel and told him of the Savior who was to come. The Holy Ghost fell upon Adam, and Adam prophesied concerning the inhabitants of the earth down to the last generation. This knowledge and great blessings came to Adam because he was obedient.

God Will Prepare a Way
The Book of Mormon tells us that Nephi and his older brothers received a very difficult assignment from the Lord (see 1 Nephi 3:1–6). Nephi’s brothers complained, saying that the Lord required a hard thing of them. But Nephi said, “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them” (1 Nephi 3:7). When we find it difficult to obey a commandment of the Lord, we should remember Nephi’s words.

When has the Lord prepared a way for you to obey Him?

No Commandment Is Too Small or Too Great to Obey
Sometimes we may think a commandment is not very important. Sometimes we may think a commandment is too difficult for us to obey.

It was a “hard thing” when the Lord commanded Abraham to offer his beloved son Isaac as a sacrifice (see Genesis 22:1–13; see also chapter 26 in this book). Abraham had waited many years for the birth of Isaac, the son God had promised him. How could he lose his son in such a way? This commandment must have been exceedingly difficult for Abraham. Yet he chose to obey God.

We too should be willing to do anything God requires. The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “I made this my rule: When the Lord commands, do it” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 160). This can be our rule also.

When have you received blessings as a result of your obedience to commandments that seemed small?

Jesus Christ Obeyed His Father
Jesus Christ was the sublime example of obedience to our Heavenly Father. He said, “I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38). His whole life was devoted to obeying His Father; yet it was not always easy for him. He was tempted in all ways as other mortals (see Hebrews 4:15). In the Garden of Gethsemane He prayed, saying, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matthew 26:39).

Because Jesus obeyed the Father’s will in all things, He made salvation possible for all of us.

Results of Obedience and Disobedience
The Lord has told us that through our obedience and diligence we may gain knowledge and intelligence. We may also grow spiritually.

On the other hand, disobedience brings disappointment and results in a loss of blessings.

When we keep the commandments of God, He fulfills His promises.

The Obedient Gain Eternal Life
The Lord counsels us, “If you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God” (D&C 14:7).

The Lord has described other blessings that will come to those who obey Him in righteousness and truth until the end:

“Thus saith the Lord—I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end.

“Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory.

“And to them will I reveal all mysteries, yea, all the hidden mysteries of my kingdom from days of old, and for ages to come, will I make known unto them the good pleasure of my will concerning all things pertaining to my kingdom.

“Yea, even the wonders of eternity shall they know, and things to come will I show them, even the things of many generations.

“And their wisdom shall be great, and their understanding reach to heaven. …

“For by my Spirit will I enlighten them, and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will—yea, even those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man” (D&C 76:5–10).

Thanks Val for a great lesson. So good to be reminded of these things.

e

Photo Credit More Good Foundation on Flickr

Pics from Tobi's Baby Shower

2011-07-13T13:42:00.001-04:00

Thanks for all who came to support Tobi. Thanks to Evonne and Melanie for hosting the baby shower. The salads and treats were yummy...and cute!

I think Tobi was overwhelmed by the response but also, we hope, felt loved.

And we welcomed Bukky, Tobi's Nigerian friend, to America.

[Some of you also took pictures at the shower. Send them to me and I'll post those too.]

e

Family Work

2011-07-12T23:16:00.000-04:00

Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green?

Those of you who are currently with young ones at home and out of school, your answer might be like mine….trying to be patient, loving, and to keep the TV/media stuff off for as long as possible!

One thing that I have really been pushing this summer is to teach my children how to work, and there are days that it just does not go over well around here. I have been baffled at how my children can become so lazy & whiny the moment I mention it’s time to work on their chores. Honestly, I was at a complete loss and had turned to the Lord for some major help in the patience department when Owenna e-mailed me an article she had been telling me about that her sister Kathleen (who is a professor...) wrote for BYU Magazine.

The Article is entitled, “Family Work,” and gave me a lot of food for thought. In the article, Kathleen Slaugh Bahr discusses the differences between her childhood growing up working TOGETHER with her family, and the ways that we now try to make our children work. She states:

People who see the value of family work only in terms of the economic value of processes that yield measurable products--washed dishes, baked bread, swept floors, clothed children--miss what some call the "invisible household production" that occurs at the same time, but which is, in fact, more important to family-building and character development than the economic products. Here lies the real power of family work--its potential to transform lives, to forge strong families, to build strong communities. It is the power to quietly, effectively urge hearts and minds toward a oneness known only in Zion.

Kathleen then discusses the role of work from the beginning with Adam and Eve, on through the ages to the major changes in our expectations that have come to us in the last century. Along with understanding the role of family work, she also discusses some by-products that come with working together.

Ironically, it is the very things commonly disliked about family work that offer the greatest possibilities for nurturing close relationships and forging family ties. Some people dislike family work because, they say, it is mindless. Yet chores that can be done with a minimum of concentration leave our minds free to focus on one another as we work together. We can talk, sing, or tell stories as we work. Working side by side tends to dissolve feelings of hierarchy, making it easier for children to discuss topics of concern with their parents. Unlike play, which usually requires mental concentration as well as physical involvement, family work invites intimate conversation between parent and child.

We also tend to think of household work as menial, and much of it is. Yet, because it is menial, even the smallest child can make a meaningful contribution. Children can learn to fold laundry, wash windows, or sort silverware with sufficient skill to feel valued as part of the family. Since daily tasks range from the simple to the complex, participants at every level can feel competent yet challenged, including the parents with their overall responsibility for coordinating tasks, people, and projects into a cooperative, working whole.

Another characteristic of ordinary family work that gives it such power is repetition. Almost as quickly as it is done, it must be redone. Dust gathers on furniture, dirt accumulates on floors, beds get messed up, children get hungry and dirty, meals are eaten, clothes become soiled. As any homemaker can tell you, the work is never done. When compared with the qualities of work that are prized in the public sphere, this aspect of family work seems to be just another reason to devalue it. However, each rendering of a task is a new invitation for all to enter the family circle. The most ordinary chores can become daily rituals of family love and belonging. Family identity is built moment by moment amidst the talking and teasing, the singing and storytelling, and even the quarreling and anguish that may attend such work sessions.

And at my house, there has definitely been some quarreling and anguish, but I’m hoping to dwell more on the part about building love and unity. Without actually copying the entire article here (because there are so many gems that I loved), I’ll leave you with just a few more of my favorite paragraphs that came from some of Kathleen’s research.

A frequent temptation in our busy lives today is to do the necessary family work by ourselves. A mother, tired from a long day of work in the office, may find it easier to do the work herself than to add the extra job of getting a family member to help. A related temptation is to make each child responsible only for his own mess, to put away his own toys, to clean his own room, to do his own laundry, and then to consider this enough family work to require of a child. When we structure work this way, we may shortchange ourselves by minimizing the potential for growing together that comes from doing the work for and with each other.

Canadian scholars Joan Grusec and Lorenzo Cohen, along with Australian Jacqueline Goodnow, compared children who did "self-care tasks" such as cleaning up their own rooms or doing their own laundry, with children who participated in "family-care tasks" such as setting the table or cleaning up a space that is shared with others. They found that it is the work one does "for others" that leads to the development of concern for others, while "work that focuses on what is one's 'own,'" does not. Other studies have also reported a positive link between household work and observed actions of helpfulness toward others. In one international study, African children who did "predominantly family-care tasks [such as] fetching wood or water, looking after siblings, running errands for parents" showed a high degree of helpfulness while "children in the Northeast United States, whose primary task in the household was to clean their own room, were the least helpful of all the children in the six cultures that were studied."

In a world that lauds the signing of peace treaties and the building of skyscrapers as the truly great work, how can we make such a big thing out of folding laundry? Gary Saul Morson, a professor of Russian literature at Northwestern University, argues convincingly that "the important events are not the great ones, but the infinitely numerous and apparently inconsequential ordinary ones, which, taken together, are far more effective and significant."

Don't you love that last part? I truly believe it. I know that building character is going to take more than just one day, and that the "infinitely numerous and apparently inconsequential moments" may be the most important thing I can do for my children (I just wish they'd believe me if I told them that).

I think I’ll put more air in my inflatable bag of patience…I’m going back in for another round of family work, and this time I think I’ll join in with the kids and we’ll work together! No matter how tough it gets, it’ll be worth it, right?

Thanks Owenna for the link! (And is it any wonder that this educated & gifted author is related to our dear, wise Owenna? ;) Read the whole article here. It’s worth your time!

Devon
Image Credit

Lesson: Developing our talents

2011-07-10T13:58:00.004-04:00

Gospel Principles, Chapter 34

Developing Our Talents,

taught by Amanda Hall

Amanda began by talking about gardening. We plant seeds and they grow into tender plants which we must protect, and nourish with sunlight and water. And eventually we enjoy the fruits of the harvest.

How is developing talents like growing a garden?

There are so many comparisons...we need to choose the right seeds to grow, we need to study and learn, we need to nurture, we need to be patient.

What
We all have special gifts, talents, and abilities given to us by our Heavenly Father. When we were born, we brought these gifts, talents, and abilities with us.

The prophet Moses was a great leader, but he needed Aaron, his brother, to help as a spokesman (see Exodus 4:14–16). Some of us are leaders like Moses or good speakers like Aaron. Some of us can sing well or play an instrument. Others of us may be good in sports or able to work well with our hands. Other talents we might have are understanding others, patience, cheerfulness, or the ability to teach others.

These gifts come from God. James 17:1 says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

[An old poem says, "If I were to write a poem or pen a sonnet, I must go and choose a dish or tie a bonnet." In other words caring for home and family can be seen as talent, or another interpretation might be that there is a time and season for all things.]

Why

Why are these gifts given? In D&C 46:8-11 we find the answers:

8 Wherefore, beware lest ye are deceived; and that ye may not be deceived seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given;
9 For verily I say unto you, they are given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, and him that seeketh so to do; that all may be benefited that seek or that ask of me, that ask and not for a sign that they may consume it upon their lusts.
10 And again, verily I say unto you, I would that ye should always remember, and always retain in your minds what those gifts are, that are given unto the church.
11 For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.

12To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby.

Our gift and talents can also bring us personal satisfaction and joy.

How
We have a responsibility to develop the talents we have been given. Sometimes we think we do not have many talents or that other people have been blessed with more abilities than we possess. Sometimes we do not use our talents because we are afraid that we might fail or be criticized by others. We should not hide our talents. We should use them. Then others can see our good works and glorify our Heavenly Father (see Matthew 5:16).

There are certain things we must do to develop our talents. We must...

Discover our talents. We should evaluate ourselves to find our strengths and abilities. Our family and friends can help us do this. We should also ask our Heavenly Father to help us learn about our talents.
Be willing to spend the time and effort to develop the talent we are seeking.
Have faith that our Heavenly Father will help us, and we must have faith in ourselves.
Learn the skills necessary for us to develop our talents. We might do this by taking a class, asking a friend to teach us, or reading a book.
Practice using our talent. Every talent takes effort and work to develop. The mastery of a talent must be earned. [It takes 10,000 hours to master something...so be patient!]
Share our talent with others. It is by our using our talents that they grow (see Matthew 25:29).

All of these steps are easier if we pray and seek the Lord’s help. He wants us to develop our talents, and He will help us. As in all things we depend on Jesus Christ and His grace in our lives.

How can we develop our talents in spite of our weaknesses?

Because we are mortal and fallen, we have weaknesses. With the Lord’s help, our weakness and fallen nature can be overcome (see Ether 12:27, 37). Beethoven composed his greatest music after he was deaf. Enoch overcame his slowness of speech to become a powerful teacher (see Moses 6:26–47).

Blessings
The Lord is pleased when we use our talents wisely. He will bless us if we use our talents to benefit other people and to build up His kingdom here on earth.

Some of the blessings we gain are joy and love from serving our brothers and sisters here on earth. We also learn self-control.

All these things are necessary if we are going to be worthy to live with our Heavenly Father again.

Thanks to the talented Amanda Hall for lesson today. Choose to develop a talent today.

I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.
~ Picasso

e

Photo credit: seriousbri

Video: Watch Your Step

2011-07-08T22:06:00.002-04:00

The Secrets of Adulthood

2011-07-07T21:36:00.001-04:00

A nice video presentation that gets you thinking about what you've learned as an adult.

The Secrets of Adulthood video

What have you learned as an adult that surprised you?

Lesson: Aligning our will with our Heavenly Father's

2011-07-03T21:25:00.002-04:00

Aubrey Behunin taught our lesson today, her first since being called the RS Presidency. Here are a few of the inspirational quotes she used.

Aligning our will with our Heavenly Father's

"The submission of one's will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God's altar. The many other things we "give," brothers and sisters, are actually the things He has already given or loaned to us. However, when you and I finally submit ourselves, by letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God's will, then we are really giving something to Him! It is the only possession which is truly ours to give!"
- Neil A. Maxwell

"To the extent that we are not willing to be led by the Lord, we will be driven by our appetites, or we will be greatly preoccupied with the lesser things of the day. The remedy is implicit in the marvelous lamentation of King Benjamin: 'For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?' (Mosiah 5:13)"
- Neil A. Maxwell

"When we live by covenant rather than by convenience we direct our lives toward our heavenly home"
- Donald L. Hallstrom

"Most omissions occur because we fail to get outside ourselves. We are so busy checking on our own temperatures, we do not notice the burning fevers of others even when we can offer them some of the needed remedies, such as encouragement, kindness, and commendation. The hands which hang down and most need to be lifted up belong to those too discouraged even to reach out anymore."
- Neil A. Maxwell

Five ways we can seek to give our hearts and minds to the Lord. (As outlined in Elder Hallstrom's article in the June 2011 issue of the Ensign article, The Heart and a Willing Mind.)

1. Gain and constantly nurture your own testimony.
2. Honor priesthood ordinances and covenants.
3. Root out duplicity.
4. Establish a life of service.
5. Continually study the doctrine.

Thanks Aubrey!

Temple Trip & Cafe Rio!

2011-06-29T22:38:00.003-04:00

We had a great time on Saturday going on our Relief Society Temple Trip. The Washington D.C. Temple was absolutely beautiful (thank you Shirley for the pictures you took), and lunch at Cafe Rio was delicious. We love spending time together, and are planning another outing later in the year, so keep it in mind! We'd love to have even more sisters come with us all next time!

2011-06-27T23:07:00.000-04:00

Owenna,

Thank you for your preparation that went into today's lesson and for inviting the spirit to teach us. I felt edified and enjoyed the time learning together as sisters.

I found the article (from the New Era) that I referred to during the lesson and wanted to share it with you as it explains precisely what I was clumsily trying to say.

Sarah Kinghorn

Wrong roads and revelation

“The Lord has taught us an important lesson today. Because we were prompted to take the road to the left, we quickly discovered which one was the right one. When we turned around and got on the right road, I was able to travel along its many unfamiliar twists and turnoffs perfectly confident I was headed in the right direction.

“If we had started on the right road, we might have driven for 30 minutes or so, become uneasy with the unfamiliar surroundings, and been tempted to turn back. If we had done that, we would have discovered the dead-end so late that it would have been too dark to find our way back in totally unfamiliar territory.”

I understood and have never forgotten the lesson my Heavenly Father and earthly father taught me that afternoon. Sometimes in response to prayers, the Lord may guide us down what seems to be the wrong road—or at least a road we don’t understand—so, in due time, He can get us firmly and without question on the right road. Of course, He would never lead us down a path of sin, but He might lead us down a road of valuable experience. Sometimes in our journey through life we can get from point A to point C only by taking a short side road to point B. We had prayed that we could make it safely home that day, and we did.

Thanks for sharing this Sarah.

Lesson: Two Lines of Communication

2011-06-26T20:35:00.000-04:00

Teachings for Our Time Two Lines of Communication
By Dallin Oaks, taught by Owenna Nagy

Our Heavenly Father has given His children two lines of communication with Him—what we may call the personal line and the priesthood line.

All should understand and be guided by both of these essential lines of communication.

I. The Personal Line
In the personal line we pray directly to our Heavenly Father, and He answers us by the channels He has established, without any mortal intermediary.

This personal line of communication with our Heavenly Father through His Holy Spirit is the source of our testimony of truth, of our knowledge, and of our personal guidance from a loving Heavenly Father.

The direct, personal channel...is so essential that we are commanded to renew our covenants by partaking of the sacrament each Sabbath day. In this way we qualify for the promise that we may always have His Spirit to be with us, to guide us.

The personal line is of paramount importance in personal decisions and in the governance of the family.

I feel to add two other cautions we should remember in connection with this precious direct, personal line of communication with our Heavenly Father.

First, in its fulness the personal line does not function independent of the priesthood line.

Similarly, we cannot communicate reliably through the direct, personal line if we are disobedient to or out of harmony with the priesthood line.

II. The Priesthood Line
Unlike the personal line, in which our Heavenly Father communicates with us directly through the Holy Ghost, the priesthood line of communication has the additional and necessary intermediaries of our Savior, Jesus Christ; His Church; and His appointed leaders.

Because of what He accomplished by His atoning sacrifice, Jesus Christ has the power to prescribe the conditions we must fulfill to qualify for the blessings of His Atonement. That is why we have commandments and ordinances. That is why we make covenants. That is how we qualify for the promised blessings. They all come through the mercy and grace of the Holy One of Israel, “after all we can do”

The priesthood line is the channel by which God has spoken to His children through the scriptures in times past. And it is this line through which He currently speaks through the teachings and counsel of living prophets and apostles and other inspired leaders.

I feel to add two cautions we should remember in connection with reliance on the vital priesthood line.

First, the priesthood line does not supersede the need for the personal line. We all need a personal testimony of truth.

Second, like the personal line, the priesthood line cannot function fully and properly in our behalf unless we are worthy and obedient.

III. The Need for Both Lines
Both lines are essential to His purpose to bring about the immortality and eternal life of His children.

An early scriptural account of this need is in Father Jethro’s counsel that Moses should not try to do so much. The people were waiting upon their priesthood leader from morning till night to “enquire of God” (Exodus 18:15) and also to “judge between one and another” (verse 16). We often note how Jethro counseled Moses to delegate by appointing judges to handle the personal conflicts (see verses 21–22). But Jethro also gave Moses counsel that illustrates the importance of the personal line: “Thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do” (verse 20.

In other words, Israelites who followed Moses should be taught not to bring every question to that priesthood leader. They should understand the commandments and seek inspiration to work out most problems for themselves.

Our missionary work is another example of the need for both lines. The men and women who are called to be missionaries are worthy and willing because of the teachings they have received through the priesthood line and the testimony they have received through the personal line. They are called through the priesthood line. Then, as representatives of the Lord and under the direction of His priesthood line, they teach investigators. Sincere seekers after truth listen, and the missionaries encourage them to pray to know the truth of the message for themselves through the personal line.

Achieving balance
We must use both the personal line and the priesthood line in proper balance to achieve the growth that is the purpose of mortal life. If personal religious practice relies too much on the personal line, individualism erases the importance of divine authority. If personal religious practice relies too much on the priesthood line, individual growth suffers. The children of God need both lines to achieve their eternal destiny. The restored gospel teaches both, and the restored Church provides both.

Photo credit

New Baby for the Lee Family

2011-06-25T19:07:00.000-04:00

Message from Brother Jason Lee:

Carilyn Elyse Lee was born yesterday at 8:15am via C-section, weighing 9 lbs 4 oz, and measuring almost 21 inches. Carilyn is healthy and beautiful with a full head of brown hair. Vermena is recovering very well! Her sister-in-law, Terri, is in town and watching the other three kids while she is in the hospital and while I run back and forth to the hospital.

Congratulations Jason & Vermena! We wish you all the best with beautiful Carilyn!

Mormons Are Square, Mormons Share

2011-06-23T08:42:00.001-04:00

A variety of recent news about Mormons. Could be a great topic of conversation with your friends, family, neighbors.

They're here, they're square, get used to it!, The Economist

I like Mormons, as it happens, and here are some of the reasons why:

• Mormonism is the only major world religion that originated in the United States, and the religion reflects some of America's flagship virtues as well as some of the country's notorious flaws. Mormonism has an entrepreneurial ethos, a willingness to break with tradition, a restless tendency to travel and a focus on the world outside of America's borders, a healthy dose of hucksterism and audacity, and an anti-authoritarian stance to government that is sometimes obscured by its paternalism at the family level. I'll leave it to the commenters to sort out which are the virtues and which are the flaws.

• Most Mormons are unusually upstanding citizens and, correspondingly, you rarely catch a Mormon doing something horrible. Except for Ted Bundy, a convert, the worst person on this list of "infamous Mormons" is Butch Cassidy.

• They are, as a group, really nice.

Mormon NYC Ad Campaign 'Very Savvy Branding', ABC News

Now splashed across an electronic billboard in the middle of Times Square, the ad includes photographs of individuals from different walks of life, all under a headline that reads "I'm a Mormon."

The campaign, which has also rolled out taxi toppers and subway advertisements, inserted the billboard blocks from the theater showing the Tony Award-winning musical "The Book of Mormon," which takes a satirical look at two Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints missionaries as they travel through Uganda.

Mormon Tabernacle Choir Flash Mob [video], LDSLiving.com

Yesterday at Williamsburg, choir members throughout the crowd of tourists, burst into song and then asked everyone to sing along with Yankee Doodle Dandy.

Who are the missionaries, Mormon.org

Has a reference form to fill out and explains what the Missionaries will do when they come to your house.

Sharing the gospel through Social Media, MormonTimes.com

I think one of the major appeals to these social networking sites is that they are short, simple and straight to the point. It really just requires you to sign up, find some people who share common interests and start a discussion.

Lesson: Missionary Work

2011-06-19T21:48:00.011-04:00

Margie always give a great lesson and this one was no exception. Here are some of your good ideas that came out in the lesson. Get more involved in missionary work!

President Uchtdorf just told us in Conference:

Some would rather pull a handcart across the prairie than bring up the subject of faith and religion to their friends and co-workers. They worry about how they might be perceived or how it might harm their relationship. It doesn’t need to be that way because we have a glad message to share, and we have a message of joy.

Use technology.
Send a Mormon message in an e-mail
Keep a few I'm a Mormon cards in your purse to give out.
When meeting someone for the first time, look for something in common.
Watch for people the Lord puts in our lives.
Be an example. Live a happy life and others will notice.
When ask how your weekend was, share something about church, your calling, your spiritual experiences.
Kids play sports? Explain to coach and team and parents why we don't play on Sunday.
Sign up to go with missionaries on teaching appointments.
Be friendly and serve sincerely.
Do family history and temple work.
Think of it as bringing others to Christ, not forcing yourselves on them.
When others notice the difference tell them what they are feeling.
Send links to one of many official LDS websites or videos on the Mormon Channel or Youtube Mormon Channel to others. Many of the topics are generic. See also Mormons Made Simple.
Blog about your family, your faith, your feelings.
Post the same on Facebooks or attach links to Mormon Resources. Official Facebook page. Many other official church Facebook pages.
Give Twitter a try. Build a following then begin sharing your beliefs. [Follow me @ellenking]. Official church Twitter feeds.
Speak out on moral issues in the comments on other articles and blogs.
Have more faith. God will help you.
Remind people who they are...children of God.
Reach out to reactivate someone you visit teach.
Take a stand...on modesty, family, honesty, etc.
Kneel and pray to ask who you could reach today. None of us has to reach everyone, just reach some ONE.

Link to this blog!

e

It's A "FREEBIES" PARTY - This Saturday!

2011-06-16T09:20:00.000-04:00

With all of the moves coming up and all the organizing and cleaning out many of us are doing to get ready for summer, a bunch of us have been trying to figure out the best way to give away items others might be able to use, and then donate the rest. So we decided to have a FREEBIES PARTY (aka "Hand-me-down Swap") this Saturday, June 18 at the church from 8:30-10:00 am If it's nice we'll try to hold it outdoors, but if it's raining we'll be in the gym.

We would LOVE to have anyone who would like to participate join us...whether you have hand-me-down clothes, toys, and housewares to bring to give away OR you just want to do some FREE yard sale-type shopping! I've heard of a lot of great items being given away, so if you're looking for something in particular that someone else might have for FREE, then stop by! I know with summer starting I would love to find some play clothes for my kids in bigger sizes and some different activity items, and give someone else some of the things we've outgrown at the same time! Also, the Sister Missionaries cleaned out their apartment and closets before they left so there are quite a few women's church clothes that had been left from previous sisters that are up for grabs. Other items available are table linens and curtain valances (many new), home decor items, plus lots of toys and shoes.

If you have things you've been wanting to give away but can't make it on Saturday, let me know and we can try to arrange some way to coordinate pickup. Everything that isn't given away or wanted will be taken to Liberty thrift for donations afterwards (unless you'd prefer to take your items back home with you).

Hope you can make it -- it'll be fun!
Devon

Image Credit

Lesson: Tithing

2011-06-12T18:46:00.004-04:00

Gospel Principles

Chapter 32 Tithes and Offerings

Taught by Kylie Hood

What is tithing

Anciently, Abraham and Jacob obeyed the commandment to pay a tithe of one-tenth of their increase.

In modern times the Prophet Joseph Smith prayed, “O Lord, show unto thy servants how much thou requirest of the properties of thy people for a tithing” (D&C 119, section introduction). The Lord answered: “This shall be the beginning of the tithing of my people. And after that, those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever” (D&C 119:3–4).

The First Presidency has explained that “one-tenth of all their interest annually” refers to our income (see First Presidency letter, Mar. 19, 1970).

When we pay tithing we show our faithfulness to the Lord. We also teach our children the value of this law. They will want to follow our example and pay tithing on any money they receive.

Why we pay tithing
To help build the Kingdom. Out of gratitude to God for all He gives us. As a way to retain the remission of our sins. To prepare for the Law of Consecration. To change our hearts.

Why our attitude is important

It is important to give willingly. “When one pays his tithing without enjoyment he is robbed of a part of the blessing. He must learn to give cheerfully, willingly and joyfully, and his gift will be blessed” (Stephen L Richards, The Law of Tithing [pamphlet, 1983], 8).

The Apostle Paul taught that how we give is as important as what we give. He said, “Let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

How our tithes are used

Build, maintain, and operate temples, meetinghouses, and other buildings.
Provide operating funds for stakes, wards, and other units of the Church. (These units use the funds to carry out the ecclesiastical programs of the Church, which include teaching the gospel and conducting social activities.)
Help the missionary program.
Educate young people in Church schools, seminaries, and institutes.
Print and distribute lesson materials.
Help in family history and temple work.

Other offerings

Other offerings include fast offerings, for missionary work, the Perpetual Education Fund, temple construction, and humanitarian aid.

Members also offer their time, skills, and goods to help others. This service allows the Church to help needy members and nonmembers around the world at community, national, and international levels, especially when disasters occur.

Consider tithing a 10th of your time...11 hours a week!

We are blessed
The Lord promises to bless us as we faithfully pay our tithes and offerings. He said, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith … if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10).

Latter-day revelation tells of another blessing for those who tithe: “Verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming” (D&C 64:23).

The blessings we have been promised are both material and spiritual. If we give willingly, Heavenly Father will help us provide for our daily needs of food, clothes, and shelter.

Speaking to Latter-day Saints in the Philippines, President Gordon B. Hinckley said that if people “will accept the gospel and live it, pay their tithes and offerings, even though those be meager, the Lord will keep His ancient promise in their behalf, and they will have rice in their bowls and clothing on their backs and shelter over their heads. I do not see any other solution. They need a power greater than any earthly power to lift them and help them” (“Inspirational Thoughts,” Ensign, Aug. 1997, 7).

The Lord will also help us grow “in a knowledge of God, and in a testimony, and in the power to live the gospel and to inspire our families to do the same” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant [2002], 124).

Those who pay their tithes and offerings are greatly blessed. They have a good feeling that they are helping to build the kingdom of God on earth.

How have you been blessed from paying tithing?

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Several Links Re: Online Safety

2011-06-11T18:26:00.000-04:00

Facebook is always pushing the boundaries. Regularly you have to check your FB settings. When FB releases new features they usually default them to on or the loosest setting.

Here are a couple of recent articles that tell you about Face Recognition tagging and how to turn them off.

How to Block Facebook's Face Recognition and Tighten Other Privacy Settings, by Wired.
Facebook Turns on Facial Recognition for by Default, by Mashable.

If you don’t want Facebook to suggest you when your friends go to tag everyone in that picture from last week’s naked mud-wrestling pool party, here’s how you disable the feature:
Go to your privacy settings.
Click “Customize settings.”
Scroll down to “Things others share.”
Find “Suggest photos of me to friends.”
Edit accordingly.

How To Talk to Children About Online Safety, by Mashable
If parents don’t teach online safety, children may not recognize imprudent online actions or realize consequences.

e

Photo credit

Room Makeover - Relief Society Style

2011-06-08T11:46:00.000-04:00

Our Relief Society had a great time making-over Tobi's new room while she was visiting her husband overseas and getting it all ready for the upcoming baby. Tobi was so surprised when she got home and saw it.

Thanks to all of you who donated baby items, room decor, and furniture! This was really a group effort, and the time and effort put into this was especially appreciated. Sister Bates and Sister Blas did a great job painting the room and the Rattrays were great to come over to hang the curtains and put all the finishing touches together! We are all so excited for this wonderful time for Tobi, and we wish her the best of luck in the coming few months! We love you Tobi!

Devon

Good Eats in New York

2011-06-07T21:12:00.026-04:00

Sabrina asked...

Anybody know of good places to eat in New York City? Somewhere that has relatively decent prices, or it's more for the fun experience?

You answered...

We always go to Canal street and the garment district, but really the prices aren't that bad, about the same as here and there is also no tax.

Shake shack! It is a kiosk in Madison square park...there is a playground near by... It is so yummy with decent prices. The line can be long, but it is worth it

We love Carmines. We have been going there for years. Fun, family-style Italian.
http://www.carminesnyc.com/

There is a totally great pizza place called Angelos that is really authentic NY pizza. I know there is one near Central Park (and the temple), but I believe there is another location too.

We always enjoy Planet Hollywood.

Photo credit

Parenting Lesson: Communicate with Love

2011-06-06T20:54:00.006-04:00

Notes from last week's parenting class:

In order to teach responsible behavior, we must be the example. As parents, we need to communicate with love. We need to listen to what our children are saying and be more responsive to them.

3 steps to good behavior:
1. Tell the child the behavior/task that you would like.
2. Praise them when behavior is good.
3. Give the child a physical reward i.e. hug, high-five, kiss

When requesting certain behavior, use "I" messages. "I need you to pick up your Legos". Give choices when possible i.e. "You may pick up your Legos now or after your bath, which do you choose?" Then, have child reiterate their choice.

Never ask a yes/no question that you don't want "no" for an answer. "Do you want to go to Nursery?" Instead, "It's time to go to Nursery."

Time out is an effective tool, but don't overuse it. From 18 months on, time out can be used, approximately one minute per age of the child.

Time out guidelines:
1. Tell child in advance the rules and guidelines for behavior.
2. When child misbehaves, tell her she is going to time out.
3. Ask the child to think about how else she could have handled the situation.
4. 1 minute per age - use a timer and timer starts when the child is quiet.
5. At the end of the time-out, ask the child for the solution to problem.
6. Give positive feedback when the behavior is good.

And, lastly, the common thread through all of the lessons - BE CONSISTENT and spend time LOVING and ENJOYING your children.

Margie

Photo credit

Lesson: Individual Worth

2011-06-05T15:59:00.003-04:00

Thanks to Charity for reminding us that we came to earth not to find our self-worth but bringing with us our self-worth. We love you Charity and so appreciate your heartfelt teaching.

The worth of a soul
is it's capacity to become like God.

Much of Charity's lesson was taken from a BYU speech, by Sheri Dew, You Were Born to Lead, You Were Born for Glory.

You were born to lead

You have been told countless times that you are a chosen generation reserved for the latter part of the latter days. Just two months ago, in general conference, President Gordon B. Hinckley said once again: "You are the best generation we have ever had" ("An Ensign to the Nations, a Light to the World," Ensign, November 2003, 84). It's akin to being chosen to run the last leg of a relay, where the coach always positions his strongest runner.

You were recommended to help run the last leg of the relay that began with Adam and Eve because your premortal spiritual valor indicated you would have the courage and the determination to face the world at its worst, to do combat with the evil one during his heyday, and, in spite of it all, to be fearless in building the kingdom of God.

You simply must understand this, because you were born to lead by virtue of who you are, the covenants you have made, and the fact that you are here now in the 11th hour.

It takes courage, and determination to do that. And God has trusted us with the tasks of building the kingdom. We must recognize and realize our potential.

The simple fact is that our Father did not recommend Eve or Moses or Nephi or countless other magnificent exemplars for this dispensation—He recommended you and me.

Do you think God would have left the last days to chance by sending men and women He couldn't count on?

A common theme of patriarchal blessings given to men and women your age is that you were sent now because our Father's most trustworthy children would be needed in the final, decisive battle for righteousness.

That is who you are, and it is who you have always been.

God wants a powerful people

If God wants a powerful people who can withstand the wiles of the devil--and He does--and if we were born to lead in these latter days--and we were--then we need to understand how God makes His power available to us and how we gain access to that power.

1. There is power in the word of God.

Alma and the sons of Mosiah learned that the preaching of the word--meaning the gospel of Jesus Christ--has a "more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than . . . anything else" (Alma 31:5). There is power in the word to heal our wounded souls (see Jacob 2:8), to help us overcome temptation (see 1 Nephi 11:25), to prompt us to repent (see Jarom 1:12), to humble us (see Alma 32:14), to help us overcome the natural man (see Mosiah 3:19), to bring about a mighty change in our hearts (see Alma 5:13), and to lead us to Christ.

President Boyd K. Packer taught: True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior. ["Little Children," Ensign, November 1986, 17]

In other words, the word of God can transform us.

Do you realize that the scriptures contain the answer to every life dilemma?

A casual understanding of the gospel will not sustain you through the days ahead, which is why it is imperative that you immerse yourself in the word of God.

2. There is power in the gift of the Holy Ghost.

The gift of the Holy Ghost is a gift of power.

The Holy Ghost inspires and heals, guides and warns, enhances our natural capacities, inspires charity and humility, makes us smarter than we are, strengthens us during trials, testifies of the Father and the Son, and shows us "all things" that we should do (2 Nephi 32:5).

No wonder President Hinckley has said: "There is no greater blessing that can come into our lives than . . . the companionship of the Holy Spirit" (Boston Massachusetts Regional Conference, priesthood leadership session, 22 April 1995; quoted in TGBH, 259).

Because the Holy Ghost will show us everything we should do, it only makes sense to learn how He communicates—or to learn the language of revelation.

Our challenge is not getting the Lord to speak to us; our challenge is understanding what He has to say (see D&C 6:14).

3. There is power in the Priesthood.

There is power in ordinances. All who are baptized and receive the Holy Ghost are eligible to speak the words of Christ and qualify for eternal life. Those who are endowed with power in the house of the Lord need never face the adversary alone. Couples worthy to be sealed at an altar in that holy house are gifted with power.

The power of the priesthood heals, protects, and inoculates every righteous man and woman against the powers of darkness.

...Priesthood power safeguards us from the world, binds heaven and earth, subdues the adversary, blesses and heals, and enables us to triumph over mortality. Every ordinance of the Melchizedek Priesthood helps prepare us to live in the presence of God.

I am deeply grateful for the power of the priesthood and the gift of having full access to this power, which when used righteously is the only true power on earth.

4. There is power in the House of the Lord.

In the temple we learn how to deal with Satan, how to live in the world without letting it stain us, how to fulfill our foreordained missions, and how to come into the presence of God. The best place to learn about the temple is in the temple. Our kept covenants will eventually save us. And that is power!

5. There is power in the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

He taught me that He not only paid the price for sin but compensated for all of the pain we experience in life. He taught me that because of His Atonement, we have access to His grace, or enabling power--power that frees us from sin; power to be healed emotionally, physically, and spiritually; power to "loose the bands of death" (Alma 7:12); power to turn weakness into strength (see Ether 12:27); and power to receive salvation through faith on His name (see Mosiah 3:19).

It is because of the Atonement that, if we build our foundation on Christ, the devil can have no power over us (see Helaman 5:12).

Rise to your potential

You were born to lead as mothers and fathers, because nowhere is righteous leadership more crucial than in the family. You were born to lead as priesthood and auxiliary leaders; as heads of communities, companies, and even nations. You were born to lead as men and women willing "to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places," because that's what a true leader does (Mosiah 18:9; emphasis added).

You were born to lead, and, in the words of Isaiah, you were born for glory (see Isaiah 62:2–3).

Barbara B. Smith, on our individual worth:

No woman was ever quite like you.

The Lord made only one, without carbons.

You are not repeated and not repeatable.

No one else can do what the Lord sent you to do.

The value of what you have to contribute will come through
the expression of your own personality,
that particular spark of the divine that make you unique,
setting you off from every other living creature.

The mark you leave on the world, on the hearts and minds
of others is as distinct as your thumb print.

~ Sister Barbara B. Smith

[Read more from Sheri Dew's book God Wants a Powerful People or borrow the book from me. Very inspiring and motivating. e]

The Generations Project

2011-05-31T06:00:00.024-04:00

I've been fascinated with The Generations Project on BYUTV. On Sunday afternoons I watch several episodes. And I think about what question I would want to know about my ancestors.

Here's a few of my favorite episodes:
Emily • Vicki • Xander and Carrie

Here's how to do your own Generations Project. It's a new way to look at family history. A way to have your ancestors help you NOW in your life.

1. Find your "why".
2. Find the names and dates of ancestors, close to home and in records.
3. Mix it with social history.
4. Walk in their shoes. Find ways to relive their stories.
5. Share it and watch it ripple. The meaning finally emerges.

Watch here for more announcements about a Mad Skilz class on family history. Watch for sign-ups.

e

Untold Stories of Mormon Women

2011-05-30T06:00:00.009-04:00

Be heard!

Two LDS Church historians are on a quest to tell the world about the inspirational lives of Mormon women.

Richard E. Turley Jr., an assistant church historian and recorder, and Brittany A. Chapman, a historian in the Church History Library, are serving as the editors for a new series of books titled "Women of Faith in the Latter Days." Because half of the people in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been women, the purpose of the project is to bring to light their untold accounts of faith and dedication, both past and present.

"Most of history we've created focuses on men. We've recognized a huge gap there that needs to be filled," Turley said.

For now the two editors are preparing seven volumes. Each volume in the series will contain 50 chapters of 10 pages each on women throughout history and from around the world. The target audience is the general membership of the LDS Church. The source of each story, however, is what makes the project unique.

"We are asking for submissions from public," Chapman said. "A lot of times the same women have been talked about in church history, whereas other women may be famous only in their families. Finally their story gets to be told, and that's exciting."

Article in Mormon Times
www.ldswomenoffaith.org

e

Lesson Recap: Administrative Items

2011-05-29T15:52:00.000-04:00

Today for our combined RS/PH meeting the bishop discussed several items that create a house of order in the ward.

D&C 88: 119 - Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.

First, he encouraged us to read the new church handbook. There are many things in there pertaining to families and God's plan. But also it is laid before the church how the church should be administered and that is nothing secret. Look it up. Study. Keep our leaders on track.

Overview of the New Handbooks, Dallin Oaks
Why Handbooks? Church News

Next, Elizabeth Latey explained the importance of communication among ward members. She gave steps for registering at LDS.org. Once you are registered you can received e-mails of ward news and events, and look at the ward calendar. You may also find all the members in our ward or stake and maps showing where they live.

Register now for an LDS Account. What you need...your membership record number (look on your temple recommend or contact Craig Hope), and your birth date. Once you sign in you can find these in the Tools menu at the top of LDS.org.

Thanks Elizabeth.

A few other items:
- Baptisms should be combined if possible to once a month.
- Cleaning the building is the responsibility of all the members. Thanks to Kellen for the organized assignments for these first few months of the year. After every activity and meeting we need to remember to clean up after ourselves and take our the trash.
- Bishopric assignments. The bishopric shares responsibility of shepherding the various organizations. Bishop Pope will post them. If you have questions contact the appropriate Bishopric member.
- All appointments with the Bishop and his councilors should be scheduled through Tim Fultz.

Did I miss anything? Add it in the comments.

e

Group Rides Out Storm in LDS Church Building

2011-05-28T11:32:00.001-04:00

"We were very blessed. We were very fortunate. We felt hands protecting us -- all of us felt that." -Lee Allphin, Joplin tornado survivor.

Compelling.

Group Rides Out Storm in LDS Church Building - video/article here.

e

Parenting Lesson: United We Stand

2011-05-27T10:55:00.022-04:00

Here is a brief synopsis of our parenting class last night.

Parents need to be united in parenting.

Children need to know that they will get the same answer/discipline no matter which parent they deal with.

What to do if you and your spouse have differing views on discipline:

Don't argue in front of the children about discipline. This shifts focus away from child and turns into parent vs. parent.
Negotiate a plan. When things are calm, discuss views and differences and come up with an agreed-upon plan.

5 steps to disciplining:

Commit yourself - Child must know that you'll do what you say you will. Don't threaten a punishment you're not willing to follow through with.
Be realistic - Make sure the expected behavior is age-appropriate.
Give predictable consequences - Child needs to know that the same behavior gets the same result every time.
Use child-level logic - Use terms they understand, explain reasons why you're asking that behavior.
Try to say "yes" when you can. "Mommy, can I have a cookie?" Mom replies, "After dinner, yes, you may have a cookie." Instead of an immediate "No!".

4 common discipline mistakes:

Losing your temper. Yelling begets yelling and gets you nowhere.
Treating children as adults. You will listen to their concerns, but this is not a democracy. The parents need to be in charge.
Bribery. They need to make good behavior intrinsic. We behave well because that is what we do as a member of this family.
Inconsistency. If you say "no", make sure it means "no" and that you don't give in.

Margie

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10 Unexpected Costs of Owning Things

2011-05-26T10:37:00.002-04:00

Since our last Relief Society activity on getting organized I've had several discussions with hubby and daughter about all the STUFF in our lives and what it does to our days, our happiness or unhappiness, our time, our stress. My daughter Carrie sent me this link to one woman who says it so well...

10 Unexpected Costs of Owning Things

2. You're carrying around the emotional weight of things you don't use.

5. You use objects as comfort.

7. The more stuff you have the more blind you become to it.

Count the TRUE cost next time you buy something.

e

photo credit

Video: Chastity, What are the limits?

2011-05-25T09:49:00.003-04:00

Share this with your children and discuss...

Latter-day Saint teens are counseled to stay sexually pure, but what exactly are the limits? Using teachings of modern prophets, this presentation shows why that's the wrong question to ask, as well as how we can find happiness and peace through staying chaste.

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Very &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Nicely done.

Related (Christian) references:
The 10 Worst Mistakes You Can Make When Talking to Your Kids About S*x (2 parts)
How Far Can I Go?

e

Bishop's Storehouse Trip

2011-05-24T09:42:00.001-04:00

We have 4 sisters planning on going to the Bishop's Storehouse in NJ on Saturday, June 4, to do dry-pack canning for personal home storage (a little peace of mind in a tin can).

We have room for 3-4 more. If you'd like to sign on, please call me.

Our appt. is for 8:00 AM in Bridgeport, NJ. We'll pull out from the church parking lot at 7:00 AM, so if you want to carpool, be there a few minutes early so we don't take off w/o you.

It may be more convenient for you to just go directly from your house. Address: 613 Heron Drive, Bridgeport, NJ. We should be back by about noon.

Go to www.providentliving.org to download an order form so you can see what is offered, prices, and storage life.

Older children and teens (and husbands) are welcome, and usually enjoy helping out. People who have never been before and don't know what they're doing are especially welcome.

Payment in cash or by check only. No cards.

If you have no idea what dry-pack canning is, please call me, or call a member of the RS presidency, or look it up on providentliving.org.

Owenna Nagy

2011-05-23T20:03:00.001-04:00

From Deb's RS lesson yesterday:

Now, what is our potential influence as we and our sisters across the Earth rally together for the cause of Jesus Christ?

Consider the collective power of one.

What if every woman in Relief Society living near a temple went to the temple just one extra time this year? How much more revelation would flow into the homes of the Church?

Or, what if we each did one thing this month to improve our ability to hear the voice of the Lord? Or one thing to become more pure? Or tuned out one talk show and studied scriptures instead? Or traded one lunch with friends for a day doing family history? Or went to cheer on one Laurel you're not related to.

Notice how many times I have said or?

What is one thing you could do?

Sheri Dew, from Arise, Arise, and Come Unto Christ, May 1, 2008 @ BYU Women's Conference
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Lesson: Daughters in My Kingdom

2011-05-22T15:57:00.001-04:00

Teachings for Our Time
Daughters in My Kingdom:The History and Work of Relief Society
Julie B. Beck, taught by Deb Chiapelli

[Here are a few exerpts from the Conference talk, but I encourage you to read the whole talk again if you have time.]

Each of you is precious beyond description and known by our Heavenly Father. As daughters of God, you are preparing for eternal designations, and each of you has a female identity, nature, and responsibility. The success of families, communities, this Church, and the precious plan of salvation is dependent on your faithfulness. Oh, dear sisters, how we love and pray for you!

A warning
Myths and misperceptions regarding the strength, purpose, and position of Latter-day Saint women abound. Prevailing myths imply that we are of lower importance than men, that we are generally sweet but uninformed, and that no matter what we do, we will never be enough to be accepted by our Heavenly Father.

In the growing climate of entitlement, excuse, apathy, and enticement, daughters of God who are not watchful, prayerful, and inspired are increasingly at risk of becoming what the scriptures describe as “silly women” who worship a variety of “strange gods.” Sadly, as a result of life’s difficulties and the world’s popular heresies, many sisters believe the myths more than the truth.

A defense and refuge

In order to watch over, teach, and inspire His daughters in these perilous times, God authorized the Prophet Joseph Smith to organize the women of the Church.

Relief Society clarifies our work and unifies us as daughters of God in defense of His plan. In this day of mistaken identities, confusion, and distraction, Relief Society is meant to be a compass and guide to teach the truth to faithful women. Righteous women today seek an outpouring of revelation to resist distractions, fight evil and spiritual destruction, and rise above personal disasters by increasing their faith, strengthening their families, and providing relief to others.

Our history
Our presidency has prayed, fasted, pondered, and counseled with prophets, seers, and revelators to learn what God would have us do to help His daughters be strong in the face of “the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth.”

An answer has come that the sisters of the Church should know and learn from the history of Relief Society. Understanding the history of Relief Society strengthens the foundational identity and worth of faithful women.

In consequence of this, a history of Relief Society for the Church is being completed and will be available for our use next year. In anticipation of this, Relief Society history is receiving increased attention, such as on the visiting teaching page of the Liahona and the Ensign. The preparation of the history has been an inspired and revelatory experience.

As we have studied the history of Relief Society, we have learned that the Lord’s vision and purpose for Relief Society was not of a sleepy meeting on Sunday. He had in mind something much, much bigger than a women’s club or special-interest entertainment group.

He intended Relief Society to help build His people and prepare them for the blessings of the temple. He established this organization to align His daughters with His work and to enlist their help in building His kingdom and strengthening the homes of Zion.

Our history teaches us who we are and what we are to do. It unites us and can help us change.

There is a worldwide hunger among good women to know their identity, value, and importance.

We are as disciples and followers of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Our Heavenly Father knows His daughters. He loves them, He has given them specific responsibilities, and He has spoken to and guided them during their mortal missions.

It has always been a responsibility of Relief Society to participate in the work of salvation.

Personal service builds each individual sister, and the united service of millions of faithful women creates a formidable force of faith in the Lord’s work.

Through the history and work of Relief Society, we are connected to a great worldwide sisterhood of young and old, rich and poor, educated and illiterate, single and married, strong and immovable daughters of God.

Ultimately, the value of history is not so much in its dates, times, and places. It is valuable because it teaches us the principles, purposes, and patterns we are to follow, it helps us know who we are and what we are to do, and it unites us in strengthening the homes of Zion and building the kingdom of God on the earth.

As we move the Lord’s work forward, the history of Relief Society will continue to be written by faithful sisters throughout the world. The Lord is strengthening Relief Society in the living present and preparing a glorious future for His daughters.

Thanks for your lesson Deb.

e

Notes from Sister Beck's Fireside

2011-05-21T18:00:00.002-04:00

While I took notes, I know many of you did too and would love for you to add what you heard here too.

The Friday Fireside

We had the privilege of hearing from Sister Beck, General Relief Society President, on Friday, May 21 in a fireside at the Valley Forge Stake center. The format of the meeting was essentially questions and answers.

Sister Beck said she loves meetings like this because hearing from the members keeps the church leaders real and connected.

Q. How are the General Auxiliary Boards chosen and what do they do?

A. D&C 107:98 - Whereas other officers of the church, who belong not unto the Twelve, neither to the Seventy, are not under the responsibility to travel among all nations, but are to travel as their circumstances shall allow, notwithstanding they may hold as high and responsible offices in the church.

There are five auxiliaries of the church that operate under the direction of the first presidency...Relief Society, Young Women, Primary, Sunday School and Aaronic PH/Young Men each with a general board.

There of 10 women on the Relief Society Board and are called to share the work. When the Presidency is released the board is released. They share the duties of the work. They are often women the presidency knew before. The board is the "farm team" for Presidencies. Sister Beck was a member of the YW board before being called to be the General Relief Society president.

Q. In a recent talk you spoke about developing the skill or ability to receive revelation as the most important ability to develop. Can you speak more about that?

A. Revelation is the Lord's way to teach us. We should crave it. The crassness of the world makes it difficult. Revelation is the key to understanding things of God. It quickens our minds and bodies.We could feel weak but the Spirit gives us power.

D&C 133:58-59 - To prepare the weak for those things which are coming on the earth, and for the Lord’s errand in the day when the weak shall confound the wise, and the little one become a strong nation, and two shall put their tens of thousands to flight. And by the weak things of the earth the Lord shall thresh the nations by the power of his Spirit.

Keeping the Spirit is hard when life isn't perfect. Sister Beck tells of babsitting grandchildren and trying to prepare for a talk about the Spirit. One of her granddaughters cried and screamed for hours. When she spoke to the sisters later that day she realized God had given her that experience to help her understand how it is for the young moms she was speaking to.
D&C 11: 12-14 - And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit. Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy; And then shall ye know, or by this shall you know, all things whatsoever you desire of me, which are pertaining unto things of righteousness, in faith believing in me that you shall receive.

Q. What is there for single sisters over 30 in the church?

A. Establish spiritual habits. Think of it as training. What training? Sister Beck's 86-year-old mother is dealing with being a widow during the last year. Her years of scripture study, praying every morning, and temple covenants and attendance continue to help her. The pattern pays off.

Also we all need to help each other create, support and sustain marriage.

Young Women feel the loss of the cheering and clapping for them that stops when they go to Relief Society. But when we make covenants in the temple to give our all to building up the kingdom, the focus is no longer on ourselves. We don't need to be noticed but need to turn and help others and serve.

D&C 84:20 - Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.

When we become a covenant people we have a lot more to give than we get. Help each other, sustain one another, look out for each other.

Other tidbits:
Scripture study: As a young mother commit yourself to spend some time every day in the scriptures, even if it's just one verse. They will have a cumulative effect on your life. She like to get a cheap copy of the Book of Mormon, write a question in the front, read with that in mind and write the answers in the back as she goes.

Tough economy: Don't spend more than you bring in. Read the pamphlet "All Is Safely Gathered In". Get out of debt. When you are out of debt you will be able to better serve.

Role of women in the church: The Lord expects his daughters to contribute equally to building the kingdom. Choosing the good part means being a part of the work. LDS women serve on councils, in presidencies, and in organizations in 30,000 units worldwide.

Help for those in need: The Bishop has a "toolbox" to help those in need...employment services, welfare, and Addiction Recovery Program. Do you believe you can be healed? Matt. 9:27-28 - And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

Feel free to post what you remembered.

e