Book of Mormon Lesson #33: “A Sure Foundation”
Helaman 1-5
1. Gordon B. Hinckley: You are acutely aware of the events of September 11. … Out of that vicious and ugly attack we are plunged into a state of war. … This was not an attack on the United States alone. It was an attack on men and nations of good will everywhere. … Those of us who are American citizens stand solidly with the president of our nation. The terrible forces of evil must be confronted and held accountable for their actions. … It is the terrorist organizations that must be ferreted out and brought down. We of the Church know something of such groups. The Book of Mormon speaks of the Gadianton robbers, a vicious, oth-bound, and secret organization bent on evil and destruction. In their day they did all in their power, by whatever means available, to bring down the Church, to woo the people with sophistry, and to take control of the society. We see the same thing in the present situation. Gen. Conference, Sept. 2001.
2. Heber J. Grant: [Helaman 3:9 – houses of cement] Not very far from the City of Mexico there is a monument two hundred and ten feet high, built of cement, that was supposed to be a big hill. … You could put forty tabernacles like this one inside of it. It covers more than ten acres of ground and is two and a half times higher than this building. From the top of that monument one can see small mounds, and as these mounds are being uncovered they are found to be wonderfully built cement houses, with drain pipes of cement, showing skill and ability, superior almost to anything we have today so far as the use of cement is concerned. Gospel Standards, p. 28.
3. Marvin J. Ashton: [Hel. 1:18 – contention in the government] “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” This important principle not only has application to governmental or national security but is also significant in the institutional Church and in our individual homes. Contention and dissention are a tool of the adversary that weakens the institution and makes it vulnerable to “attacks” from destructive outside influences. Gen. Conference, April 1978.
4. Brigham Young: [Hel. 3:13-16 – many records kept] Oliver Cowdery went with the Prophet Joseph when he deposited these plates. … When Joseph got the plates, the angel instructed him to carry them back to the hill Cumorah, which he did. Oliver says that when Joseph and Oliver went there, the hill opened, and they walked into a cave, in which there was a large and spacious room. He says he did not think, at the time, whether they had the light of the sun or artificial light; but that it was just as light as day. They laid the plates on a table; it was a large table that stood in the room. Under this table there was a pile of plates as much as two feet high, and there were altogether in this room more plates than probably many wagon loads; they were piled up in the corners and along the walls. The first time they went there the sword of Laban hung upon the wall; but when they went again it had been taken down and laid upon the table across the gold plates; it was unsheathed, and on it was written these words: "This sword will never be sheathed again until the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our God and his Christ." I tell you this as coming not only from Oliver Cowdery, but others who were familiar with it, and who understood it just as well as we understand coming to this meeting.. Journal of Discourses, 17 June 1877.
5. Joseph Fielding McConkie & Robert Millet: [Hel. 3:35 – many sanctified] Sanctification comes by the power of the Holy Ghost only to those who overcome by faith in Jesus Christ – which is yielding our hearts to him. Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 3, p. 344.
6. Joseph Fielding McConkie & Robert Millet: [Hel. 4:11-13 – boasted in their own strength] A proud person puffs himself up and his strengths up as he puts down his dependence on the Lord. Pride inevitably leads to boasting, which inevitably leads to a loss of the strength of the Lord and causes the proud person to be left alone, relying solely on his own puny mortal strength. . Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 3, p. 348.
7. Marvin J. Ashton: One of the most common of all sins among worldly people, is relying on and then boasting in the arm of flesh. This is a most serious evil. It is a sin born of pride, a sin that creates a frame of mind which keeps men from turning to the Lord and accepting his saving grace. When a man knowingly or unknowingly engages in self-exultation because of his riches, his political power, his worldly learning, his physical prowess, his business ability, or even his works of righteousness, he is not in tune with the Spirit of the Lord. … The many admonitions in the scriptures to avoid boasting send the message that we should realize the source of all our blessings. Everything is given by God. All talent, creativity, ability, insight, and strength comes from him. In our own strength we can do nothing. … When we seek the praise of man more than the praise of God, it will become easy to fall. Gen. Conference, April 1990.
8. Robert D. Hales: [Hel. 4:24 – unholy temples] If we are not obedient to the laws, principles, and ordinances of the gospel, the Holy Ghost will withdraw. He cannot be with us if we are angry in our hearts, contentious with our companions, or critical of the Lord’s anointed. He departs whenever we are rebellious, are immoral, dress or act immodestly, are unclean or profane in mind or body, are slothful in priesthood callings and duties, or commit other sins. For “the Spirit of the Lord doth not dwell in unholy temples.” Therefore, we must continually repent, partake of the sacrament, be worthy of a temple recommend, and serve the Lord with all our heart, might, mind and strength. Gen. Conference, Oct. 2003.
9. Spencer W. Kimball: [Hel. 5:5 – remember] “Remember” is the most important word in the English language. Charge to Religious Educators, 28 June 1968.
10. Joseph B. Wirthlin: [Hel. 5:12 – the rock of Christ] The place to cure most of the ills of society is in the homes of the people. Building our homes as fortresses of righteousness for protection from the world takes constant labor and diligence. Membership in the Church is no guarantee of a strong, happy family. Often parents feel overwhelmed. … The righteous molding of an immortal soul is the highest work we can do, and the home is the place to do it. To accomplish this eternal work, we should make our homes gospel centered. When peace and harmony abound, the Holy Ghost will ever be present. The storms of the evil one can be stopped at the very entrance of our homes. Let us be sure the spiritual foundation of each home is the rock of our Redeemer, as Helaman taught his sons. … Do we heed this counsel from the Lord? Do we do what He asks? We would do well to build our homes according to this plan or they are destined to fail. Gen.Conference, April 1983.
11. Dallin H. Oaks: [Hel. 5:30-31 – still small voice] A few years ago I met with a prospective mission president and his wife to discuss their availability for service. I asked whether their responsibilities to aged parents would preclude their service at the time. This sister was the only daughter of a wonderful mother, then about 80, whom she visited and helped each week. Though somewhat dependent physically, this mother was strong spiritually. She had served four missions and fifteen years as a temple worker. Because she was in tune with the Spirit, she had a remarkable experience. Several months before this interview she told her daughter that the Spirit had whispered that her daughter’s husband would be called as a mission president. So advised, the mother had prepared herself for the needed separation and assured her daughter, long in advance of my assignment for the exploratory interview, that she would “not be a hindrance” to their service. Gen. Conference, Oct. 1996.
12. John A. Widtsoe: [Hel. 5:52 – the gospel brings peace to the land] Peace upon earth is not to be established by Congress or Parliament, or by a group of international representatives. … Peace cannot be legislated into existence. … Peace comes from within; peace is myself, if I am a truly peaceful man. … The only way to build a peaceful community is to build men and women who are lovers and makers of peace. … That makes me responsible for the peace of the world, and makes you individually responsible for the peace of the world. The responsibility cannot be shifted to someone else. Gen. Conference, Oct. 1943.
13. Ezra Taft Benson: The gospel is the only answer to the problems of the world. We may cry peace. We may hold peace conferences. And I have nothing but commendation for those who work for peace. But it is my conviction that peace must come only by following the teachings and the example of the Prince of Peace. The Title of Liberty, pp. 213-14.
14. David O. McKay: In these days of uncertainty and unrest, liberty-loving people’s greatest responsibility and paramount duty is to preserve and proclaim the freedom of the individual, his relationship to Deity, and the necessity of obedience to the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Only thus will mankind find peace and happiness. Gen. Conference, Oct. 1962.
15. Orson Pratt: [Hel. 5:41 – cry until ye shall have faith in Christ] Faith is a gift of God. In what manner does He impart this gift to the mind by the immediate operation of the Holy Spirit independent of any other means? Does He bestow it unsought for and irrespective of the preparation of the mind? Does He confer it independent of the agency of man? To say that man obtains this gift without preparing himself, or without the exercise of any agency, is to deprive him of all responsibility in regard to whether he has faith or not. The True Faith, p. 8.
16. Joseph F. Smith: When messengers are sent to minister to the inhabitants of this earth, they are not strangers, but from the ranks of our kindred, friends, and fellow-beings and fellow-servants. The ancient prophets who died were those who came to visit their fellow creatures upon the earth. They came to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; it was such beings – holy beings if you please – who waited upon the Savior and administered to him on the Mount. … In like manner our fathers and mothers, brothers, sisters and friends who have passed away from this earth, having been faithful, and worthy to enjoy these rights and privileges, may have a mission given them to visit their relatives and friends upon the earth again, bringing from the divine Presence messages of love, of warning, of reproof and instruction, to those whom they had learned to love in the flesh. Gospel Doctrine, pp. 435-37.
In two weeks: Helaman 6-12 “How Could You Have Forgotten Your God”
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Quote on Atonement
The other day we had the most amazing thunder and lightening storm. The power that I saw unleashed reminded me that we really aren't in control. It made me realize how powerless we truly are and caused me to reflect on the love and patience that our Heavenly Father has for us. He allows us the agency to make mistakes and doesn't interfere and take away those learning moments and growth. He is patient with us when we think we have all the answers ourselves and we forget how much we fall short and how much we need our Savior. He watches us do stupid things and loves us still the same. I want to keep an eternal perspective and I want to be a parent like that.
As I read this quote this morning, I thought about my gratitude for a loving Heavenly Father who allowed His Son to suffer and die for each of us. I am grateful that our Savior, Jesus Christ, was willing and able to make this sacrifice and save us from sin and death.
“In that hour I think I can see our dear Father behind the veil looking upon these dying struggles until even he could not endure it any longer; and, like the mother who bids farewell to her dying child, has to be taken out of the room, so as not to look upon the last struggles, so he bowed his head, and hid in some part of his universe, his great heart almost breaking for the love that he had for his Son. Oh, in that moment when he might have saved his Son, I thank him and praise him that he did not fail us, for he had not only the love of his Son in mind, but he also had love for us. I rejoice that he did not interfere, and that his love for us made it possible for him to endure to look upon the sufferings of his Son and give him finally to us, our Savior and our Redeemer. Without him, without his sacrifice, we would have remained, and we would never have come glorified into his presence. And so this is what it cost, in part, for our Father in Heaven to give the gift of his Son unto men” (Melvin J. Ballard, Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin Joseph Ballard, comp. Bryant S. Hinckley [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1949], pp. 153-55).
As I read this quote this morning, I thought about my gratitude for a loving Heavenly Father who allowed His Son to suffer and die for each of us. I am grateful that our Savior, Jesus Christ, was willing and able to make this sacrifice and save us from sin and death.
“In that hour I think I can see our dear Father behind the veil looking upon these dying struggles until even he could not endure it any longer; and, like the mother who bids farewell to her dying child, has to be taken out of the room, so as not to look upon the last struggles, so he bowed his head, and hid in some part of his universe, his great heart almost breaking for the love that he had for his Son. Oh, in that moment when he might have saved his Son, I thank him and praise him that he did not fail us, for he had not only the love of his Son in mind, but he also had love for us. I rejoice that he did not interfere, and that his love for us made it possible for him to endure to look upon the sufferings of his Son and give him finally to us, our Savior and our Redeemer. Without him, without his sacrifice, we would have remained, and we would never have come glorified into his presence. And so this is what it cost, in part, for our Father in Heaven to give the gift of his Son unto men” (Melvin J. Ballard, Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin Joseph Ballard, comp. Bryant S. Hinckley [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1949], pp. 153-55).
Blessed are the Pure in Heart
Here is a talk by President Hinckley from the New Era magazine, July 1999. I used this article in a lesson that I taught the Young Women.
Words of the Prophet: Blessed Are the Pure in Heart by President Gordon B. Hinckley
My young friends, “Be not faithless, but believing”—in virtue, in goodness, in decency, in purity, in that which the Lord has declared He would have for His children, virtue. It is old-fashioned. It may appear out-of-date. It does not square up with a lot of thinking and teaching, but it is true.
There is nothing lovelier, there is nothing sweeter, there is nothing finer, there is nothing more ennobling, there is nothing more beautiful in all the world than virtue in young men and women. God has designed that it should be so. “Be not faithless, but believing.” And in the light of that belief, and in the light of that faith, practice discipline (from Brigham Young University Speeches, Jan. 3, 1962, 5).
Blessed are the pure in heart
Youth is the seedtime for the future flowering of family life. To hope for peace and love and gladness out of promiscuity is to hope for that which will never come. To wish for freedom out of immorality is to wish for something that cannot be. Said the Savior, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (John 8:34).
Is there a valid case for virtue? It is the only way to freedom from regret. The peace of conscience which flows therefrom is the only personal peace that is not counterfeit.
And beyond all of this is the unfailing promise of God to those who walk in virtue. Declared Jesus of Nazareth, speaking on the mountain, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). That is a covenant, made by Him who has the power to fulfill (from Conference Report, Oct. 1970, 66).
Lure of immorality
I am going to speak plainly. We hear much these days of teenage sexual misbehavior. There is too much of it among our own youth.
Those who indulge in illegitimate sexual activity, as we define that in the doctrines and standards of this Church—and I think no one misunderstands what I mean when I say that—do irreparable damage to themselves and rob the one with whom they are involved of that which can never be restored. There is nothing clever about this kind of so-called conquest. It carries with it no laurels, no victories, no enduring satisfaction. It brings only shame, sorrow, and regret. Those who so indulge cheat themselves and rob another. In so doing, they affront their Father in Heaven, for they are children of God.
I know that this is strong language, plainly spoken. But I feel the trends of our times call for strong language and plain words (from Ensign, Nov. 1983, 45).
Let virtue be your cornerstone
In April of 1942, the First Presidency of the Church issued a message that has the tone of scripture. I commend it to you:
“To the youth of the Church … above all we plead with you to live clean, for the unclean life leads only to suffering, misery, and woe physically—and spiritually it is the path to destruction. How glorious and near to the angels is youth that is clean; this youth has joy unspeakable here and eternal happiness hereafter” (Improvement Era, 45:273).
You of marvelous promise, you young men and women of great ability, do not mock God. Do not flout his law. Let virtue be a cornerstone on which to build your lives (from Conference Report, Oct. 1964, 116).
Pornography
I would just like to say a word about pornography. It is a growing, vile, and evil thing. It is on our motion picture screens, it comes into the homes of the people on television receivers, it is on newsstands, it reaches out in other ways to entrap and beguile and destroy those who are enticed to partake of it. I am satisfied, my brethren and sisters, that no Latter-day Saint can with impunity afford to witness or read or partake of this growing evil in any way. God help us and bless us with the self-discipline to resist and abstain and flee from, if necessary, this pernicious and growing thing which would destroy us (from Ensign, Nov. 1982, 76).
Control thoughts to control actions
Mental control must be stronger than physical appetites or desires of the flesh. As thoughts are brought into complete harmony with revealed truth, actions will then become appropriate.
The timeless proverb is as true now as when it was first spoken: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7).
Each of us, with discipline and effort, has the capacity to control his thoughts and his actions. This is part of the process of developing spiritual, physical, and emotional maturity (from Ensign, May 1987, 48).
Repentance and forgiveness
If there be any here who have so sinned, there is repentance and there is forgiveness, provided there is “godly sorrow” (2 Cor. 7:10). All is not lost. Each of you has a bishop, who has been ordained and set apart under the authority of the holy priesthood and who, in the exercise of his office, is entitled to the inspiration of the Lord. He is a man of experience, he is a man of understanding, he is a man who carries in his heart a love for the youth of his ward. He is a servant of God who understands his obligation of confidentiality and who will help you with your problem. Do not be afraid to talk with him (from Ensign, Nov. 1983, 45).
Prove your strength
For your own sakes, for your happiness now and in all the years to come, and for the happiness of the generations who come after you, avoid sexual transgression as you would a plague.
Prove your strength, show your independence, by saying no when enticement from peers comes your way. Your own strength will add strength to those who are weak. Your own example will give determination to others (from Ensign, May 1987, 48).
Stay on the Lord’s side
Of course you are to socialize, to date, to have fun of a wholesome kind in a hundred ways. But there is a line which you must not cross. It is the line that separates personal cleanliness from sin. I need not get clinical in telling you where that line is. You know. You have been told again and again. You have a conscience within you. Stay on the Lord’s side of the line (from Ensign, May 1996, 48).
Words of the Prophet: Blessed Are the Pure in Heart by President Gordon B. Hinckley
My young friends, “Be not faithless, but believing”—in virtue, in goodness, in decency, in purity, in that which the Lord has declared He would have for His children, virtue. It is old-fashioned. It may appear out-of-date. It does not square up with a lot of thinking and teaching, but it is true.
There is nothing lovelier, there is nothing sweeter, there is nothing finer, there is nothing more ennobling, there is nothing more beautiful in all the world than virtue in young men and women. God has designed that it should be so. “Be not faithless, but believing.” And in the light of that belief, and in the light of that faith, practice discipline (from Brigham Young University Speeches, Jan. 3, 1962, 5).
Blessed are the pure in heart
Youth is the seedtime for the future flowering of family life. To hope for peace and love and gladness out of promiscuity is to hope for that which will never come. To wish for freedom out of immorality is to wish for something that cannot be. Said the Savior, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (John 8:34).
Is there a valid case for virtue? It is the only way to freedom from regret. The peace of conscience which flows therefrom is the only personal peace that is not counterfeit.
And beyond all of this is the unfailing promise of God to those who walk in virtue. Declared Jesus of Nazareth, speaking on the mountain, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). That is a covenant, made by Him who has the power to fulfill (from Conference Report, Oct. 1970, 66).
Lure of immorality
I am going to speak plainly. We hear much these days of teenage sexual misbehavior. There is too much of it among our own youth.
Those who indulge in illegitimate sexual activity, as we define that in the doctrines and standards of this Church—and I think no one misunderstands what I mean when I say that—do irreparable damage to themselves and rob the one with whom they are involved of that which can never be restored. There is nothing clever about this kind of so-called conquest. It carries with it no laurels, no victories, no enduring satisfaction. It brings only shame, sorrow, and regret. Those who so indulge cheat themselves and rob another. In so doing, they affront their Father in Heaven, for they are children of God.
I know that this is strong language, plainly spoken. But I feel the trends of our times call for strong language and plain words (from Ensign, Nov. 1983, 45).
Let virtue be your cornerstone
In April of 1942, the First Presidency of the Church issued a message that has the tone of scripture. I commend it to you:
“To the youth of the Church … above all we plead with you to live clean, for the unclean life leads only to suffering, misery, and woe physically—and spiritually it is the path to destruction. How glorious and near to the angels is youth that is clean; this youth has joy unspeakable here and eternal happiness hereafter” (Improvement Era, 45:273).
You of marvelous promise, you young men and women of great ability, do not mock God. Do not flout his law. Let virtue be a cornerstone on which to build your lives (from Conference Report, Oct. 1964, 116).
Pornography
I would just like to say a word about pornography. It is a growing, vile, and evil thing. It is on our motion picture screens, it comes into the homes of the people on television receivers, it is on newsstands, it reaches out in other ways to entrap and beguile and destroy those who are enticed to partake of it. I am satisfied, my brethren and sisters, that no Latter-day Saint can with impunity afford to witness or read or partake of this growing evil in any way. God help us and bless us with the self-discipline to resist and abstain and flee from, if necessary, this pernicious and growing thing which would destroy us (from Ensign, Nov. 1982, 76).
Control thoughts to control actions
Mental control must be stronger than physical appetites or desires of the flesh. As thoughts are brought into complete harmony with revealed truth, actions will then become appropriate.
The timeless proverb is as true now as when it was first spoken: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7).
Each of us, with discipline and effort, has the capacity to control his thoughts and his actions. This is part of the process of developing spiritual, physical, and emotional maturity (from Ensign, May 1987, 48).
Repentance and forgiveness
If there be any here who have so sinned, there is repentance and there is forgiveness, provided there is “godly sorrow” (2 Cor. 7:10). All is not lost. Each of you has a bishop, who has been ordained and set apart under the authority of the holy priesthood and who, in the exercise of his office, is entitled to the inspiration of the Lord. He is a man of experience, he is a man of understanding, he is a man who carries in his heart a love for the youth of his ward. He is a servant of God who understands his obligation of confidentiality and who will help you with your problem. Do not be afraid to talk with him (from Ensign, Nov. 1983, 45).
Prove your strength
For your own sakes, for your happiness now and in all the years to come, and for the happiness of the generations who come after you, avoid sexual transgression as you would a plague.
Prove your strength, show your independence, by saying no when enticement from peers comes your way. Your own strength will add strength to those who are weak. Your own example will give determination to others (from Ensign, May 1987, 48).
Stay on the Lord’s side
Of course you are to socialize, to date, to have fun of a wholesome kind in a hundred ways. But there is a line which you must not cross. It is the line that separates personal cleanliness from sin. I need not get clinical in telling you where that line is. You know. You have been told again and again. You have a conscience within you. Stay on the Lord’s side of the line (from Ensign, May 1996, 48).
Thursday, August 28, 2008
The Last Days
As I contemplate all the turmoil, natural disasters and evil in the world, it could be very depressing. But instead of becoming discouraged, I just feel excited because I know we are in the "last days" and the Savior will be returning to the earth in the not-so-distant future. (Trust me that I am not guessing exactly when!) I would however not be surprised if my children are alive to see our Savior's return to earth. Who knows, maybe I'll still be around too! In the meantime we are doing our best to be strong and obedient.
Check out this cool youtube clip that my dad sent to me on this very subject.
http://www.ldsmag.com/youtube/080828christ.html
Check out this cool youtube clip that my dad sent to me on this very subject.
http://www.ldsmag.com/youtube/080828christ.html
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Article - Food Storage Means Putting Your Grocery Store in Your Home
PROVO, Utah -- The concept behind Marie Ricks' food-storage system is simple: Put your grocery store in your home, not down the hill in the store.
The method, however, takes research, planning and a system to get a year's supply of food as taught by leaders in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Ricks presented her ideas during Campus Education Week at Brigham Young University under the heading "Home Organization: The Better Way to Live -- Organizing, Housecleaning and Food Storage." A professional home organizer, author and motivational speaker, Ricks is also a homemaker, teacher, newspaper columnist and former radio-show host.
The key to living the principle of food storage is to first decide to live it, she said. Getting started is really not that difficult."
Always buy double," she said. "If you need one, buy two. If you need two, buy four, if you need four, buy more."
Ricks eschews buying food family members won't eat and jokes about the plethora of wheat stored in many Mormon homes.
"Eat what you store and store what you eat," she said.
She also advises against storing food or other items that produce mold or dies. As for milk, that's not a part of the food-storage ritual. If folks want to store powdered milk she suggests using it just for cooking.
The first step in getting started with a food-storage project is to inventory all food items in the home. Then review shopping receipts over the next four weeks to get an idea of what the family will need for a year, and anticipate other needs, she suggests.
Once the inventory list is complete, determine what each item costs, then decide how fast you can purchase the items until you have a year's supply, she said.
As items come home from the store, date stamp everything with permanent ink, then decide where to put it. Some people hold off starting their food storage because they don't know where to store it, she said.
She doesn't accept that.
Some ideas: Replace the box springs and bed frames with storage boxes for bulk items; use the back six inches of the cupboard where items get shoved back and forgotten.
"Buy first and worry about where to put it later," she said.She also suggests putting bulk items, such as rice and wheat, in 4.25-gallon round containers. The lids seal better, and they are not too heavy for the average woman to lift.
She also suggests doing food-storage shopping twice a year."It takes only three rotten days two times a year," Ricks quipped. "It's good to do this before your husband knows the money's gone."She suggests "cherry picking" with three favorite stores.
On day one take your inventory list to the stores and price the items. On the second day, after evaluating prices, go back and buy the items. On the third day, put it away.
Don't worry about sales, Ricks said. Although sales save money, the time, struggle and gas can make them irrelevant.
Some folks watch sales for a month, then buy and get it over with for the next six months, she said.
Some other tips:
Use care in shopping. "Too much choice destroys us."
How to get teenagers to stay out of the food storage: "We have a two-letter word -- no."
To keep husbands out, "put it under lock and key."
Potatoes and onions store best in a container with slightly moist sand.
Food that becomes questionable: put in a bucket and label "do not eat unless you are dying."
Don't worry about bugs, she said, because you're storing only for a year.
For nonfood items, Ricks suggests the same method: inventorying first, then "guesstimate" what you'll need for a year, research prices, then buy.
She suggests an ample supply of toilet paper."It is the most secure thing you will ever buy. No TP is miserable," she said.
Finally, keeping the commandment of having a year's supply on hand will reap blessings, she said.
Source: http://mormontimes.com/WC_education.php?id=1901
The method, however, takes research, planning and a system to get a year's supply of food as taught by leaders in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Ricks presented her ideas during Campus Education Week at Brigham Young University under the heading "Home Organization: The Better Way to Live -- Organizing, Housecleaning and Food Storage." A professional home organizer, author and motivational speaker, Ricks is also a homemaker, teacher, newspaper columnist and former radio-show host.
The key to living the principle of food storage is to first decide to live it, she said. Getting started is really not that difficult."
Always buy double," she said. "If you need one, buy two. If you need two, buy four, if you need four, buy more."
Ricks eschews buying food family members won't eat and jokes about the plethora of wheat stored in many Mormon homes.
"Eat what you store and store what you eat," she said.
She also advises against storing food or other items that produce mold or dies. As for milk, that's not a part of the food-storage ritual. If folks want to store powdered milk she suggests using it just for cooking.
The first step in getting started with a food-storage project is to inventory all food items in the home. Then review shopping receipts over the next four weeks to get an idea of what the family will need for a year, and anticipate other needs, she suggests.
Once the inventory list is complete, determine what each item costs, then decide how fast you can purchase the items until you have a year's supply, she said.
As items come home from the store, date stamp everything with permanent ink, then decide where to put it. Some people hold off starting their food storage because they don't know where to store it, she said.
She doesn't accept that.
Some ideas: Replace the box springs and bed frames with storage boxes for bulk items; use the back six inches of the cupboard where items get shoved back and forgotten.
"Buy first and worry about where to put it later," she said.She also suggests putting bulk items, such as rice and wheat, in 4.25-gallon round containers. The lids seal better, and they are not too heavy for the average woman to lift.
She also suggests doing food-storage shopping twice a year."It takes only three rotten days two times a year," Ricks quipped. "It's good to do this before your husband knows the money's gone."She suggests "cherry picking" with three favorite stores.
On day one take your inventory list to the stores and price the items. On the second day, after evaluating prices, go back and buy the items. On the third day, put it away.
Don't worry about sales, Ricks said. Although sales save money, the time, struggle and gas can make them irrelevant.
Some folks watch sales for a month, then buy and get it over with for the next six months, she said.
Some other tips:
Use care in shopping. "Too much choice destroys us."
How to get teenagers to stay out of the food storage: "We have a two-letter word -- no."
To keep husbands out, "put it under lock and key."
Potatoes and onions store best in a container with slightly moist sand.
Food that becomes questionable: put in a bucket and label "do not eat unless you are dying."
Don't worry about bugs, she said, because you're storing only for a year.
For nonfood items, Ricks suggests the same method: inventorying first, then "guesstimate" what you'll need for a year, research prices, then buy.
She suggests an ample supply of toilet paper."It is the most secure thing you will ever buy. No TP is miserable," she said.
Finally, keeping the commandment of having a year's supply on hand will reap blessings, she said.
Source: http://mormontimes.com/WC_education.php?id=1901
Monday, August 25, 2008
The 12 Steps Adapted by LDS Church
I am a big believer in the 12 Step Program. I have seen it change people's lives.
The Church has a great Addiction Recovery Program and a workbook available called "Addiction Recovery Program - A Guide to Addiction Recovery and Healing." I personally think that everyone has some sort of addiction/weakness that can be improved by working through this workbook. I have gone through this book and I like to refer to it as an Atonement workbook. After working through this program I came to understand the Atonement so much better.
The Church, through LDS Family Services, offers meetings throughout the world. The meetings are coordinated by couples who are called as part-time LDS Family Services missionaries. A volunteer facilitator runs each meeting. The meetings are confidential and can be attended by anyone 18 or over who is willing to attend, whether you have an addiction or a loved one does. It also doesn't matter what addiction you are working on. They do however have specific pornography addiction support groups (PASG) for men only where they can delve into their specific issue more candidly.
The Addiction Recovery Program can help with any addiction - pornography, alcohol, drugs, prescription drugs, anger, codependence, overeating, gambling, caffeine, coffee, smoking, control, hoarding, OCD behavior, or any other addiction or compulsive behavior. It is also a great program to work through if you have a family member, child, spouse, etc. working through an addiction.
I've included links at the bottom for more information. If you have any specific or private questions about the program you can email me at pamthemom@gmail.com.
The 12 Steps as Adapted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
1) Admit that you, of yourself, are powerless to overcome your addictions and that your life has become unmanageable.
2) Come to believe that the power of God can restore you to complete spiritual health.
3) Decide to turn your will and your life over to the care of God the Eternal Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.
4) Make a searching and fearless written moral inventory of yourself.
5) Admit to yourself, to your Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ, to proper priesthood authority, and to another person the exact nature of your wrongs.
6) Become entirely ready to have God remove all your character weaknesses.
7) Humbly ask Heavenly Father to remove your shortcomings.
8) Make a written list of all persons you have harmed and become willing to make restitution to them.
9) Wherever possible, make direct restitution to all persons you have harmed.
10) Continue to take personal inventory, and when you are wrong promptly admit it.
11) Seek through prayer and meditation to know the Lord’s will and to have the power to carry it out.
12) Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, share this message with others and practice these principles in all you do.
Article about pornography addiction and Addiction Recovery Program (ARP):
Where to download the Addiction Recovery Program workbook and how to find meetings to attend:
Pornography - Does My Spouse Have a Problem?
In today’s world many parents and spouses are concerned about the availability and easy access of pornography. The negative and destructive influence of pornography has adversely affected many lives. You may share these same concerns. You may suspect, through actual evidence or an intuitive impression, that your spouse is using pornography. Accurately discerning whether or not a spouse is struggling with pornography is a difficult, yet important first step in confronting and coping with the suspicions you may have. Determining whether or not there is a pornography problem is a careful balancing act. Some spouses dismiss behavior that should be confronted due to incomplete or insufficient information. One woman, despite her frustration and disgust, excused her husband’s pornography habit because she inaccurately assumed it was part of normal male behavior. When his habit later led to further problems, she expressed regret about not confronting the behavior sooner. Another woman grew suspicious of her husband’s late night computer activities, which he said were “work related.” Rather than expressing her concern she quietly went to bed each night. A few months later she discovered that her suspicions were accurate and her husband had been viewing pornography. Both of these examples represent situations where more information should have been gathered and behavior should have been confronted.
Signs of an Existing Problem
1. Loss of interest in sexual relations or insatiable sexual appetite.
2. Introduction of unusual sexual practices in the relationship.
3. Diminished emotional, physical, social, spiritual, and intellectual intimacy.
4. Neglect of responsibilities.
5. Increased isolation (such as late night hours on the computer); withdrawal from family.
6. Easily irritated, irregular mood swings.
7. Unexplained absences.
8. Preference for masturbation over sexual relations with spouse.
9. Unexplained financial transactions.
10. Sexual relations that are rigid, rushed, without passion, and detached.
Collecting Information
If these signs are presents in a marriage, it is possible there is a problem. Awareness of these signs is important. Additionally, accurate and complete information about problem should be gathered. One spouse became extremely agitated when she discovered pornographic images in the temporary Internet files folder on the family computer. She assumed her husband was indulging in pornography and imagined the devastation that the marriage would now suffer as a result of his behavior. When he came home from work, she burst into tears and immediately began attacking him. As the details unfolded, the family discovered that their son’s teenage friend was responsible. Even if the friend had not confessed, there were other possible explanations for the images being present. For example, there are various Internet marketing techniques using new computer technology that can send pornographic images to a home computer without anyone’s knowledge. Thus, it is always important to gather sufficient information and consider various possibilities before concluding there is a problem.
Communicating Concerns
If you suspect but are unsure if there is a problem, it is appropriate to communicate your concerns to your spouse. Perhaps some of the signs listed previously may be part of your concerns. Listen and be prepared to give him (or her) the benefit of the doubt. If there really is a problem, time will usually reveal any inappropriate behaviors. If material is being used to facilitate fantasies about other women (or men), this is inappropriate. If you are hurt by such behavior, remember that your feelings are valid and need to be expressed. It is important to remember that change is possible. The motive behind confronting the problem must be born out of hope and love. The goal must be recovery, healing and repentance and the restoration of true and healthy intimacy. Such recovery and healing is available to all through the Atonement ofJesus Christ.
From http://www.lds.org/ (look under Provident Living)
Signs of an Existing Problem
1. Loss of interest in sexual relations or insatiable sexual appetite.
2. Introduction of unusual sexual practices in the relationship.
3. Diminished emotional, physical, social, spiritual, and intellectual intimacy.
4. Neglect of responsibilities.
5. Increased isolation (such as late night hours on the computer); withdrawal from family.
6. Easily irritated, irregular mood swings.
7. Unexplained absences.
8. Preference for masturbation over sexual relations with spouse.
9. Unexplained financial transactions.
10. Sexual relations that are rigid, rushed, without passion, and detached.
Collecting Information
If these signs are presents in a marriage, it is possible there is a problem. Awareness of these signs is important. Additionally, accurate and complete information about problem should be gathered. One spouse became extremely agitated when she discovered pornographic images in the temporary Internet files folder on the family computer. She assumed her husband was indulging in pornography and imagined the devastation that the marriage would now suffer as a result of his behavior. When he came home from work, she burst into tears and immediately began attacking him. As the details unfolded, the family discovered that their son’s teenage friend was responsible. Even if the friend had not confessed, there were other possible explanations for the images being present. For example, there are various Internet marketing techniques using new computer technology that can send pornographic images to a home computer without anyone’s knowledge. Thus, it is always important to gather sufficient information and consider various possibilities before concluding there is a problem.
Communicating Concerns
If you suspect but are unsure if there is a problem, it is appropriate to communicate your concerns to your spouse. Perhaps some of the signs listed previously may be part of your concerns. Listen and be prepared to give him (or her) the benefit of the doubt. If there really is a problem, time will usually reveal any inappropriate behaviors. If material is being used to facilitate fantasies about other women (or men), this is inappropriate. If you are hurt by such behavior, remember that your feelings are valid and need to be expressed. It is important to remember that change is possible. The motive behind confronting the problem must be born out of hope and love. The goal must be recovery, healing and repentance and the restoration of true and healthy intimacy. Such recovery and healing is available to all through the Atonement ofJesus Christ.
From http://www.lds.org/ (look under Provident Living)
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Sunday School - Book of Mormon Lesson 32
Book of Mormon Lesson #32: “They Did Obey Every Word of Command With Exactness” Alma 53-63
1. Ezra Taft Benson: You have been born at this time for a sacred and glorious purpose. It is not by chance that you have been reserved to come to earth in this last dispensation of the fullness of times. Your birth at this particular time was foreordained in the eternities. You are to be the royal army of the Lord in the last days. … In the spiritual battles you are waging, I see you as today’s sons of Helaman. Remember well the Book of Mormon account of Helaman’s two thousand stripling warriors. Gen. Conference, April 1986.
2. Harold B. Lee: The power of Satan will increase; we see it in evidence on every hand. … Now the only safety we have as members of this Church is to do exactly what the Lord said to the Church in that day when the Church was organized. We must learn to give heed to the words and commandments that the Lord shall give through his prophet, “as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me; … as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.” (D&C 21:4-5). There will be some things that take patience and faith. You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church. It may contradict your political views. It may contradict your social views. It may interfere with some of your social life. But if you listen to these things, as if from the mouth of the Lord himself, with patience and faith, the promise is that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory.” (D&C 21:6). Gen. Conference, October 1970.
3. Spencer W. Kimball: To be a righteous woman during the winding-up scenes on this earth, before the Second Coming of our Savior, is an especially noble calling. The righteous woman’s strength and influence today can be tenfold what it might be in more tranquil times. She has been placed here to help to enrich, to protect, and to guard the home – which is society’s basic and most noble institution. Other institutions in society may falter and even fail, but the righteous woman can help to save the home, which may be the last and only sanctuary some mortals know in the midst of storm and strife. Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, pp. 326-27.
4. Thomas S. Monson: Who can help but be inspired by the lives of the 2,000 stripling sons of Helaman who taught and demonstrated the need of courage to follow the teachings of parents, the courage to be chaste and pure? In our lives … we will face fear, experience ridicule, and meet opposition. … Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God’s approval. … A moral coward is one who is afraid to do what he thinks is right because others will disapprove or laugh. Remember that all men have their fears, but those who face their fears with dignity have courage as well. … Someone has said that courage is not the absence of fear but the mastery of it. At times, courage is needed to rise from failure, to strive again. Gen. Conference, April 2004.
5. Teddy E. Brewerton: In the Brazil Sao Paulo South Mission there was an Elder Malheiros who entered into the field not being able to read or write very proficiently. He was even a little fearful of giving a prayer in public. But this young man, according to his mission president, Wilford Cardon, became one of the very greatest missionaries imaginable. The president asked him toward the end of his mission how he had turned into such a dynamic, very successful missionary. (He had baptized more than 200 people and had baptized every week for 52 consecutive weeks.) In a very humble manner Elder Malheiros answered, “Well, President, I never doubted you. You said one could baptize every week, so I knew I could baptize every week. I never doubted. It was not always easy, but I tried to obey.” … In Alma 57 we read about the 2,060 sons of Helaman who fought valiantly in many wars. … Yet not one lost his life because they knew “that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.” (Alma 56:47). In Alma 57:21 we read, “Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness.” They were totally obedient. Hence, they had unbelievable protection and success. Gen. Conference, April 1981.
6. Sheri Dew: The stripling warriors not only kept their covenants but they performed “every word of command with exactness” (Alma 57:21). In other words, they kept their covenants with precision. A half-hearted effort to keep the Sabbath day holy or be morally clean or tell the truth or dress modestly is really no effort at all. Joseph Smith didn’t say that we sort of believe in being “honest, true, c haste, benevolent and virtuous” (13th Article of Faith). On Mount Sinai the Lord didn’t declare, “Thou shalt not steal – unless you’re in a real bind.” He didn’t say, “Thou shalt rarely covet.” He didn’t say, “Thou shalt not commit adultery – very often.” He said, “Thou shalt not,” clearly delineating lines we are not to cross. … Men and women who sell their birthright for a mess of pottage will tell you that their demise began with something small, with some seemingly insignificant breach of integrity that escalated. The little things do matter. BYU Speeches of the Year, 21 March 2000.
7. George Albert Smith: [Alma 56:47-48 – mothers of the stripling warriors] I think that is one of the greatest tributes that has ever been paid to motherhood – that in circumstances such as they were experiencing, when they were surrounded by enemies, they could train their children to have that faith in God that would carry them through and would bring them home without losing their lives. … I realize that there is a force in the Latter-day Saint homes where our wives and mothers and daughters are and when it comes to faith in God and prayer it is equal to anything that the men may be able to muster. … I wonder if we appreciate the daughters of God as He appreciates them. Do we treasure their virtues and their faith and their devotion and their motherhood as our Heavenly Father does?
8. Richard G. Scott: Government and social plans will not effectively correct [violence], … nor can the best efforts of schools and churches fully compensate for the absence of the tender care of a compassionate mother and wife in the home. … As a mother guided by the Lord, you weave a fabric of character in your children from threads of truth through careful instruction and worth example. … Don’t be lured away from the plan of our God to the ways of the world, where motherhood is belittled, femininity is decried, and the divinely established role of wife and mother is mocked. Let the world go its way. You follow the plan of the Lord. Gen. Conference, Oct. 1996.
9. George Q. Cannon: It was about the 22nd day of June, 1834, when the cholera appeared in Zion’s Camp at Fishing River. During the next week it raged in the midst of the party. Sixty-eight of the Saints were attacked and thirteen of them died. … Joseph and Hyrum administered assiduously to the sick, and soon they were in the grasp of the cholera. They were together when it seized them; and together they knelt down and prayed for deliverance. Three times they bowed in supplication, the third time with a vow that they would not rise until deliverance from the destroyer was vouchsafed. While they were thus upon their knees a vision of comfort came to Hyrum. He saw their mother afar off in Kirtland praying for her absent sons, and he felt that the Lord was answering her cry. Hyrum told Joseph of the comforting vision and together they arose, made whole every whit. The Life of Joseph Smith the Prophet, pp. 182-83.
10. Jack R. Christianson & K. Douglas Bassett: Helaman understood the principle that the Lord stands by us as we stand by those in authority over us. He continued his letter to Moroni by asking why the government had not sent the requested assistance. Then, almost as an apology for being negative, he wrote, “We do not desire to murmur” (Alma 58:35). Notice how Helaman shared an unpleasant truth in a manner that would still allow the lines of communication to remain open. His sensitivity to his leaders, as well as his subordinates, is commendable. His was not the expression of a weak-kneed foot soldier trying not to be responsible for the bad news he had borne. While he was not blind to the problem, he chose to relate the details to Moroni and at the same time reinforce his own support … recognizing full well that he could not expect God to stand by him if he didn’t stand by his leaders. … It is apparent that he believed that the blessings of deliverance were in direct correlation with this support of those who presided over him. Life Lessons from the Book of Mormon, pp. 175-76.
11. Gordon B. Hinckley: I have worked with seven Presidents of this Church. I have recognized that all have been human. But I have never been concerned over this. They may have had some weaknesses. But this has never troubled me. I know that the God of heaven has used mortal men throughout history to accomplish His divine purposes. They were the very best available to him, and they were wonderful. Gen. Conference, April 1992.
12. David A. Bednar: During a perilous period of war, an exchange of letters occurred between Moroni, the captain of the Nephite armies, and Pahoran, the chief judge and governor of the land. Moroni, whose army was suffering because of inadequate support from the government, wrote to Pahoran “by the way of condemnation” (Alma 60:2) and harshly accused him of thoughtlessness, slothfulness, and neglect. Pahoran might easily have resented Moroni and his message, but he chose not to take offense. Pahoran responded compassionately and described a rebellion against the government about which Moroni was not aware. And then he responded, “Behold, I say unto you, Moroni, that I do not joy in your great afflictions, yea, it grieves my soul. … And now, in your epistle, you have censured me, but it mattereth not; I am not angry, but do rejoice in the greatness of your heart” (Alma 61:2, 9). One of the greatest indicators of our own spiritual maturity is revealed in how we respond to the weaknesses, the inexperience, and the potentially offensive actions of others. A thing, an event, or an expression may be offensive, but you and I can choose not to be offended – and to say with Pahoran, “It mattereth not.” … If a person says or does something that we consider offensive, our first obligation is to refuse to take offense and then communicate privately, honestly, and directly with that individual. Such an approach invites inspiration from the Holy Ghost and permits misperceptions to be clarified and true intent to be understood. Gen. Conference, November 2006.
13. Boyd K. Packer: [Alma 62:41 – many hardened, many softened because of long war] The same testing in troubled times can have quite opposite effects on individuals. … Surely you know some whose lives have been filled with adversity who have been mellowed and strengthened and refined by it, while others have come away from the same test bitter and blistered and unhappy. Memorable Stories and Parables, pp. 93-94.
14. : Spencer W. Kimball: [Speaking of Hagoth and his party] President Joseph F. Smith, the president of the Church, reported, “You brethren and sisters from New Zealand, I want you to know that you are from the people of Hagoth.” For New Zealand Saints, that was that. A prophet of the Lord had spoken. New Zealand Area Conference Report, Feb. 1976.
Next week: Helaman 1-5 “A Sure Foundation”
1. Ezra Taft Benson: You have been born at this time for a sacred and glorious purpose. It is not by chance that you have been reserved to come to earth in this last dispensation of the fullness of times. Your birth at this particular time was foreordained in the eternities. You are to be the royal army of the Lord in the last days. … In the spiritual battles you are waging, I see you as today’s sons of Helaman. Remember well the Book of Mormon account of Helaman’s two thousand stripling warriors. Gen. Conference, April 1986.
2. Harold B. Lee: The power of Satan will increase; we see it in evidence on every hand. … Now the only safety we have as members of this Church is to do exactly what the Lord said to the Church in that day when the Church was organized. We must learn to give heed to the words and commandments that the Lord shall give through his prophet, “as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me; … as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.” (D&C 21:4-5). There will be some things that take patience and faith. You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church. It may contradict your political views. It may contradict your social views. It may interfere with some of your social life. But if you listen to these things, as if from the mouth of the Lord himself, with patience and faith, the promise is that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory.” (D&C 21:6). Gen. Conference, October 1970.
3. Spencer W. Kimball: To be a righteous woman during the winding-up scenes on this earth, before the Second Coming of our Savior, is an especially noble calling. The righteous woman’s strength and influence today can be tenfold what it might be in more tranquil times. She has been placed here to help to enrich, to protect, and to guard the home – which is society’s basic and most noble institution. Other institutions in society may falter and even fail, but the righteous woman can help to save the home, which may be the last and only sanctuary some mortals know in the midst of storm and strife. Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, pp. 326-27.
4. Thomas S. Monson: Who can help but be inspired by the lives of the 2,000 stripling sons of Helaman who taught and demonstrated the need of courage to follow the teachings of parents, the courage to be chaste and pure? In our lives … we will face fear, experience ridicule, and meet opposition. … Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God’s approval. … A moral coward is one who is afraid to do what he thinks is right because others will disapprove or laugh. Remember that all men have their fears, but those who face their fears with dignity have courage as well. … Someone has said that courage is not the absence of fear but the mastery of it. At times, courage is needed to rise from failure, to strive again. Gen. Conference, April 2004.
5. Teddy E. Brewerton: In the Brazil Sao Paulo South Mission there was an Elder Malheiros who entered into the field not being able to read or write very proficiently. He was even a little fearful of giving a prayer in public. But this young man, according to his mission president, Wilford Cardon, became one of the very greatest missionaries imaginable. The president asked him toward the end of his mission how he had turned into such a dynamic, very successful missionary. (He had baptized more than 200 people and had baptized every week for 52 consecutive weeks.) In a very humble manner Elder Malheiros answered, “Well, President, I never doubted you. You said one could baptize every week, so I knew I could baptize every week. I never doubted. It was not always easy, but I tried to obey.” … In Alma 57 we read about the 2,060 sons of Helaman who fought valiantly in many wars. … Yet not one lost his life because they knew “that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.” (Alma 56:47). In Alma 57:21 we read, “Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness.” They were totally obedient. Hence, they had unbelievable protection and success. Gen. Conference, April 1981.
6. Sheri Dew: The stripling warriors not only kept their covenants but they performed “every word of command with exactness” (Alma 57:21). In other words, they kept their covenants with precision. A half-hearted effort to keep the Sabbath day holy or be morally clean or tell the truth or dress modestly is really no effort at all. Joseph Smith didn’t say that we sort of believe in being “honest, true, c haste, benevolent and virtuous” (13th Article of Faith). On Mount Sinai the Lord didn’t declare, “Thou shalt not steal – unless you’re in a real bind.” He didn’t say, “Thou shalt rarely covet.” He didn’t say, “Thou shalt not commit adultery – very often.” He said, “Thou shalt not,” clearly delineating lines we are not to cross. … Men and women who sell their birthright for a mess of pottage will tell you that their demise began with something small, with some seemingly insignificant breach of integrity that escalated. The little things do matter. BYU Speeches of the Year, 21 March 2000.
7. George Albert Smith: [Alma 56:47-48 – mothers of the stripling warriors] I think that is one of the greatest tributes that has ever been paid to motherhood – that in circumstances such as they were experiencing, when they were surrounded by enemies, they could train their children to have that faith in God that would carry them through and would bring them home without losing their lives. … I realize that there is a force in the Latter-day Saint homes where our wives and mothers and daughters are and when it comes to faith in God and prayer it is equal to anything that the men may be able to muster. … I wonder if we appreciate the daughters of God as He appreciates them. Do we treasure their virtues and their faith and their devotion and their motherhood as our Heavenly Father does?
8. Richard G. Scott: Government and social plans will not effectively correct [violence], … nor can the best efforts of schools and churches fully compensate for the absence of the tender care of a compassionate mother and wife in the home. … As a mother guided by the Lord, you weave a fabric of character in your children from threads of truth through careful instruction and worth example. … Don’t be lured away from the plan of our God to the ways of the world, where motherhood is belittled, femininity is decried, and the divinely established role of wife and mother is mocked. Let the world go its way. You follow the plan of the Lord. Gen. Conference, Oct. 1996.
9. George Q. Cannon: It was about the 22nd day of June, 1834, when the cholera appeared in Zion’s Camp at Fishing River. During the next week it raged in the midst of the party. Sixty-eight of the Saints were attacked and thirteen of them died. … Joseph and Hyrum administered assiduously to the sick, and soon they were in the grasp of the cholera. They were together when it seized them; and together they knelt down and prayed for deliverance. Three times they bowed in supplication, the third time with a vow that they would not rise until deliverance from the destroyer was vouchsafed. While they were thus upon their knees a vision of comfort came to Hyrum. He saw their mother afar off in Kirtland praying for her absent sons, and he felt that the Lord was answering her cry. Hyrum told Joseph of the comforting vision and together they arose, made whole every whit. The Life of Joseph Smith the Prophet, pp. 182-83.
10. Jack R. Christianson & K. Douglas Bassett: Helaman understood the principle that the Lord stands by us as we stand by those in authority over us. He continued his letter to Moroni by asking why the government had not sent the requested assistance. Then, almost as an apology for being negative, he wrote, “We do not desire to murmur” (Alma 58:35). Notice how Helaman shared an unpleasant truth in a manner that would still allow the lines of communication to remain open. His sensitivity to his leaders, as well as his subordinates, is commendable. His was not the expression of a weak-kneed foot soldier trying not to be responsible for the bad news he had borne. While he was not blind to the problem, he chose to relate the details to Moroni and at the same time reinforce his own support … recognizing full well that he could not expect God to stand by him if he didn’t stand by his leaders. … It is apparent that he believed that the blessings of deliverance were in direct correlation with this support of those who presided over him. Life Lessons from the Book of Mormon, pp. 175-76.
11. Gordon B. Hinckley: I have worked with seven Presidents of this Church. I have recognized that all have been human. But I have never been concerned over this. They may have had some weaknesses. But this has never troubled me. I know that the God of heaven has used mortal men throughout history to accomplish His divine purposes. They were the very best available to him, and they were wonderful. Gen. Conference, April 1992.
12. David A. Bednar: During a perilous period of war, an exchange of letters occurred between Moroni, the captain of the Nephite armies, and Pahoran, the chief judge and governor of the land. Moroni, whose army was suffering because of inadequate support from the government, wrote to Pahoran “by the way of condemnation” (Alma 60:2) and harshly accused him of thoughtlessness, slothfulness, and neglect. Pahoran might easily have resented Moroni and his message, but he chose not to take offense. Pahoran responded compassionately and described a rebellion against the government about which Moroni was not aware. And then he responded, “Behold, I say unto you, Moroni, that I do not joy in your great afflictions, yea, it grieves my soul. … And now, in your epistle, you have censured me, but it mattereth not; I am not angry, but do rejoice in the greatness of your heart” (Alma 61:2, 9). One of the greatest indicators of our own spiritual maturity is revealed in how we respond to the weaknesses, the inexperience, and the potentially offensive actions of others. A thing, an event, or an expression may be offensive, but you and I can choose not to be offended – and to say with Pahoran, “It mattereth not.” … If a person says or does something that we consider offensive, our first obligation is to refuse to take offense and then communicate privately, honestly, and directly with that individual. Such an approach invites inspiration from the Holy Ghost and permits misperceptions to be clarified and true intent to be understood. Gen. Conference, November 2006.
13. Boyd K. Packer: [Alma 62:41 – many hardened, many softened because of long war] The same testing in troubled times can have quite opposite effects on individuals. … Surely you know some whose lives have been filled with adversity who have been mellowed and strengthened and refined by it, while others have come away from the same test bitter and blistered and unhappy. Memorable Stories and Parables, pp. 93-94.
14. : Spencer W. Kimball: [Speaking of Hagoth and his party] President Joseph F. Smith, the president of the Church, reported, “You brethren and sisters from New Zealand, I want you to know that you are from the people of Hagoth.” For New Zealand Saints, that was that. A prophet of the Lord had spoken. New Zealand Area Conference Report, Feb. 1976.
Next week: Helaman 1-5 “A Sure Foundation”
Friday, August 22, 2008
Enrichment Night - "Best Kept Secrets"
We had a fun Enrichment night in our ward last night. The theme was "Best Kept Secrets."
We started out the night with a light dinner in the gym. We had a big salad with chicken, strawberries, toasted almonds, etc. and rolls. They served sherbet with a cute cookie for dessert.
Then we moved to the RS room for a great lesson. After the lesson, they put on the music to Mission Impossible and showed a homemade quick video with one of the ladies dressed up in secret mission attire. She said gave a clever little intro and ended with "Your mission, should you choose to accept it...." and then we each took turns sharing tips and things that we have learned. We learned tips on household things, education, food storage, kids, grandkids, healthy & beauty, etc. It was a very fun and interesting evening and I was glad I attended.
This could probably be adapted to be a YW activity as well.
We started out the night with a light dinner in the gym. We had a big salad with chicken, strawberries, toasted almonds, etc. and rolls. They served sherbet with a cute cookie for dessert.
Then we moved to the RS room for a great lesson. After the lesson, they put on the music to Mission Impossible and showed a homemade quick video with one of the ladies dressed up in secret mission attire. She said gave a clever little intro and ended with "Your mission, should you choose to accept it...." and then we each took turns sharing tips and things that we have learned. We learned tips on household things, education, food storage, kids, grandkids, healthy & beauty, etc. It was a very fun and interesting evening and I was glad I attended.
This could probably be adapted to be a YW activity as well.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Poem - Prayer is Like Brushing Teeth
I liked this poem that I received from my sister-in-law Michelle. I have always said that there really is not a good excuse for skipping your family prayers, personal prayers or scripture study. Somehow we find time to brush our teeth, shower, get dressed and eat every day. We would never think of skipping one of these things consistently and then using the excuse of lack of time. Since I developed this attitude with my scriptures and prayers it has been a lot easier to be faithful on these important habits.
The goal is to encourages children to pray twice daily. Since we should brush our teeth morning and night, a tooth brush seems a natural reminder for saying prayers morning and night. Attach the following poem to a tooth brush:
Saying your prayers is like brushing your teeth--
it's a habit you form, a commitment you keep.
You should brush your teeth both morning and night,
the same with your prayers if your saying them right.
Don't let your spirit or teeth begin to decay--
PRAY (and brush) at least twice a day!
Talk - The Importance of Work
I started coming to this ward in April. I would like to thank you for making me feel welcome and accepted. The first day I walked into the chapel and sat down. I was alone feeling a little apprehensive about coming to a family ward as a single person and wondered how I would fit in and if I would feel accepted. One sister noticed me, left her little family and walked across the chapel to introduce herself. I know that that Sister was in-tune with the spirit and listened to a prompting to help a fellow ward member feel welcome. This simple act of kindness confirmed to me that this is where I need to be at this time of my life.
I was recently called to be a Mia maid adviser for the young women in the ward. I have been blessed in my life to associate with the young women in this ward. They are loving and kind; happy, bright, energetic girls who have been raised in good homes and I look forward to my continued service and friendship with each of them.
Our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have shown us by their examples and teachings that work is important in heaven and on earth. God organized the creation of the heavens and the earth. He caused the seas to gather in one place and the dry land to appear. He caused grass, herbs, and trees to grow on the land. He created the sun, the moon, and the stars. He created every living thing in the sea or on the land. Then he placed Adam and Eve on the earth to take care of it and to govern the other creatures ( Genesis 1:1–28). Work has been the way of life on earth since Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden. The Lord said to Adam, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread” (Genesis 3:19). Adam and Eve worked in the fields so they could provide for their own needs and the needs of their children (Moses 5:1).
The Savior, Jesus Christ, is the perfect example for all things in our lives. His life was one of constant work for the Lord, through serving and teaching.
One of my favorite accounts from His life is found in the New Testament in Luke, Chapter 5, when Jesus Christ calls Simon Peter to be a fisher of men. The Savior approaches fishermen washing their nets, after a night of fruitless fishing. He enters the ship of Simon Peter. He teaches the people then he implores Simon in verse 4:
“Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught”. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me for I am a sinful man, O Lord”.
For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, “Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.
I love this story for many reasons: One, because even Peter, who was to become one of the twelve apostles of the Savior, felt inadequate to be in his presence. But the Lord does not always call people because they are the most prepared, or because they feel ready for a calling, he asks only for our willingness, our faith, and then qualifies us to do his work.
I also love this story because these simple fishermen “forsook all” to follow him. They gave up their livelihoods, their own interests, their time and ultimately their very lives, to follow Him. Building the kingdom of God became their work.
We are all asked to sacrifice in the gospel of Jesus Christ, through our church callings and through our tithes and offerings. Not only is personal sacrifice faith promoting it strengthens our resolve to forsake all in our own lives and follow him.
There is great reason that the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth was called in Isaiah 29:14 a marvelous work and a wonder. It is marvelous, and it requires a great deal of work from all of us.
I am amazed by our modern day apostles, and the Prophet of God on the earth today, Thomas S. Monson, who followed the command in their own lives to “let down their nets”, and follow the Savior.
One of the apostles, Elder Russell M. Nelson “let down his net” by giving up his profession as a heart surgeon to become as the Lord instructed, a “fisher of men”.
A time came in my own life where I dropped the net, that was my life, and accepted a call to serve in the England, Bristol Mission. It is difficult to articulate how those eighteen months in Great Brittan helped shape my life. I know that what I learned Spiritually strengthened my own resolve to be a disciple of the Savior. The work I did there, and the service I rendered to the people I met; the responsibility that I felt to serve, could not have been duplicated in any other setting. I am thankful for that opportunity I was given to participate in this great work.
Just as serving a mission entails a great deal of work, being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints involves work as well. Elder Russell M. Ballard, one of the living apostles of Jesus Christ stated in a conference talk in October of 2006:
The Lord in His infinite wisdom has designed His Church to operate with a lay ministry. That means we have been charged to watch over one another and to serve one another. We are to love one another as our Father in Heaven and the Lord Jesus Christ love us. Our callings and circumstances change from time to time, providing us with different and unique opportunities to serve and to grow.
Elder Ballard continued his address: we need to thoughtfully allocate our resources of time, income, and energy. I would like to let you in on a little secret. Some of you have already learned it. If you haven't, it's time you knew. No matter what your family needs are or your responsibilities in the Church, there is no such thing as "done." There will always be more we can do. There is always another family matter that needs attention, another lesson to prepare, another interview to conduct, another meeting to attend. We just need to be wise in protecting our health and in following the counsel that President Hinckley has given often to just do the best that we can.
Russell M. Nelson, of the Quorum of the Twelve said “You work to sustain life; you don’t live to sustain work”. There is a fine balance between the many obligations we have to fulfill in our lives. They all involve our time and effort.
My Dad is a great example of how to effectively juggle a career, church responsibilities and a family. I believe he has been blessed for this. Raising 8 children requires not only a significant monetary commitment, but an enormous time commitment. We always had what we needed and still had time, money and energy to go play. I will credit my wonderful mom for her creativity. I know we, like most families, had tight financial times, but she always found ways for us to have fun together as a family.
Parents work together to provide for the physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being of their family. They should never expect anyone to take care of this responsibility for them. The Apostle Paul wrote, “If any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith” (1 Timothy 5:8)
My Brother- in- Law recently became unemployed, My sister, who is a registered nurse went back to work full-time to provide for the family’s monetary needs, leaving her three small children and their home in the nearly capable hand of her husband.
For the first few days he thought that it was great!!! He enjoyed the lazy mornings, playing with the kids, staying home wasn’t bad at all. He couldn’t figure out what was so hard about it. Then the house, that was clean when he took over turned to chaos. The clean clothes that were plentiful began to run out. Every thing began to build up on him. He started to complain about not being able to keep up on the house work because the kids can destroy a room in a matter of minutes, the laundry piles up faster then he could wash it. He can’t get dinner cooked because his 1 yr old is all over the place and he has to keep his eye on him. And as good dads do, he play’s Barbie’s and ponies with his girls, but everyday with too many pink plastic girlie gizmos was pushing the limits of his sanity. What he has learned is that motherhood is a great deal more work than he had perceived. Every worthy aspect of our life requires work.
I called him the other day to see how things were going, He said he was frantically looking for a new job so he could get his wife back at home where she can do the work for their family that he was struggling to fulfill. He said “Emily, I have a greater respect for my wife and all stay-at-home moms because it’s hard work, going to work is easy compared to taking care of children and a home.”
Couples should seek inspiration from the Lord and follow the counsel of the prophets when establishing individual responsibilities. Creating a home where principles of the gospel are taught daily and where love and order abound is as important as providing the basic necessities of food and clothing.
Our attitude toward work and the people around us is very important.
Sometimes people encounter hardships when trying to provide for their families. Chronic illness, the loss of a spouse, or the addition of an elderly parent can add to the responsibilities in a home.
Our Heavenly Father remembers the families in these situations and gives them the strength to carry out their duties. He will always bless them if they ask him in faith. In February of 2004, my sweet Grandma had a devastating stroke. Her doctor recommended her to a care facility for the elderly. Our family could not bear the thought of it. Although everyone had jobs to go to and children to care for, everyone was willing to work the extra hours in their day so grandma could come home. Her final days on this earth were spent in her own comfortable home with those she loved. That experience has made my family stronger. We know when one of us is down, help will be there.
As far as they are able, all Church members should accept the responsibility to care for their relatives who are unable to provide for themselves. We should each find the proper balance between work, family responsibilities, church callings, rest, and relaxation. There is an old saying: “Doing nothing is the hardest work of all, because one can never stop to rest.” Without work, rest and relaxation have no meaning.
Not only is it pleasant and necessary to rest, but we are commanded to rest on the Sabbath day (Exodus 20:10; D&C 59:9–12). This day of rest after each six days of labor brings refreshment for the days that follow. The Lord also promises the “fullness of the earth” to those who observe the Sabbath day ( D&C 59:16–20; see also chapter 24, “The Sabbath Day”).
On other days of the week we should schedule some time when we can visit with family, friends, and relatives. We may spend time to improve our talents and enjoy our hobbies, recreation, or other activities that will refresh us. We can help one another in our work. The heaviest load becomes lighter when someone shares it.
Children should learn the importance of work at an early age. It is necessary for children to have work assignments to fit their abilities. They need to be praised for their successes. Good work attitudes, habits, and skills are learned through successful experiences in the home.
We are tools in the Master’s hands and if we all pull together we can complete the work we were sent here to do and build a better world for our Heavenly Father’s children. No matter how big or small we are, no matter how old or young, there is always something we can do. The work we are given to do is our responsibility.
Thank you Emily for this wonderful talk and for your willingness to share it on the blog.
I was recently called to be a Mia maid adviser for the young women in the ward. I have been blessed in my life to associate with the young women in this ward. They are loving and kind; happy, bright, energetic girls who have been raised in good homes and I look forward to my continued service and friendship with each of them.
Our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have shown us by their examples and teachings that work is important in heaven and on earth. God organized the creation of the heavens and the earth. He caused the seas to gather in one place and the dry land to appear. He caused grass, herbs, and trees to grow on the land. He created the sun, the moon, and the stars. He created every living thing in the sea or on the land. Then he placed Adam and Eve on the earth to take care of it and to govern the other creatures ( Genesis 1:1–28). Work has been the way of life on earth since Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden. The Lord said to Adam, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread” (Genesis 3:19). Adam and Eve worked in the fields so they could provide for their own needs and the needs of their children (Moses 5:1).
The Savior, Jesus Christ, is the perfect example for all things in our lives. His life was one of constant work for the Lord, through serving and teaching.
One of my favorite accounts from His life is found in the New Testament in Luke, Chapter 5, when Jesus Christ calls Simon Peter to be a fisher of men. The Savior approaches fishermen washing their nets, after a night of fruitless fishing. He enters the ship of Simon Peter. He teaches the people then he implores Simon in verse 4:
“Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught”. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me for I am a sinful man, O Lord”.
For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, “Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.
I love this story for many reasons: One, because even Peter, who was to become one of the twelve apostles of the Savior, felt inadequate to be in his presence. But the Lord does not always call people because they are the most prepared, or because they feel ready for a calling, he asks only for our willingness, our faith, and then qualifies us to do his work.
I also love this story because these simple fishermen “forsook all” to follow him. They gave up their livelihoods, their own interests, their time and ultimately their very lives, to follow Him. Building the kingdom of God became their work.
We are all asked to sacrifice in the gospel of Jesus Christ, through our church callings and through our tithes and offerings. Not only is personal sacrifice faith promoting it strengthens our resolve to forsake all in our own lives and follow him.
There is great reason that the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth was called in Isaiah 29:14 a marvelous work and a wonder. It is marvelous, and it requires a great deal of work from all of us.
I am amazed by our modern day apostles, and the Prophet of God on the earth today, Thomas S. Monson, who followed the command in their own lives to “let down their nets”, and follow the Savior.
One of the apostles, Elder Russell M. Nelson “let down his net” by giving up his profession as a heart surgeon to become as the Lord instructed, a “fisher of men”.
A time came in my own life where I dropped the net, that was my life, and accepted a call to serve in the England, Bristol Mission. It is difficult to articulate how those eighteen months in Great Brittan helped shape my life. I know that what I learned Spiritually strengthened my own resolve to be a disciple of the Savior. The work I did there, and the service I rendered to the people I met; the responsibility that I felt to serve, could not have been duplicated in any other setting. I am thankful for that opportunity I was given to participate in this great work.
Just as serving a mission entails a great deal of work, being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints involves work as well. Elder Russell M. Ballard, one of the living apostles of Jesus Christ stated in a conference talk in October of 2006:
The Lord in His infinite wisdom has designed His Church to operate with a lay ministry. That means we have been charged to watch over one another and to serve one another. We are to love one another as our Father in Heaven and the Lord Jesus Christ love us. Our callings and circumstances change from time to time, providing us with different and unique opportunities to serve and to grow.
Elder Ballard continued his address: we need to thoughtfully allocate our resources of time, income, and energy. I would like to let you in on a little secret. Some of you have already learned it. If you haven't, it's time you knew. No matter what your family needs are or your responsibilities in the Church, there is no such thing as "done." There will always be more we can do. There is always another family matter that needs attention, another lesson to prepare, another interview to conduct, another meeting to attend. We just need to be wise in protecting our health and in following the counsel that President Hinckley has given often to just do the best that we can.
Russell M. Nelson, of the Quorum of the Twelve said “You work to sustain life; you don’t live to sustain work”. There is a fine balance between the many obligations we have to fulfill in our lives. They all involve our time and effort.
My Dad is a great example of how to effectively juggle a career, church responsibilities and a family. I believe he has been blessed for this. Raising 8 children requires not only a significant monetary commitment, but an enormous time commitment. We always had what we needed and still had time, money and energy to go play. I will credit my wonderful mom for her creativity. I know we, like most families, had tight financial times, but she always found ways for us to have fun together as a family.
Parents work together to provide for the physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being of their family. They should never expect anyone to take care of this responsibility for them. The Apostle Paul wrote, “If any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith” (1 Timothy 5:8)
My Brother- in- Law recently became unemployed, My sister, who is a registered nurse went back to work full-time to provide for the family’s monetary needs, leaving her three small children and their home in the nearly capable hand of her husband.
For the first few days he thought that it was great!!! He enjoyed the lazy mornings, playing with the kids, staying home wasn’t bad at all. He couldn’t figure out what was so hard about it. Then the house, that was clean when he took over turned to chaos. The clean clothes that were plentiful began to run out. Every thing began to build up on him. He started to complain about not being able to keep up on the house work because the kids can destroy a room in a matter of minutes, the laundry piles up faster then he could wash it. He can’t get dinner cooked because his 1 yr old is all over the place and he has to keep his eye on him. And as good dads do, he play’s Barbie’s and ponies with his girls, but everyday with too many pink plastic girlie gizmos was pushing the limits of his sanity. What he has learned is that motherhood is a great deal more work than he had perceived. Every worthy aspect of our life requires work.
I called him the other day to see how things were going, He said he was frantically looking for a new job so he could get his wife back at home where she can do the work for their family that he was struggling to fulfill. He said “Emily, I have a greater respect for my wife and all stay-at-home moms because it’s hard work, going to work is easy compared to taking care of children and a home.”
Couples should seek inspiration from the Lord and follow the counsel of the prophets when establishing individual responsibilities. Creating a home where principles of the gospel are taught daily and where love and order abound is as important as providing the basic necessities of food and clothing.
Our attitude toward work and the people around us is very important.
Sometimes people encounter hardships when trying to provide for their families. Chronic illness, the loss of a spouse, or the addition of an elderly parent can add to the responsibilities in a home.
Our Heavenly Father remembers the families in these situations and gives them the strength to carry out their duties. He will always bless them if they ask him in faith. In February of 2004, my sweet Grandma had a devastating stroke. Her doctor recommended her to a care facility for the elderly. Our family could not bear the thought of it. Although everyone had jobs to go to and children to care for, everyone was willing to work the extra hours in their day so grandma could come home. Her final days on this earth were spent in her own comfortable home with those she loved. That experience has made my family stronger. We know when one of us is down, help will be there.
As far as they are able, all Church members should accept the responsibility to care for their relatives who are unable to provide for themselves. We should each find the proper balance between work, family responsibilities, church callings, rest, and relaxation. There is an old saying: “Doing nothing is the hardest work of all, because one can never stop to rest.” Without work, rest and relaxation have no meaning.
Not only is it pleasant and necessary to rest, but we are commanded to rest on the Sabbath day (Exodus 20:10; D&C 59:9–12). This day of rest after each six days of labor brings refreshment for the days that follow. The Lord also promises the “fullness of the earth” to those who observe the Sabbath day ( D&C 59:16–20; see also chapter 24, “The Sabbath Day”).
On other days of the week we should schedule some time when we can visit with family, friends, and relatives. We may spend time to improve our talents and enjoy our hobbies, recreation, or other activities that will refresh us. We can help one another in our work. The heaviest load becomes lighter when someone shares it.
Children should learn the importance of work at an early age. It is necessary for children to have work assignments to fit their abilities. They need to be praised for their successes. Good work attitudes, habits, and skills are learned through successful experiences in the home.
We are tools in the Master’s hands and if we all pull together we can complete the work we were sent here to do and build a better world for our Heavenly Father’s children. No matter how big or small we are, no matter how old or young, there is always something we can do. The work we are given to do is our responsibility.
Thank you Emily for this wonderful talk and for your willingness to share it on the blog.
Talk - Family Prayer
The Lord directed that we have family prayer when He said: “Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed.” (3 Nephi. 18:21.)
I can testify that our family has experience many blessing from having family prayer. One story comes to mine: It was a raining night as we headed out to office max to pick up turbo tax so Cade could get started on our taxes, as the kids and I waited in the car and talk. When my husband returned I tried start the car and it would not start. The store was getting ready to close and we didn’t have any numbers of friends or even a cell phone at hand. We decided to have our family prayer. We prayed that if we couldn’t get the car started we would find someone to help. We tried to start the car again, and it still wouldn’t start. Cade went to see if he could find someone to help. Our son Noah blurted out “I will say the prayer again”. He pleaded with our Heavenly Father that he would really answer our prayers this time. After our pray I told Noah that the car might not start. He replied; “have faith mom it will”. At that moment I felt prompted to try and start the car again. Because the faith of a small child it finally started. We quickly prayed again to thank our Heavenly Father for answering our prayer. Before we headed home we stopped to use the bathroom at MC Donald’s. Noah was in one stalk and Autumn in another. Noah blurts out to Autumn “Pray really works”. That day I was truly humble by my 5 year old son, whose faith in Heavenly Father, that he would answer his prayers when he prayed.
Often the words given to our little children in prayer are more profound than they understand, but the humble, listening heart can hear the Holy Spirit speak through them.
3 Nephi. 26:14 And it came to pass that he did teach and minister unto the children of the multitude of whom hath been spoken, and he did loose their tongues, and they did speak unto their fathers great and marvelous things, even greater than he had revealed unto the people; and he loosed their tongues that they could utter.
Kent Rappleye said: The counsel of our prophet was plain and to the point: “Parents, safeguard your families. … Pray together. There is no substitute for family prayer when all kneel together before the Lord.” End Quote
President Heber J. Grant Shared his feelings about family prayer: “I am convinced that one of the greatest things that can come into any home to cause the boys and girls in that home to grow up in a love of God, and in a love of the gospel of Jesus Christ, is to have family prayer. … I believe that there are very few that go astray, that very few lose their faith, who have once had a knowledge of the gospel, and who never neglect their prayers in their families, and their secret supplications to God.” End Quote
Share thought: As we raise our children in this society, I’m reminded daily from family and friends of all the different temptations our children have to face each day.
President Hinckley States. "I submit that a return to the old pattern of prayer, family prayer in the homes of the people, is one of the basic medications that would check the dread disease that is eroding the character of our society. We could not expect a miracle in a day, but in a generation we would have a miracle."
“A nation at prayer is a nation at peace.” The family is the basic unit of society. The praying family is the hope of a better society. END QUOTE
Family prayer is one of the best ways that you can keep your family spiritually grounded. It gives you the opportunity to invite the spirit into your home and your family's lives each day. It also gives you the opportunity to teach your children how to pray and what to pray for. Family prayer helps you to show your children how much Heavenly Father loves them, and where the gospel stands as a priority in your life.
I WANT TO SHARE SOME THINGS THAT WILL HELP US WITH FAMILY PRAYER:
#1 Finding Time:
The challenge for parents is finding time to pray with our families, when we have busy schedules. Families can easily fall into the habit of prayering or no prayer at all. Gathering the family together can be quite a challenge when everyone seems to be headed in different directions at different times.
President George Albert Smith cautioned the Saints: “I fear that, in the midst of the world’s confusion, of hurry and bustle, many times homes are left without prayer and without the blessings of the Lord; these homes cannot continue to be happy.” END QUOTE
Kent Rappleye said: Wise parents will recognize the protective power of regular family prayer. END QUOTE
President Kimball taught: “No mother would carelessly send her little children forth to school on a wintry morning without warm clothes to protect against the snow and rain and cold. But there are numerous fathers and mothers who send their children to school without the protective covering available to them through prayer—a protection against exposure to unknown hazards, evil people, and base temptations.” END QUOTE
Story:
Elder Joe J. Christensen, of the Presidency of the Seventy, gave an encouraging insight to parents when he counseled: “Remember family prayer every day. With schedules as they are, you may need to have more than one prayer.”
Because of the steady example of my mother and father, I can bear personal witness of the value of these words of counsel from our leaders. When my parents had a family of four small children, family prayer in the morning was not too difficult to do on a regular basis. However, as we children got older, the morning schedule of our family became unpredictable and hectic. There were times when my father would have to leave for his job as an electrician at four or five in the morning. My mother would arise with him and they would have “family prayer” together before he left. Soon my sisters and brother would be up for work or school, and my mother would have “family prayer” with them. Many times I would be the last to arise in the morning and would rush to get ready and run out the door. Without fail, my mother would call to me, “Let’s have family prayer.” I would often complain that my ride was waiting or that I didn’t have time. I am most grateful that my mother would ignore my pleas and excuses and simply say, “You always have time for prayer.” In fact, my most prevalent memory of family prayer in the morning is when my mother and I prayed together. How grateful I am that she did not let busy schedules and the hustle and bustle of everyone leaving for work and schools get in the way of praying with her family, even though it sometimes was in stages. Now that our children are older, my wife and I often find ourselves kneeling in prayer with different ones at different times before they leave for the day. It is not uncommon to have “family prayer” three or four times in the morning.
#2 Don’t Forget:
President James E. Faust, once told of an interview President Kimball held with a bishop. President Kimball asked the bishop how often he held family prayer. The bishop responded that he tried to hold family prayer twice a day, but that his family probably averaged only once a day. The prophet answered: “In the past, having family prayer once a day may have been all right. But in the future it will not be enough if we are going to save our families.” END QUOTE
President Kimball said: “Never hesitate to gather your family around you for your prayers, especially in those times when more than morning and evening family prayer is needed. Extra needs require extra prayers.” END QUOTE
#3 Teach Your Children:
Children learn to pray as they listen to their parents pray, family prayer is meant to be a time for all the family to participate. Even very small children should have the opportunity to voice family prayer. “One cannot learn to pray by merely listening, but must be given experience.
Kent Rappleye states: As children participate in family prayer and hear their parents speak to God in humility, with faith in Jesus Christ, they can begin to learn things of the soul in a setting that cannot be duplicated anywhere else. During family prayer, children may begin to consider the answers to the great questions of the ages: “Who am I?” “Why am I here?” “Where am I going?” Through family prayer—and their own personal prayers that are thus encouraged—children will begin to learn that they are sons and daughters of a loving Father in Heaven, that they are here as part of a great and wise plan of happiness, and that they can hope to return to their Father after this life. It is through family prayer that children become acquainted with many eternal family values. END QUOTE
#4 Don’t Wait:
Some families that have not started family prayer should not wait. There is no better time to begin than right now. Family prayer is a habit that should be part of a family from its beginning—when a husband and wife become one through marriage. But families that have not had the habit can usually begin it with little preparation; the parents—or mother or father if the parent is single—can lead out and teach or encourage the children to follow.
President Hinckley has said: “I know of no single practice that will have a more salutary effect upon your lives than the practice of kneeling together as you begin and close each day. Somehow the little storms that seem to afflict every marriage are dissipated when, kneeling before the Lord, you thank him for one another, in the presence of one another, and then together invoke his blessings upon your lives, your home, your loved ones, and your dreams.”
END QUOTE
END:
President Thomas S. Monson said:
"Family prayer is the greatest deterrent to sin, and hence the most beneficent provider of joy and happiness. The old saying is yet true: 'The family that prays together stays together.'" END QUOTE
I hope that each of you will take the time to pray with your family and see the great blessing the Lord has in store for your Family.
I testify that if we all apply family prayer, we will not go away unrewarded. The changes may not be readily apparent, but they will happen. (Heb. 11:6). They may be extremely subtle. But they will be real, for God “is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
Thanks to Michelle Walton for this great talk.
I can testify that our family has experience many blessing from having family prayer. One story comes to mine: It was a raining night as we headed out to office max to pick up turbo tax so Cade could get started on our taxes, as the kids and I waited in the car and talk. When my husband returned I tried start the car and it would not start. The store was getting ready to close and we didn’t have any numbers of friends or even a cell phone at hand. We decided to have our family prayer. We prayed that if we couldn’t get the car started we would find someone to help. We tried to start the car again, and it still wouldn’t start. Cade went to see if he could find someone to help. Our son Noah blurted out “I will say the prayer again”. He pleaded with our Heavenly Father that he would really answer our prayers this time. After our pray I told Noah that the car might not start. He replied; “have faith mom it will”. At that moment I felt prompted to try and start the car again. Because the faith of a small child it finally started. We quickly prayed again to thank our Heavenly Father for answering our prayer. Before we headed home we stopped to use the bathroom at MC Donald’s. Noah was in one stalk and Autumn in another. Noah blurts out to Autumn “Pray really works”. That day I was truly humble by my 5 year old son, whose faith in Heavenly Father, that he would answer his prayers when he prayed.
Often the words given to our little children in prayer are more profound than they understand, but the humble, listening heart can hear the Holy Spirit speak through them.
3 Nephi. 26:14 And it came to pass that he did teach and minister unto the children of the multitude of whom hath been spoken, and he did loose their tongues, and they did speak unto their fathers great and marvelous things, even greater than he had revealed unto the people; and he loosed their tongues that they could utter.
Kent Rappleye said: The counsel of our prophet was plain and to the point: “Parents, safeguard your families. … Pray together. There is no substitute for family prayer when all kneel together before the Lord.” End Quote
President Heber J. Grant Shared his feelings about family prayer: “I am convinced that one of the greatest things that can come into any home to cause the boys and girls in that home to grow up in a love of God, and in a love of the gospel of Jesus Christ, is to have family prayer. … I believe that there are very few that go astray, that very few lose their faith, who have once had a knowledge of the gospel, and who never neglect their prayers in their families, and their secret supplications to God.” End Quote
Share thought: As we raise our children in this society, I’m reminded daily from family and friends of all the different temptations our children have to face each day.
President Hinckley States. "I submit that a return to the old pattern of prayer, family prayer in the homes of the people, is one of the basic medications that would check the dread disease that is eroding the character of our society. We could not expect a miracle in a day, but in a generation we would have a miracle."
“A nation at prayer is a nation at peace.” The family is the basic unit of society. The praying family is the hope of a better society. END QUOTE
Family prayer is one of the best ways that you can keep your family spiritually grounded. It gives you the opportunity to invite the spirit into your home and your family's lives each day. It also gives you the opportunity to teach your children how to pray and what to pray for. Family prayer helps you to show your children how much Heavenly Father loves them, and where the gospel stands as a priority in your life.
I WANT TO SHARE SOME THINGS THAT WILL HELP US WITH FAMILY PRAYER:
#1 Finding Time:
The challenge for parents is finding time to pray with our families, when we have busy schedules. Families can easily fall into the habit of prayering or no prayer at all. Gathering the family together can be quite a challenge when everyone seems to be headed in different directions at different times.
President George Albert Smith cautioned the Saints: “I fear that, in the midst of the world’s confusion, of hurry and bustle, many times homes are left without prayer and without the blessings of the Lord; these homes cannot continue to be happy.” END QUOTE
Kent Rappleye said: Wise parents will recognize the protective power of regular family prayer. END QUOTE
President Kimball taught: “No mother would carelessly send her little children forth to school on a wintry morning without warm clothes to protect against the snow and rain and cold. But there are numerous fathers and mothers who send their children to school without the protective covering available to them through prayer—a protection against exposure to unknown hazards, evil people, and base temptations.” END QUOTE
Story:
Elder Joe J. Christensen, of the Presidency of the Seventy, gave an encouraging insight to parents when he counseled: “Remember family prayer every day. With schedules as they are, you may need to have more than one prayer.”
Because of the steady example of my mother and father, I can bear personal witness of the value of these words of counsel from our leaders. When my parents had a family of four small children, family prayer in the morning was not too difficult to do on a regular basis. However, as we children got older, the morning schedule of our family became unpredictable and hectic. There were times when my father would have to leave for his job as an electrician at four or five in the morning. My mother would arise with him and they would have “family prayer” together before he left. Soon my sisters and brother would be up for work or school, and my mother would have “family prayer” with them. Many times I would be the last to arise in the morning and would rush to get ready and run out the door. Without fail, my mother would call to me, “Let’s have family prayer.” I would often complain that my ride was waiting or that I didn’t have time. I am most grateful that my mother would ignore my pleas and excuses and simply say, “You always have time for prayer.” In fact, my most prevalent memory of family prayer in the morning is when my mother and I prayed together. How grateful I am that she did not let busy schedules and the hustle and bustle of everyone leaving for work and schools get in the way of praying with her family, even though it sometimes was in stages. Now that our children are older, my wife and I often find ourselves kneeling in prayer with different ones at different times before they leave for the day. It is not uncommon to have “family prayer” three or four times in the morning.
#2 Don’t Forget:
President James E. Faust, once told of an interview President Kimball held with a bishop. President Kimball asked the bishop how often he held family prayer. The bishop responded that he tried to hold family prayer twice a day, but that his family probably averaged only once a day. The prophet answered: “In the past, having family prayer once a day may have been all right. But in the future it will not be enough if we are going to save our families.” END QUOTE
President Kimball said: “Never hesitate to gather your family around you for your prayers, especially in those times when more than morning and evening family prayer is needed. Extra needs require extra prayers.” END QUOTE
#3 Teach Your Children:
Children learn to pray as they listen to their parents pray, family prayer is meant to be a time for all the family to participate. Even very small children should have the opportunity to voice family prayer. “One cannot learn to pray by merely listening, but must be given experience.
Kent Rappleye states: As children participate in family prayer and hear their parents speak to God in humility, with faith in Jesus Christ, they can begin to learn things of the soul in a setting that cannot be duplicated anywhere else. During family prayer, children may begin to consider the answers to the great questions of the ages: “Who am I?” “Why am I here?” “Where am I going?” Through family prayer—and their own personal prayers that are thus encouraged—children will begin to learn that they are sons and daughters of a loving Father in Heaven, that they are here as part of a great and wise plan of happiness, and that they can hope to return to their Father after this life. It is through family prayer that children become acquainted with many eternal family values. END QUOTE
#4 Don’t Wait:
Some families that have not started family prayer should not wait. There is no better time to begin than right now. Family prayer is a habit that should be part of a family from its beginning—when a husband and wife become one through marriage. But families that have not had the habit can usually begin it with little preparation; the parents—or mother or father if the parent is single—can lead out and teach or encourage the children to follow.
President Hinckley has said: “I know of no single practice that will have a more salutary effect upon your lives than the practice of kneeling together as you begin and close each day. Somehow the little storms that seem to afflict every marriage are dissipated when, kneeling before the Lord, you thank him for one another, in the presence of one another, and then together invoke his blessings upon your lives, your home, your loved ones, and your dreams.”
END QUOTE
END:
President Thomas S. Monson said:
"Family prayer is the greatest deterrent to sin, and hence the most beneficent provider of joy and happiness. The old saying is yet true: 'The family that prays together stays together.'" END QUOTE
I hope that each of you will take the time to pray with your family and see the great blessing the Lord has in store for your Family.
I testify that if we all apply family prayer, we will not go away unrewarded. The changes may not be readily apparent, but they will happen. (Heb. 11:6). They may be extremely subtle. But they will be real, for God “is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
Thanks to Michelle Walton for this great talk.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Safety Guidelines for LDS Activities
This was sent out from Church headquarters in 2007. I'm a safety gal so I appreciate the safety efforts the church puts forth. Click on the picture to enlarge and print it if desired.
Prepare, Prepare, Prepare
I'm not sure if this is true or an urban legend, but either way I think it reminds us that we should be prepared.
Subject: President Packer -Acting 'President' of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
From the wife of Boyd K. Packer's grandson: (The Packer family has two family reunions each year, one in July and one in December.)
July 4, 2006 - President Packer gave counsel to his family as the patriarchto get their storage and preparedness items. He said, "The next step is toprepare to leave our homes if necessary."
From the wife of President Packer's son: December, 2006- President Packercounseled his family to "Get prepared now. There is something serious coming very soon."
Adult session Saturday night of Stake conference in Holladay, Oct. 2006 -President Packer opened he meeting up for questions and answers. One brother asked him to comment on why there had been no talks on preparedness at general conference. President Packer responded that President Gordon B. Hinckley has told the brethren not to speak on preparedness anymore. We have been counseled on it for more than 100 years. "Now the Lord will preach His own sermons."
Leadership meeting of a South Jordan stake conference, Sept. 1, 2006
Presiding Bishop David Burton: Keep your eye on the Prophet, beingself-reliant has always been part of the church. Statistics show that no matter what the Church does, no higher percentage than 15% have storage. We are not going to say any more, but our people are going to need to be prepared. For example, what if somebody released a virus? What if it caused a pandemic? What if that led to quarantine? What if the quarantine was enforced? The office of the presiding bishopric has tried to come up with a plan, but we don't know what we could do. The responsibility lies with the head of each family.
Stake conference, Elk Ridge Stake, August 2006, Elder Woods: The time ofpreparation is past; now is the time of consummation.
Stake conference, Mapleton, January 2007, Elder Edgely of the Presiding Bishopric:
1. Store water
2. Store 1 month supply of "comfort food"
3. Store at least one year's supply of food
4. Have emergency cash on hand (2-4 weeks' salary) DO IT NOW
From Roger K. Young, Feb. 28, 2007 - Things are happening and they aren'tgood. Again, my opinion is worth about O, but I believe that things areprepared to turn very, very ugly unbelievably fast. When it happens, it canbe like a car wreck. Everything is fine until all of a sudden a drunk driver comes from nowhere and hits you, a multi-car derby happens and then the world you know has changed in a matter of seconds.Things are speeding up. This "change" could happen any time. The Gadiantons are on the move, big-time, and are about ready to spring a few surprises. Everything we've been talking about appears to be in process of happening. The calm before the storm is about over. I pray that we will have more time , even four more years. But I don't see how that is possible unless absolute miracles happen. We must live like it is many years away, but prepare as if it is tomorrow. I am retiring from warning others to prepare and from being high profile to concentrate on preparing myself and my family. I am doing this after much fasting and prayer.
Bishop Edgley's comments at the stake conference a few weeks ago are critical.
PREPARE, PREPARE, PREPARE, PREPARE.. TEMPLE, TEMPLE, TEMPLE, TEMPLE.. PRAY AND LISTEN, PRAY AND LISTEN, PRAY AND LISTEN, PRAY AND LISTEN. FOLLOW THE PROPHET, FOLLOW THE PROPHET, FOLLOW THE PROPHET, FOLLOW THE PROPHET.
What more can I say?
Subject: President Packer -Acting 'President' of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
From the wife of Boyd K. Packer's grandson: (The Packer family has two family reunions each year, one in July and one in December.)
July 4, 2006 - President Packer gave counsel to his family as the patriarchto get their storage and preparedness items. He said, "The next step is toprepare to leave our homes if necessary."
From the wife of President Packer's son: December, 2006- President Packercounseled his family to "Get prepared now. There is something serious coming very soon."
Adult session Saturday night of Stake conference in Holladay, Oct. 2006 -President Packer opened he meeting up for questions and answers. One brother asked him to comment on why there had been no talks on preparedness at general conference. President Packer responded that President Gordon B. Hinckley has told the brethren not to speak on preparedness anymore. We have been counseled on it for more than 100 years. "Now the Lord will preach His own sermons."
Leadership meeting of a South Jordan stake conference, Sept. 1, 2006
Presiding Bishop David Burton: Keep your eye on the Prophet, beingself-reliant has always been part of the church. Statistics show that no matter what the Church does, no higher percentage than 15% have storage. We are not going to say any more, but our people are going to need to be prepared. For example, what if somebody released a virus? What if it caused a pandemic? What if that led to quarantine? What if the quarantine was enforced? The office of the presiding bishopric has tried to come up with a plan, but we don't know what we could do. The responsibility lies with the head of each family.
Stake conference, Elk Ridge Stake, August 2006, Elder Woods: The time ofpreparation is past; now is the time of consummation.
Stake conference, Mapleton, January 2007, Elder Edgely of the Presiding Bishopric:
1. Store water
2. Store 1 month supply of "comfort food"
3. Store at least one year's supply of food
4. Have emergency cash on hand (2-4 weeks' salary) DO IT NOW
From Roger K. Young, Feb. 28, 2007 - Things are happening and they aren'tgood. Again, my opinion is worth about O, but I believe that things areprepared to turn very, very ugly unbelievably fast. When it happens, it canbe like a car wreck. Everything is fine until all of a sudden a drunk driver comes from nowhere and hits you, a multi-car derby happens and then the world you know has changed in a matter of seconds.Things are speeding up. This "change" could happen any time. The Gadiantons are on the move, big-time, and are about ready to spring a few surprises. Everything we've been talking about appears to be in process of happening. The calm before the storm is about over. I pray that we will have more time , even four more years. But I don't see how that is possible unless absolute miracles happen. We must live like it is many years away, but prepare as if it is tomorrow. I am retiring from warning others to prepare and from being high profile to concentrate on preparing myself and my family. I am doing this after much fasting and prayer.
Bishop Edgley's comments at the stake conference a few weeks ago are critical.
PREPARE, PREPARE, PREPARE, PREPARE.. TEMPLE, TEMPLE, TEMPLE, TEMPLE.. PRAY AND LISTEN, PRAY AND LISTEN, PRAY AND LISTEN, PRAY AND LISTEN. FOLLOW THE PROPHET, FOLLOW THE PROPHET, FOLLOW THE PROPHET, FOLLOW THE PROPHET.
What more can I say?
Are you B-U-S-Y?
Satan called a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his evil angels, he said, "We can't keep the Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their bibles and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship experience in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken."
"So let them go to their churches, let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can't gain that relationship with Jesus Christ."
"This is what I want you to do, angels. Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"
"How shall we do this?" shouted his angels.
"Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered.
"Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow."
"Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6 -7 days a week, 10 - 12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. "
"As their family fragments, soon their home will offer no escape from the pressures of work!"
"Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive. To keep the TV, VCR, CD's and their PC's going constantly in their homes. And see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."
"Fill the coffee table with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogues, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services, and false hopes. Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines so the husbands will believe that external beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. Ha! That will fragment those families quickly!"
"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted, and unprepared for the coming week."
"Don't let them go out in nature to reflect on God's wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead. Keep them busy, busy, busy! And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotion."
"Go ahead, let them be involved in soul winning. But crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Christ. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause. It will work! It will work!" It was quite a convention. And when the evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians every where to get busy, busy, busy, and to rush here and there. I guess the question is: Has the devil been successful at his scheme? You be the judge! Friends, please take heed of the message this brings:
B - Being
U - Under
S - Satan's
Y - Yoke
Are you BUSY?
"So let them go to their churches, let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can't gain that relationship with Jesus Christ."
"This is what I want you to do, angels. Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"
"How shall we do this?" shouted his angels.
"Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered.
"Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow."
"Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6 -7 days a week, 10 - 12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. "
"As their family fragments, soon their home will offer no escape from the pressures of work!"
"Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive. To keep the TV, VCR, CD's and their PC's going constantly in their homes. And see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."
"Fill the coffee table with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogues, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services, and false hopes. Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines so the husbands will believe that external beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. Ha! That will fragment those families quickly!"
"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted, and unprepared for the coming week."
"Don't let them go out in nature to reflect on God's wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead. Keep them busy, busy, busy! And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotion."
"Go ahead, let them be involved in soul winning. But crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Christ. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause. It will work! It will work!" It was quite a convention. And when the evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians every where to get busy, busy, busy, and to rush here and there. I guess the question is: Has the devil been successful at his scheme? You be the judge! Friends, please take heed of the message this brings:
B - Being
U - Under
S - Satan's
Y - Yoke
Are you BUSY?
Sunday Ideas for Teenagers
Sunday Ideas for Teenagers
1. Play Games – Play all different games some ideas are: Jeopardy with Book of Mormon Categories, Questions? (A jar of questions and you answer the one you pick), Kings Court , Clue, Settlers of Catan, Catch Phrase, Rook, etc. I don’t think it matters what the game as long as you all play together and enjoy each others company.
2. Cook – This is one of my kid’s favorites! Sunday is kids cook day. They are in charge of dinner. We have a stress free meal. Cooking treats for friends and family is always fun and provides refreshments for your own family. (ex. BLT, Grilled Cheese, Waffles, Pancakes, French Toast, Spagetti)
3. Journal – Whether you write in your journal everyday or just on Sunday’s sometimes you can’t decide what to write so it is nice to have some Journal Starters (ideas of what to write about) to look at when you are stuck.
4. Study Strength for Youth, The Living Christ, The Family Proclamation and other church material – Everyday of the week we are asked to study the scriptures so on Sunday’s you could choose one other church resource and work through studying sections or paragraphs each week. (This is one our family has done with the Proclamation and Strength for Youth and it has been a fantastic experience)
5. Read and Study Scriptures – Take time to maybe go a little more in depth by teaching the kids how to research topics for themselves and find answers to questions they may have in the scriptures. Mark Scriptures referring to Christ.
6. Watch Old Family Movies – This helps keep memories alive and help build bonds as a family.
7. Personal Parent Interviews – Great time to focus one on one with your child and show them you care about their life and want to be involved in every area. We keep a book with all the Parent Interview Questionnaires filled out and it serves as a family yearbook or mini journal of our lives. It is a great time to set goals and hold them accountable for how they are doing.
8. Go on a walk – While you walk let the conversation flow. Whether you go with your whole family of with just once child get the conversation rolling and then really listen and see where it might take you. It never ceases to amaze how much comes out their mouths while their feet are moving.
9. Family Home Evening – We have found with school it is sometimes hard as the kids get older to have a great meaningful lesson and activity on the same night. We now divide and have the FHE lesson on Sunday and then the activity on Monday or Vice Versa. This gives us more quality time to really dig into a lesson and give it the attention it needs.
10. Family Council – When a family is prepared for the week and month life just flows better and more peacefully.
11. Read a Book together – My kids still love to be read to. There are so many good LDS fiction books that are entertaining, but still teach great principles or about fact in the scriptures and church history. Let the kids eat popcorn or other treats and make it a time to really look forward too.
12. Read Church Magazines – There are so many articles and ideas for families to take advantage of.
13. Watch a Good Movie as a Family – The libraries at church has a lot of great movies or just find an uplifting movie and just relax together enjoying one another’s company.
14. Play the Hymns or Primary Songs – Hearing and playing hymns is a great way to bring the spirit into your home.
15. Sing the Hymns or Primary Songs – How fun is sitting around the piano singing songs. Make fun memories either sitting around the piano singing Primary Songs or Hymns.
16. Set Goals or Evaluate your Goals – This is one of those things that are never done. Sunday is a great time to really ponder what you are doing now and how you need to improve then come up with a plan of action to make those things happen.
17. Work on Personal Progress –
18. Work on Duty to God –
19. Work on Scouting –
20. Take time to plan and ponder your life – With the busy world today sometimes it is hard to find quiet times to ponder. Take the time to sit and really give the spirit a chance to help guide and direct you in your life.
21. Visit the Sick, Family or a Neighbor – Sunday is a great time to build and develop relationships.
22. Do Missionary Work – Inviting a friend to church or dinner is a great idea. Take time to show genuine interest in those around you.
23. PJ Day or Sunday Best – When my kids were young we changed in PJ’s right after church to remind them it wasn’t a day to play with friends or outside. As they have gotten older some of my children have started staying in Sunday clothes to help them remember how to behave. I don’t think it matters what you do as long as you prayerfully make a decision that will help your family better observe the Sabbath.
24. Act out a Scripture Story – This can be tons of fun. Sometimes you can spend more time and plan and prepare for the skit and other times you can simply improvise. Name a story, give each person a character and then just let it begin and see what happens.
25. Write the Missionaries – This is great opportunity to talk about missions and their importance in our lives.
26. Make a movie of a Scripture Story then watch it – Film your family acting out stories or making your own church movvies then sit as a family and enjoy.
27. Share memories with each other – My kids love hearing stories from when I was their age. Be open to letting the kids ask questions. Sometimes this will open up communications doors that needed to be opened.
28. Make up a rap about a Scripture Story – Divide in groups and give them a story and time to prepare then rejoin each other and take turns performing.
29. Family Time – No matter what you do on Sunday the most important part is to do it as a family and make it a day the children look forward to and enjoy doing the Lord’s work.
Thanks Michelle for these great ideas!
1. Play Games – Play all different games some ideas are: Jeopardy with Book of Mormon Categories, Questions? (A jar of questions and you answer the one you pick), Kings Court , Clue, Settlers of Catan, Catch Phrase, Rook, etc. I don’t think it matters what the game as long as you all play together and enjoy each others company.
2. Cook – This is one of my kid’s favorites! Sunday is kids cook day. They are in charge of dinner. We have a stress free meal. Cooking treats for friends and family is always fun and provides refreshments for your own family. (ex. BLT, Grilled Cheese, Waffles, Pancakes, French Toast, Spagetti)
3. Journal – Whether you write in your journal everyday or just on Sunday’s sometimes you can’t decide what to write so it is nice to have some Journal Starters (ideas of what to write about) to look at when you are stuck.
4. Study Strength for Youth, The Living Christ, The Family Proclamation and other church material – Everyday of the week we are asked to study the scriptures so on Sunday’s you could choose one other church resource and work through studying sections or paragraphs each week. (This is one our family has done with the Proclamation and Strength for Youth and it has been a fantastic experience)
5. Read and Study Scriptures – Take time to maybe go a little more in depth by teaching the kids how to research topics for themselves and find answers to questions they may have in the scriptures. Mark Scriptures referring to Christ.
6. Watch Old Family Movies – This helps keep memories alive and help build bonds as a family.
7. Personal Parent Interviews – Great time to focus one on one with your child and show them you care about their life and want to be involved in every area. We keep a book with all the Parent Interview Questionnaires filled out and it serves as a family yearbook or mini journal of our lives. It is a great time to set goals and hold them accountable for how they are doing.
8. Go on a walk – While you walk let the conversation flow. Whether you go with your whole family of with just once child get the conversation rolling and then really listen and see where it might take you. It never ceases to amaze how much comes out their mouths while their feet are moving.
9. Family Home Evening – We have found with school it is sometimes hard as the kids get older to have a great meaningful lesson and activity on the same night. We now divide and have the FHE lesson on Sunday and then the activity on Monday or Vice Versa. This gives us more quality time to really dig into a lesson and give it the attention it needs.
10. Family Council – When a family is prepared for the week and month life just flows better and more peacefully.
11. Read a Book together – My kids still love to be read to. There are so many good LDS fiction books that are entertaining, but still teach great principles or about fact in the scriptures and church history. Let the kids eat popcorn or other treats and make it a time to really look forward too.
12. Read Church Magazines – There are so many articles and ideas for families to take advantage of.
13. Watch a Good Movie as a Family – The libraries at church has a lot of great movies or just find an uplifting movie and just relax together enjoying one another’s company.
14. Play the Hymns or Primary Songs – Hearing and playing hymns is a great way to bring the spirit into your home.
15. Sing the Hymns or Primary Songs – How fun is sitting around the piano singing songs. Make fun memories either sitting around the piano singing Primary Songs or Hymns.
16. Set Goals or Evaluate your Goals – This is one of those things that are never done. Sunday is a great time to really ponder what you are doing now and how you need to improve then come up with a plan of action to make those things happen.
17. Work on Personal Progress –
18. Work on Duty to God –
19. Work on Scouting –
20. Take time to plan and ponder your life – With the busy world today sometimes it is hard to find quiet times to ponder. Take the time to sit and really give the spirit a chance to help guide and direct you in your life.
21. Visit the Sick, Family or a Neighbor – Sunday is a great time to build and develop relationships.
22. Do Missionary Work – Inviting a friend to church or dinner is a great idea. Take time to show genuine interest in those around you.
23. PJ Day or Sunday Best – When my kids were young we changed in PJ’s right after church to remind them it wasn’t a day to play with friends or outside. As they have gotten older some of my children have started staying in Sunday clothes to help them remember how to behave. I don’t think it matters what you do as long as you prayerfully make a decision that will help your family better observe the Sabbath.
24. Act out a Scripture Story – This can be tons of fun. Sometimes you can spend more time and plan and prepare for the skit and other times you can simply improvise. Name a story, give each person a character and then just let it begin and see what happens.
25. Write the Missionaries – This is great opportunity to talk about missions and their importance in our lives.
26. Make a movie of a Scripture Story then watch it – Film your family acting out stories or making your own church movvies then sit as a family and enjoy.
27. Share memories with each other – My kids love hearing stories from when I was their age. Be open to letting the kids ask questions. Sometimes this will open up communications doors that needed to be opened.
28. Make up a rap about a Scripture Story – Divide in groups and give them a story and time to prepare then rejoin each other and take turns performing.
29. Family Time – No matter what you do on Sunday the most important part is to do it as a family and make it a day the children look forward to and enjoy doing the Lord’s work.
Thanks Michelle for these great ideas!
Sunday Ideas for Younger Children
Sunday Ideas for Younger Children
1. Go for a walk as a family, or invite one child to go alone with one parent. Talk about the beauty of nature, but also listen to whatever the child wants to discuss. This is a quiet bonding activity, but still has physical aspects for the restless child.
2. Doing crafts as a family is a lot of fun and is also a good bonding time. A few examples are: decorate special jars for tithing, mission funds or for a special service project (sub for Santa), decorate brown paper bags into a puppet of your favorite scripture character
3. One of my kid’s favorite Sunday traditions is for me to read books while they eat a great big bowl of popcorn. Long after the popcorn is gone they still want me to keep reading. As they have gotten older the books have changed but they still enjoy me reading to them.
4. Have family scripture study. Have younger children draw pictures of the stories they are learning.
5. Decorate a Sunday "Things to Do" box and fill it with ideas. Draw one out each Sunday to do.
6. Let your children listen to primary music and encourage them to sing.
7. Use salt dough or playdough and construct a nativity scene, Liahona, or other Church artifacts. Use your imagination.
8. Make a picture book for each family member. Include pictures of themselves at different ages, other family members, and special events.
9. Make your own family movie with your video camera and then watch it together.
10. Help children write in their journals. If they are too little to write you can jot down a few of their thoughts and then have them draw a picture to illustrate. If they have a hard time thinking of things to write you can give them a topic like “Things I am grateful for”.
11. Keep a box of special books, file folder games and toys just for Sunday. This helps them to look forward to Sunday.
12. Play games, games and more games. Church games or regular games they are a really great way to get your family to associate “fun” with the Sunday and being together.
13. Make puppets and flannel board stories based on scriptures. You can find patterns in the church magazines. Bring these out only on Sundays and begin by reading the story to your child. Then let your child recreate the story with flannelboard pictures.
14. Start teaching your children to cook by letting them help make a special “Sunday Treat”. Then sit down and enjoy it together.
15. Tell children stories of when you were their age and what you were like.
16. Put on a puppet show depicting a historical Church event be sure to let your children participate.
1. Go for a walk as a family, or invite one child to go alone with one parent. Talk about the beauty of nature, but also listen to whatever the child wants to discuss. This is a quiet bonding activity, but still has physical aspects for the restless child.
2. Doing crafts as a family is a lot of fun and is also a good bonding time. A few examples are: decorate special jars for tithing, mission funds or for a special service project (sub for Santa), decorate brown paper bags into a puppet of your favorite scripture character
3. One of my kid’s favorite Sunday traditions is for me to read books while they eat a great big bowl of popcorn. Long after the popcorn is gone they still want me to keep reading. As they have gotten older the books have changed but they still enjoy me reading to them.
4. Have family scripture study. Have younger children draw pictures of the stories they are learning.
5. Decorate a Sunday "Things to Do" box and fill it with ideas. Draw one out each Sunday to do.
6. Let your children listen to primary music and encourage them to sing.
7. Use salt dough or playdough and construct a nativity scene, Liahona, or other Church artifacts. Use your imagination.
8. Make a picture book for each family member. Include pictures of themselves at different ages, other family members, and special events.
9. Make your own family movie with your video camera and then watch it together.
10. Help children write in their journals. If they are too little to write you can jot down a few of their thoughts and then have them draw a picture to illustrate. If they have a hard time thinking of things to write you can give them a topic like “Things I am grateful for”.
11. Keep a box of special books, file folder games and toys just for Sunday. This helps them to look forward to Sunday.
12. Play games, games and more games. Church games or regular games they are a really great way to get your family to associate “fun” with the Sunday and being together.
13. Make puppets and flannel board stories based on scriptures. You can find patterns in the church magazines. Bring these out only on Sundays and begin by reading the story to your child. Then let your child recreate the story with flannelboard pictures.
14. Start teaching your children to cook by letting them help make a special “Sunday Treat”. Then sit down and enjoy it together.
15. Tell children stories of when you were their age and what you were like.
16. Put on a puppet show depicting a historical Church event be sure to let your children participate.
Personal Parent Interview
Personal Parent Interview- Parent Cheat Sheet
Obviously you can’t ask all these questions each week, but pick one to get going and most importantly once your child starts talking go where they want to go with the conversation.
School:
What are you enjoying most about school?
Are you able to get everything done you need too?
What are you learning about in __________?
What book are you reading?
Which class are you enjoying most?
What teacher do you relate best to?
What can I do to help you in school?
Is there anything that happened you would like to talk about?
How do you feel about your friends and your relationships?
Church/Testimony:
How do you feel about Family Home Evening?
What is your most challenging temptation right now?
How are you handling and what can I do to help?
How are you doing on personal scripture study?
How do you feel about personal prayers?
Are you praying both day and night?
Do you have any spiritual goals you are working on?
Sometimes bare your testimony to them!
Family:
How do you feel about your relationship with ________?
What have you done to serve your family this week?
What are you doing to strengthen our family?
What can Mom/Dad do to help you with things at home?
Personal:
Ask about their specific interests in sports, music lessons, art, dance, etc.
Show genuine interest in any and everything they are involved in.
Personal Progress/ Scouting:
Check progress.
Things to Work On or Improve:
Set goals to work on for the week or month. Don’t set too many.
Pick the most important.
Family Night Assignment:
Check progress and give help when needed.
Calendar Items:
We schedule first individually so we can be more efficient during family council.
Finances:
How is your job?
Do you have sufficient for your needs?
What are some ideas to earn the money you need?
How do you feel about tithing?
Personal time with Parent: We do one a month with each parent. See what work for you.
Dinner Choice: How often they get to choose depends on your family size, etc.
Thanks Michelle Walton for this great info!
Obviously you can’t ask all these questions each week, but pick one to get going and most importantly once your child starts talking go where they want to go with the conversation.
School:
What are you enjoying most about school?
Are you able to get everything done you need too?
What are you learning about in __________?
What book are you reading?
Which class are you enjoying most?
What teacher do you relate best to?
What can I do to help you in school?
Is there anything that happened you would like to talk about?
How do you feel about your friends and your relationships?
Church/Testimony:
How do you feel about Family Home Evening?
What is your most challenging temptation right now?
How are you handling and what can I do to help?
How are you doing on personal scripture study?
How do you feel about personal prayers?
Are you praying both day and night?
Do you have any spiritual goals you are working on?
Sometimes bare your testimony to them!
Family:
How do you feel about your relationship with ________?
What have you done to serve your family this week?
What are you doing to strengthen our family?
What can Mom/Dad do to help you with things at home?
Personal:
Ask about their specific interests in sports, music lessons, art, dance, etc.
Show genuine interest in any and everything they are involved in.
Personal Progress/ Scouting:
Check progress.
Things to Work On or Improve:
Set goals to work on for the week or month. Don’t set too many.
Pick the most important.
Family Night Assignment:
Check progress and give help when needed.
Calendar Items:
We schedule first individually so we can be more efficient during family council.
Finances:
How is your job?
Do you have sufficient for your needs?
What are some ideas to earn the money you need?
How do you feel about tithing?
Personal time with Parent: We do one a month with each parent. See what work for you.
Dinner Choice: How often they get to choose depends on your family size, etc.
Thanks Michelle Walton for this great info!
Object Lesson - Friends Rub Off on You
Brief Description/Purpose:
By coloring in with pencil large letters that spell FRIENDS, you will show how friends, whether they are good or bad can easily rub off on you.
Objects Used/Preparation:
chalk, chalkboard (or)piece of paper with the word FRIENDS on it in bubble letters for each student, pencil for each student
Lesson:
Before class print out the word FRIENDS in large bubble letters, about two inches high. During class, give each child a sheet of paper with FRIENDS printed on it and a pencil. Tell them to use the pencil to color in all the letters completely and very dark with the pencil. This may take a few minutes. After they are finished, you will have them rub their fingers over the letters to see that the graphite from the word friends has rubbed off on them. The friends you choose in life can have a big impact on the way you act. Friends can influence what type of clothes you wear, the type of music you listen to, what you believe, the words you use when you speak, the way you treat others, and the list goes on and on. In other words, friends can rub off on you.
Alternate: You can also have someone write the word "Friends" on the chalkboard and then have them rub the letters instead of using a pencil and paper.
Discuss: Talk about positive ways that each of us can rub off on our friends. Who is a friend that we want to have rub off on us? (the Savior)Scriptures: Proverbs 22:24-25; Proverbs 18:24; D&C 23:6; John 15:14
Source: Children's Sunday School Object Lessons, some additions by Michelle Walton
By coloring in with pencil large letters that spell FRIENDS, you will show how friends, whether they are good or bad can easily rub off on you.
Objects Used/Preparation:
chalk, chalkboard (or)piece of paper with the word FRIENDS on it in bubble letters for each student, pencil for each student
Lesson:
Before class print out the word FRIENDS in large bubble letters, about two inches high. During class, give each child a sheet of paper with FRIENDS printed on it and a pencil. Tell them to use the pencil to color in all the letters completely and very dark with the pencil. This may take a few minutes. After they are finished, you will have them rub their fingers over the letters to see that the graphite from the word friends has rubbed off on them. The friends you choose in life can have a big impact on the way you act. Friends can influence what type of clothes you wear, the type of music you listen to, what you believe, the words you use when you speak, the way you treat others, and the list goes on and on. In other words, friends can rub off on you.
Alternate: You can also have someone write the word "Friends" on the chalkboard and then have them rub the letters instead of using a pencil and paper.
Discuss: Talk about positive ways that each of us can rub off on our friends. Who is a friend that we want to have rub off on us? (the Savior)Scriptures: Proverbs 22:24-25; Proverbs 18:24; D&C 23:6; John 15:14
Source: Children's Sunday School Object Lessons, some additions by Michelle Walton
Talk - Forgiveness & Not Judging Others
This talk was given by Tadiana Jones in Alpine, Utah in 2007.
Talk on Forgiveness/Not Judging
A newspaper columnist, Sidney J. Harris, once said: “I am the man in the middle; for the middle is, by my definition, where I stand. … I am a ‘friendly’ sort of person; anyone more friendly than I is ‘familiar’; anyone less friendly than I is ‘aloof.’ I am an ‘open’ person; anyone more open than I is ‘brutally frank’; anyone less open than I is ‘devious.’ … I am a ‘determined’ person; anyone more determined than I is ‘pig-headed’; anyone less determined than I is ‘indecisive.’ … I am a ‘realistic’ person; anyone more realistic than I is ‘cynical’; anyone less realistic than I is ‘naive.’
Although we are the same in so many ways, we are all different as well. And sometimes those differences lead to misunderstandings, hurt feelings, even offenses and prejudices. We each have a need to forgive. We each have a need to be forgiven.
It’s interesting that the request to give this talk on the subject of forgiveness and not judging others too harshly came just 2 days after the first meeting of our Relief Society book club. We had chosen the book “Left to Tell”, which I was totally unfamiliar with. It’s the story of a woman named Immaculee Ilibagiza who lived in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide of Tutsi people by the Hutu people.
- It was a mini-Holocaust – in only 90 days, between ½ and 1 million people were killed, often by their neighbors (out of a country of 7 million).
- Immaculee’s parents and 2 of her 3 brothers were brutally murdered (the 3rd was out of the country)
- She spent those 3 months hidden in a 3x4 foot bathroom by a sympathetic priest. 5 additional women were in there with her. They could not talk but communicated in sign language. They could be fed only scraps. She lost 50 pounds in 90 days, going from 115 to 65 pounds.
But in all this, her faith sustained her, and in the end she found herself able to forgive. [story from pp. 203-04]
This book reminded me very much of another book, “The Hiding Place”. Stan and I have a favorite quote he has used a couple of times on his quote sheet for SS:
It was at a church service in Munich that I saw him, the former S.S. man who had stood guard at the shower room in the processing center at Ravensbruck. He was the first of our actual jailers that I had seen since that time. And suddenly it was all there-- the roomful of mocking men, the heaps of clothing, Betsie's pain-blanched face. He came up to me as the church was emptying, beaming and bowing, "How grateful I am for your message, Fraulein," he said. "To think that, as you say, He has washed my sins away!" His hand was thrust out to shake mine. And I, who had preached so often to the people in Bloemendaal the need to forgive, kept my hand at my side. Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them, Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more? Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him. I tried to smile, I struggled to raise my hand. I could not. I felt nothing, not the slightest spark of warmth or charity. And so again I breathed a silent prayer. Jesus, I cannot forgive him. Give me Your forgiveness. As I took his hand the most incredible thing happened. From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me. And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world's healing hinges, but on his. When he tells us to love our enemies, he gives, along with the command, the love itself.
The thing that impresses me so much about this quote is how Christ helps us do what we could not do alone. We don’t have to overcome our angers, our resentments, and in fact any other sins or shortcomings by ourselves. He is there to help if we will call on him.
President Brigham Young once compared being offended to a poisonous snakebite. He said that “there are two courses of action to follow when one is bitten by a rattlesnake. One may, in anger, fear, or vengefulness, pursue the creature and kill it. Or he may make full haste to get the venom out of his system.” He said, “If we pursue the latter course we will likely survive, but if we attempt to follow the former, we may not be around long enough to finish it.”
At one time or another, we all receive and even give these spiritual snakebites. Sometimes these snakebites are truly venomous, like the ones received by Immaculee, Corrie ten Boom, and more recently in the Amish tragedy, and the drunk driver in Utah who killed most of a family. The father was able to forgive.
Sometimes the snakebites are not so poisonous, but still painful: insults and ridicule (esp. children and teenagers!), criticism, feeling alone and lonely…
Whether the spiritual snakebite is from a king cobra or a garter snake, we need to put aside anger, vengeance and grudges and allow forgiveness and peace in our hearts instead.
D&C 64:8-11 Carrying anger and grudges against others makes us smaller people. Our wounds have a hard time healing when we keep pouring the snake venom of resentment in them, instead of Christ’s healing balm of forgiveness. But if we can find forgiveness in our hearts, as Elder Faust said, for those who have caused us hurt and injury, we will rise to a higher level of self-esteem and well-being. He went on to note that some recent studies show that people who are taught to forgive become "less angry, more hopeful, less depressed, less anxious and less stressed," which leads to greater physical well-being. Another of these studies concludes "that forgiveness . . . is a liberating gift [that] people can give to themselves."
Dr. Sidney Simon:
Forgiveness is freeing up and putting to better use the energy once consumed by holding grudges, harboring resentments, and nursing unhealed wounds. It is rediscovering the strengths we always had and relocating our limitless capacity to understand and accept other people and ourselves.
May be all be more careful not to cause spiritual snakebites to our husbands and wives, our children, our parents, our friends and neighbors, and others. And when we do receive such snakebites – which will happen more than we like, simply because it is part of our lives as imperfect humans here on this earth – may we overcome resentment and anger and reach out in forgiveness, so that we ourselves may be forgiven of our own shortcomings. We will become better people and better friends, not just with those around us but also with our Savior. He will help us if we seek his help, and give us the strength to do what we cannot do alone.
Talk on Forgiveness/Not Judging
A newspaper columnist, Sidney J. Harris, once said: “I am the man in the middle; for the middle is, by my definition, where I stand. … I am a ‘friendly’ sort of person; anyone more friendly than I is ‘familiar’; anyone less friendly than I is ‘aloof.’ I am an ‘open’ person; anyone more open than I is ‘brutally frank’; anyone less open than I is ‘devious.’ … I am a ‘determined’ person; anyone more determined than I is ‘pig-headed’; anyone less determined than I is ‘indecisive.’ … I am a ‘realistic’ person; anyone more realistic than I is ‘cynical’; anyone less realistic than I is ‘naive.’
Although we are the same in so many ways, we are all different as well. And sometimes those differences lead to misunderstandings, hurt feelings, even offenses and prejudices. We each have a need to forgive. We each have a need to be forgiven.
It’s interesting that the request to give this talk on the subject of forgiveness and not judging others too harshly came just 2 days after the first meeting of our Relief Society book club. We had chosen the book “Left to Tell”, which I was totally unfamiliar with. It’s the story of a woman named Immaculee Ilibagiza who lived in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide of Tutsi people by the Hutu people.
- It was a mini-Holocaust – in only 90 days, between ½ and 1 million people were killed, often by their neighbors (out of a country of 7 million).
- Immaculee’s parents and 2 of her 3 brothers were brutally murdered (the 3rd was out of the country)
- She spent those 3 months hidden in a 3x4 foot bathroom by a sympathetic priest. 5 additional women were in there with her. They could not talk but communicated in sign language. They could be fed only scraps. She lost 50 pounds in 90 days, going from 115 to 65 pounds.
But in all this, her faith sustained her, and in the end she found herself able to forgive. [story from pp. 203-04]
This book reminded me very much of another book, “The Hiding Place”. Stan and I have a favorite quote he has used a couple of times on his quote sheet for SS:
It was at a church service in Munich that I saw him, the former S.S. man who had stood guard at the shower room in the processing center at Ravensbruck. He was the first of our actual jailers that I had seen since that time. And suddenly it was all there-- the roomful of mocking men, the heaps of clothing, Betsie's pain-blanched face. He came up to me as the church was emptying, beaming and bowing, "How grateful I am for your message, Fraulein," he said. "To think that, as you say, He has washed my sins away!" His hand was thrust out to shake mine. And I, who had preached so often to the people in Bloemendaal the need to forgive, kept my hand at my side. Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them, Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more? Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him. I tried to smile, I struggled to raise my hand. I could not. I felt nothing, not the slightest spark of warmth or charity. And so again I breathed a silent prayer. Jesus, I cannot forgive him. Give me Your forgiveness. As I took his hand the most incredible thing happened. From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me. And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world's healing hinges, but on his. When he tells us to love our enemies, he gives, along with the command, the love itself.
The thing that impresses me so much about this quote is how Christ helps us do what we could not do alone. We don’t have to overcome our angers, our resentments, and in fact any other sins or shortcomings by ourselves. He is there to help if we will call on him.
President Brigham Young once compared being offended to a poisonous snakebite. He said that “there are two courses of action to follow when one is bitten by a rattlesnake. One may, in anger, fear, or vengefulness, pursue the creature and kill it. Or he may make full haste to get the venom out of his system.” He said, “If we pursue the latter course we will likely survive, but if we attempt to follow the former, we may not be around long enough to finish it.”
At one time or another, we all receive and even give these spiritual snakebites. Sometimes these snakebites are truly venomous, like the ones received by Immaculee, Corrie ten Boom, and more recently in the Amish tragedy, and the drunk driver in Utah who killed most of a family. The father was able to forgive.
Sometimes the snakebites are not so poisonous, but still painful: insults and ridicule (esp. children and teenagers!), criticism, feeling alone and lonely…
Whether the spiritual snakebite is from a king cobra or a garter snake, we need to put aside anger, vengeance and grudges and allow forgiveness and peace in our hearts instead.
D&C 64:8-11 Carrying anger and grudges against others makes us smaller people. Our wounds have a hard time healing when we keep pouring the snake venom of resentment in them, instead of Christ’s healing balm of forgiveness. But if we can find forgiveness in our hearts, as Elder Faust said, for those who have caused us hurt and injury, we will rise to a higher level of self-esteem and well-being. He went on to note that some recent studies show that people who are taught to forgive become "less angry, more hopeful, less depressed, less anxious and less stressed," which leads to greater physical well-being. Another of these studies concludes "that forgiveness . . . is a liberating gift [that] people can give to themselves."
Dr. Sidney Simon:
Forgiveness is freeing up and putting to better use the energy once consumed by holding grudges, harboring resentments, and nursing unhealed wounds. It is rediscovering the strengths we always had and relocating our limitless capacity to understand and accept other people and ourselves.
May be all be more careful not to cause spiritual snakebites to our husbands and wives, our children, our parents, our friends and neighbors, and others. And when we do receive such snakebites – which will happen more than we like, simply because it is part of our lives as imperfect humans here on this earth – may we overcome resentment and anger and reach out in forgiveness, so that we ourselves may be forgiven of our own shortcomings. We will become better people and better friends, not just with those around us but also with our Savior. He will help us if we seek his help, and give us the strength to do what we cannot do alone.
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