Christmas is Love

At this Season it is good for us to remember that Christmas is about  Love.  “God loved us so he sent his son, Christ Jesus, the Atoning one. Oh love effulgent, Love divine!” Hymn #187  What love indeed.  May we be grateful for the Love that God our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ has shown to us, may we share of that love with others. 

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

1 JOHN 4:7-19 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth  not knoweth not God; for God is love.  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.  No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love  dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.

Christmas Love: a paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13 -Author Unknown

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china  and table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way.

Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of LOVE will endure.

Shepherd finds Jesus for Comfort

A cute and true story: In December 2009, This homeless dog (German Shepherd) was found sleeping in Jesus’ manger. The outdoor Nativity was located at the central square of Criciuma, a small town in Santa Catarina state, southern Brazil.

The dog was  apparently looking for a comfortable, protected place to sleep and chose baby Jesus as his comfort.  May we all have the good sense of this shepherd dog to seek out Jesus for comfort and curl up in his lap from time to  time.

  

Sunday Report: Friendship

What kind of a friend have we? What kind of a friend are we? Attributes of a friend: (list created by the relief society sisters)

• helpful
• trustworthy
• listener
• "they get you"
• accepting
• they know your story
• positive
• same values
• compassion
• dependable
• keep your confidence
• loyal
• willing to serve
• make time for you
• compatible communicator
• cheerful
• smart
• non-judgmental
• honest
• funny
• caring
• forgiving
• empathetic
• compatible, regardless of differences

Joseph Smith himself was a great friend to many. He said, “Friendship is one of the grand fundamental principles of ‘Mormonism’; [it is designed] to revolutionize and civilize the world, and cause wars and contentions to cease and men to become friends and brothers” (History of the Church, 5:517).

Do we feel about friendship as the Prophet Joseph did? Do we turn our good feelings into practical assistance? God knows the needs of His children, and He often works through us, prompting us to help one another. When we act on such promptings, we tread on holy ground, for we are allowed the opportunity to serve as an agent of God in answering a prayer.   The Prophet said: “I will try to be contented with my lot, knowing that God is my friend. In Him I shall find comfort” (The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, comp. Dean C. Jessee [1984], 239; spelling and punctuation standardized).

It should be obvious to each of us that our ultimate friendship should be with our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. The Savior has affectionately said to us, “I will call you friends, for you are my friends” (D&C 93:45). His greatest desire for us, His brothers and sisters, is to bring us back to our Father. And the way for us is clear: develop in our lives, to the degree that we can, the qualities and attributes of Christ. Obey His commandments and do His work and His will.  Kathleen H. Hughes, “What Greater Goodness Can We Know: Christlike Friends,” Ensign, May 2005, 74

Remember “To have a friend, you must be a friend, too” (Children’s Songbook, “Friends are Fun” 262).

Essential Friendships:  from “8 Friends that Every Woman Needs” http://www.prevention.com/8friendseverywomanneeds/list/1.shtml

1. A Childhood Friend: They know where you are coming from, they know your story. They knew you and your family while you were growing up and likely have many memories and stories of you that no one else does. "These friends remind you that you are still the person you've always been," says Rebecca G. Adams, PhD, people who chat at least every 15 days have the best chance of staying close over time.

2. A New Friend: Unlike members of your grade school crew, newly acquired pals have no preconceived notions about you.  "New friends ignite different kinds of thinking and fresh ways of being." What's more, they'll connect you to another network of people, says Rosemary Blieszner, PhD,

3. A Workout Friend: She’s a motivator, she’ll drag you out for a jog on days when you’d rather be parked on the couch, a good friend may be the glue that makes this healthy habit stick.

4. A Spiritual Friend: Seek more personal opportunities at church or the temple: Volunteer, participate in a lecture series or education, do your visiting teaching, serving in your callings and other opportunities.

5. A Younger Friend: Research shows that an essential element of a happy life is to nurture and feel useful to others—by cooking a wholesome meal, say, or passing on what you've learned through experience. For many women, that itch gets scratched by raising children. But mentoring younger friends (from the office, for example) can give you that same feeling, Blieszner says. To maximize the benefits of this friendship, let advice flow in both directions. A younger confidante can explain the social networking site du jour or offer a fresh take on current events.

6. Your Partner’s Friends: Becoming tight with your husband’s pals is good for your marriage.  "We were surprised," says researcher Kenneth Leonard, PhD, a professor of clinical psychology at SUNY Buffalo. "Including your spouse in your network of friends is nearly as important for marital happiness as making them feel they are a part of your family."

7. Your Mom/ Your Daughter: Despite the inevitable conflicts between grown moms and daughters, the relationships are generally strong, supportive, and close. "There is great value in this bond because mothers and daughters care so much for one another," says study author Karen L. Fingerman, PhD. If you’d like to be closer but run into the same roadblocks over and over, here’s some advice to overcome the most common issues.

• You find it hard to enjoy time with mom: Stop trying to change her, and focus on what you do enjoy, says Fingerman.
• You keep clashing over the same old issues: The women who had the strongest relationships didn't take the conflicts personally. Instead, they tended to see criticism as a reflection of their mother's habits or traits.
• The relationship feels too close for comfort: Daughters who did the best with this accepted that their mothers wanted more time together. Instead of telling their moms what they couldn't do, these daughters focused on when they could get together and what they could do for their mothers.

8. Yourself: If you’re like a lot of women, you’d drop everything to help a friend in need—but often don’t pay yourself the same respect. So, how does one befriend herself, exactly? It starts with self-knowledge, says Prevention advisor Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of Maryland. “Getting to know yourself is an amazing adventure,” she says. “Think of what makes you fall in love with someone: how genuine, sincere, and caring they can be; the unconditional love they offer, no matter what. Doesn't that describe how you should feel about yourself?”
Peeke recommends you repeat the following mantra as a reminder: "I love and honor myself as I do the other important people in my life." To give yourself the TLC you deserve, write down seven things that make you feel happy and healthy (cooking dinner, talking to a friend, running, reading a book), and make sure you do at least one every day.

Added Essential Friend: 

9. Jesus Christ : This friendship will help us get through life, this friendship, like no other will comfort us, bring us peace, and allow us the privilege of repentance to be in our Father’s presence.  For “surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows” Isaiah 53:4 “And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every  kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.” Alma 7:11-12

“What then is a true friend of God?  President David O. McKay explained the process: “That man is most truly great who is most Christ-like.” What you sincerely in your heart think of Christ will determine what you are, will largely determine what your acts will be.” “By choosing [Jesus Christ] as our ideal, we create within ourselves a desire to be like him, to have fellowship with him.” (Conference Report, Apr. 1951, p. 93, p. 98.) To become a friend of God is possible because of the Mediator, the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Let us now consider additional teachings of the prophet Benjamin:

“For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.” (Mosiah 3:19; italics added.)  One of the real purposes of life is to become a friend of the Mediator, our Savior and Redeemer, and not only understand his mission but also support it and then qualify to be called his friend, his disciple, and to enter into the presence of his Father.

“I give unto you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness.” (D&C 93:19.)  Prophets and Apostles testify of the importance of Christ being our friend. The testimony of President Spencer W. Kimball last year in general conference touched my heart when he concluded his address by testifying: “I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God and that He was crucified for the sins of the world. He is my friend, my Savior, my Lord, and my God. With all my heart I pray that the Saints may keep His commandments, have His Spirit to be with them, and gain an eternal inheritance with Him in celestial glory.” (Ensign, Nov. 1982, p. 6.)  To be able to say “He is our friend” means that we need to qualify as his friends, to have the same purposes, to be advocates and strong defenders of his cause.” ""Charles Didier, “Friend or Foe,” Ensign, Nov 1983, 23

“The real issue is not how others define us but how the Savior defines us. So the question is, how does He personally view each and every one of us? Therefore, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we need to focus our concern with our own relationship to our Heavenly Father and the Savior, Jesus Christ.

In the last moments of my father’s righteous and exemplary life, with all of the strength he could muster, he uttered in a hardly audible voice, “I only hope the Savior will find me worthy to call me His friend.” Oh, to be called a friend of the Savior! As my father yearned, I also wondered, would Christ count me as one of His sheep? Would He see me striving to exemplify His teachings and live His divine principles? Would He call me a disciple? Would He call me a friend? This is what really matters.

The Savior gave the criteria for His friendship in the 15th chapter of John, in which He states, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:14). He further gave the acid test when He said, “Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matt. 7:16; see also Matt. 7:17–18, 20). This is how we will all be judged—by our fruits, good or bad. In the final judgment, if our fruits so warrant, we will be invited to sit on the right hand of God. There I believe will be His friends.

So, if we, even in our weak and stumbling way, are earnestly striving to live a Christlike life, how others choose to characterize us should be of little consequence. The responsibility for our Christianity is ours. Others may characterize us as they will, but the true and righteous Judge will judge us as we are. Our discipleship is for us to determine, not someone else.

When we were baptized we each voluntarily took upon ourselves the name of Christ. The taking of His name upon ourselves results in a covenant to follow His teachings. We have a chance to renew our covenants and take inventory of our daily lives every time we partake of the sacrament.

We can all ask ourselves the standard questions: Are we praying daily, personally and as a family? Are we reading the scriptures? Are we holding our family home evenings and paying our tithing? The list can go on. But the real question is: Are we becoming a disciple? Are we becoming a friend?”  Richard C. Edgley, “A Disciple, a Friend,” Ensign, May 1998, 11

Preparing for General Conference

Next weekend Oct 2 & 3 is the 180th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

The four sessions of conference offers each of us individually and as a worldwide Church a wonderful opportunity to listen to the Prophet’s voice and hear the words of the Lord through him and our Apostles and General Authorities.   We can hear them testify of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Ideas to help prepare for General Conference: “Idea List: Listen, Learn, Live It,” New Era, Mar 2006, 41

• Come to general conference prepared to learn and listen carefully to the talks. Fasting and prayer can help you be prepared.
• Write down what you learn so you can think more about it later.
• Talk about general conference with your family. Share with them what you have learned, and listen to and learn from their experiences.
• Listen carefully to [the Prophet’s] talks, and write down at least three things he asks you to do or to become. Pray about these things, and see how you can make them happen in your life.
• If the Spirit prompts you to do something while you are listening to or pondering general conference, do it.
• Set goals on how and when to apply the counsel you receive during general conference. Write your goals and deadlines in your journal, and refer to them often.
• Be with people who make it easy to do what the prophets say. Then, when you try to apply the speakers’ counsel, you will have support.
• Share what you have learned with a friend who could also benefit.
• Live worthy of the Holy Spirit, and pray for guidance on how to live what you have learned during conference.
• Listen carefully to what the Church leaders encourage you to do, and work on becoming better. Remember to “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only” (see James 1:22–25).
• Look up and mark in your own scriptures the references quoted in the talks.
• Read the conference talks when the Liahona and Ensign come out so you can gain new insights and renew your enthusiasm.

Family Home Evening Idea: In the family home evening before general conference, prepare to produce your own family’s newspaper on the conference proceedings. Assign different family members to be reporters. Speakers can be divided up ahead of time. Have each reporter take notes on the important points of a talk. Write up a brief summary including a headline. Also include younger siblings by having them draw pictures. Assemble your newspaper on poster board during the family home evening following conference.  “What’s in It for You,” NewEra, Oct 2007, 47

Preparing Children (and ourselves) for General Conference: “It is when children are young that parents must be innovative in helping them develop good habits regarding conference participation. As our children are given opportunities to observe and learn the role of these special witnesses, they will receive a spiritual confirmation of the sacred calling of their Church leaders, and they will feel a deeper love for and interest in these leaders and their message.” Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Presidency of the Seventy, “Teaching Our Children to Love the Prophets,” Ensign, Apr. 1996, 47.

• Use the Insert of the photo chart of the General Authorities from the most recent general conference edition of the Ensign. Use it to learn to identify the names of the speakers.
• Create general conference traditions by participating between sessions in a family activity, such as playing games, watching old family videos, taking a walk, or talking about the session that just ended.
• Each time children hear a key word spoken from the pulpit, let them help themselves to a small reward or treat. You might be surprised by how much young children can and do listen. Praise them for their reverence and their attentiveness.

Children’s Activities for Conference: http://new.lds.org/general-conference/children?locale=eng

• Conference Notebook: http://new.lds.org/bc/content/ldsorg/content/english/pdf/notebook.pdf
• Conference Squares Game: http://new.lds.org/bc/content/ldsorg/content/english/pdf/conference_squares.pdf
• Conference Coloring Game: http://new.lds.org/bc/content/ldsorg/content/english/pdf/conference_coloring2.pdf
• “Preparing Our Children for General Conference,” Ensign, Mar 2009, 23–27
• Conference—a Time for Listening

Conference Sessions: Eastern Time: 12:00 – 2:00pm & 4:00- 6:00pm

• Watch Conference in the Chapel: (any church bldg with satellite transmission)
• Watch or Listen to Conference online: http://lds.org/broadcast/gc/1,5161,9199,00.html
• Watch Conference on TV on BYUtv: Verizon Fios Channel 290; Direct TV, & Dish Network (www.byutv.org)

“It’s such a blessing to watch general Conference at Home!” Unlike these people in the picture, plan and prepare to stay awake and be spiritually filled and edified!

Found this clever blog of comical Mormon commentary: http://www.9thwardcartoons.com/search/label/General%20Conference

Sunday Report: Sharing Christ

Teachings for Our Times: Neil L. Andersen, “Tell Me the Stories of Jesus,” Ensign, May 2010, 108–12

“We hold in our arms the rising generation. They come to this earth with important responsibilities and great spiritual capacities.

We cannot be casual in how we prepare them. 

Our challenge as parents and teachers is not to create a spiritual core in their souls but rather to fan the flame of their spiritual core already aglow with the fire of their premortal faith.

In our world today, each child, each young man and young woman needs his or her own conversion to the truth. Each needs his or her own light, his or her own “steadfast and immovable”7 faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, independent of parents, youth leaders, and supportive friends.

The stories of Jesus can be like a rushing wind across the embers of faith in the hearts of our children. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”8 The stories of Jesus shared over and over bring faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strength to the foundation of testimony.

Can you think of a more valuable gift for our children?”

Elder Anderson poses the following questions to aid us in teaching and help us realize our own example and spiritual development and progression as we are examples to all those around us – family, friends, co-workers, strangers, children, and others.

• Are the life and teachings of Jesus Christ embedded in the minds and souls of our children?
• Do they think about the Savior’s life when they wonder what to do in their own lives?  This will be more and more important in the years ahead.
• Have our children visualized the premortal council,9 where Jesus—the greatest of all—declared, “Here am I, send me”?10
• Do they see their own willingness to serve as following His example?
• Do they think about His humble birth,11 the Savior of the world lying in a manger?12
• Do His circumstances help them better understand the proper place of material possessions?
• Do they know that Jesus often taught, “Ask, and ye shall receive”?
• Do His prayers of thankfulness14 and His pleadings to His Father15 flow through our children’s minds as they kneel in prayer with their own concerns?
• Have we told them of the love Jesus has for children, how He held them in His arms, prayed for them, and wept?16
• Do our children know that Jesus stands ready “with open arms to receive [them]”?17
• Do they take strength in the stories of Jesus fasting18—as we teach them the law of the fast?
• In their own loneliness, do our children know the loneliness the Savior felt as His friends deserted Him and as He asked His Apostles, “Will ye also go away?”19
• Have our children felt the power of the Savior’s miracles? Jesus healed the leper,20 gave sight to the blind.21 He fed the 5,000,22 calmed the sea,23 and raised Lazarus from the dead.24
• Do our children believe that “it is by faith that miracles are wrought,”25 and do they pray for miracles in their own lives?
• Have our children taken courage from the Savior’s words to the ruler of the synagogue: “Be not afraid, only believe”?26
• Do our children know about His perfect life,27 His selfless ministry, His betrayal and cruel Crucifixion?28
• Have we testified to them of the certainty of His Resurrection,29 of His visit to the Nephites in the Americas,30 of His appearance to the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove?31
• Do they anticipate His majestic return, when all will be made right and every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ?32
• Do our children say, “Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear”?

Do our children have these valuable teachings with them? Do we, ourselves have these with us?

“Live up to your important responsibilities and great spiritual capacities. Seek to know more about Jesus; open the scriptures.”

“…speak more frequently about Jesus Christ. In His holy name is great spiritual power. “There [is] no other name given nor any other way … whereby salvation can come unto the children of  men, only in and through the name of Christ.”34

“… I promise you that as you speak of Jesus Christ, you will feel the power of heaven blessing you.”

Helps and resources for teaching the Gospel:

• Family Home Evening
• The Friend Church Magazine for Children
• Talks on teaching children the gospel

Sunday Report: Faith Jesus Christ

We had a beautiful lesson on Faith in Relief Society today “Chapter 18: Faith in Jesus Christ,” Gospel Principles, (2009),101–6  In order to increase our faith we need to work on at it – like a skill, talent, or ability. We need to take an active part in increasing our Faith. 

“We can increase our faith in God by acting on our desire to have faith in Him.  We can also increase our faith by praying to Heavenly Father about our hopes, desires, and needs (see Alma 34:17–26). But we must not suppose that all we have to do is ask. We are told in the scriptures that “faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (James 2:17).

President Spencer W. Kimball explained, “There must be works with faith. How foolish it would be to ask the Lord to give us knowledge, but how wise to ask the Lord’s help to acquire knowledge, to study constructively, to think clearly, and to retain things that we have learned” (Faith Precedes the Miracle [1972], 205; italics in original).

Faith involves doing all we can to bring about the things we hope and pray for. President Kimball said: “In faith we plant the seed, and soon we see the miracle of the blossoming. Men have often misunderstood and have reversed the process.” He continued by explaining that many of us want to have health and strength without keeping the health laws. We want to have prosperity without paying our tithes. We want to be close to the Lord but don’t want to fast and pray. We want to have rain in due season and to have peace in the land without observing the Sabbath as a holy day and without keeping the other commandments of the Lord. (See Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball [2006], 142.)

An important way to increase our faith is to hear and  study the word of the Lord. We hear the word of the Lord at our Church meetings. We can study His word in the scriptures. “And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (D&C 88:118).

Today, I was sorting through my RS binder – tossing and organizing old papers and came across an excerpt from the April 2010 General Conference  by our General RS Pres. Julie B. Beck “And upon the Handmaids in Those Days Will I Pour Out My Spirit” speaking on Personal Revelation 9which is contingent on our faith and what we do with our faith) she states:

“A good woman knows that she does not have enough time, energy, or opportunity to take care of all of the people or do all of the worthy things her heart yearns to do. Life is not calm for most women, and each day seems to require the accomplishment of a million things, most of which are important. A good woman must constantly resist alluring and deceptive messages from many sources telling her that she is entitled to more time away from her responsibilities and that she deserves a life of greater ease and independence.

But

with personal revelation, she can prioritize correctly and navigate this life confidently.”

The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life. Qualifying for the Lord’s Spirit begins with a desire for that Spirit and implies a certain degree of worthiness. Keeping the commandments, repenting, and renewing covenants made at baptism lead to the blessing of always having the Lord’s Spirit with us.² Making and keeping temple covenants also adds spiritual strength and power to a woman’s life. Many answers to difficult questions are found by reading the scriptures because the scriptures are an aid to revelation.³ Insight found in scripture accumulates over time, so it is important to spend some time in the scriptures every day. Daily prayer is also essential to having the Lord’s Spirit with us.⁴ Those who earnestly seek help through prayer and scripture study often have a paper and pencil nearby to write questions and record impressions and ideas.

Revelation can come hour by hour and moment by moment as we do the right things. When women nurture as Christ nurtured, a power and peace can descend to guide when help is needed. For instance, mothers can feel help from the Spirit even when tired, noisy children are clamoring for attention, but they can be distanced from the Spirit if they lose their temper with children. Being in the right places allows us to receive guidance. It requires a conscious effort to diminish distractions, but having the Spirit of revelation makes it possible to prevail over opposition and persist in faith through difficult days and essential routine tasks. Personal revelation gives us the understanding of what to do every day to increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and seek those who need our help. Because personal revelation is a constantly renewable source of strength, it is possible to feel bathed in help even during turbulent times.

We are told to put our trust in that Spirit which leads us “to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously.”⁵ We are also told that this Spirit will enlighten our minds, fill our souls with joy, and help us know all things we should do.⁶ Promised personal revelation comes when we ask for it, prepare for it, and go forward in faith, trusting that it will be poured out upon us.”

Our Faith, as we work to increase it, benefits us and those around us in many ways, especially as we are more in tune with the Spirit and understand how our lives are guided.  As we exercise our faith – our spiritual muscles develop and become strong, we become stronger, we are able to do what he would have us do in righteousness – we are better for it.

Through the gift of faith, miracles are wrought, angels appear, other gifts of the Spirit are given, prayers are answered, and men [and women] become the sons [and daughters] of God (see Moroni 7:25–26, 36–37).  “When faith comes it brings … apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, gifts, wisdom, knowledge, miracles, healings, tongues, interpretation of tongues, etc. All these appear when faith appears on the earth, and disappear when it disappears from the earth; for these are the effects of faith. … And he who possesses it will, through it, obtain all necessary knowledge and wisdom, until he shall know God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, whom he has sent—whom to know is eternal life” (Lectures on Faith [1985], 83).

General Relief Society Meeting

Join your Chesapeake Ward Relief Society Sisters at the Annual General Relief Society Meeting

Saturday, September 25 6:30pm Dinner and Fellowshipping 6:30 followed by the Live Satellite Broadcast at 8- 9:30pm

“We must follow that same principle as the Lord gathers more and more people... the Atonement brings the same changes in all of us. We become disciples who are meek, loving, easy to be entreated, and at the same time fearless and faithful in all things. The Saints can accomplish any purpose of the Lord when fully united in righteousness.” Henry B. Eyring, “Our Hearts Knit as One,” Ensign, Nov 2008 “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.” Ephesians 2:18–19. “And he commanded… that they should look forward with one eye , having one faith… having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.” Mosiah 18:21

Provident Living: Basic Food Storage

Courtesy of Sister Shanklin, Provident Living Specialist who received this as an email from her daughter…

Exactly What Does a Basic One Year Food Storage for 1 Person Look Like?

These are the Minimum Basic Amounts of Food Needed for Survival for ONE PERSON for ONE YEAR:

BARE-MINIMUM LDS Church Food storage for 1 adult male for 1 year Approximatly. 2,300 calories per day/ (storing only 695lbs total).  All food can be bought at a grocery store.

When measured out the amounts to show what you would get per day, per person it was impressive. All those ingredients and by adding yeast (which we know is not on the basic list – but hopefully you have stored), we were able to make one loaf of bread and 1/3 cup of beans. That would be your food for the entire day.   Don't FORGET water storage!!!

for more information:

http://www.providentliving.org/channel/1,11677,1706-1,00.html

http://www.providentliving.org/mediapopup/0,13405,1706-1-mcmullin,00.html

“Lay Up in Store”, Bishop Keith B. McMullin, Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, April 2007 General Conference: http://www.lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,49-1-690-20,00.html

Teaching Our Children the Gospel

Sunday Report: July 25, 2010 Teachings For Our Times: “Watching with All Perseverance” Elder David A. Bednar Taught by Sister Deandrade

A spiritual early warning system … can help parents in Zion to be  watchful and discerning concerning their children. Spiritual warnings should lead to increasingly vigilant watching. You and I live in “a day of warning” (D&C 63:58). And because we have been and will be warned, we need to be, as the Apostle Paul admonished, “watching … with all perseverance” (Ephesians 6:18).

A call of action – for children of all ages – and each of us personally: “The spiritual discernment and inspiration you will receive from the combination of these three holy habits will enable you to stand as watchmen on the tower for your families—”watching … with all perseverance” (Ephesians 6:18)—to the blessing of your immediate family and your future posterity.”

1. Reading and Talking about the Book of Mormon: 

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that abiding by the precepts found in the Book of Mormon would help us “get nearer to God” than any other book (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 64). Regular reading of and talking about the Book of Mormon invite the power to resist temptation and to produce feelings of love within our families. And discussions about the doctrines and principles in the Book of Mormon provide opportunities for parents to observe their children, to listen to them, to learn from them, and to teach them.

2: Bearing Testimony Spontaneously

Testimony is personal knowledge, based upon the witness of the Holy Ghost, that certain facts of eternal significance are true.

A personal testimony also brings responsibility and accountability.

Parents should be vigilant and spiritually attentive to spontaneously occurring opportunities to bear testimony to their children. Such occasions need not be programmed, scheduled, or scripted. In fact, the less regimented such testimony sharing is, the greater the likelihood for edification and lasting impact. “Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man” (D&C 84:85).

…A naturally occurring family conversation at dinner may be the perfect setting for a parent to recount and testify of specific blessings he or she received during the course of relatively routine activities that day. 

The reactions of children to such impromptu testimony bearing and their eagerness or reluctance to participate are potent sources of spiritual early warning signals. A child’s expression about a lesson learned in family scripture study or a candid statement of concern about a gospel principle or practice can be most illuminating and help parents better understand a child’s specific question or needs. Such discussions—especially when parents are as eager to listen intently as they are to talk—can foster a supportive and secure environment in the home and encourage ongoing communication about difficult topics.

3: Inviting Children to Act

…We should be “doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22). Our hearts are opened to the influence of the Holy Ghost as we properly exercise agency and act in accordance with correct principles—and we thereby invite His teaching and testifying power. Parents have the sacred responsibility to help children to act and to seek learning by faith. And a child is never too young to take part in this pattern of learning.

Inviting children as gospel learners to act and not merely be acted upon builds on reading and talking about the Book of Mormon and bearing testimony spontaneously in the home.

• Are you and I helping our children become agents who act and seek learning by study and by faith, or have we trained our children to wait to be taught and acted upon?
• Are we as parents primarily giving our children the equivalent of spiritual fish to eat, or are we consistently helping them to act, to learn for themselves, and to stand steadfast and immovable?
• Are we helping our children become anxiously engaged in asking, seeking, and knocking? (See 3 Nephi 14:7.)

The spiritual understanding you and I have been blessed to receive, …simply cannot be given to our children.  The tuition of diligence and of learning by study and also by faith must be paid to obtain and personally “own” such knowledge. Only in this way can what is known in the mind also be felt in the heart. Only in this way can a child move beyond relying upon the spiritual knowledge and experiences of parents and adults and claim those blessings for himself or herself. Only in this way can our children be prepared spiritually for the challenges of mortality.

Pioneer Day!

What did you do for your Pioneer Day Celebration?

Pioneer Day is an official holiday celebrated on July 24 in the U.S. state of Utah, with some celebrations in regions of surrounding states originally settled by Mormon pioneers.  It commemorates the entry of Brigham Young and the first group of Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847, where the Latter-day Saints settled after being forced from Nauvoo, Illinois and other locations in the eastern United States.Parades, fireworks, rodeos, and other festivities help commemorate the event.

In addition to being an official holiday in Utah, Pioneer Day is considered a special occasion by many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). On Pioneer Day, some Latter-day Saints walk portions of the Mormon Trail or reenact entering the Salt Lake Valley by handcart. Latter-day Saints throughout the United States and around the world may celebrate July 24 in remembrance of the LDS Churches' pioneer era, with songs, dances, and pioneer related activities.  ^{From Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneer_Day_}

Celebrate with a few videos:

Fried Green Tomatoes!

July 20, 2010

At our Relief Society swim night we laughed, we cried, we told stories, we shared in friendship on Día del Amigo (Friendship day 7/20 for Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and others… ) no less!  We were reminded that we have a friend in Christ… “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” John 15:13-14

We had wonderful company, an bit of swimming, fruit salad, punch with a story, and little sweets too… and we even had an impromptu cooking lesson – Maryland Style. 

While showing our tall and bounteous tomato plants, I was surprised to find almost all of the sisters in attendance never before had fried green tomatoes – one of my favorite summer eats!  So with out further ado – out came the simple ingredients, a plug in pan and bam! mmm, mmm, mmm… goodness from the garden!

Fried Green Tomato Recipe:

• Large Green tomato – pick one about to turn yellowish/ orange – cut into 1/2” slices (you need two cut sides for the frying)
• Couple of tablespoons of Flour
• Couple shakes of salt and a few grinds (or shakes) of black pepper
• one beaten egg
• hot oil in a pan – just enough to coat the bottom – 1/8” to 1/4”  vegetable or olive oil, or a couple of table spoons of butter – watch the heat so the butter doesn’t burn!

Mix the flour, salt and pepper – dip each side of your tomato in flour,  then in the beaten egg then back into the flour and into the hot oil – cook one side for about a minute or so – till it’s lightly brown and crispy (doesn’t take long), then flip and cook the other side.  (you can skip the egg and the double flour dip and go straight to the pan – it’s just a less crispy texture – try it both ways and see which you like better – pictured above are the no egg – single  dip flour mix version).  Serve with a side dipping of Ranch dressing!  Mmm… Mmm…Mmm!  You will look forward to Summer’s “unripe” tomatoes! (not my photo below, mine are a bit more simple – but doesn’t that just look so good!)

Sunday Report: With the Proper Authority

Sunday, July 18, 2010 Gospel Principles: Ch. 13 - The Priesthood & Ch. 14 - Priesthood Organization Taught by Sister Jucar

Quotes from the Lessons:

The priesthood is the eternal power and authority of God. Through the priesthood He created and governs the heavens and the earth. By this power the universe is kept in perfect order. Through this power He accomplishes His work and glory, which is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39).

Our Heavenly Father delegates His priesthood power to worthy male members of the Church. The priesthood enables them to act in God’s name for the salvation of the human family. Through it they can be authorized to preach the gospel, administer the ordinances of salvation, and govern God’s kingdom on earth. We must have priesthood authority to act in the name of God when performing the sacred ordinances of the gospel, such as baptism, confirmation, administration of the sacrament, and temple marriage. If a man does not have the priesthood, even though he may be sincere, the Lord will not recognize ordinances he performs (see Matthew 7:21–23; Articles of Faith 1:5). These important ordinances must be performed on the earth by men holding the priesthood.

President David O. McKay promised every man who uses the priesthood in righteousness that he “will find his life sweetened, his discernment sharpened to decide quickly between right and wrong, his feelings tender and compassionate, yet his spirit strong and valiant in defense of right; he will find the priesthood a never failing source of happiness—a well of living water springing up unto eternal life” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay [2003], 116).

From Mormon Messages on YouTube:

Sunday Report: Personal Spiritual Experiences

July 4, 2010, Ward RS Presidency Message: Taught by: Sister Kimball

A Personal application question was posed for the Lesson:  What can I do to have a more personal spiritual experience in my Sacrament, Sunday meetings, and Sabbath day?

Elder Nelson taught, “Each member of the Church bears responsibility for the spiritual enrichment that can come from a sacrament meeting” (Liahona, Aug. 2004, 14; Ensign, Aug. 2004, 28).

President Spencer W. Kimball said: “We do not go to Sabbath meetings to be entertained or even solely to be instructed. We go to worship the Lord. It is an individual responsibility, and regardless of what is said from the pulpit, if one wishes to worship the Lord in spirit and truth, he may do so by attending his meetings, partaking of the sacrament, and contemplating the beauties of the gospel. If the service is a failure to you, you have failed. No one can worship for you” (“The Sabbath—A Delight,” Ensign, Jan. 1978, 4–5).

President Gordon B. Hinckley said that “every sacrament meeting ought to be a spiritual feast” and “a time of spiritual refreshment” (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley [1997], 563, 564).

Relief Society sister’s responses, discussion, and response quotes:  I can…..

• Fast for a purpose, fast for spiritual guidance
• Prepare our heart’s and minds for the spirit
• Pray for the inspiration of our teachers/ speakers/ and leaders
• Pray for the spirit in renewing our covenants
• Come prepared for instruction, read the lesson materials
• Listen to church music to and from church and even the morning and in getting ready for church
• Be punctual: We are seated well before the meeting begins. “During that quiet interval, prelude music is subdued. This is not a time for conversation or transmission of messages but a period of prayerful meditation as leaders and members prepare spiritually for the sacrament” (Liahona, Aug. 2004, 13; Ensign, Aug. 2004, 27).
• Get ready for Sunday, prepare in advance– with young children it is difficult to get everyone ready and have Sunday mornings be a pleasant experience and still make it to church on time – prepare and plan for it. 
• Say personal prayers
• Have personal scripture study
• Come with an attitude of worship
• Understand the purpose of the Sacrament: President Joseph Fielding Smith teaches that b This ordinance was introduced so that we can renew our covenants to serve Him, to obey Him, and to always remember Him. President Smith adds: “We cannot retain the Spirit of the Lord if we do not consistently comply with this commandment” (Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [1954–56], 2:341).  Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught the priesthood leaders of the Church how to plan and conduct sacrament meetings. “We commemorate His Atonement in a very personal way,” Elder Nelson said. “We bring a broken heart and a contrite spirit to our sacrament meeting. It is the highlight of our Sabbath-day observance” (“Worshiping at Sacrament Meeting,” Liahona, Aug. 2004, 12; Ensign, Aug. 2004, 26).   “The ordinance of the sacrament makes the sacrament meeting the most sacred and important meeting in the Church. It is the only Sabbath meeting the entire family can attend together. Its content in addition to the sacrament should always be planned and presented to focus our attention on the Atonement and teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.”  Dallin H. Oaks, “Sacrament Meeting and the Sacrament,” Ensign, Nov 2008, 17–20 
• Participating actively
• Listening carefully
• Seeking to strengthen others
• Not criticizing speakers or teachers
• Be reverent: Elder Boyd K. Packer said that we should be reverent in the chapel so we do not intrude “when someone is struggling to feel delicate spiritual communications.” He also cautioned that reverence “does not equate with absolute silence. We must be tolerant of little babies, even an occasional outburst from a toddler being ushered out” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1991, 28; or Ensign, Nov. 1991, 22).  ideas:

• During sacrament meeting—and especially during the sacrament service—we should concentrate on worship and refrain from all other activities.
• Sacrament meeting is not a time for whispered conversations on cell phones or for texting.
• We need to be mindful of our children, take them out as needed, bring quite appropriate activities and toys. 
• We need to teach our children to be respectful and reverent during sacrament, practicing reverence at home and being good examples of reverence as adults. 
• Those without children could offer help or assist mothers with their hands full - offering help in a kind and loving manner. 
• Consider sitting closer to the front where there are less distractions and it is easier to listen.   
• Clean up after ourselves and children. 
• Sing Hymns: How wonderful when every person in attendance joins in the worship of singing—especially in the hymn that helps us prepare to partake of the sacrament.  Elder Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve expressed concern that “an increasing number of our leaders and members do not sing the congregational songs.” He then counseled, “We should sing the songs of Zion—they are an essential part of our worship” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1991, 29; or Ensign, Nov. 1991, 22).
• Make it a conscious effort to keep the Sabbath Day Holy: President Spencer W. Kimball taught: “The Sabbath is a holy day in which to do worthy and holy things. Abstinence from work and recreation is important, but insufficient. The Sabbath calls for constructive thoughts and acts, and if one merely lounges about doing nothing on the Sabbath, he is breaking it. To observe it, one will be on his knees in prayer, preparing lessons, studying the gospel, meditating, visiting the ill and distressed, writing letters to missionaries, taking a nap, reading wholesome material, and attending all the meetings of that day at which he is expected” (Ensign, Jan. 1978, 4).  Ensuring that our activities honor God, are spiritually uplifting, nurture faith, strengthen the family, help or bless others, and are set apart from the daily activities of the world.  President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “Let the Latter-day Saints be in their homes, teaching their families, reading the scriptures, doing things that are wholesome and beautiful and communing with the Lord on the Sabbath day” (“Excerpts from Recent Addresses of President Gordon B. Hinckley,” Ensign, July 1996, 73).  President Hinckley also counseled: “Now I do not want to be prudish. I do not want you to lock your children in the house and read the Bible all afternoon to them. Be wise. Be careful. But make that day a day when you can sit down with your families and talk about sacred and good things” (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, 559–60).
• Have further discussions on the Sunday topics with family and others: a great way to carry on the Sunday lessons and topics and further be instructed and learn from each other.

Challenge: Select an item you can work on to have a more personal spiritual experience in your Sacrament, Sunday meetings, and Sabbath day.

Excerpts and quotes used in the lesson:  Lesson 16: “Thou Shalt … Offer Up Thy Sacraments upon My Holy Day”, Doctrine and Covenants and Church History Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, 87

Elder Oaks, “How should I behave in sacrament meeting?,” Friend, May 2010, 11

Dallin H. Oaks, “Sacrament Meeting and the Sacrament,” Ensign, Nov 2008, 17–20

A Land of Liberty

July Newsletter Article, Laura Kimball

With Independence day shortly upon us, the red, white, and blue stars and striped banners flying high, we are reminded of our liberties and the divine inspiration that brought to pass our independence and freedom.

In alma, we are taught the history of a brave and righteous people who were under siege:

“For behold, his [Zerahemnah’s] designs were to stir up the Lamanites to anger against the Nephites; … that he might gain power over [them] by bringing them into bondage. The design of the Nephites was to support their lands, and their houses, and their wives, and their children, that they might preserve them from the hands of their enemies; and also that they might preserve their rights and their privileges, yea, and also their liberty, that they might worship God according to their desires. For they knew that if they should fall into the hands of the Lamanites, that whosoever should worship God in spirit and in truth, the true and the living God, the Lamanites would destroy”. A great battle ensued. “Nevertheless, the Nephites were inspired by a better cause, for they were not fighting for monarchy nor power but they were fighting for their homes and their liberties, their wives and their children, and their all, yea, for their rites of worship and their church. And they were doing that which they felt was the duty which they owed to their God; for the Lord had said unto them, and also unto their fathers, that: Inasmuch as ye are not guilty of the first offense, neither the second, ye shall not suffer yourselves to be slain by the hands of your enemies. And again, the Lord has said that: Ye shall defend your families even unto bloodshed. Therefore for this cause were the Nephites contending with the Lamanites, to defend themselves, and their families, and their lands, their country, and their rights, and their religion.” Alma 43

What a privilege we enjoy, to have the liberty and freedom to worship freely, few of us will ever have to fight to bloodshed to defend our families and our faith. We are privileged that so many who came before us have paved the way for us to claim the "privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience..." Articles of Faith #11. 

Lehi tells of this land, those who shall be brought to it and those who shall inherit it:

“…notwithstanding our afflictions, we have obtained a land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands; a land which the Lord God hath covenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed. Yea, the Lord hath covenanted this land unto me, and to my children forever, and also all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord. Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord. Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever.”  2 Nephi 1:5-7 

Moroni declares this land is: "A chosen land, and the land of  liberty" Alma 46:17.  The founding of our country was based on these principles of freedom and liberty. “We believe that the Constitution was brought about by God to insure a nation where liberty could abound, where his gospel could flourish. Joseph Smith said, “The Constitution of the United States is a glorious standard; it is founded in the wisdom of God. It is a heavenly banner.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 147.) From... Spencer W. Kimball, “One of the reasons America is great today is because those men who formulated the Constitution had vision. They looked ahead to today, and all of us here are recipients of their wisdom and foresight.” Among other things, the Constitution guarantees the religious freedom that allowed the Reformation to continue and flourish." L. Tom Perry, “God’s Hand in the Founding of America,” New Era, Jul 1976, 45

May we show our gratitude to those who gave and give their all to bring to pass and continue to preserve our freedom. May we have the courage to uphold our Constitution as “a glorious standard...a heavenly banner” to fight for our liberties as dutifully and as honorably as our Founding Fathers and the Nephites for our families, lands, country, rights, religion.