MERIDIAN EAST STAKE CONFERENCE
October 2012
I was
really excited to hear what would be taught at Stake Conference! I was
really excited to find out that we would be hearing from Elder Clark for
the majority of the 2nd hour. What really impressed me about him (both
from the morning Youth Fireside and his general address to everyone at
conference) was that he KNEW the gospel! Random questions were being
thrown at him about Miracles to Temple Work to Repentance to Modesty to
Why can't Women hold the Priesthood to even questions like "If we're not
sealed to our families, will we forget them in the eternities?" Without
missing a single beat - he directed all of us to the doctrines of these
questions in the scriptures (and he used ALL the works of scriptures).
He was an incredible example of how we need to implement the new Youth
Curriculum. For instance, when a youth would ask a question, he would:
FIRST: Teach the Doctrine from the Scriptures
SECOND: He gave specific examples (from either additional scriptures or from personal experience)
THIRD: He related everything back to the original question being asked
FOURTH: He asked the person presenting the question IF they understood.
MERIDIAN 6TH WARD CONFERENCE
Jan 2013
Today was our Ward
Conference and the whole theme was about Putting on the WHOLE Armor of
God. I was very inspired by all of the talks and lessons for all 3
hours! Some of the questions and thoughts that were presented to us
were:
(1) What are we doing NOW to ensure that we have the whole armor of God on?
(2) What provides protection for us?
(3) We must ACT and SEEK out to put on the armor of God - it's not enough anymore to just avoid "bad" things... we must AGGRESSIVELY seek out the good!
(4) We need to take things to the "next step" and have the strength to do so
(5) Be anxiously engaged in a good cause!
MERIDIAN EAST STAKE CONFERENCE
April 2013
I wanted to share some of my notes from Stake Conference. Today was a broadcast (to most of the stakes in Idaho) from Salt Lake City where Elders Nash, Osguthorpe and Hales spoke to us (and also Sister Burton - the Gen RS President). All of the talks were so very GOOD and they all had the same theme running through them - STRENGTHENING THE FAMILY!
Elder Nash related how we could become "Tight Unto A Dish" like the barges that the Brother of Jared built. Here are some of the points he made:
* Pray - as a Family, Individual and Couple and to pray always.
* FHE - great blessings are promised to those that do this diligently; More love at home and increased obedience to parents. Whether there's reverence or not during FHE - STILL DO IT regularly and consistently.
* Read Scriptures Daily in our Home. When things come up on our lives (trials, tribulations, etc) be like the Brother of Jared and go to the Lord in prayer and ask for help.
* Use the New Youth Curriculum - this approach brings the gospel light to our children
* Prepare names fo the Temple and teach our youth how to do the same
* Do NOT punch holes in the Barge - which can be created by pornography, abuse and any unclean thing.
* If we are currently less than diligent in these things (and if we're being too casual) then we need to repent immediately!
* Be CEASELESS and CONSTANT in our obedience to the God. (Pres. Monson)
Elder Robert D. Hales:
3 things we need to be doing:
1) Prayer - alone, with our spouse and with our family
* We should start off with expressions of gratitude - including the gift of the Atonement
* Then we should confess our sins/shortcomings and then ask for our needs/desires. Be specific.
* It's essential that we contemplate and ponder and leave time for the Spirit to motivate and inspire us.
2) FHE - Fathers and Mothers should work together
* involve the children in planning FHE
* What are each Family member learning in Primary and their personal scripture study?
* Use FHE to prepare for missions
* It's a time for wholesome recreation. Provides precious moments to learn together and share our testimonies with each other.
3) Hold Family Counsels
*These should be patterned after the counsels at church
Addiitonal notes form his talk that touched me...
* We need to fill our homes with WORTHY MUSIC. Particularly the Hymns and Primary songs.
* Have meaningful mealtime discussions
* Have GOOD FRIENDS!
* Invite friends and neighbors to special occassions
* Strive for life long learning - which includes Christian Service AND Self Reliance
* Let our Homes be a Holy Place
* Never raise your voice to your spouse. Once we raise our voices, the Spirit will immediately depart and we will be left ot make decisions on our own.
* How couples treat each other and talk to one another is the biggest example to their children
* Satan is working hard to slip in things that are acceptable that are contradictory to Gospel Values and to our own Family Values.
The other speackers also spoke on strenthening the family and during the Adult session, the talks were the same - and very much emphasized The Proclamation. It has been a very uplifting weekend and I'm so glad that I was able to "hear" the words that I needed to am walked away with certain pieces of inspiration that I'm excited to implement. These nuggets of inspiration include:
* During Family Prayer, we will take the time to go around and everyone say 1 positive thing about the person saying the prayer (including that person saying 1 positive thing about themselves)
* Implementing more self reliant topics in our home school
* Teaching the boys more about Family History and Genealogy
* Playing the Hymns and Primary songs as background music throughout the day and when we're preparing to start school
* Impress upon the kids that when we raise our voices that the Spirit is no longer with us and guiding us.
* I need to make our home (and homeschool) an oasis that is filled with all of the right "ingredients" to have the children flourish in their gospel growth.
* Focus on Kindness
* Have a little notebook close by to write down any thoughts/impressions that I receive during my prayers so that I won't forget them throughout the day and can be of better use to Heavenly Father.
MINOT, ND WARD CONFERENCE
Feb 2014
Today was our Ward Conference and I was very inspired and uplifted! I really enjoyed the talk in Sacrament Meeting by our Stake President. His whole talk was centered around the question:
Are We Too Casual In Our Relationship With Heavenly Father?
- Do we Skip FHE on occasion and then it becomes the norm to not do it?
- Do we need something at the store on Sunday and make an exception and then that becomes the norm?
- Do we choose to work on Sunday just one time because it's needed and
then find ourselves working more and more Sundays when it's not
necessary?
- Do we watch shows inappropriate shows and fast forward through the "bad parts"?
Now is the time to strengthen what we're doing and take a stand! Determine where we are in our lives and move forward.
He then went on to give us 4 points to help us not to be too casual in our relationship with God.
1. PRAYER. Council with the Lord in all our doings.
2. STOP COMPROMISING WITH OURSELVES. These "exceptions" that we do in
our lives will eventually be the norm if we keep compromising.
3. BE SURE TO BE PARENTING. Teach correct and right principles in the
home and start early. Fathers should have regular PPI's with their
children (at least once a month).
4. WE NEED TO KNOW OUR HEAVENLY LOVES US AND WILL LISTEN TO US. He
challenged us to ask in prayer this specific question: "Heavenly Father,
Do you love me?"
oday was such an uplifting and spiritually rewarding Sacrament Meeting! We were privileged to have the Temple President (Osguthrope) and his wife come speak to us. He was recently released as the General Sunday School President and it truly felt like we were in General Conference when he spoke! A couple of points that stood out to me during his and his wife's talk:
* Our Homes are the only other place on earth that can be as Holy as the Temple
* We should emulate how we talk (in quiet tones) and act in the Temple in our homes as well
* Ask ourselves if we are bringing things into our homes that we wouldn't take into the Temple (Media and Entertainment came into my mind as she was speaking about this...)
* Priorities are set by our Desires (if we want to change a "bad habit" for instance, if we still have a tiny ounce of desire for that habit (over eating, smoking, drinking, gambling, etc...) then we will eventually give into the habit.
* We can not change our Desires.... on our own - we need Heavenly Father's Help
Ask ourselves these 2 questions (the next time we're in the Temple or just reflecting on life)
1. What are we doing that we should stop?
2. What are we not doing that we should start?
Again, I just felt so spiritually fed and uplifted and came away wanting to be a better person, a better wife, a better mom, a better homeschooling teacher, a better daughter of God!
My Favorite thought from Saturday morning's session was:
HE does not FORCE us to believe, He INVITES us to believe. The decision to believe may be the very most important of any we will make in this life.
Belief is something we CHOOSE - it does jot just HAPPEN to us....
And finally, our actions are the evidence of our belief. ♡♡♡
AND... my favorite talk was by Wilford Andersen (given on Saturday afternoon) titled THE MUSIC OF THE GOSPEL. He began his remarks with the story of a young doctor who was asked by an old Native American man, “Do you dance?”
The doctor replied “no” and then asked, “Could you teach me to dance?” To which the old man responded, “I can teach you to dance, but you have to hear the music.”
“Sometimes in our homes, we successfully teach the dance steps but are not as successful in helping our family members to hear the music,” Elder Andersen said. “And as the old medicine man well knew, it is hard to dance without music.”
Quoting section 8 of the Doctrine and Covenants, which reads, “Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart,” Elder Andersen explained that dance steps are learned with the mind but music is heard with the heart.
“The dance steps of the gospel are the things we do; the music of the gospel is the joyful spiritual feeling that comes from the Holy Ghost.”
Elder Andersen then spoke of ways to ensure that gospel teachers are instilling a love of the “beautiful music of the gospel.”
First, members must keep their lives attuned to the correct spiritual frequency. “Parents, if our lives are out of tune with the music of the gospel, we need to tune them up,” Elder Andersen declared. “We exercise faith in Christ, repent, and take the sacrament, we feel more strongly the influence of the Holy Ghost, and the music of the gospel begins to play again in our lives.”
Second, members must seek to perform “the music of the gospel” in their homes, without force or compulsion but “only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, … by love unfeigned; [and] by kindness” (D&C 121:41–42).
“Why would these attributes lead to increasing power and influence in a home?” asked Elder Andersen. “Because they are the attributes that invite the Spirit of the Holy Ghost. … When they are present, the dance steps will be performed more naturally and joyfully by all of the dancers in the family, without the need for threats or intimidation or compulsion.”
To those who struggle to hear the music of the gospel in their homes, Elder Andersen advised, “Keep practicing. With God’s help, the day will come when the music of the gospel will fill your home with unspeakable joy.”
-------------------------------------------------
I think this particular talk touched me because I spend time each day teaching the kids the gospel as part of our daily Enrichments and even though I'm teaching them "the dance" - if they don't hear the music for themselves (or are personally converted) then they could stop dancing altogether. I need to remember to keep myself tuned to the correct spiritual frequency so that I can help them hear the music! I just loved this analogy and and was very inspired by it! Overall, I feel so uplifted and so grateful for the counsel and direction that was given this weekend in all of the talks!
Well, it was really special to have the girls attend the Women's Broadcast with me for the first time! It is open to all women and girls aged 8 and up. We got all dressed up, did our hair, grabbed our notebooks for notes (mom) and drawing (for the girls! haha) and off we went into Billings! The Broadcast itself was really uplifting and I wanted to jot down a few of my notes/thoughts from the evening:
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all they ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
These verses give us 3 Warnings/Counsel followed by a Promise.
Counsel 1: TRUST in the Lord with all thine heart
Counsel 2: LEAN NOT unto thine own understanding
Counsel 3: In ALL ways ACKNOWLEDGE him
Promise: He shall direct thy PATHS
What does it mean to LEAN? It means to be "off balanced". In Spiritual terms, it means that we are leaning away from the Savior and that we are not focused on Christ. So... HOW do we keep ourselves Centered and TRUST IN THE LORD?
1. Feast upon the words of Christ; for the words of Christ will tell you everything to do
2. Pray
3. Serve others
And a quote that I really liked from President Eyrings talk was:
"UNITY in our families will come when we see each other through the eyes of the Savior and by listening to the promptings of the Holy Ghost"
Also, today during Sacrament one of the speakers told the story of how it's so important to read the scriptures as a family each and everyday - even when it seems like the kids aren't listening. The thought came to me that I need to be so very diligent in our daily Enrichments and how that is probably the MOST important thing I will do each day with the kids!
In Stake Conference today, Elder Rhodes talked about "Creating an Ideal Home" and I loved every minute of it! He took his teaching from Alma 32-34 (where Alma encourages us to "experiment on the word" even if it's just planting a seed of faith (or anything else for that matter) in our hearts). We can ask ourselves, "What seed can I plant to help move our home to be more ideal?" This seed can be anything we might need to work on for ourselves (forgiveness, judging, not gossiping, being more diligent with spiritual things, etc). This has inspired me to evaluate myself and determine what seeds I can plant to help us have a more ideal home!
It was our Stake Conference this weekend. After enjoying a wonderful Adult Session on Saturday night, we were spiritually uplifted as a family on Sunday. A few of the talks really touched me. The 1st Counselor in the Stake Presidency shared how he recently read an article that explained that the reasons kids ask "Why?" is not necessarily because they are wanting to gain more understanding but rather to change their options (whether it be having a "no" changed to a "yes" or vice versa)... I hadn't ever heard this before, but truthfully, I think I fully agree with that article! Anyway, he went on to liken that to ourselves and how it is OK to question things or to have doubts IF we are truly looking for further understanding and not just because we don't like the counsel being given.
We were also able to hear from Bro and Sister Osguthorpe (the Temple President and his wife) and they did a remarkable job talking on the Temple. And then our Stake President talked about examining our lives and examining our feelings about the Sabbath Day and how we need to give it back to the Savior where it belongs. He touched on how Isaiah called the Sabbath a "Delight" and counseled us to have a Family Council on how we can make the Sabbath day holy and make it a delight for us. In his closing he plead with us "to do what we have to do to put the Savior as the priority in our life on the Sabbath."
I came away from Stake Conference being edified and spiritually nourished and with a renewed motivation to make the Sabbath more of a delight for our family!
John and I were Spiritually fed during Stake Conference (on both Saturday night and Sunday morning)... I have way too many pages of notes to share everything that touched me, but a few highlighted points:
* We need to work on creating an atmosphere of Love and Acceptance. Don't let self-imposed barriers keep me away from loving/accepting/including someone
* Faith will sustain us through our trials
* When we say "I don't have time for ________" (fill in the blank with anything from scripture study to exercise) we are really saying "______ is not important to me."
* One speaker gave an analogy that I really loved! She was talking about how our children are so very important and how it is our duty to help them, etc... she went on to say that if we read Joseph Smith History 1:59-60 and inserted "our children" for "the brass plates" it would take on a whole new meaning. She then read it (I've included it below) and I loved it!
59 ... having gone as usual at the end of another year to the place where the plates were deposited, the same heavenly messenger delivered them up to me with this charge: that I should be responsible for them; that if I should let them go carelessly, or through any neglect of mine, I should be cut off; but that if I would use all my endeavors to preserve them, until he, the messenger, should call for them, they should be protected.
I've been a part of a group that studies different church talks weekly and the talk this week was SUPER INSPIRING!! I think I listened to it 4 different times, sent in via text to several friends, got John to read it, shared my thoughts with August and even printed off a copy to send to Seth - it was THAT amazing!!! The talk was entitled "Why Not Ask" by Larry Lawrence and was given as a BYUI Devotional in June 2017. There were soooo many amazing quotes and parts of his talk and few that stood out to me were:
Let's talk about Conference and the Spiritual experience that is!! This was a very special Conference as we were all able to participate in the Solemn Assembly on Saturday morning and sustain the new Prophet and Presidency of the church! The Spirit was strong in our living room and as dad stood with all of the Elders of the church throughout the world he had tears streaming down his cheeks! I remember looking at him and being so grateful for the righteous husband and father he is to our family! His conviction to the truth of the gospel is real and I felt honored to be his eternal companion! Then when Ben rose to stand with all of the other Aaronic Priesthood holders, I felt so much gratitude for what a wonderful son I have in him! He is truly a remarkable young warrior of God and disciple of Christ! He loves the gospel, he loves the Lord and he shares this love with those around him! And then when I was asked to stand with all of the other Relief Society Sisters throughout the world, I felt honored to be standing in unity with such a noble group of women! It was a pretty neat experience!
* More things with Conference are the many quotes and inspirational thoughts and truths that we have been taught!! Some of my favorites were:
"Repentance is not His backup plan. It is His plan." - Elder Lynn Robbins
"God sanctifies our most difficult days." - Brian K Taylor
"Casualness leads to casualties." - Elder Wakolo
"Use the time we have wisely." - Elder Taylor Godoy
"Latter Day Saints have an obligation to research and compile family histories...this is far more than an encouraged hobby because the ordinances of Salvation are necessary for all of God's children." - Elder Dale G Renlund
"When God directs us to do one thing, he often has many purposes in mind." - Dale G Renlund
"Don't fear failure, but learn from it." - Elder Lynn G Robbins
"A Prophet is like a Tower Watchman, he warns us of spiritual dangers that we may not see." - Elder Neil Anderson
"If we have Faith even as small as a mustard seed, the Lord can help us remove the mountains of discouragement and doubt." - M Russell Ballard
"Pray to know WHAT you can do in times of trouble." - Larry Y. Wilson
"As we express gratitude and honor the Lords' time table, we will be given the answers and blessings we seek." - Prophet, Russell M Nelson
"Choose to do the Spiritual work necessary to hear the Spirit's voice." - Prophet
"Look for ways to incorporate these talks into our daily lives, into our Family Home Evenings and into our associations with others." - Prophet
"Be motivated by the pure love of Christ! Labor side by side with the Lord." - Jeffery R. Holland
"Simple acts of service can have a profound effect on others." - Jean Bingham
I also REALLY enjoyed Larry Wilson's talk on receiving Personal Revelation (loved this one!) and also Elder Devin Durrant's talk all about Teaching our Children, Dallin H Oaks talk on "By Small and Simple Things", Quentin L Cooks talk and of course the Prophets' talks were inspiring, Revelatory and spirit filled! Mind is still blown with how historic this Conference has been with the announcement of so many new principles revealed!
Thoughts from John on Conference: I have been recharged and re-energized this conference weekend. President Nelson is a wonderful prophet and it is amazing to see the Lord's work move forward. I feel a sense of duty and urgency to be engaged in my duties as a priesthood holder and a patriarch of our family. One big change that has come this weekend is High Priest Groups being dissolved and reabsorbed by the Elder's Quorums. This will bring about a more efficient and effective arm of the Melchizedek Priesthood within the wards. I'm excited for this change and know we will be able to accomplish so much more. I have been grateful for the organization of our church and the knowledge that Jesus Christ lives and that his work continues on.
As I sit here writing after the conclusion of Conference, tears barely dried upon my cheeks, I am beyond humbled and amazed. President Nelson has announced the end of the home and visiting teaching programs as we know it and announced that a new program will take it's place. My thoughts have drifted to the law of Moses and how tedious it was. The Savior came and fulfilled the law ushering in an era of a new law. In some ways, this feels like this. I am excited to learn more of the ministering we will do to the members of our church.
The item that had me tearing up was the announcements of seven new temples. It is amazing to see the work that Gordon B. Hinckley started, carry on. Temples will now dot the land in such new areas as:
On a personal note, with our decision to move to Nicaragua, one thing I did worry about was the fact that we would only be able to attend the Temple once a year. I am so excited that we will get to play a role in establishing the House of the Lord there. Our plans still revolve around us moving there in approximately 2-3 years. If memory serves me right, a Temple is usually dedicated four to five years after it is announced. Perhaps with the smaller temples, the timeline is sped up a bit.
One of the things we have come to known about the reasons for us moving to Nica is not that it's all about us retiring and living the good life but more about us helping to build the kingdom and help the Saints spiritually and temporally. We are so excited for that chapter to begin!
MINOT, ND STAKE CONFERENCE
May 2014
We had our Stake Conference this past weekend and so I wanted to share
some of my thoughts from the 2 sessions that we attended :)
1st Counselor in Bismarck Stake (Pres. Nordquist):
* The Lord Prepares a way for us to do the things that he has commanded (think of the story of Nephi and how the Lord replied).
* If we go to Heavenly Father in Prayer, He will answer us.
* Pray regularly that I can share with others what I have
* It's important to take time to LISTEN to the thoughts and inspiration from God.
Elder Shayne Bowen (from the First Quorum of the Seventy):
* First time in the history of the church that the First Presidency has requested that all members 12 years old and older attend the Saturday night Adult Session
* He gave an assignment to the Youth: Visit LDS.org and show your family how you can access the Church's Handbook online
* Encouraged us all to do more Indexing
* Family History Centers should be in our Living Rooms and Baptisms should be a Family Outing (meaning Family History/Genealogy/Temple Work should be taught and done within the home)
* He then did a 1 hour Q & A session (most of the questions asked revolved around Missionary work)
At the Sunday Session his remarks included:
* Those of us here in North Dakota were hand picked from the Lord to be here to help hasten the work
* Many are called but few are Obedient
* He also split our Stake and created the new Minot Stake with Tyson Williams as the new Stake President (he was currently Seth's Sunday School Teacher), Greg Tonini as 2nd Counselor (our RS President's husband) and then a current Bishop from Williston as the 1st Counselor.
President Cox (Bismarck Stake Pres):
* Gave a sort of "Farewell" Speech to those that would be in the new Minot Stake
* He had 3 pieces of Advice
1. REPENT QUICKLY - the quickest path to happiness is repentance. The Lord wants us to be happy!
2. GET TO THE TEMPLE
3. HE LOVES US AND IS GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE US
Overall, I was very much spiritually uplifted and fed this weekend!
The new Stake President spoke in Sacrament meeting today and he said he felt impressed upon to encourage all members to plant a garden as if their lives depended on it, because someday it may. He counseled everyone in the stake to do everything they can to plant a garden. If they need to, get a sod cutter and make a space in their yard. If they don’t have a yard, plant in pots. If possible, rent/”borrow” a spot in a city garden or from a friend or neighbor. In short, do everything you can to plant something now so you can harvest it in the fall. This is the counsel given to us from prophets of God. And it is nothing less than God’s instructions for his people to preserve themselves in the day of want. If you feel that you have enough, then grow more for your Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching families and neighbors or teach them to do the same. Find a way, without going into debt, to gradually purchase items including long term food storage items to lay up in store. He also mentioned the quote by Pres. Benson about how food storage would be "as important to our temporal salvation as boarding the Ark was in the days of Noah.”
Dad and I were just talking about this yesterday and had committed to
ourselves that we were going to grow a garden! After hearing what the
Stake President had to say, I am even more determined! From what I've
heard, we have to have it in within the next week to 10 days! I know
that we will be blessed if we heed the counsel from our leaders :)
1st Counselor in Bismarck Stake (Pres. Nordquist):
* The Lord Prepares a way for us to do the things that he has commanded (think of the story of Nephi and how the Lord replied).
* If we go to Heavenly Father in Prayer, He will answer us.
* Pray regularly that I can share with others what I have
* It's important to take time to LISTEN to the thoughts and inspiration from God.
Elder Shayne Bowen (from the First Quorum of the Seventy):
* First time in the history of the church that the First Presidency has requested that all members 12 years old and older attend the Saturday night Adult Session
* He gave an assignment to the Youth: Visit LDS.org and show your family how you can access the Church's Handbook online
* Encouraged us all to do more Indexing
* Family History Centers should be in our Living Rooms and Baptisms should be a Family Outing (meaning Family History/Genealogy/Temple Work should be taught and done within the home)
* He then did a 1 hour Q & A session (most of the questions asked revolved around Missionary work)
At the Sunday Session his remarks included:
* Those of us here in North Dakota were hand picked from the Lord to be here to help hasten the work
* Many are called but few are Obedient
* He also split our Stake and created the new Minot Stake with Tyson Williams as the new Stake President (he was currently Seth's Sunday School Teacher), Greg Tonini as 2nd Counselor (our RS President's husband) and then a current Bishop from Williston as the 1st Counselor.
President Cox (Bismarck Stake Pres):
* Gave a sort of "Farewell" Speech to those that would be in the new Minot Stake
* He had 3 pieces of Advice
1. REPENT QUICKLY - the quickest path to happiness is repentance. The Lord wants us to be happy!
2. GET TO THE TEMPLE
3. HE LOVES US AND IS GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE US
Overall, I was very much spiritually uplifted and fed this weekend!
INSPIRING SACRAMENT MEETING
MINOT, ND
May 2014
The new Stake President spoke in Sacrament meeting today and he said he felt impressed upon to encourage all members to plant a garden as if their lives depended on it, because someday it may. He counseled everyone in the stake to do everything they can to plant a garden. If they need to, get a sod cutter and make a space in their yard. If they don’t have a yard, plant in pots. If possible, rent/”borrow” a spot in a city garden or from a friend or neighbor. In short, do everything you can to plant something now so you can harvest it in the fall. This is the counsel given to us from prophets of God. And it is nothing less than God’s instructions for his people to preserve themselves in the day of want. If you feel that you have enough, then grow more for your Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching families and neighbors or teach them to do the same. Find a way, without going into debt, to gradually purchase items including long term food storage items to lay up in store. He also mentioned the quote by Pres. Benson about how food storage would be "as important to our temporal salvation as boarding the Ark was in the days of Noah.”
Also,
Pres. Harold B. Lee said the following: “There will come a day when we
will live off of what we produce.” Now is the time to plant in North
Dakota, Now is the time to be a covenant keeping, temple attending,
commandment keeping people, garden planting, food storing people.
Update: We followed through on his counsel!
THE TEMPLE PRESIDENT SPEAKS IN SACRAMENT
Minot 1st Ward
Feb 2015
oday was such an uplifting and spiritually rewarding Sacrament Meeting! We were privileged to have the Temple President (Osguthrope) and his wife come speak to us. He was recently released as the General Sunday School President and it truly felt like we were in General Conference when he spoke! A couple of points that stood out to me during his and his wife's talk:
* Our Homes are the only other place on earth that can be as Holy as the Temple
* We should emulate how we talk (in quiet tones) and act in the Temple in our homes as well
* Ask ourselves if we are bringing things into our homes that we wouldn't take into the Temple (Media and Entertainment came into my mind as she was speaking about this...)
* Priorities are set by our Desires (if we want to change a "bad habit" for instance, if we still have a tiny ounce of desire for that habit (over eating, smoking, drinking, gambling, etc...) then we will eventually give into the habit.
* We can not change our Desires.... on our own - we need Heavenly Father's Help
Ask ourselves these 2 questions (the next time we're in the Temple or just reflecting on life)
1. What are we doing that we should stop?
2. What are we not doing that we should start?
Again, I just felt so spiritually fed and uplifted and came away wanting to be a better person, a better wife, a better mom, a better homeschooling teacher, a better daughter of God!
GENERAL CONFERENCE THOUGHTS
April 2015
My Favorite thought from Saturday morning's session was:
HE does not FORCE us to believe, He INVITES us to believe. The decision to believe may be the very most important of any we will make in this life.
Belief is something we CHOOSE - it does jot just HAPPEN to us....
And finally, our actions are the evidence of our belief. ♡♡♡
AND... my favorite talk was by Wilford Andersen (given on Saturday afternoon) titled THE MUSIC OF THE GOSPEL. He began his remarks with the story of a young doctor who was asked by an old Native American man, “Do you dance?”
The doctor replied “no” and then asked, “Could you teach me to dance?” To which the old man responded, “I can teach you to dance, but you have to hear the music.”
“Sometimes in our homes, we successfully teach the dance steps but are not as successful in helping our family members to hear the music,” Elder Andersen said. “And as the old medicine man well knew, it is hard to dance without music.”
Quoting section 8 of the Doctrine and Covenants, which reads, “Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart,” Elder Andersen explained that dance steps are learned with the mind but music is heard with the heart.
“The dance steps of the gospel are the things we do; the music of the gospel is the joyful spiritual feeling that comes from the Holy Ghost.”
Elder Andersen then spoke of ways to ensure that gospel teachers are instilling a love of the “beautiful music of the gospel.”
First, members must keep their lives attuned to the correct spiritual frequency. “Parents, if our lives are out of tune with the music of the gospel, we need to tune them up,” Elder Andersen declared. “We exercise faith in Christ, repent, and take the sacrament, we feel more strongly the influence of the Holy Ghost, and the music of the gospel begins to play again in our lives.”
Second, members must seek to perform “the music of the gospel” in their homes, without force or compulsion but “only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, … by love unfeigned; [and] by kindness” (D&C 121:41–42).
“Why would these attributes lead to increasing power and influence in a home?” asked Elder Andersen. “Because they are the attributes that invite the Spirit of the Holy Ghost. … When they are present, the dance steps will be performed more naturally and joyfully by all of the dancers in the family, without the need for threats or intimidation or compulsion.”
To those who struggle to hear the music of the gospel in their homes, Elder Andersen advised, “Keep practicing. With God’s help, the day will come when the music of the gospel will fill your home with unspeakable joy.”
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I think this particular talk touched me because I spend time each day teaching the kids the gospel as part of our daily Enrichments and even though I'm teaching them "the dance" - if they don't hear the music for themselves (or are personally converted) then they could stop dancing altogether. I need to remember to keep myself tuned to the correct spiritual frequency so that I can help them hear the music! I just loved this analogy and and was very inspired by it! Overall, I feel so uplifted and so grateful for the counsel and direction that was given this weekend in all of the talks!
WOMENS CONFERENCE
March 2017
Well, it was really special to have the girls attend the Women's Broadcast with me for the first time! It is open to all women and girls aged 8 and up. We got all dressed up, did our hair, grabbed our notebooks for notes (mom) and drawing (for the girls! haha) and off we went into Billings! The Broadcast itself was really uplifting and I wanted to jot down a few of my notes/thoughts from the evening:
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all they ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
These verses give us 3 Warnings/Counsel followed by a Promise.
Counsel 1: TRUST in the Lord with all thine heart
Counsel 2: LEAN NOT unto thine own understanding
Counsel 3: In ALL ways ACKNOWLEDGE him
Promise: He shall direct thy PATHS
What does it mean to LEAN? It means to be "off balanced". In Spiritual terms, it means that we are leaning away from the Savior and that we are not focused on Christ. So... HOW do we keep ourselves Centered and TRUST IN THE LORD?
1. Feast upon the words of Christ; for the words of Christ will tell you everything to do
2. Pray
3. Serve others
And a quote that I really liked from President Eyrings talk was:
"UNITY in our families will come when we see each other through the eyes of the Savior and by listening to the promptings of the Holy Ghost"
Also, today during Sacrament one of the speakers told the story of how it's so important to read the scriptures as a family each and everyday - even when it seems like the kids aren't listening. The thought came to me that I need to be so very diligent in our daily Enrichments and how that is probably the MOST important thing I will do each day with the kids!
MINOT STAKE CONFERENCE
May 2015
In Stake Conference today, Elder Rhodes talked about "Creating an Ideal Home" and I loved every minute of it! He took his teaching from Alma 32-34 (where Alma encourages us to "experiment on the word" even if it's just planting a seed of faith (or anything else for that matter) in our hearts). We can ask ourselves, "What seed can I plant to help move our home to be more ideal?" This seed can be anything we might need to work on for ourselves (forgiveness, judging, not gossiping, being more diligent with spiritual things, etc). This has inspired me to evaluate myself and determine what seeds I can plant to help us have a more ideal home!
MINOT STAKE CONFERENCE
Nov 2015
It was our Stake Conference this weekend. After enjoying a wonderful Adult Session on Saturday night, we were spiritually uplifted as a family on Sunday. A few of the talks really touched me. The 1st Counselor in the Stake Presidency shared how he recently read an article that explained that the reasons kids ask "Why?" is not necessarily because they are wanting to gain more understanding but rather to change their options (whether it be having a "no" changed to a "yes" or vice versa)... I hadn't ever heard this before, but truthfully, I think I fully agree with that article! Anyway, he went on to liken that to ourselves and how it is OK to question things or to have doubts IF we are truly looking for further understanding and not just because we don't like the counsel being given.
We were also able to hear from Bro and Sister Osguthorpe (the Temple President and his wife) and they did a remarkable job talking on the Temple. And then our Stake President talked about examining our lives and examining our feelings about the Sabbath Day and how we need to give it back to the Savior where it belongs. He touched on how Isaiah called the Sabbath a "Delight" and counseled us to have a Family Council on how we can make the Sabbath day holy and make it a delight for us. In his closing he plead with us "to do what we have to do to put the Savior as the priority in our life on the Sabbath."
I came away from Stake Conference being edified and spiritually nourished and with a renewed motivation to make the Sabbath more of a delight for our family!
BILLINGS WEST STAKE CONFERENCE
Feb 2017
John and I were Spiritually fed during Stake Conference (on both Saturday night and Sunday morning)... I have way too many pages of notes to share everything that touched me, but a few highlighted points:
* We need to work on creating an atmosphere of Love and Acceptance. Don't let self-imposed barriers keep me away from loving/accepting/including someone
* Faith will sustain us through our trials
* When we say "I don't have time for ________" (fill in the blank with anything from scripture study to exercise) we are really saying "______ is not important to me."
* Small deviations (from truth) in parents can become Big diversions for our children
* Look for daily ways to immerse in gospel and spiritual things * One speaker gave an analogy that I really loved! She was talking about how our children are so very important and how it is our duty to help them, etc... she went on to say that if we read Joseph Smith History 1:59-60 and inserted "our children" for "the brass plates" it would take on a whole new meaning. She then read it (I've included it below) and I loved it!
59 ... having gone as usual at the end of another year to the place where the plates were deposited, the same heavenly messenger delivered them up to me with this charge: that I should be responsible for them; that if I should let them go carelessly, or through any neglect of mine, I should be cut off; but that if I would use all my endeavors to preserve them, until he, the messenger, should call for them, they should be protected.
60 I
soon found out the reason why I had received such strict charges to
keep them safe, and why it was that the messenger had said that when I
had done what was required at my hand, he would call for them. For no
sooner was it known that I had them, than the most strenuous exertions
were used to get them from me. Every stratagem that could be invented
was resorted to for that purpose. The persecution became more bitter and
severe than before, and multitudes were on the alert continually to get
them from me if possible. But by the wisdom of God, they remained safe
in my hands, until I had accomplished by them what was required at my
hand. When, according to arrangements, the messenger called for them, I
delivered them up to him; and he has them in his charge until this day,
being the second day of May, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight.
Two Words: GENERAL CONFERENCE!!
This weekend was filled with 10 hours of inspiring, uplifting, encouraging and spiritual messages from the leaders of our church - and I loved every minute of it!!! At dinner tonight, we went around the table and had each person tell their favorite speaker (or story) and what touched their hearts the most! I even called up August and got his favorite part to include (and will add Seth's thoughts in after we email tomorrow)...
Dad: President Uchtodorf's message from the Priesthood session. If I had to pick one thought from his message it would be that the Healing power of Jesus Christ is not absent from our day. Darkness recuses our ability to see clearly and the Light allows us to see things as they truly are.
Mom: Ahhhh! I had soooo many that it'll be hard to choose! Seriously I loved ALL of the messages from giving our all to the Lord in Faith, Serving others - especially those closest to us, the Joy of Repentance and making Christ the center of our lives! But one that is still lingering on my heart is Elder Nelson's talk about how precious the Book of Mormon is. He talked how reading the scriptures is a life changing act and that it has the power to heal, to comfort, to restore, to succor and to cheer us up and to help us make better decisions. Not only should we read daily, but we should PONDER and STUDY the words that we read. He asked the questions: "What would my life be without the Book of Mormon?" (at which point, Nathan leaned over to me and said "Empty!" - so true, my sweet son!) and then Elder Nelson asked "What would your life be missing without the Book of Mormon?" (again, Nathan leaned over and said "A lot!"). These are two questions I want to spend more time on. So many have sacrificed so much and given so much (even all that they had!) so that I could have the opportunity to read the words of the ancient prophets and have the fullness of the gospel of Christ!
August: Elder Zwicks from Sunday Morning session. The part that spoke to me the most was the part about how we shouldn't judge anyone. We don't have the whole picture of anyone's life and we don't know what trials they might be going through and so we shouldn't judge them - but rather look upon their hearts the way God does.
Ben: Elder Rasband and his message that there are no coincidences in life, only Divine Designs!
Nathan: Elder Hallstrom and his talk on Miracles! I really liked the story about the Scout leader on High Adventure that fell off of the cliff and all of the miracles that happened to save his life.
Aubrie: Sister Oscarson's talk on service. I especially liked the story that she told about the 2 sisters where the older one helped her younger sister to get ready for school each day so that their mom (who was fighting cancer) could rest. It's really important that we serve others - especially in our own homes.
Lexi: President Uchtdorf's talk at the Saturday morning session. The story that he told of "Bobby, the Wonder Dog" and how he was able to find his way back home reminded me that I can always find my way back to Heavenly Father.
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Oct 2017
Two Words: GENERAL CONFERENCE!!
This weekend was filled with 10 hours of inspiring, uplifting, encouraging and spiritual messages from the leaders of our church - and I loved every minute of it!!! At dinner tonight, we went around the table and had each person tell their favorite speaker (or story) and what touched their hearts the most! I even called up August and got his favorite part to include (and will add Seth's thoughts in after we email tomorrow)...
Dad: President Uchtodorf's message from the Priesthood session. If I had to pick one thought from his message it would be that the Healing power of Jesus Christ is not absent from our day. Darkness recuses our ability to see clearly and the Light allows us to see things as they truly are.
Mom: Ahhhh! I had soooo many that it'll be hard to choose! Seriously I loved ALL of the messages from giving our all to the Lord in Faith, Serving others - especially those closest to us, the Joy of Repentance and making Christ the center of our lives! But one that is still lingering on my heart is Elder Nelson's talk about how precious the Book of Mormon is. He talked how reading the scriptures is a life changing act and that it has the power to heal, to comfort, to restore, to succor and to cheer us up and to help us make better decisions. Not only should we read daily, but we should PONDER and STUDY the words that we read. He asked the questions: "What would my life be without the Book of Mormon?" (at which point, Nathan leaned over to me and said "Empty!" - so true, my sweet son!) and then Elder Nelson asked "What would your life be missing without the Book of Mormon?" (again, Nathan leaned over and said "A lot!"). These are two questions I want to spend more time on. So many have sacrificed so much and given so much (even all that they had!) so that I could have the opportunity to read the words of the ancient prophets and have the fullness of the gospel of Christ!
August: Elder Zwicks from Sunday Morning session. The part that spoke to me the most was the part about how we shouldn't judge anyone. We don't have the whole picture of anyone's life and we don't know what trials they might be going through and so we shouldn't judge them - but rather look upon their hearts the way God does.
Ben: Elder Rasband and his message that there are no coincidences in life, only Divine Designs!
Nathan: Elder Hallstrom and his talk on Miracles! I really liked the story about the Scout leader on High Adventure that fell off of the cliff and all of the miracles that happened to save his life.
Aubrie: Sister Oscarson's talk on service. I especially liked the story that she told about the 2 sisters where the older one helped her younger sister to get ready for school each day so that their mom (who was fighting cancer) could rest. It's really important that we serve others - especially in our own homes.
Lexi: President Uchtdorf's talk at the Saturday morning session. The story that he told of "Bobby, the Wonder Dog" and how he was able to find his way back home reminded me that I can always find my way back to Heavenly Father.
WHY NOT ASK
Nov 2017
I've been a part of a group that studies different church talks weekly and the talk this week was SUPER INSPIRING!! I think I listened to it 4 different times, sent in via text to several friends, got John to read it, shared my thoughts with August and even printed off a copy to send to Seth - it was THAT amazing!!! The talk was entitled "Why Not Ask" by Larry Lawrence and was given as a BYUI Devotional in June 2017. There were soooo many amazing quotes and parts of his talk and few that stood out to me were:
* Wisdom is a valuable spiritual gift, and the Lord is happy when we seek it. In the epistle of James, we read, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God" (James 1:5). This counsel applies to all the gifts of the Spirit; we are invited to ask God for any that we lack. We can ask for faith, for discernment, for personal revelation--for any spiritual gift.
* Heavenly Father is much more generous than most of His children realize. He is never annoyed at us for asking for divine help. On the contrary, He "giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not". (James 1:5) "Upbraideth not" means God won't scold us for asking.
* ...If I notice a brother or sister who magnifies a gift of the Spirit, I am invited to seek that same gift myself. This is the only place in the scriptures where we are actually instructed to "covet." If you have a roommate, a sibling, a mission companion, or a spouse who really seems to understand the scriptures, you can covet that gift yourself and then ask for it.
* Several years ago, Apostle Marvin J. Ashton spoke about spiritual gifts at general conference. He explained that there were many more gifts available to the Saints than those which are listed in the scriptures. He cited several other gifts for us to consider, including "the gift of asking; the gift of listening; ... the gift of avoiding contention; the gift of being agreeable," the gift to calm others, and the gift to care (Marvin J. Ashton, "There Are Many Gifts," Ensign, Nov. 1987). Brothers and sisters, the list is "endless in number and infinite in variety" (Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, 371).
* Would you like the gift of recall or the gift of courage or the gift of dreams? Why not ask? I testify that the Lord won't scold you for asking. ... Our Heavenly Father is willing to give us what we need to help us progress and become like Him--and to help us build the kingdom. This one particularly spoke to my heart! I know that the gift of recall would help immensely in not only my church callings and teaching the children, but also in my homeschooling efforts! I always have to write down and practice what I'm going to say (even to teach our daily lessons) and I think how much more impactful my teaching could be if I could just recall what I've studied and share it in an engaging way! This is one that I am sincerely going to start praying and asking for :)
* Does a member have to be perfect to ask for spiritual gifts? The Lord answered that question in the scriptures. He explained that gifts are given for the benefit of "those who love me and keep all my commandments," and then he added, "And him that seeketh so to do" (D&C 46:9). That likely includes all of us here today.
* I also especially loved this anaogy! I could relate to it perfectly! Imagine for a moment that you are a child again. It's Christmas morning, and your home is filled with the spirit of the season. Christmas music is playing. Your father passes out a special gift to each member in the family. Each gift was carefully selected; each is something very useful. After the presents are received with thankfulness, your mother disappears into the kitchen to cook up something special.
While you are enjoying this beautiful moment, you notice that there are many unopened gifts left under the Christmas tree. You can tell what's inside, because the gifts are clearly labeled. You realize that you could use some of these valuable gifts yourself.
Reluctantly, you approach your father, not wanting to appear greedy. "Father," you ask, "whom are these other presents for?" He smiles warmly and explains, "For whoever wants one." That sounds way too good to be true. You think to yourself, "There must be a catch." Then your father explains, "Just ask for what you need. I won't scold you for asking." I love that Heavenly Father truly invites us to just ask for what we need! Such a beautiful concept!
GENERAL CONFERENCE
April 2018
Let's talk about Conference and the Spiritual experience that is!! This was a very special Conference as we were all able to participate in the Solemn Assembly on Saturday morning and sustain the new Prophet and Presidency of the church! The Spirit was strong in our living room and as dad stood with all of the Elders of the church throughout the world he had tears streaming down his cheeks! I remember looking at him and being so grateful for the righteous husband and father he is to our family! His conviction to the truth of the gospel is real and I felt honored to be his eternal companion! Then when Ben rose to stand with all of the other Aaronic Priesthood holders, I felt so much gratitude for what a wonderful son I have in him! He is truly a remarkable young warrior of God and disciple of Christ! He loves the gospel, he loves the Lord and he shares this love with those around him! And then when I was asked to stand with all of the other Relief Society Sisters throughout the world, I felt honored to be standing in unity with such a noble group of women! It was a pretty neat experience!
* More things with Conference are the many quotes and inspirational thoughts and truths that we have been taught!! Some of my favorites were:
"Repentance is not His backup plan. It is His plan." - Elder Lynn Robbins
"God sanctifies our most difficult days." - Brian K Taylor
"Casualness leads to casualties." - Elder Wakolo
"Use the time we have wisely." - Elder Taylor Godoy
"Latter Day Saints have an obligation to research and compile family histories...this is far more than an encouraged hobby because the ordinances of Salvation are necessary for all of God's children." - Elder Dale G Renlund
"When God directs us to do one thing, he often has many purposes in mind." - Dale G Renlund
"Don't fear failure, but learn from it." - Elder Lynn G Robbins
"A Prophet is like a Tower Watchman, he warns us of spiritual dangers that we may not see." - Elder Neil Anderson
"If we have Faith even as small as a mustard seed, the Lord can help us remove the mountains of discouragement and doubt." - M Russell Ballard
"Pray to know WHAT you can do in times of trouble." - Larry Y. Wilson
"As we express gratitude and honor the Lords' time table, we will be given the answers and blessings we seek." - Prophet, Russell M Nelson
"Choose to do the Spiritual work necessary to hear the Spirit's voice." - Prophet
"Look for ways to incorporate these talks into our daily lives, into our Family Home Evenings and into our associations with others." - Prophet
"Be motivated by the pure love of Christ! Labor side by side with the Lord." - Jeffery R. Holland
"Simple acts of service can have a profound effect on others." - Jean Bingham
I also REALLY enjoyed Larry Wilson's talk on receiving Personal Revelation (loved this one!) and also Elder Devin Durrant's talk all about Teaching our Children, Dallin H Oaks talk on "By Small and Simple Things", Quentin L Cooks talk and of course the Prophets' talks were inspiring, Revelatory and spirit filled! Mind is still blown with how historic this Conference has been with the announcement of so many new principles revealed!
Thoughts from John on Conference: I have been recharged and re-energized this conference weekend. President Nelson is a wonderful prophet and it is amazing to see the Lord's work move forward. I feel a sense of duty and urgency to be engaged in my duties as a priesthood holder and a patriarch of our family. One big change that has come this weekend is High Priest Groups being dissolved and reabsorbed by the Elder's Quorums. This will bring about a more efficient and effective arm of the Melchizedek Priesthood within the wards. I'm excited for this change and know we will be able to accomplish so much more. I have been grateful for the organization of our church and the knowledge that Jesus Christ lives and that his work continues on.
As I sit here writing after the conclusion of Conference, tears barely dried upon my cheeks, I am beyond humbled and amazed. President Nelson has announced the end of the home and visiting teaching programs as we know it and announced that a new program will take it's place. My thoughts have drifted to the law of Moses and how tedious it was. The Savior came and fulfilled the law ushering in an era of a new law. In some ways, this feels like this. I am excited to learn more of the ministering we will do to the members of our church.
The item that had me tearing up was the announcements of seven new temples. It is amazing to see the work that Gordon B. Hinckley started, carry on. Temples will now dot the land in such new areas as:
- Salta, Argentina
- Bengaluru, India (very amazing! One of the young men under me in North Dakota - Tyler Ringen is serving in India)
- Cagayan de Oro, Philippines
- Layton, Utah
- Richmond, Virginia (hooray for the saints in VA!)
- "A major city yet to be determined in Russia" (mind blowing on that!)
On a personal note, with our decision to move to Nicaragua, one thing I did worry about was the fact that we would only be able to attend the Temple once a year. I am so excited that we will get to play a role in establishing the House of the Lord there. Our plans still revolve around us moving there in approximately 2-3 years. If memory serves me right, a Temple is usually dedicated four to five years after it is announced. Perhaps with the smaller temples, the timeline is sped up a bit.
One of the things we have come to known about the reasons for us moving to Nica is not that it's all about us retiring and living the good life but more about us helping to build the kingdom and help the Saints spiritually and temporally. We are so excited for that chapter to begin!
NAMPA WEST STAKE CONFERENCE
May 2018
We had Stake Conference with our new Stake here in Idaho and D. Todd Christofferson (of the Twelve Apostles!) came! We were all super excited to hear from an Apostle and so dad and I attended the Adult Session on Saturday night where we learned some neat things like:
1. The Lord doesn't find it to be rude if we pause in the middle of our prayers, open our eyes and write down revelation. In fact, He likes that and is more likely to give us more revelation since we are giving importance by writing it down.
2. If the Heavens seem closed, take time to name our blessings one by one and that will open the conduit to Heaven (the expression of gratitude does this!)
3. Elder Christofferson shared the process of what happened when Thomas S. Monson died and Russell M. Nelson became the new Prophet
4. The First Presidency and the 12 Apostles have a monthly Testimony Meeting in the Temple - however, you only share your testimony if the Prophet calls upon you
5. He invited us to ACT (Ministering) and not to limit our interactions and service to only church members
6. It was the Lord who made the changes to the changes in Ministering
7. Before closing, he Petitioned the Lord to bless each of us - one by one!
8. Set aside the cares of the world so that we can hear the still, small voice - Personal Revelation!
9. Ask ourselves (1) What am I doing right? and (2) What can I improve on? Think of 1 thing and do it!
* The kids were super excited to be in the same building as an Apostle (but mom and dad didn't really know this or that they felt so strongly about it until we had already gone to one of the other buildings that Sunday's session was going to be broadcasted to... We debated about heading over to the Stake Center before his talk so we could be there, but decided against it as we would undoubtedly miss good parts! So we stayed... but then as Elder Christofferson was closing, he said "I wish I could stay and meet each one of you... but I can't. But I am going to invite every child and Youth to come shake my hand after the closing prayer." You should have seen the death stares we got from the kids! hahha... so we decided that as soon as the closing prayer was said, we'd RUSH over to the Stake Center (less than 5 minutes away) and dad would just drop us off at the door and we'd run in and see if the kids could still meet him. Our plan worked and each of the kids were able to go through a "greeting line" where they shook the hand of the Apostle and said Hi to him. All of the kids were super thrilled that they got to do this and they all remarked on how "soft his hands were!"
GENERAL CONFERENCE
OCTOBER 2018 - UTAH
Amazing! Wonderful! Spiritual! Inspiring! Beautiful!
These are all words that I would use to describe Conference Weekend! We have talked for YEARS about making a trip to Utah to actually attend one of the conference sessions and this year those plans came to fruition! We were able to secure NINE tickets from our Stake to the Sunday Morning Session. That meant that our entire family (including August & McKendra Dinkle - who drove out from Nebraska and met us in Utah) could be together and bask in the spirit of Conference!
We drove down on Friday evening after dad and Seth got off of work and arrived at Aunt Janice's house (Janice is grandma Greats 2nd husband, Orville Burt's, daughter) that night around 10pm. After a night of rest, we got up the next morning to Janice spoiling us with a homemade breakfast of quiche, bacon, biscuits and juice. We then settled in for the Saturday morning session of conference where it started off with a bang!
We learned that Sunday services will now only be 2 hours long (vs. 3 hours) and that the curriculum of the church is turning towards a more HOME CENTERED AND CHURCH ASSISTED program. I am so excited about this! I had attended a Stake Sunday School meeting the week prior where we discussed the new Come Follow Me curriculum that will be implemented in Primary and the Spirit witnessed to me that this was Heavenly Father's plan to loving guide his children to take more responsibility in teaching their children. We have been counseled that it is not only our responsibility to teach our children the gospel BUT that we will be held accountable for that divine calling. Heavenly Father wants us all to be able to answer him (at Judgement Day) that we fulfilled that calling in a pleasing way and I feel that this new Home Centered and Church Assisted approach will definitely help! I'm excited to study the gospel principles with the kids each week to prepare them for Primary, Sunday School and Young Men/Young Women's during our daily Enrichment Lessons. It will now be the church leaders asking "What did you learn at home this week?" vs the now traditional question around the dinner table on a Sunday evening of "What did everyone learn at church today?"
On Sunday morning, we awoke early and were on our way to Salt Lake (Janice lives in Ogden) by 7am! We arrived and found parking not too far from Temple Square. While it was a little bit hard getting up and out the door so early, it was nice to arrive before the hoards of crowds made their way there! We were able to take pictures in front of the Temple and not get in people's way (or have too many people get in our way! haha). We eventually made it over to the Conference Centered and were in our seats by about 8:45am. It was at this time that Lexi leaned over with tears in her eyes totally distraught that she had forgotten her glasses in the truck! Dad came to the rescue and said he'd go back and get them - which ended up taking him 45 minutes (due to the lines of people that had since showed up, how far away we had parked and him not seeing the text I had sent telling him exactly where he could find the glasses). Nevertheless, he was her HERO and she felt so loved and happy the rest of the time to have her glasses! Dad made it back with just moments to spare before the Prophet made his way into the Conference Center. It was amazing to have a hush spread through that huge center with 20,000+ people! And the quiet reverence stayed the rest of the time! The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square then started their program - The Music and The Spoken Word (which is produced and played 30 minutes before Conference starts). We were blessed then to have a half hour of uplifting, spirit-filled music performed for us! It was truly an amazing experience and their singing was so powerful and brought the Spirit so strongly!
The next two hours were just as awesome and being able to be there was so neat! I asked each of the kids what they thought of attending Conference in person this year and this is what they said:
Lexi: I liked hearing President Nelson talk and it was really fun to be there and I felt like nothing bad could happen!
Aubrie: One of the things I liked best was when the Prophet got up and he told us how instead of calling ourselves "Mormons" we should actually put Jesus' name back in like it's supposed to. That's one of the things that stood out to me the most. And actually being in Conference was AWESOME! And the Spirit was so strong in there and it was cool and I'm glad I got to go!
Nathan: First of all, the chair were comfy! It was a really spiritual time and amazing and I could really feel the Spirit. Also hearing everyone talk was amazing!
Ben: So what I felt is that it was definitely a holy place and I felt like a really reverent silence there. It was really cool seeing all of the Apostles and watching the Prophet speak to us. It was just a really neat experience! The talk that stood out to me the most was Elder Oaks! He said things that just needed to be heard in these days. I also enjoyed Elder Uchtdorf's talk and I loved President Nelson's talk.
Seth: I thought it was a really neat experience to be able to go and see conference in person. It was such a cool spirit to be able to hear from our prophet and apostles in person. There was just a good happy feel about it all, and you could really feel the love. And it was also great running into a few mission buddies there. As well as Ben and I meeting our "People Spotting" quota.
Mom: Where to start! There was a definite excitement in the air as we walked through the Temple Grounds and over to the Conference Center. Seeing THOUSANDS of Members of the church all dressed up nicely and beautiful families everywhere you turned. I'm so happy that we were one of those "beautiful families". Happiness and Joy filled me as I looked at everyone around me! The music was soooo inspiring and powerful! I think that all of the music was probably my favorite thing about Conference (especially when the choir and congregation sang "We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet" for the intermediate hymn and the Prophet was right there as we sang! That was really powerful to me!)
Dad: It was such a wonderful and spiritually uplifting experience to attend a session of General Conference in person. This is an experience I would like to repeat with the family as often as possible. I'm not sure how the allocations for our stake work but if we could make it there every other year or so, it sure would be cool. I loved having our whole family together again. It was the first time in over two years that we were all together. My heart was full. It was great hearing from our Prophet and from the other assigned speakers. There was definitely a strong spirit in the conference center and we loved being on such holy and hallowed grounds. I marvel at the foresight and inspiration that Brigham Young had in designing the city and the church buildings. It is truly a wonderful place.
OCTOBER GENERAL CONFERENCE 2018
Here are invitations extended and promises given during each talk of the October 2018 General Conference that might lead us to take action, be still and listen, or simply help us keep the Spirit we felt over the weekend.
Saturday Morning Session
Quentin L. Cook
Speaking about the adjustment to the Sunday meetinghouse schedule:"The purposes and blessings associated with this adjustment and other recent changes include the following:
• Deepening conversion to Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthening faith in Them.
•
Strengthening individuals and families through home-centered,
Church-supported curriculum that contributes to joyful gospel living.
• Honoring the Sabbath day, with a focus on the ordinance of the sacrament.
•
Helping all of Heavenly Father’s children on both sides of the veil
through missionary work and receiving ordinances and covenants and
blessings of the temple.
"The announcements made today will result
in profound blessings for those who enthusiastically embrace the
adjustments and seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost. We will become
closer to our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, of
whom I am a sure witness."M. Joseph Brough
"To help us travel and triumph over our hard times . . . may I suggest two things. We must face hard things, first, by forgiving others and, second, by giving ourselves to Heavenly Father.'”Steven R. Bangerter
"Consistent, wholesome family traditions that include prayer, scripture reading, family home evening, and attendance at Church meetings, though seemingly small and simple, create a culture of love, respect, unity, and security. In the spirit that accompanies these efforts, our children become protected from the fiery darts of the adversary so embedded in the worldly culture of our day."As we establish wholesome traditions that teach the doctrine of Christ, the Holy Spirit bears witness of the truthfulness of our message and nourishes the seeds of the gospel that are planted deep in the hearts of our children by our efforts all along the way."
Ronald A. Rasband
"Stand in holy places. When we stand in holy places—our righteous homes, our dedicated chapels, the consecrated temples—we feel the Spirit of the Lord with us. We find answers to questions that trouble us or the peace to simply set them aside. That is the Spirit in action. These sacred places in the kingdom of God on earth call for our reverence, our respect for others, our best selves in living the gospel, and our hopes to lay aside our fears and seek the healing power of Jesus Christ through His Atonement."David A. Bednar
"I promise that increased perspective, purpose, and power will be evident in our learning and living of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ as we strive to gather together in one all things in Christ—even in Him."All opportunities and blessings of eternal consequence originate in, are possible and have purpose because of, and endure through the Lord Jesus Christ."
Dallin H. Oaks
"The work of the Lord is going forward despite the organized and constant opposition that confronts us as we strive to practice the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For those who falter under that opposition, I offer these suggestions."Remember the principle of repentance made possible by the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell urged, don’t be among those “who would rather try to change the Church than to change themselves.”
"As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland urged:
'Hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes. …In this Church, what we know will always trump what we do not know.'"Exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, which is the first principle of the gospel.
"Finally, seek help. Our Church leaders love you and seek spiritual guidance to help you. We provide many resources such as you will find through lds.org and other supports for gospel study in the home. We also have ministering brothers and sisters called to give loving assistance."
Saturday Afternoon Session
D. Todd Christofferson
"It is challenging but vital to remain firm and steadfast when we find ourselves being refined 'in the furnace of affliction,' something that comes soon or late to all of us in mortality. Without God, these dark experiences tend to despondency, despair, and even bitterness. With God, comfort replaces pain, peace replaces turmoil, and hope replaces sorrow. Remaining firm in the faith of Christ will bring His sustaining grace and support. He will convert trial into blessing and, in Isaiah’s words, 'give … beauty for ashes.'"Dean M. Davies
"Listening to and hearkening to living prophets will have profound, even life-changing effects in our lives. We are strengthened. We are more assured and confident in the Lord. We hear the word of the Lord. We feel God’s love. We will know how to conduct our lives with purpose."I love and sustain President Russell M. Nelson and the others who have been called as prophets, seers, and revelators. I testify that he has the gifts the Lord has bestowed upon his head, and I witness that as we solidify in our lives the practice of listening to and heeding the voice of the living prophets, our lives will be built according to the Lord’s divine pattern for us, and we will reap eternal blessings. The invitation is extended to all. Come, listen to a prophet’s voice; yea, come unto Christ and live."
Ulisses Soares
"I invite you to seek the Lord’s help in loving others as He has loved you. Let us all follow the counsel given by Mormon: 'Wherefore, my beloved brethren [and sisters], pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ.'"Gerrit W. Gong
"When we have felt, or feel, uncertain, alone, frustrated, angry, let down, disappointed, or estranged from God and His restored Church, it may take an extra measure of effort and faith to enter again on His covenant path. But it is worth it! Please come, or come again, unto the Lord Jesus Christ! God’s love is stronger than the cords of death—temporal or spiritual. Our Savior’s Atonement is infinite and eternal. Each of us strays and falls short. We may, for a time, lose our way. God lovingly assures us, no matter where we are or what we have done, there is no point of no return. He waits ready to embrace us."Paul B. Pieper
"As we follow [the] divinely designed covenant path, our commitment and efforts to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ will give us the strength 'to retain [His] name written always in [our] hearts.' We will love God and our neighbors and feel a desire to minister to them. We will keep His commandments and yearn to draw nearer to Him by entering into additional covenants with Him. And when we find ourselves weak and incapable to act on our righteous desires, we will plead for the strength that comes only through His name, and He will come to our aid. As we endure in faithfulness, the day will come when we will see Him and be with Him, and we will find that we have become like Him, thus qualifying us to return to the presence of the Father."Dieter F. Uchtdorf
"In my experience, belief is not so much like a painting we look at and admire and about which we discuss and theorize. It is more like a plow that we take into the fields and, by the sweat of our brow, create furrows in the earth that accept seeds and bear fruit that shall remain."Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. This is the promise to all who seek to believe."
General Women's Session
Joy D. Jones
"Sometimes we may initially serve from a sense of duty or obligation, but even that service can lead us to draw on something higher within us, leading us to serve in 'a more excellent way'—as in President Nelson’s invitation to 'a newer, holier approach to caring for and ministering to others'."When we focus on all that God has done for us, our service flows from a heart of gratitude. As we become less concerned about our service magnifying us, we realize instead that the focus of our service will be on putting God first."
Michelle Craig
"We should welcome feelings of divine discontent that call us to a higher way, while recognizing and avoiding Satan’s counterfeit—paralyzing discouragement. This is a precious space into which Satan is all too eager to jump. We can choose to walk the higher path that leads us to seek for God and His peace and grace, or we can listen to Satan, who bombards us with messages that we will never be enough: rich enough, smart enough, beautiful enough, anything enough. Our discontent can become divine—or destructive.""Because of our Savior’s atoning sacrifice, we can be made equal to the tasks that lie ahead. The prophets have taught that as we climb the path of discipleship, we can be sanctified through the grace of Christ. Divine discontent can move us to act in faith, follow the Savior’s invitations to do good, and give our lives humbly to Him."
Cristina B. Franco
"Sisters, it will not matter if we sat in the comfy seats or if we struggled to get through the meeting on a rusty folding chair in the back row. It won’t even matter if we, of necessity, stepped into a foyer to comfort a crying baby. What will matter is that we came with a desire to serve, that we noticed those to whom we minister and greeted them joyfully, and that we introduced ourselves to those sharing our row of folding chairs—reaching out with friendship even though we aren’t assigned to minister to them. And it will certainly matter that we do all that we do with the special ingredient of service coupled with love and sacrifice."Henry B. Eyring
"Whatever your personal circumstance, you are part—a key part—of the family of God and of your own family, whether in the future, in this world, or in the spirit world. Your trust from God is to nurture as many of His and your family members as you can with your love and your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ."Your practical challenge is to know whom to nurture, how, and when. You need the Lord’s help. He knows others’ hearts, and He knows when they are ready to accept your nurturing. Your prayer of faith will be your key to success. You can depend upon receiving His guidance."
Dallin H. Oaks
"Young women, you are blessed and you are wonderful, but you are like all of Heavenly Father’s children in your need to 'strive to do what’s right.'"Here I could give you counsel on many different things, but I have chosen to speak of only two.
"My first counsel concerns cell phones. A recent nationwide survey found that over half of teens in the United States said they spend too much time on their cell phones. More than 40 percent said they felt anxious when they were separated from their cell phones.6 This was more common among girls than boys. My young sisters—and adult women too—it will bless your lives if you limit your use of and dependence on cell phones.
"My second counsel is even more important. Be kind to others. Kindness is something many of our youth are doing already. Some groups of youth in some communities have shown the way for all of us. We have been inspired by our young people’s acts of kindness to those in need of love and help. In many ways, you give that help and show that love to one another. We wish all would follow your example."
Russell M. Nelson
"As impossible as that may seem with all you are trying to manage in your life, if you will accept this invitation with full purpose of heart, the Lord will help you find a way to achieve it. And, as you prayerfully study, I promise that the heavens will open for you. The Lord will bless you with increased inspiration and revelation."
Sunday Morning Session
M. Russell Ballard
"I testify that the vision President Joseph F. Smith received is true. I bear witness that every person can read it and come to know it is true. Those who do not receive this knowledge in this life will surely come to know its truthfulness when everyone will arrive in the spirit world. There, all will love and praise God and the Lord Jesus Christ for the great plan of salvation and the blessing of the promised Resurrection when body and spirit will once again be reunited, never to be separated again"Bonnie H. Cordon
"Whether our sheep are strong or weak, rejoicing or in anguish, we can make certain that no one walks alone. We can love them wherever they are spiritually and offer support and encouragement for the next step forward. As we pray and seek to understand their hearts, I testify that Heavenly Father will direct us and His Spirit will go with us. We have the opportunity to be the 'angels round about' them as He goes before their face."Jeffrey R. Holland
"With the apostolic authority granted me by the Savior of the world, I testify of the tranquility to the soul that reconciliation with God and each other will bring if we are meek and courageous enough to pursue it. 'Cease to contend one with another,' the Savior pled. If you know of an old injury, repair it. Care for one another in love."Shayne M. Bowen
"I testify that we are sons and daughters of God, the seed of Abraham, the house of Israel. We are gathering Israel for the last time and are doing so with the Book of Mormon—a book that, combined with the Spirit of the Lord, is the most powerful tool of conversion. We are led by the prophet of God, President Russell M. Nelson, who is directing the gathering of Israel in our day. The Book of Mormon is true. It has changed my life. I promise you, as have Moroni and many prophets through the ages, that it can change yours."Neil L. Andersen
"Never give up—however deep the wounds of your soul, whatever their source, wherever or whenever they happen, and however short or long they persist, you are not meant to perish spiritually. You are meant to survive spiritually and blossom in your faith and trust in God."God did not create our spirits to be independent of Him. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, through the incalculable gift of His Atonement, not only saves us from death and offers us, through repentance, forgiveness for our sins, but He also stands ready to save us from the sorrows and pains of our wounded souls."
Russell M. Nelson
"My dear brothers and sisters, I promise you that if we will do our best to restore the correct name of the Lord’s Church, He whose Church this is will pour down His power and blessings upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints, the likes of which we have never seen. We will have the knowledge and power of God to help us take the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people and to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord."Sunday Afternoon Session
Henry B. Eyring
"Since the beginning, the tests have not been easy. We face trials that come from having mortal bodies. All of us live in a world where Satan’s war against truth and against our personal happiness is becoming more intense. The world and your life can seem to you to be in increasing commotion."My reassurance is this: the loving God who allowed these tests for you also designed a sure way to pass through them. Heavenly Father so loved the world that He sent His Beloved Son to help us. His Son, Jesus Christ, gave His life for us. Jesus Christ bore in Gethsemane and on the cross the weight of all our sins. He experienced all the sorrows, the pains, and the effects of our sins so that He could comfort and strengthen us through every test in life."
Brian K. Ashton
"Given the distance between what we are as mortals and what Heavenly Father has become, it is not surprising that some feel that becoming like the Father is unattainable. Nevertheless, the scriptures are clear. If we will cleave in faith to Christ, repent, and seek God’s grace through obedience, eventually we will become like the Father. I take great comfort in the fact that those who strive to be obedient will 'receive grace for grace' and ultimately 'receive of his fulness.' In other words, we won’t become like the Father on our own. Rather, it will come through gifts of grace, some big but mostly small, that build upon one another until we have a fulness. But, brothers and sisters, it will come!"I invite you to trust that Heavenly Father knows how to exalt you; seek His daily, sustaining help; and press forward with faith in Christ even when you cannot feel God’s love.
"There is much we do not understand about becoming like the Father. But I can testify with certainty that striving to become like the Father is worth every sacrifice. The sacrifices we make here in mortality, no matter how great, are simply incomparable to the immeasurable joy, happiness, and love we will feel in God’s presence. If you are struggling to believe it is worth the sacrifices you are asked to make, the Savior calls to you, saying, 'Ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath … prepared for you; … ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along.'"
Robert C. Gay
"In any of life’s travels, why would you ever turn away from the only Savior who has all power to heal and deliver you? Whatever the price you must pay to trust Him is worth it. My brothers and sisters, let us choose to increase our faith in Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ."Matthew L. Carpenter
"Our spiritual healing requires us to submit ourselves to the conditions our Savior has outlined. We must not delay! We must act today! Act now so that spiritual paralysis does not prevent your eternal progression. . . . If you have felt the need to ask forgiveness of someone you have wronged, I invite you to act. Tell them what you have done. Ask for their forgiveness. If you have committed a sin that impacts your temple worthiness, I invite you to counsel with your bishop—today. Do not delay."Dale G. Renlund
"Choosing to follow the Father’s plan is the only way we can become inheritors in His kingdom; only then can He trust us to not even ask for that which is contrary to His will. But we need to remember that 'there’s no one so hard to teach as the child who knows everything.' So we need to be willing to be tutored in the Lord’s ways by the Lord and His servants. We can trust that we are beloved children of Heavenly Parents and worth 'bothering about' and be assured that 'on our own' will never mean 'alone.'"Jack N. Gerard
"Several years ago, while preparing for a business trip, I began to experience chest pain. Out of concern, my wife decided to accompany me. On the first leg of our flight, the pain intensified to the point that it was difficult for me to breathe. When we landed, we left the airport and went to the local hospital, where, after multiple tests, the attending physician declared us safe to continue our travel."We returned to the airport and boarded a flight to our final destination. As we were descending, the pilot came on the intercom and asked me to identify myself. The flight attendant approached, said they had just received an emergency call, and told me there was an ambulance waiting at the airport to take me to the hospital.
"We boarded the ambulance and were rushed to the local emergency room. There we were met by two anxious doctors who explained that I had been misdiagnosed and actually had a serious pulmonary embolism, or blood clot, in my lung, which required immediate medical attention. The doctors informed us that many patients do not survive this condition. Knowing we were far from home and not sure if we were prepared for such life-altering events, the doctors said that if there was anything in our lives that we needed to consider, now was the time.
"I remember well how almost instantaneously in that anxious moment, my entire perspective changed. What seemed so important just moments earlier was now of little interest. My mind raced away from the comfort and cares of this life to an eternal perspective—thoughts of family, children, my wife, and ultimately an assessment of my own life.
"How were we doing as a family and individually? Were we living our lives consistent with the covenants we had made and the Lord’s expectations, or had we perhaps unintentionally allowed the cares of the world to distract us from those things which matter most?
"I would invite you to consider an important lesson learned from this experience: to step back from the world and assess your life. Or in the words of the doctor, if there is anything in your life you need to consider, now is the time."
Gary E. Stevenson
"President Russell M. Nelson taught us last conference:'Our message to the world [and, may I add, 'to our ministering flock” is simple and sincere: we invite all of God’s children on both sides of the veil to come unto their Savior, receive the blessings of the holy temple, have enduring joy, and qualify for eternal life.'"May we raise our sights to this prophetic vision so we can shepherd souls to the temple and ultimately to our Savior, Jesus Christ. He does not expect us to perform miracles. He asks only that we bring our brothers and sisters unto Him, for He has the power to redeem souls. As we do so, we can and will secure this promise: 'And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.'"
Russell M. Nelson
"I urge you to study these messages, commencing this week. They express the mind and the will of the Lord for His people, today. . . . I bless you with increased faith in Him and in His holy work, with faith and patience to endure your personal challenges in life. I bless you to become exemplary Latter-day Saints. I so bless you and bear my testimony that God lives! Jesus is the Christ! This is His Church. We are His people, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
FOLLOWING THE PROPHET
October 2018
During the Women's Session, the Prophet issued an Invitation (well, a 4 part Invitation) to "Shape the Future and Gather Israel" and when the Prophet issues such invitations - you'd better believe that I'm going to accept it! So here are the 4 parts he issued:
1. Participate in a 10 day fast from Social Media and from any other media that bring negative and impure thoughts to your mind
2. Read the Book of Mormon between now and the end of the year
3. Establish a pattern of regular Temple attendance
4. Participate fully in Relief Society
Well, my 10 day fast from Social Media has come and gone! As I reflect back on it, I realize that there is not one thing that I feel like I "missed out" on. In fact, I feel more productive, more engaged and less bombarded from the world. I've had a habit of using Facebook as my "down time" and since part 2 of the invitation is to read the Book of Mormon before the end of the year, I made a very conscious effort that during times that I would have clicked on FB, I clicked open the scriptures and read them... I read in the morning upon waking, throughout the day when I found myself with a few spare moments (waiting in line or in the car - I even had an hour long wait at the Honda dealership where I was able to read!) and then in bed before falling asleep. I have really liked how I'm changing my habit to that of turning the Lord and uplift my Spirits in (sometimes small) increments throughout the day. I have liked this so much that I have decided to take the 10 day Social Media Fast and extend it into a 10 Week Fast! I know that I will continue to have positive changes and blessings as I do this.
The 3rd invitation didn't take me long to figure out what I was going to do... I have 20 Family names (women) that need their Endowment work done and so I have decided to do Two sessions a week from now until the end of the year (or at least until Dec 14th when we leave for Nebraska for Christmas!). Doing so will keep me actively engaged in Temple Work and blessing my ancestors! It has been 2 weeks and I have looked forward to each session with eagerness and joy! I love that we have 2 Temples that are so close! On one of my recent trips, I had some revelation that I needed to get a little notebook (of course I'll have to get a super cute one! haha) and that I needed to write down all of the thoughts, inspiration and revelation that I gain as I attend the Temple each week.
Stake Conference
Nampa West Stake
November 2018
This weekend was our Stake Conference and I walked away with pages of notes and an uplifted spirit! I wanted to jot down a few of the things that really stood out to me:
Brother Nelson (Stake Sunday School President)
Shared on the new Home Centered Church Assisted Curriculum and here are some take aways:
* I must prepare myself first
* Recommit each Sunday (some weeks will be better than others and I just need to recommit to teaching the family each Sunday
President Wilford (2nd Counselor in the Stake Presidency)
Talked on Preventive Maintenance - just like we do preventive maintenance with our vehicles or even with our teeth at the Dentist, our spirits, spiritual health and our lives need preventative maintenance and that can come by Being More Diligent in Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy.
He went on to share that when he was a Bishop a few years ago (in 2015) he was at a Bishop's Training and how it was all about keeping the Sabbath day holy and more specifically in these 3 areas:
1. PREPARING for the Sabbath We can do this by preparing our hearts and mind throughout the week to be ready and prepared for the Sabbath. We can prepare on Saturday all of the logistical things that need to be done and also the house cleaning and chores can be done so that the house is "Sabbath Ready".
2. KEEPING the Sabbath Day Holy at Church The purpose of Church is to draw ourselves to Heaven and partake of the Sacrament. Be Spiritually prepared to take the Sacrament and be reverent. "Reverence Precedes Revelation"
3. KEEPING the Sabbath Day Holy at Home Don't get caught up and set rigid schedules or requirements. Ask myself "What sign am I giving to Heavenly Father with what I am doing on the Sabbath." Home is the basis of a Righteous Life
Questions to Ponder:
Do I truly understand the purpose of the Sabbath?
Do I look to the Sabbath as Delight?
Brother Hyer (the YM Stake President)
His talk was all about the Temple and was sooo inspiring and uplifting! If there's just one quote to take away from it, it would be:
"Plan our lives around the Temple and not the Temple around our lives."
* We must make an appointment with the Temple and then KEEP IT!
* Spending Time in the Temple is ESSENTIAL for our Spiritual Well-Being
Questions to Ponder:
What is my expectation when I attend the Temple?
What have I received by attending the Temple?
What can I do to have a "Temple Experience"?
We also heard from both the Nampa Idaho Mission President and his wife, the new 2nd Counselor in the Boise Temple Presidency (who just got put in Nov. 1st) and his wife and then our Stake President went over our Area Plan and challenged us to make goals in 4 areas:
1. Member Missionary Service
2. Temple and Family History
3. One on One Ministering
4. Sabbath Day Observance
It was a very wonderful weekend and I am feeling renewed and inspired!
YW TRAINING FROM CONFERENCE QUOTES
October 2018
This month we had our first YW Stake Auxiliary Training and WHAT we did was really neat! The Stake YW President had each of us (in the Presidency) find 4 quotes from General Conference and come up with a question to go along with it that would help the YW leaders in their callings. After each of us came up with the quotes, I designed them up in photoshop and printed them on cardstock and had them hanging on the wall during our training. It took quite a bit of time to design them all up so it made me feel good to see several of the sisters taking pictures of them afterwards and commenting on how nice they were. Anyway, doing this has inspired me to look at quotes in a different light and try to associate a question to better myself! Here are a few of the quotes and questions we presented that night!
Question: How have the “whisperings of the Spirit” helped you prepare and teach Sunday lessons? What challenges have you faced while teaching that you’ve overcome with the help of the Spirit?
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