Family

"The Lord has directed, Bring up your children in light and truth. To me, there is no more important human effort. Being a father or a mother is not only a great challenge; it is a divine calling. It is an effort requiring consecration. President David O. McKay (1873-1970) stated that being parents is the greatest trust that has been given to human beings."
--President James E. Faust, A Thousand Threads of Love, Ensign, Oct. 2005, 3

Prayer

"Pray for peace in the earth, that the Almighty who governs the universe will stretch forth His hand and let His Spirit brood upon the people, that the nations may not rage one against another."
--President Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, May 2003, 99


"Daily fervent prayers seeking forgiveness and special help and direction are essential to our lives and the nourishment of our testimonies. When we become hurried, repetitive, casual, or forgetful in our prayers, we tend to lose the closeness of the Spirit, which is so essential in the continual direction we need to successfully manage the challenges of our everyday lives. Family prayer every morning and night adds additional blessings and power to our individual prayers and to our testimonies."
--Donald L. Staheli, "Securing Our Testimonies," Ensign, Nov. 2004, 39

Weaknesses

"This is a world in which we are to prove ourselves. The lifetime of man is a day of trial, wherein we may prove to God, in our darkness, in our weakness, and where the enemy reigns, that we are our Father's friends, and that we receive light from him and are worthy to be leaders of our children-to become lords of lords, and kings of kings-to have perfect dominion over that portion of our families that will be crowned in the celestial kingdom with glory, immortality, and eternal lives." 
--Brigham Young, "Teachings of Presidents of the Church", Brigham Young 13 Preparing for Eternal Progression, 85

Women

"We are living in a great season for all women in the Church. Sisters, you are an essential part of our Heavenly Father's plan for eternal happiness; you are endowed with a divine birthright. You are the real builders of nations wherever you live, because strong homes of love and peace will bring security to any nation. I hope you understand that, and I hope the men of the Church understand it too. What you sisters do today will determine how the principles of the restored gospel can influence the nations of the world tomorrow. It will determine how these heavenly rays of the gospel will light every land in the future." 
--Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Influence of Righteous Women", Liahona, Sep 2009, 2–7

Sacrament

yesterday I got a weekly email from a friend on his mission and I really enjoyed this poem that he shared and I am going to share it as well. The sacrament is a weekly renewal of the covenants we made at baptism.

The Sacrament

Author: Unknown

This bread and this water, I willingly take,

Mistakes of my past I wish to forsake,

this week has gone by so soon and so swift,

the sins on my back, I barley could lift,

but thanks to my savior I can proudly proclaim

my sins can be lifted, if I remember His name,

and commit to myself, to live and do better,

to follow Christs word, right to the letter,

although we're imperfect, we find with great sorrow,

but God in his mercy, gives brand new tomorrows.

So go and start now, please do not wait,

to strive to do better, before its to late,

Just do as Christ says, remember His name,

and always do good, but not for fame,

If this you do, The promise is Shown,

That all who repent, are sure to come home.

Joseph Smith

Back in 2005 we celebrated 200 years since Joseph Smith was born. Here is the commemorative broadcast that was held in honor of him. It goes just over an hour so dont worry if you cant watch it all at once. just watch it in short 10-15 minute intervals or speaker by speaker. If you are struggling with your testimony of Joseph Smith please consider watching this.  I want you to know that I do have a testimony of Joseph Smith and that he did restore the one true church of God. I gained a testimony of Joseph in 2005 because of all the church activities that i was involved in that year.

Family History

I wanted to post a little about family history. It is just plain AWESOME!  I love being able to find new information about my ancestors. It has been quite a journey the past 3-4 years as I have come to love and teach family history. In 2009 one of my best friends showed me how to do family history and indexing and research. It has been so fun for me to learn about my ancestors since then. I was able to get into family history and find some names to do temple work for. Although I am only able to do baptisms and confirmations at the temple, I know that family history and temple work can and will bring us closer to our Father in Heaven and our ancestors as well. Near the end of 2010 my singles ward started a Family History and Temple Work class on Sundays and after the first day I talked to my Bishop and asked him if the class would be continued and he said yes and asked if I know much about family history and I said I knew some about it and i have been using www.new.familysearch.org website for almost two years. He was excited to find out because they needed to find another teacher for the class. The next week I was called as the other family history teacher. It was so fun to teach the class every other week for 5 months before there was major ward changes and i was released from that calling. But i want to say that I have learned a great deal about my ancestors since I started doing family history and temple work for them (what I am able to). I strongly encourage ANYone who has the slightest desire to do family history to start researching what you can do for your ancestors.  This is the Church's Temple and Family History website that has links to help you get started with family history. http://www.lds.org/family/temple-and-family-history?lang=eng
It will be hard at first but once you get into it, it is amazing what you can find. It took me a couple years of doing it once or twice a month to really grow a love for family history but the more you do it the easier it becomes. Sundays are a great day to do family history and a great way to spend your sunday. PLEASE comment on this post if you have ANY questions about family history or temple work or indexing. I would be glad and am more then willing to help with what I can.
Now I am going to bear my testimony about family history and temple work. Last year I was able to met and exchange information with a great-aunt who does family history on my mother's paternal side. This line only goes back 3-4 generations to the late 1800's when my great great grandfather immigrated to America with his brother from Sweden. We knew nothing else at all, not any other siblings name or even parents names. My great-aunt spent a month in Salt Lake City last year and was able to find some of that information that we have been missing. She came to find out my great great grandfather changed his name when he came to america and that explained why we could not find any other information about my great great grandfather's family. She also came to find out that my great great grandfather or his brother worked for the king of sweden as a stable boy before they came to America and had to have his permission to come to America.  Although we are missing a lot of information about that line after my great great grandfather, it makes it more real for me to find evidence that he had family in Sweden. With the information that my great aunt found, I am able to take it to the temple for their work to be done to allow them to partake of the blessings that i have right now in mortality.  I know that family history and temple work is a special opportunity for each person. I challenge you to start looking into it and do it. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Love

‎"Love is what inspired our Heavenly Father to create our spirits; it is what led our Savior to the Garden of Gethsemane to make Himself a ransom for our sins. Love is the grand motive of the plan of salvation; it is the source of happiness, the ever-renewing spring of healing, the precious fountain of hope. As we extend our hands and hearts toward others in Christlike love, something wonderful happens to us. Our own spirits become healed, more refined, and stronger. We become happier, more peaceful, and more receptive to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit."

-Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "You Are My Hands," Ensign, May 2010, 70, 75

Sunday WILL come

"Each of us will have our own Fridays-those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays. But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death-Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come. No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come." 
--Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Sunday Will Come", Ensign, Nov. 2006, 28

Mothers

"As mothers in Israel, we are the Lord's secret weapon. Our influence comes from a divine endowment that has been in place from the beginning. In the premortal world, when our Father described our role, I wonder if we didn't stand in wide-eyed wonder that He would bless us with a sacred trust so central to His plan and that He would endow us with gifts so vital to the loving and leading of His children. I wonder if we shouted for joy at least in part because of the ennobling stature He gave us in His kingdom. The world won't tell you that, but the Spirit will." 
--Sheri L. Dew, "Are We Not All Mothers?", Ensign, Nov 2001, 96

Learning

"In our learning, let us not neglect the fountain of revelation. The scriptures and the words of modern-day apostles and prophets are the sources of wisdom, divine knowledge, and personal revelation to help us find answers to all the challenges in life. Let us learn of Christ; let us seek out that knowledge which leads to peace, truth, and the sublime mysteries of eternity." 
--Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Two Principles for Any Economy", Ensign, Nov 2009, 55–58

Activities

"Church activities must be replaced by family activities." Only when parents and children work together for the same high objective-to put home and family first-can the home be preserved as God intended. Following President McKay's well-known statement "No other success can compensate for failure in the home," he went on to say: "The poorest shack in which love prevails over a united family is of greater value to God and future humanity than any other riches. In such a home God can work miracles and will work miracles." 
--Rex D. Pinegar, "Home First", Ensign, May 1990, 9

Temples are a Beacon

This is a short 3 minute video by the church about temples.
Temples are a Beacon

Character

Elder Richard G. Scott, The Transforming Power of Faith and Character Ensign November 2010

A consistent, righteous life produces an inner power and strength that can be permanently resistant to the eroding influence of sin and transgression.

When faith is properly understood and used, it has dramatically far-reaching effects. Such faith can transform an individual’s life from maudlin, common everyday activities to a symphony of joy and happiness. The exercise of faith is vital to Father in Heaven’s plan of happiness. But true faith, faith unto salvation, is centered on the Lord Jesus Christ, faith in His doctrines and teachings, faith in the prophetic guidance of the Lord’s anointed, faith in the capacity to discover hidden characteristics and traits that can transform life. Truly, faith in the Savior is a principle of action and power.

Faith is a foundation building block of creation. I am confident that the Savior Jesus Christ uses faith in His capacity to act under the direction of Father in Heaven. The Master used it to create the most remote galaxies as well as to compose quarks, the smallest elements of matter we know of today. Yet, I have faith that there are yet smaller building blocks in the wonder of creation.

Faith in the future is demonstrated by a couple sealed in the temple. They understand that by obedience to the teachings of Jesus Christ and the plan of happiness of our Father in Heaven, they can have a joyous life together. They recognize that when the challenges intended to be growth opportunities come, they will find ways, as prompted by the Holy Ghost, to overcome them in ways that are productive and character building.

Faith and character are intimately related. Faith in the power of obedience to the commandments of God will forge strength of character available to you in times of urgent need. Such character is not developed in moments of great challenge or temptation. That is when it is intended to be used. Your exercise of faith in true principles builds character; fortifiedcharacter expands your capacity to exercise more faith. As a result, your capacity and confidence to conquer the trials of life is enhanced. The more your character is fortified, the more enabled you are to benefit from exercising the power of faith. You will discover how faith and characterinteract to strengthen one another. Character is woven patiently from threads of applied principle, doctrine, and obedience.

President Hugh B. Brown said: “Wherever in life great spiritual values await man’s appropriation, only faith can appropriate them. Man cannot live without faith, because in life’s adventure the central problem is character-building—which is not a product of logic, but of faith in ideals and sacrificial devotion to them” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1969, 105). We exercise faith by doing. Joseph Smith said that “faith [is] the principle of action and of power” (Lectures on Faith [1985], 72).

We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want tobecome each day. Righteous character is a precious manifestation of what you are becoming. Righteous character is more valuable than any material object you own, any knowledge you have gained through study, or any goals you have attained no matter how well lauded by mankind. In the next life your righteous character will be evaluated to assess how well you used the privilege of mortality.

Neither Satan nor any other power can destroy or undermine your growingcharacter. Only you could do that through disobedience. A sterlingcharacter is converted into worthless ashes when eroded by deceit or transgression.

Strong moral character results from consistent correct choices in the trials and testing of life. Such choices are made with trust in things that are believed and when acted upon are confirmed.

What are some of the empowering principles upon which faith is based?

• • 
  Trust in God and in His willingness to provide help when needed, no matter how challenging the circumstance.
• • 
  Obedience to His commandments and a life that demonstrates that He can trust you.
• • 
  Sensitivity to the quiet promptings of the Holy Spirit.
• • 
  Courageous implementation of that prompting.
• • 
  Patience and understanding when God lets you struggle to grow and when answers come a piece at a time over an extended period.

“Faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith” (Ether 12:6). Thus, every time you try your faith—that is, act in worthiness on an impression—you will receive the confirming evidence of the Spirit. As you walk to the boundary of your understanding into the twilight of uncertainty, exercising faith, you will be led to find solutions you would not obtain otherwise. With even your strongest faith, God will not always reward you immediately according to your desires. Rather, God will respond with what in His eternal plan is best for you, when it will yield the greatest advantage. Be thankful that sometimes God lets you struggle for a long time before that answer comes. That causes your faith to increase and your character to grow.

The bedrock of character is integrity. Worthy character will strengthen your capacity to recognize the direction of the Spirit and to be obedient to it. Your consistent exercise of faith builds strong character. A secure foundation for your growing character is laid by making Jesus Christ and His teachings the center of your life.

Your happiness on earth as well as your eternal salvation require many correct decisions, none of which is difficult to make. Together those decisions forge a character resistant to the eroding influences of sin and transgression. Noble character is like a treasured porcelain made of select raw materials, formed with faith, carefully crafted by consistent righteous acts, and fired in the furnace of uplifting experience. It is an object of great beauty and priceless worth. Yet it can be damaged in a moment through transgression, requiring painful, prolonged effort to be rebuilt. When protected by self-control, righteous character will endure for eternity.

Material things do not of themselves produce happiness and satisfaction and the joy of attainment on earth. Nor do they lead us to exaltation. It is nobility of character, that fabric of inner strength and conviction woven from countless righteous decisions, that gives life its direction. A consistent, righteous life produces an inner power and strength that can be permanently resistant to the eroding influence of sin and transgression. Your faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to His commandments will strengthen your character. Your character is a measure of what you are becoming. It is the evidence of how well you are using your time on earth in this period of mortal probation.

An axiom we all understand is that you get what you pay for. That is true for spiritual matters as well. You get what you pay for in obedience, in faith in Jesus Christ, in diligent application of the truths you learn. What you get is the molding of character, the growth in capacity, and the successful completion of your mortal purpose to be proven and to have joy.

You cannot be passive in life, or in time the natural man will undermine your efforts to live worthily. You become what you do and what you think about. Lack of character leads one under pressure to satisfy appetite or seek personal gain. You cannot successfully bolster a weak character with the cloak of pretense.

In time one who makes decisions based upon circumstance is virtually assured to commit serious transgressions. There is no iron rod of truth to keep that person in the right way. He or she will continually be faced with many subtle temptations to make deviations from the commandments. Those choices are justified by arguing that they are not that bad, that they are more socially acceptable and provide a broader base of friends. A clever individual without foundation principles can at times acquire, temporarily, impressive accomplishments. Yet that attainment is like a sand castle. When the test of character comes, it crumbles, often taking others with it. Despite how carefully a transgressor seeks to keep the violation of commandments hidden, in time they nearly always become publicly known. Satan himself sees to that. He and his minions are determined to cause the greatest possible harm to each of Father in Heaven’s children. One serious act of disobedience or violation of trust invariably raises questions of whether or not there are others. The faith and confidence of others in that individual’s character is undermined.

This mortal life is a proving ground. How well you meet its challenges determines how strong your character will be. Your faith in Jesus Christ and His teachings fortifies your character.

I have personally verified that concepts like faith, prayer, love, and humility hold no great significance and produce no miracles until they become a living part of us through our own experience, aided by the sweet prompting of the Holy Spirit. In early life I found that I could learn gospel teachings intellectually and, through the power of reason and analysis, recognize that they were of significant value. But their enormous power and ability to stretch me beyond the limits of my imagination and capacity did not become reality until patient, consistent practice allowed the Holy Spirit to distill and expand their meaning in my heart. I found that while I was sincerely serving others, God forged my personal character. He engendered a growing capacity to recognize the direction of the Spirit. The genius of the gospel plan is that by doing those things the Lord counsels us to do, we are given every understanding and every capacity necessary to provide peace and rich fulfillment in this life. Likewise, we gain the preparation necessary for eternal happiness in the presence of the Lord.

A testimony is fortified by spiritual impressions that confirm the validity of a teaching, of a righteous act. Often such guidance is accompanied by powerful emotions that bring tears to the eyes and make it difficult to speak. But a testimony is not emotion. It is the very essence of characterwoven from threads born of countless correct decisions. These choices are made with trusting faith in things that are believed and, at least initially, are not seen. A strong testimony gives peace, comfort, and assurance. It generates the conviction that as the teachings of the Savior are consistently obeyed, life will be beautiful, the future will be secure, and there will be capacity to overcome the challenges that cross our path. A testimony grows from understanding truth distilled from prayer and the pondering of scriptural doctrine. It is nurtured by living those truths with faith anchored in the secure confidence that the promised results will be obtained.

Your testimony will be made strong through willing obedience to the law of tithing and by giving fast offerings, and the Lord will bless you richly for it. As your testimony is fortified, Satan will try harder to tempt you. Resist his efforts. You will become stronger and his influence on you weaker.

Satan’s increasing influence in the world is allowed to provide an atmosphere in which to prove ourselves. While he causes havoc today, Satan’s final destiny was fixed by Jesus Christ through His Atonement and the Resurrection. The devil will not triumph. Even now he must operate within the bounds set by the Lord. He cannot take away any blessing that has been earned. He cannot alter character that has been woven from righteous decisions. He has no power to destroy the eternal bonds forged in a holy temple between a husband, wife, and children. He cannot quench true faith. He cannot take away your testimony. Yes, these things can be lost by succumbing to his temptations. But he has no power in and of himself to destroy them.

To summarize:

• • 
  God uses your faith to mold your character.
• • 
  Character is the manifestation of what you are becoming.
• • 
  Strong character results from consistent correct choices.
• • 
  The bedrock of character is integrity.
• • 
  The more your character is fortified, the more enabled you are to exercise the power of faith.

Humility is that quality that permits us to be taught from on high through the Spirit or to be taught from sources whose origin was inspiration from the Lord, such as the scriptures and the comments of the prophets. Humility is the precious fertile soil of righteous character. In it the seeds of personal growth germinate. When cultivated through the exercise of faith, pruned by repentance, and fortified by obedience and good works, such seeds produce the cherished fruit of spiritual direction. Divine inspiration and power then result—inspiration to know the will of the Lord, power to provide the ability to accomplish that inspired will.

May I share four principles which have brought the deepest feelings of peace and happiness into my own life? The Lord has established these cornerstones in His eternal plan, and each one is essential. All work together in harmony and reinforce one another. When they are applied with diligence and consistency, they produce strength of character, increasing ability to convert the challenges of life into stepping-stones of happiness now and forever. They are:

• • 
  Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His program to acquire the power to achieve.
• • 
  Repentance to rectify the consequences of mistakes of omission or commission.
• • 
  Obedience to the commandments of the Lord to provide strength and direction in our lives.
• • 
  Selfless service to enrich the lives of others.

If you have determined to live righteously, don’t become discouraged. Life may seem difficult now, but hold on tightly to that iron rod of truth. You are making better progress than you realize. Your struggles are definingcharacter, discipline, and confidence in the promises of your Father in Heaven and the Savior as you consistently obey Their commandments. May the Holy Ghost prompt you to always make decisions that fortify yourcharacter and yield much joy and happiness. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.