Focus Desires...Simplify Life...Become Better

Yep...so that is what has been on my mind lately.  Cutting things out.  Adding things in.   Intentionally noticing where improvements are needed. 

I've started to realize that although I do many good things some of them aren't necessarily the best or take time away where it is more importantly needed.  I've been letting some things start to slip from my routine or at least not be so high on my list.  It has been good.  I am looking forward to a continued journey of simplifying.

This all started from this talk - Desire by Elder Dallin H. Oaks.  I actually sat down and started writing down what my desires are and then I realized that what I was really writing down was what my desires SHOULD be.  Some of them match the actions that I take and some I realized I am not truly following through with.  I realized that some of the ways I was using time showed that different desires were somehow eeking up on my priority list.  Not good.

So of course while I was thinking on what I desired most and what I desire to BECOME I thought back to another one of my favorite Conference gems:  What Manner of Men and Women Ought You to Be? by  Elder Lynn G. Robbins. 

My brain and my heart and my spirit have been churning with all of these ideas of simplifying, righteous desires, and becoming who I can become.  It has turned into a mush of goodness and still has me making changes and pondering and trying to grasp what needs to be done and what needs not to be done, and where things need to slip and where things need to expand or be emphasized.  I sense a great push to simplify life and yet a great push to expand spirtual things and be more intentional and present at each stage of rearing my children.

After much of this reading and thinking and pondering was done I went and read this talk - Daughters of God by Elder M. Russell Ballard.  So good.

It is time to focus my desires, simplify my life, and strive to become better in very specific and intentional ways.  Off to work (well, off to bed of now but you know what I mean). 

Counsel from the Saturday Afternoon Session - April 2011

Saturday Afternoon Session

Boyd K. Packer

·    “Obedient to revelation, we call ourselves The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints rather than the Mormon Church. It is one thing for others to refer to the Church as the Mormon Church or to us as Mormons; it is quite another for us to do so.”

·    “We ask that when we refer to the Church we use its full name wherever possible…When referring to Church members, we suggest ‘members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.’ As a shortened reference, ‘Latter-day Saints’ is preferred.”

·    “Everyone is tested. One might think it is unfair to be singled out and subjected to a particular temptation, but this is the purpose of mortal life—to be tested. And the answer is the same for everyone: we must, and we can, resist temptations of any kind.”

·    “A Latter-day Saint man is a responsible family man, faithful in the gospel. He is a caring, devoted husband and father. He reveres womanhood. The wife sustains her husband. Both parents nurture the spiritual growth of their children.”

·    “If you are carrying some burden, forget it, let it alone. Do a lot of forgiving and a little repenting, and you will be visited by the Spirit of the Holy Ghost and confirmed by the testimony that you did not know existed.”

Russell M. Nelson

·    “You parents bear the primary responsibility to strengthen their faith. Let them feel your faith, even when sore trials come upon you. Let your faith be focused on our loving Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Teach that faith with deep conviction. Teach each precious boy or girl that he or she is a child of God, created in His image, with a sacred purpose and potential.”

·    “Teach of faith in God’s plan of salvation. Teach that our sojourn in mortality is a period of probation, a time of trial and testing to see if we will do whatever the Lord commands us to do.”

·    “Teach of faith to keep all the commandments of God, knowing that they are given to bless His children and bring them joy. Warn them that they will encounter people who pick which commandments they will keep and ignore others that they choose to break.”

·    “Teach of faith to know that obedience to the commandments of God will provide physical and spiritual protection. And remember, God’s holy angels are ever on call to help us.”

·    “To develop enduring faith, an enduring commitment to be a full-tithe payer is essential.”

Richard J. Maynes

·    “Learning, teaching, and practicing the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ in our homes helps create a culture where the Spirit can dwell. Through establishing these celestial traditions in our homes, we will be able to overcome the false traditions of the world and learn to put the needs and concerns of others first.”

·    “The responsibility for establishing a Christ-centered home lies with both parents and children. Parents are responsible to teach their children in love and righteousness. Parents will be held accountable before the Lord in how they perform their sacred responsibilities. Parents teach their children with words and through example.”

Cecil O. Samuelson

10 Observations regarding our testimonies:

·    “First, everyone has worth because we are all children of God. He knows us, loves us, and wants us to succeed and return to Him. We must learn to trust in His love and in His timing rather than in our own sometimes impatient and imperfect desires.”

·    “Second, while we believe fully in the mighty change of heart described in the scriptures (see Mosiah 5:2; Alma 5:12–14, 26), we must understand it often occurs gradually, rather than instantaneously or globally.”

·    “Third, we need to remember that a fundamental purpose of life is to be tested and stretched, and thus we must learn to grow from our challenges”

·    “Fourth, we must learn to trust the things that we believe in or know to sustain us in times of uncertainty.”

·    “Fifth, as Alma taught, gaining a testimony is usually a progression along the continuum of hoping, believing, and finally knowing the truth of a specific principle, doctrine, or the gospel itself.”

·    “Sixth, teaching someone else what we know strengthens our own testimony as we build that of another.”

·    “Seventh, we must do the little but necessary things daily and regularly. Prayers, scripture and gospel study, attendance at Church meetings, temple worship, fulfilling visiting teaching, home teaching, and other assignments all strengthen our faith and invite the Spirit into our lives. When we neglect any of these privileges, we place our testimonies in jeopardy.”

·    “Eighth, we should not have higher standards for others than we do for ourselves.”

·    “Ninth, it is good to remember that being too hard on yourself when you make a mistake can be as negative as being too casual when real repentance is needed.”

·    “And tenth, we must always be clear that the Atonement of Christ is fully and continuously operative for each of us when we allow it to be so.”

Dallin H. Oaks

·    “Readjusting our desires to give highest priority to the things of eternity is not easy. We are all tempted to desire that worldly quartet of property, prominence, pride, and power. We might desire these, but we should not fix them as our highest priorities.”

·    “We should remember that righteous desires cannot be superficial, impulsive, or temporary. They must be heartfelt, unwavering, and permanent. So motivated, we will seek for that condition described by the Prophet Joseph Smith, where we have ‘overcome the evils of [our lives] and lost every desire for sin.’ That is a very personal decision.”

·    “To achieve our eternal destiny, we will desire and work for the qualities required to become an eternal being.”

·    “All should desire and seriously work to secure a marriage for eternity. Those who already have a temple marriage should do all they can to preserve it. Those who are single should desire a temple marriage and exert priority efforts to obtain it. Youth and young singles should resist the politically correct but eternally false concept that discredits the importance of marrying and having children.”

·    “Let us remember that desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. In addition, it is our actions and our desires that cause us to become something, whether a true friend, a gifted teacher, or one who has qualified for eternal life.”

M. Russell Ballard

·    “We should strive to keep our lives…simple, unencumbered by extraneous influences, focused on those things that matter most.”

·    "There are myriad ways and circumstances in which we can serve and love others. May I suggest just a few.

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

·    “Another place where we have ample opportunity to serve is in the Church…By treating each other kindly, speaking words of support and encouragement, and being sensitive to each other’s needs, we can create loving unity among ward members…Ward members, both adults and youth, can unite in meaningful service to bless the lives of others.

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

·    “Another way we can serve Heavenly Father’s children is through missionary service—not only as full-time missionaries but also as friends and neighbors. The future growth of the Church will not happen through just knocking on strangers’ doors. It will happen when the members, along with our missionaries, filled with the love of God and Christ discern needs and respond to those needs in the spirit of charitable service…Then and only then will the Church expand to fill all of the earth. This cannot be accomplished by missionaries alone but requires the interest and service of every member.”

·    “In all of our service, we need to be sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Ghost. The still, small voice will let us know who needs our help and what we can do to help them.”

Self-Medicating...

I ran, I dove, I smacked into the accordian wall on several occasions, I slide on the floor and gave my back a bump on the stage, and then it might seem that I scooted home quickly to head straight to the cupboard for a "dose of relief" but it wasn't that kind of self-medicating. Oh, it was a dose just right, so right that I realized that I need to "self-medicate" much more often. It was just what I needed.

It was a stake women's basketball game. A cure really. Now you might be thinking, what? A stake basketball game, self-medicating? Hmmm, that's interesting.

So let me explain - I played and I played hard, not the kind of hard I played in high school but the kind of hard that a Mommy who needs to just get the "Mommy Wiggles" out does. And it felt good. I came home tired but rejuvenated. And then the late night wakings of a Mommy with a new little one began and as I sat there nursing at two a.m., half asleep, the thought popped into my mind that that night's game was self-medicating. Weird, I know, but that was my thought.

So the following day I looked up this definition:

Self-medicating is the use of a drug with therapeutic intent but without professional advice or prescription.

And now I have realized that I really can't call what happened that night self-medicating although it did act as a drug in that some Mommy symptoms felt relieved and non-existent for a time and it did feel quite therapeutic however it had been prescribed by a professional indeed, only I had forgotten to refill my prescription. So you see, after this self-medicating event and a week or so later THIS event, I've been reminded that unlike many prescriptions this type requires refill after refill to keep symptoms in check.

And the prescription is written by this wonderful professional:

Elder Ballard

First we must accept the prescription:
"Water cannot be drawn from an empty well, and if you are not setting aside a little time for what replenishes you, you will have less and less to give to others, even to your children. Avoid any kind of substance abuse (so ladies no real self-medicating :), mistakenly thinking that it will help you accomplish more. And don’t allow yourself to be caught up in the time-wasting, mind-numbing things like television soap operas or surfing the Internet. Turn to the Lord in faith, and you will know what to do and how to do it."

And then here is where the role of your "pharmasist husband" comes in:

"Give your wife a “day away” now and then. Just take over the household and give your wife a break from her daily responsibilities. Taking over for a while will greatly enhance your appreciation of what your wife does. You may do a lot of lifting, twisting, and bending!"

So when you are feeling a funk coming on or well before then you may just want to call-in a prescription to your husband at work or hand him a copy of this quote when he gets home and head out the door or lock yourself in your bedroom or whatever your choice of "medicating" might be. For me, this time, it was stake basketball but maybe next time I'll lock myself in my room with a good book.

It is high time I follow the prescription (counsel) of a professional and fill up my well on occasion. So maybe today (Valentine's Day) I'll be asking my honey for a day-away or maybe just an hour. I have a feeling that sometime soon I may be in need of a "dose".

Covenants for All Members: It's Time for a Review

A while back I read over Elder Christofferson's conference talk, The Power of Covenants. What a powerful message. Among many things it got me thinking that I may not actually know, by heart, all of the covenants I have made and I realized that it can be pretty hard to keep a promise when I am not exactly sure what promises I have made. It was a wake up call.

I then remembered that there was some type of list of covenants in the Eternal Marriage Manual and so I headed there for a refresher course and came across this quote that again assured me that this search was a necessary one:

Elder Ballard said, “A periodic review of the covenants we have made with the Lord will help us with our priorities and with balance in our lives. This review will help us see where we need to repent and change our lives to ensure that we are worthy of the promises that accompany our covenants and sacred ordinances. Working out our own salvation requires good planning and a deliberate, valiant effort” (Ensign, May 1987, 14).

Elder Ballard is very clear here that we must review the covenants we make so that we can have balance and so that we can repent and change. And I really liked his last line where he says that we need to have good planning and a diliberate, valiant effort. It made me realize that the making and keeping of covenants isn't as simple as I may have made it out to be. I need to review, plan, and valiantly act. And the real kicker I discovered was that I need to know.

So here is a list of the covenants and promises that all members of the church make and should try to keep (later posts will focus on temple covenants and priesthood covenants):

Baptism -

We covenant to:

• Come into the fold of God.
• Take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ.
• Stand as a witness for Jesus Christ.
• Always keep the commandments.
• Bear one another’s burdens.
• Manifest a determination to serve God unto the end.
• Manifest by works that we have repented of our sins.
• Prepare to receive the Holy Ghost for the complete remission of sins.

Blessings Promised:

1. We qualify for membership in Christ’s Church.
2. If we are worthy, the Lord promises to:
• Pour out His Spirit upon us.
• Redeem us from our sins.
• Raise us up in the First Resurrection.
• Give us eternal life.

See 2 Nephi 31:17–21; Mosiah 18:8–10; D&C 20:37; Articles of Faith 1:4.

Gift of the Holy Ghost –

Covenants we make with God:

In order to qualify for the gift of the Holy Ghost we must fulfill the covenants of baptism, continue in humility and faith, and otherwise be worthy of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost (see Articles of Faith 1:4).

Blessings Promised:

1. We are confirmed as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
2. We receive the right or privilege to enjoy the continual companionship of the Holy Ghost. We can receive inspiration, divine manifestations, spiritual gifts, and direction from the Holy Ghost continually. We also receive blessings by receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost as the Holy Ghost bears witness of Jesus Christ and of divine truths, provides spiritual guidance and warnings, and enables us to discern right and wrong.
3. We are sanctified or cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost and are born of God as we continue faithfully. Through this baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost, individual hearts and desires are cleansed
and spirits are made pure. Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost is the culmination of the process of repentance and baptism (see 2 Nephi 31:13, 17; 3 Nephi 27:20).
4. We know the gift of the Holy Ghost is the key to all of the spiritual gifts found in the Church, including the gifts of prophecy and revelation, healing, speaking in tongues, and translating and interpreting tongues.

Sacrament -

We Covenant to:

• Renew our baptismal covenants.
• Recommit to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, always remember Him, and keep His commandments. Partaking of the sacrament is a time for personal introspection, repentance, and rededication.

Blessings Promised:

1. The Lord forgives sins we repent of.
2. The Lord promises that we may always have His Spirit to be with us.

See 3 Nephi 18:28–29; Moroni 4–5; D&C 20:75–79; 27:2; 46:4.

Let us come to know and review the covenants we have made. Let us plan well and delibaretly act on the covenants we have made. Let us remember the blessing and power that our covenants can bring.

The Miracle of the Holy Bible

8th Article of Faith:
"We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God."

Enjoy this wonderful video of "The Miracle of the Bible"


To receive a FREE copy of the Book of Mormon or the Bible among many other DVDs and booklets vist Mormon.org.

TV, Television, the Tube, Flat Screen?

Well, whatever you call it at your house, a TV is a TV. It is a box filled with images and sound some good and some bad...a few weeks ago on Modern Molly Mormon, Military Molly wrote a post about TV. It got me thinking...here is the bulk of my comment to her post with a few additions:

"It is so easy to get sucked into the tv. It is an easy and cheap (free if you don't have cable)babysitter. It is an easy and cheap way to sit back and relax. It is addicting. It is fun. It is an adult voice during the day of a stay-at-home mommy. It is definitely way too much a part of my life. Any kind of noise is way too much a part of my life.

Just today I realized that as soon as I jump in the car with my toddler the radio gets turned on and we don't talk. He sits in the back seat in silence and I sit in mine with a few words sung here and there. So as we were out and about running errands today I turned it off and we talked...you know in the way that a mommy and an almost two year old can. We pointed at things and noticed things along our way. He jabbered and jabbered.

As we kept driving I asked him a question, "Do you want to keep talking or do you want to listen to music?" Now my little boy loves music but he said, "Keep talking." So we continued on our radio-free adventure and enjoyed each other. It was a great teaching moment. Not from me as the parent to my son but from my toddler to his Mommy who needed to be taught.

Finally I wanted to share the quote that we have on top of our tv. It is a great reminder to only watch programs that are good influences so that we don't allow the bad or the temptations of the world to entertain us:

"If we entertain temptations, soon they begin entertaining us!"
~Elder Neal A. Maxwell

What a great challenge it would be to turn our tvs off and be more in the here and now rather than sucked into some fantasy world that is, more often than not, of the world."

Her post was great and the conversation that followed in the comments was great as well (If you would like to read her post, click on the link at the top of this post).

One of the quotes she shares in her post is so powerful and so I wanted to share it here:

“Again I say, leave it alone. Turn it off, walk away from it, burn it, erase it, destroy it. I know it is hard counsel we give when we say movies that are R-rated, and many with PG-13 ratings, are produced by satanic influences. Our standards should not be dictated by the rating system. I repeat, because of what they really represent, these types of movies, music, tapes, etc. serve the purposes of the author of all darkness.”
-Elder H. Burke Peterson

What a bold statement that a lot of the media out there is "produced by satanic influences" and "serve the purposes of the author of all darkness". It is scary to think that we often are allowing satan to be our entertainer. We are allowing him to keep us company, to make us laugh, and to fill our minds with his filth. We must be so careful to not allow the rating system to determine our standards but allow our conscience and our personal standards to do so.

In the For the Strength of Youth Pamphlet it outlines what our standard concerning media should be:

"Whatever you read, listen to, or look at has an effect on you. Therefore, choose only entertainment and media that uplift you...Do not attend, view, or participate in entertainment that is vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic in any way. Do not participate in entertainment that in any way presents immorality or violent behavior as acceptable."

What a perfect reminder of what our standard should be.

Here are a few other great talks about the effects and the influence of tv in our homes:

M. Russell Ballard, “The Effects of Television,” Ensign, May 1989, 78 - In this talk Elder Ballard shares alarming findings from research studies of the effects of watching more than two hours of tv a day and the significant changes that would take place if the time spent watching tv was less than two hours daily. It is very interesting and eye-opening.

Controlling the Media’s Influence in Your Home - This is a great article found in the Liahona that shares a list of questions you may want to ask yourselves and/or your children about your television habits.

I am as guilty or more so than most of you. So I challenge you and I to turn off our TVs and do something of greater worth and value. I challenge us to find more worthwhile things to fill our time with and to fill our children's time with. I also challenge us to notice the types of shows we are watching and determine if they truly are uplifting us or not.

Finally, I challenge us to change this stat within the walls of our homes:
"American children and adolescents spend 22 to 28 hours per week viewing television, more than any other activity except sleeping. By the age of 70 they will have spent 7 to 10 years of their lives watching TV."-- The Kaiser Family Foundation

Understanding the Divine Roles of Women

My last two posts have been about womanhood and motherhood and the trend continues. I've decided that each month I will write a post about the Visiting Teaching message and this month it just so happens to be about the divine roles of woman.


President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985):
“To be a righteous woman during the winding up scenes on this earth, before the second coming of our Savior, is an especially noble calling. The righteous woman’s strength and influence today can be tenfold what it might be in more tranquil times” (“Privileges and Responsibilities of Sisters,” Ensign, Nov. 1978, 103).

Our calling as women and mothers is a noble one. Sometimes it is easy to lose sight of that while in the midst of diapers, or dishes, or dating, or college, or work, or whatever our many roles entail. It is easy to forget that our influence and strength are seen and followed. But we are looked up to and watched. We are examples, good or bad.

The world is not in a state of tranquility but rather in many instances it is in a state of chaos. We are constantly bombarded by the views of the world. We are taught to seek out unnecessary worldly possessions. We are taught that we must look just so. We are taught that our role of being a mother is insignificant and unfulfilling. But if we come to understand our divine role as women all of these wordly views will fall away and our influence and strength will reach many.

Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

“… Although there is simply not a more significant contribution you can make to society, to the Church, or to the eternal destiny of our Father’s children than what you will do as a mother or father, motherhood and fatherhood are not the only measures of goodness or of one’s acceptance before the Lord. …

Every sister in this Church who has made covenants with the Lord has a divine mandate to help save souls, to lead the women of the world, to strengthen the homes of Zion, and to build the kingdom of God” (“Women of Righteousness,” Liahona, Dec. 2002, 36, 39; Ensign, Apr. 2002, 68, 70).

We all are needed. We all are important. We all have different talents. We all are in different circumstances and stages in our lives. Some of us are mothers and some are not. Some of us are married and some are single. Some of us are old and some young. Some stay home and some need to work. Some of us are converts and some have been members all of our lives. Some of us have met many physical trials and some have met more mental or emotional trials. It does not matter which of these characteristics we each hold. The divine roles of women are many and must be filled by each of us from all walks of life. As Elder Ballard suggested our roles do not stop at the walls of our homes, although there they are most significant. Our roles can and should expand far beyond the walls of our homes to lift and lead the women of the world and to build up and spread the kingdom of God.

All of us as women are divine. We all have a noble calling. We all have a great role - EVERY sister in this Church has a divine calling to help others, to lead others, to strengthen others, and to build others whether it be in our own homes, in our schools, in our communities, in our wards, at our work-places, or in the homes of those we visit teach. We can influence and strengthen others. We all have something to offer. We all hold the noble and divine calling of Womanhood.

Let us strive for a greater understanding of the divine roles that we hold as women. Let us open our eyes to the impact and influence we can have in our homes and in the world. Let us remember that we are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love Him.

New Year's Resolutions

Now that Christmas has come and gone...it is time to start thinking of our resolution(s) for this upcoming year. As some of you know I love the true definitions of words so I looked up the words resolution and resolve and found that their actual definitions are this: A determination to do something or an earnest decision. I often will make a list of things that I want to work on with great desire and determination at the beginning and then I will gradually slow down in my efforts until I reach the point of giving no effort at all. When it comes to the true defintion of resolve I guess I have rarely actually had one but the time is now.

I challenge us all this year to choose just one thing to work on, one thing to be better at. Often times we notice all of our weaknesses and when we determine to be better we try to tackle them all at once. I have found that this technique always results in failure to meet our well intentioned goals. My challenge to all of us is to make a list of the things we want to do or be better at this year and to tackle each of them one by one as priorities guide. My hope is that we all can have a greater determination to do something with the serious intent to follow through and meet our goal(s).

Elder Ballard said, "When you learn to master the principle of setting a goal, you will then be able to make a great difference in the results you attain in this life. We can become the masters of our own destinies by practicing self-discipline and by setting worthy goals that will lead to higher ground so that we can become what our Heavenly Father wants us to become."

Just as Elder Ballard said, we need to set worthy goals that will lead us to higher ground and that will help us see a greater result. One thing that I found very helpful in setting goals is to create goals that are measurable. When you can see your results and see that you are progressing or that you are meeting your goals it can be incredibly gratifying and rewarding - it can be a great propelling force to help you continue on in your quest to reach that goal or that resolve.

So as you write down your goals for this year think of ways to make them more measurable. For example, if you were going to write "be more kind to my sister" think of something more specific and measurable like "play with my sister every week" or "compliment my sister everyday". When you are more specific and have an actually action to complete it is more likely to take place as you will be more likely to follow through.

At the links below you can find great charts to help you stay on track and follow your progress throughout the year. There are charts and calendars for many different areas of life but if you can't find one here that you like or that matches your goal then create one that works for you.

Scripture Reading Charts

Daily Prayer Chart

Commitment Calendars by Emily Peterson - There are calendars to mark off anything from exercise to family home evenings.

Goal Setting Worksheets

Good luck to us all as we set out this next year to do better and to become better.

Opposite Trick-or-Treating ~ Service

So I thought I'd share this fun idea. Last year my son was too young to do "real" trick-or-treating but I still thought it would be fun to go around with my cute little dressed-up tike and knock on some doors. So we devised a plan to get out there and enjoy Halloween and this is what we came up with - OPPOSITE TRICK-OR-TREATING!!! First, we made these cute little treats:
It was simply white tissue paper, some ribbon, and a black marker. Inside was a little bag full of caramel popcorn. I made quite a few of these in no time flat.

Anyway, we went around and knocked on neighbors doors and instead of saying Trick-or-Treat, I said, "Opposite Trick-or-Treat" and handed them our little gift. It was fun to see their reactions and it was fun to get a little taste of Halloween without returning home with enough candy to last us the whole year.

Now that my son is a little older we plan to do both. We will do a little taking and do a little giving. I've decided that many of us have put so much emphasis on service around Thanksgiving and Christmas time that we tend to forget about the rest of the year. Why not a yummy ghostish treat in October? Why not something at St. Patrick's time or the 4th of July? Or even better why not bring a treat or lend a helping hand today, tomorrow, or any day of the year?!?

I loved this line from Elder Ballard, "He isn't asking us to walk across a nation but to walk across the street."

I hope some of you try Opposite Trick-or-Treating or more importantly I hope we all can learn to simply "walk across the street" and be of service to our neighbors and friends.

Praise to the Man - Joseph Smith

I chose this song this week because on Monday our family had the opportunity to go to the Church History Museum. We had a good experience there. I especially felt the Spirit as I was looking at some of Joseph Smith's belongings. I felt the Spirit witness to me that the Prophet Joseph Smith was a true Prophet of God and that he did see God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. He did restore the Gospel to the earth and he did translate the Book of Mormon. I know this to be true.

Praise to the Man

There may be some misconceptions that we worship the Prophet Joseph Smith. However, we praise and honor him for restoring the Gospel to the earth and we have gratitude toward him for the many hardships and afflictions he had to face in order to do so but we worship our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ.

Click here to read the Joseph Smith - History
Click here to enter the Joseph Smith Site

Elder Ballard answers the question:
Do you worship Jesus Christ in your Sunday services?

Elder Ballard answers the questions:
Was Joseph Smith a prophet? Are prophets necessary today?