Church of Jesus Christ in Former Times

So far while studying this lesson, I've learned that I don't know very much!

Doctrine and Covenants 107:99

"Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence."

Priesthood supports Family

"He has given you His power to do great things. As you fulfill your duty to God, you will strengthen and bless your family. This is your greatest priesthood duty."
Elder David Beck

Attitude

Ella Wheeler Wilcox:

It is easy enough to be pleasant,
When life flows by like a song,
But the man worth while is one who will smile,
When everything goes dead wrong.

Courage

"A moral coward is one who is afraid to do what he thinks is right because others will disapprove or laugh. Remember that all men have their fears, but those who face their fears with dignity have courage as well."
President Monson

Someone has said that courage is not the absence of fear but the mastery of it.

Duty to God

My next lesson in Relief Society is about the organization of the priesthood, which is part of the reason why I'm posting about priesthood and why I will be studying it for the next little while. I am aware that Grant will be 12 before I know it, and I also realize that he is learning a lot about the priesthood even at age 3. And I am married to someone who holds the priesthood and my daughter will be marrying someone who can hold the priesthood.
There is a new Duty to God program coming out. It sounds like it focuses on helping young men understand their responsibilities and also become better men. Advancing in the priesthood is something that we may consider just a given, but I need to learn more about it so I can appreciate it more. There are people in Relief Society who have sons, or son-in-laws, grandsons, husbands, brothers, etc and women need to learn about the priesthood so we can support it.
Here is an excellent talk by the YM President called The Magnificent Aaronic Priesthood that sort of outlines the new program. I really really like the format of the program and can't wait to get a book- first you learn about a principle and develop a testimony about it (kind of like what I'm doing to teach this lesson) then you make plans to act on what you've learned, and finally you share your experience with others. Sounds like a great teaching model!

The Power of the Priesthood

"The ultimate end of all activity in the Church is that a man and his wife and their children might be happy at home, protected by the principles and laws of the gospel, sealed safely in the covenants of the everlasting priesthood. Every law and principle and power, every belief, every ordinance and ordination, every covenant, every sermon and every sacrament, every counsel and correction, the sealings, the calls, the releases, the service-- all these have as their ultimate purpose the perfection of the individual and the family..."
President Packer's talk "The Power of the Priesthood"

The Atonement

I am teaching Relief Society on Sunday. I've been thinking about this lesson since early May since I didn't teach that month due to stake conference. I remember one time when I was younger, before I was married, wanting to know more about the atonement. I tried to study it, but never felt like i learned too much. I went about it all wrong. I've been reading about the life of Christ in the book of John and also trying to read from the Book of Mormon each day and writing my thoughts. I am almost finished, so I'm reading about Moroni. Reading the scriptures and praying is teaching more about the atonement than anything I've done so far. I have loved studying this lesson. It's opening my eyes! I hope that on Sunday I can help the sisters feel the Spirit and learn more about the atonement. I sometimes think the best way to learn is to hear testimonies of others, so hopefully others are willing to share.

Stories of Jesus

What a powerful talk. I knew I liked it the first time I heard it, but after rereading it, I am amazed at how much I missed! :) I am looking forward to reading all the scriptures that were referenced so I can be familiar enough with the stories of Jesus that I can tell them to Grant and Kadri.

Quote from Elder Anderson's talk

"We hold in our arms the rising generation. They come to this earth with important responsibilities and great spiritual capacities. We cannot be casual in how we prepare them. Our challenge as parents and teachers is not to create a spiritual core in their souls but rather to fan the flame of their spiritual core already aglow with the fire of their premortal faith."

That is comforting to know, but it also reminds me of my duty to teach my children!

Tell Me Stories of Jesus

I really like Elder Anderson's talk during conference and now I just need to review it for the week! It was called "Tell Me the Stories of Jesus."

Good quote from Elder Nelson's talk "Generations Linked in Love"

Consider the spiritual connections that are formed when a young woman helps her grandmother enter family information into a computer or when a young man sees the name of his great-grandfather on a census record. When our hearts turn to our ancestors, something changes inside us. We feel part of something greater than ourselves. Our inborn yearnings for family connections are fulfilled when we are linked to our ancestors through sacred ordinances of the temple.

Family History

A new talk focus for the week: Generations Linked in Love. My goal for this talk is to start collecting faith-building stories from Tyson and my families so I can share them with my children. I've got to look through the cds that we got from the sister reunion, so this post is short!

Poem

I found this poem on a friend's blog and really liked it. Now I just have to remember what it means!! SPEND MORE TIME WITH MY KIDS AND LESS TIME WORRYING ABOUT THINGS THAT DON'T MATTER!!

Cleaning and scrubbing

can wait 'til tomorrow

For babies grow up,

I've learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs,

Dust go to sleep,

I'm rocking my baby

and babies don't keep.

-Ruth Hulbert Hamilton

Ooh, I just saw an idea to cross stitch this. I should do it!

Mothers and Daughters

"Teach your daughters to find joy in nurturing children." I need to make sure that I am finding the joy so I can teach it! Tyson has really been supportive since Kadri was born. It is a hard time and he just keeps encouraging me. He wrote this in a Mother's Day card to me:
"I know you feel like you are just in survival mode right now, but you are doing much better than that. You are special to all of us. You get to do God's work so directly, though it is demanding and not praised enough. Grant loves you so much. Kadri is lucky to have you, and will love you as well. And of course, I love you more than words can say..." It is a beautiful card and reminds me of the importance of motherhood. Sometimes I think he knows that better than me. He has Elder Holland's talk about mothers memorized, almost word for word! I am grateful to be a mother and to have a loving husband.

Mothers

The longer I am a mother, the more I realize how much my own mom did for me. She could see things that I couldn't and I am so grateful for her. I LOVED this talk by Elder Ballard about mothers and daughters.

Priorities

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

I've been struggling a little to know how I should be spending my time now that I have two, and today is the first day that I feel okay about what I did. I played with Grant, read him stories from The Friend, helped him play the piano for about 1 minute :) fed Kadri often and talked and sang to her, read Grant books, wrote some thank yous, read scriptures, cleaned some things on my list with Grant's help... Anyway, I think I focused on the things that I should and it helped me to feel better and more fulfilled and like I might be an okay mom. I have to remember that last part, that I don't "deserve a life of greater ease and independence."

Help Them on Their Way Home

I really liked this quote from President Eyring's talk:

"Heavenly Father has assigned us to a great variety of stations to strengthen and, when needed, to lead travelers to safety. Our most important and powerful assignments are in the family. They are important because the family has the opportunity at the start of a child’s life to put feet firmly on the path home. Parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents, aunts and uncles are made more powerful guides and rescuers by the bonds of love that are the very nature of a family."

And I was very struck by this quote in his talk:

"The family has an advantage in the first eight years of a child’s life. In those protected years, because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, Satan’s use of the mists of darkness to hide the path to return home is blocked." That is profound!

He talks about the teenage years and the programs the church has to strengthen them:

"These programs expect consistency, great effort, and the accumulation of learning and spiritual experiences over years.
On reflection I realized that the contents of these booklets are a physical representation of the Lord’s trust in the rising generation and in all of us who love them. And I have seen evidence that the trust is well placed."

"The best counsel for us to give young people is that they can arrive back to Heavenly Father only as they are guided and corrected by the Spirit of God. So if we are wise, we will encourage, praise, and exemplify everything which invites the companionship of the Holy Ghost. When they share with us what they are doing and feeling, we must ourselves have qualified for the Spirit. Then they will feel in our praise and our smiles the approval of God. And should we feel the need to give corrective counsel, they will feel our love and the love of God in it, not rebuke and rejection, which can permit Satan to lead them further away."

I need to be sure that the majority of the things I say to my kids are encouraging and loving. I want them to feel safe and loved at home.

Parenting Theme

I loved this quote from Elder Perry's talk, "Mothers Teaching Children in the Home."

"My mother understood the value of teaching her children about standards, values, and doctrine while they were young. While she was grateful to others who taught her children outside the home at either school or church, she recognized that parents are entrusted with the education of their children and, ultimately, parents must ensure that their children are being taught what their Heavenly Father would have them learn. My siblings and I were quizzed very carefully by our mother after we had been taught away from the home to be certain the correct lessons were reaching our ears and shaping our minds."

I love talking to Grant about what he learned in nursery or what he did when he was at someone's house. I am learning that Grant might need some time right when he comes home to play and calm down and then he is more willing to talk later. I also need to be certain the correct lessons are reaching his ears.

It's been awhile!

I've been sitting here reading conference talks and wanted somewhere I could write down my thoughts, and I remembered this blog! Funny that the last thing that was on here was conference from October. A lot has happened since then! We welcomed our little girl into the family, and it has been a wonderful blessing. She and our boy have caused me to reflect a lot on my responsibilities as a parent, especially since that seemed to be the theme of conference! I was amazed at how many talks touched on this topic. Right now I am reading Elder Bednar's talk titled "Watching with all perseverance."
He describes "A spiritual early warning system that can help parents in Zion to be watchful and discerning concerning their children. This early warning system applies to children of all ages and contains three basic components: (1) reading and talking about the Book of Mormon with your children, (2) bearing testimony of gospel truths spontaneously with your children, and (3) inviting children as gospel learners to act and not merely be acted upon. Parents who do these things faithfully will be blessed to recognize early signals of spiritual growth in or challenges with their children and be better prepared to receive inspiration to strengthen and help those children."

That's a pretty good promise there, so I need to get going on my end of the deal! Here is something interesting he said about the Book of Mormon:

"Regular reading of and talking about the Book of Mormon invite the power to resist temptation and to produce feelings of love within our families. And discussions about the doctrines and principles in the Book of Mormon provide opportunities for parents to observe their children, to listen to them, to learn from them, and to teach them.
"Youth of all ages, even infants, can and do respond to the distinctive spirit of the Book of Mormon. Children may not understand all of the words and stories, but they certainly can feel the “familiar spirit” described by Isaiah (Isaiah 29:4; see also 2 Nephi 26:16). And the questions a child asks, the observations a child shares, and the discussions that occur provide crucial spiritual early warning signals. Importantly, such conversations can help parents to discern what their children are learning, thinking, and feeling about the truths contained in this sacred volume of scripture, as well as the difficulties they may be facing."

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

So I can spend time learning and studying the gospel and treasuring up its lessons in my mind so I will be prepared to share my testimony with our little ones. That's something tangible that I can do and set goals for, so I liked that idea.

The last part was the hardest for me to apply. He says
"As parents and gospel instructors, you and I are not in the business of distributing fish; rather, our work is to help our children learn “to fish” and to become spiritually steadfast. This vital objective is best accomplished as we encourage our children to act in accordance with correct principles—as we help them to learn by doing. “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God” (John 7:17). Such learning requires spiritual, mental, and physical exertion and not just passive reception."

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

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

Wow, that one makes me feel the weight on my shoulders of teaching my children. I can't be passive. Recently in our marriage Sunday school class, we talked about the value of our personal testimony as being greater than scripture stories. Sharing our convictions of the truths of the gospel through personal stories and examples will teach our children more than stories, although they obviously are still important and good. So I am trying to notice more when I feel the Holy Ghost or when my prayers are answered so I can talk to my kids about it.

I also remembered this inspiration just now- I need to collect stories from family members, living and those who have passed on- that are testimony building. I'd like to make a compilation of them and read them to my kids. Wouldn't that be neat?