Will a Man Rob God?

My thought on Elder Kikuchi talk "Will a Man Rob God?"

Well, it looks as if I’m the one to start it this week and I’m late because my schedule is so full.
I’ve been reading and pondering these talks but just don’t have a spare minute to sit and type. Even now I should be getting something cleared up on a “Keepers” email group.

Tithing, something you begin to obey out of fear and obligation and many months hate to do, but in the end find great blessings in doing so.

I also believe tithing is one of the easiest commandment to be completely obedient in. You either pay 10% or you don’t. this is a commandment that is also easily taught from a very young age. How do you teach your children to pay it? Do you let them earn some money to tithe? I believe it is very important for children to earn money early on so they know that not all that dollar bill goes in their piggy bank and that some goes to the Lord through the Bishop.

The list that Elder Kikuchi gives us is a wonderful list of things we all need to do if we want immeasurable blessings, not just tithing paying blessings. I could just list the items like:

1. Pay your tithing
2. Have family prayer and individual prayer as well
3. Family and personal scripture study
4. Keep the Sabbath day holy
5. Go to the temple
6. Sustain and follow leaders
7. Fast

But he puts in some adjectives I think are very important. His list:

1. Faithfully pay an honest tithe, both young and old.
2. Humbly hold regular individual and family prayers.
3. Devotedly have daily personal and family scripture study.
4. Thankfully keep the Sabbath day holy.
5. Gratefully go to the temple often, there offering thanksgiving.
6. Willingly sustain and follow the new leaders.
7. Hold a stakewide fast, including everyone in the affected communities who would like to participate.

Look at those adjectives: Faithfully, Humbly, Devotedly, Thankfully, Gratefully, and Willingly. WOW!

He quotes President Hinckley “While tithing is paid with money, more importantly it is paid with faith.” And also “This is not so much a matter of money as it is a matter of faith.” “…take the Lord at His word in this important matter.”

I can’t recall and I don’t have time to look it up, but one talk spoke to making the decision today to do something and then you never have to make that decision again. Tithing is one such decision you can make today and never have to go back on it.

This is a very important lesson to teach our children.

Who's on the Lord's Side

My thoughts on Presdient Dahlquist's talk "Who's on the Lord's Side?"

Funny thing having young men in your home.

I have found myself listening more closely to President Dahlquist more and more as I get more boys turning 12 in my home. Right now I have three young men in my home (hubby isn’t so young anymore, neither am I) and I have noticed when Pres. Dahlquist stands up and speaks. I think now that I have printed out six or seven of his talks this year to use as FHE lessons. I just find that very interesting. I wonder if I would have done the same had I had five girls instead of five boys?

I have always loved this song. I feel we don’t sing it well in church; almost always too slow, but nonetheless, it is still one of my favorite songs. (Ok, I will admit it, I have about 340 favorite songs that come from the hymnal, but who’s keeping track?) I often think we sang this song in the premortal life when we battled satan. I believe the question was asked and we in numbers we cannot imagine, sang this song. One of us held our banner high and in a rousing battle cry we asked, “Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?” and we high fived each other to show our solidarity.

Like Hannah Cornaby in England, my family had something similar happen. No stones were thrown, but hateful glances and stone cold stares were thrown a very prominent man in Oslo, Norway the day he and his wife were baptized. Their children stood on the river bank too young to join them with other saints who were waiting their turn as a mob stood behind them shouting insulting words and shooting hateful glances their way. It did not stop them for they knew the gospel was true and they knew the hardships it would bring once they stepped out of the waters. But there are thousands of people that have come from that family that call Christian and Christina Olsen their heroes, and I’m just one of them.

When my life gets hard, I often think of the trials they had to face as they tried desperately to make a living in a town that shunned them and hated them. I think of the children working till their hands bled and then handed over whatever piece of silver was given them so that dad could add it to the piggy bank. They were saving so that they could heed the prophet’s call to gather in Zion. Slowly, but surely, the family joined their oldest sister in Salt Lake City. Each one of the crossings is a story of faith, perseverance and love for the gospel. My life isn’t that hard and I should buck up and move forward if only to honor their faith and courage for saying, “I am on the Lord’s side and I will do what he has asked me to do!”

This also reminds me of the short sentence that many faithful scripture heroes have said, “Here am I, send me.” I think the answer to “Who’s on the Lord’s side?” is “Here am I! and I’m ready!”

His points:
First, never forget who you are. As our youth go through those terrible mood swings, tiffs with their friends, struggles with maturity, the fact that they are truly children of God can get shoved to the back of their mind. I know I do it and I have 20 years on them. I remember how hard it was to remember that simple song and BELIEVE it! I think it might even be harder now that the gray area (there really is not gray area, satan just makes it seem like it) has gotten bigger and bigger. In truth I think the gulf between right and wrong has just gotten larger and larger and the spacious building is fuller and has cameras and mics to broadcast 24/7. Finding “wholesome recreation” (or just plane “wholesome anything”) is harder and harder for our youth and what they are being told and told often is “you are not of value, no one cares” or just the opposite, “you are the only thing that counts, you did it, look at you!” Both are so negative and destructive.

How do you teach this to your children? I’m especially interested in knowing how you teach it to the teens.

For the Strength of Youth. What a great pamphlet! The bishop to our young singles ward puts his thumb over the “th” and says that it really should read “for the strength of YOU”. Everything in the pamphlet should be read and read by every family no matter their age! It is so powerful.

Prayer! I remember catching my mom in prayer too. That gave me great strength. I’m sorry to say my children usually aren’t awake when I’m praying. ~frown~

Second point: control your thoughts. I know this was addressed to the youth, but I think this part was for me. I’m horrible at keeping nice thoughts in my mind. I’m one who has to hash it out in my mind before I explode and say all the “mean” things so I can get rid of those thoughts and cool down. I’m not very good at controlling my thoughts. I’m one who has patience to a point and then I blow. Not a very good example for my children and I wonder why they blow up too.

Mom, Are We Christians?

My thoughts on Elder Coleman's "Mom, Are We Christians?"

Have you had this question asked by your children?
I have and it is an easy answer (sort of).
If you take the definition that MOST of the world has, then the answer is no, but if you take the definition that the New Testament (the first time it shows up is during one of Paul’s missions) then YES! Without question we are Christians. Do your children know it?

As Elder Coleman said, our church is “centered on the Savior.” We are Christians, pure Christians!

The Nicene Creed sort of screwed things up, but I also believe that had it not been done then we would have lost the Bible and that would have truly messed things up. But in that Creed, the Godhead was changed and became one. Thankfully Joseph Smith saw something different and we can know for ourselves through fasting, praying and study what is truth.

Elder Coleman bares a powerful testimony. I won’t rehash earlier posts, but he does raise a question: Do our children know we are Christians?

That would be a great FHE lesson. I sure hope my children know we are Christians.

The Message of the Restoration

Thought on Elder Perry "The Message of the Restoration"

The First Vision:
I have been always amazed at the first vision. How it happened is truly a miracle and there is no other way to explain it. I remember as a teen trying really hard to have the same vision and one day, I must have been very brave, asking my mom why Heavenly Father and Jesus didn’t visit me when I prayed that they would. She gently explained to me that I didn’t need them to come visit me at this time and I might never need them to. But they had sent me the Holy Spirit to testify that what I was reading and studying was true. I was satisfied with that answer and I still am. As I look back on that time in my life, I can’t believe I didn’t get angry or mad at the answer. I think the Spirit was working overtime that day.

The first vision gives us a definite description of the Father and the Son and positive knowledge that they are truly two separate beings. I know we all have to find out for ourselves that the first vision happened and I remember thinking about this very thing during our seminary study of the D&C/church history year. Of course you start this year by studying the history of the church and wham-o you start with the Joseph Smith story. I remember the testimony I received when I knelt down and prayed to know for sure that the first vision happened. I was done relying on my mom’s testimony and it was time for me to get my own. I remember the feeling that totally engulfed me that night as I prayed. I can’t describe it except to say that I arose from my knees knowing that it was true and that I was supposed to move on and never question it again. I was to memorize (did that in primary) but keep it fresh in my mind the first article of faith!

The other thing that really grabbed me was that the Father knew Joseph by NAME! I wish I could tell you how that made me feel the first time I realized that. My earthly father doesn’t call me my name and it really bugs me, always has and he knows it but he still calls me “sis.” But my Heavenly Father knows my name and He has used it at time. And get this—He knows that I don’t go by my first name! I remember one night as a teen I was in the depth of despair and needed someone to love me. I remember the thought he so graciously gave me as if it was yesterday. He used my name and told me it would be OK. He didn’t say “my sweet friend” or “my dear daughter”. He used my name—he knew it then and still does!

The Book of Mormon

Both the Book of Mormon and the Bibles existence today is a miracle. The Lord preserved the Bible through history to be used by Joseph Smith to bring about the Book of Mormon as we read it today.

I have often wanted to just put EVERYTHING aside and try to read the Book of Mormon as fast as it was translated. Oh, that would be so fun, but I have such a hard time trying to finish when Pres. Hinckley gave us four months. Life just gets in the way. It truly is a testament to Joseph, Oliver and to their wives and family that it was translated so quickly. WOW!

We have been doing something fun to help us understand how both the Bible lost some of the bits and pieces of the gospel and how hard it is to translate complete meaning for the Book of Mormon. We are learning Portuguese and right now we are taking conference talks and songs and trying to translate them. As anyone knows who has learned a second language that translations just aren’t word for word. There are also idiomatic sayings that just don’t transfer into another language. Then to think of the time gap! The book of Revelation proves that. John was trying to describe some pretty awesome things and he had to use the words available to him that were from his day. We hadn’t invented words like airplane, train, email, automobile, etc. It is truly amazing that we have the scriptures we do have. I stand in awe of what Joseph did to just get the Book of Mormon translated and printed. WOW! The same goes for the Bible!

The Priesthood

This subject is near and dear to my heart. I never planned for that to happen, but when half of your family is missing during the first part of sacrament meeting, it truly sinks into your heart. As my children grow up and continue to turn 12 I get the privilege of teaching them about the priesthood. It has been such a fun and special thing to do with each of them. I set aside a few months before they turn 12 and we do a little unit I have worked up. When you teach something you of course learn more than your student. Pretty soon my bench will be empty as all my five boys hold the priesthood. How fun will that be!

Of course you have read my other thoughts on this subject, so I will write about the restoration of the Priesthood.

This is like dumb soldiers; one thing brings about something else. When you knock over the first domino then next one falls. Joseph and Oliver were just going along and wham! They had a question. They had learned to ask when they have a question and the Lord answers them (and he will answer us too!). Next thing they know they are baptizing each other and getting the priesthood from an Angel—the one and only John the Baptist. Isn’t that amazing! I can only imagine what that was like. But it speaks to what we too can do. We can have a question that burns inside us, begin by pondering on it and when we get to a point, we seek out a quiet place and then kneel in prayer and ask about it. How cool is that?

The Lord is truly amazing! The gospel’s restoration is one miracle after another.

Now to teach this to my children. Maybe this is my answer to the “what am I going to do for FHE tonight” question.

The Things of Which I Know

Thought from President Hinckley: "The Thing of Which I Know"

In our family scripture time we are reading the book of Mosiah. King Benjamin is on his tower as I write bearing his testimony just before he dies. I couldn’t stop thinking about how many times Pres Hinckley bears his testimony in the general conference sessions. I go back and think of Brother McConkie’s last testimony and powerful that was! WOW what great men of faith and testimony the Lord has chosen for us today—just like years gone by.

This also remind me of a soapbox I’ve been standing on lately, but haven’t taken the courage to say. WRITE IN YOUR JOURNAL!

My sister, who you all know just passed away, seldom wrote in her journal. Her husband pulled out three notebooks that Nadine had started as her journal. I don’t think either notebook was filled beyond the 10th page. BUT, what was there was profound. She shared a few spiritual experiences that will be treasured by her children (and me) forever. She expressed her undying love for each of her children. What a blessing those few pages will be to her children and grand children.

I write in my journal often (usually just clip and paste emails that I have written) and at present count the word document (where my journal is kept) is over 6000 pages! My poor children—they will never get to the good parts and be bogged down with my ramblings. BUT they will know how much I love them and care for them if I should die before I edit it.

Paraphrasing a commercial “what is in your journal today?”
If suddenly you were to pass today would your children know you love the Lord?
If suddenly you were to pass today would your children know you loved the scriptures?
If suddenly you were to pass today would your children know you loved the gospel?
If suddenly you were to pass today would your children know you loved your husband?
If suddenly you were to pass today would your children know you loved them?
If suddenly you were to pass today would your children know that you prayed for them daily?
Or would they know that you complained about them, didn’t like them, didn’t pray for them, didn’t care for them? Would they hear you complain about the church leaders and know of all their faults?
I ask again, “what is in your journal today?”
What thoughts and feelings to you leave behind?
Do you leave them with knowledge that you too, like President Hinckley, know the gospel to be true?
If not, why?
If not, change it!
It will only take an hour of your time, but your children and grandchildren will rise up and call you blessed because you took an hour and told them what you believed in while here on earth and through those words they will be able to recognize you when they next see you!

As my mom once said, you are leaving “love notes hidden for those you love to find when you can’t tell them yourself.”

The Miracle of the Holy Bible

My thoughts on Elder M. Russell Ballard's talk "The Miracle of the Holy Bible"

We had family scriptures and prayers this morning like "normal" and it feltso great! YEAH!Tomorrow seminary starts so it will feel even more like normal. I also feel like I will be able to devote more time to this group and partake more fully in the blessings it has given me over the year-can't believe it as almost been a year!

I LOVED this talk because I have just found out I love the Bible. I havea lways loved the stories found therein, but there was something missing. Not sure it was because everyone could read it and the stories weren't just mine like they are in the Book of Mormon, but there was something I just didn't get. Maybe it was because my testimony was built around the Book of Mormonand not the Bible. BUT I belong to a RS Women's Study Group and we have been primarily studying the Bible and my love and testimony of these sacred books has grown.

As you read Elder Ballard recount the history of the Bible it is truly amazing that we have it at all. I love history and I love to find out how things came about and when I first heard the stories, I was dumbfounded! I truly believe it was a miracle that the Bible lasted as long as it did in the form that it did. If it wasn't for this wonderful book, Joseph Smithwouldn't have had an answer to his question and wouldn't have uttered that first prayer! It truly is a miracle.

At the turn of the century when all the channels on TV were doing their top 100 this and that, Steve and I were discussing what we thought the mostimportant invention was. We also debated the top person (but we excluded Jesus and Joseph Smith-guess you could say the third place winner). I put the movable type printing press at the top of my list of inventions. If it wasn't for that then the illiterate masses wouldn't have come out of the dark ages. Ideas couldn't be easily shared. I just think of the huddled masses that lined the walls of the church desperately listening to the words of God (even those that were translated incorrectly). The Bible had finally been translated into English and the masses were dying to read the word of God and they could! Of course the price was pretty high for the books, but just think family bibles started to be bought and read around the firelight. Families would be pulled together as they listened as the only literate person in their family read the sacred words! They didn't have to take the church's word for it anymore! WOW what an eye opener it was to them! How grateful they must have been. It truly was a time of rediscovery and reawakening and rebirth-hence the word renaissance!

And it wasn't just the Bible that made the Gutenberg Press so wonderful. Doctors could now share with the masses their thoughts and feelings on how to treat illnesses. Philosophers, mathematicians, astronomers, etc could finally share their ideas and thoughts with more than those they choose to write. This was truly the beginning of the information age. And look at us now! We die when the words of the prophets aren't up the Monday after General Conference. My mom remembers waiting six weeks to get them in little old Moses Lake, Washington!

Now to people: Steve and I fought over this one. Gutenberg sure did deservea mention, Martin Luther for his defying the church, and so do the rest who Elder Ballard mentions and for those reasons and many others. And how do you pick? Each one was so needed in their area of the world for the things they did and for the life they usually gave up for their convictions. I'ms ure that Heavenly Father has a special place for those men (and women-I'm sure there were many) because they were part of moving this work forward. Steve and I still fight over it. Seven years later and I still haven't made up my mind. If it wasn't for the parameter that this person's name has to be mentioned in "renowned" history books, I would pick the name of Christian Olsen (the first member on my mom's side) to be the most important person or John Daniel Holladay, Sr. (also from my mom's side) to be that person.

But BOTH of those men were Bible believing and Bible loving men. They knew the moment the missionaries opened their mouths that the restored gospel was on the earth. What is so awesome about this is that Christian Olsen was listening to English missionaries through a translator and John Daniel waslistening through a drunken stupor. But they both knew!

Over the past 10 years as I have studied the Bible, I have come to know thatit isn't the "other" scriptures, but it is a companion to the teachings in the Book of Mormon and vice versa. We truly need both books (with the D&C and PoGP too) to form the foundation of our testimonies on. I have come to a point in my life where I don't shy away from the complexities of the Bible but rather enjoy finding out what the true meaning is and let the Spirit reach my soul while I read the words. It has been a bumpy journey, but the words no longer scare me and I enjoy reading it and not just for the stories.

Funny how tomorrow when my son goes back to seminary they will be reading the Old Testament. Maybe I should print this out for him to read.

Do You Know?

Thoughts from Elder Pace "Do You Know?"

I have to chuckle at the "is it free?" story. My children do this all the time, but what is worse is I have six kids and so if ONE wants it then they ALL want it. We can clean out a "free" brochure stand in no time.

Where and when did you get your testimony?

I remember lots of incidents where my testimony grew and I know parts and pieces of the gospel were true. But then I too had someone who like Elder Pace asked me "Do you KNOW?" I had never added up all the little things that had happened to me, but it was when I was asked that question that I sat down (probably knelt down) and did the math. It added up to a firm testimony of the complete gospel, except for one missing piece. I was brave enough to ask my seminary teacher at that time about polygamy and he read from the D&C section 88 verse 78 "...that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand;" He asked me if I threw out my doubts about this one principle of the gospel what would my little bits and pieces add up to. I told him a firm testimony. He then asked me if I could set that question aside and just ask it later when my understanding of a celestial marriage was broaden. I said that maybe I could. He then told me that I would probably find the answer to my polygamy question in the temple when I got my endowments and/or married and I wasn't to worry about it too much. I remember him clearly saying, "Just set it aside, but don't forget it and every now and then look it over as you read the scriptures, attend your meetings and ponder on things eternal." I will always remember the phrase, "ponder on things eternal." As I have pondered, I have added to my testimony of the gospel and its living bits and pieces.

What really amazes me is that I thought back then I had a testimony of the gospel. I barely put a drop in the bucket compared to what kind of testimony I had now!

This incident reminds me of something I heard a long time ago. I want tocontribute this to Sister Hinckley, but I honestly don't know who said it or when. (I'm horrible with who said what and when, but I sure remember what idea was said.) She said that when she has eternal question that she can't find the answer to and that really don't matter right then and there, that she takes a book off her heaven shelf and writes the question or thought in it. She then said that when she is at the feet of the Savior in the hereafter she will pull that book down and ask those questions. She then said, "And I think most of them will have been answered by then."

This is kind of like what my seminary teacher told me to do.

I have told my children about my "Heaven book shelf" and told them that I have volumes of books up there. Sometimes I pull the book down and cross questions off. Sometimes, I add questions to the book. Sometimes I justr ead them and ponder on them again, but not really come to a satisfactory answer. But I'm OK with that because "I KNOW!"

How do we teach this to our children? I know this one was one thing that wasn't taught to one family and now onlytwo of seven children still attend church. They let their doubts and fearserase all the positive addends. Well, I will tell you our formula. These aren't in order of frequency or use, but they are the things we throw in to our children's lives.

• Family Home Evening
• Family scripture time
• Family activities and projects (building memories)
• Family vacations
• Family traditions
• Personal priesthood interviews
• Personal parent interviews (those are mine)
• Family learning
• Church attendance
• Parent temple attendance (we should and could do better)
• Control media and outside influences
• Goal setting and accomplishment
• Scout and YW participation
• Leadership opportunities
• Commandment obedience
• Encouragement of personal prayers and scriptures
• And I'm sure there are others that we missed.

What does your family do to help your children (and yourself) answer thequestion "Do you know?"