Why Marriage, Why Family? ~ Elder D. Todd Christofferson

Taught by Tifanee G. 

Our Heavenly Father’s plan for happiness included families.  He sent us to earth as members of families.  A successful, happy, Christ-centered home is established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work and wholesome recreational activities.

It was said “Happiness does not spring from perfection but from applying divine principles.”  Prayer, love, and forgiveness are three principles, that when applied, can help us to have Christ-centered happy families.

Prayer with our families align our will with our Heavenly Father, resulting in blessings of strength, comfort, and inspiration.  It creates a loving bond.

            

Sue G. shared that her most important prayer of the day was her afternoon prayer right before her kids got home from school.  She would ask for strength to help her be the Mom that her kids needed.

Ligia B. shared that prayer is the most powerful tool she has in her arsenal for raising her children.  Without prayer, she wouldn’t know what her teenage kids needed and how she should respond as a parent in a way that helps them.  But she believes through answers to her prayers, Heavenly Father lets her know what her children need.   

Cari H. shared that in a recent experience where she attended a temple sealing, the sealer advised the newly married couple to pray for one another and to allow their spouse to hear them praying to Heavenly Father on their behalf.  She returned home and implemented this in her own family and was amazed to see how in such a short time, praying on behalf of not just her spouse but also her children has made them grow so much closer as a family.

Love as President Monson said, “should be the very heart of family life.”  A Christ-centered home is where the gospel is taught, covenants kept, and love abounds.

Carolyn R. shared that love is allowing a person time to change.

Heidi H. shared that as a child she and her sister kept a journal where they would write their thoughts of love back and forth to one another.  She now has children, some of whom don’t express their love very openly so she continues this tradition with them. 

Forgiveness was founded on Heavenly Father’s plan.  Because forgiveness connects principles, it connects people.  It is one of our best hopes for a happy family.

Tela F. shared that sometimes forgiveness is one sided, meaning that sometimes we seek forgiveness for something we’ve done wrong, but the person does not want to forgive.  Or we have been wronged and the person who has wronged us is not remorseful.  The Atonement still offers peace and healing for those who may be in these types of situations within their families.    

Weekly Challenge; Take time to look into our family life and incorporate one of the three principles discussed in the lesson to help build a more gospel centered home.

The Power of the Word of God

 Taught by Heidi H.

"However diligent we may be in other areas, certain blessings are to be found only in the Scriptures"

The lesson this week was titled, “The Power of the Word of God.” I started the lesson with an object lesson. I showed the class an old, dried out sponge. It was hard and rigid, or as they say in the scriptures hard hearted and stiff-necked. Some examples in the scriptures of rigid sponges are Lamen and Lemuel, the evil king Noah, and Korihor. President Ezra Taft Benson talks about how the word of God has the power to fortify the Saints and arm them with the spirit so they can resist evil, hold fast to the good, and find joy in this life. In other words, becoming like that dry sponge. 

As we gain power of God by reading and studying His words our hearts begin to fill with what we have learned. As I explained this I poured water on the sponge. Soon we are so filled we begin to “ooze” what we have filled our souls with. Our testimonies flow easily. 

 In class we spent some time talking about what a blessing it is that we have these words so readily available to us. It is not only written, but on the internet, there are apps, audio versions and television re-broadcasts all the time. Any time we have a question we can find the answer pretty easily. 

President Benson says that out of all the responsibilities we have in life the most important thing is to nourish our souls by studying His word. We must study personally and as a family. President Benson promises us that as we immerse ourselves in the scriptures regularly and consistently other areas of trouble in our lives will fall into place. Testimonies will increase. Personal revelation will flow. Commitment will be strengthened. Why do you think scripture study would lead to such results? 

We are also taught that saints must see studying as a marvelous blessing and opportunity, not as a burden laid upon them by the Lord. I asked how we can help a friend or family member who feels studying the scriptures is a burden. As the class gave ideas I pulled out another dried up sponge and laid it next to the first “oozing” sponge. When your testimony of scripture study if so great that it “oozes” it cannot help but affect those around you. It becomes a part of who you are. Slowly the dry sponge soaked up some of the “oozing” sponge’s water until it wanted to learn more for itself. We can be instruments in the Lords hands in many ways. 

I want to share one of my favorite ideas from President Benson. He says,”however talented men may be in administrative matters; however eloquent they may be in expressing their views; however learned they may be in the worldly things – they will be denied the sweet whisperings of the Spirit that might have been theirs unless they pay the price of studying, pondering, and praying about the scriptures.” It is hard for me to think that I may have missed out on sweet whisperings that were meant for me because I wasn’t immersed in the scriptures as I should have been. Also, what does it mean to pay the price of studying? 

In closing I urged the class to do as President Benson did when he said, “His word is one of the most valuable gifts He has given! I urge you to recommit yourselves to a study of the scriptures. Immerse yourselves in them daily so you will have the power of the Spirit to attend you in your lives.”

Pray Always

Taught by Heidi H.

I started out with an object lesson. I put a quarter in the palm of my hand. I told the class that the quarter represented the answers to all their prayers and asked someone to take it without touching me.  I moved around a lot and made it hard and sister Melanie wasn't able to get the quarter, or answers to all her prayers, out of my hand.

President Ezra Taft Benson said, "All through my life the counsel to depend on prayer has been prized above almost any other advice I have received, it has become an integral part of me, an anchor, a constant source of strength, and the basis for my knowledge of things divine."

We discussed why prayer was an anchor in his life and in ours.  Many sisters shared great stories of prayer uplifting and helping them in their lives.  I had a lot of other things prepared from the manual to share, but as the spirit swelled in my heart and the stories and tears were flowing, I let it happen and I feel like the spirit taught all the sisters who were in the room that day.  

We finished up reading , 3 Nephi 18:15 and 18:20. The action words in these versus are watch, pray, ask, and believe.  These are the things that we must do in order to receive answers..

President Benson said, "If we would advance in holiness...increase in favor with God...nothing can take the place of prayer.  And so I adjure you to give prayer, daily prayer, secret prayer a foremost place in your lives.  Let no day pass without it."

We are taught by President Benson to pray as families in order to safeguard the home, make all family members aware of the needs of others, bring peace to the home, teach daily devotion, and strengthen ties.  Any family member going out into the world needs that protection in order to thrive in this world.  Things that we may not have attempted will be easier to do if we leave home with the strength prayer provides.

President Benson teaches us ways to better communicate with Heavenly Father.

1: Pray frequently - Alma 34:21

2: Find an appropriate place where we can meditate and pray - 3 Nephi 13:6

3: Prepare ourselves for prayer - D&C 112:10

4: Prayers should be meaningful and pertinent - Alma 37:36-37

5: After making a request through prayer, we have a responsibility to assist in its being granted - D&C 9:8

I know that Heavenly Father answers prayers.  He is forever mindful of us, we just need to make His will ours, and keep in constant contact with Him and we will have all of God's promised blessings.  

In Matthew 7:7-8 it says, "Ask and ye shall receive..."

I asked Sister Melanie to come up again and try to get the answers to her prayers (the quarter) out of my hand without touching me.  She asked me for the quarter and I gave it to her.  It's that easy, Heavenly Father will answer our prayers if we will just ask.

Relief Society Christmas Message ~ 2014

Taught by Heidi H.

For the Relief Society Christmas message, I decided to step away from the manual. I spent time not only reading scriptures from the story of the birth of our Savior, but focusing on his mother Mary.  We talked a lot about her character and even though there isn't a lot written about her, we tried to infer what we could about who she was.

Mary came from a family that loved God and studied the scriptures. We inferred this because she must have read the scripture Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."  

Can you imagine how she felt when she was asked to be the mother of Jesus whom she had studied about all her life?

This allowed us also to infer that she was chosen of God and prepared in advance for the Angel Gabriel to appear.  That is why her response wasn't shock in Luke 1:27-28. This scripture tells us that she was prepared to be an instrument in God's hands.  Then we discussed how we too can always be prepared to be an instrument for our Heavenly Father.

Another quality of Mary was found in Luke 1: 37-38. Mary shows unwavering Faith as she says, "For with God, nothing is impossible."  

Ask yourself how you too can show unwavering faith in your life, even in impossible circumstances.

In Luke 1:29-31 and 34-35, Mary shows faithful obedience to God.  Even though Mary couldn't grasp how she was to be the mother of the Son of God, she trusted in Him and His plan and obeyed.  

Consider how your life would change if you, like Mary, openly and willingly offfered yourself without delay or question to God's will?

The last quality of Mary that we talked about was in Luke 1:46-49. Mary shows open expressions of joy for the Lord's blessings.  

..... And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, ... And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.

Think about if there are times when the Lord gives you blessings that give you joy.  How do you express gratitude for those blessings?

As I studied the role of Mary in the birth of my Savior, and who she was, I truly felt the spirit of the Lord declaring to me that she was a chosen and wonderful daughter of God.  I know that she has qualities that I would love to portray as she did.  I hope one day that I will be able to meet her and bask in her light and joy that she must have shared with all she came in contact with.

Love, the Essence of the Gospel ~ President Thomas S. Monson

Taught by Jeanine M.

President Monson reminded us last conference of the two greatest commandments: 

To Love God and To Love Each Other

He said, "Usually our love will be shown in our day-to-day interactions one with another. All important will be our ability to recognize someone's need and then to respond.  Every day of our lives we are given opportunities to show love and kindness to those around us.  President Spencer W. Kimball said: "We must remember that those mortals we meet in parking lots, offices, elevators, and elsewhere are that portion of mankind God has given us to love and to serve.  It will do us little good to speak of the general brotherhood of mankind if we cannot regard those who are all around us as our brothers and sisters." 

We can express our love for God by the way we interact with His children.  

This includes ALL His children.

While it is important to view others with less judgment and more charity, President Monson made it clear that we should start within our own homes. He said, "...some of our greatest opportunites to demonstrate our love will be within the walls of our own homes.  Love should be the very heart of family life, and yet sometimes it is not.  There can be too much impatience, too much arguing, too many fights, too many tears." Often it is hardest to be our best selves in front of those that we know will love us unconditionally. Having an eternal perspective will help us with this.

President Monson reminds us who to look to for an example: "Actually, love is the very essence of the gospel, and Jesus Christ is our Exemplar. His life was a legacy of love. The sick He healed; the downtrodden He lifted; the sinner He saved. At the end, the angry mob took His life. And yet there rings from Golgtha's hill the words: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" -a crowning expression in mortality of compassion and love." 

Here is a 30 day 


for all of us. 

Click on this link to view and print the:

30 Day Charity Challenge 

As we practice love in our day to day interactions, maybe we will begin to feel more Christ like love toward others.  Check off the items on the calendar and when you have 30 boxes done, email Jeanine at jeaninemcf@yahoo.com and let her know. You can do them in any order  Start today and go for 30 days!

"You are good. But it is not enough just to be good. You must be good for something. You must contribute good to the world. The world must be a better place for your presence. And the good that is in you must be spread to others... --Gordon B. Hinckley

*Graphics taken from Pinterest

Grateful in Any Circumstances by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Taught by Jeanine M.

I know two women in their eighties. Both have strong testimonies and have given their lives to serving the Lord by serving in the church and their families.  They are both devoted disciples.  When you ask them the question, “How are you?”, they give very different answers that reflect how the attitude they’ve chosen to live by.  One says, “I’m happy.” The other tells you all about her aches and pains and day to day struggles.  One is quite bitter about her ailments, the other tries to ignore them and focuses on drinking from the goblet of gratitude.

Elder Uchtdorf’s talk is full of beautiful quotes full of imagery.  For our lesson, we picked quotes from a goblet of gratitude and answered the questions on the back to further study his words.

Gratitude is a Catalyst:

How would gratitude help us become more like Christ? How does it act as a catalyst to develop other attributes?

Ways to develop a Christlike attribute from Preach My Gospel:

Identify the attribute.

Write a definition and description.

Record questions to answer as you study. List and study thoroughly passages of scripture about the attribute. 
Record feelings and impressions.

Set goals to make plans and apply the attribute in your life. Pray for the Lord to help you.

Evaluate your progress periodically.

(Remember it takes one action and decision at a time to make changes.)

Rainbow before the rain:

It is common to see growth after our trials. How would our lives be different if we were grateful during our trials?

We can focus on what is in the Gift (happy if it’s good, depressed if it’s not) or the mere fact that the gift is given. Therefore, happiness is not dependent on what happens day to day or our circumstances but we should rejoice that we’ve been given life in the first place.  Rejoice that we have a gift—the gift of life!

Which comes first: gratitude or testimony?

Maybe they are reciprocal. As the early apostles increased their knowledge and testimony, they were courageous and stalwart. They were grateful for a resurrected Christ and understood the atonement and worked to share their knowledge with the world. As we increase our testimony, our gratitude increases and vice versa.

If our gratitude should not depend on any outward circumstances, what exactly makes it qualify as gratitude?

How is gratitude expressed if it is an attribute or part of our being?  It still helps to count your blessings, write thank you notes, express gratitude in prayer and to others. As we focus on BEING full of gratitude it becomes part of our nature. 

What can we do to see our everyday lives with an eternal lens? How can we remind ourselves that we are eternal beings?

This is especially important when going through trials.  We try to remember that this life is just a small dot on the circle of eternity.

 What about those people who, despite their best efforts, continue in sinful behavior? Should someone with an addiction be grateful?

As Swedenborg (a 1700 philosopher) has said many times, the Lord's divine providence makes sure that evils become expressed, because if they weren't expressed, they could never be removed. So, be grateful for your weaknesses! If you sometimes fall prey to sin, know that each time you repent from it you draw closer to God than you were before. Sin, at least as outwardly-manifest behavior, is thus a great blessing to those who repent (even if it's again and again)--it teaches you to be humble and patient, and to always rely on the atonement. (Christian Swenson)

We all fall into this category of imperfect beings struggling to overcome weaknesses. Let’s be patient with others as well as ourselves. It may take repeated effort

We divided into groups and each group read through these snippets from pioneer’s diaries.  There are many modern-day pioneers in our ward, community and in the church today.  Women who express the same hope for miracles and share the same faith that our early ancestors did.  Each group then came up with similar examples of a modern day pioneer.

“My last act in that precious spot was to tidy the rooms, sweep up the floor, and set the broom in its accustomed place behind the door.  Then with emotions in my heart…I gently closed the door and faced unknown future: faced it with faith in God and no less assurance of the ultimate establishment of the gospel in the West and of its true, enduring principles, than I had felt in those trying scenes in Missouri.”    ~ Bathsheba Smith

This can be compared to countless couples who go on missions.  Many women face unknown territory through divorce or death of a spouse.

“As Sarah Leavitt and her daughters tried to comfort her sick husband, he began to sing, ‘Come Let us Anew, Our Journey pursue..’ He sang the hymn as long as he had strength to sing it and then wanted Elisa, one of his daughters, to sing it. He died without struggle or a groan.”   ~ Sarah Leavitt

Death is one of the hardest trials especially when it is unexplained or sudden. Remembering that we are eternal beings and having that perspective can help.

“The thoughts of leaving my family for the Mormon Battalion at this critical time are indescribable.  My family consisted of a wife and two small children, who were left in company with an aged father and mother and brother.  The most of the Battalion left families….When we were to meet with them again, God only knew.  Nevertheless, we did not feel to murmur.”      ~ William Hyde

There are modern day pioneers who support military wives and husbands today.

“When we got to Winter Quarters I was confined the fifth of November with my oldest son, in a wagon, and a very bad storm and wind for days, and no fire; one house in camp; went to get a bake kettle of coals to dress the baby by. Little fellow shook with the cold and I was very sick, nigh unto death. I sent to Brother Brigham to pray for me. I soon got better, and I am here yet.”     ~ Caroline Holbrook

We need to rely on each other as we go through trials in our lives today. We can call for Priesthood Blessings to help us.

“Mr. Rich was at the time one of the High Council, and had to be away most of the time, and to help with the temple which was fast being completed. Of course, I had to be deprived of his society most of the time, but we had a nice little home not far from the temple, in which I took great comfort with my little family. But many were the blessings we had received in the House of the Lord, which was caused joy and comfort in the midst of all our sorrows, and enabled us to have faith in God, knowing He would guide us and sustain us in the unknown journey that lay before us.”            Sarah Rich
Countless families give hours of service in the church and spouses are left at home to take care of families.  We can be mindful of our leaders and their needs at home and offer to help.  We can also seek direction, comfort and peace from temple attendance.

As we live our lives constantly seeking and submitting to the will of the Father, we can develop the attribute of gratitude.  Living our lives by lifting the Goblet of Gratitude will bring us greater peace and happiness.

"Being Grateful in our circumstances is an act of faith in God. It requires that we trust God and hope for things we may not see but which are true. By being grateful, we follow the example of our befoved savior, who said, 'not my will, but thine, be done.'"  ~ Prsident Dieter F. Uchtdorf