Let's see how I can make this work. What fun, I can write in colors! Dear Sally, you wrote me yesterday feeling down and unmotivated to read scriptures etc. and asked if I could do something to motivate you. I responded: I see. I stopped posting on this blog a month ago and no one has complained or said, "Where did you go? What happened? Not a problem. But if I am going to work to motivate you I need to do it in a way that motivates me. Thinking that what I am writing is helping someone and that HF could lead them to my blog is motivation for me.
Stay on the Path
"In Alma 24 we read, “He loveth our souls [and] he loveth our children; therefore, … the plan of salvation might be made known unto us as well as unto future generations.” 2
We begin to make the plan known to our children when we hold tight to the iron rod ourselves.
When we are holding tight to the iron rod, we are in a position to place our hands over theirs and walk the strait and narrow path together. Our example is magnified in their eyes. They will follow our cadence when they feel secure in our actions. We do not need to be perfect—just honest and sincere. Children want to feel as one with us. When a parent says, “We can do it! We can read the scriptures daily as a family,” the children will follow!
One such family with four young children writes: “We decided to start small because of our children’s short attention spans. Our oldest child was not yet reading, but she could repeat our words, so we began reading the Book of Mormon, just three verses each night. My husband and I would read one verse each, and then Sydney would repeat a verse. We progressed to four verses and then five verses as the boys began to repeat their own verses. Yes, it was tedious, but we kept going. We tried to focus on consistency instead of speed. It took us three-and-a-half years to finish the Book of Mormon. It was a great feeling of accomplishment!”
The mother continues: “Daily family scripture reading is a habit in our family now. Our children are comfortable with scriptural language, and my husband and I take opportunity to bear testimony of truths. Most important, the Spirit has increased in our home.”
Do you take from this family’s experience what I do? When our intent is to hold tight to the word of God, our reading of the scriptures can be just one verse at a time. It’s never too late to begin. You can start now."
Stay on the Path
In time the prayers calmed the two little ones, and they stopped their crying just as they learned that a road closure prevented them from driving any farther. Cautiously, they turned around and found a motel for the night. Once in the motel, they knelt down and thanked Heavenly Father for their safety. That night a mother taught her children the power of holding true to prayer.""Shannon, a young mother, did not expect that she would teach her children the power of prayer when they piled into their van to drive to their home just 40 minutes away. There was no storm when they left their grandmother’s home, but as they began to drive through the canyon, the light snow turned into a blizzard. The van began sliding on the surface of the road. Soon visibility was near zero. The two youngest children could sense the stress of the situation and began to cry. Shannon said to the older children, Heidi and Thomas, ages 8 and 6, “You need to pray. We need Heavenly Father’s help to get home safely. Pray that we will not get stuck and that we will not slide off the road.” Her hands shook as she steered the car, yet she could hear the whisper of little prayers repeatedly coming from the backseat: “Heavenly Father, please help us get home safely; please help us so we will not slide off the road.”
Stay on the Path
"Last spring my husband and I attended a soccer game of our four-year-old grandson. You could feel the excitement on the field as the players ran in every direction chasing the soccer ball. When the final whistle blew, the players were unaware of who won or who lost. They had simply played the game. The coaches directed the players to shake hands with the opposing team members. Then I observed something quite remarkable. The coach called for a victory tunnel. All the parents, grandparents, and any spectators who had come to observe the game stood up and formed two lines facing each other, and by raising their arms they formed an arch. The children squealed as they ran through the cheering adults and down the path formed by the spectators. Soon the children from the opposing team joined the fun as all the players—the winners and the losers—were cheered on by the adults as they ran the path of the victory tunnel.
In my mind’s eye, I had another picture. I had the feeling I was seeing children living the plan, the plan Heavenly Father has created for each individual child. They were running the strait and narrow path through the arms of the spectators who love them, each one feeling the joy of being on the path.
Jacob said, “O how great the plan of our God!” 3 The Savior has “marked the path and led the way.” 4 I testify that as we hold on to our children and follow the Savior’s lead, we will all return to our heavenly home and be safe in our Heavenly Father’s arms. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
Hey Sally,
I accepted the challenge to send you something to try and help you break the ice and get motivated to listen or study scripture each day.
How good are you at slowing down and feeling?
I'm not a good feeler either.
But I began praying innane conversations like HF was my friend I could laugh and talk and share and tell him what I was excited about and proud of and worried about. By slowing down and just visiting with him, I feel discombobulated if I haven't talked with him in a while. When I have that lost feeling I sit back and think where is this coming from? Guess I better sit down and pray. At night it is a lay down and pray. Same in the afternoon if I plan to read in bed. For example, I was having dumb dreams this morning about 8am. I stayed up until after midnight last night. I thought, hey if I left now I could pick my seat at the FHC! But instead I came in the living room, started Oct'10 GConference and lay back in my recliner. None of the talks really touched me but when I woke back up at 11 I was pleased to have gotten 3 more hours of restful sleep. I headed over to the FHC had lots of interruptions while there so came home to work in peace. I heated up a serving of black bean soup which I have learned to season just right and started that same session of conference again. Last night and this morning I have had the question in my mind and heart, how can I help/ reach out to Sally? The 3rd talk seemed to call out to you. I heard the first story and it touched me and I thought is there anyone who could use this? Finally an answer to that question in my mind and heart for you. The fourth talk made a wonderful point and I thought: OK that is one I want to send her as well.
Obedience to the Prophets
"Second fundamental: “The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works” (“Fourteen Fundamentals,” 26).
The living prophet is receiving specific revelations for us. I can remember many times when I have been present to hear one of the servants of the Lord speak about a specific thing for a city or country. I remember at least three of the living prophets, seers, and revelators who have spoken about my country, Brazil. One of these servants said that Brazil would become a great economy in the world and be free of inflation. At the time, we had two-digit inflation every month. It was difficult for many people to believe what the prophet said, but I believed. Brazil has had about 5 percent inflation each year for many consecutive years now. Brazil has become eighth in the world economy, and the country is doing great!
Third fundamental: “The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet” (“Fourteen Fundamentals,” 27).
Obedience to the Prophets
"I am a convert to the Church. I am so grateful that God answered my prayer and gave me a knowledge and a strong testimony that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God.
Before I made the decision to be baptized in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I studied extracts from the history of Joseph Smith. I prayed after carefully reading each paragraph. If you would like to do this yourself, it may take you 14 hours.
After I read, pondered, and prayed, the Lord gave me the assurance that Joseph Smith was His prophet. I testify to you that Joseph Smith is a prophet, and because I have received this answer from the Lord, I know that all of his successors are prophets too. What a great blessing it is to have prophets in our day!"
When he says prophets I extrapolate that to mean all 15 apostles.
Hello Tom,
I have always thought you were wonderful. And still do. Thank you for taking the family research challenge. I worried about you accepting it. As diligent as you are I figured you would think you had to get it all done by the time you passed the baton along.
I was right! You tried! 80 hours. I am so proud of you, computer handicaps and all! Listening to Elmer's computer woes I thought instead of a friendly free neighborhood plumber, we need a free neighborhood computer technician. Times have changed!
Hope Chest is a descendency program. Versus ancestry programs. All those 104 names you found make the genealogist feel successful. "See how many names I can find for you!" But few if any are your direct ancestors and you expressed a wish to know your direct line back through Germany. Hope Chest just came out last year and the FHC was buzzing about it for months and months. The genealogists/ missionaries finally had an answer for those who said, "My work is all done." And they had been hearing that for years and years!!! Hope Chest trumphed everything.
Oh well.
I prophesied today, to the Group, that no one would be more diligent this year in that project and assignment than you were! That is my very first prophecy ever.
I love you. You are wonderful.
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6:23 PM (21 hours ago)
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Hi Vern
Thank you for you thoughts. I still am not sure what is expected with the "Baton" assignment, but I will keep trying. I think once I get a handle on all of the programs, Family Search, Ancestry.com, Hope Chest, etc., and verifying what I already have, I will be able to be on my way to do the actual research. What I am presently finding is lots of errors. I will meet with the Family History Consultants on a regular basis for a while.
Thanks again and I know the Lord bless you for your interest and love for His work,
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