We believe in Christ

Adversity

noreply@blogger.com (faith) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 07:20:00 +0000

A girlhood experience helped me to understand how struggle can strengthen us. My family raised partridges. My brothers and sisters and I spent hours gazing at the eggs in the incubator, waiting to see the little birds break out of their shells. The first time we watched the eggs hatch, we felt sorry for the little birds. It seemed to take so long and be so hard. (We didn’t know then that partridge chicks take from forty-eight to seventy-two hours just to break out of their shells.) We were afraid that the baby birds’ strength would not be equal to the task.

So we helped them a bit. As the birds began to hatch, we carefully and gently chipped away bits of the shells—a piece here and a piece there—to make it a little easier for them. We were thrilled when the first young birds emerged from their shells! But to our horror, we saw that every one of the birds had deformed feet. Over the next few days, they died, unable to stand or walk properly to their food or water.

We were grief- and guilt-stricken when we learned that our kindhearted assistance had caused the problem. The time and energy the chicks spend breaking through their eggshells strengthen and develop their legs, feet, and neck, so that they are ready to run around and maintain their balance when they finally emerge. Our attempts to make it easier for the birds destroyed them.

The same is true of marriage. By meeting the challenges, facing the difficulties, and working things out together, we grow closer to becoming one. If we have trust that marriage is a unifying process, we realize that the inevitable problems and conflicts that arise are stepping stones and not obstacles. Our troubles can bring us closer together instead of separating us.

-Christie H. Frandsen

São Paulo

noreply@blogger.com (faith) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 23:02:00 +0000

I was able to serve in the area where this Brazilian temple is located. It was great to be able to walk past the temple often and feel of its spirit.

Parenting: Touching the Hearts of Our Youth

noreply@blogger.com (faith) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 23:01:00 +0000

Imagine What a Little Time Can Do For Your Family

noreply@blogger.com (faith) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 20:10:00 +0000

Forgiveness: My Burden Was Made Light

noreply@blogger.com (faith) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Motherhood: An Eternal Partnership with God

noreply@blogger.com (faith) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 06:47:00 +0000

Good Things to Come

noreply@blogger.com (faith) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 04:27:00 +0000

This is probably my most favorite conference talk of all time. Read the full text here.

Nauvoo

noreply@blogger.com (faith) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 22:00:00 +0000

This is a photo I took of the Nauvoo temple back in 2003. Of all the pictures I've taken of temples, this one is still my favorite. This photo reminds me of the saints of old and how much they sacrificed to have a temple. Today, we have so many temples that are so close to home. I'm very grateful for the sacrifices others have made so that we can have the blessings of the temple so readily available today.

-Ryan G.

Until We Meet Again

noreply@blogger.com (faith) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 08:07:00 +0000

My New Life

noreply@blogger.com (faith) — Fri, 07 May 2010 06:00:00 +0000

The Granite Mountain Vault

noreply@blogger.com (faith) — Thu, 06 May 2010 06:00:00 +0000

How blessed we are...

noreply@blogger.com (faith) — Wed, 05 May 2010 01:45:00 +0000

In Sunday School, we were discussing the hardships that the children of Israel faced as they were in bondage in Egypt and then the hardships they faced in the wilderness. As we did so, I was reminded of how blessed each of the members of our ward are. No, I'm not saying that we all live in castles, drive Bentleys, and live lives of luxury and perfect ease (not that those things really bring happiness). However, compared to many people in the world and compared to the ancient Israelites, each of us have been very blessed. The Lord has provided us with good food, good clothing, good homes, and a knowlegde of the restored gospel.

While each of us face challenges and difficulties, I feel that our challenges are quite small in comparison to what many other people face. I feel very grateful for all of these small things that the Lord provides for me and my family; unfortunately, all too often I take these things for granted but I was grateful for the gentle reminder that the Lord gave me in regards to how blessed I truly am.

-James Detterbeck

Seek the Higher Ground

noreply@blogger.com (faith) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Question and Answers

noreply@blogger.com (faith) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Q: It’s hard for me to sit through my Sunday School class. The lessons always seem to be on subjects we’ve talked about over and over. What should I do?

A: Sunday School can be a good opportunity to learn more about a single gospel subject in depth. In class, you also have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss things you don’t quite understand. But the biggest part of enjoying your Sunday School lessons is getting involved. Don’t just sit back and wait to be entertained. You need to bring your attention to the lesson, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how interesting your lessons can be.

The more you study the gospel, the more you will discover. The scriptures, both in the Old Testament book of Isaiah and in 2 Nephi, talk about learning step by step: “For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have” (2 Ne. 28:30; see also Isa. 28:9–13).

As you participate more by bringing your scriptures, asking questions, and paying attention to what is being taught, you will find the lessons becoming more interesting. And as you gain wisdom, you will receive the Lord’s blessing of more knowledge “line upon line.”

- “Q&A: Questions and Answers,” New Era, Jul 1998

Come Away to the Sunday School

noreply@blogger.com (faith) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 13:01:00 +0000

1. When the rosy light of morning
Softly beams above the hill,
And the birds, sweet heav’nly songsters,
Ev’ry dell with music fill,
Fresh from slumber we awaken;
Sunshine chases clouds away.
Nature breathes her sweetest fragrance
On the holy Sabbath day.

Then away, haste away!
Come away to the Sunday School!
Then away, do not delay!
Come away to the Sunday School!

2. For a good and glorious purpose
Thus we meet each Sabbath day,
Each one striving for salvation
Thru the Lord’s appointed way.
Earnest toil will be rewarded;
Zealous hearts need not repine.
God will not withhold his blessings
From the eager, seeking mind.

Then away, haste away!
Come away to the Sunday School!
Then away, do not delay!
Come away to the Sunday School!

3. Let us then press boldly onward,
Prove ourselves as soldiers true.
He will lead us; he will guide us.
Come, there’s work for all to do,
Never tiring, never doubting,
Boldly struggling to the end.
In the world, tho foes assail us,
God will surely be our friend.

Then away, haste away!
Come away to the Sunday School!
Then away, do not delay!
Come away to the Sunday School!

- Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, no. 276

The Sunday School as a Missionary

noreply@blogger.com (faith) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Of all the auxiliaries of the Church, the Sunday School is unique. It is responsible for the entire membership of the Church. Its curriculum covers the entire spectrum of the gospel. It has more enrolled and more in attendance than any other organization in the Church. It has the best hour of the day and the best day of the week. It has done immeasurable good, but there is so much more that must be done. If the Church is to be strengthened, and it must be; if knowledge of the gospel is to be increased among the membership of the Church, and it must be; if the spirituality of our people is to be refined, and it must be—then the Sunday School must become even more effective. It is a marvelous organization that has within its power the opportunity to touch for everlasting good the lives of many hundreds of thousands of people scattered over the earth. Great is the opportunity; great is the challenge.

I remember a stake conference some years ago in a rural part of the Church. I asked for the hands of all those who might have joined the Church in the last eighteen months. Among those who raised their hands was a fine-looking young man and his wife and three children. I said to the man, “I know this is an unkind thing to do, but I wonder if I could ask you to come to the stand and take ten minutes to tell us how you came to join the Church and what it has meant to you.”

He came forward and said, “I have come to work as an engineer in the big plant that has been built out here on the desert. We decided when we came here that we might join a church.

“Because my wife once worked for a Mormon and was impressed with him, we decided to try this church first, and so we very timidly came one Sunday morning to this building and entered through the door back in the corner of the hall. As we came in, a man reached out his hand and said, ‘Good morning, I’m Brother So and so,’ and I responded and said, ‘My name is such and such.’ He said, ‘I haven’t seen you before. Have you just moved here?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘What ward did you come from?’ I was puzzled. He finally concluded that we were not members of the Church. He said, ‘Come in and sit down. Let me sit by you and explain what goes on.’ So he sat with us. And when it was time to go to the classes, he took our children to their classes and introduced them to the teacher. He took us to the Gospel Doctrine class. We sat on the back row where we wouldn’t feel conspicuous.

“When Sunday School was over he said, ‘We have another meeting this evening. My wife and I will be glad to come by and pick you and your family up.’ I said, ‘No, you don’t need to do that. We’ll come on our own.’ And so we came and he and his wife were there to greet us, and we felt comfortable and we felt enriched. We discovered we’d found something. A few weeks later we were baptized.”

As the man stood at the pulpit, his eyes began to moisten and the tears began to drop from his cheeks, and he said, “A month ago we went to Salt Lake City and went through the temple, and I can’t begin to tell you what that has meant to us and to our home.”

That man now has a son on a mission—the little boy who sat in that stake conference that Sunday afternoon, who had met the Church in Sunday School.

- Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, August 1971

The Role of Teaching in Heavenly Father's Plan

noreply@blogger.com (faith) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 17:47:00 +0000

To be able to fully exercise our agency in righteousness, we must learn of the Savior and the doctrines of His gospel. Because of this, gospel teaching has always played an essential role in Heavenly Father's plan for His children.

In the premortal spirit world, we "received [our] first lessons . . . and were prepared to come forth in the due time of the Lord to labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men" (D&C 138:56). After Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden, the Lord sent angels to teach them the plan of redemption (see Alma 12:27-32). He later commanded Adam and Eve to "teach these things freely" to their children (see Moses 6:57-59).

In every dispensation of the gospel, the Lord has directed the teaching of the plan of redemption. He has sent angels (see Mosiah 3:1-4; Moroni 7:29-32; Joseph Smith--History 1:30-47), called prophets (see Amos 3:7), provided the scriptures (see D&C 33:16), and helped people know the truth by the power of the Holy Ghost (see 1 Nephi 10:19; Moroni 10:5). He has commanded His followers to teach the gospel to their family members (see Deuteronomy 6:5-7; Mosiah 4:14-15; D&C 68:25-28), to other members of the Church (see D&C 88:77-78, 122), and to those who have not yet received the fulness of the gospel (see Matthew 28:19-20; D&C 88:81).

Of the importance of gospel teaching in the Church, Elder Gordon B. Hinckley said: "Fundamental to the very program of the Church is the teaching of the gospel to the membership of the Church. In fulfillment of the obligation which was laid upon the Church in its inception, there has developed within the Church a system of great teaching organizations--the priesthood quorums, both Melchizedek and Aaronic, the far-flung church school system, and the auxiliaries . . . , all of which play so important a part in the education of our people" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1962, 72-73).

- Excerpt from Teaching, No Greater Call

Sunday School: Oil for Our Lamps

noreply@blogger.com (faith) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 18:09:00 +0000

The beautiful, handmade wooden box had been prepared as a time capsule in 1899, the jubilee year of the Latter-day Saint Sunday Schools. When Church leaders opened the box during a special conference 50 years later, they found among the items a letter from the general Sunday School presidency and board of 1899, which included President Joseph F. Smith and Elder Heber J. Grant of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Addressed to the “general Sunday School Authorities of a.d. 1949,” the letter said, in part:

“This Sunday School work has been to us a labor of love and our interest does not merely exist for today, but extends into the future.

“… We beseech you … that you never forget for an instant the object of the great Sunday School work, [namely]: To teach the children the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; to make Latter-day Saints of them.” 1

That plea captures the spirit of the Sunday School. As an organization, its aim always has been to help build and strengthen testimonies of Jesus Christ in every member of the Church. Sunday School has always existed as an auxiliary to help reinforce what individuals learn through personal study and instruction in the home.

The basic mission of Sunday School—its responsibility to teach and strengthen individuals and families—is still in place.

When the time capsule box from Sunday School’s 1899 jubilee year was opened half a century ago, Sunday School leaders of 1949 accepted the charge from their predecessors to “never forget for an instant the object of the great Sunday School work … : To teach … the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” In turn, those 1949 leaders created their own time capsule, a beautiful box made of woods sent from distant lands of the earth where the gospel was being preached. That 1949 box was opened on 1 April 1999 by President Gordon B. Hinckley in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Sunday School. Among the items in it was a letter to today’s Sunday School leaders charging them to carry on this great teaching work.

“May the Lord continue to bless this great institution which has brought knowledge and increased faith into the hearts and lives of millions of members of this Church across the world,” said President Hinckley on that occasion. “God bless the great cause of Sunday School.”

With him, we who are assigned to direct the efforts of teachers and Sunday School workers throughout the world are grateful that they so faithfully prepare, teach, and testify of gospel principles. It is our hope that they will earnestly rededicate themselves to helping strengthen individuals and families by encouraging them to study the scriptures and obey the commandments.

The charge given to us by those leaders in 1949, to move forward the work of the Sunday School, has been joyfully accepted. And a new time capsule has been created—a titanium world globe on a base of granite—to be opened in 2049, Sunday School’s 200th anniversary. Among the items in it is a renewed plea to the leaders of that future era to continue the timeless teaching work of Sunday School with whatever new technology, resources, and vision may be available to them in their day.

We are a Church of teachers—at home, at work, at church, at play—and the responsibility to testify of gospel truth falls on all of us. Therefore, we must ever be a Church of learners, studying the gospel, savoring its eternal insights, and anchoring them in our souls through the influence of the Holy Ghost.

To all of us belongs the responsibility to “never forget for an instant [our] object : To teach the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

- Elder Harold G. Hillam

Challenge for April

noreply@blogger.com (faith) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 06:59:00 +0000

The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance” (D&C 131:6). The Lord has also revealed to us through the Prophet Joseph Smith that "the glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth” (D&C 93:36). Regular attendance at Sunday School helps us fulfill these promises and come closer to the Savior and Heavenly Father.

Often times, the messages in Sunday School are not given the attention that they deserve or fast forgotten. This month, the Sunday School Presidency will be handing out papers at the beginning of class to enable you to write down your thoughts or feelings of the lesson.

The challenge for the month of April is to share your thoughts with us. Tell us about something you learned, how it made you feel, or maybe share a prompting that you received during the lesson.

-Send to byu.85.mission@gmail.com to share with the followers of this blog.

We look forward to your submissions!

LDS Charities: Rique's Wheelchair

noreply@blogger.com (faith) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 07:12:00 +0000

First Presidency 2010 Easter Message

noreply@blogger.com (faith) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:53:00 +0000

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued the following Easter message this weekend:

"At this Easter season as we contemplate our own mortality and remember loved ones who have passed from this life, our hearts turn to Him who promised: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

"Jesus Christ is the literal Savior of the world, the Son of God, the Prince of Peace, the Holy One of Israel, even the risen Lord, who declared: “Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world…I am the light and the life of the world.” “I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father.

"This Easter season, as His witnesses, we testify that He lives and that through Him, we too shall live."

Testimony of the Book of Mormon

noreply@blogger.com (faith) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 22:39:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (faith) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:25:00 +0000

As I have focused this past month on the tender mercies from our Savior a wonderful thing has been happening in my life, I am now noticing them on a daily basis. As I went to bed last night I was anticipating a rather stressful day, but when I woke up this morning I was filled with happiness and joy! I felt very calm and peaceful! At the moment of first conscious thought I was hearing our ward choir! The beauty and sincerity of their voices flooded into my mind and heart. I was comforted with a profound sense of peace! I am so grateful that he hears my prayers and for His tender care for me and for those I know and love!

Lynn

He Lives: Testimonies of Jesus Christ

noreply@blogger.com (faith) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 19:26:00 +0000

Church Continues to Provide Relief to Earthquake Victims in Chile

noreply@blogger.com (faith) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 13:00:00 +0000

SALT LAKE CITY - 17 March 2010 - An airlift of tents, tarps, diapers and other supplies sent by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the Chilean government arrived in Santiago from Miami on Monday, 15 March. The supplies had been specifically requested by the previous Chilean government and will provide relief in the wake of the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Chile in February.

According to local Church leaders, government officials were particularly happy to see the tents and the other supplies needed so desperately in the affected areas.

The Church’s Chile area presidency, which directs the work of the Church throughout Chile, met with Rodrigo Hinzpeter, Chile’s new interior minister, and Cristobal Lira, the general coordinator of donations, to formally donate the shipment. The ministers expressed their gratitude for all the Church was doing to help the Chilean people.

Local Church leaders are also continuing to coordinate the delivery of food, water and other supplies provided locally from bishops’ storehouses in Chile to affected areas, including the Juan Fernandez Islands, which were hit by a major tsunami. Several tons of relief supplies have already been provided by the Church from resources in country.

One stake (similar to a diocese) in Chile sent four tons of food, clothing and other supplies they provided on their own. The Relief Society in Chile has provided thousands of blankets and quilts to the needy.

“Everyone is grateful for what local Church leaders are doing down there and how well the relief operation is running,” said Dennis Lifferth, managing director of Church Welfare Services.

An estimated 2 million Chileans have been affected by the earthquake, with at least 500,000 homes sustaining considerable damage. Dozens of aftershocks continued to rattle the region over the weekend.

Seven Church members have been confirmed dead and one is missing from the aftermath of the original quake. Nearly 450 Church members are temporarily using 25 Church meetinghouses as living quarters.

Those wishing to donate to the Church Humanitarian Aid Fund can do so here. Resources from the Church Humanitarian Aid Fund make it possible for the Church to conduct humanitarian activities all over the world. One hundred percent of all contributions are used to help the needy.