Friday, May 12th, 2017

Mesa, Arizona
7th operating temple
Dedicated: 23-26 October 1927 by 
Heber J. Grant
Rededicated: 15-16 April 1975 by
Spencer W. Kimball

Mosiah 28:1-20

* The sons of Mosiah desire to preach to the Lamanites.

* According to Mosiah 28:2-3 what were the reasons the sons of Mosiah wanted to preach to the Lamanites?

* How did the conversion of the sons of Mosiah influence their desire to share the gospel?

Gospel Principle: As our conversion deepens, our desire to share the gospel increases.

* Who received the sacred records?

* Why was Alma a good choice to care for these records?

Mormon 6-7

6 The Nephites gather to the land of Cumorah for the final battles; Mormon hides the sacred records in the hill Cumorah; The Lamanites are victorious, and the Nephite nation is destroyed; Hundreds of thousands are slain with the sword. About A.D. 385.

7 Mormon invites the Lamanites of the latter days to believe in Christ, accept His gospel, and be saved; All who believe the Bible will also believe the Book of Mormon. About A.D. 385.

DC 72:13-26; 73-74

72:13-26 Bishops are to certify the worthiness of elders.

73 Elders are to continue to preach; Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon are to continue to translate the Bible until it is finished.

74 Paul counsels the Church of his day not to keep the law of Moses; Little children are holy and are sanctified through the Atonement.

Why is it important for us to know little children are holy?

* Little children are sanctified through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  We would do well to remember this and treat them accordingly.  Also, this knowledge refutes the need for infant baptisms.

General Conference

The Language of the Gospel

Elder Valeri V. Cordon

"I notice a similarity between preserving a mother tongue and preserving the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives.  Today in my analogy, I would like to emphasize not any particular earthly language but rather an eternal language that must be preserved in our families and never lost.  I speak of the language of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  By 'language of the gospel,' I mean all the teachings of our prophets, our obedience to those teachings, and our following righteous traditions."

We were going to go home to Vernon this morning but James had a sink to install.  I told him to go ahead and do it today so he wouldn't have to come back next week to install it.  He said it would probably take him 3-4 hours.  It actually ended up taking him 14 hours, minus the lunch break he took when he came home and took me to Taco Bell.  Oh, I forgot to mention the fact that this morning he jumped the doggie gate in the office at Cathi's and tripped and fell and hurt his wrist.  At first he thought it was broken because it began to swell up.  Cathi gave him a wrist brace to wear and it seemed to help.  The problem with installing this sink was the epoxy concrete top.  James had a hard time finding a saw blade that would saw through.  He finally got it done though and got home about 9:30 this evening.

I kept myself busy today.  The only thing I was sad about missing was the Young Women's fundraiser Navajo taco dinner this evening.  I had to cancel my order.  I was really looking forward to that Navajo taco.  I hear they made over 300.

I kept myself busy today.  I studied, worked on my blog, took a nap, and attended a meeting with Dave, Laura, Cathi, Terry, Dawn, and Wendy (Cathi's daughter), at Dave and Laura's for Lois's 90th birthday party in October.  Rebecca should have been there too, but she was out of town.  Dave and Laura have a new electronic toy.  Her name is Alexis.  She is a round disk that looks like a hockey puck.  Dave says: "Play 70's music and she plays the Beatles "Let it Be."  I guess she's kind of like Google.  You can ask her all kinds of questions and she will give you the answers.  I would like her to be my partner in my next Trivial Pursuit game.  

Wendy stayed and went back to Cathi and Terry's with us after the meeting.  I had a nice visit with her.  Cathi ordered us dinner from Panda and paid for mine and James's.  Wendy passed because she is on a carb free diet.  She said she had a pound of bacon this morning for breakfast.  She drank beef broth for dinner.

Wendy is very worried about her son Colton.  Colton is Max's age and he is over 6'2".  She found stretch marks on his back and other signs of a condition called marfan that is found in tall, slender people.  Michael Phelps has this condition.  It can be life threatening and affect the person's heart.  They are going to be doing more tests on Colton.  I have put him on my prayer list as well as Cathi's brother in law Paul, who has cancer.  Wendy says if you have this condition you cannot play in the NBA.  Some athletes who have had it have suddenly died.  Hopefully if Colton does have it they caught it in time and will be able to help him.

Because James got home so late we will not be going home until tomorrow morning around 6:30 a.m.

Photos:

White tigers are so beautiful!

I have a fascination with castles.

Trina made Rowan and Darrel take one of her first

aid kits to the Fathers and Sons outing.

Birthday shopping with Addy last August.

Andy and his new knife

Zemira loves Legos.

Ruthie and her pet purse.

James is their home teacher and asked me to buy

them something for their birthday's.

The most beautiful bouquet I have ever 

received from a child.

Preparing to leave for Havasupai.

Monday, April 17, 2017

Jordan River temple,

20th operating temple

(Now being renovated)

Mosiah 9:14-10:22

The Lamanites attempt to bring Zeniff's people into bondage.

* What similarities and differences do you see between how Zeniff's people and the Lamanites approached their battles?

* What truths can we learn from this comparison?

* Why did the Lamanites hate the Nephites so intensely?

* Whom does it hurt when we are angry or refuse to forgive?

* How can a person's anger affect his or her family, now and in the future?

Elder Donald L. Hallstrom of the Seventy said: "If you feel you have been wronger - by anyone (a family member, a friend, another member of the Church, a Church leader, a business associate) or by anything (the death of a loved one, health problems, a financial reversal, abuse, addictions) - deal with the matter directly and with all the strength you have...And, without delay, turn to the Lord.  Exercise all of the faith you have in Him.  Let Him share your burden.  Allow His grace to lighten your load... Never let an earthly circumstance disable you spiritually" ("turn to the Lord," Ensign, May 2010, 80).

Helaman 15-16

15 The Lord chastened the Nephites because He loved them - Converted Lamanites are firm and steadfast in the faith - The Lord will be merciful unto the Lamanites in the latter days. About 6 B.C.

16 The Nephites who believe Samuel are baptized by Nephi - Samuel cannot be slain with the arrows and stones of the unrepentant Nephites - Some harden their hearts, and others see angels - The unbelievers say it is not reasonable to believe in Christ and His coming in Jerusalem. About 6-1 B.C.

DC 58:34-43

To repent, men must confess and forsake their sins;

* What verse stood out to me today?  

- 42 Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.

- 43 By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins - behold, he will confess them and forsake them.

General Conference

Called to the Work

Elder David A. Bednar

"An assignment to labor in a specific place is essential and important but secondary to a call to the work."

Prepare the Way

Bishop Gerald Causse

"Even though they are vested with different missions and

authority, the Aaronic Priesthood and the 

Melchizedek Priesthood are inseparable partners

in the work of salvation."

James left to go on a Razr ride this morning at 7:15.  I encouraged him to go and to have a little fun thinking he would be back in an hour or so.  I soon realized that he broke two of our rules.  First, he did not take his phone, and second, he left in such a hurry that he failed to tell me where he was going.  When he wasn't back by 9 a.m. I said a prayer and decided I needed to go out looking for him.  I wasn't sure which way he would go so I headed up forest road 404 and made the loop turning down Christmas Tree Trail and then back down the 61.  The only animal I saw was a turkey.  This is a 30 mile loop and it took me an hour.  I got back home at 10 a.m., and there was still no James.  Now I was really worried.  I texted the kids and told them to say a prayer that I would be able to find dad.  On my way out I called my neighbor Kathy and as I was talking to her on the phone, James came zipping up the road from the direction of Chocolate Lake.  I was so relieved that I couldn't even get mad at him.  Of course I had to remind him of the two rules he had broken.  If something would have happened to him I would have never found him because he went up Mount Montoso looking for elk antlers.  Someone closed a gate on him and he had to take a round about way home, which is why it took him so long.

When I am stressed or nervous I eat.  I did plenty of eating today.

James was gone again this afternoon from 2:30-4:30 visiting Anthony with his home teaching companion Dave.  We were able to watch this weeks episode of "When Calls the Heart."  Afterwards James left to have FHE with the Wilhelm's.  The lesson was on missionary work and James's companion Dave told about his mission to Scotland.  

James is going to be gone for the next couple of days to the valley so I would have liked to spent more time with him today but I am grateful to have a husband who fulfills his priesthood assignments.

I was able to spend three hours working on my talk for Saturday on receiving personal revelation.  I also watched Dancing with the Stars Disney Night.

My favorites from tonight: Rashad and Emma, Normani and Val, and Simone and Sasha.

Fun Photos:

Congratulations to one of my young women,

Makenzi who went to the temple and got

engaged all in the same night.

The Reidhead's,

one of the cute families in our ward.

They met are their missions.

Another one of my young women, Shelly,

turned 19 today.  Here she is with her

cousin Ruthie.

It's always fun to go for ice cream,

except it does get a little cold.

Christmas with the Gonzo boys, minus

Joshua,  a few years ago.

Such a cute picture!

Anna and her new friend

First day of school.

The first time we met Kacey,

last July.

Snowflake temple

We look old.

Temple trip with the young women.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Happy Fall Y'all

My decorations are up!

This is a good as it gets around here.

The wind howled all night long.  I thought for sure it would blow up some rain clouds.  It looked like it was going to rain, but it never did.  I know it rained in the valley and around Flagstaff.

The sky in Vernon

The sky in the Valley

Helaman 7:13-8:10
When have you raised your voice in support of the living prophet?  How did this effect you and others around you?
By listening to their counsel in General Conference and following it.  Bearing testimony to others of them, and remembering them in my prayers.  By raising my hand to sustain them and speaking out against those who are critical against them.  Defend the anointed.

GC: 'See Yourself in the Temple' by Elder Quentin L. Cook

"The temple is a place of refuge, thansgiving, instruction, and understanding, 'that we may be perfected  . . in all things pertaining to the kingdom of God on the earth.'  Throughout my life it has been a place of tranquility and peace in a world that is literally in commotion."

The first temple in Wyoming

I read a talk by Elder Brent H. Nielson entitled "Can We Live 'after the manner of Happiness'"? in this month's Ensign.  It really had a lot of meaning for me.  Here are just a few notes I took.

*Let the Savior's Redeeming Power Cleanse You

- Let the Savior, through His redeeming power, take your sins.

- We profess a belief in the Savior and in His Atonement, but we may have doubts that the Atonement will actually work for us.  So we carry our own sins.  We worry, we doubt, and sometimes we despair.  That is not God's plan for us.

-Only Satan wants you to think you can't be forgiven and that you have to pay for your own sins.  Let the go, and do it today.

*Embrace Your Trials

-Facing trials is not only a part of our earthly existence but also essential to our progression.  It is how we grow and become.  Years ago a General Authority told me if I didn't have trials in my life, the plan wasn't working for me.

- Embrace your trials and move forward with faith.

*Access the Savior's Enabling Power

-As we make our way through life, the enabling power of the Savior's Atonement can make our burdens light and allow us to live "after the manner of happiness."

- When you face burdens in life, the key to access the Savior's enabling power is to submit cheerfully and with patience to the will of the Lord. 

This should be our family motto.

James's new home improvement project is making doors for the pump house.  He is always busy doing something but I am afraid he pays for it with aches and pains.  I don't know how to stop him.  

James and I headed out to visit Hailey Chaffin this morning with a candle and a quote from this month's visiting teaching message.  We found her across the road from the Stanford Store waiting for a truck who was delivering a tank to their ranch.  I went over and stood in the wind and talked to her about the lesson, about the books I gave Braylin to read, and her mother's family reunion in Van Horn, Texas the weekend of General Conference.  I would say we had a good visit considering the circumstances.  When I was finished James and I headed to town to pick up the Garden Fresh Veggie thin crust pizza we ordered from Pappa John's.  We devoured it!

After eating pizza James went to Home Depot while I waited in the car.  He got some lumber for his doors, an edger and a lawnmower. We are low on funds but we really need these last two items.  

Points to Ponder:

*The bishop wants to meet with us on Sunday at l p.m.  I wonder why.  

* Where did the gift bag go that I had to give to Kaeli Nicoll.  There was a $25 gift card in there!  James tried to go down to the church to see if I left it in my Primary room, but it was locked up.  He thought he could see something pink through the window of my room.  I sure hope so.

 Three of my favorite Vernon girls.

This picture was taken about five years ago.

Trenda, Alice, and Ruthie.

Friday, February 28, 2014

Morning sky

Here are some notes that I took from my morning gospel study:

  How is it we show the Lord that we have symbolically put ourselves upon today's sacrificial altar?

  "When we overcome our own selfish desires and put God first in our lives and covenant to serve Him regardless of the cost, we are then living the law of sacrifice." -Elder M. Russell Ballard

  Our Light in Darkness:

  "The quantity of darkness surrounding us in the world simply does not matter.  Light is eternal and is vastly more powerful than darkness.  If we remain worthy of the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit, our souls can reflect sufficient light to displace any amount of darkness, and others will be drawn to the light within us."  (Feb. 2014, Ensign, p. 77)

This evening we picked up Blain and Diana Curtis and drove into the Show Low stake center to attend Trenda Wilhelm's surprise 16th birthday party.  

 Trenda's sister Ruthie blowing

up a balloon before the party

Wow this is blurry!

Trenda's parents, John and Sandy and

Trenda dancing with her grandpa Wilhelm

 Trenda dancing with her dad.

We left the party early to go get something to eat.  All they had at the party were cookies and milk.  The Curtis's suggested Lotus Garden so we drove to Pinetop.  James ordered the seafood feast, and it really was a feast.

He said it was bland but he went

home and seasoned it the next day

and said it was delicious.

This was a fun evening and it gave us an opportunity to get to know the Curtis's a little better.  Diana is the Young Women's president and Blain is our ward clerk.  They are from Mesa and have been here about a year and a half.  Blain is a retired police officer.