"Come Follow Me - For Individuals & Families" Helps

There are a lot of changes coming in the church in 2019!  Exciting changes!  At the very end of our Oct. 2018 General Conference, Pres. Nelson said this:

"The new home-centered, Church-supported integrated curriculum has the potential to unleash the power of families, as each family follows through conscientiously and carefully to transform their home into a sanctuary of faith. I promise that as you diligently work to remodel your home into a center of gospel learning, over time your Sabbath days will truly be a delight. Your children will be excited to learn and to live the Savior’s teachings, and the influence of the adversary in your life and in your home will decrease. Changes in your family will be dramatic and sustaining."

I don't know about you, but I could really use those promises and blessings!  I'm ready and willing to do my part and am so grateful for the many, many resources The Church and others have made available to us to help us.

Here's a list of some of the things our family will be doing and free resources that we'll be using as we move forward in our family-centered, Church-supported learning.


LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST BIBLE VIDEOS

The Life of Jesus Christ Bible Videos are beautiful!  We have visual learners in our family and it is great to read a story from the Bible and then watch the video of the story.  This way we can really SEE what happened.  I love these videos!

The videos can be found here on lds.org and are also on the Library app on your phone at Library: Videos: Bible Videos

NEW TESTAMENT VIDEOS FOR CHILDREN

For younger children, there are illustrated Bible videos, found here.  These make a great overview version to reinforce the stories told.  

COLORING PAGES

I'm a firm believer that your hands can be busy and you can still be listening.  Especially for children.  Lds.org has an entire page of coloring sheets taken from the Friend magazine over the years that you can print and have available for little people to color while your family is reading the scriptures.  You can find them here.  If you scroll down the page about half way, there is an entire section of pictures of Christ.  You can also just draw pictures or write down important words from the reading while you listen.

NEW TESTAMENT ARTWORK

The Gospel Art Book is a must have for every home.  You probably already have it!  You can also find all the artwork online here.  I'm a visual learner.  If you show  me a picture of something, I'll remember it forever.  Read something to me and it's in one ear and right out the other, so I'm so grateful to have beautiful artwork to look at while reading the scriptures to help it stick in my brain better!





LDS SCRIPTURE CITATION INDEX


I LOVE this app on my phone!  You can look up scriptures and see which General Conference talks through the ages referenced it.  Being able to read what the general authorities have said about certain scriptures I'm studying has really upped the impact of my scripture study. 

"PONDERIZE"

In the Oct. 2015 General Conference, Elder Devin G. Durrant taught us a great tool for making the scriptures more meaningful in our lives.   You can read the whole talk here.    He taught us two simple steps:

1 - choose a verse of scripture each week and place it where you will see it every day

2 - read or think of the verse several times each day and ponder the meaning of its words and key phrases throughout the week

For shorter verses, we can memorize the whole thing.  For longer verses, we can memorize key phrases and where the scripture is found.  Why memorize scripture?  Elder Richard G. Scott, in Oct. 2011,  taught us:

"Scriptures are like packets of light that illuminate our minds and give place to guidance and inspiration from on high.   Great power can come from memorizing scriptures. To memorize a scripture is to forge a new friendship. It is like discovering a new individual who can help in time of need, give inspiration and comfort, and be a source of motivation for needed change." 

BIBLE DICTIONARY

LDS youth speaker, John Bytheway, once referred to the Topical Guide and Bible Dictionary in our scriptures as the "sealed portion" because so few of us ever use them in our studying.   Let's not let these great resources go unused!  The Bible Dictionary will give you a short synopsis of key people and places that are talked about in the scriptures.  Who was Matthew and why did he write what is now the first book in the New Testament?  Who was it written for and how is it different than the Gospels of Mark, Luke and John?  The Bible Dictionary tells us:

"Known before his conversion as Levi, son of Alphaeus (Mark 2:14). He was a tax gatherer at Capernaum, probably in the service of Herod Antipas, in whose tetrarchy Capernaum was. Soon after his call he gave a feast to his old associates (Matt. 9:9–13; Mark 2:14–17; Luke 5:27–32) at which the Lord was present, and was in consequence blamed by the Pharisees. Matthew was probably a thorough Jew with a wide knowledge of the Old Testament scriptures and able to see in every detail of the Lord’s life the fulfillment of prophecy. His Gospel (see Gospels) was written for the use of Jewish persons in Palestine and uses many quotations from the Old Testament. His chief object is to show that Jesus is the Messiah of whom the prophets spoke. He also emphasizes that Jesus is the King and Judge of men. His Gospel was probably written in Aramaic but is known to us by a Greek translation. Of the Apostle’s later life little is known for certain. A tradition asserts that he died a martyr’s death."

MUSIC

For those of you around my age who attended seminary in the 90's, you probably remember seminary videos with music that corresponded to the book of scripture that we studied.  Well, guess what?  That music is still around!  You can find the New Testament music here on lds.org.  My favorite is the Armor of God song.  When I hear it, I want to put on my armor and go to battle!  I love being inspired by music!  Here's the Armor of God video for your watching pleasure today.

These are just a few of the MANY resources that we have available to us to enhance our study of the scriptures.  Of course, everything we NEED to study is in our scriptures and in the new manual "Come Follow Me - For Individuals and Families". 

In May 2010, Elder D. Todd Christofferson offered us counsel and a promise.  He said:

 “Study the scriptures carefully, deliberately. Ponder and pray over them. Scriptures are revelation, and they will bring added revelation.”

And in Oct. 2009 Elder David A. Bednar promised us: 

“Each family prayer, each episode of family scripture study, and each family home evening is a brushstroke on the canvas of our souls. No one event may appear to be very impressive or memorable. But just as the yellow and gold and brown strokes of paint complement each other and produce an impressive masterpiece, so our consistency in doing seemingly small things can lead to significant spiritual results”

I'm always up for added revelation and significant spiritual results!  How about you?  

Happy New Year and Happy Scripture Study!

Insights on Contention from the Words of Mormon

The Words of Mormon in the Book of Mormon is often skipped over or read through quickly with the thought, "I know what he's saying.  He's telling us that he's made an abridgment of the Plates of Nephi and added in the Small Plates and then he tells me again where the plates came from and then lets me know that he is passing the record down to his son, Moroni. - Got it."  And in the first 11 verses, you're right.  But starting in verse 12 and through the end - a mere 6 verses - we find a wealth of gold in dealing with contention!  Once this lesson popped out to me, I've reread it many times.  I am so grateful for the lessons learned in this short 6 verses.  Words of Mormon has become one of my very favorite books in the Book of Mormon.

Let me explain why.

We read in verse 12 that King Benjamin "had somewhat of contentions among his own people."  This contention come from two places:

• from outside the kingdom - the armies of the Lamanites came down to battle (vs. 13) 
• from inside his kingdom with "false prophets, and false preachers and teachers among the people" (vs. 16).  

King Benjamin loved his people and wanted their safety, both physically and spiritually, so he had to end the contentions.   He was successful and we read in verse 18 that "by laboring with all the might of his body and the faculty of his whole soul did once more establish peace in the land."

How did he fight the contentions from both the outside and inside of his kingdom?

Against his outside enemies, the Lamanites, we read that he "gathered together his armies, and he did stand against them; and he did fight with the strength of his own arm.  And in the strength of the Lord they did contend against their enemies." (vs. 13-14)

Against the internal enemies seeking to destroy them spiritually, "with the assistance of the holy prophets who were among his people, [the false prophets, and false preachers and teachers] mouths had been shut, and they punished according to their crimes" (vs. 15-16)

What allowed King Benjamin to accomplish these things?  In verse 17 we read that King Benjamin was a "holy man, and he did reign over his people in righteousness; and there were many holy men in the land, and they did speak the word of God with power and with authority; and they did use much sharpness because of the stiffneckedness of the people"

So how does this apply to me and my home?

We also have enemies on the outside trying to harm our families spiritually.  Through scripture and the words of the prophets we know who the adversary is and what he is trying to do.  Elder Marion G. Romney said, "We need not be, and we must not be, deceived by the sophistries of men concerning the reality of Satan. There is a personal devil, and we had better believe it. He and a countless host of followers, seen and unseen, are exercising a controlling influence upon men and their affairs in our world today."  (link here)

His goal is to “destroy the souls of men.” (D&C 10:27.)

“… he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him.” (Moro. 7:17.)

At the last supper just prior to his ordeal in Gethsemane, Jesus warned Peter: “Simon, Simon, … Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.” (Luke 22:31.)

How do we take what King Benjamin taught us about outside enemies to fight the adversary today?  We FORTIFY AND FIGHT!

We fortify and fight by doing the basics: FHE, family scripture study, family prayer and family fun times.

We also fight against contentions inside our homes.  In my house those things look like: yelling, arguing, bullying, teasing, sarcasm, insults, speaking unkindly and basically anything that tears us apart instead of bringing us together as a family.

We can replace those behaviors with: soft voices, keeping calm, obeying rules, giving service, treating others the way we want to be treated, forgiveness, apologizing and respect.

What kind of people do we need to be to accomplish this? 

We need to be like King Benjamin, righteous and holy, speaking the word of God with power and authority.  Sometimes as parents we, like King Benjamin, need to also use sharpness.  Doctrine and Covenants 121:43 tells us how this should be done, "Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy."

In Mosiah 1:1 we read the end of the story.  "And now there was no more contention in all the land, among all the people who belonged to king Benjamin, so that king Benjamin had continual peace all the remainder of his days."

We must be like King Benjamin and "laboring with all the might of [our] body and the faculty of [our] whole soul" against contentions inside and outside our homes and by following the example of King Benjamin, we will be successful.

LDS Church History Tour

We couldn't travel across the country without stopping at LDS church history sites along the way.  Ideally you would do the trip from east to west because the church started in New York and as it grew, they moved further west eventually ending up in the Salt Lake Valley of Utah.  But we were driving west to east, so we did the trip backwards.  For timeline chronology, I will share our stops with you from east to west.

Birthplace of the Prophet Joseph Smith - Sharon Vermont
(here is the link to the official site)

We drove up to the birthplace of the prophet Joseph Smith on a sunny Sunday afternoon.  It was a short drive from where we were staying in Killington, VT.  It was a beautiful drive in the early fall.  The leaves were just starting to think about changing colors.

The site is beautifully landscaped and a visitor's center gives you an opportunity to find out more about the Smith Family and the prophet.  The monument is a beautiful smooth polished obelisk shaft that is 38 1/2 feet tall, one foot for each year of the Prophet's life.




Palmyra New York


During our visit to Palmyra New York we saw the Smith Family Farm, the Sacred Grove and the Hill Cumorah.  Upstate New York is beautiful!  The Palmyra temple is also in the same area.  The temple is stunning and has stained glass windows of the Sacred Grove all around the outside.   It was a sunny, warm Sunday and after attending church in one of the wards in the Palmyra Stake, we toured the sites.

Smith Family Farm
(here is the link to the official site)

 The Smith Family Farm is, of course, right next to the Sacred Grove.  In his early teen years, Joseph Smith lived in this home with his family.  A religious revival was taking place in that part of the country and he was confused over which church to join.  He read in his Bible, in James 1:5 - "If any of ye lack wisdom, let him ask of God."  He decided that the only answer he could get would be from God.  So one morning he went out into the woods near his home to pray.  The answer he got changed the world when he saw God, the Father, and Jesus Christ and they told him not to join any of the churches but that through him they would restore the true church of Jesus Christ back to the earth.  (you can read the full account in his own words here or watch a quick video about it here)

The Smith farm consists of two homes and several out buildings that have been restored as they would have been in Joseph Smith's time.  We loved seeing how they lived in the 1800's and we loved hearing the stories the missionaries told us about the events that happened there.

The Sacred Grove 
(here is the link to the official site)

The Sacred Grove is a beautiful piece of forest that has been left untouched other than the addition of walking trails, rest rooms and benches.  We walked in expecting to walk TO something, but finally realized that the entire grove was where we were going.  There wasn't a place to get to.  The trails lead all over the grove and allow for a peaceful, contemplative walk through and around the woods where Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ.

Hill Cumorah
(here is the link to the official site)

The Hill Cumorah is about 5 miles up the road from the Smith Family farm and Sacred Grove.  There is a beautiful visitor's center there with videos to watch about the area and missionaries on hand to answer any questions.  The monument to the Angel Moroni giving the plates of gold to Joseph Smith is at the top of the hill and can be driven to or walked to.  We opted to drive up because it was late in the day and we were tired.  We love this area of New York and could have sat in the peaceful forest for hours.

Kirtland Ohio
(here is the link to the official site)

You want to start your journey through old Kirtland at the visitor's center.  They have a film to watch about what happened in the church during the years the church was headquartered in Kirtland Ohio.  The grounds now include the Newel K. and Elizabeth Ann Whitney Home, the Newel K. Whitney Store, the John Johnson house, a saw mill and several other period homes that have been restored.  We took a great tour with fabulous missionaries telling us stores as we went.  Most of the Whitney Store is original!

Up the hill from the visitor's center is the Kirtland Temple, the first temple built in this dispensation.  It is currently owned by the Community of Christ church and after watching a short video on the history of the area, we were taken on a tour of the interior of the Kirtland temple.  It has been fully restored and is so much bigger than I thought it would be!  We were able to sit in the main chapel and sing "The Spirit of God", the song that was sung at the temple's dedication in 1836.  That was one of the coolest things I've ever done!


Independence Missouri (we visited here in May 2017)
(here is the link to the official site)

Independence Missouri was the headquarters of the church for a short time and has been revealed to be the place where Zion - The New Jerusalem will be built when Christ returns to earth.  The dedicated temple site is a grassy field near the visitor's center.



Adam-ondi-ahman - Missouri
(here is the link to the official site)

Adam-ondi-ahman is a beautiful piece of land in northern Missouri.  It as been revealed that this is the place that Adam blessed his righteous posterity before his death.  The acres and acres of land are farmed and beautifully landscaped.  It is very peaceful there.  Our friends, Kathy & LaMar Losee, from Payson are missionaries there.  We loved meeting up with them and having them show us around their mission.




Carthage Jail - Carthage Illinois
(here is the link to the official site)

Carthage Jail is in the middle of the bustling town of Carthage Illinois about 20 miles from Nauvoo.  It was here that the prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were martyred by a mob.  Every time I'm there I'm surprised that life can go on like normal in the town where the prophet was killed.  I don't know what I expect, exactly, but I just feel a little surprised every time.  There is a very special spirit on the grounds of the jail that can be felt walking around and touring the jail.

Nauvoo Illinois
(here is the link to the official site)

Nauvoo was headquarters of the church and home of the members for several years.  They built a beautiful, thriving community out of swamp land on the banks of the Mississippi River.  Most of the old town has been restored as it was in the 1800's.  The modern part of the town is up on the hill behind the temple.  There are many homes and shops you can visit in the old town.   Start out at the visitor's center and go from there.  There is a Family Resource Center that teaches about rope making, baking, weaving, coopering and several other every day activities in the life of a pioneer.

Our favorite shops to visit were the bakery where we got a gingerbread cookie, the brick yard where we got a Nauvoo brick, the blacksmith shop where we got a "diamond ring".  We also visited the Browning gun shop, Red Brick Store and Smith family cemetery.

We love Nauvoo!  We could spend a week there, but sadly we only had a day.  We also walked down Parley Street to the Mississippi River where the members of the church crossed into Iowa to get away from the mobs and persecution.  This is the closest you can get to the Mississippi River in town.  You can walk right up to it and stick your feet in.  But don't stick your feet in!  I did and got "swimmer's itch" also known as duck mites and wanted to claw all of the skin off my legs for the next week!  So whatever you do - DON'T stick your feet in the Mississippi River!   

Mormon Trail Center at Historic Winter Quarters - Omaha Nebraska
(here is the link to the official site)

Going to Winter Quarters Nebraska was a little bit out of our way, but we were excited to see the Trail Center as well and the temple there.  It was well worth our time!  The Trail Center is very informative and is right across the street from the temple and the old pioneer cemetery.  We loved the spirit of the area and loved the stories the missionaries told us about the people who wintered over there on their way to the Salt Lake Valley.

All of the visitor's centers are fabulous.  Most have a 20-30 minute, very well done, video that we watched about what happened in that area and why it's important.  They are also staffed with missionaries there to tell us stories, take us on tours and answer any questions we had.  Several even have hands on activities to make the learning fun for kids.  I love that the church has preserved all of these sacred spots and that we can visit them now to deepen our understanding of what they early members of the church endured so that we can have what we have today.  I love this quote from Maureen O'Hara:

"My heritage has been my grounding, and it has brought me peace."

We truly found our heritage and felt it's peace as we visited these sites.  We also had some very special experiences.  Afton told me one day as we neared the end of our church history visits, "I think the most important thing I've learned as we've visited all of these spots is what the Spirit feels like."    That is a happy mom moment! 

We didn't get to all of the historic sites.  Some were just a little too far out of our way.  And for some, there just wan't enough time.  The places we didn't get to visit will have to be saved for another trip.
They are:

Far West - Missouri
Liberty Jail Historic Site - Liberty, Missouri
Book of Mormon Publication Site: Grandin Building - Palmyra, New York
Peter Whitmer Log Home - Waterloo, New York
Priesthood Restoration Site - Oakland Twp (Susquehanna), Pennsylvania

Why we visit temples as we travel

In April 2009, Elder Gary E. Stevenson gave a talk about the temple that reached me to my very core.  You can find the full talk here.  He said,

"You are never lost when you can see the temple. The temple will provide direction for you and your family in a world filled with chaos. It is an eternal guidepost which will help you from getting lost in the “mist of darkness.” It is the house of the Lord.  It is a place where covenants are made and eternal ordinances are performed.

The First Presidency has invited 'adult members to have a current temple recommend and visit the temple more often' where time and circumstance permit... They also encouraged 'newer members and youth of the Church who are 12 years of age and older to live worthy to assist in this great work by serving as proxies for baptisms and confirmations.' Even our young children have been encouraged to visit the temple grounds and touch the temple. President Thomas S. Monson once counseled, 'As we touch the temple, the temple will touch us.'”

I immediately knew that we needed to make it a priority for our entire family, not just those over 12, to visit the temples.  We made a goal that before the end of the year we would visit all of our local temples in Utah to walk the grounds, read something about them and touch the temples.  It made a great Sunday afternoon activity for our closest temples.  As the year progressed we had other activities further out of town and made visiting the temples in those parts of the state a priority.   We reached our goal and by the end of 2009 had visited every temple in Utah other than the St. George and Monticello temples.

That year set a habit in our lives of visiting temples.   After that, whenever we travel, we go out of our way if necessary to see the temples in that region.

As of today, October 19, 2017, our family has visited 36 of the 81 temples in the US. 

We LOVE visiting temples.  We see the temple and feel it's spirit.  We are truly never lost when we can see the temple!

Why do we build temples?

Ogden Utah temple

St. George Utah temple

Nauvoo Illinois temple

Palmyra New York temple

Ft. Collins Colorado temple

Kansas City Missouri temple

Raleigh North Carolina temple

Washington DC temple

Louisville Kentucky temple

Nashville Tennessee temple

St. Louis Missouri temple

Denver Colorado temple