FHE from LDS Living

Conference Talk:
For more information on this topic read “Temple Mirrors of Eternity: A Testimony of Family,” by Elder Gerrit W. Gong,Ensign, Nov 2010, 36.

Thought:
An eternal perspective of gospel conversion and temple covenants can help us see rich blessings in each generation of our forever families. (Elder Gerrit W. Gong, “Temple Mirrors of Eternity: A Testimony of Family,”Ensign, Nov 2010, 36.)

Song:
“Families Can Be Together Forever,” Children’s Songbook, p. 188.

Scripture:
And now, my dearly beloved brethren and sisters, let me assure you that these are principles in relation to the dead and the living that cannot be lightly passed over, as pertaining to our salvation. For their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers—that they without us cannot be made perfect—neither can we without our dead be made perfect. (Doctrine and Covenants 128:15)

Lesson:
Prior to the lesson, cut out long strips of paper that can serve as chain links. You will also need markers and a stapler or tape.

Invite your family members to take a paper strip and write their name on it. Making a paper chain, have them staple or tape their link to the parents’ links. Then have them make links for their grandparents and great-grandparents as far back as you wish and connect them to the chain. Read Malachi 4:5–6 together and ask:

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• What is the “great and dreadful day of the Lord”?
• As you look at our chain, who are the fathers and who are the children?
• Why do our hearts need to turn to each other before the Second Coming?

To help answer this question read together D&C 128:18. Discuss the following questions as you read:

• How is our family chain like the “welding link” the prophet spoke of?
• How does baptism for the dead link our family together? (We can be baptized for our ancestors who did not get the chance when they lived.)
• What are some other ways for our hearts to turn to our ancestors? (Genealogy, family histories, temple work.)
• According to this verse why is it so important that our family be sealed together? (We cannot get to the celestial kingdom (be made perfect) without them.

(Dennis H. Leavitt and Richard O. Christensen, Scripture Study for Latter-day Saint Families: The Old Testament, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2009], p. 250.)

Story:
For eight years my father, Carl L. Vance, had been working on his family history.

A member of the Show Low 1st Ward, Show Low Arizona Stake, he had found most of what he needed except for the marriage certificate for his parents.

He had looked everywhere. He had even traveled to a courthouse in South Dakota to search for any kind of proof. Relatives and friends had no records either.

Some of the temple work had been done for part of his family, but still my father longed to do the sealings for his parents.

It looked like all hope was lost until July 11, 1991.

On that date, my father traveled to the county dump to unload some yard scraps.

After visiting with some men for a few minutes, my father proceeded to empty his pickup truck. He kicked some scrap lumber out of his way. Underneath one of the boards, he spied an old, dirty envelope with oil smeared across the front.

Out of curiosity, he picked it up and saw a return address of Pierre, S.D., the county in which his parents had lived.

On the envelope there was no address to which the letter might have been sent. The labeling had been torn off, but the postmark date was March 8, 1987.

Excited about finding something from his home state, he opened the envelope, which had already been partially opened, and pulled out its contents.

To my father’s disbelief, inside was his parents’ certificate for which he had been searching for eight years.

What my father had prayed, hoped for and wished for was right there in his hands at the county landfill.

Amid all the rubbish, he found a treasure that would make it possible for my grandparents to be sealed together and to establish that vital link that would connect our family with generations of ancestors through the eternities.

(Polly Adams, “Family History Moments: Junkyard Treasure,” LDS Church News, June 6, 1992.)

Activity:
Talk about the countries your ancestors come from. Learn something about the geography or culture of one of them.

Refreshment:
Almond Rice Pudding

2 cups milk
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup blanched almonds, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 tablespoons sugar
Dash salt
2 cups whipping cream, whipped
Fruit sauce of your choice

Bring milk to a boil over medium-high heat in a heavy saucepan. Add rice and reduce heat. Simmer, covered, until rice is tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Dissolve gelatin in cold water in a small bowl; stir into rice, along with the chopped almonds, vanilla, sugar, and salt. Cool slightly. Fold in whipped cream. Pour into bowl. Refrigerate. Serve with cold fruit sauce, such as cherry sauce or Danish Dessert made according to package directions. Makes 8 servings.

(Lion House Christmas, [Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, 2006], p. 105.)

RS Announcements 4/17/11

"Happy Birthday" this week:

Lynell Nielsen-----------Thursday, 21st

Larraine Maag--------- Thursday, 21st

Jill Day---------------------Friday, 22nd

Reminder:  April 24th (Easter Sunday) is Stake Conference.

THIS WEEK:

Our monthly RS meeting will be with the YW. We will be helping the YW in the ward sew trek clothing. Everyone’s help is needed. The date will be Tuesday, April 19th from 6-9 pm. Join us in supporting our beautiful Young Women.

RS Announcements 4/7/11

Happy BirthdayRebecca Mehr-----Monday, April 11th

Tamsin Danis------Wednesday, April 13th

Everyone have a fun and safe Spring Break!  If you have a spare hour or two on Friday morning, April 8th, here is the plan.  Sandi Bromley will be back at her (empty) house for some light cleaning we will meet there @ 9:00 am.  Any help would be greatly appreciated!  We hope they are enjoying their new home and are feeling settled. Questions?  Call Michele at 801-756-2529.

Reminder:  Easter Sunday, April 24th is also Stake Conference.

FYI:  Carolyn Kleinman's mother passed away and her viewing is at the Warenski Funeral Home tomorrow night (Thurs Apr 7th) 6-8 pm.

Our next monthly RS meeting will be with the YW. We will be helping the YW in the ward sew trek clothing. Everyone’s help is needed. The date will be Tuesday, April 19th from 6-9 pm. Join us in supporting our beautiful Young Women.

FHE from LDS Living : Standards

From this week at LDS Living.com

Conference Talk:
For more information on this topic read “Be an Example of the Believers,” by Mary N.
Cook, Ensign, Nov 2010, 80.

Thought:
Today we are blessed to have more than the Bible. We have latter-day scriptures and
the words of our latter-day prophets to “safely guide us” on the path to eternal life.

(Mary N. Cook, “Be an Example of the Believers,” Ensign, Nov 2010, 80.)

Song:
“Choose the Right Way,” Children’s Songbook, p. 160.

Scripture:
And even so I have sent mine everlasting covenant into the world, to be a light to the world, and to be a standard for my people, and for the Gentiles to seek to it, and to be a messenger before my face to prepare the way before me.

(Doctrine and Covenants 45:9)

Object Lesson:
Materials needed: modeling clay.

Application: Give the clay to a person in your group and instruct them to shape something out of it. When they are finished, have them show it to the group. Encourage them to change their design by giving several suggestions, such as: try making it thinner, bend it a little, flatten it, and so on. (The finished project should differ greatly from their original design.)

Use this to illustrate that outside pressures often cause us to change our standards. We must be strong to resist temptation of giving in to this pressure.

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(Beth Lefgren and Jennifer Jackson, Building Blocks for Better Lessons, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1998], p. 63.)

Story:
Ezra Taft Benson

My brothers and sisters, as I travel about the world, it is a glorious thing to note how the Church is growing and increasing. One very fine leader of a foreign state, when I asked him if there were any Mormons in his particular capital city, said: “Mr. Secretary, I have traveled a great deal, and I have come to believe that the Mormons are everywhere. Wherever I go, I find them.” His statement called to mind an incident when we first moved to Washington back in 1939 or 1940. I had gone to my office early to get some work done before the telephones started ringing. I had just seated myself at the desk when the telephone rang. The man at the other end said, “I would like to have lunch with you today. I am a stranger to you, but I have something that is very urgent.” I consented reluctantly, and a few hours later we faced each other across a luncheon table at a down-town hotel.

He said, “I suppose you wonder why I have invited you here.” Then he added: “Last week as I came out of a luncheon meeting in Chicago, I told some of my business associates that I had been given the responsibility of coming down to Washington, D. C., to establish an office and employ a man to represent our corporation.” Then he listed some of the assets in his great business organization. He said, “I began telling my associates of the kind of young man I would like to represent us in this office in Washington. First of all, I said to my associates, I wanted a man who is honest, a man of real integrity, a man who lives a clean life, who is clean morally, who, if married, is a devoted husband, and who, if unmarried, is not chasing lewd women.” He said, “I would like a man who doesn’t drink, and if possible I would prefer to get a man who doesn’t even smoke. One of my business associates spoke up and said, ‘Well, what you want is a returned Mormon missionary.’ I had heard of your Church,” he said. “In fact, I recall two young men in dark suits calling at our home some months ago. As I rode down here on the train last night, I decided that maybe a returned Mormon missionary was exactly what I needed. Why not? So as I registered at the hotel last night I said to the man at the desk, ‘Are there any Mormons in Washington?’ And the man at the desk said, ‘I don’t know, I suppose there are. They seem to be everywhere. But Mr. Bush, the manager, is here, and I’ll ask him.’ He asked Mr. Bush and gave me your name. Now that is why I have invited you here. Can you give me the names of three or four young men who meet the standards which I have just outlined?”

Well, of course it was not difficult to give him the names of three or four or a dozen who fully met the standards he outlined. I mention this, my brethren and sisters and friends, because in the Church we have certain standards—standards of living, standards of morality, standards of character which are coming to be well known to the world. These standards are admired. People with such standards are sought after. These standard sare based upon true, eternal principles. They are eternal verities.

(Leon R. Hartshorn, Outstanding Stories by General Authorities, vol.2, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1971].)

Activity:
Give each family member a paper and pencil. Have them write the letters S T A N D A R D S down the left hand side. Have them write a word or two that starts with each letter that would describe a standard or would be an attribute of high standards (Example: S – Sabbath Day holy). After a set amount of time, have everyone share the words they wrote down.

Refreshment:
Snickerdoodles

2 3⁄4 c. self-rising flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1⁄2 c. butter, softened
1⁄2 c. shortening
1 1⁄2 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
4 Tbs. sugar
4 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400° F. Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Cream butter, shortening, sugar, and eggs. Stir in dry ingredients. Chill dough for 10 to 15 minutes.

Mix together 4 tablespoons sugar and 4 teaspoons cinnamon. Form dough into balls and roll in sugar and cinnamon. Place about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 400° F. approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

(Elaine Cannon, editor, Five-Star Recipes from Well-Known Latter-day Saints, [Salt Lake City: Eagle Gate, 2002], p. 245.)

Helping in the Vineyard

Did you know that the LDS Church has a website to help you find volunteer opportunities?
Just register online and find as few or as many volunteer opportunities you want!

www.vineyard.lds.org

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