Monday, March 30, 2009
General Conference
179th Annual General Conference- -To transact Church Business
- -to Receive reports and Church Statistics and commend true Merit
- -To Approve or Disapprove of Names Proposed4
- -To Proclaim the Gospel to the World
- -To Proclaim the Gospel to the World
- -To Bring About a Spiritual Revival and PersonalRededication.
How To Gain the Most from General Conference
- -Make Personal Spiritual Preparation
- -Listen Carefully to the Speakers and the Spirit
- -Diligently Study the Conference Issue of the Ensign
- -Hearken to the Words of the Prophets
General Conference is the Lord's Conference
A Conference wherein he instructs his people, as he himself stated at one such conference, "by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, It is the same" (D & C 1:38)
A Conference at which the revealed will of the Lord is made manifest "by the voice of the conference"( D& C 73:2; see also 72:7)
179th General Conference
- Saturday April 5, 2009
- Time: 9:00am-11:00a
- Time: 1:00pm-5:00pm
General Priesthood Session
- Time: 5:00pm At the Stake Center
Sunday General Session
- April 6, 2009
- Time: 9:00am-11:00am
- Time: 1:00pm-3:00pm
Internet Broadcast:
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
A Message from Sheri Dew
By Sheri Dew
"Think about your influence. Think about places where you’ve had influence—big and small. Simply put, it is not possible to not have influence. And perhaps no one has more influence, whether positive or negative, than a woman. Yet, no influence is more powerful than that of “a righteous woman who understands who she is and who can hear the voice of the Spirit.”
Part One
Sharing personal experiences as well as lessons from the scriptures and other historical accounts, Sheri presents the first eight principles that will help you have greater impact in all of your circles of influence. “Less is more.” “Influence Depends on Trust.” “A leader is a learner.” These are just a few of the principles that will help you lead and influence in more meaningful ways.
Part Two
"One of the most significant things a leader can do is to help build other leaders. And perhaps no one has more constant opportunities to do that than women, and particularly mothers. Women have a unique role in building leaders and you’ll come to understand this better with the final eight principles. Though sometimes being a leader and having influence can be a lonely experience, great women (like great leaders) must be devoted to a cause. Discover the cause that needs YOU.
Family Home Evening Lesson Idea
Missionary Work
This Sunday, 3/29/09, is FAST SUNDAY and President Allen has designated a special fast for MISSIONARY WORK.
Here are some links for FHE ideas on Missionary Work.
- A Happy Harvest Including a dot-to-dot picture to color and to lace.
- Be A Friend Ideas and a spinning game (Friendship). Can use with Primary 3, lesson 25.
- Let Your Light Shine Sharing Time and Puzzle
- Using the Articles of Faith (story) Share gospel with others.
- Primary 3, lesson 25: I Can Be a Missionary Includes a pattern of a missionary girl and boy.
- Primary 2, lesson 11: I Can Tell Others about Jesus Christ Including the scripture stories of: the sons of Mosiah and Ammon teaching King Lamoni.
- Missionaries Publish Peace Finger Puppets of: Alma; Ammon; Aaron; Omner; Himni; Abinadi
- fhe4children I Can Be A Missionary Now; I Hope They Call Me On A Misson; I Can Be a Missionary Now; I Hope They Call Me On A Mission; What Missionaries Do...; Every Member A Missionary
Missionary Family Home Evening
Jonah & the Whale (preschool-schoolage)
Lesson: Read the story of Jonah being swallowed by the whale from the children's Old Testament. Ask questions that help your children to understand that Jonah was swallowed up because he did not want to serve a mission/ or was not obedient. You can use this to talk about the importance of missionary work or the importance of obedience.
Missionary-
Talk about what missionaries do
What can your child do to be a missionary
Ways your child can prepare to serve a mission
Obedience-
What are things the Lord has asked us to do
How can we be obedient
Activity: Missionary Activity- make cookies for non member friends, deliver them as a family. Write your families testimonies in a Book of Mormon to give to the full-time Missionaries. For Preschoolers, let them cut/paste a picture of Jonah and the whale.
Treat: Goldfish Crackers or blue jello made with goldfish crackers.
Belonging to a Family (preschool age children)
Lesson: Show pictures of various families, yours included. Help your child to understand that families are made up of all sorts of people but usually include a Mommy & a Daddy. Talk about the roles that each members of your family play. Ask questions to help your child to understand that each family member is needed, that the family would not be whole without each individual. For older children you may use this opportunity to talk about children being sealed eternally with their parents.
Activity: Make paper chains, each chain representing a member of the family. Close the chain so it makes a full circle- which illustrates that the family would not be whole with out each member.
Treat: Sugar cookie cut outs of children (or gingerbread men). With young children you can let each child decorate their own person.
For the Strength of Youth (preteen- adult children)
Lesson: Read the pamphlet as a family, discussing what the standards are. List each righteous behavior the pamphlet outlines, talk as a family about why the standards are important. Make goals as a family to make the changes necessary so that you are living by the standards the Lord has set. (For Young Women- this counts as a Personal Progress value experience: Choice & Accountability #2)
Follow the Prophet (all ages)
Song: Follow the Prophet, Primary Song Book, Page 120
To help each child remember the prophets in the song, and what each one did, have a "Follow the Prophets" parade. One child is designated as the "prophet." Tape a nametag on their shirt and have them walk around the room holding up a picture/object that represents the prophet. Take turns being the prophet and have the rest of the family follow the person who is prophet while you sing their verse.
Where available, pictures were selected from the Gospel Art Kit, available on lds.org
Adam = Gospel Art Picture 101 or flower
Enoch = Gospel Art Picture 120 or city
Noah = Gospel Art Picture 103 or ark
Abraham = Gospel Art Picture 105 or ram
Moses = Gospel Art Picture 107 or 10 commandments
Samuel = Gospel Art Picture 111 or ear
Jonah = whale
Daniel = Gospel Art Picture 117 or lion
Scripture:
Younger Children:
D&C 1:4 "And the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen."
Scripture Story, "Watchmen on the Tower", Friend, August 2001, 39
Older Children:
D&C 21:4-7 "Wherefore, meaning the church, thou shalt give heed unto all the words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me; For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith. For by doing these the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name's glory. For thus saith the Lord God: Him have I inspired to move the cause of Zion in mighty power for good, and his diligence I know, and his prayers I have heard."
Read the scripture references listed with the Primary Song "Follow the Prophet" for each of the prophets listed in the song. Discuss what they accomplished during their lifetime and what we can learn from their lives.
Activity:
Activity #1, for children who can read:
Print off a copy of page 38 "Things I can Do to Follow the Apostles" from the August 2001 Friend Magazine for each member of your family. From the same issue, print pages 24-25 "Feat of Prophets". Read through the teachings, experiences, or revelations from prophets ancient and modern. Read each quote and talk about them. On your "things I can do to follow the prophet, list things you can do individually or as a family to follow the prophet.
Activity #2, for young children:
Print off pages 18-19 "Prophets Teach and Warn" from the August 2001 Friend Magazine. As preparation for FHE read through the story about King Benjamin on page 18 and identify the five things he told his people. Also, collect crayons, markers or colored pencils in the colors indicated on the bottom right of page 18 so you can color in the poster on page 19. While you help your children color in the poster, talk to them about who King Benjamin was, and what he taught his people.
Treat: Jacob's Dessert aka Chocolate and Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats.
JACOB'S DESSERT
1 cup sugar
1 cup Karo syrup
1 cup peanut butter
~3 cups rice crispies
1 cup each, butterscotch and chocolate chips
Heat and stir one cup sugar and one cup Karo until just boiling.
Remove from heat and add one cup peanut butter. Stir until peanut
butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Pour over rice crispies to
desired consistency (start with 3 cups and add more if you need it.)
Smash into buttered 9x13 pan.
Melt one cup butterscotch chips and one cup milk chocolate chips together. Stir together until smooth and spread over the top of the rice crispies.
RC Note: When our test cook made this recipe she used 6 cups of rice crispies and said she could have easily used more. We suggest you start with 6 and add more if you'd like.
Another name for this recipe is "Peanut Butter Balls." The difference - instead of smashing the mixture into a 9x13 pan, you shape the mixture into balls. Once balls have set up, dip them in the chocolate topping - if you wish.
Recipe from Sharon, Bridgerland Park 1st Ward, Logan, Utah, USA.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Lingering Longer
Monday, March 16, 2009
Family Home Evening Lesson Idea
FHE: Fasting
by Shauna Gibby
Conference Talk:
For more information on this topic read "God Loves and Helps All of His Children," by Keith B. McMullin, Ensign, Nov 2008, 75-78.
Thought:
A few years ago a high-ranking official from China visited Salt Lake City. . . . Fasting and giving the value of the meals not eaten to help the poor captured his attention. . . . He said, "If we all loved each other like this, the world would be a more peaceful place."
(Keith B. McMullin, "God Loves and Helps All of His Children," Ensign, Nov 2008, 75-78.)
Song:
"Because I Have Been Given Much," Hymns, # 219.
Scripture:
Verily, this is fasting and prayer, or in other words, rejoicing and prayer.
(Doctrine and Covenants 59:14)
Lesson:
Do an activity with your family that involves things that go together, or pairs. As you say the first word or show the first item, have your family fill in the blank with the name of the second item.
"Salt and ________" (pepper)
"Table and _________" (chairs)
"Husband and ________" (wife)
"Shoes and _______" (socks)
Tell your family that Jesus demonstrated the power of "pairing" two important principles. Have your family look for the important pair as they read the story in Mark 9:14-29. Ask:
After Jesus had cast out the evil spirit, what did His disciples ask privately?
What was Jesus' response?
How does prayer make fasting more meaningful?
How does fasting make prayer more meaningful?
Ask family members if they have had an experience with fasting and prayer they would be willing to share. Invite the family to unite in fasting and prayer next fast Sunday.
(Dennis H. Leavitt and Richard O. Christensen, Scripture Study for Latter-day Saint Families: The New Testament, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2006], p. 69.)
Story:
"He Fasted, and He Prayed"
Matthew Cowley
Two boys in New Zealand graduated from a high school down there. The principal came to me and told me this story about one of them.
"This young man came to me one day. He was living in the dormitory. He was what they called the monitor. It wasn't a native high school, but he was a native. He came to me one day, and he said, 'Mr. Hogan, I want to go home for three days.' I said, 'Why, you can't go home, you have a job here. What do you want to go home for?' He said, 'Well, I am preparing to take my matric,' [as they call it down there, matriculation examination for entrance into a university]. He said, 'I want to go home for three days and fast and pray.'
"I was astonished. I excused myself and went to my office and called up one of your members, one of our native members, and I said, 'Listen to me, do you people have in your Church something you call fasting?' He said, 'Yes.' I said, 'What do you do it for?' 'When we want a blessing, we fast and pray.' I said, 'Well, I have read about it in the Bible, but I have never heard of anybody doing it.' I went back to the young man and said, 'You go home for three days.' He went home, and he fasted, and he prayed, and he was the top man in passing his matric examination."
(Jay A. Parry, Jack M. Lyon, Linda Ririe Gundry, editors, Best-Loved Stories of the LDS People, Vol.2, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1999], 63-64.)
Activity:
Divide your family into two teams. Give each team a paper and pencil. Set a timer for a predetermined amount of time (2 or 3 minutes) and have each team write down as many "pairs" as they can think of (like the examples in the lesson). Give one point to each team for items on the list that the other team didn’t think of.
Refreshment:
Chewy Chex Mix
This treat is a hit with all ages.
- 8 cups Rice Chex (or the Chex cereal of your choice)
- 1 cup coconut
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 1 cup chow mein noodles
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine
- 6 cups miniature marshmallows
Combine Chex, coconut, almonds, and noodles in a large bowl. Melt butter over medium heat; blend in marshmallows and stir until melted. Pour over cereal mixture; spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in an airtight container or individual plastic bags. Makes about 10 cups.
(Julie Badger Jensen, The Essential Mormon Cookbook, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2004], p. 130.)
Print this LESSON
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Family Home Evening Lesson Idea
FHE Lesson: PrayersFor more information on this topic read “Pray Always,” by David A. Bednar, Ensign, Nov 2008, 41–44
Song:
“Children All Over the World” Children’s Songbook, p. 16
Scripture:
But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.
(2 Nephi 32:9)
Lesson:
Materials needed: A hand eggbeater (or whisk) and an electric mixer.
Procedure: Ask the family if they were to mix up a cake batter, which tool they would rather use. Suggest that they could get the job done with the hand mixer, but it would take a lot more time to get the batter smooth. It would also prove to be very tiring. The electric mixer would be much easier to use. This is because they would be using an additional power source to help with the work.
Point out that oftentimes we try to do things on our own without enlisting the help from our Heavenly Father. He is there for us anytime we are willing to plug into the power source. We will find the burden to be lighter when we seek the guidance and strength of the Lord.
Story:
“Pray for Her”
Anita R. Canfield
I had to fly to Mexico City one Thursday evening to inspect a project site under my design direction. The clients were leaving on Saturday for a two-month tour of their factories in Europe and the Orient, and there were dozens of questions to be resolved with them and the contractors that Friday. It had been a last-minute request on their part, and my trip was going to be an overnight but very intense visit.
I arrived at the hotel around midnight and went immediately to sleep. Around 3:00 in the morning, I was awakened by an excruciating, stabbing pain in my mouth with what would be classified as an extreme dental emergency.
My husband had done some dental work on me earlier in the week in preparation for further work the next week. I was in excruciating pain. I didn’t know what to do. A million dollars’ worth of decisions was resting on me the next day. I had to be clearminded and alert, especially with the language barrier; my Spanish is only adequate and requires great concentration on my part.
My first thought was to call my husband and get the name of a drug that would stop the pain. Then I worried that it wouldn’t be the same dosage or type in Mexico. Then I wondered if the concierge would be able to find someone at 3:00 in the morning to even obtain it. And then, with complete realization, it occurred to me that any drug strong enough to knock out this pain would completely knock me out, and I would be useless the next day. I didn’t know what to do.
Then came the distinct and clear message: “You have faith. You know what to do.”
I climbed out of bed, knelt in prayer, and told the Lord of my situation and all that concerned me, and I asked him to please take away the pain long enough for me to complete my work the next day. Before I said “in the name of Jesus Christ, amen,” the pain vanished. Instantly, in a moment, it was gone. I thanked him and went back to sleep.
The next day I was able to answer the questions, make urgent and very critical decisions, and finish on time to catch my flight home. By the time I was in customs in Los Angeles, the pain was returning. When I landed in Las Vegas several hours later, I had another full-blown dental emergency!
But that is not the whole story. Two days later was fast Sunday. In our monthly family testimony meeting, I told of my experience and my witness of the power of faith and prayer.
My fifteen-year-old son grew amazed. I could see his countenance change. When I finished speaking he asked, “Mom, was this Thursday night?”
“Yes,” I said.
“And was it about 2:00 in the morning?”
I thought about that. It was 3:00 in Mexico, but with the hour time change, I told him it was 2:00 in Las Vegas.
Suddenly he was filled with emotion and told me the beginning of the story. He had been awakened at 2:00 in the morning that night with a voice that said, “Your mother is in trouble; pray for her.” He had slipped out of bed, and on his knees, with real intent, had said, “Heavenly Father, my mom has faith. Tell her what to do.”
The Lord heard his prayer and reminded his mother of her faith and that she knew what to do
Activity:
Play “Listen.”
One player is blindfolded and seated near one end of the room. The other players line up and one at a time attempt to pass “it,” without being discovered. Players whom “it” hears passing him drop out. The last player left in the game wins. First player caught is “it” for the new game.
Remind your family that they have to listen, or we may not know the answers to our prayers.
"There has come to you as your birthright something beautiful and sacred and divine. Never forget that. Your Eternal Father is the great Master of the universe. He rules over all, but He also will listen to your prayers as His daughter and hear you as you speak with Him. He will answer your prayers. He will not leave you alone."
Gordon B. Hinckley, "Stay on the High Road," Ensign, May 2004
Refreshment:
Blueberry Pizza
Crust:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup flour
Filling:
1 cup powdered sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups whipped topping
8 ounces blueberry jam
Mix crust ingredients and pat into a well-greased round pizza pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 325 degrees. Let cool.
Beat powdered sugar and cream cheese; fold in whipped topping and spread over crust. Top with jam and chill.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
1Q09 Enrichment Meeting Follow Up & Recipes
If you have any words of wisdom on the topics we discussed at enrichment, please add a comment to any of the postings so we can learn from each other!
Thanks!
Love,
The Enrichment Committee
Enrichment Night Supplements: Preserving Family Meals
Families Who Eat Supper Together -
- Discourage smoking, drug use and teen pregnancy
- Position their children to do better in school
- Pass on their ethnic, familial and religious heritage
- Help prevent eating disorders and obesity
- Build on their kids' literacy, vocabulary and conversational skills
- Teach their children manners
- Promote a sense of resilience that will last a lifetime
- Enjoy each other more as a family
Getting Your Family to the Table
- Set aside a time each day for a family meal. Mark it on your calendar. Let the family know that this is an important commitment.
- Have a table for them to come to. Provide a space that is cleared of homework, bills, projects, etc. etc. Make sure there are enough chairs for everyone in the household. Eat facing each other.
- Say no to distractions. Turn off the TV. Don’t answer the phone. Declare this time interruption-free.
- Say yes to each other. Make this a time for family. Let your family know that they are expected to show up, and that they are expected to eat together.
- Set the tone. Take pleasure in each other’s company. Give everyone a chance to talk, and then listen respectfully.
- Keep it light, keep it fun. Save the lectures for another time.
- Make the food yummy and nutritious. Offer tasty dishes, and let people choose how much and whether they will eat. Remember that it can take many tries before someone enjoys a new food. Don’t be too quick to prepare individual dishes; that only encourages saying no to the main meal.
Enjoyment is Goal One
- Eating is one of life’s most available pleasures. It is even more satisfying when it is shared. How clever then, to link food with families! How smart to have our get-togethers something we can count on day in and day out.
- Families are people who nourish each other, spend time together, care about each other, travel together through time. We need to eat several times a day. Linking that need with being together is a simple, direct way to strengthen our ties with our loved ones.
- No fancy dishes are required, just a welcoming attitude, a willingness to talk and listen with respect, and something yummy to eat.
- Family life is rarely perfect, but some things can be pretty darn good. Sharing conversation and food with those we care about can be one of life’s continuing joys.
Mealtime Conversation Tips
Here are some tips to keep mealtime conversations fun and the communication flowing:
- Keep the talk age-appropriate. Or, if you’re discussing something above your children’s heads, give them a sense of what it’s about.
- Listen respectfully. Make sure everyone has a chance to speak. Some families have a special object they hand around to show whose turn it is.
- Keep questions open-ended. Be encouraging, not judgmental. Still, for some kids, what did you do today is just too broad. For them, the term is scaffolding: offer a structure so they can build an answer. (Who did you play with at recess? What was a funny thing that happened? Did you get caught in that rainstorm?) Ask them about their friends, their activities, their interests.
- Give little kids a break if they need it. Let them help clear between courses (carrying something unbreakable) or ask them to bring something from the kitchen that you “forgot.” Then, after they finish their job, thank them and let them know it’s time to sit down again.
- Try simple games like Boiler Burst. One person starts a story. Then, when he’s had enough, or after a set time limit, he says, “And then the boiler burst,” and the next person continues the tale. Older kids like to discuss hypotheticals: take a story from the news and ask “what would you do”?
- Set expectations. For example, We all stay at the table until everyone’s finished. Then people are more likely to sit and talk.
Enrichment Supplement: Meal Planning Resources
Here is her link about meal planning:
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2009/03/meal-planning-with-crockpot.html
here is a link about how to save money using your crockpot.
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/save-money-by-using-your-crockpot-slow.html
Here is another site for budget meals: http://www.5dollardinners.com/
Enrichment Supplements: Freezer Meal Tips
Ziploc Bags (Liquids like soups, chilis, stews or semi-solid foods like meat in marinade, BBQ shredded beef)
- Remove as much air as possible
- Lay bags flat and on top of each other (if there are multiples) can put in a cake pan to keep its shape, put in the freezer until it freezes to shape and then remove pan
- Defrost in fridge when ready to serve (not out on the counter) or use the defrost cycle on microwave
Foil & Plastic Method (semi-solid food that need to keep shape like lasagna, enchiladas, etc)
- Line baking dish with foil first and then layer with plastic wrap. Make sure both cover all sides and top of dish.
- If food is hot, partially cool and fill the dish
- When its completely cooled, cover up with plastic wrap, removing as much air as possible and then seal with foil
- Put full meal in pan in the freezer until “flash frozen” and slip the meal out of the pan
Serving – remove meal and thaw slightly. Remove foil & plastic wrap, place in original dish for baking - This method does not tie up baking dishes and take up less space
Baked Goods - Always double wrap for freshness – wrap first in plastic wrap, then in plastic bag
- Cookies can be “flash frozen” by putting rolled balls on cookie sheet – freeze for about 20-30 minutes and then put in Ziploc bag
Miscellaneous Tips: - Always label your meals with name, date and cooking instructions.
- Reuse your freezer bags when possible (not ones with marinated meat, but baked goods, etc)
- Freeze leftover tomato paste in 1T portions wrapped in plastic wrap
- Wrap leftover fresh cilantro in plastic bag and freeze, add when needed to recipes
- After squeezing juice from lemons, oranges & limes, store and freeze leftover rinds to grate rind for recipes
- Fresh ginger grates when frozen and keeps well
How long things will keep:
Meals:
Cooked meat in sauces (enchiladas, stroganoff) 5-6 months
Uncooked meats in sauces, marinades (same as raw meat)
Spaghetti sauce, chili, soups 5-6 months
Quiche 3 months
Raw Meats:
Roasts, beef 7-9 months
Roasts, pork 4-6 months
Steaks, beef 7-9 months
Steaks, pork 2-3 months
Pork chops, ribs 2-3 months
Ground beef 3 months
Chicken 10 months
Turkey, whole 6 months
Baked goods:
Quick breads, muffins 3 months
Yeast breads, rolls 2-3 months
Pizza dough 5-6 months
Cookies 3-4 months
Frozen desserts 1-3 months
Saturday, March 7, 2009
"What I Learned From My Grandmother" Enrichment Night
Thursday, March 5, 2009
A note from Our Provident Living Leader
debbie.larsen@sbcglobal.net
281-398-4842
Hello All:
For those of you who are not familiar with Emergency Essentials, you can go to www.beprepared.com. They offer discounts for group orders. The Nottingham Country Ward, as a group, can order these items if I have enough interest. The minimum varies between items but most food items requires a minimum of 6 items ordered. That's for the whole group, not per individual. If we can meet the minimum requirements for 1 group special, then we also receive FREE shipping. You can also add ANY item to your order, on sale or not, without incurring any shipping charges. Check out the website for other sales and specials.
I am not going to list out all the specials here...that's very time consuming. The link is below. Take a look at what's on sale and then if you would like to order, this is what you do:
Email or call me immediately to let me know what you would like. Then, payment is due to me by the due date. I collect all the payments, checks payabe to me, Debbie Larsen, then I place 1 large order with 1 payment. I do not place the order unless I have payment. Please do not say you are going to order then not follow through with payment, others are relying on you to meet those group specials minimums.
(I am personally excited about the cheese....I've been doing this for a couple of years now and cheese has never been on sale!)
The deadline to place your order and have payment to me is Sunday, Mar. 15
The items then are delivered to my home and I will notify you when they have arrived and you can come and pick them up at your very earliest convenience.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me!!
Debbie Larsen
debbie.larsen@sbcglobal.net
281-398-4842
February Group Specials
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
A Thought For You
Monday, March 2, 2009
HFPE - Thursday, March 5
Home, Family & Personal Enrichment
RS Enrichment
Thursday, March 5, 2009
6:30 - 8:00 pm
1st Quarter 2009 Enrichment
and
Relief Society Birthday Celebration,
“What I Learned From My Grandmother”
An evening honoring the strong women that have influenced us.
Along with a dinner filled with favorite family dishes, the program will highlight:
- Wisdom from our grandmothers
- A discussion of how to preserve the dinner hour
to strengthen our families, - Tips and ideas for meal planning and using food storage.
*Sign up to bring a favorite family dish and/or display family heirlooms.*
Family Home Evening Lesson Idea
For more information on this topic read
“The Truth of God Shall Go Forth,”
by M. Russell Ballard, Ensign, Nov 2008, 81–84.
Thought:Nearly 18 decades have passed since the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1830. We have had 178 years to observe the fulfillment of prophecy and to watch “the truth of God” as it goes “forth boldly, nobly, and independent.”
(M. Russell Ballard, “The Truth of God Shall Go Forth,” Ensign, Nov 2008, 81–84.)
Song:
“The Golden Plates,” Children’s Songbook, p. 86.
Scripture:
The word of the Lord concerning his church, established in the last days for the restoration of his people, as he has spoken by the mouth of his prophets, and for the gathering of his saints to stand upon Mount Zion, which shall be the city of New Jerusalem. Verily this is the word of the Lord, that the city New Jerusalem shall be built by the gathering of the saints, beginning at this place, even the place of the temple, which temple shall be reared in this generation.
(Doctrine and Covenants 4:2,4)
Activity:
Write the following words or phrases on separate slips of paper: “Gold plates,” “breastplate,” “sword of Laban,” “Urim and Thummim,” “Liahona,” and “angel.”
Give each family member one or more slips of paper. Have them take turns describing that item to the rest of the family (without saying the word on the slip of paper) until someone guesses what the item is.
(Dennis H. Leavitt and Richard O. Christensen, Scripture Study for Latter-day Saint Families: The Doctrine and Covenants, p. 33.)
Lesson:
When each item [in the activity] has been guessed, have your family guess what these items have in common. To find out, read the section heading for D&C 17; D&C 17:1; and the “Testimony of the Three Witnesses” at the beginning of the Book of Mormon. Ask your family how they would feel if they were given an opportunity to see those sacred things.
Story:
Joseph and Oliver were warmly welcomed at the Whitmer home, but it was hard for Mrs. Whitmer to have them there. She had a large family of sons with just one daughter living at home to help with all the housework. The two of them had to prepare all the meals, plant and tend the garden, bake the bread, churn the butter, make and mend the clothing, and do much of the other work on the farm. Mrs. Whitmer did not complain, but she wasn’t sure she could take care of two more people.
One day she felt very discouraged as she went out to milk the cows. Before long she came back to the house filled with joy. When asked why she looked so happy, she replied, “I have seen the messenger.” She went on to say that she had come upon an elderly man out near the barn. Her description of him showed he was the same man . . . that Joseph, Oliver, and David had seen on their journey from Pennsylvania.
Mrs. Whitmer said the man told her that she would be blessed for providing a safe place for Joseph and Oliver to work. Then he took out the golden plates and showed them to her. “They were fastened together with rings on the right side,” she told her family, “so that the pages would turn over from left to right.” The man turned several of the plates, leaf by leaf.
She, Mary Musselman Whitmer, was the first person besides Joseph to actually see the golden plates. Seeing them was her own personal reward for taking care of Joseph and Oliver. But soon other people would see them for a different purpose, to be witnesses to the world.
Refreshment
Old-Time Cinnamon Jumbles
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups shortening or butter
3 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 teaspoons vanilla
6 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Directions
1-Mix together I cup sugar and the cinnamon; set aside. In a bowl, cream together shortening or butter, 3 cups sugar, and eggs.
2-Stir in buttermilk and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir into creamed mixture; mix well. Chill dough until it thickens.
3- Drop rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with sugar-cinnamon mixture
4-. Bake at 400 degrees until lightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Makes approximately 5 dozen cookies.
