Brightening My Light

Last month, I was asked yet again to speak on the Holy Ghost at an investigator baptism on February 11. It would be the third time, in addition to numerous church talks on the same subject . Also, the baptism was of the parents and oldest children of a family, so I had to consider the varying ages. I was trying to think of what I could say that I hadn't already said to make it more meaningful. It then came to me that I should share how the Holy Ghost can help each family member specifically. I found scripture verses for the Spirit's role relevant to each person. Family member:  second oldest daughter Trial: bullying issues at school Spirit's relevant role : Comforting us Scripture : 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 , John 14: 16-18 Family member:  oldest daughter Trial:  boy problems Spirit's relevant role : Helping us feel God's love Scripture :  1 John 3:16 , Romans 5:5 Family member:  mother Trial:  parenting Spirit's relevant role : Revealing to...

ldsclipart.com The children chose their themes and wrote their speaking parts, with some help from the Sharing Time manual and their parents. Aiyana (6yo): October Prayer is reverent communication between God and Me. I can pray to God, and he hears me. When I get scared I pray to God to keep me safe. At night I say my bedtime prayers. From reading scriptures, they have taught me how to pray. I have learned that God may not answer my prayers right away, but He does when the time is right. Through my prayers I have developed a strong bond with God. I love going to church whenever I can. Cameron (10yo): June The theme for the month of June was “The first principles and ordinances of the gospel make it possible for me to live with God again.” We talked about faith in Jesus Christ leads us to love Him, trust Him, and keep His commandments. The next week we learned that repentance brings forgiveness. On the third week, we talked about when we are baptized we make...

A talk from stake conference today reminded me of the testimony I gave in September and meant to post here. Here's the gist of it . Sometimes I wonder if teaching the gospel to my children is really making a difference, especially because I don't see the results right away. Scripture study and family home evening require a lot of effort, and most of the time is spent getting them to sit and pay attention and not fight with each other. It reminds me of when Elder Bednar shared similar thoughts  in a past conference: Sometimes Sister Bednar and I wondered if our efforts to do these spiritually essential things were worthwhile. Now and then verses of scripture were read amid outbursts such as “He’s touching me!” “Make him stop looking at me!” “Mom, he’s breathing my air!” Sincere prayers occasionally were interrupted with giggling and poking. And with active, rambunctious boys, family home evening lessons did not always produce high levels of edification. At times Sister Bed...

photo by Jean Scheijen Based on the testimony I gave Sunday. Because I only wear my glasses shortly in the morning and before bed, I don't put effort into taking care of them properly. I wipe them clean with just my shirt and only use water if they're really dirty. I've never had any issues with this method. When we first moved here, I went to a community event showcasing local businesses and received eyeglass cleaner and a cleaning cloth from an optometrist. They sat in a drawer for the last two years. A couple weeks ago, out of nowhere, I finally decided to use them. The difference was unbelievable! I was astonished by the enhanced clarity. I couldn't believe not only that I had been missing out all these years on even better vision, but also that I didn't even know I was missing out! I thought my glasses had been perfectly clean, when in fact they had the potential to be even clearer had I used the proper materials specifically made for the job. I ...

At the end of April, our stake had a women's conference. A couple months before the event, I was asked to portray one of the women from the scriptures: Hannah. I was told to prepare a 3-5 minute talk about her from her point of view. It needed to include the lines, "I offer you the gift of [gospel principle]..." and "My prayer for you from the past is..." I put a lot of thought into my talk ( read it here ) and came away learning a lot not only about Hannah, but also about how her story applies to me. I was again reminded how really studying scripture stories in depth can lead to a deeper understanding of the people and lessons involved. The day of the event, all the women participating in the pageant arrived early to get into costume and run through our entrance. The place was decorated beautifully! Each table was assigned a tribe of Israel The stake Relief Society president wanted us to really get into character and have fun. She was hoping we wou...

Last week at stake conference, I had the privilege to sing alto in a special women's choir for the a cappella number "Lift Thine Eyes" from Mendelssohn's  Elijah . I had never heard it before, and I immediately fell in love with it the first time I listened to it. The message of the song is just as beautiful as the music: Lift thine eyes to the mountains, w hence cometh help. Thy help cometh from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. He hath said thy foot shall not be moved. Thy keeper will never slumber. Lift thine eyes to the mountains, w hence cometh help.  To me, the words mean we can get help from the Savior at His temple, the mountain of the Lord. I also love the line, "Thy keeper will never slumber," a reminder that Christ is always there waiting for us to seek Him and rely on His strength and righteousness. We may fall asleep while praying, reading our scriptures, sitting in Church, or even attending the temple, but He is always aware ...

There's a difference between reading and studying the scriptures, and we're advised to do the latter. There are several resources available to help us search and understand the scriptures. Some of these are seminary and Institute manuals, the Church magazines, general conference talks, other LDS books, and even the dictionary. Yet, there is a second step we're supposed to take after studying the scriptures, and that is to ponder. This means to think about what we've read in order to make connections, discover personal application, and receive revelation. Here are three things you can do to take the time to ponder after reading. 1. Listen to Heavenly Music my favorite album Maintain the Spirit you've invited through scripture study by listening to uplifting music, such as that from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It will aid in keeping away distractions, both externally and internally, so you can focus on the words you've read and what they mean. I...

ldsclipart.com I'm a writer, editor, and linguist. The words I choose and how I organize them are very important to me. That is why I prefer expressing myself through writing over any other method. I also enjoy public speaking because sharing my insights is exciting. I prepare my speeches, talks, and lessons in advance so I know exactly what I'm going to say. Church talks I always write out word for word to ensure I don't forget anything and so it's coherent and cohesive. As a teen, I would practice my talks until I practically had them memorized. Due to the increased focus on making the Sabbath a delight and sacrament meeting more spiritually fulfilling, our branch president told us he wanted us to have only an outline for our talks and to lean on the Spirit for guidance. Only once have I ever used just an outline. It was September 2006 in my college ward for a talk about how to prepare for general conference, a topic easy to expound with just notes. Two week...

Earlier this month, I was working in the office while the boys were playing in the bathtub. I heard suspicious activity, but unwisely decided not to check right away. When I finally went in, I saw foam and bubbles all over the boys, bathtub, and shower walls! It took me a second to realize what they had done: they used their baby body wash to make a bubble bath. Not a big deal, right? Easy clean up. But they had used the entire bottle that I had just bought! That soap ain't cheap, let me tell you. In fact, when we bought more last week, it had gone up in price, and I kicked myself for not getting it online when it was on sale. I reminded my son at the store not to use the soap for bubbles. Tonight's setting was the same. I was in the office while the boys played innocently--or so I thought. When I went in to wash them up, lo and behold, another bubble bath. The good news is that is was nowhere near as big as the first and the soap bottle was still full. My first instinct ...

In case you missed conference, here are some of the most popular quotes from the 184th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: For more quotes, visit the Facebook pages The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and LDS General Conference . Sharing Time: What were your favorite quotes from General Conference?

lds.org While researching for an upcoming talk in Church, I came across this old Ensign article: Spiritual Growth for Young Mothers Stay-at-home moms shared their tips on how to have personal spiritual time despite obstacles such as staying with sick children on Sunday and not being able to fast while pregnant. I was floored with their wise and creative solutions, and I felt very guilty for having let go of my spiritual time, especially since I am not a very busy mom and I am blessed with modern technologies that allow me to access the gospel library anytime, anywhere. I am going to make more use of my new iPhone and try to listen to talks whenever I can. I am also going to start using nap time for personal scripture study. Sharing Time: How do you incorporate personal spiritual activities throughout your day?

lds.org A few years ago, I wrote a post on how to prepare for general conference . Now that I have two kids, and after seeing great ideas online, I think it's time to share how to prepare your kids for general conference too! 1. Explain what general conference is. Tell your kids the week before that instead of going to church the next Sunday, you will be staying home and watching the prophet and other church leaders speak to us about the gospel starting Saturday morning. Show them pictures of the First Presidency and other church leaders in the Friend or conference issue of the Ensign . 2. Put together activities for the kids. Thanks to blogs and Pinterest, there is a plethora of activities for your children to do during conference, and most require little preparation. Here is a link-up to some great ideas . There are also activities on the Church website . Be sure to match the activity to your children's ages and likes and any goals you have in mind (ex: listening ...

I always love conference! I love how undeniably strong the Spirit is and how my testimony and dedication are renewed. The key is keeping all those feelings after conference is over. I am grateful that I can read and watch the talks again and again to help me with that endeavor. There is no excuse to let the spirit of conference diminish over the next six months. Congratulations to us for reaching 15 million members! But compared to the world population, we still have so much work to do, which several leaders reminded us. It is amazing that we have over 80,000 full-time missionaries now to help us! There is no excuse for us not to excel in missionary work. I thought the family choir in the Saturday afternoon session was neat. I have never seen that done before. My husband saw one of his fellow missionaries in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and I recognized the elderly Brazilian woman shown in one of the talks as an old friend's grandma, one of the sweetest, happiest women I know...

lds.org My patriarchal blessing states, "You will have the opportunity to be a missionary and to bear witness of Jesus Christ and of Joseph Smith and of the Church. You will have the opportunity to sit down and discuss gospel principles with many." Regretfully, I did not serve a mission. I knew everything in blessings does not come to pass in the way we think, so once I married, I assumed this passage pertained to senior missionary service. Then just the other day when I was explaining to my neighbor what a patriarchal blessing is, I suddenly realized it had already started being fulfilled. The last few months I have had the opportunities to testify of and teach the gospel, and both my neighbor and her son have now been baptized ( read about their story here ). The ramifications of their conversions I know will be magnificent, which is humbling indeed. I have been able to be an instrument in the Lord's hands in a very special way, different than how I wanted and ...

We all know that modest dress helps men respect us, but they are not the only ones whose respect we receive. Girls : We girls tend to be haters, especially against immodest women. When you dress modestly, girls will respect you too. Parents : Your parents, and your date's parents, most likely will trust you more when you are modest, because modest dress positively influences behavior. Wives & Mothers : You are more likely to get babysitting jobs when you are dressed modestly. Wives and mothers will trust you because you are dressed for the job, not for their husbands or sons. Teachers : Showing up to class dressed modestly shows that you are there to gain knowledge, and your teachers--both male and female--will take you more seriously and appreciate you not distracting them or other classmates. Employers : In a professional setting, your boss will appreciate your sophisticated modesty as you represent the company, including at casual workplaces. I used to...

From the talk "Was It Worth It?" by Elder David F. Evans in April 2012 General Conference.  Dave Orchard grew up in Salt Lake City, where most of his friends were members of the Church. They were a great influence on him. In addition, Church leaders in his neighborhood constantly invited him to activities. His friends did the same. Even though he didn’t join the Church at that time, his growing-up years were blessed by the influence of good LDS friends and Church-sponsored activities. After he entered college, he moved away from his home, and most of his friends left on missions. He missed their influence in his life. One of Dave’s high school friends was still home. This friend was meeting every week with his bishop in an effort to put his life in order and be able to serve as a missionary. He and Dave became roommates, and as would be both natural and normal, they talked about why he wasn’t then serving as a missionary and why he was meeting...

Highlights from the 183rd Semiannual General Conference in April 2013: *I was in awe how dramatic the increase in missionaries was due to the age decrease announced last conference. When the bar was raised several years ago, the numbers slightly dropped and remained stagnant all these years. But now we went up 10,000 in less than six months (since those numbers were from the 2012 report, there are probably a few thousand more by now)! *In accordance with the above, President Monson asked us all to donate to the General Mission Fund. And Elder Nelson noted that many schools will grant students an 18–30-month deferral to serve a mission. *Two new temples were announced: Cedar City, Utah, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. *There is a new Young Women Presidency : Sister Bonnie Lee Green Oscarson as president; Sister Carol Louise Foley McConkie, first counselor; and Sister Evelyn Neill Foote Marriott, second counselor. *For all of you parents who have little hope for your mischievo...

A story Elder Cornish shared in General Conference October 2011. When I was a young resident physician at Boston Children’s Hospital, I worked long hours and traveled between the hospital and our home in Watertown, Massachusetts, mostly by bicycle since my wife and young family needed our car. One evening I was riding home after a long period in the hospital, feeling tired and hungry and at least a bit discouraged. I knew I needed to give my wife and four small children not only my time and energy when I got home but also a cheery attitude. I was, frankly, finding it hard to just keep pedaling. My route would take me past a fried chicken shop, and I felt like I would be a lot less hungry and tired if I could pause for a piece of chicken on my way home. I knew they were running a sale on thighs or drumsticks for 29 cents each, but when I checked my wallet, all I had was one nickel. As I rode along, I told the Lord my situation and asked if, in His mercy, He could let me find a q...

I got to watch the General Relief Society Meeting Saturday night, something I have not had the privilige of doing the last couple years. I was excited to meet the new presidency, and they are wonderful! They are so loving and sweet, so meek and mild, and very tenderhearted. I enjoyed and learned from each of their talks. Linda K. Burton, President, talked about cheerfully keeping our covenants. She also shared an excellent analogy on self-worth another woman shared with her: a $20 bill, though it may be torn, dirty, worn out, wrinkled, and used, is still worth $20. Carole M. Stephens, First Counselor, talked about being wide awake to our duties. She shared an experience she had on a pioneer trek she did with the youth. On a part of the journey called the women's pull, the women had to push the handcarts up a hill without the men's help. A young woman who had already pushed her cart up came back down and helped Sister Stephens and her companion with their car...

Part 3 of my sacrament talk (read Part 1 and Part 2 ): With so much responsibility to teach by good example, show love, and learn along with and from our children, it is important that we have good examples to follow. Heavenly Father gave us the best example: His Son, Jesus Christ. “What manner of men ought ye to be?” asked the Savior. “Even as I am” (3 Nephi 27:27). We will never fail by doing what He did. Sometimes it is hard to emulate the Savior because He was so perfect, so he has given us other examples to follow: Christ-like Church leaders and family members. If we ever do not know how to act in a situation, we can watch and imitate them, and in turn be imitating Christ. Our children will also be inspired to follow good examples as they see us strive to do the same and see the happiness and peace it brings to our lives. Being an example in our homes and following the example of our Redeemer fulfills His call for us to be a light unto the world and a standard unto the na...