The Savior emphasized the importance of keeping records
Begin with yourself by creating your own journal
Be your true self and do not over-emphasize the negative
"What could you do better for your children and your children’s children than to record the story of your life, your triumphs over adversity, your recovery after a fall, your progress when all seemed black, your rejoicing when you had finally achieved?"
Some suggestions for recording information:
Use complete names and be consistent when you are adding information
Also pay close attention when you are searching for your ancestors so you do not research the wrong lineage
Information that you add on your tree for your living relatives will not be available even to those relatives; it will only exist in your tree due to the privacy policy
The information will be merged once the person has passed on
I'll be posting the summaries from the Tengs on the Family History class for those of you who can't come!
Here is a quick summary of the main points from chapter 1 that we discussed today:
Our life is a journey back to our Heavenly Father and to His celestial kingdom.
Families are essential in Heavenly Father's plan of happiness and we are all a part of His plan
Ordinances and covenants that we partake of within the walls of the Temple are "our credentials for admission into God's presence."
We have been blessed with the fullness of the Gospel and it is our sacred obligation and privilege to perform proxy ordinances for our ancestors who have passed on
Whenever we perform Temple and family history work, we become, literally, "saviors on mount Zion"
Just as the Savior helped us overcome the barriers of sin through the Atonement, so do we help our ancestors overcome the barriers that are holding them back from returning to our Heavenly Father by performing their Temple work
The keys of the sealing power of the Melchizedek Priesthood were bestowed upon Elijah and Elijah restored those same keys to the prophet Joseph Smith during the restoration of the fullness of the Gospel to this earth
Children that know their own family's histories will be better prepared to face the stresses and challenges that will surely come their way (applies to us adults too!)
Suggestions for improvement:
Write down the spiritual promptings that have compelled you to be better about family history and positive experiences you have along the way so you have something to remind yourself to stay motivated
Assignments for upcoming week's lesson (taken from page 5 of the member's guide):
"Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart" (Moroni 7:48) that we may be filled with the pure love of Christ for our ancestors. (I particularly like this one. Can you imagine if you felt for your ancestors the same level of love as you feel for your spouse or children or as the Savior feels for them? I know personally it would motivate my search for them and I'd make far less excuses.)
October 2013 General Conference, Priesthood Session
Taught by Tara Gotfredson
Last month's goal was to have 100% visiting teaching. We are hoping it went well for everyone and appreciate your extra effort to visit with the sisters.
Have you ever been in a situation that was new or uncomfortable? What helped you to become more comfortable?
Would a few people be willing to share their favorite story about Christ?
Most stories about Christ have to do with Him going out of His way to care for the one. Our goal for Relief Society for March is patterned after the life of the Savior. Our goal is all about fellowshipping.
"Fellowshipping is an important priesthood responsibility. Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood quorums are to act in concert with the sisters under the direction of the bishop to ensure that each person is welcomed with love and kindness. Home teachers and visiting teachers will be watchful to ensure that no one is forgotten or ignored."
What can we do to fellowship the sisters in our ward (both sisters that we visit teach and others)? What have others done to help you feel more welcome?
"Unity is not achieved by ignoring and isolating members who seem to be different or weaker and only associating with people who are like us. On the contrary, unity is gained by welcoming and serving those who are new and who have particular needs. These members are a blessing for the Church and provide us with opportunities to serve our neighbors and thus purify our own hearts."
"In this Church there are no strangers and no outcasts. There are only brothers and sisters. The knowledge that we have of an Eternal Father helps us be more sensitive to the brotherhood and sisterhood that should exist among all men and women upon the earth."
Why is it important to fellowship sisters that are different from you?
“For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? “And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
As we think about how to fellowship those around us, we can pray for the spirit's help.
Our goal for this month is to make an invitation to a sister to make them feel welcome. You can decide what the invitation will be but here are some ideas:
invite a family over for dinner
have a play date with another mom and her kids
invite a family over for FHE
invite a couple over for dessert and a game night
go out to eat with another couple
have a girls night with a couple of ladies in the neighborhood (make sure you are inviting someone new that you don't know well!)
We will be checking back with you on how the invitations are going.
"Throughout time the people of God have been commanded to care for all individuals who are strangers or who may be seen as different."
If there is time, introduce April's goal as well: approach general conference with three questions to seek answers to.
Prayerfully study this material and seek to know what to share. How will understanding the life and roles of the Savior increase your faith in Him and bless those you watch over through visiting teaching? For more information, go to reliefsociety.lds.org
This is part of a series of Visiting Teaching Messages featuring attributes of the Savior.
Patience is often thought of as a quiet, passive trait, but as President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, said, “Patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something … even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!”
In our premortal life, our Heavenly Father prepared a plan for us—His spirit children—and we shouted for joy at the opportunity to come to earth (see Job 38:7). As we choose to align our will with His during our earthly life, He “will make an instrument of [us] in [His] hands unto the salvation of many souls” (Alma 17:11).
President Uchtdorf continued, “Patience means accepting that which cannot be changed and facing it with courage, grace, and faith. It means being ‘willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us], even as a child doth submit to his father’ [Mosiah 3:19]. Ultimately, patience means being ‘firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord’ [1 Nephi 2:10] every hour of every day, even when it is hard to do so.”1
The scriptures tell us that in our earthly life, we should “be patient in afflictions, for [we shall] have many.” God then gives us this comforting promise, “Endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days” (D&C 24:8).
The following Bible story is an example of patience and faith.
“And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years … touched the border of [Christ’s] garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched [stopped].
“And Jesus said, … Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.
“And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.
“And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace” (Luke 8:43–48).
Like her, we can find blessings and comfort, and even healing, as we reach out to Jesus Christ—whose Atonement can heal us.
Consider This
From the account in Luke 8, how was this woman’s years of patience and then her faith in Jesus Christrewarded?
