President David O. McKay: “True happiness comes only by making others happy—the practical application of the Savior’s doctrine of losing one’s life to gain it.”
LDS Ensign Topics
Have you ever wondered what other Latter-Day Saints think about topics in the Ensign? Are you curious what this "Mormon Magazine" is all about? Come on in and learn and share!
Saturday, December 13, 2014
5 Love Languages
President David O. McKay: “True happiness comes only by making others happy—the practical application of the Savior’s doctrine of losing one’s life to gain it.”
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
"Which Way Do You Face?" Elder Lynn G. Robbins
Loving Other and Living with difference OR Trifle not with sacred things
John 15:12
Need: sharpies and white dinner plates. ( I bought mine at the dollar store)
Quote:"kindness is powerful, especially in a family setting. ". "As difficult as it is to live in the turmoil surrounding us, our Savior's command to love one another as he loves us is probably our greatest challenge. ". Elder Oaks
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Living the Gospel Joyful
President Uchtdorf
Monday, November 3, 2014
“Make the Exercise of Faith Your First Priority”
Elder Richard G. Scott
Here is the PDF
FHE Lesson centered on Elder Richard G. Scott’s talk “Make the Exercise of Faith Your First Priority” from the Oct 2014 General Conference
“Despite all of the negative challenges we have in life, we must take time to actively exercise our faith. Such exercise invites the positive, faith-filled power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ into our lives. Our Father in Heaven has given us tools to help us come unto Christ and exercise faith in His Atonement. When these tools become fundamental habits, they provide the easiest way to find peace in the challenges of mortality. Today I chose to discuss four of these tools. As I speak, consider evaluating your personal use of each tool; then seek the guidance of the Lord to determine how you could make better use of each one of them.”
Because our family has young kids with short attention spans, we split this lesson into two, over two weeks, with two of the tools discussed on each weak. We made up clues to have them guess what each tool was.
W began the discussion asking our kids why we were sent to Earth. We talked about how part of the reason was so that we could learn through difficult experiences. Just like the times when riding a bike is hardest that is building our muscles, so it is with hard times in life. Then I told them that Elder Scott spoke in general conference about four things we needed to do in order to exercise our faith even when we have hard things.
Prayer:
Clues:
* When we do this, we are talking to someone
* We do this with our arms folded
* We often start this by saying “Dear Heavenly Father”
Blessings mentioned by Elder Scott:
o “Your heart will fill with peace.”
o “Protect your children from daily worldly influences by fortifying them with the powerful blessings that result from family prayer.”
Important quote: “Family prayer should be a nonnegotiable priority in your daily life”
-ask them what nonnegotiable means, and discuss what this means we need to be doing EVERY DAY.
Scripture Study
Clues:
* Elder Scott says that doing this is more important that school, work, tv, or even sleep!
* This involves reading.
* We do this every night as part of bedtime.
* We read the words of the prophets of old, like Nephi, or Moses.
Blessings mentioned by Elder Scott:
* Studying the scriptures will help “children to recognize, understand, and act on the promptings of the Spirit”
Come back to Elder Scott’s statement “Feasting on the word of more important than sleep, school, work, television shows, video games, or social media. You may need to reorganize your priorities to provide time for the study of the word of God. If so, do it!”
Weekly Family Home Evening
Clues:
* It is a lot of fun
* We do it together as a family
* We are doing it right now!
Blessings Elder Scott mentioned:
* A time to bear testimony in safe environment
* Learn teaching, planning and organizational skills
* Strengthen family bonds
* Develop family traditions
* Talk to each other
* Have a marvelous timetogether!
Quote “Do not let…anything else become more important than that time you spend together at home with your family.”
Temple Attendance
Clues:
* Mommy and Daddy sometimes go here on dates
* It is a place where we do service for other people
* It is a house of God
* It is where families get sealed together
Blessings
* Come to understand the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ
Summary quote: “When we are consistently praying morning and night, studying our scriptures daily, having weekly family home evening, and attending the temple regularly, we are actively responding to His invitation to “come unto Him.” The more we develop these habits, the more anxious is Satan to harm us but the less is his ability to do so.”
Monday, October 27, 2014
Change in Format
The lesson will be accessible through our facebook group LDS Ensign Topics and PDF's in Google Docs.
Enjoy!
Monday, October 13, 2014
"Welcome to Conference" and "The Reason for Our Hope".
"Welcome to Conference" and "The Reason for Our Hope".
This week will be a little different as I discovered we would need to cover 2 this week. We listened/read "Welcome to Conference" last night and we will be listening and having a lesson on "The Reason for Our Hope." tonight.
We read last night as a family
One of the points of discussion was
"As I mentioned in April, when all the previously announced temples are constructed and dedicated, we will have 170 operating temples throughout the world. Because we are concentrating our efforts on completing temples which were previously announced, we are not at the present time announcing any new temples. However, in the future, as we identify needs and locate properties, announcements of additional temples will be made."
We talked about how the church "lives within it's means" and that maybe the demand is high but funds are low.
We also talked about how maybe in our lives we need to concentrate on completing things in our lives before we take on more so that we aren't spread too thin.
You could use the following...
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/what-is-general-conference
General conference talks vary in length from about 5 to 20 minutes. Topics are not assigned; each speaker chooses his or her own subject matter. Talks usually cover basic gospel principles or address significant issues of the day, with speakers encouraging individuals and families in their efforts to follow Jesus Christ.
Preparing for Conference and the Benefits of it..
Strengthening Faith and Testimony
Oh, how we need general conference! Through conferences our faith is fortified and our testimonies deepened.... (watch or read more)
Individual Impact of Conference
Why We Need Prophets Today?
Today is not different from ages past. The Lord does not love the people of our day any less than in past times. One of the glorious messages... (read more)
QUESTION: What mistakes do we sometimes make? (write these on the board)
"It would be a difficult world to live in if we could never be forgiven for our mistakes, if we could never purify ourselves and move on."
QUESTION : How would you feel if we could never erase the mistakes that we made? (have one child try and erase the mistakes with the dry towel)
Tell the children:
"The Savior wrought the Atonement, which provides a way for us to become clean."
Show the bottle of water and the picture of Christ. Tell them that we cannot erase our mistake all on our own. We need the cleansing power of the atonement.
Spray the water on the board, but don't erase yet.
Bare your testimony about the Atonement. Tell them that they can gain a testimony as they try this in their lives.
Closing song: Testimony
Conference Family Home Evenings
Each Sunday we would listen to a talk and encourage them to underline in pen things they did not understand and Highlight things they really liked.
After we listened to the talk we would discuss the questions and let them share the things they liked. Even our 5-year-old enjoyed highlighting things. He would sometimes surprise us with the things he "accidentally" highlights. We would always read something he "liked". With our 12-year-old Daughter, we sometimes would have to say "OK, only one per page this time"
“Conference messages … are deserving of our careful review and study.”
—President Thomas S. Monson, “Until We Meet Again,” April 2014 general conference
Monday, October 11, 2010
October 2010 Ensign
The October 2010 Liahona and Ensign will be a special issue focusing entirely on temples.
Take a Look! It's a beautiful issue! Then come back and share your thoughts and feelings!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
I AM BACK!
Thanks for visiting!
P.S. REMEMBER, if you don't have time to sit and read, you can listen to the articles. I download the articles to my MP3 player and listen while I am doing other things!
JULY ENSIGN
Sugar Beets and the Worth of a Soul
In my application of this illustration, the sugar beets represent the members of this Church for whom we who are called as leaders have responsibility; and those that have fallen out of the truck represent men and women, youth and children who, for whatever reason, have fallen from the path of activity. Paraphrasing the farmer’s comments concerning the sugar beets, I say of these souls, precious to our Father and our Master: “There’s just as much value in those who have slipped off. Let’s go back and get them!”
Right now, today, some of them are caught in the current of popular opinion. Others are torn by the tide of turbulent times. Yet others are drawn down and drowned in the whirlpool of sin.
This need not be. We have the doctrines of truth. We have the programs. We have the people. We have the power. Our mission is more than meetings. Our service is to save souls.
Am I of Worth?
I knew where I was going with my education, career, and future family. How could I deal with a chronic illness?
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE
“If Thou Endure It Well”
Fortifying Our Family
As our oldest child approached high school age, our concern for our children increased when we considered the prevalence of peer pressure and social groups pushing agendas inconsistent with Church standards. I often thought about this, wondering how we could help our children better understand Church doctrines, particularly those concerning the family.
One day I realized that the answers we sought could be found in “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.”1 I knew that if our children understood the proclamation, they could confidently defend the Lord’s definition of the family.
At family home evening, I presented a proposal to memorize the proclamation as a family. After some grumbling, everyone agreed.
Every Monday evening we had a lesson about a paragraph or sentence of the proclamation, followed by a memorization activity. Each morning during family scripture study we would recite all that we had memorized to that point.
It took almost a year, but we memorized the entire family proclamation together. Although this might not be possible for every family, it has proven a blessing for ours. True to our concerns, our children have been exposed to activities, debates, and friends that do not support the Lord’s view of the family. I am so grateful to know that they have the words of the Lord’s chosen servants when needed.
In addition to teaching my children, this process taught me some important lessons about developing faith in Christ as a family.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE
Scripture Stories as Patterns for Our Lives
A Scripture That Changed My Life
Ancient and modern prophets have taught about the power that can come into our lives as we read and study the word of God. These members of the Church share experiences about specific verses that have influenced them.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE
Standards: One Size Fits All
Adults in one stake in England are discovering for themselves the blessings that come from paying closer attention to For the Strength of Youth.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE
Modesty: A Timeless Principle for All
The way we dress demonstrates our understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Daddy, Do Not Leave Me Here
Brent A. Barlow, “Daddy, Do Not Leave Me Here,” Ensign, Jul 2009, 34–36
The blessings of turning the hearts of the children to the fathers will come as we become familiar with the faith and trials, joys and sorrows of our ancestors.
Walking in Their Footsteps
Could our broken-down car be an answer to prayer?
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE
Pioneers in Ghana
When GayLynn Ribeira, an art student at Brigham Young University, heard the amazing stories of the pioneer Saints in Ghana, she knew she wanted to create their portraits for her bachelor of fine arts illustration project. In the fall of 2005, she began to pursue a way to do this. The result was a grant allowing her and three other art students—Jesse Bushnell, Emmalee Glauser Powell, and Angela Nelson—to spend May and June of 2006 in Ghana. BYU faculty member Richard Hull oversaw the project. The five gathered stories and images of not only pioneer Saints but newer members also. The wealth of information found its way onto canvas in the months following the trip and onto the walls of the B. F. Larsen Gallery at BYU in October 2007. Following is some of that artwork.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE
Getting Beyond Getting through It
I had been reluctant to get involved in my new home and ward, but that Sunday morning I realized I couldn’t put living on hold.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE
The Joseph Smith Papers: The Manuscript Revelation Books
A Longing for Peace
Could the Atonement really heal a heart broken by abuse and take away the bitterness I had felt for so long?
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE
Way Beyond the Help-Wanted Ads
Jennifer Williams, “Way Beyond the Help-Wanted Ads,” Ensign, Jul 2009, 58–65
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE
VT MESSAGE: Qualify for and Partake of Temple Worship
“Qualify for and Partake of Temple Worship,” Ensign, Jul 2009, 68
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE
Monday, February 9, 2009
Precious Fruits of the First Vision
In my growing-up years in Germany, I attended church in many different locations and circumstances—in humble back rooms, in impressive villas, and in very functional modern chapels. All of these buildings had one important factor in common: the Spirit of God was present. The love of the Savior could be felt as we assembled as a branch or ward family.
Hearing and Heeding the Message from the Grove
The Functional Family
A Reflection on Gratitude
I worried I would never be satisfied with my marriage, until a reflection in the mirror changed my perspective.
Helping New Converts Stay Strong
Succeeding as a New Convert
As we reach out to others in friendship, engage in service, and feast upon the scriptures, our confidence will wax strong.
A Penetrating Light
Michelle Bowden, “A Penetrating Light,” Ensign, Feb 2009, 27
Brought up in an atheist home, I was taught about God only in assemblies and religious education classes at school. Yet even at a young age, I was affected by the Bible stories I learned and the hymns I sang. I wanted to know if the things I’d learned about God were true, but I had no one to ask.