(How to Download Video – Direct Video URL = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUuexH-3dBo)

As I have loved you, love one another.
This new commandment, love one another.
By this shall men know, ye are my disciples.
If ye have love one to another.

Oh how I love this video (no pun intended ).  Too often we get caught up in the craziness of our lives.  We have so much to do with our families, with our work, personally, but also so much to do in the church.  This video really brings it all back into perspective for me.  We are here to learn and grow (think Abr 3:25-26), and the Lord in his infinite wisdom often helps us to grow by serving and lifting others.  Unfortunately too often we forget the purpose behind our acts of service.  This video brings it back into focus for me.  The home teaching, the service projects, playing with the kids, flowers for my sweet wife, listening to a friend, missionary service, spending time with the elderly… all of these are wonderful acts of charity.

Most importantly, as it points out in the end, we are acting in the footsteps of the greatest one of all when we serve others.  Christ set an example for us by serving others as he walked the earth, and ultimately gave the eternal sacrifice of the atonement to save us all.

While I will never be called on to give such a sacrifice, I can through my daily actions live as he did.  I know that this kind of service brings me, and those around me, great joy.  What a wonderful plan the Father has set up that encourages that service.

Activities:

• Think about a time someone served you.  How did you feel?
• Think about a time that you were able to serve someone else?  How did you feel?
• Write down (or resolve) to serve someone today, and let yourself be served by someone (the second one is the harder one… we are all so proud sometimes… )

Scriptures:

• John 13:34-35
• Mosiah 2:17
• Mosiah 18:8-9
• Luke 22:25-27

OpenLDS.com

Their whole goal is to aggregate all the awesome LDS resources that are available out there on the internet (which is a LOT!)  You can take a look at the banner above to see how they split it all up so you can easily find what you are looking for!  My favorite part is certainly the Church Leaders section.   You can go there and find all sorts of great information about each church leader and links off to the things they have written and said in all of the different media formats that are available.  Check it out!

By David L. Weatherford (Accessible online here: http://www.davidlweatherford.com/slowdance.html)

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round,
or listened to rain slapping the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight,
or gazed at the sun fading into the night?

You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,
time is short, the music won’t last.

Do you run through each day on the fly,
when you ask “How are you?”, do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed,
with the next hundred chores running through your head?

You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,
time is short, the music won’t last.

Ever told your child, we’ll do it tomorrow,
and in your haste, not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch, let a friendship die,
’cause you never had time to call and say hi?

You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,
time is short, the music won’t last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere,
you miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,
it’s like an unopened gift thrown away.

Life isn’t a race, so take it slower,
hear the music before your song is over.

I just spent the morning teaching a productivity class to a group of Educators and was doing some reading this afternoon and came across this poem.  I just love, love, love this.  This captures so much of the way that I am feeling right now.  There is SO much going on in this crazy world we all live in.  Technology can enable great things, but it also wastes hours and hours of our time as we work on little things that in the long run, really don’t matter.  What matters most to me is my family, and my relationships with my wife and kids.  What matters most to me is my relationship with the Lord.  What matters most to me is the sacred obligation I have to fulfill the callings the Lord has entrusted me with and live up to my potential as one of his chosen Priesthood holders.

But too often my actions don’t reflect what matters most to me.  Life is a wonderful and amazing gift, not to be run though, but enjoyed.  As my Dad once counseled me, I will slow down today and and “suck the life out of it” enjoying every moment.  Enjoying those great and eternal relationships, for those are the one’s that matter most at the end of the day.

Related:

• Abraham 3:25
• The Family: A Proclamation to the World
• “The Importance of the Family”
• “The Eternal Family”

A hurricane gains impact, comes on with mighty force,
Wreaking mass destruction, along its chosen course.
The waters of a mighty flood will make men run in fear,
As does the black tornado, when its funneled wrath appears.

Earthquakes cause much damage, arising from its berth,
And man claims nuclear weapons can eradicate the earth.
But of all the mighty powers, there’s one that stands alone
For its power stems from righteousness and claims a mighty throne.

The priesthood of God long missing, from churches of our time
Is now restored and shall prevail, in every tongue and clime.
The priesthood sets our church apart from every other church
And through its restoration, has ended many a search.

All the keys to God’s kingdom, through the priesthood now restored
And it is through this priesthood power, men work and serve the Lord.
The priesthood is a privilege, not just a right of men
Which must be earned and then upheld, through covenants entered in.

It’s through the laying-on-of-hands that the priesthood is conferred
By those who have authority, to preach and teach His word.
Not by man, but through God it came, and Peter, James and John,
Returned to earth, to confer the keys, so Christ’s gospel might roll on.

Mighty or simple the miracles, the priesthood power brings,
It can raise the dead or bless a child; still they’re both inspiring,
And both bring the powers of heaven, down on the heads of men,
As it baptizes, administers, holy ordinances enters in.

But because men hold the priesthood, are women inferior beings?
Subject to every wish of man, as though he were her king?
No, the role of woman is different; she’s co-creator with God,
Bears a child then nurtures, teaches children the path to trod.

- Carolyn Perry Fife

When I first read this poem I loved the first couple of stanza’s that talk about all the amazing forces of nature out there that can cause so much pain and suffering, but then holds that in juxtaposition to  the awesome power of the priesthood.  A power that is predicated on the righteousness of the person that holds it.

I really love the lines “The priesthood is a privilege, not just a right of men / Which must be earned and then upheld, through covenants entered in.”  Growing up in the church and following the traditional path of priesthood ordination too often holding the priesthood was merely a cultural step to manhood, and not the privilege that it should have been.

Today I strive to live up to my covenants and really think about what it means to be a priesthood leader in my home (not a ruler as the final stanza implies).  Although I have certainly not arrived at a full understanding, I am grateful for the priesthood in my life, especially as I can reach out and bless the lives of my wonderful wife and children.  I’m also grateful for wonderful priesthood leaders as I grew up that taught me what it means to hold the priesthood.

References:

• John 15:16
• James 5:14-15
• “The Priceless Gift of the Priesthood”
• “Priesthood Power”

“In these perilous times, as our youth are faced with this increased adversity, we can learn from others. In the armed forces, particularly in all the navies throughout the world, every seaman understands one phrase that is a clarion call for immediate help, no matter what he is doing or where he is on the ship. The call is ‘All hands on deck.’ Many a battle at sea has been won or lost by the response to this call.

“We–as members of the Church, leaders of youth, anxious fathers, and concerned grandfathers–all need to respond to the call for ‘all hands on deck’ as it pertains to our youth and young single adults. We must all look for opportunities to bless the youth whether or not we are currently closely associated with them. We must continue to teach and fortify fathers and mothers in their divinely declared roles with their children in the home. We must ask ourselves constantly if that extra sporting event, that extra activity or errand outside of the home is more important than families being together at home.

“Now is the time, brethren, when in every action we take, in every place we go, with every Latter-day Saint young person we meet, we need to have an increased awareness of the need for strengthening, nurturing, and being an influence for good in their lives.”

(Ronald A. Rasband, “Our Rising Generation,” Ensign, May 2006, 47)

This is such a great quote!  Too often I find myself in my day to day life forgetting what is most important.  It is just me going through the actions of each day.  Get up, study, make breakfast, go to work, come home, eat dinner, put the kids to bed, veg.  Rinse, repeat in the morning.  But I read this and it puts it all back into perspective!  The MOST important thing I am doing, day in and day out, is strengthening my releationship with my sweet wife, and strengthening the relationship wit EACH of my wonderful and amazing kids.  The other things I am involved in are not nearly as important and I must remember that.

I love the line about constantly asking ourselves if “that extra sporting event, that extra activity or errand outside the home is more important than families being together at home.”  It really puts it in perspective.  On the other hand, just being at home together is not enough.  We must be strengthening and building the kids up so that when they go out into this crazy world they will be safe from the evils and perils that beset them on every side till they can return both to our home here on earth, and our eternal home in heaven.  What a great privilege the Lord has given us.  I will answer the call.

Scriptures:

• Alma 37: 35
• Eph. 6: 4
• 2 Ne. 25: 26
• D&C 68: 25

(How to Download Video – Direct Video URL = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Cw8I8eukaI)

There is a danger in the word someday when what it means is “not this day.”

The thought “Someday I will” can be a thief of the opportunities of time and the blessings of eternity.

Even the Savior, who was without sin, set an example of the need not to procrastinate. He said:

“I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

A morning prayer and an early search in the scriptures to know what we should do for the Lord can set the course of a day. We can know which task, of all those we might choose, matters most to God and therefore to us.

For most of us the temptation to delay will come from one or both of two feelings. They are polar opposites: one is to be complacent about what we have already done, and the other is to feel overwhelmed by the need to do more.

The temptation will be to believe that you will return to serve again, someday.

It is hard to know when we have done enough for the Atonement to change our natures and so qualify us for eternal life. And we don’t know how many days we will have to give the service necessary for that mighty change to come.

In the hardest trials, as long as you have the power to pray, you can ask a loving God: “Please let me serve, this day. It doesn’t matter to me how few things I may be able to do. Just let me know what I can do. I will obey this day. I know that I can, with Thy help.”

For those who are discouraged by their circumstances and are therefore tempted to feel they cannot serve the Lord this day, I make you two promises. Hard as things seem today, they will be better in the next day if you choose to serve the Lord this day.

The other promise I make to you is that by choosing to serve Him this day, you will feel His love and grow to love Him more.

You would not want to delay receiving that blessing. And feeling His love will draw you back to His service, wiping away both complacency and discouragement.

I know that Heavenly Father lives and answers our prayers. I know that Jesus is the living Christ, the Savior of the world, and that we can choose to feel joy and peace in His service this day.   (“This Day” Elder Henry B. Eyring, April 2007 General Conference.)

This is another recent great video from MormonMessages that has so much in it.  For us, the part that resonated most was the part about kneeling down each day and praying and asking the Lord what he would have us do for that day.  You’ll notice that Elder Eyring says “A morning prayer and an early search in the scriptures to know what we should do for the Lord can set the course of a day.”  It is not enough to pray.  That may seem simple, but too often we struggle with consistent personal and family scripture study, but it is essential for revelation, as well as setting the Spirit of the day.

Often we don’t see the change that daily scripture study is making in our lives and in our family’s lives. It’s a slow and steady action and it’s not until we look back over a period of time that we see the change and blessings from such a small act. Yes, it’s a small act but it reaps big blessings.

Scriptures:

• Joshua 24:15
• 2 Timothy 3:15-17
• 2 Nephi 2:27-29
• Gospel Topics: Scriptures

“Most of us, most of the time, speak of the facility at Liberty as a “jail” or a “prison”—and certainly it was that. But Elder Brigham H. Roberts of the First Council of the Seventy, in recording the history of the Church, spoke of the facility as a temple, or, more accurately, a “prison-temple.”  Elder Neal A. Maxwell used the same phrasing in some of his writings. Certainly this prison-temple lacked the purity, beauty, comfort, and cleanliness of our modern temples. The speech and behavior of the guards and criminals who came there were anything but temple-like. In fact, the restricting brutality and injustice of this experience at Liberty would make it seem the very antithesis of the liberating, merciful spirit of our temples and the ordinances performed in them.

So in what sense could Liberty Jail be called a “temple,” and what does such a title tell us about God’s love and teachings, including where and when that love and those teachings are made manifest? In precisely this sense: that you can have sacred, revelatory, profoundly instructive experiences with the Lord in any situation you are in. Indeed, you can have sacred, revelatory, profoundly instructive experiences with the Lord in the most miserable experiences of your life—in the worst settings, while enduring the most painful injustices, when facing the most insurmountable odds and opposition you have ever faced.”

Jeffrey R. Holland – From a CES Fireside given on September 7, 2008, at Brigham Young University – Reprinted in September 2009 Ensign “Lessons from Liberty Jail,” pg. 28.

This quote really encourages us to strive to have the Spirit with us no matter where we are.  Being in the temple is one of those obvious places where we can feel the Spirit, but if we can feel the Spirit where ever we are, we can make our surroundings a revelatory and instructive experience.  Don’t wait till you go to the temple to listen for the Lord teaching you and guiding you.  He will do that no matter where you are.

Scriptures:

• D&C 121, D&C 122, D&C 123 (All were revealed in Liberty Jail)
• Genesis 39:20-23
• Mosiah 27:14
• Bible Dictionary: Temple – Only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness.

(How to Download Video – Direct Video URL = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHbSOv3Wqmk)

Lyrics:

We may not see the end from the beginning

We cannot comprehend all the Father has in store

We may not have the answers to the question

But through the life that we’ve been given

He longs to teach us more

Every rock we stumble across

Can be a stepping stone

There are precious hidden treasure

Scattered all along the road

Chorus:

There is joy in the journey

Joy in the climb

Twisted and turning

Reaching for the open sky

Carving out each footstep.

In the struggling we find

There is hope, there is joy

in the journey

We cannot know what is coming round the corner

We may not see the mountains or the valleys up ahead

so every day we put our faith in heaven

and in the light of the morning we find strength to rise again

all of us are travelers searching for our home

in the learning we are not alone

Chorus

There is joy

So much joy

There is joy in the journey

Twisting, turning, reaching and learning

There is Joy

I think that often in our lives we get caught up in all the needs to get done and don’t stop to reflect and see the magnificent journey we are all on! It may be hard and twisted and not go exactly where we want, but we so so many beautiful things along the way.  Look for the joy in what you are doing today!  Enjoy!!

Scriptures:

• Topical Guide: Joy
• 2 Ne. 2: 25
• D&C 11: 13
• 3 Ne. 17: 18-20

It just so happens that we to live in one of these beautiful forests, complete with vines and dozens of 40 ft. pine trees.  As you can imagine, it can sometimes be overwhelming to keep on top of the yard.   I have found that there is a sad pattern I follow every year with my yard and garden that I am going to call it the garden cycle.  Every Spring I spend countless hours in the yard.  I clean up the left-over leaves from the winter.  I gather the left over pine needles from the trees.  I mulch around the trees and bushes.  And I spend days tilling the garden and putting in an awesome and amazing vegetable garden.  I straighten all the brick borders from around the yard.  I round-up the weeds growing in the sidewalk and other places.  I venture into the woods and hunt out the poison ivy and oak and kill it using what ever means necessary.  I sow seed and mow perfect lines into my perfect lawn.  When it is done I sit back and I admire the labors of my hands, for it is good!

For a couple of weeks it is so exciting!  I look forward to mowing the lawn and bringing that shine back to my yard.  We go out to our garden every day to see the progress of our seeds.  We rejoice as the bean’s push their way through the soil to toward the sunlight.  We look forward with anticipation at the day when we get to enjoy the first fruits of our labors.

And then the weeds come.

And the excitement dies.

Before I know it, the weeds have taken over all but the strongest plants and they aren’t producing much any more.  The bricks are all messed up from the kids playing soccer in the yard.  The weeds are pushing up through the mulch around the trees.  The And most of all… I am tired.  I let it go, telling myself I will start again next year.

This story repeats itself again the next year, and to some extent that is okay, for each year I make some improvements and I get a little better.  Some years are better than others, but I have not given up.

You surely have already begun to see the similarities between the garden and our lives.   Our personal gardens, our bodies and our souls, are wonderful and amazing!  But in this life there are many poison vines, weeds and other noxious plants that are constantly trying to find their way in.  With constant vigilance we can protect ourselves from the buffetings of Satan and those that labor with him.  Sometimes we don’t get those weeds out when they start to creep in, and if we are not careful, they will begin to take over.

Remember, if we ever find ourselves in a place where the weeds become too much and we just want to give up, The Master Gardener is waiting to help us with our chores.  In the most famous garden of all, He paid for our negligence.  Because of that great sacrifice, He can come into our lives and, as we repent, remove those weeds.  He can till the earth up and make it perfect again.  What a wonderful blessing that has been in my life.  Just like spring, I can start over again, and with His help, each season I can become a better gardner of my soul.

References:

• Jacob 5 – Allegory of the Olive Tree
• Mark 4: 1-20 – Parable of the Sower
• Early Morning Weeding
• The Garden – Michael McLean and Josh Neubert

(How to Download Video – Direct Video URL = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbk980jV7Ao)

“A conviction that you are a daughter of God gives you a feeling of comfort in your self-worth. It means that you can find strength in the balm of Christ. It will help you meet the heartaches and challenges with faith and serenity” (“What It Means to Be a Daughter of God,” Liahona, Jan. 2000, 123; Ensign, Nov. 1999, 102).

“First, do you know that you are a son of God?  You are literally a son of God, “spiritually begotten in the premortal life. As His child, you can be assured that you have divine, eternal potential and that [your Heavenly Father] will help you in your sincere efforts to reach that potential.” (“Do You Know Who You Are?” Dean R. Burgess, Ensign, May 2008.)

Far too often we forget who we are.  We forget that we have a divine potential and purpose here on the earth.  We forget our divine heritage.  But we are all son’s and daughters of heavenly parents who love us and want us to succeed in life.

I hope this video made you smile.  And if it did…. pass it on.  You ARE great (in every sense of the word)!!

References:

• Matt. 5: 48
• Gal. 4: 7
• 1 Jn. 3: 2.
• D&C 132: 20