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Tag: LDS

Making Resolutions the Anti-Nephi-Lehi Way FHE

Originally posted on YourLDSBlog

Have you made resolution yet? It’s never too late to think about what you’d like to be better at, and put the bad habits behind you. This quick and easy Family Home Evening Idea can be done any time of the year.

I’m happy to say that just over a year later, and we’ve done pretty well with our buried resolutions. There has definitely been a change for the better in our home.

Making resolutions the Anti-Nephi-Lehi way

What you’ll need
craft sticks
markers
glass jar with lid

Begin by telling the story of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies found in Alma 24. I love to dive into the scriptures with the kids, letting them hear the words and language to get familiar with it. With the young ones, though, sometimes reading 1-2 verses and then summarizing the rest will hold their attention longer.

After recounting the story of how the Anti-Nephi-Lehies had a change of heart and buried their swords, discuss ways your family can make changes to become better. What is something you’ve struggled with? Individually or as a whole family. Write these things down on the craft sticks, then place them in the glass jar.

Unlike the story, we are only figuratively burying our swords. To help us remember that we want to change and be better, we placed the jar in the center of our table. It gives us a reminder daily as we gather for meals, games, homework, and crafts.

We ended our FHE with a good old family game of hide-and-seek, to start out a resolution to spend more quality time together.

February 1, 2016
Weekend Bites #28 Conference

New to Weekend Bites? Here’s the run down
Visit my cohost Debi at Practical Parenting

1. Link up your any food related post below

2. Browse the linky, visit some new blogs, and share if you feel so inclined.

3. Please only link up 3 posts. This lets us visit as many of you as possible.
4. By linking up you give me permission to feature your photos on Home Maid Simple (always linking back to you of course!)

5. Each month I send out a newsletter with the most popular links from that month – you may be featured!! This is a once a month newsletter, every first Friday of the month, no spamming involved. Subscribe!

Happy Easter Weekend! I hope you have some plans whether they be with family, or just relaxing and taking time to reflect on the Resurrection. This year Easter falls on the same weekend as our church’s General Conference. Saturday and Sunday we’ll get to enjoy 4 sessions of inspiring messages from our leaders and prophet. If you get the chance you can listen and/or watch as well.

General Conference has always been a day full of both uplifting messages and good food (and lots of treats!). Pair that with Easter weekend, and well – you get the idea. So much food! Traditionally I make Sloppy Joes for our Saturday lunch between sessions, and then while Mark is at the mens evening session, the kids and I will have a pizza night.

This week for your featured pleasure, I’m sharing some recipes I think would make great conference food! I have to say this was hard, because there were so many crowd pleasing recipes this last week!

FEATURES

Lemon Pound Cake w/Strawberry Kiwi Sauce
from The Gold Lining Girl

Whether youre watching conference, or have family over for an Easter feast – this will be a favorite!

Monster Trail Mix

from Serendipity and Spice

If there’s one thing we always have on Conference weekend, it’s a bowl of M&M’s and a bowl of nuts

Buttermilk Biscuits 2 ways

from Bombshell Bling

That takes care of breakfast and brunch!

Easy Cheesy BBQ Chicken Subs

from Optimistic Mommy

In case you don’t like sloppy joes, there’s always this easy bbq chicken sub!

Grab a Featured Button!

An InLinkz Link-up

April 3, 2015
Holiday Gift Guide: LDS Temple Medallions Giveaway

*I received compensation for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

One of the best days of my life, was the day I got married. It was a beautiful day, I was marrying a pretty decent guy, and I was doing it in a place I consider Holy – the Mt Timpanogos LDS Temple. It’s nice to have little reminders around our home of that special day.

I absolutely love these LDS Temple Medallions as an ornament. They are a perfect remembrance to hang on the Christmas tree of that special day in your life. Or if you have LDS friends, this would make a wonderful gift to send them.

Currently available are 110 of the 144 operating temples. They offer a variety of ways to get your medallion as well. You can choose it on an easel display, as a necklace, a Christmas Ornament, or just a medallion.

You can also collect them all as ornaments and decorate a tree solely with temples. Right now LDS Temple Medallions has a great offer going on. Check it out

These truly are a beautiful piece, and I have 2 to giveaway – they are both for the Mt Timpanogos Temple. Please enter our giveaway, then head to facebook where you can enter another giveaway because you entered here first (isn’t that awesome!). If you don’t want this particular temple, you can check these other giveaways to see if they have yours.

Follow LDS Temple Medallions

Website * Facebook * Blog

Giveaway!

Enter to win 2 Mt Timpanogos LDS Temple Medallion Ornaments

open to US and Canada

a Rafflecopter giveaway

November 23, 2014
Guest Posting at YourLDSblog

Hey everyone, for the last couple months I’ve been guest blogging over at yourLDSblog. You can find me there most first Thursdays of the month. Today I’ve shared both a free printable and chocolate chip cookie recipe with their readers. I would hate for you to miss out though, so go check it out – Have I Done Any Good in the World Today FHE

April 3, 2014
The 6 B’s Lesson 6: Be Prayerful #FamilyHomeEvening
“You need His help, and you know that you need His help. You cannot do it alone. You will come to realize that and recognize that more and more as the years pass. So live that in good conscience you can speak with the Lord. Get on your knees and thank Him for His goodness to you and express to Him the righteous desires of your hearts. The miracle of it all is that He hears. He responds. He answers—not always as we might wish He would answer, but there is no question in my mind that He answers.”

– Gordon B. Hinckley November 2000

Opening Song: Children All Over the World (Children’s Song Book pg 16) This is a fun opening song the kids will love while teaching them to say Thank You in many different languages.

Prayer

Lesson: We started the 6 Be’s series with Being Grateful, what better way to end then learning to Be Prayerful where we can offer our thanks to God who gives us all we have? This lesson is intended to teach young children the basic outline of a prayer. In the LDS church when we pray, we believe our Father in Heaven listens to us, and that He wants to really hear from us – so our prayers are not rehearsed but rather from the heart.
There is no better place to start teaching then with an outline. I remember as a child learning this simple order of prayer from my parents.
- We must first address who we are talking to – Heavenly Father.
- Next it is important to recognize His hand in our life. Think of all the things you have and give gratitude to the Lord for those blessings.
- Now that we’ve thanked Him, we can ask for other blessings. Perhaps you or a loved one have been sick, maybe your child has a big test coming up, or maybe you just need a little extra help being happy. When we ask with sincerity of heart He will help us.
- Finally close in His son’s name Jesus Christ, and end with an Amen. This is because Christ is our Savior and the one who will intervene on our behalf at the judgement seat.
I put together this simple outline that can be printed out, framed and placed near your child’s bed to help remind them how to pray, and to be sincere about it.

Download the Prayer Printable

Closing Song: Family Prayer (Children’s Song book pg 189)

Prayer

Get the whole series

Be Grateful * Be True * Be Smart * Be Humble * Be Clean
December 16, 2013
The 6 B’s Lesson 5: Be Clean #FamilyHomeEvening
We’re back and so close to finishing up this series! If you missed the first 4 lessons you can find them at the following links

Be Grateful – Be True – Be Smart – Be Humble

Opening Song: When I am Baptized children’s hymnbook pg 103

Prayer

Scripture: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1 Cor. 3:16–17).

Thought: “We live in a world that is filled with filth and sleaze, a world that reeks of evil. It is all around us. It is on the television screen. It is at the movies. It is in the popular literature. It is on the Internet. You can’t afford to watch it, my dear friends. You cannot afford to let that filthy poison touch you. Stay away from it. Avoid it.” President Gordon B. Hinckley 2001

Lesson: For this lesson, you can either print off, or show on your computer the following pictures, or find your own similar photos.

Begin by asking your children what they see in each photo. What message is it telling them?

source

source

source

Now let the discussions flow. Here are a few questions I asked my kids to help get them thinking, but use what works best for your family
- Why should we clean our homes? Is it important?
- What are these kids doing? Does it look fun? Do you think they need to get a bath after? What if they stay covered in mud?
- Should we write on our bodies? Why? At this point it would be great to reiterate the scripture above – our bodies are a temple.
Closing song: Fun to Do Children’s Hymnbook pg 253

Prayer

Refreshments: Popcorn or Fresh Fruit and Veggies. A reminder to put Clean things into our bodies as well.

Stay tuned this month for the Lesson 6: Be Prayerful
November 18, 2013
LDS General Conference Sunday Morning Recap #LDSconf

President Henry B. Eyring spoke of unconditional love, and the choices that will lead us to happiness, and choices that will lead to unhappiness. What I took to heart personally was near the end of his talk when he said

“We cannot force God’s children to choose the way to happiness….but we can let them see it in our lives”

Isn’t that powerful? Many people struggle with finding happiness in their lives, some have depression that makes that choice even harder – so let’s try to show more happiness in our lives, and share it with those who struggle.

Dallin H. Oaks gave a powerful talk on the 10 Commandments, and specifically the first commandment to love God. He questioned what we might be putting priority on in our lives above serving God. Perhaps it’s a career, education, recreations, political correctness, or material possessions. I came away with ways I put God first, and ways that I can and should do better –sharing my religion here for example will become more a priority.

Near the end of his talk, Elder Oaks quoted the following from President Monson –

Bonnie L Oscarson serves as the General Young Women President. This is a program for young girls in our church age 12-18. I’ll just quote a portion of her talk here, because I really liked it.

True Conversion is more than merely having a knowledge of gospel principles and implies even more than just having a testimony of those principles…Being truly converted means we are acting upon what we believe and allowing it to create a “mighty change in us, or in our hearts.”

This can be applicable to many different areas of your life. It is one thing to have knowledge of something, it is completely different to act upon it.

Richard J. Maynes followed Sister Oscarson beautifully as he spoke of enduring to the end, and the relation our testimony and conversion have with our ability to endure trials along the way. When we have a strong testimony and are converted, we will be able to more fully reach the end of our trials.

Richard G Scott bore a beautiful testimony when he told us about the personal strength we can receive through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He spoke to all of us and warned us to be on guard at all times, because Satan will be looking to lure us back into past sins.

“We must be ever vigilant to avoid his enticements. Such was the case of the the faithful Ammonite fathers. Even after their years of faithful living, it was imperative for them to protect themselves spiritually from any attraction to the memory of past sins.”

I encourage you to read the story of the Ammonites in the Book Of Mormon: Alma chapters 23-56.

President Thomas S. Monson said “Only the Master knows the depths of our trials, our pain, and our suffering. He alone offers us eternal peace in times of adversity. He alone touches our tortured souls with His comforting words.

You can watch Sunday morning’s session of conference at this link.

November 6, 2013
LDS General Conference Saturday Afternoon Recap #LDSconf

Where did the time go? I can’t believe October is almost already over. I love that every October starts with the General Conference of the LDS church. To learn more about it, you can visit the LDS website. Get my take on Saturday Morning’s session here.

There was so much good in Conference. My hope as I share these bits of wisdom and love with you, is that something will speak to you, to life your soul and help you through trials you may be having.

Saturday Afternoon session started with an opportunity to raise our hands and sustain the leaders of our church. Different from other faiths our leaders are not paid, so being able to show our support for them can really be a comfort to them, and a show of faith on our part.

The first talk was given by President Boyd K Packer. He spoke of the perilous times we live in, that the apostle Paul foretold – but he left us with inspiration and hope, that as we turn to the Lord and read our scriptures we will be OK.

Elder D Todd Christofferson spoke on the moral force of women. As a mother I felt especially touched by his faith in, and expectation of women as teachers in the home. I felt especially inspired by this quote, and want to become this woman.

Elder S. Gifford Nielsen reiterated much of what the Prophet spoke on, and called us to all do missionary work. Currently my baby brother is serving a full time (2 year) mission in Boston Massachusetts. He has devoted these years to serving the Lord and spreading His love to all who want to hear it. I may not be doing the same exact thing, but I can be an example and share God’s love to my friends, and here on Home Maid Simple.

Elder Arnulfo Valenzuela also spoke on missionary work, but encouraged us to reach out through small and simple things. Some people just need a hug, or a smile, or a true friend – someone who really cares about them.

Elder Timothy J. Dyches reminded us that we must have faith before the miracle. Sharing many stories from Christ’s life, and those He healed, we learn this lesson. Will we be made whole?

Image source

Elder Jeffrey R Holland made me cry. As someone who has suffered depression, and watched family members battle with mental disease, his cry of love and compassion for the people struggling with these diseases spoke to my heart.

There was so much from his talk that I’d love to share with you, but that would make this post much too long, so please, I encourage you to go and listen/read/watch his full talk.

Elder M. Russell Ballard brought the theme of this session back to missionary work, and again encouraged us to share the gospel. In an effort to support my leaders, and really share my faith and believe with everyone I come in contact with – That is why I share these posts. I hope that you all can feel our Savior’s love. He is not just my Savior, but the world’s. I know this to be true as I have felt His hand in my life.

Watch the whole Saturday afternoon session of the LDS General Conference online.

October 23, 2013
The 6 B’s Lesson 1: Be Grateful #FamilyHomeEvening
As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, one thing we do is set aside Monday nights for what we call Family Home Evening. It’s a night we try not to have any activities planned outside the home with friends, or work. We come home together, and spend the time as a family. Some night it means watching a new (or old) movie or playing a game, while others we try to have a gospel-centered lesson.

So a few Mondays ago, I asked Mark to put together a lesson. He did great! He pulled his lesson from President Gordon B Hinkley’s address in November 2000 where he gave us what quickly became known as the 6 B’s
- Be Grateful
- Be Smart
- Be Clean
- Be True
- Be Humble
- Be Prayerful
After Mark’s lesson that night, I got to thinking, and decided I wanted to cover more in depth each Be. So the following Monday I took my turn with the lesson, and covered Be Grateful. It was one of the best lessons we have ever had! So get ready to teach your kids about gratitude!
Opening Song: Thank Thee for Everything (Primary Song Book pg 10) This was a new song to the kids and one I’ve sung very rarely. So we attempted to learn it as a family. If you follow the link, you’ll find the lyrics and music.

Opening Prayer.

Lesson Time!

I began the lesson asking if anyone remembered the 6 B’s. Princess V and C both did a pretty good job remembering most of them. I was impressed, and so very happy that they actually remembered some. It told me they really do pay attention sometimes. After we recited the B’s a few times, I told the girls that I wanted to talk about just the first B – Be Grateful.

We had a quick, child-friendly discussion on what the word Grateful means. Just like being Thankful, and saying thanks to people when they are kind to us, or help us, we are grateful for the things we have.

At this point, we then grabbed some blankets and headed outside to lay under our big tree. After we laid mostly quietly for some time contemplating the things we could see, hear and smell, I started one by one, asking the kids, and Mark what the were grateful for. As the talked, I compiled a list in my notebook. Once again, my children impressed me with how well they understood and grasped the concept. Instead of saying things like their toys and material objects, the first few “I am thankful for” included – Family, Friends, Teachers, Sisters, and Brother. As I encouraged everyone to keep thinking and listening and looking around them at our beautiful earth – the answers branched out to things like Butterflies, Sticks and Flowers.

We ended the lesson by remembering who we need to thank for our beautiful earth – Our Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ. We packed the blankets back inside, and closed the evening.

Closing Song: Children All Over the World (Primary Song Book pg 16)

Closing Prayer.

Refreshments! A good FHE always ends with a yummy treat. You can try and tie it into the lesson, or just enjoy some Ice Cream Sundaes like we did – which by the way, is just another thing we should be grateful for.

Of course after a few days, and some playing around, I created a little reminder for our home to Be Grateful all the time. And, I even took the time to find the best way for you to be able to download this and use in your own home. Not only is it a great reminder year round, it would also make great Thanksgiving Decor.

Download this FREE Printable

Keep an eye out for the next 5 lessons in this 6 part series.
July 7, 2013
Why I wear a Dress to Church

Sorry for the interruption today. I don’t talk about my religion much on here. I don’t want you to feel like I’m preaching or pushy.
Today, however, I feel a strong desire to say what is weighing heavily on my heart. It has to deal with a movement I became aware of yesterday “Wear Pants to Church day”.

This movement has my heart feeling heavy. I am so sad that this is even happening. Please, bear with me, as I tell you why I will continue to wear a dress to church every Sunday.

I am a woman.

Plain and simple. I wear a dress because I feel, for me, it shows greater respect for worshipping my Father in Heaven. I don’t wear a dress every day of the week. In fact, I only wear a dress for special occasions. Every Sunday is a special occasion for me.

Sunday is a day I set aside for the sole purpose of learning and worshipping. A day I focus on my family, and the eternal importance they are to me. It is a day I take to reflect on my Savior and His gift of Life.

When I wear a dress, I feel different, and so do those around me.

Wearing a dress, means I have to be more conscious of how I act, how I move my body, and the care I take in looking nice. A dress gives me the time to ponder on my Savior’s life, because I can’t go for a run in a dress. I can’t sprawl out on the floor and be lazy in a dress. While wearing a dress, I just feel better. I feel closer to my Father in Heaven.

Recently while going out to do my monthly Visiting Teaching (a program in our church, where 2 women visit a list of other women to check on their well being, and leave them with a spiritual message), my partner noticed I was in a dress. It was laundry day at my house, and my skirt was the only thing clean to wear. However she told me “We should wear a dress every time we go visiting. I think it would help us feel the Spirit more.”

And you know what? I think she’s right. When I visit these women, I want to take with me the Spirit of Christ, that we may be more receptive to what the women may be in need of. It’s obviously not just me, but my partner felt that Spirit more as well, just from wearing a dress.

I am not inferior to men.

I am so so so very tired of being told that because I wear a dress to church, or because I can’t have the priesthood power, that I must be inferior to men, and therefore am subject to them, and am living an old way of life. I am tired of being told that times are changing and I need to get with them; that somehow because I enjoy the old way of life, I must be brainwashed and am a victim of male domination.

I am here to tell you I am not any of those things. Mark and I work as a team. We both have divine responsibilities set forth from our Father in Heaven. Who am I to tell God He is wrong? Who am I to go against what I feel is the divine role of women? Would you like to know what I feel is my role as a women?

By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners.
– The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Given By Gordon B Hinkley (Prophet, Seer and Revelator) in 1995

I truly believe my divine role as a mother is to nurture my children. To see to their needs both physically and spiritually. To comfort them when hurt, sick, and afraid. To guide them with an eternal perspective. This is my role, and I am proud of it. I take great pride in teaching my children eternal principles – self worth, respect, love and more.

As the Proclamation states, I am an equal partner to my husband. I help support him in providing our children with the necessities of life and protection. In turn, Mark also helps with the nurturing at home. He is present in our daily family prayers, and embracing the teachings we want our kids to understand. Together we are a team, and without each other, our family life wouldn’t be the happy place it is.

In essence, my whole idea of making our house a home, would not happen, if we were competing with each other to be the provider, or the nurturer. I don’t feel inferior. I feel divinely inspired to stay home where I can watch over the well being of my children, morning noon and night.

I enjoy feeling feminine.

I actually like being a girl. I’ve told you before that I’m no girly girl. I don’t wear makeup daily, I struggle making my hair and the kids hair look fancy (or even just really nice), but I love dressing up. I love knowing that I’m a girl at heart. I enjoy kisses in the moonlight, Mark holding my hand, wearing high heels and perfecting the poise needed for stilettos. I love crying at sappy movies while cuddling up with Mark. This is who I am.

I like cooking. I enjoy having a warm meal for Mark to come home to. I feel accomplished when I can 6 jars of peaches for my family to eat throughout the winter. The smells of cookies/bread/pie baking are some of my favorites to indulge in. Sewing is another passion of mine. I enjoy making pretty things for my kids to wear/play with. Seeing their smiles because I made something just for them (even if it’s not that great), warms me to the core.

My message to the Feminists reading this

Please leave politics out of my sacred time at church. I want to go to church and feel the Spirit. I personally don’t care if you want to wear pants. As long as you come ready to learn and worship with me, you could be naked for all I care (OK really please don’t go that far, I might blush).

Your mindset is wrong. I truly believe that The Church of Jesus Christ is led by a Prophet of God. I believe Joseph Smith saw God our Father and His Son Jesus Christ in a grove of trees in New York. I have been in that grove and felt something amazing.
God is our Father. He loves each of us equally, because we are His Children. He is no respecter of persons. God looks on the heart.

Making a political statement at church is to me, equivalent of telling God He is wrong, and needs to change. Your heart isn’t in the right place. He knows that if you come to church wearing pants, and you feel that is your best dress, then He won’t care. He will love you for coming to Him.
But if you come to church intent on telling others they are wrong for wearing a dress, that they should seek “gender equality” because somehow they are inferior, your heart isn’t at church. You aren’t there to worship. God knows that.

Thank you for reading my thoughts on this subject. I have prayed about writing this. I don’t want to offend. I just needed to get this out there. I need the feminists to understand where we women who don’t embrace your movement are coming from. Why we feel the way we do. We are happy with our roles, and would very much like you to stop telling us we are inferior. We don’t feel that way, and we are sorry that you do.

With that I’d like to end with this quote from church leadership

The Church has not attempted to indicate just how long women’s or girls’ dresses should be nor whether they should wear pant suits or other types of clothing. We have always counseled our members to be modest in their dress, maintaining such standards in connection therewith as would not be embarrassing to themselves and to their relatives, friends, and associates. We have advised our people that when going to the temple they should not wear slacks or mini-skirts, nor otherwise dress immodestly. We have not, however, felt it wise or necessary to give instructions on this subject relative to attendance at our church meetings, although we do feel that on such occasions they should have in mind that they are in the house of the Lord and should conduct themselves accordingly.
– Church Policies and Procedures. 1971

According to that, you can wear pants to church. So why you must make a big deal out of it, I don’t understand. It just shows more that your heart is not at church. Again, I am sorry to any women who feel like they are less, but please don’t tell me I must feel that way. I don’t. I am happy with who I am, and my divine role.

*I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Many know us as Mormons. If you’d like to learn more about our church and what we believe, please visit Mormon.org or feel free to ask me any questions. I am an open book.

December 13, 2012