Mosiah 4 Remembrance Magnets

Hello, my friends! Just popping in to share some magnets I made based off of this week's lesson in Come, Follow Me! As the family engagement activity stated, my husband and I read Mosiah 4:9-12 and looked for phrases that hit our hearts as a remembrance of all that God has done for us. These magnets are the result! I'll be putting mine on my bathroom mirror, but they could also go on a refrigerator, or anywhere you need a reminder of God's love for you.

You may print these individually, or as a PDF with 4 sets on a page. These are to be used FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. Please do not try to sell them, as I truly want these to be free for anyone who would like them!

Thank you so much for stopping by today, my friends! Never forget that you are a beloved child of Heavenly Parents who want you to learn, grow, and make choices that will help you return to Them. May the Lord bless your lives with peace and love!

My life is NOT my own...

I'd like to talk today about our lives, but first I'm going to share with you a print that I've made using this week's sketch at Inkspirational challenges.

The sketch~

Here's the print~

I hear a lot of people saying things like, "It's MY life." I'm sure I've said it myself a few times!  There's just one problem.  That's a lie.  Our lives are most definitely not our own.  We were created by a loving Heavenly Father who has given us life and everything we have. Our immortality was bought with a price--the Atonement of our Savior.  We read in 1 Corinthians chapter 7 verse 23 that we are all bought with a price and then are commanded not to be servants of men.  Whom do we serve then?  God.

We also learn in the Book of Mormon more in depth about the huge debt of gratitude we owe our Father in Heaven.  King Benjamin, a prophet in ancient America, explains it much better than I can.  Here is what he says in Mosiah chapter 2 verses 20-25:

"I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another—

I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.

 And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.

And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him.

And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?

And now I ask, can ye say aught of yourselves? I answer you, Nay. Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth; yet ye were created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belongeth to him who created you."

When I read this passage of scripture, I realize how selfish I am when I choose to serve someone or something other than God.  I do this whenever I put my wishes ahead of His work that I've been asked to do.  Whenever I do not keep my covenant to follow Him and to do as my Savior would in all situations.  Whenever I feel that I need to watch the television instead of visiting the member I feel needs to feel of God's love.  Whenever I use my money to purchase things that will not help in building God's kingdom instead of paying my tithing.  The list goes on. Each sin--whether or omission or commission--is an example of how we can be an unprofitable servant. 

While none of us are perfect, I truly believe that we can all  try to serve God with our whole souls each and every day.  We do this when we repent and try to do better every step of our journey here on this earth.  We are bought with a price--do we realize what this means?  We can utilize the Atonement each and every time we prove ourselves to be unprofitable servants and then strive to do better!  The hardest part is the striving and trying to do better continually.  We are never truly repentant until we root out our sins--and this is also the only way to gain true happiness and peace in this life.  More about that in another post coming soon. :)

I am so grateful to be a servant of God.  I feel so blessed to know that I am bought by my Savior's Atonement so that I can gain eternal life if I repent continually and endure to the end.  I hope that each and every one of us will strive to do better each day and to remember and give thanks to our Father--we owe Him everything for He has given us everything.

Please feel free to use this scripture printable for PERSONAL USE ONLY.  For more information regarding printing policies and disclosures, please see the tab up top.  Happy printing!

Promises of the Book of Mormon

I've got another General Conference quote to share with you today!!!  This one is from Elder Hawk's talk found HERE about the importance of the Book of Mormon in regards to the House of Israel.

Here's the print I made~

I love reading The Book of Mormon.  As I have served in different Church callings, The Book of Mormon has answered many questions I've had regarding my responsibilities.  Each time I've had a question about something, the answer came as I prayed and studied The Book of Mormon.  It helps in my daily life as well and I feel closer to my Father in Heaven and Savior as I read the words of the ancient prophets that were written for our day.

I know that it is a true book of scripture intended for us in the latter days and that men will learn about Christ and His gospel as they study it's precepts.  I feel so grateful and blessed to live in a day where each of us can have our own personal copy of this important volume of scripture.  I hope that you will take time to read it and pray to know if it is true.  I also hope that reading it will help you as it has helped me and will continue to help me in the future.

Please feel free to use this printable for PERSONAL USE ONLY.  More information about disclaimers and printing policies can be found under the tab at the top of this blog.  Happy printing!

Teaching Tykes: The Pitfall of Rewarding Sad Choices and How to Fix the Problem

So, I was released on Sunday from being a primary teacher.  BUT, I'll still be posting gospel teaching tips each Tuesday that I can get around to it and you may see lesson helps every now and then since my DH was not released.  This week, though, we'll just talk about some gospel teaching tips as we have Stake Conference and my DH doesn't have to teach on Sunday.

Before I start, though, I want you to know that I still want to hear from you!!!  If you're having issues and want some advice, I am more than willing to try and help you out if you're at your wits end!  Just email me and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can!  Hope to hear from you soon!!!

Think this is wishful thinking?  It doesn't have to be!

 Ooookay, so that said, I want to talk about a pet peeve of mine--when people reward sad choices in others.  It's a pitfall.  It will make bad behavior worse.  It ruins trust you may have had with other class members and creates a chaotic atmosphere.  In conclusion, it is extremely counter productive.

If you'd like an example, then I will give you one.  Let's say that you have a child in your class that will not sit in their chair and continually gets up and tries to run out of the room.  This is neither appropriate nor safe.  What do you do?  You could just allow the child to leave the room and do whatever it is they want to.  Doing this shows the child that they are in control and don't have to follow the rules.  You could even take it one step further and allow them to participate in something fun that technically you should have chosen another child who was behaving appropriately to do.  This tells the other children in your class that sad choices are what gets them attention and that this is the behavior you'll reward.  End result to these inappropriate responses?  Extremely dysfunctional class times with inappropriate behavior from all the children present.  You've taught the kids that you are not in control and that they can do whatever they want to and that you will reward sad choices.  Counter productive to what you should be teaching them.  I'm not saying to never choose that child to participate.  I'm saying that they will have to give you a large amount of time behaving appropriately before you will reward their behavior.  This is part of teaching children the repentance process as well.

So, what should you do instead?  The appropriate response would be to continually instruct the child to sit in their chair and help them to it if needed.  If there is a rule that you have to act nicely to be called on to participate, this child should not be chosen.  If they throw a fit, remind them that if they want to be chosen to participate, they need to make happy choices.  The result?  The child who was behaving inappropriately understands that there are rules and boundaries in your class.  They will push the limits a few more times but you need to be consistent.  They will see that no matter what, there is structure in your class and that they can count on it to be a safe environment.  The other students who behave appropriately will be rewarded accordingly and will continue to act in a safe and orderly manner. 

Okay, have I made myself clear? ;)  What happens when you reward sad choices?  MORE sad choices.  What happens when you have expectations and reward happy choices?  MORE happy choices and an orderly classroom. 

Where did I learn this?  From the scriptures--"Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence." 2 Nephi 1:20.  The Lord rewards us when we make good/happy choices.  He does not reward poor/sad choices.  Period.  No exceptions.  No excuses.  We CAN do it.  So can the children in our class--but we have to have expectations before this can happen.  YOU can do it!  I hope you take the time to think about this and how you can utilize it in your homes/callings/lives.  I know that you will be happier if you do!  See you again soon! :)

The Keystone of Our Religion & All Things According To His Will

I've been quite remiss in studying my Sunday School lessons this year.  I've been studying for Gospel Principles and Primary...haven't been as good as I should for Sunday School & Relief Society!  So, I'm resolved to do better.  Each Monday through the rest of the year, I'll be posting my thoughts about 2 Sunday School lessons (hopefully).  This is my personal view, please feel free to comment, but DO NOT disrespect my values and beliefs.  I am not writing this for anyone's use except my own, and therefore it is not linked up to anything.  I do not mind you reading it, as I am obviously putting it in a public forum, but I do moderate all comments and will not feel bad deleting any unkind comments.  Please feel free to use the digital prints found in this post for PERSONAL use.

With that said, I'll be starting today with Book of Mormon Lesson 1: The Keystone To Our Religion.  I'll be utilizing the class member study guide, not the teacher's manual.

• According to the second paragraph of the title page of the Book of Mormon, what are three purposes of the Book of Mormon?
  
  " Which is to *show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and **that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also ***to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations..." -Book of Mormon Title Page
  
  *All members of the house of Israel (church members) have the need to be reminded continually of the things the Lord has done for their fathers.  This has a lot to do with gratitude.  How can we as people grow and have a loving relationship with our Father in Heaven if we are not thankful for what He has done not only for us personally, but also for those who paved the way for us to have the fulness of the gospel in our lives today?  I have learned so much from history in general--we have a great need to remember history and LEARN from it.  What a wonderful gift from God we have!  The opportunity to read the scriptures on a daily basis, in our own homes, whenever we choose, and to learn from the mistakes of those who have gone before is just one example of the loving nature of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.
  
  **Covenants made with the Lord are important parts of our mortal life.  The purpose of this life is for men to prepare to meet God, for us to grow and learn and remember the things we were taught before we came here.  The greatest thing about covenants is the HOPE associated with them.  My DH and I have struggled for years with infertility and have found great hope and comfort in the promise of the covenants we made with God in the temple when we were sealed for time and all eternity.  We may never be parents in mortality to our own children, but we have the opportunity to be parents as Primary teachers, Youth leaders, and in other ways.  The Lord NEVER forgets His covenants.  We need to ask to know His will so that we can see how He will fulfill them for us personally.  I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to learn from other faithful members and leaders by searching the resources on lds.org.  They have brought great comfort to me and my husband as we continue through the struggles of life.
  
  ***If there is any book that I have read that has tried to convince me that Jesus Christ is my Savior and has completely succeeded it is the Book of Mormon.  It is the perfect companion to the Bible.  It explains all the mysteries of God and shows His love for ALL of His children.  Would you forget a child who decided to leave home and live on another continent?  Never!  God remembers ALL of His children--that means each human being who lives on this earth--and He has always provided a way for the to have the gospel of Jesus Christ available for them.  The Book of Mormon truly is another testament that Christ is our Savior, that He was born of Mary, that He lived and died for us, and that He lives today!
  
• What have you learned from the Book of Mormon about Jesus Christ? How has the Book of Mormon strengthened your testimony of Jesus Christ?
  
  As I stated before, I have learned by studying the Book of Mormon that Jesus is the Savior of ALL of our Father in Heaven's children.  God is no respecter of persons.  He loves each of us the same.  It is our actions that He hates, never a person.  As I've read the Book of Mormon each time, I have found comfort and peace from it's teachings.  I have found answers to all of the questions that I have had while reading it's pages.  This inspiration has come from faith in my Savior and by trusting Heavenly Father to answer my prayers.  I have learned that Jesus Christ's church is to be a world-wide church--there truly is one true faith and one true religion.  The true church will span each continent and fill each home, as it was intended to do.  Jesus Christ truly is the head of the church.  He organizes and calls under authority from our Father in Heaven.  He is a personage of flesh and bone.  He loves little children and wants what is best for them.  He cares for those who follow Him, and listens to and answers prayers in the most correct way.  He calls all to repentance, repentance made possible through His Atonement, because true repentance is the only real way to be completely happy in this life and in our life in the eternities.
  
• What passages in the Book of Mormon are particularly inspiring to you?
  
  The verse from this lesson that particularly inspires me is 2 Nephi 19:23.   I LOVE the book of Isaiah and LOVE learning the hidden teachings and treasures in that book, so hearing that the prophet Nephi felt the same way makes me feel a great kinship to him.  I also love the charge to liken the scriptures to our lives.  If we cannot do that, what is the purpose of reading them?  I love to hear stories from others that show how all things pertain to the gospel, and I love reading the scriptures and finding jewels of wisdom just for me written in the words of these books.  :) 
  
  
  This is my digital print of the verse~
  
  
  I also love 2 Nephi 29:8-9 about the importance of the Book of Mormon and it's need to compliment and support the Bible.  I personally am eternally grateful that God is unchanging and will speak and give modern revelation as well as the fact that He speaks His word to all of His children.  It is another testimony to me that God truly loves ALL of us.
  
  I LOVE this quote by President Marion G. Romney, as well, “I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity—the pure love of Christ—will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness.” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1980, 90; or Ensign, May 1980, 67). 
  
  
  

And now onto the second lesson.  Book of Mormon Lesson 2: All Things According to His Will.

• One of the first events described in the Book of Mormon is the departure from Jerusalem of Lehi and his family. What circumstances led to this departure? (See 1 Nephi 1:4–15, 18–20; 2:1–3.)
  
  The prophet Lehi was called to preach repentance to the people of Jerusalem.  Because of the reception that this information received (negative to the extreme--the people wanted to kill Lehi), Lehi received a commandment from the Lord  to leave their home and travel to the "promised land."  We later find out that the "promised land" is the American continent and that this land is incredibly important and plays a great role in the restoration of the gospel.  I'm sure I'll write more about that one later on. ;)
  
• Why did the people of Jerusalem reject the message of Lehi and other prophets? (See 1 Nephi 1:19–20; 2:12–13; 16:1–2.) Why do some people today rebel against the Lord and His servants? What can you learn from Nephi about how to make your heart more receptive to the teachings of the prophets? (See 1 Nephi 2:16, 19.)
  
  The people of Jerusalem rejected Lehi's message because they were wicked and unrepentant.  They had stopped living the gospel and were seeking justification for their actions--a truly godless attitude.  People today do the same thing.  They think that if something is "hard" then it can't be from God.  Whoever said that living the gospel was easy?!  If God needs us to do something hard, He will ask us to do it!  BUT, He always prepares a way for us to accomplish that thing, as we learn in 1 Nephi 3:7.  People do not like to be told they are wrong.  I have made it a personal goal that if I hear something that  if I hear something given in a talk or lesson at church and am offended by it, that I will go home and pray to know if the real reason is because I am in the wrong and need to change or if the reason is that what was said was incorrect.  This is what Nephi did.  More times than not, I am in the wrong and have some changing to do.  I try to make sure that if I am pricked that I do NOT feel ill-will towards the messenger.  It's my fault for sinning!  All messengers are imperfect people--but their message is from the Lord and should be taken as such.  Tender Mercies, a good talk about this subject. And a short movie of the highlights of the talk.
  
  
  Here's my digital print~
  
• Why did Lehi’s family need to obtain the brass plates? (See 1 Nephi 3:3, 19–20; 4:15–16; see also 1 Nephi 5:21–22; Mosiah 1:3–7.)
  
  The scriptures are a vital part of acting in faith.  The Lord knows what happens when people do not have scripture readily available--apostasy.  Because of this, in His great wisdom, He commanded Lehi to have his sons go back to Jerusalem to retrieve the brass plates--which were their scriptures.  Without the availability and the use of scripture daily, each of us runs the risk of dying spiritually and of listening to words that are more pleasing to the natural man rather than listening to the things of God.  We NEED to read!

My Strength Comes From My Savior

This is my submission for this week's Word Art Wednesday: Psalm 18:2 and Scripture Thursday Link Party: Be of Good Cheer.

I don't know of a better reason to be of good cheer--our Savior has paid the price for our sins, and we can all be made free!  I'm so grateful for this Easter season that helps me to remember all that God has given me.  I hope you'll indulge me and let me share a few more thoughts about this scripture in light of Easter.

The Lord is my rock: My Savior brings me comfort through the knowledge that He paid not only for my sins, but also knows my sorrow personally.  He suffered ALL pain and grief for each of us, making Him our sure foundation. {Isaiah 53:4}

The Lord is my fortress, and my deliverer: Jesus Christ brings me divine protection through His Atonement.  Because of His infinite Atonement, I can have protection from sin as I strive each day to live the Gospel and become a better person. {Numbers 14:9}

The Lord is my God...in whom I trust: What does the word God mean to you?  To me, it means a perfect being. A Personage that can be trusted completely.  An unchanging Friend that will never let you down.  This perfectly describes our Savior. {Hebrews 2:13}

The Lord is my strength: I know that through the Atonement of my Savior, my weaknesses can become my strengths.  I can become perfected in Him.  I can have the strength to stand for truth and righteousness each day in any situation I find myself when I put my trust in Him! {Ether 12:27}

The Lord is my buckler: The definition of a buckler is a round shield or protector.  Jesus Christ protects me spiritually from sin and emotionally from sorrow through His Atonement. {Isaiah 54:17}

The Lord is the horn of my salvation: Through Christ's words and actions, I can learn how to be forgiven of my sins.  Through my faith in Jesus Christ, I can gain salvation and eternal life with my Father. {Doctrine & Covenants 14:7}

The Lord is my high tower: My Savior has higher ground than I do here in mortality and can see things I cannot see.  He can send comfort to me when I need it in order to help me through the difficulties that my life brings because He knows what my future brings--and that is HOPE. {Proverbs 3:5-6}

Thank you for indulging me and if you've read this, I hope that you've felt of the Love that our Savior has for each of us.  May we always remember Him, in all that we do and say, that one day we might sit down with Him in the Kingdom of our Father.  He is risen!