President Russel M. Nelson in General Conference

I was thinking the other day it would be nice to go back and read all of President Nelson's talks from General Conference over the past years.  I remember doing the same for President Hinckley, focusing particularly on his talks during the Priesthood Session.  It was good to see some of the patterns of things he talked about and to really get a feel of what he finds important.

It's pretty easy on the LDS website to find all of his talks in one place:



It does look like it isn't set up yet in the "New Experience" though, although maybe I just need to explore it a bit more.

FHE - Nurturing Love at Home

Tonight for Family Home Evening we plan to use this short video and blog post for our discussion.

 

Families come in more varieties than flowers in a garden—big, small, tall, not as tall, and everything in between. Our particular variety may look different than what we might think of as the ideal family, but each one has its own beauty, challenges, and unique family culture. We may love spending time with our families or struggle to carry on a conversation; our families may be our best friends, or perhaps we may find ourselves wishing that our family relationships were stronger.

No matter the state of our family relationships, we can always strive to create love at home—to do the small and simple things to nurture our relationships with the people who matter most to us. Living prophets and apostles have reminded us of things we can do to create an environment for love to flourish in our families and homes.

 "Love at Home" will be our song. And I made cookies last night so the treat is already done! It will be a nice night!

Homeward Bound

One of my favorite songs sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is "Homeward Bound".

In the quiet misty morning

When the moon has gone to bed,

When the sparrows stop their singing

And the sky is clear and red,

When the summer's ceased its gleaming

When the corn is past its prime,

When adventure's lost its meaning -

I'll be homeward bound in time

Bind me not to the pasture

Chain me not to the plow

Set me free to find my calling

And I'll return to you somehow

If you find it's me you're missing

If you're hoping I'll return,

To your thoughts I'll soon be listening,

And in the road I'll stop and turn

Then the wind will set me racing

As my journey nears its end

And the path I'll be retracing

When I'm homeward bound again

Bind me not to the pasture

Chain me not to the plow

Set me free to find my calling

And I'll return to you somehow

In the quiet misty morning

When the moon has gone to bed,

When the sparrows stop their singing

I'll be homeward bound again.

Family History and Temple Work: Sealing and Healing

Being in the Primary, I haven't been able to attend Elders Quorum regularly, but I do get a weekly email from our EQ President with the lesson topic.  It is a nice way to stay connected and be able to have something to study each week.

This week it is the talk "Family History and Temple Work: Sealing and Healing" by By Elder Dale G. Renlund.

Mission Journal - 20 Years Later

I've been meaning to start this project for nearly 20 years - longer than even blogs have existed haha! But the idea behind the book/journal has been in my mind for a long time, and it is finally time to get it down on paper. The source material is already written and typed - what is left is the organizing and contextualizing of the story.

My goal in writing is to share my experiences as an LDS (Mormon) Missionary in Brazil as well as my thoughts and experiences after my mission and how the mission shaped who I am today. It is written with a few different audiences in mind - first, myself and my family, second, prospective missionaries, and third, everyone else :) I hope it is valuable and I know that at least for me there will be a sense of accomplishment in finishing something I started so long ago. Enjoy!

Primary Program Musical Numbers

Recently I was called as the Ward Primary Music Leader.  For the past year I have been substituting on and off, and so I have been familiar with the music program in our Ward, but it is now a very different thing to be in charge of the program and to have to ensure the Primary kids are prepared to sing in the annual Primary Program.

To help the kids practice, I have created a playlist on YouTube that they can listen to at home:

2018 Primary Program Songs