First let me say, I know I don't communicate very well...
Today, I think I offended a few people at church. We were talking about the Pre-existence and the question was asked how knowing that we lived before effects our life now...I carefully thought about it and rasied my hand and said, "For me it doesn't."
I'm not sure how that was taken but, it may have been the wrong way and I feel like I should explain my answer. I think that the knowledge of the Pre-existence is fantastic information to know. I also think that for some it explains so much about the choices they made of the circumstances they have been placed into in mortality and in no way, was did I mean to belittle that knowledge. But FOR ME, know those things doesn't change how I live my life now. Why? Because, I knowing that isn't going to save me...it's what I do here in mortality that will decide what happens to me.
I think again FOR ME, the fact that I was valiant in the Pre-existence and made the choice to follow the Plan of Salvation and gain a mortal body was just a step in a long process. It's time to prove myself in this phase.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
April 2009 General Conference Archives
The direct link to the English version of the April 2009 General Conference downloads can be found below.
http://lds.org/conference/sessions/display/0,5239,49-1-1032,00.html
http://lds.org/conference/sessions/display/0,5239,49-1-1032,00.html
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Family Safety on Facebook
I was talking to someone the other day about the pros and cons of facebook. Obviously, everyone has their opinions but for those of you who have children on facebook or are on facebook yourself, I have a few suggestions that may improve your experience and keep you safe.
1. Know the passwords: I think that it is important that you know your family's passwords for each other. Facebook is a social networking site, anyone in the world is aloud to join. Just as we have been recommended to have our computers in a public area, high traffic area of the house sharing passwords is a good way to make sure we are open with our use of facebook.
2. Know your friends: It is important because as mentioned above anyone can join facebook that you know who it is your are selecting as friends. This goes for the rest of your family also. You should be just as selective in adding friends on facebook as you would in real life. The items your friends post on facebook are posted on your homepage and are seen as soon as you log in for good or bad. Be sure you can trust their posts. Also, just as you would want to know your children's friends in person, you should know who they are talking to online.
3. Monitor, monitor, monitor....It may seem a little big brother but the reality is facebook is an open door to anyone who is a member. Anything that you can see others can see, by monitoring what is going on with your children's accounts you can keep them safe.
4. Set the permissions on your account to Friends Only: By default the profiles for facebook are set to friends and their networks. This means that everything you post about yourself will show on your friends site and anything you post about a friend will show up on that friends profile and will show to ALL their friends too. This means that any friends of your friends are a click away from seeing your profile. This goes for your children too.
5. Realize your information is public: Anything and everything you post on facebook should be considered public. Once you post, anyone who has access to your posts can share it with the world. This includes pictures, statuses, notes...everything. All they have to do is click share on the item on their profile and it is immediately shared with all their friends on facebook regardless of whether or not they are your friends. They can also simply copy and paste anything you have posted to another site, blog or simply print it off to share.
6. Watch who tags you and who you are tagging: When you tag people in a picture any comment posted about that tag goes out to everyone you tagged, even if the message is directed toward you. Also, the item you tagged them in appears on your profile. The same goes for any item you have been tagged in. It appears in your profile saying to all your friends you have been tagged in it. If you don't want that item to appear on your profile you must delete it.
Now, in no way am I trying to detour anyone from using facebook. I am an avid user and I know and understand the benefits and dangers of using facebook. It is that reason precisely that I share this information as there are some out there that may benefit from these simple recommendations.
1. Know the passwords: I think that it is important that you know your family's passwords for each other. Facebook is a social networking site, anyone in the world is aloud to join. Just as we have been recommended to have our computers in a public area, high traffic area of the house sharing passwords is a good way to make sure we are open with our use of facebook.
2. Know your friends: It is important because as mentioned above anyone can join facebook that you know who it is your are selecting as friends. This goes for the rest of your family also. You should be just as selective in adding friends on facebook as you would in real life. The items your friends post on facebook are posted on your homepage and are seen as soon as you log in for good or bad. Be sure you can trust their posts. Also, just as you would want to know your children's friends in person, you should know who they are talking to online.
3. Monitor, monitor, monitor....It may seem a little big brother but the reality is facebook is an open door to anyone who is a member. Anything that you can see others can see, by monitoring what is going on with your children's accounts you can keep them safe.
4. Set the permissions on your account to Friends Only: By default the profiles for facebook are set to friends and their networks. This means that everything you post about yourself will show on your friends site and anything you post about a friend will show up on that friends profile and will show to ALL their friends too. This means that any friends of your friends are a click away from seeing your profile. This goes for your children too.
5. Realize your information is public: Anything and everything you post on facebook should be considered public. Once you post, anyone who has access to your posts can share it with the world. This includes pictures, statuses, notes...everything. All they have to do is click share on the item on their profile and it is immediately shared with all their friends on facebook regardless of whether or not they are your friends. They can also simply copy and paste anything you have posted to another site, blog or simply print it off to share.
6. Watch who tags you and who you are tagging: When you tag people in a picture any comment posted about that tag goes out to everyone you tagged, even if the message is directed toward you. Also, the item you tagged them in appears on your profile. The same goes for any item you have been tagged in. It appears in your profile saying to all your friends you have been tagged in it. If you don't want that item to appear on your profile you must delete it.
Now, in no way am I trying to detour anyone from using facebook. I am an avid user and I know and understand the benefits and dangers of using facebook. It is that reason precisely that I share this information as there are some out there that may benefit from these simple recommendations.
Easter Egg Scripture Story
I can't take credit for this, it is not my own creation. It is something found in several places on the internet with several versions. I put it here to help in it's availability.
Spiritual Easter Eggs
12 plastic take-apart Easter eggs.
List of items to go in eggs with scripture references:
1. Sacrament cup
2. Small silver coins (2 or 3 dimes)
3. Piece of rope
4. Piece of soap
5. Piece of red cloth
6. Small nail
7. Dice
8. Jagged rock
9. Piece of white cloth
10. Round flat rock
11. Spices (cloves, cinnamon stick, etc.)
12. Nothing
Number eggs on the outside with a fine-tip permanent marker or stickers numbered 1-12.
Roll up scripture and insert in the appropriate egg with the accompanying item.
Display in a pretty Easter basket.
With your family, open the eggs one at a time, in order, to share with them the story of Christ's death and resurrection. This is a great "advent" style activity. The first egg is opened with the family. The scripture is read and is placed to the side where the picture is then set up to go along with the egg. The picture and the contents of the egg are visible for a whole day. It really makes you begin to think about what happened to Christ.
And looking at the symbols in the eggs deepens the meaning.
Each day you open an egg (in order) and display a picture until Easter when the last egg is opened.
1. Matthew 26:39
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."
2. Matthew 26:14-15
Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, "What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you?" And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
This fulfilled the prophecy in Zechariah 11:12-14 that Jesus would be sold for 30 pieces of silver.
3. Matthew 27:1-2
When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
4. Matthew 27: 24-26
When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.” Then answered all the people, and said, "His blood be on us, and on our children." Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
5. Matthew 27: 28-30
And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
6. Matthew 27: 31-32
And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross. [And he was nailed to the cross, and crucified.]
7. Mark 15: 24
And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, ...
8. Matthew 27: 50-51, 54
Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God."
9. Matthew 27: 57-60
When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock:
10. Matthew 27: 60, 62, 65-66
And he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate... Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.
So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
11. Mark 16:1, Matthew 28: 2, 5
And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had brought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. And the angel answered and said unto the women, "Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified."
12. Matthew 28: 6
He is not here: for he is risen, as he said...
Spiritual Easter Eggs
12 plastic take-apart Easter eggs.
List of items to go in eggs with scripture references:
1. Sacrament cup
2. Small silver coins (2 or 3 dimes)
3. Piece of rope
4. Piece of soap
5. Piece of red cloth
6. Small nail
7. Dice
8. Jagged rock
9. Piece of white cloth
10. Round flat rock
11. Spices (cloves, cinnamon stick, etc.)
12. Nothing
Number eggs on the outside with a fine-tip permanent marker or stickers numbered 1-12.
Roll up scripture and insert in the appropriate egg with the accompanying item.
Display in a pretty Easter basket.
With your family, open the eggs one at a time, in order, to share with them the story of Christ's death and resurrection. This is a great "advent" style activity. The first egg is opened with the family. The scripture is read and is placed to the side where the picture is then set up to go along with the egg. The picture and the contents of the egg are visible for a whole day. It really makes you begin to think about what happened to Christ.
And looking at the symbols in the eggs deepens the meaning.
Each day you open an egg (in order) and display a picture until Easter when the last egg is opened.
1. Matthew 26:39
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."
2. Matthew 26:14-15
Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, "What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you?" And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
This fulfilled the prophecy in Zechariah 11:12-14 that Jesus would be sold for 30 pieces of silver.
3. Matthew 27:1-2
When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
4. Matthew 27: 24-26
When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.” Then answered all the people, and said, "His blood be on us, and on our children." Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
5. Matthew 27: 28-30
And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
6. Matthew 27: 31-32
And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross. [And he was nailed to the cross, and crucified.]
7. Mark 15: 24
And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, ...
8. Matthew 27: 50-51, 54
Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God."
9. Matthew 27: 57-60
When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock:
10. Matthew 27: 60, 62, 65-66
And he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate... Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.
So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
11. Mark 16:1, Matthew 28: 2, 5
And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had brought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. And the angel answered and said unto the women, "Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified."
12. Matthew 28: 6
He is not here: for he is risen, as he said...
Friday, February 27, 2009
MormonsMadeSimple.com
I received an email today for the site called MormonsMadeSimple.com. I took a look at the site and watched a couple of the videos. It's a very interesting concept and appreicate the time and effort that have gone into it's creation.
That being said, they have created some simple videos about the church that explain things like what to expect when you attend church and what the Book of Mormon is about. I have decided to embed the video below in my blog in hopes that the site will gain popularity and be used in social networking sites and blogs.
Take a look:
That being said, they have created some simple videos about the church that explain things like what to expect when you attend church and what the Book of Mormon is about. I have decided to embed the video below in my blog in hopes that the site will gain popularity and be used in social networking sites and blogs.
Take a look:
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Mormon Messages link removed fromt he front page of LDS.ORG.
If anyone read my post a couple days ago, I listed the churches Mormon Messages YouTube channel and indicated it was on the front page of the LDS.ORG site. It has since been removed...the channel is still on YouTube, just the link from LDS.ORG removed.
It seems that there were several individuals that went to YouTube to watch the videos and were surprised by inappropriate content in the related videos section of the page. I can see how that would be traumatizing to someone unaware. I also think it was a good call to have the church remove the link from the home page as to not look as though they are promoting the garbage.
Anyway, if you would like to follow the thread you can see it at the churches tech site here:
http://tech.lds.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2662
If you know what you are doing and would like to embed church videos on your social network site or blog you can visit the channel directly at: http://www.youtube.com/MormonMessages.
It seems that there were several individuals that went to YouTube to watch the videos and were surprised by inappropriate content in the related videos section of the page. I can see how that would be traumatizing to someone unaware. I also think it was a good call to have the church remove the link from the home page as to not look as though they are promoting the garbage.
Anyway, if you would like to follow the thread you can see it at the churches tech site here:
http://tech.lds.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2662
If you know what you are doing and would like to embed church videos on your social network site or blog you can visit the channel directly at: http://www.youtube.com/MormonMessages.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful
When I first joined the church many of the youth that I was friends with had posters on their walls with uplifting thoughts on them. I thought they were great to remind us of virtues and principles. As technology has improved and information can be shared, the church has turned those wonderful posters into short clips and made them available on their YouTube channel. This is one of my favorites. With six daughters, this is a principle I hope someday they will understand.
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