Primary Presentation

My 2 boys participated in a “Primary Presentation” at church yesterday. “Primary” is the organization in our church for children ages 3-11. Towards the end of every year, the Primary kids put on a program where they share with us some of the things they have learned throughout the year. Every child has a small speaking part and the kids sing all of the songs that they learned throughout the year. The theme in Primary this year was, "My Eternal Family".

I was so proud of Parker (11 yrs) and Dallin (5 yrs). They both did such a good job on their speaking parts. They had their parts memorized and said it with confidence. It’s so fun to see all the kids get up in front of the whole church congregation to say their parts at the pulpit. They are so brave!!

Parker’s part was:

“One of President Monson’s favorite quotes is, ‘The family that prays together stays together.’ The Prophet has asked us to pray together as a family because it helps to unite families. I can set an example and help my family to have family prayer. When we have regular family prayer, our family is happier and kinder to each other. Praying as a family helps me feel safe and helps me feel close to my family and to my Heavenly Father."

Dallin’s part was:

“The Family Proclamation also says that, Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

It was so cute to hear him say those big words!

As I mentioned before, the family is an integral part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Family Proclamation declares to the world our beliefs in regards to the family. To read the proclamation, CLICK HERE.

**Thanks to all of the fabulous Primary leaders who worked so hard in putting together the primary program.  It was wonderful!

"Fireproof"

The other night, Stan and I watched the movie "Fireproof" (starring Kirk Cameron). I really enjoyed it. It's a low budget film and yes a little cheesy in parts but the story is enjoyable and well worth watching. I believe that it was put out by the Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. It consisted of an all-volunteer cast, and mostly volunteer crew. Every married couple needs to watch this show. We all need to "Fireproof" our marriages.

Our church believes that, "...marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children." (Family Proclamation).  Of all relationships, the marriage relationship is the most important. We all know however that marriage can be a challenge and it takes consistent hard work on the part of both partners. Divorce has become so prevalent in this day in age, and it can happen to anyone. Although there are cases where divorce is the best decision, this movie shows us that divorce can be preventable. In so many cases the culprit is selfishness. It’s so easy to focus on our own needs over our spouse’s needs. But I think it’s when we decide to unconditionally love our spouse (despite all the things they do that drive us crazy!), and focus on their needs that we find real fulfillment in marriage. I can attest that it’s not easy. It’s something that I continually have to work on, but I know that it is worth it.

I wonder how many marriages could have been saved if they had taken on “The Love Dare”?

Many of you have probably already seen this show, but if you haven’t take a look at the trailer.
http://www.fireproofthemovie.com/index2.php


"Don't treasure up past wrongs, reprocessing them again and again.  In a marriage relationship, festering is destructive; forgiving is divine.  Plead for the guidance of the Spirit of the Lord to forgive wrongs . . . , to overcome faults, and to strengthen relationships." (Dallin H. Oaks)

Family Relationships

I'm so grateful for the strong emphasis that is placed on families in our church.  The family is central to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Family relationships can be a struggle sometimes and requires a lot of effort, but life's greatest joys can be found within the family. 

For many years, the church has produced "Mormon commercials".  You may have even seen one on TV.  These commercials promote healthy family relationships.  They are so much fun to watch.  I'm sure that I will be posting many of them in the future.  Here's one that I really like.

What is the official name of our church?

I mentioned in my blog heading that one of the purposes of this blog is to try to clarify some of the misconceptions about our church…and believe me, there are MANY misconceptions! I don’t want to just stand by as others inaccurately define who we are. Through this blog I hope to clearly explain who we are and what we believe.

Well, what better place to start than the name of our church? What is the official name of our church? I had to chuckle when I heard about one particular recipient of humanitarian aid during the Katrina disaster that remarked, “There were two groups who really made a difference, The Latter-Day Saints and the Mormons.” I chuckle because The Latter-Day Saints and the Mormons are not two different groups…they are one in the same. Sometimes we are called “Mormons”, and sometimes we are called “Latter-Day Saints” or “LDS” for short. Although these titles are correct, the official name of our church is 
“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints”.