Did You Know? "Come Follow Me" Curriculum Supplement Videos

For our teachers of youth the phrase "Come Follow Me" has added meaning.  It is the title for the curriculum they use in teaching Sunday School and YW/YM classes.  When the curriculum was first introduced a few years ago there were a series of videos associated with the monthly themes.  These were available online and eventually some were made available on DVD and provided through the Media Centers in our church buildings.

Today on lds.org something caught my eye and I discovered another source of curriculum videos for the "Come Follow Me" monthly topics.  The topic for August is "Marriage and Family" and this link will take you to a set of videos in the Media Library online that exist for your use.  And since the youth themselves are to be involved in the teaching of these topics - perhaps the teachers, mothers, friends who read this post can share this resource with them too.

Come Follow Me Curriculum Video Supplements

We truly are not alone in this Gospel and in the effort to strengthen one another.  How blessed we are that the Lord has provided technology where by we can develop and share useful and uplifting resources. Resources that can help us build our testimonies, faith and knowledge as well as our family's and those we have stewardship for in the Church.

-Lorie Pierce

Gathering as Sisters - EC

Our "Gathering As Sisters" post series is designed to help us as sisters within our wards/branches see that we are part of a whole - that across the stake there are other groups of sisters gathering together in activities and service to support & teach one another and develop friendships as they fulfill the purposes of the Relief Society in building faith, strengthening families and providing relief.  Each month through the end of this year, we will share one or two highlights from activities within our Relief Societies.

We have truly been blessed with our current Handbook of Instruction that allows each ward/branch to counsel together and then plan with inspiration according to their specific needs. We hope that by sharing some of the wonderful things happening within our wards/branches, we can understand better the individual yet similar needs we share as sisters in the Columbia Maryland Stake.

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Our Ellicott City Ward Sisters:

In July, the Ellicott City sisters got together to celebrate our pioneer heritage, learn new things and have a little fun.  They shared family history stories and pulled taffy.  Sisters were able to learn how to make simple wooden shelves and work on a family history decorative fan chart.  The friendship and sisterhood between these woman was clear as they chatted and laughed together.  How truly wonderful the sisters of the Columbia Stake are!

One Heart and One Mind - A Stake in Zion

Dear Sisters,

            I am writing this morning in regards to the boundary changes that are about to take place in our Stake.  I know many of us are worried about the impact this might have on our families, our callings and our lives.  My hope and prayer is that my words will offend no one, and that you will know how much you have all been in my thoughts and prayers during the last few weeks.

            You might say that these changes won’t affect me or the ward where I reside, but these changes affect all of us, because we are all part of one big Stake Family.  We are sisters together in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, (“…for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galations 3:28) and I hope we’ll remember that Church programs and policies, stakes, wards and branches are all vehicles and tools to help us in our quest to return to our Father in Heaven.  Tough decisions have been made by our Stake Presidency, after much prayer and consideration, and we need to trust that they have been guided in these decisions–( knowing that some members might not like the changes in their lives,)- and be willing to sustain and support this action. 

There will be many adjustments: callings may change, leaders may be released, we may lose wonderful home and visiting teachers, and our youth may struggle with being separated from their friends.  I won’t pretend that this will be easy, but if we draw together as a stake family and strengthen one another, we will get through this and our stake will be stronger in the end.  It’s actually rather exciting to know that these changes are necessary due to the growth of the Columbia Stake! Let’s look for the positives, refrain from finding “flaws”, embrace our new wards, ward members, and leaders, and set the example for our children as we strive to accept and move forward. Let’s truly be a Zion people, “…having our hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another” (Mosiah 18: 21)  

I’ll continue to pray for all of you dear sisters of the Columbia Stake, and for the many new leaders who will have so much to do during these next few months as they staff and reorganize.  Let’s be patient and supportive.   Let’s use this time ourselves to grow in faith and testimony.

With much love,

Cindy Erekson

Stake Relief Society President

           

Become A Family Historian!

Today is Pioneer Day.  A day that for many of us brings back memories of the stories told us about our heritage.  Perhaps a good day for us to record those stories - it's a good day to start.  We don't have to come from "Mormon Pioneer Stock" to recognize the sacrifices of those early Saints and also recognize the benefit that has come from their stories of faith, courage, charity, joys and sorrows.

This week, I read an article published in the Dessert News and written by Keith A. Erekson, Church History Library Director (and coincidentally Cindy Erekson's son).  The article is entitled Honor the pioneers by telling better stories.

As I read this article, I thought of the family history stories my grand-mother, mother and then I collected and compiled.  While I did my best to document these family histories, I'm sure there are errors in them.  I have shared them on Family Tree with the intent that others can benefit from what I had in piles & boxes for many years and that perhaps they would be inspired to share what they have stored in boxes too.  I appreciated the professional instruction from Brother Erekson in this article and know that as I go forward in my own family history research, I will employ his suggestions to help me be a better family historian.

We each have family histories that can be collected, recorded and shared.  That process is part of the injunction to seek out our ancestors.  We seek them to be able to perform sacred temple ordinances for them, but also to remember them, honor them, learn from them - to know them.  As we seek to find and preserve the histories of our families, we are blessed.  I know they are aware of our seeking for them and their gratitude will bless our efforts and our lives in ways we may not expect.  I have seen how preserving and sharing the stories of my ancestors has drawn my children closer to the Lord and opened doors of communication within our family.

Pictures are a great place to start.  Gather what you have - Document who and when - and then Share those photos with your family.  Family Tree is a great way to make those photos available to extended family - cousins you might not even know about.  And did you know that our Columbia Maryland Family History Center has an amazing photo scanner that you can use?  

I'm going to celebrate Pioneer Day today by spending some time being a family historian....and then maybe eat some sourdough biscuits like my pioneer ancestors would have made.

-Lorie Pierce

Anna Margaretha Buchi  "Margaret"
A Pioneer from Switzerland

Watching Over His Children

Last Sunday the stake Relief Society presidency had the opportunity to visit the Spanish branch.  After the meetings ended we were able to spend a little time with their Relief Society presidency to get to know them better. I already knew the members of the presidency because they used to be part of the Columbia 2^nd ward many years ago before they became a branch. One member of the presidency reminded me that years ago our husbands were home teaching companions, at which point a light bulb went off in my head. Our husbands were assigned to visit Richard, a brother from Africa that had joined the church in our ward and they became his first home teachers. They were extremely involved in this brother's life as were both of our families. This was back in 2007 and my husband served as his home teacher until he was ordained a high priest last year. This wonderful brother was just diagnosed about 3 weeks ago with cancer that had spread throughout much of his body.

I immediately shared with this sister the information about Richard and suggested that her husband contact mine to arrange a time to visit him together. We both went home that afternoon and told our husbands and our husbands made plans to visit Richard on Monday afternoon because their family was leaving for Utah early Tuesday morning. And they did. They had a very nice visit with Richard. It was also Richard's last visit from church members as he passed away sometime overnight.

How fitting that his last visit was from his original home teachers who helped teach him so much of the gospel. And that wouldn't have happened had we not been there on Sunday visiting the Spanish branch. I know the Lord's hand was in all of this to make it happen. I'm grateful that our husbands had that opportunity to visit Richard one last time. We did not know that Richard was that close to passing. He had just moved to a hospice center that day from the hospital and we thought he had a little time left. I know the Lord is watching over each one of us and that He loves and cares for each of His children.

-Lisa Larson

Stake Relief Society 2nd Counselor

A Testimony of The Book of Mormon

 I am currently reading the Book of Mormon in three different places.  I am reading the assigned chapters to correspond with teaching my primary class.  We are reading the Book of Mormon for our family scripture study, and I am currently reading it for my personal scripture study.

I don't know how many times I have read the Book of Mormon.  If I had to hazard a guess, I don't think it would be far off to assume I have read it for each year of life I have lived on the earth.  As a result of reading it so often, I am very familiar with it's stories, chronological events, and doctrines.  I also admit how disappointed I am we do not cover every chapter of the Book of Mormon in primary.  We are suppose to miss so much good stuff like Alma Chapter 5 -  “Have your received His image in your countenance” or Alma Chapters 40-42 where the entire plan of salvation is laid out so clearly by Alma to his wayward son Corianton.  I will also freely admit taking liberties teaching my class and opting to cover things not covered in the manual.  How can I resist teaching “Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness.  Behold...wickedness never was happiness.”  Alma 41:10

The most interesting understandings have been coming to me this year as I read and ponder the Book of Mormon in three different places at the same time.  Like you, I know a number of people who have struggled with their testimony of the church over early church history, children of same-gender parents, and ordain women.  I have watched some I don't know well leave the church and some I love and cherish leave, too.  As I have gone over the workings of Satan embodied by Korihor in Alma 30 three different times this year, I have recognized Satan's patterns and activity in those who are struggling so hard to understand our church and it's practices and doctrines.  It has given me peace to see these patterns and prepare myself and my children to withstand Satan's wiles.  I have mourned over many I have witness leave, but as I contemplate Alma's words to Corianton, I see God's justice and mercy at work, and I feel the quiet prompting of the Lord witnessing peace to me.  This time instead of feeling deep sadness, the war chapters in Alma are giving me understanding and incite into preparing myself, my children, and my primary children to build battle armor and places of resort to face down Satan who cannot stand against the Lord and His might.  As you can see, Alma is very fresh in my mind right now.

I testify the Book of Mormon is true.  I know Joseph Smith was directed and empowered by the Lord to bring it forth.  I know it contains a foreshadowing of our day as we prepare to meet the the Lord Jesus Christ at His second coming.  I know as I read and contemplate the words contained in the Book of Mormon on a daily basis, I can more readily feel the Lord's love for me and receive revelation for even the most mundane of things on my to-do list.  The Book of Mormon allows God's light to infuse my soul.

I share this with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

Jae O. Haroldsen

Indexing is Family History Too!

This morning in my inbox I had an email from FamilySearch inviting me to participate in Indexing.

If you can read this:

Then you are needed!

What is Indexing?  It is simply viewing digitized documents on your personal computer and typing what you see.  The information provided by Indexers becomes part of a searchable database for people seeking information on their ancestors.  Indexing is one of the reasons that family history research has become so doable.  It is a ways and means that the work is hastening.

I love doing family history research and projects.  But there was a time not too many years back, that I didn't feel I could devote the resources I needed to my own family research.  Instead I Indexed.  I spent many, many hours while recovering from surgery with my laptop.  It was a great experience.  It was exciting, sometimes tedious, sometimes frustrating, but always rewarding.  I truly felt that my time spent Indexing was well spent.

After I was able to return to my own family research, I began to really understand the value of those Indexed records.  My father had "done" our family's four generations back in the 1980's.  But I felt impressed to go back and review each of those families.  His heritage is in Scotland.  The records he had access to in the 1980's consisted of the "Selected Scottish Birth Records".  It was a microfilmed database that had been extracted.  That means the Church had been given permission to photograph those records and make them available on rolls of film for researchers to view.  Dad did a great deal of work and to the quick glance, one would assume those families were complete.

However, I now have available to me through Indexed records: Scottish Birth, Marriage & Death records dating back into the 1700's and census records dating into the 1800's.  As I have compared those families to the new records accessible to me, I have found missing children, missing grandchildren, and missing spouses.  I am truly grateful for the efforts of the Indexing volunteers that make my research and discoveries possible.

If you're looking for a good Sabbath activity - a good way to participate in family history - a good way to help hasten the work of salvation - Consider becoming an Indexer.

Go to familysearch.org and click on Volunteer to learn more!

-Lorie Pierce