When President Nelson spoke during the general women's broadcast of general conference, he issued four invitations to help us, the women of the Church, answer his "prophetic plea . . . to shape the future by helping to gather scattered Israel."
President Nelson's first invitation asks us to prayerfully consider our use of media and then "to participate in a 10-day fast from social media and from any other media that bring negative or impure thoughts" to our minds. Immediately, I (and I'm sure many of you) started to assess the books I was reading, television shows I was watching, and movies I had on my watchlist. Could any of these be considered a negative influence? I think of this initial assessment as the first phase of this invitation. The second phase is the actual fast. In my experience, the first day felt as long as the subsequent nine! The more time spent away from Instagram, the easier it was not to click on that icon. The third and final phase of this first invitation from our prophet is to self-reflect. He suggests answering the following questions: "What do you notice after taking a break from perspectives of the world that have been wounding your spirit? Is there a change in where you now want to spend your time and energy? Have any of your priorities shifted--even just a little? I urge you to record and follow through with each impression."
The second invitation President Nelson extended was to read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year, marking each verse that refers to the Savior, then, talking about Him with our friends and family. Wowzers! The Book of Mormon is long. 530 pages! He asked us to read it in under 3 months. During the holiday season? I don't know about you, but my mind was reeling a bit when I heard this. But listening to all of President Nelson's message, which sprinkled prophetic promises between his calls to action, and I knew I wanted to participate. "You and [your families and friends] will be drawn closer to the Savior through this process. And changes, even miracles, will begin to happen." I want those blessing for my family and friends! So, my daughters who are still at home, my husband and I are blazing through the Book of Mormon faster than we ever have. I even found that marking all the references to Christ made reading the Isaiah passages in 2 Nephi more enjoyable!
When I heard President Nelson issue his third invitation to "establish a pattern of regular temple attendance," the first thought I had was I HAD a habit of regularly going to the temple twice a month--and then it closed! Initial pouting aside, I appreciate that President Nelson didn't qualify our attendance with anything more than the word "regular." Individually, we can decide what "regular" temple attendance looks like to each of us. Driving 2 hours each way and paying $24 in tolls has certainly impacted my temple attendance, but I can still attend regularly. I also appreciate that President Nelson invited those who don't live near a temple "to study prayerfully about temples in the scriptures and in the words of the living prophets." Adding that to my personal study can be part of my new regular temple routine. In his opening remarks in general conference, President Nelson mentioned the strength of the adversary, noting that we need counter-strategies to combat Satan's. Then, in his closing address, the prophet said that our need to be in the temple on a regular basis has never been greater. I know I feel that on a personal level. When life's circumstances look bleak or tragedies happen to those I love, I can always count on having a peaceful heart when I am within the walls of the House of the Lord.
President Nelson's fourth and final formal invitation is "to participate fully in Relief Society." He expanded on this by urging us to study the current Relief Society purpose statement and to study the Relief Society declaration. Did you know or remember that the Relief Society purpose statement had been revised in 2017? I didn't! Here it is: “Relief Society helps prepare women for the blessings of eternal life as they increase faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and His Atonement; strengthen individuals, families, and homes through ordinances and covenants; and work in unity to help those in need.” As part of my study of the new purpose statement, I read the announcement on the change, found here: https://www.lds.org/church/news/sister-burton-announces-updates-to-lds-relief-society-purpose-statement?lang=eng. The Relief Society declaration can be found here: https://www.lds.org/bc/content/shared/content/images/gospel-library/manual/31114/31113_000_005_01-declaration.pdf?lang=eng. Before accepting President Nelson's fourth invitation, it had been an embarrassingly long time since I'd read the declaration. I feel like it is a beautiful mission statement for women who understand their divine relationship with deity.
Sisters, we are lucky to have full lives with calendars full of good ways to spend our time. But, I hope that of all the invitations and evites we receive, we jump at the chance to accept these four invitations from our living prophet. I know that as we follow our prophet, the Lord's blessings will pour down on us. I'm counting on it!
-Mendy Hunter
(Second Counselor, Stake Relief Society)
Sunday, October 28, 2018
Sunday, October 21, 2018
Being the Hands of our Savior
I love General Conference! I remember as a child that conference weekends were never my favorite time of year - mainly because I would miss Primary or Young Women. But now I crave for Conference weekends where my spirit can be filled and I can listen to the words of our prophet and other leaders.
Six months ago our prophet introduced a new way of ministering to one another and I’ve spent the last six months attempting to figure out how best to minister to the sisters I’ve been assigned and even ones that I don’t have an assignment for but that the Lord wants me to help watch over.
There were two talks that specifically spoke to my questions. The first was given by Joy D. Jones and was titled, “For Him” and was given in the general women’s session of Conference. The other one was given by Bonnie H. Cordon and was called “Becoming a Shepherd” and was given in the Sunday morning session.
Sister Jones shared her experience of being rejected by a less active family in her ward when taking over a plate of cookies. She spoke of how she and her husband lacked the spiritual vision and questioned: “Why are we doing this? What is our purpose?” How often I have asked that question myself and wondered if what I was doing really mattered. It does!
Doctrine and Covenants 59:5 says, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy might, mind, and strength, and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him.” Are we serving our sisters out of love for the Lord? As our spiritual vision of ministering changes and we learn to love and minister as our Savior would, then we will no longer question why we are doing it or what our purpose is and we will truly capture the vision the Lord wants us to have.
Sister Cordon shared in her talk the importance of developing a shepherd’s heart and understanding the needs of the Lord’s sheep. She said it is important that we “make certain each person feels the love of the Savior through someone who serves for Him.” Also, as we “pray, we will feel the love of Jesus Christ for those to whom we minister. Share that love with them. What better way is there to feed His sheep than to help them feel His love - through you?”
President Nelson said in the general women’s session of Conference, “When you are truly ministering, you follow your feelings to help someone else experience more of the Savior’s love.”
Ministering truly is a matter of each one of us being the hands of our Savior and sharing His love for our fellow sisters here on earth. It truly is a holy calling and one that I hope to improve in as I try to help those around me in their journey back to Heavenly Father. I know I have a purpose and why I am doing it - because I love the Lord and want to share His love to them.
-Lisa Larson
(First Counselor, Stake Relief Society Presidency)
Six months ago our prophet introduced a new way of ministering to one another and I’ve spent the last six months attempting to figure out how best to minister to the sisters I’ve been assigned and even ones that I don’t have an assignment for but that the Lord wants me to help watch over.
There were two talks that specifically spoke to my questions. The first was given by Joy D. Jones and was titled, “For Him” and was given in the general women’s session of Conference. The other one was given by Bonnie H. Cordon and was called “Becoming a Shepherd” and was given in the Sunday morning session.
Sister Jones shared her experience of being rejected by a less active family in her ward when taking over a plate of cookies. She spoke of how she and her husband lacked the spiritual vision and questioned: “Why are we doing this? What is our purpose?” How often I have asked that question myself and wondered if what I was doing really mattered. It does!
Doctrine and Covenants 59:5 says, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy might, mind, and strength, and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him.” Are we serving our sisters out of love for the Lord? As our spiritual vision of ministering changes and we learn to love and minister as our Savior would, then we will no longer question why we are doing it or what our purpose is and we will truly capture the vision the Lord wants us to have.
Sister Cordon shared in her talk the importance of developing a shepherd’s heart and understanding the needs of the Lord’s sheep. She said it is important that we “make certain each person feels the love of the Savior through someone who serves for Him.” Also, as we “pray, we will feel the love of Jesus Christ for those to whom we minister. Share that love with them. What better way is there to feed His sheep than to help them feel His love - through you?”
President Nelson said in the general women’s session of Conference, “When you are truly ministering, you follow your feelings to help someone else experience more of the Savior’s love.”
Ministering truly is a matter of each one of us being the hands of our Savior and sharing His love for our fellow sisters here on earth. It truly is a holy calling and one that I hope to improve in as I try to help those around me in their journey back to Heavenly Father. I know I have a purpose and why I am doing it - because I love the Lord and want to share His love to them.
-Lisa Larson
(First Counselor, Stake Relief Society Presidency)
Sunday, October 14, 2018
A Home Centered Church
It’s been a week since we experienced another wonderful General Conference, and I think I’m still floating on a “conference high”! I feel so energized! The Church is moving forward at an ever increasing pace, hastening the work, and preparing us for the coming of the Lord.
What a blessing to have a living Prophet, who has reminded us that the church of Christ must bear his name. We belong to His church, and it’s important that the world know where to find Him and His true gospel.
Does a Home Centered Church seem new to you? It shouldn’t. We all came from our Heavenly home where we were taught by our Heavenly Parents. We were placed on this earth in families and taught to honor our parents. We’ve been instructed over the years to raise our children up unto the Lord, to teach them right from wrong in our homes, and to counteract the things of the world. We’ve been invited to set aside one night each week for Family Home Evening, and to sit together as families in Sacrament Meeting. We have ALWAYS been a family centered Church, and the wonderful new ‘Come Follow Me’ materials and the extra time on Sunday will help us better fulfill this responsibility.
President Eyring spoke of the woman’s role in nurturing her family and administering to others in need: “As daughters of God, you have an innate and great capacity to sense the needs of others and to love. That, in turn, makes you more susceptible to the whisperings of the Spirit. The Spirit can then guide what you think, what you say, and what you do to nurture people so the Lord may pour knowledge, truth, and courage upon them.”
He went on to say: “ whatever your personal circumstance, you are part--a key part--of the family of God and of your own family, whether in the future, in this world, or in the spirit world. Your trust from God is to nurture as many of His and your family members as you can with your love and your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.”
And then: “You will each find ways to contribute to the outpouring of truth upon your families in the Lord’s restored Church. Each of you will pray, study, and ponder to know what your unique contribution will be. But this I know: each of you, equally yoked with sons of God, will be a major part of a miracle of gospel learning and living that will hasten the gathering of Israel and will prepare God’s family for the glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
What a blessing! I hope you are feeling as excited as I am! There have been lots of changes over the past year; new policies, new curriculums, new changes in responsibilities. But with each new change I have had the confirmation that we are moving in the direction that the Lord wants for his church and his people. It all makes sense!
And now, we have this amazing blessing of technology that allows us to have almost immediately, in text, what we heard from the mouths of the Prophets. We don’t have to wait a month for printed copy to arrive in a magazine. My hope is that you are already reading this new scripture and feasting upon the words of modern revelation. Apply it to your family. Mark up your Book of Mormon. Remind your friends that you are a member of Christ’s Church during these Latter days.
As always, I send you my love and prayers,
Cindy Erekson
What a blessing to have a living Prophet, who has reminded us that the church of Christ must bear his name. We belong to His church, and it’s important that the world know where to find Him and His true gospel.
Does a Home Centered Church seem new to you? It shouldn’t. We all came from our Heavenly home where we were taught by our Heavenly Parents. We were placed on this earth in families and taught to honor our parents. We’ve been instructed over the years to raise our children up unto the Lord, to teach them right from wrong in our homes, and to counteract the things of the world. We’ve been invited to set aside one night each week for Family Home Evening, and to sit together as families in Sacrament Meeting. We have ALWAYS been a family centered Church, and the wonderful new ‘Come Follow Me’ materials and the extra time on Sunday will help us better fulfill this responsibility.
President Eyring spoke of the woman’s role in nurturing her family and administering to others in need: “As daughters of God, you have an innate and great capacity to sense the needs of others and to love. That, in turn, makes you more susceptible to the whisperings of the Spirit. The Spirit can then guide what you think, what you say, and what you do to nurture people so the Lord may pour knowledge, truth, and courage upon them.”
He went on to say: “ whatever your personal circumstance, you are part--a key part--of the family of God and of your own family, whether in the future, in this world, or in the spirit world. Your trust from God is to nurture as many of His and your family members as you can with your love and your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.”
And then: “You will each find ways to contribute to the outpouring of truth upon your families in the Lord’s restored Church. Each of you will pray, study, and ponder to know what your unique contribution will be. But this I know: each of you, equally yoked with sons of God, will be a major part of a miracle of gospel learning and living that will hasten the gathering of Israel and will prepare God’s family for the glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
What a blessing! I hope you are feeling as excited as I am! There have been lots of changes over the past year; new policies, new curriculums, new changes in responsibilities. But with each new change I have had the confirmation that we are moving in the direction that the Lord wants for his church and his people. It all makes sense!
And now, we have this amazing blessing of technology that allows us to have almost immediately, in text, what we heard from the mouths of the Prophets. We don’t have to wait a month for printed copy to arrive in a magazine. My hope is that you are already reading this new scripture and feasting upon the words of modern revelation. Apply it to your family. Mark up your Book of Mormon. Remind your friends that you are a member of Christ’s Church during these Latter days.
As always, I send you my love and prayers,
Cindy Erekson
Sunday, October 7, 2018
Let The Holy Spirit Guide
In preparation to listen to Conference this weekend, I've spent the past several weeks listening the talks from the April 2018 General Conference again. As I've pondered over the past six months of my life and how the inspiration I received during that last Conference has help guide me these past months, I have felt an anticipation for hearing the messages of this weekend's Conference. One of the messages that sunk deep into my heart was President Nelson's talk Revelation for the Church, Revelation for our Lives. This sentence from that talk grabbed my attention - as I'm sure it did for many others - "In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost."I am grateful to know how to recognize the influence of and impressions from the Holy Ghost in my life. But how did I come to this point and how would I help others who aren't sure if they know how to recognize that influence? That is harder for me to answer because it is such a personal feeling - a feeling that is difficult to describe and a feeling that I know is not exactly replicated between people. We each have the ability to recognize when we are feeling the Holy Ghost speak to our minds and our hearts, but because we are each unique that experience will be similar but not exactly the same for each individual.
I also loved the talk by President Eyring His Spirit to Be with You from the April 2018 Conference. He helps us see the pattern to follow that will allow us to receive the Holy Ghost and recognize that influence in our lives. "More precious than a memory of events is the memory of the Holy Ghost touching our hearts and His continuing affirmation of truth. More precious than seeing with our eyes or remembering words spoken and read is recalling the feelings that accompanied the quiet voice of the Spirit. Rarely I have felt it exactly as the travelers on the road to Emmaus did—as a soft but unmistakable burning in the heart. More often it is a feeling of light and quiet assurance. We have the priceless promise of the Holy Ghost as a companion, and we also have true directions on how to claim that gift. These words are said by the Lord’s authorized servant with his hands on our head: “Receive the Holy Ghost.” At that moment you and I have the assurance He will be sent. But our obligation is to choose to open our hearts to receive the ministration of the Spirit over a lifetime." He continues on from there to lay out the pattern for us to follow.
I actually wasn't planning to publish a post this weekend, but a feeling today of needing to share - an impression of what to share - kept approaching my mind and so I began to write. There in itself is an example of the influence of the Spirit. I could have dismissed the thought, but over my years in trying to invite the Holy Ghost to be my companion, I have found that when I simply follow the impressions - impressions that maybe I don't understand the why of, but that the motivation is good and is accompanied by the gentle persistence of a sometimes urgent but often just insistent feeling - then the action is always accompanied by a feeling of approval. It's Difficult to put into words. I have tried to take as a guide the verses in Moroni 7:13 But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God. 24 And behold, there were divers ways that he did manifest things unto the children of men, which were good; and all things which are good cometh of Christ; And I always recall the words of Sister Camilla E. Kimball “Never suppress a generous thought.” (as quoted by Sister Julie B. Beck, "Relief Society: A Sacred Work" Oct 2009 General Conference)
The two experiences that I felt impressed to share are these:
As I have pondered about Ministering and looked for ways to develop my personal ministry as a disciple of Christ, I have noticed something. I do get impressions regarding those that I have a specific assignment for, but often I have impressions for others within my sphere of influence. I have a young friend who has moved away from the area, but with whom I have kept in touch through messaging apps and social media. On occasion these past few months, I have come across uplifting messages, quotes etc. and have felt a very direct impression to share these with my young friend and I have done so. I don't know much about this friend's day to day life - what struggles they may be having, but I know the Lord does. I will likely never know why I have felt it important to send these messages along, but I trust the Lord to know and I trust that as I continue to follow this pattern that this friend will be blessed. I believe that this trust is at the core of Ministering. We ask the Lord to help us know what He needs us to do and He provides us direction through feelings and thoughts that we receive regarding His children.
I love family history and temple work! I have felt that my involvement in this work is truly part of my personal ministry. I have recently been correcting the way I have attached sources from my research on a Scottish website to FamilySearch. In that process, I have been reviewing families that I worked on a few years ago. Last week as I worked, a Hint for my 1st Cousin 3x Removed, Mary Ross, came up. I opened that Hint and dismissed it rather quickly. But within minutes the insistent thought came to my mind "look at that again". I did and again my response was "there's just not enough here to make the connection.", so I moved on. Again within minutes that insistent thought "look at that again" came back. This time I said "okay if this is her - how would I prove it?" As I began the process of deductive reasoning and mapping things out, I began to find the records that helped me prove she wasn't the mother listed on the record -- BUT -- she was the grandmother! I had no information on her daughter who was listed in the record - didn't even know she existed. In the end of the research process, I had found 6 cousins - NONE of which have had temple ordinances completed for them. I went to bed that night with gratitude in my heart for the insistence of the Spirit, for my own willingness to pay attention and with a definite sense of relief and gratitude from those 6 cousins beyond the veil. They knew I had found them and they know I will see their ordinances are completed.
Going back to President Nelson's statement: "In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost." We live at an amazing time and yet a time when fear, anxiety, doubt and confusion can sweep us along in a fast and unfriendly flood. I think about my children, my grandchildren, all my family and friends and you my sisters in the Stake and I want for them, for you to know that: I know that what President Nelson says is true. I know because in my own hardest days, it has been and always will be the tether to the Holy Ghost that brings me peace, calms my fears, guides me to answers and gives me hope. I offer my testimony that as we seek to do those things which invite the Holy Ghost to be our companion, we will gain confidence in recognizing His influence, in following the impressions we receive and we will be able to understand for ourselves how He speaks to us individually. I chose the picture for this post because it reminds me in a personal way that when we stop to look, we can see the tender mercies of the Lord in the details of our lives and it is through the Holy Ghost that we recognize the Lord's tender mercies and His love.
- Lorie Pierce (Stake RS Secretary)
Written Friday, 5 October 2018 - Published Sunday, 7 October 2018
Sunday, September 30, 2018
Women's General Session of Conference
This coming weekend (Oct 6 & 7) is General Conference and with it comes a significant change to the women's general session. It was announced in October 2017 that beginning in 2018 the Priesthood general session and the women's general session would be held alternating between Spring and Fall on the Saturday evening of General Conference weekend. The women's general session will be on Saturday, Oct 6. It begins at 8pm Eastern Standard Time.
Previously, we as sisters had gathered on the Saturday evening of the weekend prior to General Conference. This change is part of an effort "to reduce and simplify the work of the Church and the demands made upon leaders and members". (See 27 October 2017 announcement) While it was always a pleasure and a blessing to gather as sisters from around the Stake to socialize and view the broadcast together, this change will also bless us in ways we maybe don't yet understand. The updated instruction to us as Stake leaders is that we should not plan activities/events "in conjunction with the women’s session of general conference". We had already felt that there was insufficient time between the sessions of Conference to continue holding events such as we have in the past and so this Handbook instruction verified our thoughts. In the spirit of simplification, we have suggested to ward/branch Relief Society presidencies to encourage their sisters to reach out and invite those they Minister with to view this session of Conference with them in their homes or to join them at the Stake Center.
For sisters who may not be able to watch or listen from their homes - or who prefer to view it away from the distractions of home, the Stake Center will be open and viewing of the women's general session will be available there, both in English and in Spanish. Our Stake Relief Society president, Cindy Erekson and I will both be there.
If you want to watch or listen from home you can access it via the BYU Channel or on lds.org or even in multiple digital options. This link provides a list of all the viewing options for General Conference: Viewing Times and Options. AND at the bottom of that page there are links to Additional Resources - such as ideas to prepare, activities for children, conference notebook for youth, ideas for studying.
We would love to connect with our sisters as part of the women's general session. If you would like to send pictures or comments from your gathering to listen that evening they will be welcomed and used as a follow up blog post. Post them to our Stake Relief Society Facebook group or send them to me at loriepierce.rs@gmail.com.
- Lorie Pierce (Stake RS Secretary)
Previously, we as sisters had gathered on the Saturday evening of the weekend prior to General Conference. This change is part of an effort "to reduce and simplify the work of the Church and the demands made upon leaders and members". (See 27 October 2017 announcement) While it was always a pleasure and a blessing to gather as sisters from around the Stake to socialize and view the broadcast together, this change will also bless us in ways we maybe don't yet understand. The updated instruction to us as Stake leaders is that we should not plan activities/events "in conjunction with the women’s session of general conference". We had already felt that there was insufficient time between the sessions of Conference to continue holding events such as we have in the past and so this Handbook instruction verified our thoughts. In the spirit of simplification, we have suggested to ward/branch Relief Society presidencies to encourage their sisters to reach out and invite those they Minister with to view this session of Conference with them in their homes or to join them at the Stake Center.
For sisters who may not be able to watch or listen from their homes - or who prefer to view it away from the distractions of home, the Stake Center will be open and viewing of the women's general session will be available there, both in English and in Spanish. Our Stake Relief Society president, Cindy Erekson and I will both be there.
If you want to watch or listen from home you can access it via the BYU Channel or on lds.org or even in multiple digital options. This link provides a list of all the viewing options for General Conference: Viewing Times and Options. AND at the bottom of that page there are links to Additional Resources - such as ideas to prepare, activities for children, conference notebook for youth, ideas for studying.
We would love to connect with our sisters as part of the women's general session. If you would like to send pictures or comments from your gathering to listen that evening they will be welcomed and used as a follow up blog post. Post them to our Stake Relief Society Facebook group or send them to me at loriepierce.rs@gmail.com.
- Lorie Pierce (Stake RS Secretary)
Sunday, September 23, 2018
Personal Progress - I stuck it out and did it.
With the upcoming 2020 changes to the programs and resources for girls, boys, young women and young men there is much that is unknown and anticipation for the potential for growth and good that will come from the new initiative for youth ages 8-18. One of the unknowns is how or if the current Personal Progress program for Young Women will look or exist. Our Stake Young Women President, Jennifer Ipsen, is encouraging young women and sisters who are currently engaged in the Personal Progress program to stay engaged and complete the requirements for earning the Young Womanhood Recognition before January 2020 arrives.Sister Ipsen recently shared with me a note that one of our stake sisters, Debra Burt, shared about her experiences in completing her Personal Progress. Sister Ipsen sent it to me with this preface:
Debra Burt recently sent me the following note about her journey to finish her Personal Progress. As I read it, I thought it might be able to help inspire some of the sisters in our Stake to help their daughters finish Personal Progress before the changes occur. I also think it’s a great lesson on setting a goal and striving to finish it no matter how long it takes. Debbie is a great example to me and as a side note - her persistence and experience helped inspire me to recently finish Personal Progress for a second time too. She would check in with me every once in a while to report her progress and so I thought to myself, I want to finish mine too! And I did!
With Sister Burt's permission, I am sharing her experience here:
It took me six years to complete my Personal Progress a second time around. It feels good to say that I've completed it. A lot of good things have come into my life because of pursuing this goal. One of my best experiences was reading and studying PREACH MY GOSPEL while Claralyn and Ben were serving their missions. It really connected me to their mission experiences. The hardest goal to accomplish was memorizing the sacrament prayers. I really found it a challenge to do in my busy life as a teacher. But I figured out a mental game to help me get it down perfectly. Don't ask me now, though, to say them again perfectly without giving me time to practice!
Because of taking so long to complete the value experiences and projects, I felt like a failure, like a person who can never complete anything I start. It just hung over my head saying "You can't finish!" I fought that feeling by continuing to work at it in concentrated chunks. Even though there would be months of nothing done, I would pick it up and work on my goals some more. Once, I lost my Personal Progress book for three months and thought I would have to give up, it being my only record. Then I found it in the church lost and found and started again. This time I used the online app as well as a written record. I'd think I'd finish each summer when I wasn't teaching. I wouldn't finish, but then I would be back at it the following summer. Though it took awhile, I feel so much better about myself to know that I stuck it out and did it.
Last, the value of pursuing this goal was making a record of many spiritual experiences over the years it took to complete. I am grateful to have that, as my journal writing was practically non-existent. Lots happened over the six years including the death of my mother, the two children serving missions, different callings and family history work I was able to do besides some career experiences. So many good reasons for me to have done this.
I asked Sister Ipsen if she had any specifics regarding Personal Progress and the new initiative and what she considered the best resource for young women and sisters completing their Personal Progress. Here is her response:
The best reference for resources is online Personal Progress. You can keep your own journal and no one can see if but you. It links you to all the scriptures mentioned and helps keep track of completed experiences and projects. It’s a great resource! Here’s the link: https://www.lds.org/young-women/personal-progress?lang=eng There is a deadline for when “changes” will take place in the Personal Progress program. It is Jan 1, 2020. They haven’t announced what the changes will be yet. So we are encouraging all our young women to stay actively engaged in Personal Progress in the meantime.
Thank you to both these sisters for sharing their experiences with us. Progress is progress regardless how slowly we are moving. I am reminded of a talk by Elder Larry R. Lawrence "What Lack I Yet?" from October 2015 General Conference. He said, "To Him our direction is more important than our speed." What a very hopeful thought!
For more information on the upcoming changes and the new initiative for youth you can follow these links:
https://www.lds.org/youth/childrenandyouth?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/church/news/church-announces-plan-for-worldwide-initiative-for-children-and-youth?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/ensign/2018/06/initiative-will-bless-children-youth?lang=eng
https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/new-program-children-youth
https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/faith-christ-strengthened-new-children-youth-outdoor-activities
-Lorie Pierce
Sunday, September 16, 2018
Finding my Family
Guest Post by Mary Jean Sokolowsky
edited by Tamela Terry
Like some of you, I didn't start out loving family history. In the ward where I grew up, there was an older woman who would get up every Fast Sunday and bear her testimony on family history. She encouraged people to come to the family history center, but I just thought it was boring and something for older people. As a child, I thought the family history center was a boring place where we had to be quiet and not touch anything. Sometimes on Sundays we had lessons on family history. Teachers would hand out a family tree and tell us to go home and fill it out. I thought to myself, “Why? I already have a family tree. What's the point of filling it out again?” The first time I did baptisms in the Chicago Illinois Temple and we did baptisms for people from Mexico. They were all named Maria. I wondered why I should care about them; I didn't know them. After I moved to Utah to go to college, I went to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City a few times to try and learn about my family. I was afraid to ask for help and so I spent my time looking in the Census Index books, but I did not find my ancestors. I don't even think I was looking for the right people in the right location or time period, because I didn't know what I was doing and I was too shy to ask for help.
I did have some good childhood experiences with family history that helped me to love it. My dad's side of the family is well documented. In fact many of the families have books written about them. I would sit and read family history details to my dad while he typed the information into the computer. In a desk drawer, my parents also had file folders where they stored documents and letters for each ancestral couple. I didn't know at the time what they were, but I remember them being there and that they were important to my parents. I also remember family reunions, meeting family members for the first time, who knew me, even though I didn't know them. Then, as a Laurel in Young Women's, I chose to organize a family reunion for my dad's family. I felt I didn't know his side very well and wanted to learn more about them. All these experiences prepared me for the next stage in my family history journey.
I attended Brigham Young University for college and it took me three times to get into the very competitive nursing program. While waiting, I had two extra semesters in which to take general education classes and some electives like organ, music conducting, extra religion classes. My dad suggested that I take family history so we could find out more about my mom's family who came from Michigan, Missouri, Indiana. In the late 70's and early 80's my mom had written letters to various organizations and archives requesting vital records about her family. She had gone back a few generations, but not much more.
In my class, I learned how to search the US Federal Census with the old index books and Soundex. I learned how to focus on a specific research question and how to identify what records might give me the answer. I learned how to keep a research log. I learned how to use the Family History Library catalog, the old International Genealogical Index (IGI), Personal Ancestral File (PAF), and Temple Ready. This made my subsequent trips to the Family History Library much more successful.
During my time at BYU, I made so much more family history progress! I found my ancestors listed on census records. I found family marriage certificates. I learned that one of my ancestors was the clerk of his church, so all of the church records were in his handwriting! I even made my first leap “across the pond” into England and found my family there. To this day, I remember the first time finding my family in an 1850 US Federal Census book for Indiana. I realized that I could be successful in finding my family and that it was fun. Most importantly, I began realizing that these were real people whose lives and stories mattered. The work had take hold of me.
By the end of that family history class, I had my own family names ready for temple work. Instead of doing temple for strangers, I was doing temple work for relatives whose names and vital information I had found myself. I knew who they were, they were my family members, and I could remember which records I found them on. My temple experiences became much more meaningful and purposeful.
After graduating and moving to Maryland in 1999, my family history work came to a standstill for awhile. The Internet was in its infancy and not really useful yet. Going to the Family History Centers to order films was tedious and very time-consuming. I would wait for weeks to get the film I wanted and by the time it showed up, I had forgotten why I ordered it! So I didn't do a lot of research during this time. However, I loved serving in the temple as an ordinance worker for several years. By this time, the Internet was actually useful and FamilySearch was up and running.
I was home taking care young children by then and I needed something to do besides clean. So I took up my research again and started cleaning up my family and the new.familysearch.org website. This was FamilySearch's first attempt at creating the online family tree. The records weren't even out yet, but bit by bit, people started indexing and now we have a treasure trove of records we don't even have to search for. They automatically come to us.
One of those automatic record hints showed on my second great-grandfather. It suggested he had a second marriage in Iowa, which was strange since his family was in New York. His son had written a book about the family and there was no mention of his father remarrying or having another family. After further digging, I found my second great grandfather did marry a second time, and had children. On findagrave.com, I found a picture of his daughter from that second marriage and I was stunned-she looked just like my grandmother. I also discovered his granddaughter was buried in Bladensburg, Maryland. I recently visited her grave site. She was only four when she died and her parents moved away after she died. All of a sudden my far-away family seemed to be closer.
Now that FamilySearch.org is now an integrated website with Memories, the Family Tree, the Records and Indexing, it's so much easier to find the family history experience you need. You can choose how you want to be involved in your own family and in helping others. You can post pictures and documents to share with others, you can index and make records available to others, you can even do old-fashioned research.
For the last several years, my focus has been in descendancy research for my own and others' families. That means that instead of working back further and further into history, I've begun researching forward from various points on my family tree, investigating the descendants of my ancestors. By finding all the descendants (children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and so on) of one of your ancestral couples, you can identify and connect with distant cousins, locate family documents and photos, share stories, and collaborate on research projects.
Descendancy is a great option for those who feel like all of their main genealogy lines have been found. Unless you are a convert, come from outside the United States, or brand new to family history, most of us have established family trees. This can make it difficult to find family members who still need temple work. I'm here to tell you, it can be done. Descendancy research can help you identify opportunities for temple work. Ask me or your ward family history consultant for help. We can look at your tree before we meet with you and find the areas to work that will give you the experience you want. Family history research can be a rewarding work, no matter what stage of like you're in or how much research is already done on your family.
edited by Tamela Terry
Like some of you, I didn't start out loving family history. In the ward where I grew up, there was an older woman who would get up every Fast Sunday and bear her testimony on family history. She encouraged people to come to the family history center, but I just thought it was boring and something for older people. As a child, I thought the family history center was a boring place where we had to be quiet and not touch anything. Sometimes on Sundays we had lessons on family history. Teachers would hand out a family tree and tell us to go home and fill it out. I thought to myself, “Why? I already have a family tree. What's the point of filling it out again?” The first time I did baptisms in the Chicago Illinois Temple and we did baptisms for people from Mexico. They were all named Maria. I wondered why I should care about them; I didn't know them. After I moved to Utah to go to college, I went to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City a few times to try and learn about my family. I was afraid to ask for help and so I spent my time looking in the Census Index books, but I did not find my ancestors. I don't even think I was looking for the right people in the right location or time period, because I didn't know what I was doing and I was too shy to ask for help.
I did have some good childhood experiences with family history that helped me to love it. My dad's side of the family is well documented. In fact many of the families have books written about them. I would sit and read family history details to my dad while he typed the information into the computer. In a desk drawer, my parents also had file folders where they stored documents and letters for each ancestral couple. I didn't know at the time what they were, but I remember them being there and that they were important to my parents. I also remember family reunions, meeting family members for the first time, who knew me, even though I didn't know them. Then, as a Laurel in Young Women's, I chose to organize a family reunion for my dad's family. I felt I didn't know his side very well and wanted to learn more about them. All these experiences prepared me for the next stage in my family history journey.
I attended Brigham Young University for college and it took me three times to get into the very competitive nursing program. While waiting, I had two extra semesters in which to take general education classes and some electives like organ, music conducting, extra religion classes. My dad suggested that I take family history so we could find out more about my mom's family who came from Michigan, Missouri, Indiana. In the late 70's and early 80's my mom had written letters to various organizations and archives requesting vital records about her family. She had gone back a few generations, but not much more.
In my class, I learned how to search the US Federal Census with the old index books and Soundex. I learned how to focus on a specific research question and how to identify what records might give me the answer. I learned how to keep a research log. I learned how to use the Family History Library catalog, the old International Genealogical Index (IGI), Personal Ancestral File (PAF), and Temple Ready. This made my subsequent trips to the Family History Library much more successful.
During my time at BYU, I made so much more family history progress! I found my ancestors listed on census records. I found family marriage certificates. I learned that one of my ancestors was the clerk of his church, so all of the church records were in his handwriting! I even made my first leap “across the pond” into England and found my family there. To this day, I remember the first time finding my family in an 1850 US Federal Census book for Indiana. I realized that I could be successful in finding my family and that it was fun. Most importantly, I began realizing that these were real people whose lives and stories mattered. The work had take hold of me.
By the end of that family history class, I had my own family names ready for temple work. Instead of doing temple for strangers, I was doing temple work for relatives whose names and vital information I had found myself. I knew who they were, they were my family members, and I could remember which records I found them on. My temple experiences became much more meaningful and purposeful.
After graduating and moving to Maryland in 1999, my family history work came to a standstill for awhile. The Internet was in its infancy and not really useful yet. Going to the Family History Centers to order films was tedious and very time-consuming. I would wait for weeks to get the film I wanted and by the time it showed up, I had forgotten why I ordered it! So I didn't do a lot of research during this time. However, I loved serving in the temple as an ordinance worker for several years. By this time, the Internet was actually useful and FamilySearch was up and running.
I was home taking care young children by then and I needed something to do besides clean. So I took up my research again and started cleaning up my family and the new.familysearch.org website. This was FamilySearch's first attempt at creating the online family tree. The records weren't even out yet, but bit by bit, people started indexing and now we have a treasure trove of records we don't even have to search for. They automatically come to us.
One of those automatic record hints showed on my second great-grandfather. It suggested he had a second marriage in Iowa, which was strange since his family was in New York. His son had written a book about the family and there was no mention of his father remarrying or having another family. After further digging, I found my second great grandfather did marry a second time, and had children. On findagrave.com, I found a picture of his daughter from that second marriage and I was stunned-she looked just like my grandmother. I also discovered his granddaughter was buried in Bladensburg, Maryland. I recently visited her grave site. She was only four when she died and her parents moved away after she died. All of a sudden my far-away family seemed to be closer.
Now that FamilySearch.org is now an integrated website with Memories, the Family Tree, the Records and Indexing, it's so much easier to find the family history experience you need. You can choose how you want to be involved in your own family and in helping others. You can post pictures and documents to share with others, you can index and make records available to others, you can even do old-fashioned research.
For the last several years, my focus has been in descendancy research for my own and others' families. That means that instead of working back further and further into history, I've begun researching forward from various points on my family tree, investigating the descendants of my ancestors. By finding all the descendants (children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and so on) of one of your ancestral couples, you can identify and connect with distant cousins, locate family documents and photos, share stories, and collaborate on research projects.
Descendancy is a great option for those who feel like all of their main genealogy lines have been found. Unless you are a convert, come from outside the United States, or brand new to family history, most of us have established family trees. This can make it difficult to find family members who still need temple work. I'm here to tell you, it can be done. Descendancy research can help you identify opportunities for temple work. Ask me or your ward family history consultant for help. We can look at your tree before we meet with you and find the areas to work that will give you the experience you want. Family history research can be a rewarding work, no matter what stage of like you're in or how much research is already done on your family.
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| Church records in the handwriting of my ancestor Joseph Sweetman Wagoner |
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| My grandmother Jean Waterbury |
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| My great great grandfather's daughter Ruth Annabelle Waterbury |
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| Me at Ruth's daughter's Evelyn's gravesite |
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