Conference Notes October 2010

These are incomplete. But here are some notes I took.

2 October 2010
Saturday Morning Session
Elder Holland
You are individually loved by God and central to His work.
I am trying to be voice for the very angels in heaven for every good thing that you’ve done, in sharing gospel of Jesus Christ.
The kind acts that we do don’t go unnoticed.
“I’ve never been a leader in the church; I guess I’ve only been a helper.” Some leaders will hope that they will attain what you already have.
We need to thank all those who have sacrificed for us. We need to thank parents who have sacrificed for their children to give them things that they never had.
Pledge determination to be better, more faithful, more kind and true, more devoted.
Sister Wisom
At age seven, Joseph Smith intracted Typhoid fever. He trusted his father to hold him during surgery.
Teach our children the Plan of Salvation. Understanding the plan will help them hold on to what is true.
Alma 24—He loveth our souls and He loveth our children.
By holding tight to the Iron Rod, we teach our children the Plan of Salvation.
“We can do it.” “We can read the scriptures daily with our family.” Focus on consistency rather than speed. Daily reading can become consistent and comfortable. Children can learn the language of the scriptures. It’s never too late to begin.
What we want our children to know five years from now needs to become part of our conversations today.
Teach our children the power of prayer. They can learn to exercise faith in times of trouble.
As we teach our children about prayer and scriptures, they will come to know who they are, where they came from, and where they are going.
Soccer team victory tunnel. They victors and the losers were all happily running through the straight path made by those who love them.
Elder Costa
After I read, pondered, and prayed, the Lord gave me the assurance that Joseph Smith was a prophet. I know that all his successors are prophets.
Prophet—a person called by God to speak in His name. It is a great blessing to receive the word the Lord. Amos 3:7. He will reveal his will to us and He will instruct us through His prophets. If we believe in Him, we will follow His prophets and do what He asked us to do. When I accepted baptism into the church, I covenanted to always follow the prophet.
Points made by President Benson
1. The prophet is the only man that speaks for the Lord in everything.
2. The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works.
3. The living prophet is more important to us than the dead prophets.
4. The prophet will never lead the church astray.
5. The prophet doesn’t need to have any special credentials.
The Lord called a young man, Joseph Smith, to lead the Church. He was chosen by the Lord, and He received from the Lord the gifts he needed to do His work.
6. The prophet doesn’t need to say “thus saith the Lord” to be speaking for the Lord.
7. The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know.
8. The prophet is not limited by man’s reasoning.
9. The prophet can receive a revelation on any matter, temporal or spiritual.
10. The prophet may be involved in civic matters.
11. The two groups who have difficulty following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich.
12. The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly.
13. The prophet and his counselors may up the first presidency, the highest quorum in the church.
14. The prophet and the presidency—follow them and be blessed; reject them and suffer.
Testified of true prophet, counselors, and quorum of the twelve.
Elder McConkie
Sunday school
The how of learning
What set your favorite teachers apart from other teachers?
The attitude and spirit that the teacher teaches with is what makes the difference.
Reach into their hearts and help change their lives. To teach the gospel is to share your love of the gospel.
1. Immerse yourself in the scriptures.
Daily habit. Before we can teach the gospel, we must know the gospel.
Make use of the handbook.
2. Apply in your life the things that you learn.
As teachers, our greatest responsibility is to keep the commandments.
3. Seek heaven’s help.
Appeal unto the Lord with all your heart.
Pray for inspiration to give a good lesson and also to meet the needs of all the individuals in your class.
4. Important to exercise agency and act without delay when we receive promptings of the Spirit.
Elder Christofferson
Old film—Man’s search for happiness: Time, freedom to choose how we spend our time. We will have to give an accounting for our choices and how we spent our time. Our eternal reward will be according to our choosing.
Stewardship—Lord’s law of consecration.
Consecrate—set apart; dedicate something as sacred. Dedicate time and choices to God.
Consecrate Life
1. Purity
Repentance, submission
2. Work
Jesus was about His Father’s business; God is about His work to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man; all honest work is the work of God. By work we sustain and enrich life. Hard earned achievement brings satisfaction and a sense of self-worth.
Honest toil gives rest its sweetness. We need wholesome leisure.
3. Respect for one’s physical body.
Each qualified spirit to receive a body and exercise agency in a tabernacle of flesh. We have a duty to God for the care of our bodies. “No you not that your body is a temple?...” As the instrument of our spirit, we should care for our bodies as best we can. “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice
4. Life of service.
Lord washed disciples’ feet. Example—Ye should do as I have done to you. Model of consecration—those who go about quietly doing good. President Monson has developed a listening ear—knows who to help and responds.
5. Integrity
Husband and wife honor marital vows with complete fidelity; care for their children; are honest.
Integrity is not naiveté. We will not take advantage of our brethren and sisters.
President Uchtdorf
Scientists can look at rings on trees and tell things about climate and such many years ago. During good weather, trees grow well. During seasons of drought, etc, they slow down.
The most common cause of turbulence is the sudden change in air pressure. Pilots minimize negative effects of turbulence by reducing their speed. Same principle applies to speed bumps.
Slow down and focus on essentials when we are experiences turbulent times in our lives.
It is rather easy to be busy. We seem to be speeding up even during times of stress and fatigue, and then feel increased frustration. Any virtue taken to an extreme can become a vice.
There is more to live than increasing speed. Focus on things that matter most. Forego some good things to choose others that are better and best.
Astronauts found that they couldn’t use pens in space. Until the space pen was invented, what did they do? They simply used pencils.
Turning our ways to His ways is the beginning of our wisdom.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. (Leonardo De Vinci)
(I lost my voice; this is one of the foundational things I need to have.)
Re-listen to end of talk.
Be still and know that I am God.
2nd most important relationships are with our family.
Family dinner, FHE, having fun together. Love is spelled T-I-M-E. We talked with, rather than about, each other. Establish divine
3rd key relationship is with our fellow man.
Take a little extra time to get to know yourself better. Learn to see yourself as Heavenly Father sees you.
Be wise; return to doctrines of pure waters.
Saturday Afternoon Session
Elder Hales
He sent a letter to a long-time friend concerning gospel principles.
Agency—God given ability to choose and act for ourselves and not be acted upon.
With agency, we can also choose wrong, and so a Savior was provided so that we can repent.
“Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.”
Because those who followed Satan used their agency to follow Satan, they lost their agency. Because we followed Jesus Christ we were allowed to come to earth. If we follow Jesus in this life, we will receive even greater blessings in the next life. We must choose to follow Jesus in order to have eternal life.
When we choose to follow Heavenly Father, our agency is enhanced. When we don’t keep the commandments and follow the Holy Ghost, our progress is thwarted. Actions may limit our freedom.
When he varnished a floor, he chose to begin at the door, and literally painted himself into a corner. We can overcome painted ourselves into a corner through repentance. Obedience to commandments protects our agency.
“Obedience is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”
Come back; come out of the dark corner and into the light, even if you must walk across the wet varnished floor. We can repent. “Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is our Savior.”
Elder Cook
“When the lights go on again all over the world.” (WWII war song) The song represented an optimistic hope that the lights would go on again and freedom would again be on the earth.
Do our bests to preserve light and to protect families. Seek light and truth; black out of our homes the lethal bombs that destroy morality, light, and hope. Be in the world, but not of the world. Do all that we can to make our homes holy places, shelter from evil. Be a source of light in protecting our communities.
Be optimistic. I believe that Light and Truth will be preserved in our times. The majority of people try to be good and honorable. Light of Christ is given to everyone.
Honesty is seen in many good people. People of faith feel accountable to God for being honest.
Treat all of God’s children as brothers and sisters.
Bishop Edgley
Faith is an action word. Choose faith. It is a choice, and it must be sought after and developed.
I don’t know everything. But faith lets me know the things that are the most important for my salvation.
Elder Duncan
Some pioneers didn’t want to stop and settle; they thought they should move on to better land. This valley is the place that God has chosen for his people. We have been kicked out of the kettle and into the fire; we have been kicked out of the fire and unto the floor; and here we will stay.
Salt Lake Valley would be come to be known as a highway to the nations. The valley did blossom and produce. The saints did prosper. The only sure and secure road for protection in this life comes from obeying and trusting the prophet of God. Amos 3:7. (The 14 points that were given in an earlier talk.)
Follow the prophet!
Elder Gong
We love our missionaries. Gospel conversion and temple covenants can help us receive rich blessings in every generation of our forever family.
“Blackberries read in church make green bishops blue.” (Ancient Chinese proverb)
Growing together in love and faithfulness, we can give our children roots and wings.
Understand Bob and me as children to our parents and parents to our children, etc.
The Savior is described as the Father and the Son.
Elder Andersen
Follow Jesus.
Don’t be offended. Offended has a corrosive companion, Ashamed.
Elder Scott
Faith in the Savior is a principle of action and power.
Faith in the future is demonstrated by a couple sealed in the temple.
Faith and character are intimately related.
We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become.
3 October 2010
Sunday Morning Session
President Eyring
Alma 29—O, That I were an angel.
Many of our brothers and sisters in our pre-mortal life rejected our Heavenly Father’s plan. They lacked trust in God. This has persisted since the creation.
Jonah, not only lacked trust, but ran the other way.
Naman lacked trust to bathe in the river.
Peter lost faith as he walked on the water. Beginning to sink, he cried, Lord, save me. Oh, thou of little faith; wherefore didst thou doubt.
Nephi stirs in us a desire to trust in the Lord.
“Be still and know that I am God.”
Joseph Smith’s first vision. “I saw a pillar of light…I saw two Personages…standing above me in the air…This is my Beloved Son. Hear Him.” Heavenly Father loved us enough to send His Son to save us. He called Joseph Smith and many prophets and apostles since to help us on our journey back to him.
President Eyring was able to sell his property to make it possible to pay off his mortgage and to follow the prophet’s counsel.
President Packer
The prophets and apostles have always been shown what to do. When the keys were restored, they provided a way for each worthy man to hold the priesthood. The Family: A Proclamation to the World. “Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God…Children are central to this plan.” Commandment to multiply and replenish the earth. Men are that they might have joy. Lehi taught that man are free to act for themselves and not be acted upon. We can give our agency away, but it cannot be taken from us. “Know ye not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” Satan cannot begat life. He is impotent. Any persuasion to enter any relationship that is not in harmony with the gospel must be wrong. No one is born to have to be gay. God will not suffer any one to be tempted above what he is able to bear. Is it a boy kitty or a girl kitty? “I know how you can tell…You can vote on it.” There are things that we cannot vote on. There are moral and physical laws that cannot be changed. Ballot cannot change what is right or wrong. Regardless of opposition, we will hold to the principles and laws of the gospel. We cannot change, we will not change our moral standards. D&C 82:10.
I God have suffered these things for all that they might not suffer if they repent.
Delete from the mind any unworthy thought. Don’t turn back. If we repent, we can have peace and happiness.
Elder Jensen
He went on a mission trusting in his parents’ testimony, not having one of his own. He prayed and came to know that God and Jesus are real. The unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost.
The Gift of the Holy Ghost is the greatest gift that can be bestowed on man. (President Woodruff)
Holy Ghost is a Comforter, Revelator, Testifier of the Divinity of God the Father and Jesus Christ, Guide, Supernal Teacher.
Similarities in the lives of Lehi and Joseph Smith.
Jesus Christ is the Chief Cornerstone.
Sister Cook
Elder Oaks
We pray directly to our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ. He answers us through the Holy Ghost and in other ways. Personal line of communication allows each one to receive personal witness of truth.
Partake of Sacrament each Sabbath day.
The Priesthood line has necessary intermediaries of Savior, Priesthood leaders, His Church.
The voice of the Lord’s servants is the Voice of the Lord.
The Priesthood line does not supersede the personal line. We need to know for ourselves.
President Monson
Do we sincerely give thanks for the blessings we receive? This makes us realize our blessings and it unlocks the windows of heaven.
To live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven.
Sunday Afternoon Session
25 years ago he addressed his eldest grandson who had just received the Aaronic Priesthood. Now he can address his great-grandson.
Four Lessons from Daniel:
1. Keep body healthy and clean.
John the Baptist conferred Aaronic Priesthood on Joseph and Oliver.
The Church is in good hands with virtuous young men who bear the Aaronic Priesthood.
Parents have the sacred responsibility of teaching their children the sacred responsibility of the Holy Priesthood.
Special gift from the Lord: use it, magnify it, live worthy of it.
Elder Bednar
Baptism by immersion is the introductory ordinance in the gospel and must be followed by baptism of the Spirit to be complete. “Receive the Holy Ghost,” constitute a priesthood injunction. We receive a sacred and on-going responsibility to seek to have the Spirit with us.
1. Sincerely desire the companionship of the Holy Ghost.
2. Invite the Spirit into our lives.
Elder Lawrence
Elder Malm
Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid.

28 Years--Happy Anniversary to Us!

http://tinyurl.com/aewr6kq

My Dear Bobby!

What can I say about the man who asked me to marry him? He's kind; he's loving; he works hard; and he cares about my happiness. He does the dishes when he sees they need to be done; he does loads of laundry when I haven't. He does most of the ironing. He pays all the bills. He takes me out to dinner every Friday night.

I met Bob in the dishroom of the MTC cafeteria. He was the manager of the dishroom, and I worked in desserts. But after everything was out on the lines for the missionaries, I'd help out in the dishroom. That's where it all began.

We joked and visited with eachother and everybody else. It was a fun job. I'd put ice down his back, and he was a good sport about it. (He no longer was a good sport about things like that after we were married.) When I'd knock over a tray of dessert dishes because the old batty ladies always left them hanging over the edges of the counters, Bob would just quietly help clean up the mess while everyone else clapped and cheered. That was cool.

I liked the way he looked in his blue jeans and his white shirt. He had a dishtowel hanging out of his back pocket. He was a nice guy. I was surprised to find out his last name was Stevenson. He got the same question from me that he probably got from everyone else--Is your middle name Louis? (It isn't.)

So, how did we go from visiting at work to being married for 28 years? It was quick and easy. Has it really been 28 years? Because, really, I'm just 29. (Actually, I'll be 49 in October.) There was a preference dance coming up, girl's choice. I hadn't asked anyone. One day when I was sorting silverware with some girl (Bob might remember her name) and Bob, she asked, "So who are you taking to Preference?" I replied, "No one. I'm too shy, and Bob said he wouldn't go with me." Then Bob quickly said, "I'm still available." And so we went out that weekend, but not to the dance.

I took Bob, in my parents' lovely Plymouth Satellite, to a nice German restaurant. I told him that he should try roladin (which is thinly cut steak that has a nice relish and bacon rolled up in it). I would have ordered it for myself, too, but I didn't have enough money to pay for two dishes of roladin, leave a tip, and put gas in the car, too. (Today I might not have had money for anything but the gas.)

At dinner we learned a little about each other. I found out that he was 22. I told him that I was 25, and his eyes nearly popped out. I think he believed it at first, because he thought that I might be a returned sister missionary. But then I told him that I was really only 20.

After that night we saw each other every weekend at first, and then every day. I couldn't learn enough about him quickly enough. I think the thing that impressed me the most was his spirituality. I often was the stronger member of most of my friendships. It was nice to meet someone with a strong testimony and commitment to the Lord. He first read the Book of Mormon on his own when he was 9. I was hooked.

When my Nana was in the hospital, Bob went with me to visit her. He played "Buying a Stairway to Heaven" on my guitar that I never learned how to play. (Years later I let him trade it in on an acoustic that he really wanted.)The first time my parents met Bob, my dad said to my mom, "She is going to marry that boy."

Often I would drive him back to his apartment--he didn't have a car--and we would visit a lot and smooch a little; then I'd say, "Why don't you just drive me home and pick me up in the morning." (I lived in Orem.) So he would drive me to my apartment, and we would visit and smooch a little more.

Once Bob asked me which temple I'd want to be married in. I said Salt Lake, because that's where all my family had gotten married. He said, "You want to wait that long?" It was closed for renevation.

We'd only been dating a couple of months, and I think that Bob wanted to just continue dating in the fall when we both went back to school. I was supposed to go to N. Ireland for two months that summer. That's where my "boyfriend" lived. Well, when Bob asked for an address so that he could write me there, I knew that somehow that wouldn't work. So I told him why I was going and that it wouldn't work for him to write me there.

Next thing I knew, Bob went to the temple to pray about an important decision in his life. Then he asked me to marry him. My response was, "Are you serious?" But, as you can see, it wasn't "no." I fasted and prayed about this decision. And then on a Sunday evening, I parked my car outside the Provo temple and prayed about it there. I was tired and weak and started to fall asleep. All of a sudden, it sounded like a twig snapped. I was awake, and I felt the Spirit sweep over me, and I knew that I should marry Bob.

So I drove to his apartment to let him know. He wanted to call our parents immediatly and let them know as well. My mom's response was close to my initial one, "Are you sure?"

Then I drove with Bob to his parents' home in Huntington Beach for Easter. We drove through the night and arrived early in the morning. The sunrise was beautiful. I was very sleepy when we got there, but Bob's mom was very chatty. When his dad got home from work, a peace fell over the house. His dad was a kind, quiet man with clear blue eyes and a gentle soul. (It runs in the family.)

We spent most of our engagement apart. That was not too fair. That was before Internet and cell phones, and back when long distance phone calls cost a lot. But I still did call him. He called a few times, too, but he was working nights and sleeping days. I did go to visit him for his birthday. That was fun to get to be together for a few days and to get to know his family better. We went to see the movie, Annie.

Then we got married on 27 August 1982. We were married in the Jordan River Temple. That's where our eternity began. We've been a family ever since, and we hope to be forever more. I can't imagine life without Bob. I am so proud of him. He has always tried to do right. He has been a loving husband and father and a wonderful sweetheart. He has been a great dentist and a hard worker whether working for others or himself or for the Lord.

When Bob turned fifty, we went through a mid-life crisis together. That's the way to do it. Bob sold his practice, retiring from private practice, and now he teaches at Western U. I am so proud of him. He is developing Powerpoints, lectures, and courses. He is loving being in academia with other professors, and he is especially loving being with the dental students. I think I'm a better wife than his first go round with dental school. I know he's a better husband. He just keeps getting better and better.

I love you, Bobby Dee.

Love,

Your Heidi Ho

We Need to Break the Apron Strings

It is a sad commentary on the health of our nation when the voice of the people and states' rights have been abolished. No one should feel cause to celebrate just because it seems some agenda that they favor has been served, because it will just as easily serve agenda to which they are opposed. No matter on which side of an issue we stand, we should not celebrate the loss of the voice of American citizens, nor should we favor an all-powerful federal government robbing the states of the rights to which they are entitled.

Yesterday, single-handedly, Judge Vaughn Walker overturned the outcome of Prop 8, which means that he silenced the vote of 7 million people. I don't believe that the constitution was ever meant for private interpretation in such a manner as to support the views of the individul interpreter against the voice of the people or against time tested values.

There are those that would argue that religious commentary has no place in the politics of the United States. Unfortunately, today they may be correct. But at the same time, they are imposing their own religious beliefs on the rest of us. For what is religion, but a set of standards and beliefs to which we adhere? So why should we value the imposition of a set of standards with which we don't agree that is arbitrarily imposed? It seems clear that the voice of the people is needed now more than ever to safeguard the rights and beliefs of the American people as a whole. If we succumb to those who subvert the voters' rights because we think that they have our best interests at heart, we are essentially abdicating our right to vote, which in turn will take away our future freedom to do so. In celebrating the overthrow of the vote of the people and the overthrow of individual states' rights, we are giving up our freedom as people of a republic and telling the politicians and judges of this country that they may make all our decisions for us.

Not so humorously, this is the very reason for which the colonies severed ties with Great Britain. They no longer wanted to be children pestered and guarded by a mother country that served her own needs over and above theirs. And now it looks like we have come full circle and are begging for a monarchy or dictatorship that will tell us all what is the best for us, that will take over our thinking and feedings and provide for our every need. So it would appear that it is high time that we wake up and grow up. It would certainly be a shame if we had to fight for these freedoms all over again.

Notes from It Doesn't Take a Genius

McCutcheon, R. and Lindsey, T. (2006). It Doesn’t Take a Genius: Five Truths to Inspire Success in Every Student. New York: McGraw-Hill.

I am preparing to write a research paper on teaching respect in the classroom. I read an intriguing book yesterday and today. Thank you, Randy and Tommie for sharing your knowledge and experiences with me.

Here are some quotes that I found especially useful:

“The single most important thing in teaching is to set high expectations for the students or, as our authors explain, be their first believer.” (Forward p. viii, Dr. John Sexton, President, New York University)

“A teacher changes the lives of children one child at a time.”
“Tommie and I believe that all children are gifted and, at the same time, at risk.” (Preface p. xiv, Randall McCutcheon)

Teach P’s and Q’s: “Tommie’s students made a point of thanking me after every coaching session.” Preface p. xv, Randall McCutcheon)

Like your job: “Teaching rewards those of us willing to pay the price. Any teacher worth his or her weight in chalk dust or dry eraser pen will tell you the same.”
“What other job allows you to change thousands of lives? I’ve had the incredible privilege of helping kids discover one of the most important mysteries of life: who they are. Identity, sense of self, and self-esteem. These three interrelated ideas can make the difference in the development of a young mind.”
“It is amazing, the transformation that takes place when you encourage students to find their identity.”
“I became a teacher so that I could enable kids to find something within their lives that would assist them in learning their worth in society, and in life.”
“The voice is a window on the soul.” (Introduction p xviii, Tommie Lindsey)

“My appearance affected my self-esteem as well as how I performed as a student.”
“The fact that my clothing was tattered was a devastating barrier to my ability to learn.”
“Take away the barriers to learning, and an awakening will occur.”
“If you help students remove or face the obstacles in their lives, they will soar.” (Introduction p xix, Tommie Lindsey)
“I’m here to make a difference.”
“I know, deep in my heart and soul, that I was meant for this life. A teacher is born to teach.” (Introduction p xx, Tommie Lindsey)
Believe in yourself. Believe in each student. “You cannot teach effectively if you do not first believe in yourself. Morever, you must then believe in the potential of each child. A child must feel “needed in this world.” (p.2, Randall McCutcheon)

“The poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti was right: the world is not always a ‘beautiful place to be born into.’ As parents and teachers, we must change that world. One child at a time.” (p.3, Randall McCutcheon)
“The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less that you settled for.” (Maureen Dowd, p. 7, Tommie)
“It takes not only love and determination but also belief to reach all students.” (p. 8, Tommie Lindsey)

“Those of us who came to Mr. Lindsey, to the team, overflowing with love, confidence, hope, and discipline, worked with him to fill up our teammates who came with insufficient supplies of those critical components of success.” (p. 11, Miriam Nalamunsi, Tommie’s student)

“A well-informed teacher who doesn’t resort to scare tactics or needless exaggeration.”
“Reality teaching…is about telling students the truth.”
Build relationships of trust: “Students need to see you as a real person and not just someone playing the role of teacher. Personal revelations bring people closer together. Trust is built.” (p. 14, Randall McCutcheon)

Use criticism constructively. (p. 16)

“He was ashamed that he was imitating someone different than he.” (p. 17, Yasmin Mashhoon, Randy’s student)

“The right professor can change the life of a child.” (p. 21, Randall McCutcheon)

“Thirty years ago, when I was still young, the three most important institutions for promoting good—the home, the school, and the churches—all had a major responsibility. The home was to set the parameters. The church was to establish ethics. The schools were to teach.”
“The responsibility of setting parameters, then, is now on us as teachers. In other words, we’ve become the patchers of human soulds.” (pp. 23, 24, Tommie Lindsey)

Build confidence.
Validate each student: “The patch that she needed for her spirit was validation—something to sustain her until she could move to the next stage of her life.” (p. 25, Tommie Lindsey)

Shy guys: “The painfully shy need immediate attention. Painfully shy students usually are excessively self-conscious.” (p. 30, Randall McCutcheon)

1. Create a supportive classroom environment.
2. Teach in small steps when possible.
3. Provide blueprints to help students know what is expected.
4. Have former speech class students provide demonstrations to increase belief in oneself.
5. Give students time to think. (pp. 30, 31, Randall McCutcheon)

“All of the students who walk into my classroom have improbable dreams. For them, the odds must seem overwhelmingly against them. My job is to change the odds.” (p. 36, Tommie Lindsey)

“Students must learn that honesty often comes with a price to pay.” (p. 41, Randy McCutcheon)

Be a teacher that safeguards individuality and self-worth. “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” (Mark Twain, p. 42)

“It turns out that he did think my idea was brilliant, and, because of this, I began to thin my idea was brilliant.” ( p. 45, Chris Marianetti, Randy’s student)

“When teachers expect students to do well and demonstrate intellectual growth, they do; when teachers do not have these expectations, performance and growth suffer.”
“Rosenthal found significant spurts in intellectual growth in elementary-age students when more was expected of them. Students who were expected to succeed at a higher level demonstrated marked improvement. Students in the control group fell behind.” (p. 48, Randall McCutcheon)

“The self-refilling prophecy is a term I coined to describe what students should say to themselves to struggle out of their cocoons successfully.” (pp. 48, 49, Randall McCutcheon)

You are safe with me: “I always believed that it is the responsibility of teachers to provide an environment that is safe for kids. That safety means not only physical safety but also the safety necessary to promote learning. Students should feel safe from one another and feel that they can express their views without fear of ridicule or being ostracized.”
“When students find the classroom to be a safe environment, they express their beliefs and feelings freely.” (p 53, Tommie Lindsey)

“When students are allowed to open up and become themselves, they are able to build the self-esteem that some …students never attain.” (p. 54, Tommie Lindsey)
“A person’s worth is the value of his ability to do good for others.” (p. 54, Nicholas Parrilla, Tommie’s student)

“If you want people to take you seriously, then you must take yourself seriously.” (p. 58, Randall McCutcheon)

“Success in life shouldn’t be about getting satisfaction—it should be about earning it.” (p. 61, Randall McCutcheon)

“Our efforts at improving self-esteem have not increased academic progress. Clearly, we want students to believe in themselves. What we don’t want is the indiscriminate promoting of self-esteem in students just for being themselves.” (p 62, Randall McCutcheon)

Work is for everyone, every day. This brings self-esteem and self-respect.
“Teaching students that working hard pays off is what we should do. We must lead, not mislead.”
“A sense of humor helps.”
“Can we ever change our society’s obsession with being number one? Probably not. But we can try, one student at a time.” (p. 63, Randall McCutcheon)

“You have to be willing to fail to succedd. And it’s helpful to pull out a big goofy smie from time to time.” (p. 65, Jason Wesbecher, Randy’s student)

“While kids must be academically responsible, more important, they are encouraged to believe in themselves.”
“It is imperative that they carry themselves in a way that is respectful. The old adage is that the first impression is the lasting impression.” (p. 68, Tommie Lindsey)

“In a world that is fiercely competitive, I teach my students that the first impression is so poignantly important because, oftentimes, they don’t get a second chance.” (p. 69, Tommie Lindsey)

“Being a winner is not only about being ready for the moment but being poised and composed throught the entire process.” (p. 70, Steve Kuo, Tommie’s student)

“Even though being a classy person does not revolve around being a well-dressed person, it helps. I always found that whenever I wore my suit, I could take on the world. The very apprearnace of a high school student dressed up like a lawyer, politician, or news anchor creates an image of prestige and class within not only the judge’s mind but your own. It provides confidence coupled with a degree of maturity that one doesn’t get wearing a T-shirt and sweats.” (p. 72 Aman Grewal, Tommie’s student)

“Once in a lifetime does a student come across a teacher who recognizes the specific potential in each of his or her students by making a concerted effort to get to know the student as an individual and not a statistic, race, or gender.” (p. 74 Kendal Slocum, Tommie’s student)

Will you be that teacher?
“Thoreau, as you may remember, advised, ‘Aim above morality. Be not simply good. Be good for something.” (p. 75, Randall McCutcheon)

Help students recognize their inner voice: “A true transcendentalist trusts his or her inner voice.”
“I don’t need to outline a long list of rules for students to rebel against. They know the difference between right and wrong.”
“We operate on the same rule that my grandma used with me: Don’t do anything that would disappoint me.” (p. 76, Randall McCutcheon)

Respect is #1 Rule

“When my teachers and classmates respected me for carrying myself with class and dignity unlike some of my friends, I understood what Mr. Linsey was talking about…there is always someone watching, waiting for you to mess up, so you must always aim higher.” (p. 77, Di’Jonn Grizzell, Tommie’s student)

“It was merely who he was—a person who elevates the world by believ8ing in its young people, sharing himself with each of us and then daring us to be great.” (p. 78, Joseph Riley Whitfield, Jr., Tommie’s student)

“Randy was teaching me that while it would be great to win the tournament, and maybe I would (I didn’t), we were really there to have fun.” (p. 81 Chris Dusseault, Randy’s student)

The process of learning can be even greater than a one-time win.
“There are many times when the best thing I can do is make people smile. Make people relax. Make people laugh. Restore their perspective. I honestly believe that doin so enables us all to work harder, focus better, and win. Plus it’s a heck of a lot more fun.” (p. 82 Chris Dusseault, Randy’s student)

Teach common sense. (p. 84, Tommie Lindsey)

“When someone take the time to listen and to reach out, it is my responsibility to make sure that I have the common sense to appreciate what they do and then pass it on to others.” (p. 85, Tafari Walston, Tommie’s student)

“She stated, ‘I’m not leaving this program. I have a right to be on this team.’ In what I believed to be a very calm manner, I let her know that no one has that right. It is a privilege to participate in the program.” (p. 92, Tommie Lindsey)

“There is nothing wrong with being different as long as a person can remain tasteful, generous, disciplined, and good-hearted. People get better responses from other people when they search for the sincerity…I made a point to be much nicer to him and embrace him as a teammate—and I got a better response from him. The more he noticed my kinder approach to him, the more he engaged in conversation with me. I finally got the response that I wanted from Bonan. All because I respected him, and he, in turn, respected me.” (p. 93, Nicholas Parrilla, Tommie’s student)

“No one provided service…2001.” (p. 98, Cherie Johnson, Tommie’s student)

“If a teacher is effective, class will never be dismissed for a student.” (98)

“Classy people are those who determine their own human worth and express that worth through every action.” (pp. 98, 99, Paul Baldo, Tommie’s student)

“Determining one’s worth is vital to living a classy life.” (100)
“Through Mr. Lindsey’s example, I have been able to live a classy life. I can admit when I am wrong, but I can also stall tall with my head up and confront someone whey they are incorrect. For me, Mr. Lindsey’s class is never dismissed because I am always confronted by situations that require looking back at the
lessons learned in Room 408 for guidance.” (p. 100, Paul Baldo, Tommie’s student)

“Mr. Lindsey taught us that you have to just educate people, but without being rude or lashing out.” (p. 101, Kelly Metters, Tommie’s student)

“His repetitive mantras, ‘conduct yourselves as champions’, ‘with class,’ and ‘educate people,’ began to sink in.” (p. 102, Kelly Metters, Tommie’s student)
Teachers must be nurturers. “The spirit blooms where it is nurtured.” (p. 103, Tommie Lindsey)

“All students face heartbreaks…Each student must choose to face the world with ‘glints of courage and laughter.’” (p. 104, Tommie Lindsey)

“Life is not a matter of winning or losing, or how long or short you have on this planet, or how rich or poor you are. Life is about finding your passion.” (p. 105, Eric Fogel, Tommie’s student)

“Students must learn that humility is a virtue. I try to help them understand that (1) they should do the best they can without the need for recognition and (2) they must treat everyone with respect.” (p. 110, Randall McCutcheon)

“Pride makes us artificial and humility makes us real.” (Thomas Merton, p. 112)

“The reason for the lasting popularity of 60 Minutes was the show’s success in ‘making interesting what is important.’” (p. 116, Randall McCutcheon)

“Understanding words frees the mind of a child from ignorance.” (pp. 119, 120, Tommie Lindsey)

“Communication does matter.” (p. 120, Tommie Lindsey)

“Are words more powerful than a gun? Without a doubt! Words can destroy a dream, murder an imagination, and devour a future. Used properly, and fueled by an honest and compassionate heart, words can inspire greatness beyond measure.”
“I have place a very high standard on the words I choose.”
“The words I selct have the power to make someone’s day brighter, to solve someone’s problem, or to change someone’s life. Such awesome ability to affect others is far too important to take cavalierly.” (p. 121, Sam Ransom, Tommie’s student)

Speak gently
“Booker T. Washington wrote, ‘Through the power of words and actions, we make people stronger or weaker. We lift people up, or we drag them down.’ My hope is that all of my students were at some time lifted.” (p. 122, Tommie Lindsey)

“All teachers have weaknesses: unfamiliarity with certain parts of the curriculum, the inability to relate to certain personality types, not wanting to carefully correct papers. Even great teachers have the not-so-great moments. The key to overcoming these shortcomings is to find your ‘Bob.” Someone you can bring into the classroom to do what you don’t do so well..Whatever it takes to help students maximize their potential, though, is what has to be done.” (p. 128, Randall McCutcheon)

“I believe that many students miss out on the joy of reading because they stop hearing voices. As they grow older, they no longer allow themselves to imagine a unique speaking voice for each character in a book.” (p. 131, Randall McCutcheon)

“If we fail to teach students how to interpret literature orally, then we are taking away much of the fun of reading.” (p. 132, Randall McCutcheon)

“To me, epiphanies are moments of clarity. When you suddenly notice your vision has sharpened; everything and everyone is a clear crisp image. You know that where you are at that moment is where you are supposed to be.”
“Randy didn’t let anyone laugh.”
“His sincerity and praise gave me permission to think I was capable and talented, that I had something worth sharing.” (p. 135, Lanna Joffrey, Randy’s student)

“The way a person speaks in public is intimately tied to one’s self-image and self-confidence.” (p. 138, Tommie Lindsey)

“Self-expression is about more than simple persuasion. Healthy self-expression requires trust and respect. Trust and respect are earned by what we do.” (p. 139, Tommie Lindsey)

“Epiphanies—those singular moements of clarity when by some divine intervention, it all makes sense.” (p. 141, Paresh Kakan, Tommie’s student)

The I-Get-So Bored Address
(with apologies to one of our tallest presidents)

Nobody kept score and many cheers ago, our poor teachers brought forth the concept, conceived in mediocrity, that all students are created equal and therefore need only be “equally creative.”

Now we are engaged in a back-to-basics bedlam. We have made our bedlam, but it is the students who must lie in it. Therefore, it is altogether fitting and proper that we should stop lying.

But in a larger sense, we can no longer demonstrate, we can no longer educate, we can no longer create in the classroom. The brave minds, dead and dying, who struggled there, may never create, but they can add and subtract. True, the world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but generations of students will be forced to memorize it verbatim and pass a true-false test.

And so it is rather for us the thinking to abhor the dead minds and spreading behinds with our last full measure of revulsion; that we here highly resolve that there mus be a new birth of free thinking, and that the creativity of the students, by the students and for the students, shall not perish from education. (P. 144, Tommie Lindsey)

“I discovered the true meaning of glossophobia. Real fear will make you gloss over anything.” (p. 146, Randall McCutcheon)

“No student should leave high school without overcoming the fear of public speaking. Furthermore, each student should learn how to present ideas in a clear and meaningful way. To reach this goal, teachers need to design numerous lesson plans that require oral presentations. Meaningful feedback is a must.”
“[Charles] Osgood said, ‘Have you ever been driving at night and come upon a deer frozen in the beam of your headlights? Here’s my theory. The deer thinks the lights are spotlights, and what has it paralyzed is stage fright. It imagines the worst. It has to give a speech.’” (p. 148, Randall McCutcheon)

“There are two things the average person can do. The first is to make an instant joke. In other words, the spoit-second you are aware of your anxiety, you should say a one-liner (to yourself) and then quickly refocus your attention on the subject of your speech…The second thing for never speakers to try is grinning. For most people, smiling confindently and being nervous are incompatible physiological responses…smiling when confronting the systems of fear is immediately calming.” (pp. 150, 151, Randall McCutcheon)

“One of the most important lessons for students to learn is to ask an expert. Experts provide the focus and direction necessary to launch any project.” (p.154, Randall McCutcheon)

Help students make their own choices. (p. 159)

“The winning combination in persuasive communication should be an honest, positive message, hard work, and caring for your audience—in short, being a good person speaking well.” (p. 163, Randall McCutcheon)

Teach love of reading. “Students who do not read do not develop their reading skills. Frustrated by their inability to learn, these students read less and less.” (p. 168, Randall McCutcheon)

Look up the following poetry books: “Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s ‘The World is a Beautiful place,’ Sharon Olds’s ‘Topography,’ Leonard Cohen’s ‘The Music Crept by Us,’ and E.E. Cumming’s ‘nobody loses all the time’.” (p. 171, Randall McCutcheon)
How do I make my students feel? (p. 173)

“The ‘authenticating-words’ role that actions play makes actions more important than words.”
“Words require actions for authentication, not the other way around, once again establishing that actions truly speak louder than words.” P. 174, Tommie Lindsey)
“individuals are judged before anything comes out of their mouths. Therefore, it is important to look confident.” (p. 175, Tommie Lindsey)

“In seeking success, students sometimes get in their own way. They don’t tacle opportunities without a nudge in the right direction. These students have need developed the work ethic they need to succeed.” (p. 180, Randall McCutcheon)
“Successful writers find a way—a way that works for them.” (p. 181, Randall McCutcheon)

“Teachers must help students develop a strong work ethic. A work ethic that allows each student to achieve his or her dreams.” (p. 182, Randall McCutcheon)
“The first step, though, is to solve the mystery of each child’s giftedness.” (p. 184, Randall McCutcheon)

“There is something that is much more scarce, something finer far, something rarer than ability. It is the ability to recognize ability.” (Elbert Hubbard, p. 184)
“We all need to understand what we are striving for as teachers, with love in our hearts. Students need to prepare themselves by working hard enough to make success possible. Perfect is the goal.” (p. 185, Randall McCutcheon)

“One of the joys of teaching students from diverse backgrounds is that I hae come to know many types of cultural experiences, foods, and customs—experiences I would never have known otherwise. Each student has something to contribute to my teaching. In addition to becoming aware of their diversity, I meet students with different skill levels.” (pp. 189, 190, Tommie Lindsey)

“The lessons that children must learn to get into the school of their choice should start as soon as possible.” (p. 190, Andrew Fong, Tommie Lindsey’s student)
Status. “Grades and test scores matter only because they serve as a measure of how hard a person is willing to work academically. The important thing is the work, not some silly letter or number that no one will remember in a few years’ time.”
“A strong work ethic, general honesty, and all those other things associated with one’s character matter far more than any test or score.” (p. 191, Andrew Fong, Tommie Lindsey’s student)

“My respect for authority and teaching began to dwindle. The main reason was because no one really cared about me as a person.” (p. 193, Yiuven Chang, Tommie Lindsey’s student)

“I explained to him that a couple of teachers had completely embarrassed me in class. One thought that I was taking over the class with my questions, and the other was a teached who yelled at me in front of the class because I came in from the bathroom late.” (p. 194. Yiuven Chang, Tommie Lindsey’s student)

“If you do not procrastinate or take shortcuts, you will excel.”
“A strong work ethic builds character and allows you to deal with the unexpected.” (p. 199, Jean Kuei, Tommie Lindsey’s student)

“We were actually learning the rhythm of a strong work ethic—one that could only yield fruitful results with discipline, time, focus, and constant practice.” (p. 200, Jamie Walker, Tommie Lindsey’s student)

“Make everything that you do and every place you enter to speak a holy place. Always leave that space more holy than when you first came.” (p. 201, Jamie Walker, Tommie Lindsey’s student)

“There are no shortcuts in life. You have to take your time to get the job done well to get the best results. You may stumble, you may fall, but you have to pick yourself up and move forward in order to continue the journey.” (p. 203, Tommie Lindsey)

“People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, they make them.” (George Bernard Shaw, p. 205)

“He eliminated the burden of excuses.” (p. 206, Paul Baldo, Tommie Lindsey’s student)
“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” (Napoleon Bonaparte, p. 207)

Respect. “I feel that it is very important for me to command, rather than demand, respect in the classroom. On the other hand, I always make certain that students leave on a positive note after any scolding. That can be the beginning of unmaking mistakes.” (p. 208, Tommie Lindsey)
Reproving betimes with sharpness…..

“Experience is simply the name we give our own mistakes.” (p. 210, Oscar Wilde)

“Students should never be treated as if they are stupid. The teacher’s challenge is to help them ‘get smart just in time.’ Working smart is really about making good choices.” (p. 213, Randall McCutcheon)

“Each choice made is limiting in its consequences….too many students are force to specialize too soon. The education of a child should be a sampling process. If passion for a particular activity develops along the way, honor that. But gently prod the child to pursue other possibilities at the same time. Another possibility, after all, might be the smarter choice.” (p. 214, Randall McCutcheon)

“Working smart—for most people—requires a plan.” (p. 215, Randall McCutcheon)

“Randy’s lesson became crystal clear: know the task at hand. Choose a strategy that allows you to complete that task. Then execute. In short, work smart. Let the sheep live.” (p. 218, David Ball, Randall McCutcheon’s student)

Family History. “In his book You Don’t Look 35,Charlie Brown!, Schultz shared what he said: ‘I am not one to give advice and always hesitated to do so with my own children, but tonight I am going to give some advice that is very important.’ He then told them to go home and begin asking their parents about their pasts. ‘Don’t stop until you have learned something about your father’s first job or you mother’s early dreams. It will take energy, but it will be infinitely worthwhile, and it must be done now. It must be done before it is too late.’” (p. 222, Randall McCutcheon)
Learn to listen. Teach how to listen. “Are we hard of hearing or hard of listening?” (p. 222, Randall McCutcheon)

“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” (Helen Keller, p. 225)

“When people are there to support you and provide comfort, it is your duty to do the same and hold these people near.” P. 227, Frederick Pugh III, Randall McCutcheon’s student)

“I would remind them of E.L. Doctorow’s advice: ‘good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader—not the fact that it’s raining but the feeling of being rained upon.’” (p. 229, Randall McCutcheon)

When Randy’s grandmother remembered something of the devastation her husband told her of at Hiroshima, she said, “The steel girders were broken as easily as matchsticks.” Randy “had the first image needed to write a poem.” When his grandmother “recalled that Roosevelt died the day [his] father sailed,” he then “had the title for the poem.” (p. 230, Randall McCutcheon)

“Life is not as simple as it once seemed.” (p. 233, Randall McCutcheon)
“Students soon learn that success exacts a price. You can’t simple wander the halls like some meander-thal.” (p. 234, Randall McCutcheon)

“If love is the answer, could you rephrase the question?” (Lily Tomlin, p. 235)
“My grandfather was not a work-a-holic but a work-a-philic. He loved to work, and he shared that love.” (p. 236 Kate Van Devender, Randy’s student)

“But how do you get people to love what they do?....it’s simply a matter of creating an environment in which students are given permission to chuckle or chortle or even cackle. And, it turns out, it’s good for you.” (p. 236, Randall McCutcheon)
“Students must learn that the love they have for what they do should not be at the expense of others. Passion without compassion is meaningless.” (p. 239, Randall McCutcheon)

Life’s most urgent question is, what are you doing for others?” (Martin Luther King, Jr., p. 239)

“How many times does the first snow of the season fall? How many times does the sun rise during your lifetime? How many times do you hug someone and feel as if nothing is wrong with the world? There are a thousand miracles a day—a multitude of things that happen without us paying them much thought, but every once in a while, we stop and go, ‘Wow, that was amazing.’ Or at least I hope we do.” (p. 241, Andrew Fong, Randy’s student)

“Choices do matter. Students need to understand the power of association. A teacher can structure assignments of activities to make good things happen in groups. Students must be led to the realization that they want to be around people they respect. People they want to be like.” (p. 244, Randall McCutcheon)
“He was like a father to me, through the thick and thin, and for that, I loved him as if I were his son.” (p. 244, Mark Woodhead, Tommie’s student)
“Life is to be fortified by many friendships. To love and be loved is the greatest happiness of existence.” (Walter Wincell, p. 256)

“Knowing someone believes in you is a powerful thing.” (p. 248, Victor Maog, Tommie’s student)

“You specialize in something until one day you find it is specializing in you.” (Arthur Miller, p. 249)

“If we help them to understand…the need for purposeful effort, then remarkable growth is possible.) (p. 250 Randall McCutcheon)

“Winning with your mind is like elevating your soul.” (p. 250, Tom Woodhead, Tommie Lindsey’s student)

“Debate fostered a litany of other attributes in me, including but not limited to research ability, writing skills, and knowledge of current events, philosophy, politics, economics, sociology, and history.” (p. 251, Tom Woodhead, Tommie Lindsey’s student)

We cannot be everything to everybody. An “Everyman [is] someone who sacrifices everything to be well liked.” (p. 251, Randall McCutcheon)

“Too many mentors are really tormentors.” (Eric Liu, p. 255)
Don’t be a tormentor or a dementor; be a mentor.

“Each mentor had succeeded, in no small part, because they, too, had had a successful mentor. And I was reminded again that mentors begat mentors.” (p. 256, Randall McCutcheon)

Five characteristic of successful mentors (Eric Liu—Guiding Lights: The People Who Lead Us Toward Our Purpose in Life) are outlined on page 256.

1st Life-changing teachers receive before they transmit
2nd Unblock and unlock their students
3rd Zoom in and out—break down the subject—make connections
4th Know how to avoid direct instruction
5th Know when to switch shoes, putting learner in role of teacher.
“The autodidact finds a way, any way, that works for each individual student.” (p. 258, Randall McCutcheon)


“I’d rather learn from one bird how to sing than teach ten thousand starts how not to dance.” (E.E. Cummings, p. 259)

“I must follow the people. Am I not their leader?” (Benjamin Disraeli, p. 261)
Effective followers:
1. Self-directed. Think for themselves
2. Committed. Committed to what is best for class.
3. Competent. High standards.
4. Courageous. Keep fellow students honest. (p. 262, Randall McCutcheon)

“I do not act abnormally to earn respect. I take the hand I have been dealt, and I stick with the strategy that feels right. I try to get good grades, accept leadership responsibilities on the forensics team, and act respectfully because I feel those things are important.” (p. 264, Michael Joshi, Tommie’s student)
“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.” (William Shakespeare, p. 265)

“Parents and teachers must be role models in risk taking. Supportive when things don’t work out.” (p. 266, Randall McCutcheon)

“The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn and feel and change and grow and love and live.” (Leo. F. Buscaglia, p. 266)

“That which we persist in doing becomes easier—not that the nature of the task has changed, but our ability to do so has increased.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson, p. 269)

“Helen Keller was right when she said, ‘Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.’” (p. 271, LeVar Eady, Tommie’s student)

“Too often we waste more energy agonizing under the fear of failure than it takes to just step up to the plate. We need to take deep breaths, project confidence, and when we can, enjoy ourselves.” (p. 274, Reah Johnson, Randy’s student)

“You must learn to believe in yourself. As a teacher. As a parent. Then you must pass that belief on. One child at a time.” (p. 270, Randall McCutcheon)

“Obscenity in education, it seems, has taken on additional meaning. In fact, we now have a fourth R: rudeness. Disrespect is rampant in most public schools. Some teachers spend half of each class period disciplining unruly children.” (p. 270 Randall McCutcheon)

“You don’t have to be a genius to be a successful teacher. That’s what our book is about. Hope for all teachers. And what you can do to make success a reality for every student. But it helps if you are a bit crazy. Crazy enough to care more about children than you do about yourself.” (p. 280, Randall McCutcheon)

The Atonement is a Trust Fund

The Lord set up a trust fund for all of us when He atoned for our sins. If you set up a trust fund for your child, he can collect those funds when he is 18 or 25 as the case may be. But he will have to prove that he is who he says he is. The Atonement is like a trust fund. It is set up for us to use in order to receive a remission of our sins, but we have to prove who we are, that we are sons and daughters of Jesus in order to have access to those funds or to His forgiveness, His redeeming blood. Why not? He suffered greatly to set up that fund. So we have access to that fund through the first principles and ordinances of the gospel, and through continued allegiance to him as our Father, since we took His name upon us. Then if we are faithful to the trust and rely on His atonement throughout our lives, we are promised that we will gain all that our Father has. God has a right to set conditions on this trust fund. If you gave your only Son as a Scapegoat for all of humanity, you would place conditions upon it as well. But that doesn't make His love conditional; it just makes it so that He does not force us to love Him. He gives us the choice.

My Quotes of the Day

5/30/10
The workings of the Infinite are not subject to the limitations of the finite mind.

As long as we are watching ourselves, there will be less time to be annoyed with the mistakes others our making.

Brian's Funeral Day

Brain's funeral was wonderful. He was a fine young man. I'm certain that he was happily received in loving arms in heaven when he was released from loving arms here on earth. It was so good to see so many Highland 1st Ward friends. I'm glad that we all got to do some of our growing up with Brian and his family. I was impressed to think about that group of young boys and how they all are sensitive, caring, loving and gentle souls. This includes Brian, Mark, Tommy, Ethan, and Kevin. As our lives were touched and enriched by Brian, it's a neat thought to think that he will in turn touch and enrich lives of those beyond the veil with his own gifts and with the memory he carries of us.

Thoughts about life and death this week.

My Uncle Helmut died this past Tuesday; I just found out that Sharon Willis's son Brian died yesterday (Friday). He was only 20 or 21, but he has had multiple health problems for a long time. I wrote a little note to Sharon and I posted Eric Clapton singing "Tears in Heaven" to dedicate to Brian. This made me think of my own son who only lived for two and a half hours. I wrote the following lullaby to sing at his graveside. It has been a comfort to me to have this song.

Robby is our angel child
Robby is our love
Robby is our angel child
Sent from heaven above
To lift our hearts and thoughts and goals
And dreams to reach the sky
Robby is our angel child
Robby lullaby
Sweet Robby lullaby

May God's peace be with us as we deal with the death of our loved ones. May his peace be with us as we deal with the daily struggles in life so that one day we may return to live with Him and all of our loved ones who passed on before.

I look forward to the day when Jesus will dry all of our tears away. But for now, I'm thankful for my tears...They help me remember all the love. I certainly do anticipate getting to now my son Robby. I certainly do miss my dear brother Ed. I miss my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends. But all these people remind me of how great life is and I'm thankful to be able to continue to share so many experiences with those friends and family who have been left behind. One day we will be taken, too. What a grand reunion that will be.

Auf Wiedersehen, Helmut Radtke

Uncle Helmut passed away two days ago. May 18, 2010. I was on facebook today, and there was a link to a site that will post his service information. Guests could write memories. This is what I wrote:

Uncle Helmut was always fun to be around. His humor and wit were amazing. He was well read and self taught in many things, and his knowledge and understanding were vast. He was courteous and sensitive to the beliefs of others. He taught his three sons to be respectful as well. Many will remember him for his remarkable sense of humor. He spiced up life with it. But he was also a deep thinker and often reflective. He was a wonderful story teller.

Aunt Heidi was truly a giving woman. She loved to cook and do crafts. She blessed the lives of everyone with her good food, and her artistic talents. She fed our souls as well with her firm faith and her dedication to her church and her family. She loved Helmut, Dennis, Norbert, and Stanley, and their families more than anything. I am certain that she is happy to have Helmut back with her again.

When I was engaged, Aunt Hedi gave me $50 to help me buy a plane ticket to go visit Bob. She told me not to tell Uncle Helmut, that he could give us another wedding present.

When young Michael went to visit Uncle Helmut a few years back, he had no concept of how large California is. Michael convinced Uncle Helmut that they should come visit us in Highland, California. So they drove one day, spent the evening with us, and drove back the next morning.

Truly remarkable people. I will be happy to meet them again.

"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"

I finished reading I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou last night. It is a wonderful book. You can't help but fall in love with the girl Maya. This book was written with a strong and gentle voice. Maya's determined soul certainly propelled her to greater heights than probably even she expected.

You walk with Maya through the tragedies and triumphs of her childhood. She was moved around much, but Momma (her grandmother) gave her a strong anchor. She learned from all the adults in her life, and despite their shortcomings, she seemed to see the good in everyone.

She recounts her experiences how they happened. Even the things that we might not want to see are shown candidly. The innocence of a child is what is seen--a child that does not have a vacuum existence.

Thanks for a great read.

National Day of Prayer

After a Facebook conversation with Patty Sprunt I decided to invite friends to an event: National Day of Prayer. Here are some of the notes and correspondences.

EVERYONE who believes in the power of prayer and who loves the United States of America, please join us on May 6 as a special day of prayer for our country. Begin your morning with a prayer of thanksgiving for all of our abundant blessing and ask our Heavenly Father to bless our country. Keep this prayer in your heart all day long. Plan a specific time when you can join with family and friends to offer up a prayer together. At the close of the day, pray again that our Father will bless our country and that we can join hands as brothers and sisters in freedom and truth. God bless America.

Heidi Sommerfeld Stevenson I will be attending this event.
Teresa Radsick Absolutely!

Patty Sprunt The power of social networking being put to good use! - I will be attending and I will share this with my friends and family. May God bless our country and it's citizens.

Shaila Measles Bergquist I will be attending! May God bless America!

Tiffany Anne Ricks Thanks for inviting me. Our country certainly could use our prayers (as Individuals and in groups). Hard times are coming and the only way we will get through them is keeping a close relationship with God, as a nation, as families, groups and individuals! Amen! We need prayer :)
Heidi Sommerfeld Stevenson Thanks for accepting the invitation. Our numbers may be few, but our faith is strong.
Susana Atanasova ♥ Shared ♥

Susana Atanasova ♥ Shared Widely ♥

Cynthia A Peel This is a good idea for everyday, but I'll happily focus my prayers for our country on the 6th. I hope all of us can feel a special bond as we pray together for the "land of the free and the home of the brave." :)

Mary Armstrong Ludwig I think I could probably do that...I mean- I pray...every day...??
Heidi Sommerfeld Stevenson Thank you! We all should. :-)

Gigi Noa Yes!!

Mariel Gonzalez Ganowsky I will join!

Carole Eady thanks Beth Sally and I will will make sure we are praying for the day of prayer and also pray extra hard that our country will see the need for prayer

Wendy Brimhall Kremin Just like every day of the year, I will be praying!

Angela Jacobson Everyday should be prayer day :)

Heidi Sommerfeld Stevenson April 15 at 8:37pm
I'd like to thank you for clicking "yes" to a National Day of Prayer. Please invite your family and friends to join in on this whether they are on Facebook or not. I know that our combined prayers will be a blessing in our personal lives, to our country, and to the world. We can all be united in a prayer of faith no matter which party we support or which religion we believe. Let's continue to preserve our right to pray.

Heidi Sommerfeld Stevenson April 22 at 7:48pm
Thank you to my many friends and friends of friends who have have decided to still join in prayer on May 6 for the good of our country and the good of this world we live on. (Friends in the US, Canada, and Great Britain. Perhaps from more countries as well.) It warms my heart. Happy Earth Day.

1988: A bill was introduced to Congress which fixed the annual NDP at the first Thursday in May. The Senate bill, S 1378, was introduced by Stron Thurmond (R-SC); a matching House version was initiated by Tony Hall, (D-OH). It received broad bipartisan sponsorship and support, and became Public Law 100-307. It was signed into law by President Reagan on 1988-MAY-5. He commented: "On our National Day of Prayer, then, we join together as people of many faiths to petition God to show us His mercy and His love, to heal our weariness and uphold our hope, that we might live ever mindful of His justice and thankful for His blessing."
http://www.religioustolerance.org/day_pray2.htm

Lincoln set aside the last Thursday of November as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I wonder when that will also be deemed unconstitutional?

Our churches were filled the first Thursday of May following September 11. Oh, how soon we have all forgotten. Thank you to all of you--those who remember!

Joe Olejnik April 23 at 12:32pm Report
Is there anything scheduled for this at The Crossing proper?

Tiffany Anne Ricks April 23 at 3:41pm Report
We do live in a crazy, heading backwards kind of Country and world sometimes. It is sad when the best of things are considered bad things. I guess it's prophecy being fulfilled when Good is bad and bad is good. We just got to keep holding on and practicing what we believe even if it is hard and opposed by others. Thanks for your efforts to help our country and world. Bye Tiffany

Tiffany Anne Ricks April 23 at 3:53pm Report
I agree with you, we do need to preserve our right to pray, if we remain permissive and do not take a stand, soon the extreme opposing side will do all they can to keep us from having that right. It happened in history several times, where people were limited in their right to pray outloud. If we let people say there right to not hear a prayer is above our right to say a prayer, there is something wrong with that. We shouldn't have to take God out of everything and obligize for believing in Him. If those who don't believe in God had respect for us and our rights, they wouldn't expect or force us to either, they'd simply be free to declare they don't believe and wouldn't expect or try to force them to. This really reminds me of the Book of Mormon and some stories in the bible!

Susana Atanasova April 23 at 6:35am
Heidi ~ It goes back to a national day of prayer AND FASTING in the 1880s. For real.

Heidi Sommerfeld Stevenson April 23 at 8:44pm
That's true, Susana. But there are so few people who want to pray now; do you think that they'd be willing to fast? ;-)

Wow, Heidi ~ Want to hear something weird? When I read that (in the e-mail alert) just now, I smiled, 'cause it's Truth, then, before this page even loaded to reply to you, I got teary-eyes... Why? Because it's _so sad_:
_IF_ people would only TRY fasting _once_, they'd see for themselves how much BETTER we are, as human beings (and spiritual beings) for having done it.
When did He _ever_ tell us to do something NOT for our own good?
But, you're right ~ It's like pushing pudding uphill, or corraling cats...
Still, baby steps, Faith & perseverance ♥ ♥ ♥
I just accepted an invitation to a group on Hindus ~ I know so little about them, really ~ But, as I posted to them when I joined, "My eenemy's enemy is my friend ~ They're suffering murders, homes destroyed, etc by Muslim extremists, too...

Melissa Hayford Carroll April 24 at 9:30pm
Just wanted to thank you for putting this together. It really has opened my eyes to some of the people I have as "friends". Everyone is entitled to have their own beliefs and I respect that, but is it so hard to pray for the benefit of us all? It has amazed me at how many seem to be against what I see as a good thing.
Anyway, thanks again. I will be praying and fasting that day.

Heidi Sommerfeld Stevenson April 25 at 8:55am
Yes, it's been a real eye opener for me as well. I think that there are just too many people who think that the separation of church and state means that we cannot unite together in anything spiritual. I have many Facebook friends that are wonderful LDS people, but, they either didn't read what the event was about, or they think that they shouldn't be summoned to prayer, or they think that it's a personal matter and that we shouldn't try to unite. Who knows? It's amazing to me that it's been close to 50% yes, 50% no all along. I want to thank you for your own faith that you will fast and pray. Even though there are just of few of us, there are many throughout our country that are praying to preserve our freedoms, and that are serving to preserve our freedoms. I know that our Heavenly Father will look at our efforts on May 6 (and every other day), and I know that we will be blessed, and our country will be blessed....or maybe we will be blessed to help our country. Thanks so much, Melissa. Have a great Sabbath.

April 2010 General Conference

Saturday Morning General Conference 3 April 2010
President Monson
We call upon members of the church to reach out to new converts and to those who are making their way back.
Church continues to reach out in humanitarian service; most recently Haiti and Chile. We express love to our saints in these areas. 25 years of the humanitarian service efforts.
New temples are a testimony of the growth of the church. We will continue to build temple throughout the world as our membership grows. Be faithful in performing ordinances for those who are unable to do so for themselves.
President Monson’s wife is recovering well after a fall where she broke a hip and a shoulder and had two subsequent surgeries. She was at the YW Broadcast, and she is at this session of conference sitting with a daughter. He cannot keep these Swedish sisters down.
“You are tall and skinny, and I think you look better in a navy uniform.” “So I joined the navy.”
President Packer
I speak to fathers of families.
Gideon was over the armies of Israel. He chose 300 men. He chose them by how they drank water.
Satan is abroad in the land. He seeks to destroy the souls of men. Gideon’s army—they stood every man in his place.
John the Baptist conferred upon Joseph and Oliver the Aaronic Priesthood. Peter, James, and John conferred the higher Priesthood, Melchizedek. They were commanded to carry the gospel to all nations. The early saints were subject to unspeakable troubles. 180 years after Priesthood restored, we are almost 14 million strong. We can and in due time certainly will left all of humanity. We will win this battle against Satan.
We cannot progress without the support of the sisters. Priesthood power is given to men to act for God on the earth. Priesthood does not have the strength that it should have, and it will not until it is firmly placed in the family. All programs of the church should not supplant the home, but support the home.
It is the father’s right and the duty to preside, even if there is someone from the 1st Presidency or council of the 12 is present in his home. If the father is not there, it is the mother’s right to president. (President Lee declined to give a young man who was leaving to war a blessing. He was told to go home and ask his father to give him a blessing….The power of the priesthood filled both of them, as the boy’s father gave his son a blessing.)
President Packer told a young man that his father would ordain him. The young man said that he’d asked another brother to do it. President Packer repeated that his father should do it.
We need everyone—the tired, the worn out, the lazy. We must go forward, confident with the eternal power of the Priesthood. I the Lord am bound when you do what I say. It is now our responsibility to activate the Priesthood power in the earth.
Counsel to fathers—you will receive direction from the Lord through the power of the Holy Ghost. The most important thing is for a man and his wife and his children to be happy and protected at home. “This is my work and my glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”
Fear is the opposite of faith.
Sister Beck
Much distraction, not much peace and joy. Media’s lies about who we are. Among uncertainties, sister have a deep desire to do what is right. A good woman knows that she doesn’t have enough time to take care of everyone and do everything that she wants to do. She needs to ignore worldly message. Spend some time in scriptures every day. Prayer. Have a paper and pen(cil) to record revelation. Mother’s can feel Spirit even among noisy children, but they can lose the Spirit if they become angry. Personal revelation gives us direction of what we should do every day. It is possible to feel bathed in health even in turbulent times. Relief Society has it at its very core the responsibility to help strengthen sisters. A woman can be trusted and relied upon to make significant contributions to the church. We want to be ladies in very deed; not in a worldly way, but in doing good. Greatest good we can do for ourselves and each other is to become refined. We can feel certain that the Lord is pleased when we feel His Spirit working in us. The Lord depends upon his daughters to do their part to strengthen home and church.
Elder McMullin
Troubled world. Sometimes feels like man is hanging in the balance. Message of God’s forgiveness has a condition, that we forgive others. As someone from a concentration camp forgave a former guard, the healing power of forgiveness filled his whole being. If we are to walk with our heads held high, we must make our contribution. “Duty does not require perfection, but it does require diligence…Doing one’s duty is a manifestation of one’s faith.” First, our path of duty is to God. When we do our duty to God, we then do our duty to each other. We become loyal and benevolent; we become friends. We can know our duty through prayer. Need to be guiding by the Spirit in praying and in receiving answers to prayer. “Fear God and keep His commandments,” for this is the whole duty of man.
Elder Wilford Anderson
Saints went to Nauvoo seeking refuge. Persecution was relentless. 1846 forced to leave their homes. Quotes on signs nailed to fence posts were filled with joy and hope. These early saints were indeed homeless but they were not hopeless. True source of hope is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Faith of saints in Haiti.) Basic needs were met, and order began to emerge out of chaos. Hope and happiness and joy are not products of circumstance, but of faith in the Lord. If we would build our hope, we must build our faith (in Christ). Faith grows by keeping the commandments. Faith comes by righteousness. We grow in confidence that through the atonement everything will be all right. But faith in Author of the Plan of Happiness, gain peace through the Prince of Peace. “Remember, remember that it is upon the Rock of our Redeemer that you must build your foundation…” He will not forget us, for we are written upon the palms of His hands.
Elder Ballard
Giving the daughters equal time. Mothers and daughters play a critical role. Brothers cannot replicate the divine gifts of womanhood. Dear YW do not look to contemporary culture for identity; look to your mother. Mothers, your example is extremely important to your daughters. As mothers in Israel, you are your daughters first defense against the wiles of the world. Teach your daughters to find joy in nurturing children. “The most important work that you will ever do will be within the walls of your own home.” Faithful daughters avoid the temptation to gossip and speak ill of each other. Gossip undermines most precious part of womanhood—to be a nurturer. Talk to your daughters about sexual matters. Have frequent open discussions and teach the truth about important matters. A woman’s value is not equated with her sensual appeal. Through making and keeping covenants will strengthen the youth. “Be strong and of good courage.” Help to lead youth safely to the House of the Lord. Follow the noble example of the faithful followers of Jesus Christ. The home is the most important place to prepare the youth of today to lead the home and the church of tomorrow. Teach, nurture, and prepare one another within the walls of our homes.
President Eyring
President Eyring helped a young woman to learn how to repent. We help God’s children best by providing ways for them to develop faith in Jesus Christ when they are young. A loving Heavenly Father places directions and rescuers along the way. “He sent His Son.” Are most important and powerful assignments are in the family. We have the opportunity in a child’s early life to help place his foot firmly in the path. Eight years of protected time to teach a child. They are given primary teachers as well; they partake of the sacrament with the understanding that they will receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost after their baptism.
President Eyring’s son walking home in the dark realized that he needed help. He stopped to pray. Two young people came to help him. They took him to their home, found his phone number in the phone book and his father picked him up and took him home. Personal Progress and Duty to God are powerful programs to help rescue and safeguard our youth. “Learn what we should learn; do what we should do; and be what we should be.” (President Monson) Personal Progress helps young women prepare to receive ordinances in the temple. Let our children feel our confidence that they can make it home to God. Work on goals with our children. As you follow promised direction, we and our youth can be lived safely home to live with God as families forever.

Saturday Afternoon General Conference 3 April 2010
Elder Perry
As he flipped through the pages of his mother’s notebook, it was like hearing his mother’s words one more time. Her best teaching occurred with her children in her home. She prepared diligently to be an example to her children. Second, what she prepared for her lesson (RS) could be used for a higher purpose, teaching in the home. Parents are entrusted with the education of their children. Parents most ensure that their children are learning correct principles. Mother was a natural teacher. She made sure that we were doing well on our school lessons, and she often supplemented the lesson. We memorized scriptures and the Articles of Faith. A parent’s teaching must never be devalued. Parents must teach their children in the home: values, morals, ethical standards, and faith. Parents bring the gospel teachings into their homes one lesson at a time. Happiness, prosperity, and peace all find there roots by teaching our children in our homes. Teach at the cradle-side: teach by example and by precept.
We believe in the immense power of teaching in our homes. Our teaching in our homes prepares us to teach more effectively at church; and our lessons at church prepare us to teach more effectively at home. Responsibilities of parents are set forth in The Family: A Proclamation to the World. So much of the responsibility of teaching a child in the home rests on the mother. (The father is outside of the home to work and provide.) It is our sacred duty to do our very best.
Elder Christofferson
William Tindell’s crime was to have translated and published the Bible into English. “If God saves my life, I will see that the boy that plows the field has more access to the Bible than the pope himself.” (Get real quote.) Under another name he worked on his translation in Germany and the Bibles were smuggled into England. We owe a debt of gratitude to those who preserved the word of God and made it available to us. Through the scriptures, God does indeed show forth his power in order to save His children. The scriptures expand our memory and understanding. We can learn the truth of things that have transpired through the reading of the scriptures.
Today the scriptures are at hand, yet there is a growing scriptural illiteracy. God’s commandments are the voice of reality. Scriptures are the touchtone for measuring ________ and truth. Blessings come from honoring true principles; tragedies fall where people abandon them. Scriptures are to fill our souls with faith in God the Father, and in His Son, in the atonement; faith to come to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. Faith comes by the witness of the Holy Ghost spirit to spirit as we hear or read the word of God.
We have the Bible, plus 900 extra pages, plus the words of the prophets in conference and magazines. Our need for constant recourse to the scriptures is greater than in any earlier time. Pick them up and read them.
Elder Aoyagi
Offer helping hands in the Lord’s way. As a new convert, he needed strengthening to come back into line with what he should be doing. There were those to help him. Made a promise in his heart to repent and fully follow Jesus Christ for the rest of his life. The same girl who sent a postcard, that rescued him and brought him back, is the one that he later married in the temple, after he served a mission.
Sometimes we think we are weak and lack the faith to rescue others, but the Lord reminds us, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brothers, ye have done it unto me.” We have a mandate to serve and lift His children. Follow counsel of the prophet, and each day seek out those that we can serve.
Elder Carlson
“We crashed on takeoff about a hundred feet from where we ended up last year.” (One fisherman to the other.) The safety of the church lies in the members keeping the commandments.
When we choose to not keep a commandment:
1. We don’t think it applies to us.
2. We don’t think it is important.
3. We think that it is too difficult for us to keep.
When the Lord commands, Do it! “If you keep my commandments, ye shall have eternal life.”
Elder Bednar
We are blessed by spiritual warning signals. Noah prepared the ark to the saving of his house. Lehi was warned to take his family into the wilderness. Savior saved when Joseph received revelation to flee into Egypt.
Spiritual early warning system applies to children of all ages:
1. Reading and talking about the Book of Mormon
2. Bearing testimony spontaneously.
3. Inviting children to act and not be acted upon.
Elder Holland
Three YW ran up to see hello in an airport. All three were experiencing a temple divorce. Each one’s husband had become involved in pornography.
Most days we all find ourselves assaulted with inappropriate material. The adversary is extending his coverage to cell phones, internet, and iPods. Lust is the most deadly of the 7 deadly sins. Lust defiles the highest and holiest relationship that God allows us in mortality. Lust is characterized by shame and stealth. Lust celebrates self-indulgences and comes with an open appetite. It destroys that which is second to faith in God; namely the faith we have in those we love.
Remove yourself from any of these harmful enticements. When leaving the sin of temptation, do not leave a forwarding address. Get help; pray; ask for the help of angels; ask for a priesthood blessing. Use self-control. Some things may not be evil to begin with but may have the potential to dull our senses and lead us to evil. More than one man has been saved by the memory of the face of his mother, or his wife, or his child. Let will be your reason.
Cultivate and be where the Spirit of the Lord is. Have sacred music and pictures. If endowed, go to the temple. Remember the symbols you take with you, never to be set aside or forgotten. “Let’s work a little harder to always remember Him.” (Isaiah 59)
We can be rescued by Jesus. “O Jesus, Thou Son of God, Have mercy on me.” (Alma)
“I will give place no more for the enemy of my soul.” (Nephi)
May the joy of our fidelity to the highest and best within us be ours as we keep ourselves as pure as we were meant to be.

Sunday Morning General Conference 4 April 2010
Christ the Lord is Risen Today!
President Uchtdorf
A statue of Jesus was damaged during war. The people were so sad. They restored it as much as they could, but they could not restore the hands. The people added the sign, “You are my hands.”
President Uchtdorf always pictures the Lord with hands outstretched. We should be doing as He did as His disciples. “As we emulate His perfect example, our hands can become His hands; our eyes His eyes; our hearts His heart.
Some become discouraged and quit coming to church, because they don’t think that they fit in.
After WWII, goods were brought to help the people in Germany. He remembers the smell of the clothes and the canned peaches. Some people joined the church because of the help they received. These people must be accepted. Let us help our fellow saints feel that they have found a home in the church. “All men are privileged, the one like unto another, and none our forbidden.” Let us not hold ourselves in higher esteem than our needier brethren. “We all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God. We all are need of mercy.” Extend to others that which we most earnestly desire for ourselves. The worth of souls is great in the sight of God. Every person that we meet is a V.I.P. in the sight of our Heavenly Father. We are commanded to mourn with those that mourn and comfort those who stand in need of comfort. A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Let us love at all times, and let us be there for our brother at times of adversity.
The Spirit of Compassion: to love others and we love ourselves. True love requires action. Christ did not just speak about love; He showed it every day of His live. Love led our Savior to the Garden of Gethsemane to make Himself a ransom for our sins. As we reach out our hands in love to others, something wonderful happens to us. We are healed inside and become more like Christ. Let us commit to become His hands, that others, through us, may feel His love and commit to His praise.
Elder Scott
His totally obedient, worthy son shattered the bonds of death. What a glorious morning that first morning was for all those who understand its significance. Easter is a season that should bring peace and joy to all those who love Him, and they should show it by keeping His commandments.
He answers the ends of the law unto all those with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. (Lehi) The atonement makes possible to overcome all the negative effects of all the mistakes that we make in life. It is vital that each of us learn what we can about the atonement. Except the atonement be done perfected, none of Heavenly Father’s children could have returned to Him. Jesus had to personally feel all of the pain and sorrow of every person. Jesus had to feel the removal of His Father’s sustaining power to complete the atonement on the cross. Our understanding and faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ will bring sustaining power throughout our lives.
Use the church as a righteous tool to strengthen our home. But recognize that we have the right to inspiration for our own home and family. “What would the Lord Jesus Christ have me do?”
Elder Hallstrom
A couple lost their baby during child birth. They became angry and wanted revenge on the doctor and also became angry with the Lord. Four generations of this family became affected. There is often only one source of peace: the Prince of Peace. “Come unto me…” “My peace I give unto you…”
His aunt died in childbirth along with the twins she was carried. His grandparents were heartbroken, but they turned to the Lord in their grief. They passed away within hours of each other. Elder Hallstrom conducted their double funeral. Four generations affected positively because of their righteous choices.
In less than ten months, Simons Ryder went from an eager convert to an angry mobster, all starting with the misspelling of his name.
“Hold on thy way; fear not what man can do, for God will be with thee forever and ever.” (The Lord to Joseph Smith)
If you feel that you have been treated wrongly, deal with the matter with faith. “Hold on thy way.” Never let an earthly circumstance disable you spiritually. If you turn fully to the Lord, He will deliver you out of bondage.
Sister Lant
How do we seek Him in this life, so that we might see Him in the next? “All thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of they children.” Love the Lord with all our hearts, and love our children and families. Become worthy examples. We have to know the way in order to show it to our children. Teach our children the gospel and how to live His teachings. Young children can recognize and feel the Spirit. We can find help and direction from the scriptures and then direct our children to also find answers there.
Elder Quentin Cook
The two days prior to His crucifixion were profoundly important. He instituted the sacrament. He taught, “But this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” He emphasized love and unity. He took upon Himself all of our sins. He died and was resurrected on our behalf. He died, was buried, and rose again, and ascended into heaven. All other teachings are appendages to this. Contemplate and emulate what the Savior did in His last two days. Sacrament meeting is the most sacred and holy meeting among all the meetings in the church.
Many are afraid and angry with one another. We must be civil. How we disagree is a measure of who we are and how we follow our Savior. It is appropriate to disagree, but not to be disagreeable.
Spiritually avoid the low path way. Seek the higher ground.
I Wonder When He Comes Again.
President Monson
Thank you. (Two most important words in the English language.)
“If a man die, shall he live again?” (Job) If there is a design for this world, there must be a Designer. “Let there be light,” said the Grand Designer, and there was light. To understand the meaning of death, we must appreciate the purpose of life. Heavenly Father knew that we should fall short. To provide us with every possibility of success, he provided a Savior for us. “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.” (Luke) “He went about doing good.” No mere mortal can receive the full import of what Christ did for us in Gethsemane. “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” He passed beneath all things that He might save all things.
If a man die, he shall live again. “And now after the many testimonies that have been given Him, this is the testimony last of all that we give of Him, That He lives! For we saw Him even on the right hand of the Father.” (Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon)
While Jason was struggling with a debilitating illness, his father said to him that even with the things that he was going through, that he never wanted him to lose his faith in Jesus Christ. Jason opened his eyes and said, “Never.” He died two weeks later. His brother received a mission call. They opened a call together. “Called to serve their missions together on both sides of the veil.”
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death.” In our deepest trials of sorrow, we can receive profound peace.

Sunday afternoon General Conference 4 April 2010
Elder Nelson
Because of the atonement, these consummate blessings are available to the obedient. This church is a witness the hope and the help of the preservation of the family. We have a natural yearning to connect with our ancestors. Our inborn yearnings for sacred connections with our families are fulfilled through the sealing ordinances of the temple.
Duplication has been reduced and procedures have been simplified. Gone are the days that this special work was only done by specialists. Primary children can draw a family tree; youth can engage in proxy baptisms in the temple and help their parents with computer efforts, etc. The New Family Search can be accessed at home, a family history center, or wherever Internet is available. (Family Ordinance request—ordinance cards are printed at the temple.) Begin with an empty cardboard box. Put in information about yourself and your family. A family history consultant from your ward or branch will help you. There is more work ahead. Duplication and errors need correction. The church, under the inspired leadership of Thomas S. Monson, is working with you to bring about one common pedigree chart.
We are exalted when we can dwell together with our extended families in the presence of God. “We can make it happen.” We need to prepare a record that is worthy of all acceptation.
Elder Hales
“We do not doubt our mothers knew it.” (Stripling Warriors) Show youth by example. Plan and take advantage of teaching moments that leave a lasting impression upon their hearts. The greatest interest comes from warm interaction with parents. Where family meals are concerned, it is not the food but the family interaction that nourishes the soul. “Grandpa, are you in there.” Are we there? Do we understand the hearts of our youth? Connect with them; do things with them.
On this Easter Sunday, I hope that we will take the opportunity to bear testimony that Christ lives, that we love our children. The greatest missionary service to give is in our own homes. The greatest rescue, the greatest family history and heritage and our homes, will come from our love in our homes for the generations that follow us.
Elder Foster
His father died when he was young, leaving his mother alone with four young children. They did not doubt their mother knew it. “Eric who do you think is the last word, the authority in this house.” “You are, Dad.” “How do you know that, Eric?” “Because mother told me.”
A distraction does not have to be evil to be effective. I yelled at the calves in frustration, “Follow your mothers; they know where they are going.” They were frightened because we were not their mothers. Elder Foster went back to get the cows so that they would lead their calves back to the corral.
Some of our loved ones will stray for a season, but we must never give up. President Monson pleads with us to go and rescue our loved ones. We never know when a heart may be turned; we never know when someone will be worn out. During these times, we often turn to our mothers.
Jesus looked down from the cross at His mother Mary. His final act of love was to ask John to take care of His mother.
I Know That My Redeemer Lives!
Elder Maritino (?)
“What a pitcher!” Instead of being upset that he didn’t do as he would have liked, he acknowledge how well the pitcher on the other team did. “All things work together for good to them that love God.” (Paul)
1. He sought not to do His own will, but the will of His Father.
Pass through pains and trial that we might grow. Immunizations—a small amount of pain will prevent great agony later.
2. When we are faced with trials, we need to not complain or murmur.
Don’t ask why me, but what am I to do, what am I to learn, how can I change?
3. Seek direction through pray.
The Lord will help strengthen us as we pass through our trials. Do not become bitter or uncommitted. Be like the Savior and become more committed.
4. Learn to serve and think of others even in our times of trials.
When we serve others, we forget our own problems. Unless we lose ourselves in the service of others, there is little purpose to our lives.
5. Forgive others, and do not seek to pass the blame of our situation to them.
Elder Schwitzer
“Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things…Mary hath chosen the better part that shall not be taken from her.”
Martha found Jesus after Lazarus had died. She knew that whatever Jesus would say, would be. “I am the resurrection and the life…Whosever believeth in me shall never die.” Martha believed that Jesus was indeed the Redeemer.
The truth lies in knowing the whole person. (Am I a Mary or a Martha? Martha had a great testimony.)
“Doctor, will my wife be all right.” This man was a child of God, with a great love for another, and I had misjudged him.
Good judgment
1. Put your own standards in alignment with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
2. Listen to the messages of the living prophet.
3. Cultivate with the Holy Spirit a relationship of listening.
External and internal.
4. Keep the commandments.
5. (I missed it)
Elder Francisco_______________
No unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of God.
Be born again; born of God; changed from a carnal state to a state of righteousness through the power of the atonement.
Parents play an essential role in teaching their children of the things pertaining to righteousness. “Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness.” (Proclamation)
Elder Anderson
AT this conference, we have heard and felt the mind and will of the Lord. “We hold in our arms the rising generation… We cannot be casual in how we prepare them.”
“Tell me the stories of Jesus, I love to hear things I would ask Him to tell me if He were here.”The stories of Jesus can be a rushing wind across the embers of faith in our children’s hearts. Do our children know that Jesus stands with open arms to receive them? It is by faith that miracles are wrought. Do our children ask for miracles in their own lives? Speak more frequently about Jesus Christ. In His Holy Name is great spiritual power. “I was given to know that the Lord loves me and that I would be made equal to my mission.” (Elder Oaks’s mother)
If a child is not listening, don’t despair. Time and truth are on your side.
“Two men can do anything, as long as one of them is the Lord.”
The sting of their father’s death is swallowed up in Christ. (Young father killed 10 years ago in a car accident, leaving a wife and 7 children.)
President Monson
We are all here because we want to serve, because that is our responsibility. “Trust in the Lord with all they heart, and lean not unto thy own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct they paths.” (Proverbs 3:5) “My soul delighteth in the song of the righteous…” Study the words in the May Ensign and ponder them and apply the messages of this conference to your lives.
Sunday afternoon General Conference 4 April 2010
Elder Nelson
Because of the atonement, these consummate blessings are available to the obedient. This church is a witness the hope and the help of the preservation of the family. We have a natural yearning to connect with our ancestors. Our inborn yearnings for sacred connections with our families are fulfilled through the sealing ordinances of the temple.
Duplication has been reduced and procedures have been simplified. Gone are the days that this special work was only done by specialists. Primary children can draw a family tree; youth can engage in proxy baptisms in the temple and help their parents with computer efforts, etc. The New Family Search can be accessed at home, a family history center, or wherever Internet is available. (Family Ordinance request—ordinance cards are printed at the temple.) Begin with an empty cardboard box. Put in information about yourself and your family. A family history consultant from your ward or branch will help you. There is more work ahead. Duplication and errors need correction. The church, under the inspired leadership of Thomas S. Monson, is working with you to bring about one common pedigree chart.
We are exalted when we can dwell together with our extended families in the presence of God. “We can make it happen.” We need to prepare a record that is worthy of all acceptation.
Elder Hales
“We do not doubt our mothers knew it.” (Stripling Warriors) Show youth by example. Plan and take advantage of teaching moments that leave a lasting impression upon their hearts. The greatest interest comes from warm interaction with parents. Where family meals are concerned, it is not the food but the family interaction that nourishes the soul. “Grandpa, are you in there.” Are we there? Do we understand the hearts of our youth? Connect with them; do things with them.
On this Easter Sunday, I hope that we will take the opportunity to bear testimony that Christ lives, that we love our children. The greatest missionary service to give is in our own homes. The greatest rescue, the greatest family history and heritage and our homes, will come from our love in our homes for the generations that follow us.
Elder Foster
His father died when he was young, leaving his mother alone with four young children. They did not doubt their mother knew it. “Eric who do you think is the last word, the authority in this house.” “You are, Dad.” “How do you know that, Eric?” “Because mother told me.”
A distraction does not have to be evil to be effective. I yelled at the calves in frustration, “Follow your mothers; they know where they are going.” They were frightened because we were not their mothers. Elder Foster went back to get the cows so that they would lead their calves back to the corral.
Some of our loved ones will stray for a season, but we must never give up. President Monson pleads with us to go and rescue our loved ones. We never know when a heart may be turned; we never know when someone will be worn out. During these times, we often turn to our mothers.
Jesus looked down from the cross at His mother Mary. His final act of love was to ask John to take care of His mother.
I Know That My Redeemer Lives!
Elder Maritino (?)
“What a pitcher!” Instead of being upset that he didn’t do as he would have liked, he acknowledge how well the pitcher on the other team did. “All things work together for good to them that love God.” (Paul)
1. He sought not to do His own will, but the will of His Father.
Pass through pains and trial that we might grow. Immunizations—a small amount of pain will prevent great agony later.
2. When we are faced with trials, we need to not complain or murmur.
Don’t ask why me, but what am I to do, what am I to learn, how can I change?
3. Seek direction through pray.
The Lord will help strengthen us as we pass through our trials. Do not become bitter or uncommitted. Be like the Savior and become more committed.
4. Learn to serve and think of others even in our times of trials.
When we serve others, we forget our own problems. Unless we lose ourselves in the service of others, there is little purpose to our lives.
5. Forgive others, and do not seek to pass the blame of our situation to them.
Elder Schwitzer
“Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things…Mary hath chosen the better part that shall not be taken from her.”
Martha found Jesus after Lazarus had died. She knew that whatever Jesus would say, would be. “I am the resurrection and the life…Whosever believeth in me shall never die.” Martha believed that Jesus was indeed the Redeemer.
The truth lies in knowing the whole person. (Am I a Mary or a Martha? Martha had a great testimony.)
“Doctor, will my wife be all right.” This man was a child of God, with a great love for another, and I had misjudged him.
Good judgment
1. Put your own standards in alignment with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
2. Listen to the messages of the living prophet.
3. Cultivate with the Holy Spirit a relationship of listening.
External and internal.
4. Keep the commandments.
5. (I missed it)
Elder Francisco_______________
No unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of God.
Be born again; born of God; changed from a carnal state to a state of righteousness through the power of the atonement.
Parents play an essential role in teaching their children of the things pertaining to righteousness. “Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness.” (Proclamation)
Elder Anderson
AT this conference, we have heard and felt the mind and will of the Lord. “We hold in our arms the rising generation… We cannot be casual in how we prepare them.”
“Tell me the stories of Jesus, I love to hear things I would ask Him to tell me if He were here.”The stories of Jesus can be a rushing wind across the embers of faith in our children’s hearts. Do our children know that Jesus stands with open arms to receive them? It is by faith that miracles are wrought. Do our children ask for miracles in their own lives? Speak more frequently about Jesus Christ. In His Holy Name is great spiritual power. “I was given to know that the Lord loves me and that I would be made equal to my mission.” (Elder Oaks’s mother)
If a child is not listening, don’t despair. Time and truth are on your side.
“Two men can do anything, as long as one of them is the Lord.”
The sting of their father’s death is swallowed up in Christ. (Young father killed 10 years ago in a car accident, leaving a wife and 7 children.)
President Monson
We are all here because we want to serve, because that is our responsibility. “Trust in the Lord with all they heart, and lean not unto thy own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct they paths.” (Proverbs 3:5) “My soul delighteth in the song of the righteous…” Study the words in the May Ensign and ponder them and apply the messages of this conference to your lives.
Sunday afternoon General Conference 4 April 2010
Elder Nelson
Because of the atonement, these consummate blessings are available to the obedient. This church is a witness the hope and the help of the preservation of the family. We have a natural yearning to connect with our ancestors. Our inborn yearnings for sacred connections with our families are fulfilled through the sealing ordinances of the temple.
Duplication has been reduced and procedures have been simplified. Gone are the days that this special work was only done by specialists. Primary children can draw a family tree; youth can engage in proxy baptisms in the temple and help their parents with computer efforts, etc. The New Family Search can be accessed at home, a family history center, or wherever Internet is available. (Family Ordinance request—ordinance cards are printed at the temple.) Begin with an empty cardboard box. Put in information about yourself and your family. A family history consultant from your ward or branch will help you. There is more work ahead. Duplication and errors need correction. The church, under the inspired leadership of Thomas S. Monson, is working with you to bring about one common pedigree chart.
We are exalted when we can dwell together with our extended families in the presence of God. “We can make it happen.” We need to prepare a record that is worthy of all acceptation.
Elder Hales
“We do not doubt our mothers knew it.” (Stripling Warriors) Show youth by example. Plan and take advantage of teaching moments that leave a lasting impression upon their hearts. The greatest interest comes from warm interaction with parents. Where family meals are concerned, it is not the food but the family interaction that nourishes the soul. “Grandpa, are you in there.” Are we there? Do we understand the hearts of our youth? Connect with them; do things with them.
On this Easter Sunday, I hope that we will take the opportunity to bear testimony that Christ lives, that we love our children. The greatest missionary service to give is in our own homes. The greatest rescue, the greatest family history and heritage and our homes, will come from our love in our homes for the generations that follow us.
Elder Foster
His father died when he was young, leaving his mother alone with four young children. They did not doubt their mother knew it. “Eric who do you think is the last word, the authority in this house.” “You are, Dad.” “How do you know that, Eric?” “Because mother told me.”
A distraction does not have to be evil to be effective. I yelled at the calves in frustration, “Follow your mothers; they know where they are going.” They were frightened because we were not their mothers. Elder Foster went back to get the cows so that they would lead their calves back to the corral.
Some of our loved ones will stray for a season, but we must never give up. President Monson pleads with us to go and rescue our loved ones. We never know when a heart may be turned; we never know when someone will be worn out. During these times, we often turn to our mothers.
Jesus looked down from the cross at His mother Mary. His final act of love was to ask John to take care of His mother.
I Know That My Redeemer Lives!
Elder Maritino (?)
“What a pitcher!” Instead of being upset that he didn’t do as he would have liked, he acknowledge how well the pitcher on the other team did. “All things work together for good to them that love God.” (Paul)
1. He sought not to do His own will, but the will of His Father.
Pass through pains and trial that we might grow. Immunizations—a small amount of pain will prevent great agony later.
2. When we are faced with trials, we need to not complain or murmur.
Don’t ask why me, but what am I to do, what am I to learn, how can I change?
3. Seek direction through pray.
The Lord will help strengthen us as we pass through our trials. Do not become bitter or uncommitted. Be like the Savior and become more committed.
4. Learn to serve and think of others even in our times of trials.
When we serve others, we forget our own problems. Unless we lose ourselves in the service of others, there is little purpose to our lives.
5. Forgive others, and do not seek to pass the blame of our situation to them.
Elder Schwitzer
“Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things…Mary hath chosen the better part that shall not be taken from her.”
Martha found Jesus after Lazarus had died. She knew that whatever Jesus would say, would be. “I am the resurrection and the life…Whosever believeth in me shall never die.” Martha believed that Jesus was indeed the Redeemer.
The truth lies in knowing the whole person. (Am I a Mary or a Martha? Martha had a great testimony.)
“Doctor, will my wife be all right.” This man was a child of God, with a great love for another, and I had misjudged him.
Good judgment
1. Put your own standards in alignment with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
2. Listen to the messages of the living prophet.
3. Cultivate with the Holy Spirit a relationship of listening.
External and internal.
4. Keep the commandments.
5. (I missed it)
Elder Francisco_______________
No unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of God.
Be born again; born of God; changed from a carnal state to a state of righteousness through the power of the atonement.
Parents play an essential role in teaching their children of the things pertaining to righteousness. “Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness.” (Proclamation)
Elder Anderson
AT this conference, we have heard and felt the mind and will of the Lord. “We hold in our arms the rising generation… We cannot be casual in how we prepare them.”
“Tell me the stories of Jesus, I love to hear things I would ask Him to tell me if He were here.”The stories of Jesus can be a rushing wind across the embers of faith in our children’s hearts. Do our children know that Jesus stands with open arms to receive them? It is by faith that miracles are wrought. Do our children ask for miracles in their own lives? Speak more frequently about Jesus Christ. In His Holy Name is great spiritual power. “I was given to know that the Lord loves me and that I would be made equal to my mission.” (Elder Oaks’s mother)
If a child is not listening, don’t despair. Time and truth are on your side.
“Two men can do anything, as long as one of them is the Lord.”
The sting of their father’s death is swallowed up in Christ. (Young father killed 10 years ago in a car accident, leaving a wife and 7 children.)
President Monson
We are all here because we want to serve, because that is our responsibility. “Trust in the Lord with all they heart, and lean not unto thy own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct they paths.” (Proverbs 3:5) “My soul delighteth in the song of the righteous…” Study the words in the May Ensign and ponder them and apply the messages of this conference to your lives.
“I invoke the blessings of heaven on each of you….I love you; I pray for you….”