Author: Nurture Mama

The Power of the Word (Teachings of President Benson)

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“The word of God, as found in the scriptures, in the words of living prophets, and in personal revelation, has the power to fortify the Saints and arm them with the Spirit so they can resist evil, hold fast to the good, and find joy in this life.”

“The Prophet Joseph Smith said that “the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” (Book of Mormon, Introduction, italics added.) Isn’t that what we want for the members of our wards and stakes? Aren’t we desirous that they get nearer to God? Then encourage them in every way possible to immerse themselves in this marvelous latter-day witness of Christ.”

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson.

Our Savior and Redeemer (Teachings of President Benson)

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“We may never understand nor comprehend in mortality how He accomplished what He did, but we must not fail to understand why He did what He did. Everything He did was prompted by His unselfish, infinite love for us.”

“Christ’s great gift to us was His life and sacrifice. Should that not then be our small gift to Him—our lives and sacrifices, not only now but in the future?”

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson.

Our Summer Reading Shelves

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My children love to read (and be read to), so getting them to read books in the summertime is not a difficult thing. But new books are always exciting, and I wanted to expand their reading selections a little bit. So the last day of school my children came home to find…their very own book nook! I rearranged some of our shelves a little bit, so each child has a cubby to store their books and reading logs in. I gave each child a few novels to try, as well as a non-fiction book and a poetry book.

Here is what you will currently find on their shelves.

Anwyn (10 years old)

It’s Raining Pigs & Noodles  by Jack Prelutsky (poetry)

National Geographic 2016 Kids Almanac (non-fiction)

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (Book 1 in the Percy Jackson series)

The 39 Clues: The Sword Thief (she is currently on book 3 of this series)

Everest series: The Contest by Gordon Korman

The Misadventures of Maude March by Audrey Couloumbis

Lily (7 years old)

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein (poetry)

Horse Heroes: Magic Tree House Fact Tracker by Mary Pope Osborne (non-fiction)

The Absent Author by Ron Roy (A to Z mysteries)

Ruby the Red Fairy by Daisy Meadows (Rainbow Fairies series)

Amber Brown is not a Crayon by Paula Danziger

Annie and Snowball and the Dress-up Birthday by Cynthia Rylant

Clementine by Sara Pennypacker

Zach (5 years old): he is not yet reading independently, although we are making great progress in his reading lessons. Summertime is a great time to re-read our favorite picture books, so I checked out some classics that we love. Here are just a few currently on his shelf.

Actual Size by Steve Jenkins (non-fiction)

Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

Bark, George by Jules Feiffer

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson

Read Aloud

Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Cleary: Lily, Zach, and I are reading this book together

Magic Elizabeth by Norma Kassirer: Anwyn and Lily and I are reading this together. This was my favorite book as a young girl, so it is fun to share it with my own girls now.

My Shelf

A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley (the third Flavia de Luce mystery)

Who Really Cares: America’s Charity Divide: Who Gives, Who Doesn’t, and Why It Matters by Arthur C. Brooks

What books are on your reading shelves this summer?

Principle of True Repentance (Teachings of President Benson)

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“Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation upon which sincere and meaningful repentance must be built. If we truly seek to put away sin, we must first look to Him who is the Author of our salvation.”

“We must be careful, as we seek to become more and more godlike, that we do not become discouraged and lose hope. Becoming Christlike is a lifetime pursuit and very often involves growth and change that is slow, almost imperceptible…there are hundreds and thousands of people who find the process of repentance much more subtle, much more imperceptible. Day by day they move closer to the Lord, little realizing they are building a godlike life. They live quiet lives of goodness, service, and commitment.”

“My beloved brothers and sisters, as we seek to qualify to be members of Christ’s Church—members in the sense in which He uses the term, members who have repented and come unto Him—let us remember these six principles. First, the gospel is the Lord’s plan of happiness, and repentance is designed to bring us joy. Second, true repentance is based on and flows from faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no other way. Third, true repentance involves a change of heart and not just a change of behavior. Fourth, part of this mighty change of heart is to feel godly sorrow for our sins. This is what is meant by a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Fifth, God’s gifts are sufficient to help us overcome every sin and weakness if we will but turn to Him for help. Finally, we must remember that most repentance does not involve sensational or dramatic changes, but rather is a step-by-step, steady, and consistent movement toward godliness.”

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson.

Learn Something Everyday: Links to online video learning for kids

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One of my personal goals is to be a person who keeps learning. Being married to a psychologist who has experience with dementia has made me especially aware of how important it is to use our brains! So this summer we are striving to learn something everyday!

One way to do that is to use the internet as a resource. Here are links to a number of sites that offer educational programs for kids, so proceed with your own common sense.  I actually haven’t reviewed these yet personally, these are sites that were recommended by others. I will let you know what our favorites are!

The Kid Should See This: smart videos for curious minds of all ages

9 Fun Math YouTube Channels for Kids

9 Math YouTube Channels for Preschool Kids

15 YouTube Channels of Fun Science for Kids

Cool Science Experiments for Kids on YouTube

TED Talks to Watch with Kids

Entertaining and Education YouTube Channels for Kids from Live Renewed

Please share in the comments if you know of any other great sites! 

Why do we have FHE? (FHE plans and quotes)

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Lesson Plan

April 2015 marked 100 years since the First Presidency of the Church first encouraged members to have weekly Family Home Evening.  Joseph F. Smith was the prophet at that time. Here are some excerpts from the letter that was sent out in April 1915:

“We advise and urge the inauguration of a “home evening” throughout the Church, at which time fathers and mothers may gather their boys and girls about them in the home and teach them the word of the Lord. They may thus learn more fully the needs and requirements of their families, at the same time familiarizing themselves and their children more thoroughly with the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This home evening should be devoted to prayer, singing hymns, songs, instrumental music, scripture reading, family topics, and specific instruction on the principles of the gospel and on the ethical problems of life, as well as the duties and obligations of children to parents, the home, the Church, society, and the nation. For the smaller children, appropriate recitations, songs, stories, and games may be introduced. Light refreshments of such a nature as may be largely prepared in the home might be served.

Formality and stiffness should be studiously avoided, and all the family should participate in the exercises.”

Discussion

How can we make our FHE even better?

  • Rotate assignments: give the children a chance to do every job
    • Opening prayer, song, scripture, lesson, treat, conduct
  • Start a FHE journal (inspired by Tiffany): have each family member sign the cover page (and include their age)
  • Brainstorm lesson topics
    • General Conference talks, Primary lessons, scripture stories, learn a new hymn or primary song, family history, learn a new skill, wholesome recreational activities, learn about a prophet or apostle, scripture heroes, share and memorize a great scripture verse, do a service project, lessons from Church magazines, celebrate holidays or special occasions, prepare for sacred ordinances (baptism, priesthood ordination, temple, etc)…

What are the blessings of FHE?

“If the Saints obey this counsel, we promise that great blessings will result. Love at home and obedience to parents will increase. Faith will be developed in the hearts of the youth of Israel, and they will gain power to combat the evil influences and temptations which beset them” (First Presidency Letter, April 1915).

“We promise you great blessings if you will follow the Lord’s counsel and hold regular family home evenings. We pray constantly that parents in the Church will accept their responsibility to teach and exemplify gospel principles to their children. May God bless you to be diligent in this most important responsibility” (“Message from the First Presidency,” Family Home Evening Resource Book, 1983).

“We cannot afford to neglect this heaven-inspired program. It can bring spiritual growth to each member of the family, helping him or her to withstand the temptations which are everywhere. The lessons learned in the home are those that last the longest” (President Thomas S. Monson, April 2005 General Conference).

Remembering Elder Perry

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Elder L. Tom Perry, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, passed away on May 30, 2015, at the age of 92. He was such an inspiring man, and I have been reviewing and learning more about him.

I love how Elder Perry was true to his testimony and his concern for other people right until his last day (source).

At Elder L. Tom Perry’s funeral in the Tabernacle today, Elders Dallin H. Oaks and M. Russell Ballard both delivered heartfelt tributes to their colleague and friend. During his address, Elder Ballard related the following:

“Three days prior to his passing, Elder . . . Oaks and I called on Elder and Sister Perry. We had a tender visit, and as always, Elder Perry spoke of his love of the members of the Church, and his great anxiety and concern for their spiritual well-being.”

Elder Oaks remembered Elder Perry saying, “I just worry about what is going on in the world! How did we get mixed up in this mess?” Elder Perry continued, “Worldwide morals are declining. At the same time, we have populations all over the world that are suffering. We have lost our good, strong Christian beliefs—it is just a tough time.”

Then Elder Oaks said, “As was typical of Elder Perry, he did not linger on the negative.” He smiled as he recalled these words from a dying apostle: “We have a lot of great talented help in the Church! These young kids who come along—I just love them. They’re strong!”

Elder Ballard recounted the advice that Elder Perry wanted the people of the Church to hear. “[I wish I] could get every member of the Church to go and partake of the sacrament, and when they took the bread, they’d ask themselves, ‘Who am I? What am I doing? How am I living? Where am I going? What should I be accomplishing?’ as they renew their covenants with the Lord.” He finished, “The minute they’d pick up the bread, something [would] happen.”

In those final quiet days, Elder Perry delivered this testimony to his brethren in the apostleship. “Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world. Everything depends on Him. We’d better find a way to stay close to him, and if [we] can’t, there’s not much hope. [He] is what we need.”

Inspiring Teachings from Elder Perry

“The family is the center of life and is the key to eternal happiness” (April 2015).

“The most powerful teaching a child will ever receive will come from concerned and righteous fathers and mothers” (October 2014).

“Obedience is a choice. It is a choice between our own limited knowledge and power and God’s unlimited wisdom and omnipotence” (April 2014).

“Make the honoring of family traditions—holiday traditions, birthday traditions, Sunday traditions, dinnertime traditions—and the development of new ones a priority throughout your lives” (December 2012).

L. Tom Perry, “Becoming Goodly Parents”. October 2012 General Conference.

L. Tom Perry, “Mothers Teaching Children in the Home,” Ensign, May 2010, 29–31

Marriage Matters FHE Lesson (May 2015).

Helpful links 

Life Sketch and A Builder of the Kingdom

Biography and links to his recent conference addresses.

3 Things We’ll Never Forget About Elder Perry

News recap of his funeral service

Planning our summer days: The 2015 version of daily activities and chores

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Summer vacation is here! As is typical for me, I have been pondering over our summer plans for the past month (maybe even longer). This year I put together a binder to keep track of our summer lists and paperwork and activity calendar.

Daily List: the things that are expected to be done each day. The list may be completed in any order, but the expectation is that the list must be done before any screen time.

  • Personal prayer and scripture study
  • Morning mile
  • Morning things: dressed, hair done, truth teeth, make bed, put away pajamas and any other clothes
  • Straighten your bedroom and put away anything that belongs to you from any room
  • Practice time: piano, typing, reading, or writing
  • Zone cleaning
  • Personal reading (20 minutes +): record book title, author, # of pages in journal
  • Math minute
  • Journal (optional): write about your day, or use a writing prompt

The Details

Morning Mile: Our elementary school has a great fitness program (students come early before school starts to run/walk laps. They earn little foot charms for every 5 miles, and they have a big awards ceremony at the end of the year). All three of my children really got into it this year, and I want to keep the momentum going. We are aiming to do a mile at least 5 days a week: run/walk, bike, or scooter. Exercise is always more fun with friends, so we invited others to join us and keep track of their miles. Once a week we will get together and run laps in our neighborhood, then pass out the foot charms. We are starting next week, and I hope it works out!

Reading: my kids don’t need any extra motivation to read books, so the 20 minute requirement is not difficult. But I really want them to keep a record of what they read for a few reasons: for handwriting practice, and to give me a list to refer back to when searching for new books to read.

Zone cleaning: my children are at an age (10, 7, and 5 yrs) where they can definitely contribute to the cleaning and maintenance of our home, and with a new baby I especially need their help! Currently each child is assigned a zone (living room, kitchen, bathrooms). I made up detailed “How to clean the…” lists for each room, so the children know exactly what is expected. My 10 year old is mostly able to work through the lists on her own. I work with my 7 and 5 year old to teach and give direction. Each child spends 20 minutes a day, and that is enough to keep things looking pretty decent.

Math minute: we don’t want our brains to turn to fluff, so a few minutes solving math problems keeps us smart!

Journal: I would love to instill a habit of journal writing in my children, so we will give this a try. I still need to put together a list of writing prompts.

So these are the things that are expected each day we are at home (except for Sunday). The children also have table jobs (setting plates, cups, or utensils) and after dinner jobs (clear table, sweep floor, empty recycling).

This list doesn’t have to take too much time, although some children will drag it out for hours. We are still making plans for the rest of our days. We will spend a lot of time at the pool, and we will play and craft and experiment and learn and help others!

You can see 2014 summer plans here.

Living Joyfully in Troubled Times (Teachings from President Benson)

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“We have no cause to really worry. Live the gospel, keep the commandments. Attend to your prayers night and morning in your home. Maintain the standards of the Church. Try and live calmly and cheerfully. … Happiness must be earned from day to day. But it is worth the effort.”

“Be cheerful in all that you do. Live joyfully. Live happily. Live enthusiastically, knowing that God does not dwell in gloom and melancholy, but in light and love.”

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson.

Eternal Life-Knowing God (FHE plans and quotes from Elder Hales)

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Lesson Plan

What are some gifts that you have received? (Children will likely mention toys, Lego, books, etc).

What is the greatest gift that you have ever received? We have all received the same greatest gift, and the answer is found in D&C 14:7.

“And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.”

The greatest gift is eternal life. What is eternal life? The answer is found in John 17:3.

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

Dad gave a great talk on this subject just a few weeks ago. He said “Life eternal is knowing God the Father and Jesus Christ. As we strive for eternal life we must strive for a knowledge of God. Even more, we must not only have a knowledge of Him but also truly know Him. The better we know Him the more we love Him. How can we fully love something we do not understand? How can we truly love someone we do not know? The more familiar we are with someone, the more we understand and love that person.” (Jared’s talk is here).

In October 2014, Elder Robert D. Hales spoke about eternal life and knowing Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Watch the first segment of Elder Hales talk (up to 3:33).

“My own testimony grew as I learned about Heavenly Father and the Savior from the teachings and testimony of my parents, teachers, the scriptures—which I read diligently—and especially the Holy Ghost. As I exercised faith and obeyed the commandments, the Holy Ghost testified that what I was learning was true. This is how I came to know for myself.”

Discuss ways that we can know God: study scriptures and the words of the prophets, love and serve others, meaningful prayers, etc.

Concluding remarks from Elder Hales:

“I testify that our Heavenly Father wants us to seek this knowledge now. The words of the prophet Helaman cry from the dust: “Remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation … , a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.”Indeed, we will not fail.

That sure foundation is Jesus Christ. He is “the Rock of Heaven.”When we build our house upon Him, the rains of the latter days may descend, the floods may come, and the winds may blow, but we will not fall. We will not fail, for our home and our family will be founded upon Christ.”

Further Study

“All of us need to know God more fully in order to love him more deeply and obey him more completely.” Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Grandeur of God”. October 2003 General Conference.

The March 2014 New Era magazine has a great explanation of John 17:3, including quotes from General Authorities.

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