The Parable of the Argentine Ant

The Lord, during his mortal ministry, always used common things in the lives of the people to teach doctrine and lessons.  I have likewise come to recognize the parable of the Argentine ant in my life.  (Disclaimer: I still hate having ants in my kitchen, bathroom, dirty laundry, and especially my dinner.)


We moved into our house 7 years ago and I was unaware that the house we bought was infested with ants. Not so uncommon for the area of southern California that we live in, but previously I had lived in apartments or condos which were regularly sprayed for pests and had never had an issue.  Well, after moving in we began seeing a couple of ants here and there and then everywhere.  I suddenly realized why people would sign up for pest control the second someone knocked on their door.  I felt like I was going insane, like I had ants crawling all over me.  And the problem was, half the time I really did have an ant crawling on me.  It forced me to change some things that I had never thought of before, like: put brown sugar in a sealed tupperware instead of the packaging it came in (there is always a pin sized hole that ants can get into).  Put the honey bear in a ziploc bag because ants can crawl right up the threads where the lid screws on.  Keep all cereal in sealed containers.  Store peanut butter in the fridge even if it doesn't need to be refrigerated.  Rinse plates immediately. Et cetera.  And I also quickly threw the whole organic movement out the window and said give me what ever it takes to get rid of these guys.

I am completely sure that growing up I never once saw an ant in my house so this was quite an adjustment.  I began feeling like the ants were controlling me. I couldn't manage my house the way I wanted, I had to follow the rules they dictated to me or I would suffer their wrath (presence) again.  I couldn't leave the dishes for the morning because every time I do, I am greeted with armies of ants.  One summer I couldn't even walk away in the middle of preparing dinner to attend to the children because by time I returned 5 minutes later they were in our dinner.   Even more frustrating, were the nights I spent and still spend scouring the kitchen to make sure I have cleaned up every little shred of chicken, every dish, every spot or drip. Only to find in the morning that they still haven't gone away.  They are still just marching around, scouting for some tiny morsel I may have missed.

To be clear, I don't appreciate the ants! And I still want them gone!  But there are few things that I can see that the Lord might want me to learn from them:

1. Determination: The ants never give up and go away.  They walk extreme distances to procure food and water.  They never take no for an answer.  Each time we spray one area, or caulk a crack they always find another way in.  I continue to have trials in my life, as we all do, but do I continue on pressing forward with faith in Jesus Christ when that trial is placed before me.  The ants never forget their purpose, their goal. Even when something is suddenly placed in their way they immediately begin searching for a new route to obtain their goal.  I heard earlier today in a speech I was listening to that if the Lord is going to make our weaknesses our strengths then we must expect that we will be tried in all of those areas of weakness.  We must trust our Lord and Savior to know that he truly has our best interests at heart.  And knows how to prepare us to meet him. 
2. Keep Trying:  Frequently (understatement) I flick the little ants off of me and they go flying off and hit the floor.  Compared to their size, that really is quite a distance.  But they just seem to bounce, land, and keep right on going.  They don't even pause to shake it off.  Undeterred.  Are we undeterred in our goals? in our commitment to our moral standards?
3. Hum, I don't know what to title this one.  But I've noticed a peculiar thing.  Often I've seen an ant carrying another dead ant that I have killed.  Now I'm not sure if he is carrying the ant back home because he wants to return him to the family or if they are just going to eat him too.  But if we are talking parable here, we will go with the more honorable hypothesis of taking care of his own.  Caring and working together as a family even in and beyond death.  Do we seek out our family history? our kindred dead?  and "carry them back" to our Father in Heaven by providing essential ordinances such as baptism and marriage. 
4. Consistency:  Consistency is something that we'll just say is an area needing improvement for me.  The ants are consistent in their search for food, returning to the colony and providing for their queens. Their consistency requires me to be consistent in the things that I need to do such as keeping a clean kitchen always, staying ahead of the dishes, remembering to put food away in sealed containers.  Consistency also applies to our spiritual lives also. Am I consistent in studying the gospel of Jesus Christ. Consistent in praying regularly morning and night, and always in my heart.  Consistently improving in patience and love with my children.  Consistently progressing spiritually through my own study.  If we are not moving forward we are moving behind--it is impossible to stand still.  
5. Working together for a common good: The ants are united in one purpose.  Not one of them seeks after himself, to get his own gain, to make a stockpile of his own, or to leave and start a better colony all of his own. They work together, each one doing his part. All are essential, one is not less or more than the other.  They are united, they are one. 

So while I continue to clean my house and spray for ants.  I do think that there are lessons to be learned in all things.  And maybe in some of these lessons I needed to be "compelled" to learn them as I wasn't seeking change in these areas on my own. The Lord is the master teacher.  

And one last lesson I've learned from the ants. When you are shopping for a house and they mention that they have maintained pest control the entire time they have lived in the home.  Don't assume that means that they were proactive, that this is a well maintained home, and that there won't be any pests.  Assume that means that there is a problem and that you will also be required to pay for ongoing pest control to maintain some small sense of sanity.

Great Answers to the Great Question

Great Answers to the Great Question Maxwell, Neal A. October 11, 1986
Here are my notes that I jotted down while doing dishes and listening. Click on the link to hear the original message. (free mp3)

Meekness: Example- Moses, well learned of the egyptians, yet was the meekest man up on the earth
indiscriminate at learning  meeknees is more than a passive attribute- seek the law of the lord and apply
most of us are unsearching  quite content with a superficial understanding,
whether out of laziness or out of being busy which is incident to the pressing cares of the world.

Meekness is in all of our virtues and pride in all of our sins.

It takes time to prepare for eternity. patience. line upon line.  coveting the drop while neglecting the more weighty matters.
if he is going to make every weak thing strong then he must test us in all of our weaknesses.

Quote of the day

Every sister who strengthens and protects her family is doing the work of God. 

In the 4th watch of the night...

We've known for a while that the tires on the family car weren't looking so good.  There were long cracks in the tire walls.  We have postponed taking it in to get it checked out because we knew they would say that we needed all new tires.  From a previous flat tire I new each tire costs $268.  Times 4 is just not something we can afford right now.  However with leaving tomorrow to drive to visit family for the holiday we decided we needed to find out how bad the tires were and if it would be dangerous to drive that far with them in their current state.  My Dear Husband took the car in and called me now to tell me the news.   DH said that the previous flat that had been replaced was still good but we need three new ones and it really would be too dangerous to travel with the old ones.  Initially it was coming to around $900, but then the costumer service guy started searching through the guarantees, rebates and anything else that could help us.  He then showed DH that the new cost was going to be $166 FOR ALL THREE.  DH handed him the keys and said do it!  I cried when DH told me--happy tears as my kids call them.  What a blessing from the Lord.  He may wait until the 4th watch of the night to answer our prayers, but he does hear them and at the right time answers them.  Now we can drive without worrying about popping a tire.  Thank you Heavenly Father and thank you Discount Tire!

Just what I needed to hear...

Saw this on facebook tonight and it really hit home and was what I needed to hear:


It is the home which produces the nursery stock of new generations. I hope that you mothers [and fathers] will realize that when all is said and done, you have no more compelling responsibility, nor any laden with greater rewards, than the nurture you give your children in an environment of security, peace, companionship, love, and motivation to grow and do well.

The more surely you rear your children in the ways of the gospel of Jesus Christ, with love and high expectation, the more likely that there will be peace in their lives.
---Gordon B. Hinckley


Funny too, because the person that posted it was someone I taught on my mission and I was just thinking of her today.  Being able to be a part of her conversion experience and knowing the amazing person that she is such a blessing in my life.  I was feeling depleted today and seeing her testimony in action strengthened me.  Her example gives me the motivation to keep trying to do what I know I should be doing as a wife and mother even though I feel like I'm 'swimming up stream'.  I am grateful that the Lord brought her into my life. 

Quoteof the day

Personal worthiness is more important than lineage or our birth order in receiving gospel blessings

"By Small and Simple Things are Great Things Brought to Pass"

This is a great talk! Check it out:

BYUtv - BYU Women's Conference: Elder David A. Bednar Sister Susan Bednar (2011):

'via Blog this'

‎"Ordinary people who faithfully, diligently, and consistently do simple things that are right before God will bring forth extraordinary results." --Elder David A. Bednar


I really needed to hear this today.  

My Little Duckies

When Ducks Don’t Float

BY WENDI WIXOM TAYLOR

---

We just assumed our ducklings would take to the water. We were in for a surprise.

It all started with the surprise gift Dad brought home to his three daughters. Peering inside a chirping cardboard box, we girls squealed with delight. Baby ducklings! We couldn’t wait to reach in and grab one. We jostled Dad so much, he almost dropped the box.

“Take it easy, girls!” he chuckled. “There’s one for each of you!”

I was surprised at how tiny that little duckling felt in my hand. In my gentle clasp, its warm body felt like the size of a quarter, and it weighed about as much too.

“Wow, it’s so light!” I exclaimed. “No wonder baby ducks can float!”

Dad laughed again as he walked off to join Mom in the kitchen. Dad was big on surprises, especially the ones that made his family smile. That’s when I remembered the wading pool. It would be the perfect home for our new ducks.

“Nora, get that old plastic pool out of the garage,” I ordered my sister.

With our backyard hose pumping clear, cool water into the pool, we began to examine our ducks and set about to name them. Mine had a little speck of brown on his rounded bill and ridiculously giant webbed feet.

Suddenly I remembered my friends. They would laugh at how enthusiastic I was over these new pets. Then I realized my friends wouldn’t be by for the next few days. Their parents had given them permission to go camping in the nearby mountains. Bike riding on an old dirt trail, choosing a campsite, pitching a tent. They’d have a ton of fun and be home the next day, laughing and talking about their campout. My mom hadn’t given me permission. She said I was too young!

With the wading pool full, we girls gathered around, greatly anticipating this moment. We set our flapping, quacking birds on the water and ZOOM, right to the bottom. All three sank!

We plunged our hands into the pool and rescued the poor choking birds. What had gone wrong? We weren’t asking them to do something difficult, like swim. All they had to do was float. Isn’t that easy for a duck?

“What happened?” my sister wondered.

“Maybe we surprised them!”

We all agreed it was like babies when they learn how to walk. They just have to fall sometimes. We agreed to give it another try.

“One, two, three, go!”

Plunk! Plunk! Plunk! straight down like balls of lead.

Fortunately for the ducklings, none of us had the heart to follow through on our theory that they just needed practice. When Nora suggested we use the blow dryer on their feathers, we all scrambled into the house. Gently, my two sisters aired out the poor birds with my pink blow dryer while I looked up the phone number from the name on the cardboard box.

“Hello, sir? We’re the ones that just bought—well, our dad just bought—three little ducklings. Yes, sir. Well, there is a problem with our ducks. You see, we prefer our ducks to float.”

What this man had to say was an eye-opener for me. I didn’t realize I had learned quite so much until I heard myself explain it to Nora and Suzy: “You see, the downy feathers do not repel water. They soak it right up. We have to wait another week or two for their bodies to make the waxy oil that will waterproof their feathers.”

“But that’s not true,” Nora argued. “I’ve seen baby ducks follow their mother on the river. They were just a few days old.”

“The man explained that to me. When ducks are born, the mother wraps her wings around the babies to keep them warm. The oil from the mother’s wings rubs off onto her babies. With their mother, they can stay afloat. On their own, they need to get a little older before they’re safe in the water.”

That’s when my brain trailed off to the mountains somewhere, thinking about my friends in their tent. Maybe Mom just wanted to keep me under her wings for a little while longer. I stroked my duckling’s tiny back with one finger.

“We’ll keep you out of the pool for now, little one,” I promised him. Then, as an afterthought, I added, “Do you miss your mom?”

When I read this article it all made sense.   We weren't going to be able to do preschool for Lydia this year because there weren't enough kids to do Joy School.  I was feeling bad that she was going to miss out this year.  But after reading this article I realized that this is the better way for Lydia this year.  Next year, she will be thrown into the kindergarten "pool" and needs the time this year under my wing to get enough "oil"  to be able to float next year.  It's also interesting to me that it is the oil from the mother that helps her ducklings to float, as oil is so symbolic in the bible particularly the parable of the ten virgins.  We add drops of oil to our lamps through scripture study, church and temple attendance, it is essential to pass that "oil" on to our children.  

I'm so glad that I read this article to put this experience in the proper perspective to help me recognize how I need to focus my time with sweet daughter.  

Angels

Teach of faith to know that obedience to the commandments of God will provide physical and spiritual protection. And remember, God’s holy angels are ever on call to help us. The Lord so declared: “I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.”⁶ What a promise! When we are faithful, He and His angels will help us.


The rest of the talk can be heard here.

Just what I needed to hear...

Opened up to D & C 82 tonight and after reading the chapter heading I can tell this is just what I need to hear.

Verse 1: All of you have sinned.  I am constantly making mistakes and falling quite short of mine and others expectations.  Today I made sure all the dishes were clean when I left with the kids to pick up my husband and meet with old friends.  I really thought I had thought ahead and made sure it would be clean when we got home. Only to get home and find the floor covered with ants.  Apparently there was some food under the kitchen table that I didn't see but the ants did.  Next faux pas for the day: I am pretty sure I have completely offended someone close to me.  It was obviously unintentional but could have easily been prevented if I just thought a little and wasn't so wrapped up in trying to get on top of things (ie cooking, cleaning, laundry, entertaining the kids, etc)  I'm going to have to go talk to this person and try to rectify the situation.
Verse 19: "Every man seeking the interest of his neighbor, and doing all things with and eye single to the glory of God."  I need to apologize to this person that I have not been a good friend / neighbor to.  I need to keep my eye single to the glory of God. I get so distracted, but need to focus in on doing the will of my Father.

Quote of the Day

The greatest challenge is in making the truths it symbolizes an integral part of our lives. Most men continue to eat only the deadening fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The tree of life, however, is available to all who do not wish to live forever in their sins, and the Book of Mormon invites all people to approach and partake of the tree’s divine and eternal fruit.

BY C. WILFRED GRIGGS 


June 1998

Working on my Mormon.org profile

 

I am a Mormon because I was born into a Mormon family, but I stayed a Mormon because of a few defining moments when I was at crossroads at different times in my life. 1) I'm not sure why but ever since I was very little I knew my Heavenly Father and I knew that more than anything I wanted to return to Him.   Life has forced me to change and grow many times and the knowledge of this principle has giving me the desire to keep trying.  2) I have come to know my Savior through prayer, scripture study, and through repenting.  By receiving of His forgiveness I gained a strong testimony of Him and the power of His Atonement.  3) I have recognized that when I follow the guidelines in the Mormon church I am a better person and I'm happy.

  Knowing that my Heavenly Father loves me and cares for me is such a strength for me when everything else seems to be going wrong at times.    Knowing that I want to return to my Father in Heaven sets off a chain reaction of events.  If I want to return to Him I must follow His commandments.  If I want to return to Him I must be more like His son Jesus Christ. If I want to be like Jesus. I need to know who He is by studying Him in the scriptures and then I need to try.  If I fail I must repent and try again.  And why, why keep going when I keep making mistakes? Because when I'm trying I'm happy.   The absolute happiest times in my life have been in consequence of keeping commandments.  I'm Mormon because it makes me happy.

I know God loves me. I know that he cares individually for each of his children here on this earth.

scripture study thoughts

Christ has said that if we ask for good things with faith that the Lord will bless you, behold it shall be done unto you. So then our responsibility lies in searching out if it be a good thing and having faith. In order to know if it is a good thing vs 5-15 are clear as to how to discern good from evil. And 15 states that it is given to us to judge ie we have our agency to know good from evil. And we are told that the "way to judge is plain" because we look to the source, that which is of God is good, that which is of Satan is evil. But we are also told that we "may know with a perfect knowledge" if it is of God. And the way to know is in vs 19 "search diligently in the light of Christ...and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing...ye certainly will be a child of Christ." So search the scriptures, the prophets, patriarchal blessings, and the temple-all things that are of the light of Christ. And "lay hold" of them or take them unto yourself. I guess this is all just part of the process of becoming like Jesus.

En Espanol

This Father's Day I was asked to speak in church. Which is usually challenging, but we are currently attending church in Spanish. Now everything I know about the Spanish language I have learned from street signs, spanish cartoons, asking my husband, and attending church in spanish for the last 2 years. Previously when asked to speak I would give my talk in english and have my cute husband translate it. But this time I decided to try it in spanish. I wrote it and then used Google Translate to translate it into spanish. Google Translate did a great job and was instant. For some reason I wasn't even nervous to deliver the talk, when usually I am. I think it went really well, I got a lot of comments that I didn't even sound like I had an english accent. The only thing I could have done better was make it shorter. It ran a little long, partly because I was a little slow saying it. But that's okay, I did it and I really felt like it helped me a lot with my spanish too. For those that are interested, here's a copy of my talk. 

Me gustaría desear a todos los padres un feliz Día de los Padres. Padres de hoy como muchos de ustedes han recibido regalos celebrando su llamado a ser un padre. Me gustaría hablar hoy dos regalos que le puedes dar a tus hijos. Ellos son el testimonio y el templo.

TESTIMONIO:
Padres, uno de los mayores regalos que se pueden compartir con sus hijos es compartir su testimonio con ellos. No sólo sabía entonces lo que usted cree, sino que también inspira su propio testimonio dentro de sí mismos. Mi padre tiene un gran testimonio del Evangelio y siempre supe que lo hizo. Él comparte su testimonio con nosotros en la Noche de Hogar y siempre lo veía estudiando sus escrituras y otros libros relacionados con el evangelio. Recuerdo que cuando era joven asistía a una clase de Doctrina del Evangelio que él estaba enseñando, y darse cuenta de la profundidad de su conocimiento del Evangelio y la gran fuerza de su testimonio. Me encontré con un mayor aprecio, el amor y el respeto a mi padre.  

Cuando estaba en la universidad me fui con un compañero mío a visitar a su familia en Oregon. Durante esa visita, me di cuenta de la fuente de su conocimiento del Evangelio y la fuerza de su testimonio. Como me uní a ellos para la cena de la familia, su padre comenzó a discutir el evangelio con sus hijos. Les pedía preguntas que provocan del pensamiento, les permite responder y buscar en sus conversiones en busca de respuestas. Luego  abría sus escrituras y les enseñaba las Escrituras que él conocía muy bien. Yo podría decir que esto era un hecho cotidiano en su hogar. No era sólo en la Noche de Hogar, pero también era durante el desayuno y la cena. Sus conversiones casuales con frecuencia se abrieron a la aplicación del Evangelio en su vida. Me di cuenta de que los niños se sentían cómodos hablando con sus padres acerca del Evangelio. Que se sentían cómodos haciendo preguntas y había una fuerte relación con sus padres.

Este padre le había dado a sus hijos el don magnífico de conocimiento y testimonio. No conocimiento de los hombres, sino de pura verdaderos principios confirmados por el Espíritu del Señor. Padres, no es necesario esperar a que sus hijos crezcan para enseñar doctrinas importantes del evangelio. El evangelio es bastante simple, incluso para los niños más pequeños a entender. Al enseñar a sus hijos que ambos serán bendecidos con testimonios y fortalecido una relación familiar más fuerte. Recuerdo que me sentí agradecido a mi Padre Celestial que han podido experimentar esta vez con esta familia. Fue breve tutorial sobre cómo podría ser como un padre.

TEMPLO:
También podemos fortalecer a nuestras familias a través del templo y yo discutiré tres maneras:.

1. formas de enseñar a nuestros hijos acerca del templo
2. el ejemplo de su importancia a través de nuestra asistencia
3. Hagamos de nuestros hogares un templo

En primer lugar:. Enseñemos a nuestros hijos acerca del templo
En la conferencia general de abril, el Profeta, el presidente Monson nos enseñó: "Les suplico que enseñar a sus hijos de la importancia del templo. El mundo puede ser un lugar desafiante y difícil en donde vivir. A menudo se nos rodea de aquello que nos arrastra hacia abajo. Como usted y yo vamos a las casas santas de Dios, al recordar los convenios que hacemos en nuestro interior, será más capaz de soportar todas las pruebas y vencer cada tentación. En este santuario sagrado vamos a encontrar la paz, que será renovada y fortalecida”

Las tentaciones de nuestros hijos hoy se multiplican en comparación con lo que experimentamos nosotros como niños. La inocencia se pierde rápidamente a través de todos los bombardeos de la suciedad que Satanás encuentra, y las manera de introducirse en las vidas de nuestros hijos.   

Como padres, en el deseo de proteger a nuestros niños de los peligros del mundo, es imposible evitar todas las tentaciones. Debemos fortalecer a nuestros hijos a tener el conocimiento y el carácter de elegir lo que es correcto. Podemos enseñarles cómo hacer que el espíritu este con ellos, y de prepararse para el bautismo y los convenios del templo.

Una manera en que podemos enseñar a nuestros hijos acerca del templo es a través de las canciones principales del templo. Muchos padres se han unido a la iglesia o se reactivaron después en sus vidas y no tuvieron la oportunidad de asistir a la primaria como un niño. En el libro de primaria hay canciones sobre el templo, como  la de "Me encanta ver el templo." Puedo recomendar a que los padres a aprender la canción y luego las enseñen a sus hijos. Esto se puede hacer en la noche de hogar o como complemento de su estudio de las Escrituras. A medida que nuestros niños aprenden esta canción, que se cantan una y otra vez, esto les ayuda a aprender sobre el templo y a fortalecer su compromiso para que se preparen para asistir al templo, cuando sean mayores de edad. Después de haber memorizado canciones de la iglesia, también puede ser útil para nuestros pequeños, para que "que la virtud engalane nuestros pensamientos." La letra y la música están disponibles en el sitio de internet a las iglesias a escuchar. Al enseñar a nuestros hijos las canciones, cuando los pensamientos inapropiados entrar en sus mentes, el Espíritu puede traer estas canciones a su memoria y rápidamente mantener sus mentes en las cosas santas.

En mi vida he sido bendecido muchas veces a través de la iglesia y canciones de la Primaria. Se han inundado de nuevo en mi mente durante los momentos de tristeza, momentos de tentación, y los momentos de alegría. Lo que me permite tener esperanza en la expiación, resistir la tentación, y nos gloriamos en este evangelio de la gloria. Yo no sabía como niño la gran bendición que sería de mi vida. Este es un hermoso regalo que podemos dar a nuestros hijos que le ayudará a llevar al templo.

2. Ejemplo: A
medida que nuestros hijos nos ven asistir al templo van a empezar a entender la importancia de it.That es otro regalo que podemos dar a nuestros hijos en su vida - para ayudar a alcanzar las bendiciones eternas del templo.  

Mientras me preparaba para esta charla he leído muchos relatos de los fieles de los Santos de la preparación, el ahorro, y emprender la larga caminata hasta el templo lejano. Una historia de un hermano Gonçalves da Silva, habló de viajar desde Manaus, Brasil, para el templo de São Paulo. Viajó cuatro días en barco, dormía en la terminal de autobuses y cuatro días más en autobús para llegar al templo. Después de que se tomaría el viaje de regreso a casa ocho días. Se tardó más de un año para ahorrar el dinero para viajar.

Tenemos la bendición de tener un primer templo, pero muchas veces estamos tan fácilmente atrapados en los asuntos cotidianos de la vida que nos encontramos habitualmente faltan en el templo en lugar de asistir regularmente a la sien. Élder Richard G. Scott tiene una sugerencia para los que nos encontramos en esta situación: "Cuandoun templo se encuentra convenientemente cerca, las cosas pequeñas pueden interrumpir sus planes para ir al templo. Establezca metas específicas, teniendo en cuenta sus circunstancias, de cuando se puede y participará en las ordenanzas del templo. Entonces no permita que nada interfiera con el plan. Este modelo garantiza que los que viven a la sombra de un templo será tan bendecidos como los que planear con anticipación y hacer un largo viaje al templo ". rgs

3. Haga de su hogar un templo:
el Presidente Monson dijo recientemente en una conferencia, "Para que los padres de los niños pequeños, me permito compartir con ustedes algunos sabios consejos del presidente Spencer W. Kimball. Dijo: "Sería algo muy bueno si ... los padres que tienen en cada habitación en su casa una imagen del templo por lo que [sus hijos] a partir del momento [son] infantil [s] podía mirar el cuadro todos los días [ hasta que] se convierte en una parte de [la vida]. Cuando [llegar a] la edad que [se necesita] para que [la] decisión muy importante [en relación con ir al templo], se han hecho ya. "

Colgar cuadros del templo en nuestra casa va a ayudar a nuestros niños a recordar el objetivo del templo. También podemos llevar a nuestros hijos con regularidad a los terrenos del templo y la sensación de la reverencia, la paz y el Espíritu no. Tenemos que tratar de crear la misma sensación en nuestros hogares. Cuando regresemos de asistir a la charla sobre el templo con sus hijos. Si bien hay muchas cosas sagradas que no se habla de fuera del templo, podemos compartir con nuestros hijos los sentimientos que sentimos mientras estábamos allí. Podemos compartir con ellos el Espíritu que nos sentimos allí, y entonces podemos dar testimonio de ellos en ese momento que el templo es la casa del Señor. Debemos dar testimonio todos los días a nuestros hijos de los principios que nos encontramos a diario en vez de simplemente ahorrar para el domingo de ayuno.  

El presidente Spencer W. Kimball dijo: "Otras instituciones de la sociedad puede fallar e incluso fallar, pero el [la madre y el padre me permito añadir] justo puede ayudar a salvar la casa que puede ser el último refugio, y sólo algunos mortales conocen en medio de la tormenta y la lucha. "

Repito la advertencia de que el presidente Monson nos dio en abril ", les ruego que enseñar a sus hijos de la importancia del templo.

Yo sé que el templo es la casa de Dios. Yo sé que dentro del templo es la paz y la alegría que está más allá de cualquier cosa que este mundo puede ofrecer. Yo sé que dentro del templo que se fortaleció frente a las pruebas y tentaciones de este mundo. Y sé que nuestros hijos necesitan el templo como mucho, si no más que nosotros. Rezo para que vamos a seguir el consejo profetas y enseñar a nuestros hijos la importancia del templo. En el nombre de Jesucristo, Amén.

Parenting 101 or.....

A sweet and obedient child will enroll a father or mother only in Parenting 101. If you are blessed with a child who tests your patience to the nth degree, you will be enrolled in Parenting 505. Rather than wonder what you might have done wrong in the premortal life to be so deserving, you might consider the more challenging child a blessing and opportunity to become more godlike yourself. With which child will your patience, long-suffering, and other Christlike virtues most likely be tested, developed, and refined? Could it be possible that you need this child as much as this child needs you?

What Manner of Men and Women Ought Ye to Be?

Diligent

I am speaking in one week on Diligence.  I love the simple but profound truths spoken of here: 

"We can begin to become more diligent and concerned at home bytelling the people we love that we love them. Such expressions do notneed to be flowery or lengthy. We simply should sincerely andfrequently express love.

Brethren and sisters, when was the last time you took your eternalcompanion in your arms and said, “I love you”? Parents, when was thelast time you sincerely expressed love to your children? Children, whenwas the last time you told your parents that you love them?

Each of us already knows we should tell the people we love that welove them. But what we know is not always reflected in what we do. Wemay feel unsure, awkward, or even perhaps a bit embarrassed.

As disciples of the Savior, we are not merely striving to know more;rather, we need to consistently do more of what we know is right andbecome better.

We should remember that saying “I love you” is only a beginning. Weneed to say it, we need to mean it, and most importantly we needconsistently to show it. We need to both express and demonstrate love.

President Thomas S. Monson recently counseled: “Often we assumethat [the people around us] must know how much we love them. But weshould never assume; we should let them know. … We will never regretthe kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets willcome if such things are omitted from our relationships with those whomean the most to us” (“Finding Joy in the Journey,” Liahona and Ensign,Nov. 2008, 86).

Sometimes in a sacrament meeting talk or testimony, we hear astatement like this: “I know I do not tell my spouse often enough howmuch I love her. Today I want her, my children, and all of you to knowthat I love her.”

Such an expression of love may be appropriate. But when I hear astatement like this, I squirm and silently exclaim that the spouse andchildren should not be hearing this apparently rare and privatecommunication in public at church! Hopefully the children hear loveexpressed and see love demonstrated between their parents in theregular routine of daily living. If, however, the public statement of loveat church is a bit surprising to the spouse or the children, then indeedthere is a need to be more diligent and concerned at home.

The relationship between love and appropriate action is demonstratedrepeatedly in the scriptures and is highlighted by the Savior’sinstruction to His Apostles: “If ye love me, keep my commandments”(John 14:15). Just as our love of and for the Lord is evidenced bywalking ever in His ways (see Deuteronomy 19:9), so our love forspouse, parents, and children is reflected most powerfully in ourthoughts, our words, and our deeds (see Mosiah 4:30).

Feeling the security and constancy of love from a spouse, a parent, or achild is a rich blessing. Such love nurtures and sustains faith in God.Such love is a source of strength and casts out fear (see 1 John 4:18).Such love is the desire of every human soul.

We can become more diligent and concerned at home as we expresslove—and consistently show it."

Elder David A Bednar