Application Project - Family

After all this studying I realized the area I wanted most to be grounded in at this time was in my family.  I felt that we specifically needed to reemphasize the roles and responsibilities in our family.  In addition to starting college courses through the pathways program I also went to work part time for the first time since before having my children.  This was necessary to pay off an increase in medical bills due to my husband’s chronic kidney disorder. When we decided that I would do this we had a couple of conditions: First, that is would be temporary, and second, that I would be home when the kids were home. I was hired at a job that was only 9 months long. It worked perfectly.  I finished in May and since then our family has been trying to reconnect and reconstruct.

While I was working we shared many of the responsibilities I was accustom to doing.  This was good for all of us and also hard.  When my job was winding down we sat down as a family and decided after all the changes we must refocus on what is most important and how we wanted to move forward. Especially since I will be continuing in my schooling.

We have met weekly for our family councils, this was a habit that saved us through my working.  We recommitted to better prepared, family home evenings.  We went over our household responsibilities, and we decided on projects that we could do to beautify and maintain our aging home. I as a mother have been more aware of the unspoken needs in our home and been trying to be more sensitive to making time to focus on the individuals in our home so they can find safety and security here.  It has paid bid dividends in this short refocus time already.

So far we have continued to hold our weekly family councils.  We have been studying an apostle weekly for since October’s conference and we have held onto this habit. I am thankful for my husband’s leadership in this area of our Sabbath day.  Our family home evenings have been better focused. Since I have made more time to make official desserts it seems like the whole thing goes better. J We made a family plan for some home projects and I am so proud of the responsibility of my children in holding themselves to the plan we made.  I have seen self-motivation I have not previously seen, and we now have a newly tiled bathroom, as well as our family room is redesigned and more inviting for our family, as well as our yard is being much better attended to without nagging. 

I know that as I, myself have refocused on my role as wife and mother.  I have felt the influence of the Lord in my life directing me.  I made a goal to pray morning and night specifically for direction in this role as well as to record promptings that come in my journal so I can keep up on my action toward them. I know that focusing my action toward my family, and each of our specific roles has helped the chaos we were feeling to subside.  As a team we are stronger, and with the Lord’s help and the invitation of the spirit into our home by obedience we have found great peace and much love return.  Family is the most important thing to me, together we support and strengthen one another no matter the stage we are in.  It is a beautiful thing. 

Family

My position on the family unit is one of great reverence and gratitude.  I know that the family is of God.  He intends for us to live in family units.  In this way we can grow and become what he wants us to be.  Everything we experience here in this life is in to help us in our relationships and associations now and in eternity.  There are sacred roles in families.  As we seek to follow these as best as our circumstances allow we will be blessed and strengthened.  I know this from my own experience.  The family is under attack, Satan will never live in a family unit and seeks to destroy the very fibers that sustain a family unit.  Knowing this we can be better prepared to identify his ploys and tactics so we can remain strong and have peace.  In my own family we have felt his tentacles of trouble and have struggled to become free from his intentions.  As we work together as a family and seek strength from the Lord, we become a force for goodness he cannot overcome.  But we must also be vigilant in our efforts or he sneaks in in subtle ways and takes anchor wherever he can find place. Daily we combat this with our testimony of family and why it is important.

Supporting Quotes:

1.      Elder D. Todd Christofferson – April 2015 General Conference, “Why Marriage, Why Family?” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/why-marriage-why-family?lang=eng “Certainly the adversary is pleased when parents neglect to teach and train their children to have faith in Christ and be spiritually born again. Brothers and sisters, many things are good, many are important, but only few are essential.” 

2.      Elder D. Todd Christofferson – April 2015 General Conference, “Why Marriage, Why Family?” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/why-marriage-why-family?lang=eng “God ordained that men and women should marry and give birth to children, thereby creating in partnership with God, the physical bodies that are key to the test of mortality and essential to eternal glory with Him.”

3.      Pres. Henry B. Eyring – April 2012 General Conference “To My Grandchildren” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/to-my-grandchildren?lang=eng “It is only with the companionship of the Holy ghost that we can hope to be equally yoked in a marriage free from discord.  I have seen how this companionship is crucial for felicity in a marriage.  The miracle of becoming one requires the help of heaven, and it takes time. Our goal is to live together forever in the presence of Heavenly Father and our Savior.”

4.      Pres. Henry B. Eyring – April 2012 General Conference “To My Grandchildren” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/to-my-grandchildren?lang=eng “Life in families will test us. That is one of God’s purposes in giving us the gift of mortality—to strengthen us by passing through tests. That will be especially true in family life, where we will find great joy and great sorrow and challenges which may at times seem beyond our power to endure them.”

5.      Pres. Henry B. Eyring – April 2012 General Conference “To My Grandchildren” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/to-my-grandchildren?lang=eng “Go to the Savior for relief from pain, a relief only he can give. …accept and magnify every calling offered in the Church. That choice is one of the great keys to family happiness. “The pressures at every stage of life can tempt us to reject or neglect calls to serve the Savior. That can put us in spiritual peril for ourselves, our spouses, and our families.”  “While serving others, we are more likely to plead for the companionship of the Holy Ghost. Success in the Lord’s service always produces miracles beyond our own powers.”

6.      Pres. Henry B. Eyring – April 2012 General Conference “To My Grandchildren” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/to-my-grandchildren?lang=eng “President George Q. Cannon said this about how God has prepared you and me and our children for the tests we will face: “There is not one of us but what God’s love has been expended upon. There is not one of us that He has not cared for and caressed. There is not one of us that He has not desired to save, and that He has not devised means to save. There is not one of us that He has not given His angels charge concerning. We may be insignificant and contemptible in our own eyes, and in the eyes of others, but the truth remains that we are the children of God, and that He has actually given His angels—invisible beings of power and might—charge concerning us, and they watch over us and have us in their keeping.” What President Cannon taught is true. You will need that assurance, as I have needed it and depended on it.” God has devised means to save each of His children. For many, that involves being placed with a brother or a sister or a grandparent who loves them no matter what they do.”

7.      Pres. Henry B. Eyring – Oct 2014 General Conference “Continuing Revelation” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/continuing-revelation?lang=eng “The revelation of a parent has its lasting effect in the personal revelation that continues in the child.”

8.       Elder Oaks – October 2014 General Conference, “Loving Others and Living with Differences” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/loving-others-and-living-with-differences?lang=eng “. . . Kindness is powerful, especially in a family setting.” “As difficult as it is to live in the turmoil surrounding us, our Savior’s command to love one another as He loves us is probably our greatest challenge. I pray that we may understand this and seek to live it in all of our relationships and activities.”

9.      Pres. Boyd K. Packer – April 2010 General Conference “The Power of the Priesthood” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/04/the-power-of-the-priesthood?lang=eng “It is crucial for everyone to understand what is expected of the brethren.  Unless we enlist the attention of the mothers and daughters and sisters- who have influence upon their husbands, fathers, sons, and brothers – we cannot progress.  The priesthood will lose great power if the sisters are neglected.”  

10.  Elder Quentin L. Cook – April 2015 General Conference “The Lord is My Light” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-lord-is-my-light?lang=eng “The beautiful traditions of religious observance in the home need to be embedded in the hearts of our children.” “Brothers and sisters, if we faithfully have family prayer, scripture study, family home evening, priesthood blessings, and Sabbath day observance, our children will know what time it is at home. They will be prepared for an eternal home in heaven, regardless of what befalls them in a difficult world. It is vitally important that our children know they are loved and safe at home.”

11.  Elder Christofferson - October 2013 “The Moral Force of Women” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/the-moral-force-of-women?lang=eng “In all events, a mother can exert an influence unequaled by any other person in any other relationship. By the power of her example and teaching, her sons learn to respect womanhood and to incorporate discipline and high moral standards in their own lives. Her daughters learn to cultivate their own virtue and to stand up for what is right, again and again, however unpopular. A mother’s love and high expectations lead her children to act responsibly without excuses, to be serious about education and personal development, and to make ongoing contributions to the well-being of all around them.”

Atonement

My Personal position on the atonement is this: I know that without Christ I am nothing. Through the atonement of Christ I am enabled to accomplish things that I would otherwise not have the capability to do. When I put my trust in the Lord it opens the door for blessings.  It is through him we have all the tools we need to endure all trials and tests in this life and it is through His atoning power we eventually gain eternal life. Knowing this means that I rely on him, when life gets heavy I can turn to the Lord. By exercising faith in him I receive great blessings of assurance and strength.  I am committed to praying in his name knowing it is through his atoning power that mercy and grace is administered to me.  The more I learn to rely upon the Savior the more I can be a tool for good in his hands. As he delivers peace and strength to me in my trials I am enabled to help deliver this same peace and strength to others in their trials as he directs me.  

Supporting Quotes:

1.      Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf – April 2015 General Conference “The Gift of Grace” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-gift-of-grace?lang=eng – “Throughout our lives, God’s grace bestows temporal blessings and spiritual gifts that magnify our abilities and enrich our lives. His grace refines us. His grace helps us become our best selves.”

2.      Pres. Henry B. Eyring – April 2012 General Conference “Mountains to Climb” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/mountains-to-climb?lang=eng “If we have faith in Jesus Christ, the hardest as well as the easiest times in life can be a blessing. In all conditions, we can choose the right with the guidance of the Spirit. We have the gospel of Jesus Christ to shape and guide our lives if we choose it. And with prophets revealing to us our place in the plan of salvation, we can live with perfect hope and a feeling of peace. We never need to feel that we are alone or unloved in the Lord’s service because we never are. We can feel the love of God. The Savior has promised angels on our left and our right to bear us up. And He always keeps His word.”

3.      Pres. Thomas S. Monson – October 2014 General Conference “Ponder the Path of Thy Feet” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/ponder-the-path-of-thy-feet?lang=eng “He did not send us here without direction and guidance. Rather, He has given us the tools we need, and will assist us as we seek His help to do all in our power to endure to the end and gain eternal life.” 

4.      Elder Jeffrey R. Holland – October 2013 General Conference “Like A Broken Vessel” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/like-a-broken-vessel?lang=eng “I testify that that which was sown in corruption will one day be raised in incorruption and that which was sown in weakness will ultimately be raised in power.  I bear witness of that day when loved ones whom we knew to have disabilities in mortality will stand before us glorified and grand, breathtakingly perfect in body and mind. What a thrilling moment that will be! I do not know whether we will be happier for ourselves that we have witnessed such a miracle or happier for them that they are fully perfect and finally “free at last.” 12 Until that hour when Christ’s consummate gift is evident to us all, may we live by faith, hold fast to hope, and show “compassion one of another.”

5.      Elder Jeffrey R. Holland – October 2013 General Conference “Like A Broken Vessel” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/like-a-broken-vessel?lang=eng “Of greatest assurance in God’s plan is that a Savior was promised, a Redeemer, who through our faith in Him would lift us triumphantly over those tests and trials, even though the cost to do so would be unfathomable for both the Father who sent Him and the Son who came. It is only an appreciation of this divine love that will make our own lesser suffering first bearable, then understandable, and finally redemptive.”

6.      Elder Richard G. Scott – October 2014 General Conference “Make the Exercise of Faith Your First Priority” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/make-the-exercise-of-faith-your-first-priority?lang=eng “We knew we would face the evils of the adversary.  Sometimes we may feel more aware of the negative things of mortality than we are of the positive… Despite all the negative challenges we have in life, we must take the time to actively exercise faith our faith.  Such exercise invites the positive, faith-filled power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ into our lives.”

7.      Elder Richard G. Scott – October 2014 General Conference “Make the Exercise of Faith Your First Priority” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/make-the-exercise-of-faith-your-first-priority?lang=eng “The temple is one of the best places to come to understand the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Seek Him there. “…These four tools are fundamental habits for securing your life in the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Remember our Savior is the Prince of Peace. Peace in this mortal life comes from His atoning sacrifice. When we are consistently praying morning and night, studying our scriptures daily, having weekly family home evening, and attending the temple regularly, we are actively responding to His invitation to “come unto Him.”

8.      Elder David A. Bednar – April 2015 General Conference “Therefore They Hushed Their Fears” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/therefore-they-hushed-their-fears?lang=eng “The peace Christ gives allows us to view mortality through the precious perspective of eternity and supplies a spiritual settledness (see Colossians 1:23) that helps us maintain a consistent focus on our heavenly destination. Thus, we can be blessed to hush our fears because His doctrine provides purpose and direction in all aspects of our lives. His ordinances and covenants fortify and comfort in times both good and bad. And His priesthood authority gives assurance that the things that matter most can endure both in time and in eternity.”

9.      Elder David A. Bednar – April 2015 General Conference “Therefore They Hushed Their Fears” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/therefore-they-hushed-their-fears?lang=eng “Correct knowledge of and faith in the Lord empower us to hush our fears because Jesus Christ is the only source of enduring peace. He declared, “Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me” (D&C 19:23).”

10.  Elder Quentin L. Cook – October 2013 General Conference “Lamentations of Jeramiah: Beware of Bondage” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/lamentations-of-jeremiah-beware-of-bondage?lang=eng Our challenge is to avoid bondage of any kind, help the Lord gather His elect, and sacrifice for the rising generation. We must always remember that we do not save ourselves. We are liberated by the love, grace, and atoning sacrifice of the Savior. When Lehi’s family fled, they were led by the Lord’s light. If we are true to His light, follow His commandments, and rely on His merits, we will avoid spiritual, physical, and intellectual bondage as well as the lamentation of wandering in our own wilderness, for He is mighty to save.”

11.  Elder Christofferson – October 2014 General Conference “Free Forever to Act for Themselves” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/free-forever-to-act-for-themselves?lang=eng “We do not need to achieve some minimum level of capacity or goodness before God will help—divine aid can be ours every hour of every day, no matter where we are in the path of obedience.” But he reminds us we must “take responsibility and go to work so that there is something for God to help us with.”

Agency

I am so grateful for the doctrine of agency.  What a loving Heavenly Father we have who knew our happiness would depend upon our opportunity to choose.  He allows us to choose what we want most, he allows us to learn by having this probationary time to try out things, learn, make mistakes and CHOOSE to follow him.  When I recognize this I am in awe of his love.  Being a parent I often find myself wishing I could choose what I think will make my children most happy, but this will never bring true happiness to them.  One thing that has always struck me as important about agency is that we must exercise it in order to grow.  When we give up our agency whether by bondage of sin or ignorance of choice we become stagnant and happiness is not found in being stagnant.  Choosing gratefulness, repentance, obedience, faith, etc. are the things that will lead us back to our Father in heaven and to peace now.   

1.      Elder D. Todd Christofferson – April 2015 General Conference, “Why Marriage, Why Family?” (notes) https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/why-marriage-why-family?lang=eng Quoting Joseph Smith “ Satan cannot seduce us by using his enticements unless we in our hearts consent and yield. Our Organization is such that we can resist the devil; if we were not organized so, we could not be free agents.”

2.      Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf – April 2015 General Conference “The Gift of Grace” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-gift-of-grace?lang=eng  “We seek to obey our Heavenly Father because our spirits will become more attuned to spiritual things. Vistas are opened that we never knew existed. Enlightenment and understanding come to us when we do the will of the Father.”

3.      Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf – April 2014 General Conference “Grateful in Any Circumstances” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/grateful-in-any-circumstances?lang=eng “When we are grateful to God in our circumstances, we can experience gentle peace in the midst of tribulation. In grief, we can still lift up our hearts in praise. In pain, we can glory in Christ’s Atonement. In the cold of bitter sorrow, we can experience the closeness and warmth of heaven’s embrace.”

4.      Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf – January 2013 CES Fireside “What Is Truth?”https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/ces-devotionals/2013/01/what-is-truth?lang=eng “The invitation to trust the Lord does not relieve us from the responsibility to know for ourselves. This is more than an opportunity; it is an obligation—and it is one of the reasons we were sent to this earth.”

5.      Elder Christofferson – October 2014 General Conference “Free Forever to Act for Themselves” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/free-forever-to-act-for-themselves?lang=eng “God will not act to make us something we do not choose by our actions to become. Truly He loves us, and because He loves us, He neither compels nor abandons us. Rather He helps and guides us. Indeed, the real manifestation of God’s love is His commandments.”

6.      Pres. Thomas S. Monson – October 2014 General Conference “Ponder the Path of Thy Feet” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/ponder-the-path-of-thy-feet?lang=eng  “All of us can walk the path He walked when, when with His words ringing in our ears, His spirit filing our hearts, and His teachings guiding our lives, we choose to follow Him as we journey through mortality. His example lights the way.”

7.      Pres. Thomas S. Monson April 2015 General Conference “Guided Safely Home” Priesthood Session https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/guided-safely-home?lang=eng “A man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder, never likely to reach home port.”  As it is with the mighty Bismarck, so it is with man.  The thrust of the turbines and the power of the propellers are useless without that sense of direction, that harnessing of the energy, that directing of the power provided by the rudder, hidden from view, relatively small in size but absolutely essential in function.”

8.      Elder Russell M. Nelson – April 2015 General Conference “The Sabbath is a Delight” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-sabbath-is-a-delight?lang=eng “Not pursuing your “own pleasure” on the Sabbath requires self-discipline. You may have to deny yourself of something you might like. If you choose to delight yourself in the Lord, you will not permit yourself to treat it as any other day. Routine and recreational activities can be done some other time.”

9.      Elder L. Tom Perry- October 2008 General Conference, “Let Him Do It with Simplicity” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/let-him-do-it-with-simplicity?lang=eng “We must acquire knowledge of God’s eternal plan and our role in it, and then by living righteously, surrendering our will to the will of the Lord, we received the promised blessings.”   He closed his talk with these words “In our search to obtain relief from the stresses of life, may we earnestly seek ways to simplify our lives.”

10.  Elder Richard G. Scott – October 2014 General Conference “Make the Exercise of Faith Your First Priority” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/make-the-exercise-of-faith-your-first-priority?lang=eng “Don’t yield to Satan’s lie that you don’t have time to study the scriptures. Choose to take time to study them. Feasting on the word of God each day is more important than sleep, school, work, television shows, video games, or social media. You may need to reorganize your priorities to provide time for the study of the word of God. If so, do it!”

11.  Elder Robert D. Hales – April 2015 General Conference “Preserving Agency, Protecting Religious Freedom” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/preserving-agency-protecting-religious-freedom?lang=eng “As we walk the path of spiritual liberty in these last days, we must understand that the faithful use of our agency depends upon our having religious freedom. We already know that Satan does not want this freedom to be ours. He attempted to destroy moral agency in heaven, and now on earth he is fiercely undermining, opposing, and spreading confusion about religious freedom—what it is and why it is essential to our spiritual life and our very salvation.”

12.  Elder Christofferson – October 2014 General Conference “Free Forever to Act for Themselves” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/free-forever-to-act-for-themselves?lang=eng “In matters both temporal and spiritual, the opportunity to assume personal responsibility is a God-given gift without which we cannot realize our full potential as daughters and sons of God.”

Avoidance of Pornography

Pornography is rampant around the world.  It is destroying families and individuals. The repercussions that pornography has is immeasurable.  Yet we havea choice in this matter.  We must choose to put ourselves in safe places.  We have purpose and responsibility in this life and will be unable to do all that is required of us if we are not careful in our activities.  As we choose to live a disciples life and strive to emulate the characteristics of the Savior we will be able to withstand the sleaze that is all around us. Our daily choices in the little things of life affect if we will be led down the road of temptation or walk the higher paths.  I am raising a family.  This strap of pornography is real.  It has the power to destroy souls if left unchecked.  We strive as a family to be open about the reality of this danger. 
Supporting Quotes:

1.      Pres. Thomas S. Monson April 2015 General Conference “Guided Safely Home” Priesthood Session https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/guided-safely-home?lang=eng “Ours is the responsibility to be worthy of all the glorious blessings our Father in Heaven has in store for us.  Please before you put yourself and your priesthood in jeopardy by venturing into places or participating in activities which are not worthy of you or of that priesthood, pause to consider the consequences.”

2.      Pres. Thomas S. Monson April 2015 General Conference “Guided Safely Home” Priesthood Session https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/guided-safely-home?lang=eng Quoting N. Eldon Tanner, President Monson delivered the reminder, “Every one of us has been foreordained for some work as [God’s] chosen servant on whom he has seen fit to confer the priesthood and power to act in his name.  Always remember that people looking to you for leadership and you are influencing the lives of individuals for either good or bad, which influence will be felt for generations to come.” 

3.      Elder Dallin H. Oaks – April 2005 General Conference “Pornography” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2005/04/pornography?lang=eng - “Don’t accommodate any degree of temptation. Prevent sin and avoid having to deal with its inevitable destruction. So, turn it off! Look away! Avoid it at all costs. Direct your thoughts in wholesome paths. Remember your covenants and be faithful in temple attendance. The wise bishop I quoted earlier reported that “an endowed priesthood bearer’s fall into pornography never occurs during periods of regular worship in the temple; it happens when he has become casual in his temple worship” 

4.      Elder Dallin H. Oaks – April 2005 General Conference “Pornography” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2005/04/pornography?lang=eng “We must also act to protect those we love. Parents install alarms to warn if their household is threatened by smoke or carbon monoxide. We should also install protections against spiritual threats, protections like filters on Internet connections and locating access so others can see what is being viewed. And we should build the spiritual strength of our families by loving relationships, family prayer, and scripture study.”

5.      Elder Dallin H. Oaks – April 2005 General Conference “Pornography” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2005/04/pornography?lang=eng “Patrons of pornography also lose the companionship of the Spirit. Pornography produces fantasies that destroy spirituality. The immediate spiritual consequences of such hypocrisy are devastating. Those who seek out and use pornography forfeit the power of their priesthood.”

6.      Elder M. Russell Ballard – April 2008 General Conference “The Truth of God Shall Go Forth” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/the-truth-of-god-shall-go-forth?lang=eng (Only one reference to pornography but I felt like it applied to the general filth and what the Lord wants us to do.)

“Of course, our challenges are different today, but they are no less demanding. Instead of angry mobs, we face those who constantly try to defame. Instead of extreme exposure and hardship, we face alcohol and drug abuse, pornography, all kinds of filth, sleaze, greed, dishonesty, and spiritual apathy. Instead of families being uprooted and torn from their homes, we see the institution of the family, including the divine institution of marriage, under attack as groups and individuals seek to define away the prominent and divine role of the family in society.”

“This is not to suggest that our challenges today are more severe than the challenges faced by those who have gone before us. They are just different. The Lord isn’t asking us to load up a handcart; He’s asking us to fortify our faith. He isn’t asking us to walk across a continent; He’s asking us to walk across the street to visit our neighbor. He isn’t asking us to give all of our worldly possessions to build a temple; He’s asking us to give of our means and our time despite the pressures of modern living to continue to build temples and then to attend regularly the temples already built. He isn’t asking us to die a martyr’s death; He’s asking us to live a disciple’s life.”

7.      Elder Quentin L. Cook – October 2013 General Conference “Lamentations of Jerimiah: Beware of Bondage” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/lamentations-of-jeremiah-beware-of-bondage?lang=eng “God intended that men and women would be free to make choices between good and evil. When evil choices become the dominant characteristic of a culture or nation, there are serious consequences both in this life and the life to come. People can become enslaved or put themselves in bondage not only to harmful, addictive substances but also to harmful, addictive philosophies that detract from righteous living.”

8.      Elder Quentin L. Cook – October 2013 General Conference “Lamentations of Jerimiah: Beware of Bondage” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/lamentations-of-jeremiah-beware-of-bondage?lang=eng “First, addictions that impair agency, contradict moral beliefs, and destroy good health cause bondage. The impact of drugs and alcohol, immorality, pornography, gambling, financial subjugation, and other afflictions imposes on those in bondage and on society a burden of such magnitude that it is almost impossible to quantify.”

9.      Elder Christofferson – October 2014 General Conference “Free Forever to Act for Themselves” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/free-forever-to-act-for-themselves?lang=eng “It is God’s will that we be free men and women enabled to rise to our full potential both temporally and spiritually, that we be free from the humiliating limitations of poverty and the bondage of sin, that we enjoy self-respect and independence, that we be prepared in all things to join Him in His celestial kingdom.”

10.  Elder Christofferson - October 2013 General Conference “The Moral Force of Women” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/the-moral-force-of-women?lang=eng My plea to women and girls today is to protect and cultivate the moral force that is within you. Preserve that innate virtue and the unique gifts you bring with you into the world. Your intuition is to do good and to be good, and as you follow the Holy Spirit, your moral authority and influence will grow. To the young women I say, don’t lose that moral force even before you have it in full measure. Take particular care that your language is clean, not coarse; that your dress reflects modesty, not vanity; and that your conduct manifests purity, not promiscuity. You cannot lift others to virtue on the one hand if you are entertaining vice on the other.

Family History

Family History is one of Heavenly Father's greatest blessings if we are willing to exercise our faith to just taste the fruit.  When we let our hearts open up to the spirit of Elijah and put action to those feelings the blessings are astounding.  It is a commandment with great promises of protection as well.  When I think of all that the Lord has promised to us as we do the work we must for our ancestors it is a wonder why I don't spend all my days seeking out those who desire their work to be done.  It is something anyone at any age can find opportunities to do. There are so many causes for freedom around the world, but we  must understand the freedom that we give to the captive souls when we perform the ordinances for the dead.  We liberate their souls.   

Supporting Quotes:

1.      Elder Russell M. Nelson - April 2010 General Conference “Generations Linked in Love” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/04/generations-linked-in-love?lang=eng “While temple and family history work has the power to bless those beyond the veil, it has an equal power to bless the living. It has a refining influence on those who are engaged in it. They are literally helping to exalt their families.” 

2.       Elder Russell M. Nelson - April 2010 General Conference “Generations Linked in Love” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/04/generations-linked-in-love?lang=eng “No matter your situation, you can make family history a part of your life right now. Primary children can draw a family tree. Youth can participate in proxy baptisms. They can also help the older generation work with computers. Parents can relate stories of their lives to their posterity. Worthy adult members can hold a temple recommend and perform temple ordinances for their own kin.”

3.      Elder Russell M. Nelson - April 2010 General Conference “Generations Linked in Love” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/04/generations-linked-in-love?lang=eng “The preparation of that record is our individual and collective responsibility. As we work together, we can make it worthy of all acceptation by the Lord. That record enables ordinances to be performed for and accepted by our deceased ancestors, as they may choose. Those ordinances can bring liberty to captives on the other side of the veil.”

4.      Pres. Boyd K. Packer – April 2015 General Conference, “The Plan of Happiness” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-plan-of-happiness?lang=eng “This sacred temple ordinance is much more than a wedding, for this marriage can be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise . . . I see the joy that awaits this supernal gift and use it worthily.”

5.      Elder David A. Bednar – October 2011 General Conference “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn” https://www.lds.org/manual/doctrine-and-covenants-and-church-history-gospel-doctrine-teachers-manual/lesson-39-the-hearts-of-the-children-shall-turn-to-their-fathers?lang=eng “As members of Christ’s restored Church, we have the covenant responsibility to search out our ancestors and provide for them the saving ordinances of the gospel.”  “For these reasons we do family history research, build temples, and perform vicarious ordinances. For these reasons Elijah was sent to restore the sealing authority that binds on earth and in heaven. We are the Lord’s agents in the work of salvation and exaltation that will prevent “the whole earth [from being] smitten with a curse” (D&C 110:15) when He returns again. This is our duty and great blessing.”

6.      Elder David A. Bednar – October 2011 General Conference “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn” https://www.lds.org/manual/doctrine-and-covenants-and-church-history-gospel-doctrine-teachers-manual/lesson-39-the-hearts-of-the-children-shall-turn-to-their-fathers?lang=eng “Learn about and experience the Spirit of Elijah. I encourage you to study, to search out your ancestors, and to prepare yourselves to perform proxy baptisms in the house of the Lord for your kindred dead (see D&C 124:28–36). And I urge you to help other people identify their family histories.”

7.      Elder David A. Bednar – October 2011 General Conference “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn” https://www.lds.org/manual/doctrine-and-covenants-and-church-history-gospel-doctrine-teachers-manual/lesson-39-the-hearts-of-the-children-shall-turn-to-their-fathers?lang=eng “As you respond in faith to this invitation, your hearts shall turn to the fathers. The promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be implanted in your hearts. Your patriarchal blessing, with its declaration of lineage, will link you to these fathers and be more meaningful to you. Your love and gratitude for your ancestors will increase. Your testimony of and conversion to the Savior will become deep and abiding. And I promise you will be protected against the intensifying influence of the adversary. As you participate in and love this holy work, you will be safeguarded in your youth and throughout your lives.”

8.      Elder David A. Bednar – October 2011 General Conference “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn” https://www.lds.org/manual/doctrine-and-covenants-and-church-history-gospel-doctrine-teachers-manual/lesson-39-the-hearts-of-the-children-shall-turn-to-their-fathers?lang=eng “Please help your children and youth to learn about and experience the Spirit of Elijah. But do not overly program this endeavor or provide too much detailed information or training. Invite young people to explore, to experiment, and to learn for themselves (see Joseph Smith—History 1:20). Young people increasingly need to be learners who act and thereby receive additional light and knowledge by the power of the Holy Ghost—and not merely passive students who primarily are acted upon (see 2 Nephi 2:26).”

9.      Elder Russell M. Nelson, “A New Harvest Time,” Ensign, May 1998, 34. [The Spirit of Elijah is] “A manifestation of the Holy Ghost bearing witness of the divine nature of the family”.

10.  Pres. Henry B. Eyring – April 2005 “Hearts Bound Together” www.lds.org/general-conference/2005/04/hearts-bound-together?lang=eng “Remember that the names which will be so difficult to find are of real people to whom you owe your existence in this world and whom you will meet again in the spirit world. When you were baptized, your ancestors looked down on you with hope. Perhaps after centuries, they rejoiced to see one of their descendants make a covenant to find them and to offer them freedom. In your reunion, you will see in their eyes either gratitude or terrible disappointment. Their hearts are bound to you. Their hope is in your hands. You will have more than your own strength as you choose to labor on to find them.”

11.  Pres. Henry B. Eyring – April 2005 “Hearts Bound Together” www.lds.org/general-conference/2005/04/hearts-bound-together?lang=eng  “You are not just gathering names. Those you never met in life will become friends you love. Your heart will be bound to theirs forever.

12.  Elder Russel M. Nelson - April 1998 General Conference “A New Harvest” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1998/04/a-new-harvest-time?lang=eng Elijah came not only to stimulate research for ancestors. He also enabled families to be eternally linked beyond the bounds of mortality. Indeed, the opportunity for families to be sealed forever is the real reason for our research.

Mental and Emotional Strength

It has been prophesied in the last days men's hearts will deceive them.  Because of this prophesy I have often sought for directions to find strength.  I know and am aware of the turbulent times we live in, but I also know that it is through the Lord that we can find strength and power to overcome the great deceiver.  So much around us causes confusion, yet we are promised if we rely on the Holy Ghost to know truth we can know all thins.  He can bring us comfort and strength through trials which are necessary for our growth.  We also can find assurance through painful experiences and struggle that is due to sin or others choices.  We must not let our emotional struggles overcome our faith.

Supporting Quotes:

1.      Elder D. Todd Christofferson- April 2015 General Conference “Why Marriage, Why Family” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/why-marriage-why-family?lang=eng -“Much that is good, much that is essential- even sometimes all that is necessary for now- can be achieved in less than ideal circumstances.  So many of you are doing your very best. And when you who bear the heaviest burdens of mortality stand up in defense of God’s plan to exalt his children, we are all ready to march.”

2.      Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf – April 2014 General Conference “Grateful in Any Circumstances” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/grateful-in-any-circumstances?lang=eng “When we are grateful to God in our circumstances, we can experience gentle peace in the midst of tribulation. In grief, we can still lift up our hearts in praise. In pain, we can glory in Christ’s Atonement. In the cold of bitter sorrow, we can experience the closeness and warmth of heaven’s embrace.

3.      Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf – April 2012 General Conference “The Merciful Obtain Mercy” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/the-merciful-obtain-mercy?lang=eng “The more we allow the love of God to govern our minds and emotions—the more we allow our love for our Heavenly Father to swell within our hearts—the easier it is to love others with the pure love of Christ. As we open our hearts to the glowing dawn of the love of God, the darkness and cold of animosity and envy will eventually fade.

4.      Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf – April 2012 General Conference “The Merciful Obtain Mercy” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/the-merciful-obtain-mercy?lang=eng “The pure love of Christ can remove the scales of resentment and wrath from our eyes, allowing us to see others the way our Heavenly Father sees us: as flawed and imperfect mortals who have potential and worth far beyond our capacity to imagine.”

5.      Pres. Thomas S. Monson – October 2014 General Conference “Ponder the Path of Thy Feet” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/ponder-the-path-of-thy-feet?lang=eng “As we examine the path Jesus walked, we will see it took Him through many of the same challenges we ourselves will face in life.” 

6.      Pres. Thomas S. Monson – April 2015 General Conference “The Blessings of the Temple” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/blessings-of-the-temple?lang=eng “As we attend the temple, there can come to us a dimension of spirituality and a peace which will transcend any other feeling which can come into the human heart. “Such peace can permeate any heart- hearts that are troubled, hearts that are burdened sown with grief, hearts that feel confusion, hearts that plead for help.”

7.      Elder Jeffrey R. Holland – October 2013 General Conference “Like A Broken Vessel” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/like-a-broken-vessel?lang=eng “For caregivers, in your devoted effort to assist with another’s health, do not destroy your own. In all these things be wise. Do not run faster than you have strength. 7 Whatever else you may or may not be able to provide, you can offer your prayers and you can give “love unfeigned.” 8 “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; … [it] beareth all things, … hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth.”

8.      Elder Jeffrey R. Holland – October 2013 General Conference “Like A Broken Vessel” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/like-a-broken-vessel?lang=eng “Trust in God. Hold on in His love. Know that one day the dawn will break brightly and all shadows of mortality will flee. Though we may feel we are “like a broken vessel,” as the Psalmist says, 10 we must remember, that vessel is in the hands of the divine potter. Broken minds can be healed just the way broken bones and broken hearts are healed. While God is at work making those repairs, the rest of us can help by being merciful, nonjudgmental, and kind.”

9.      Elder Holland – October 2009 General Conference “Safety for the Soul” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2009/10/safety-for-the-soul?lang=eng

Love. Healing. Help. Hope. The power of Christ to counter all troubles in all times—including the end of times. That is the safe harbor God wants for us in personal or public days of despair. That is the message with which the Book of Mormon begins, and that is the message with which it ends, calling all to “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him.”

10.  Elder Neil L. Andersen- April 2014 General Conference “Spiritual Whirlwinds” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/spiritual-whirlwinds?lang=eng “He made your spirit strong and capable of being resilient to the whirlwinds of life. The whirlwinds in your youth, like the wind against a young tree, can increase your spiritual strength, preparing you for the years ahead.”