A family consisting of my grandmother, my mother, and two or three of the younger children were seated before an open door, watching the great display of nature’s fireworks as a severe thunderstorm raged near the mountain where our home was located. A flash of chain lightning followed by an immediate loud clap of thunder indicated that the lightning had struck very close.
I was standing in the doorway when suddenly and without warning my mother gave me a vigorous push that sent me sprawling on my back out of the doorway. At that instant, a bolt of lightning came down the chimney of the kitchen stove, out through the open doorway, and split a huge gash from top to bottom in a large tree immediately in front of the house. If I had remained in the door opening, I wouldn’t be writing this story today.
My mother could never explain her split-second decision. All I know is that my life was spared because of her impulsive, intuitive action.
Years later, when I saw the deep scar on that large tree at the old family home, I could only say from a grateful heart: Thank the Lord for that precious gift possessed in abundant measure by my own mother and by many other faithful mothers, through whom heaven can be very near in time of need.
During my young boyhood, there were many occasions when mother’s instructive and intuitive understanding prompted her to know that help was needed. Once on a stormy night she directed my father to go and search for me, only to find that my horse had stumbled and thrown me into a pool of half-frozen mud. My mother had known that help was needed.
Someone has coined a statement that has great significance: “God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers.”
Within every child born into the world there is a heavenly gift. The Lord has revealed that this is the Light of Christ, or the Light of Truth. Even in early childhood, this gift gives to every person the ability to tell the difference between what is right and of the Lord and what is wrong and of the world. Sometimes we call this our conscience, or the voice of the Spirit of God within us.
Following baptism and as a blessing from the elders of the Church, we are given another gift—the gift of the Holy Ghost. As explained by the Master, this is to teach us that we may know the truth of all things, to bring all things to our remembrance, and to even show us things to come.
When one becomes a father or a mother, it is especially important that he or she prepares to receive, through these wonderful gifts from the Lord, the great gift of understanding necessary to raise children and make certain they are taught properly as commanded by the Lord. These heaven-sent instructions or warnings parents receive for their families might be called intuition or the voice of the Lord coming into their minds from heavenly sources to safeguard their homes. Parents have the responsibility of teaching and training in correct principles. Then when children are old enough and have the stability and responsibility to make mature judgments and right decisions, they will have received proper teaching from wise parents in the homes from which they have come.
From my experience, it would seem that faithful mothers have a special gift that we often refer to as mother’s intuition. Perhaps with the great blessing of motherhood, our Heavenly Father has endowed them with this quality, since fathers, busy in priesthood callings and with the work of earning a livelihood, never draw quite as close to heavenly beings in matters that relate to the more intimate details of bringing up children in the home. It might be described in this way: Father is the head, but Mother is the heart of the family home.
Talk Source:
What is agency? Agency is the freedom to choose right from wrong. Agency is part of Heavenly Father’s plan for us. We can show that we are grateful for His plan by choosing the right. The following experience was told about Elder Wayne S. Petersen of the Seventy.
A six- or seven-year-old boy in the car parked ahead of you turns and sticks his tongue out at you. What should you do?
This happened to Elder Wayne S. Peterson of the Seventy while he was waiting in his car. What do you think he did? Elder Peterson remembered how important it is to choose the right. He said, “I waved at the little boy. He stuck his tongue out at me again. I smiled and waved again. This time he waved back. Soon he was joined … by a little brother and sister. [When their car] pulled away, my newfound friends continued to wave for as long as I could see them.”*
Elder Peterson chose to show his faith in Jesus Christ by following His teachings. The Savior taught, “Therefore, all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (3 Ne. 14:12). Elder Peterson felt good as the car drove away, because he had chosen the right.
We are happy when we choose the right and keep the commandments. When we choose the right, we show our love for Heavenly Father and we prepare ourselves for temple ordinances.
What happens, though, if we choose to do something wrong? We feel bad, and we know that we need to repent so that we can be forgiven. A loving Heavenly Father has provided a way for us to be forgiven so that we can be worthy to be with Him.
We begin our membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints clean and pure. If we show our faith in Jesus Christ by choosing the right and by repenting when we do wrong, the Holy Ghost can continue to guide us. Each week as we take the sacrament, we can renew our baptismal covenants to Heavenly Father to remember the Savior and keep His commandments.
Heavenly Father’s choicest blessings can be ours. Going to the temple is an important step we must take to live with Him again.
I know that if I follow Heavenly Father’s Plan I can be happy.
Talk Source: LDS.org – Sharing Time: Faith helps us Choose the Right
Article of Faith #8:
We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly. We also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
I would like to read part of two songs to you one of the Bible and one about the Book of Mormon.
Tell Me the Stories of Jesus
Tell me the stories of Jesus
I love to hear,
Things I would ask him to tell me
If He were here.
Tell me the stories of Jesus
I love to hear,
Things I would ask him to tell me
If He were here.
Tell me, in accents of wonder,
How rolled the sea,
Tossing the boat in a tempest,
On Galilee!
And how the Master, ready and kind,
Chided the billows, and hushed the wind.
Book of Mormon Stories (CS 118)
[Hold up Jesus Blesses the Nephite Children]
After Christ was crucified
And died for you and me,
He came forth to teach the truth
To all who would be free.
Hands were laid upon each child,
He blessed them tenderly,
And they lived in the land
Righteously.
I know that the scriptures are true and testify of Jesus. They teach us what He wants us to know. I know that if I study the scriptures I will learn his teachings and be a good person.
Talk Source:
Once there was a boy named Ammon. He didn’t make good choices and fought against the church with his brothers and his friend, Alma.
One day Alma, Ammon, and Ammon’s brothers saw an angel. The angel told them to not fight against the church anymore. The boys were sad. The repented of the bad things they had done. They wanted to serve missions so that they could bring the gospel to other people in darkness.
Ammon and his brothers decided to preach to the Lamanites. Their father didn’t want them to go, because he was afraid they would be killed. Heavenly Father promised to protect the boys. When they got to Lamanite lands, Ammon and his brothers decided to split up.
Ammon came upon the palace of King Lamoni and offered to be his servant. King Lamoni sent Ammon and his other servants out to protect his sheep while they grazed. Bad men came to scatter and steal the sheep. Ammon stood up to the bad men and protected the flocks. The servants came back to King Lamoni and told him that Ammon could not be harmed. King Lamoni asked Ammon if he was a Great Spirit. Ammon told him that he was not, and taught King Lamoni and his household the gospel. They were converted.
I know that I can be a missionary now by being a good example and doing what is right.
Talk Source:
President Ezra Taft Benson has said, “The Book of Mormon brings men to Christ. The Doctrine and Covenants brings men to Christ’s kingdom, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ‘the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth’ ” (Ensign, May 1987, page 83).
Unlike the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Pearl of Great Price, the Doctrine and Covenants is a book of modern revelation received from 1823 to 1978. One of the most important differences between the Church and other religions today is the belief in continuing revelation from the Lord to His prophets.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized on April 6, 1830. In June of that year, Joseph Smith read the Articles and Covenants of the Church in a conference, and they were accepted by the Church members (D&C 20, 22). The Lord told Joseph Smith to begin making copies of the revelations he had received. In 1831 the Lord gave Joseph Smith His approval to publish the revelations by giving him the preface for the new book (D&C 1).
President Joseph Fielding Smith said, “The Doctrine and Covenants … is the only book in existence which bears the honor of a preface given by the Lord himself. … It was not written by Joseph Smith, but was dictated by Jesus Christ, and contains his and his Father’s word to the Church and to all the world that faith in God, repentance from sin and membership in his Church might be given to all who will believe.”
In 1833, sixty-five sections were published in the Book of Commandments. Unfortunately, a mob destroyed the press and most of the printed copies. In 1835, the book was printed again; it was called the Doctrine and Covenants and included 102 sections. A new edition, published in 1876, contained 136 sections divided into verses.
Several sections of the Doctrine and Covenants pertain to messages revealed to Joseph Smith by heavenly messengers—Angel Moroni (D&C 2), John the Baptist (D&C 13), an unnamed angel (D&C 27), and Jesus, Moses, Elias, and Elijah (D&C 110).
Joseph Smith used the Urim and Thummim to receive many of the revelations (sections D&C 3, D&C 6, D&C 7, D&C 11, D&C 14, D&C 15, D&C 16, D&C 17).
Some of the revelations given to Joseph Smith were for certain individuals. Emma Smith, for instance, was told that her first responsibility was to her husband. She was also commanded to make a selection of hymns for the Church (D&C 25).
On Christmas Day in 1832, Jesus prophesied to Joseph Smith that there would be a civil war in the United States. He also revealed that there would be future wars in the world (D&C 87).
Many of the Church’s teachings, such as the Atonement, repentance, baptism, priesthood, marriage, tithing, and the Word of Wisdom are revealed in the Doctrine and Covenants (see Index).
The will of the Lord concerning the Saints’ exodus to the West was revealed to President Brigham Young at Winter Quarters (D&C 136).
When a new edition of the standard works was published in 1981, both Joseph Smith’s vision of the celestial kingdom (D&C 137) and President Joseph F. Smith’s vision of the redemption of the dead (D&C 138) were included. A summary of the revelation to President Spencer W. Kimball, giving priesthood and temple blessings to worthy men of all races in the Church was also added (OD 2).
Talk Source:
Look!” Mom whispered excitedly as she pointed to the crown flower. At first I could only see the flower and wide leaves. Then I saw them—not just one, but two caterpillars with black, white, and yellow stripes.
I jumped up and down and shouted, “We found some! We found some! Dad, come quick!” Mom and I had been searching for this kind of caterpillar for months. On the mainland they are called monarch caterpillars, but here in Hawaii we call them pulelehua caterpillars. I had read all about them in books from the library, but I’d never seen a real one.
Mom carefully broke off the branch, and I picked some extra leaves for food. I helped Dad punch some holes in the lid of a big plastic jar. Then Mom and I gently put the caterpillars in their new home.
I watched the caterpillars until it was bedtime. I wanted to sleep by them, but Mom said it would be best to leave them outside. After I said my prayers, Dad tucked me into bed. Then I asked him, “Are you sure those caterpillars are going to turn into butterflies?” He told me that they would after they wrapped themselves in chrysalises.
The next morning I woke up early and ran to check on my caterpillars. They were still there, munching on the leaves. During the next week I gave them more leaves and watched them eat and eat. They got fatter and fatter. Then one morning I noticed that they were hanging upside down. When I came home for lunch, my caterpillars were gone!
“Mom! Somebody stole my caterpillars!” I yelled. Mom laughed as she took the lid off the jar and showed me the bright green chrysalises hanging where the caterpillars had been.
“Now will they turn into butterflies?” I asked.
“They will when the time is right,” Mom said.
Over the next week we watched the chrysalises slowly change. A tiny gold stripe appeared near the top, and the green got darker and darker until it was almost black. Then one day after I had almost forgotten about them, one of the butterflies hatched and flew away. Mom said I should be happy. But I was frustrated because I had missed seeing it hatch. When Dad reminded me that I still had one more, I felt better.
This time I was going to make sure I didn’t miss it. Everywhere I went the chrysalis came with me. We even took the jar with us on our vacation, but still no butterfly.
When Sunday came, I wanted to take the jar to church. Mom said she could use the chrysalis to help with sharing time.
During sharing time Mom taught us that all things testify of Jesus Christ. Then she held up my jar and showed the children the two chrysalises. We talked about how a caterpillar changes into a butterfly and leaves behind an empty chrysalis. Mom told us that the new life of a butterfly can remind us of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Then she sang, “ ‘How could the Father tell the world of sacrifice, of death? He sent his Son to die for us and rise with living breath.’ ” * Mom smiled and said, “Maybe if we all sing this song and think about the words, we can sing the butterfly right out of its chrysalis!”
We all sat up straight in our seats and sang our very best. When the song ended, everyone was very quiet. Suddenly one of the children said, “Look!”
We all looked at the jar on the table, and there was a butterfly unfolding its wings. My mom’s mouth opened wide, but she didn’t make a sound. Sister Makuakane whispered, “It’s a miracle!” All the children were excited to see the butterfly opening and closing its big orange and black wings. No one could stop smiling.
After church we set the butterfly free. We watched as it danced away in the wind. I have seen a lot of butterflies since then, but none of them were as beautiful as our sharing time butterfly.
Talk Source:
“Hurray!” we cried. “Hurray!” We shouted for joy! Have you ever been so happy in a meeting that you wanted to shout for joy? Did you know that you attended a very big meeting before you were born? It was called the Council in Heaven. All of Heavenly Father’s spirit children were there. Jesus Christ was there, and each one of us was there. Jesus was Heavenly Father’s Firstborn Son in the spirit world. We are also His spirit children. We lived with Heavenly Father and Jesus in heaven before we were born on this earth.
In the Council in Heaven, Heavenly Father told us about His wonderful plan. We call it the plan of salvation or the great plan of happiness. As part of this plan, Jesus, under the direction of Heavenly Father, would create a beautiful earth for us. Heavenly Father wanted each of His children to come to earth and receive a body. We had learned as much as we could in the spirit world. With a body and with the gift of agency (freedom to choose right or wrong) we could prove to Heavenly Father that we wanted more than anything else to keep His commandments and return to live with Him again. We were excited to be able to come to earth.
But there was a problem. Heavenly Father knew that when we became mortal and had bodies, we could get sick and die. We would make mistakes and could be tempted. We could sin, and no one who is sinning can live with Him. Heavenly Father knew that someone would have to pay the price for our sins so that we could be clean again and free from sin. We would need a savior who would give his own life in payment for our sins. Heavenly Father asked, “Whom shall I send?” Jesus said, “Here am I, send me.” Jesus said that He would do whatever Heavenly Father wanted Him to do to help us. There was another spirit person there who wanted to take away our agency and force us all to follow him. That was Lucifer, or Satan. He didn’t want to follow Heavenly Father’s plan—he wanted his own plan. Heavenly Father said, “I will send the first.” (See Abr. 3:24–27.)
When we heard that Jesus would be our Savior, we were so grateful and so happy that we shouted for joy. All the prophets from Adam’s time onward knew that Jesus would come and be our Savior. All the prophets who have lived since Jesus’ birth testify that He did come and that He is the Christ. The Apostle John, who knew Jesus personally, declared “We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God” (John 6:69). When we read that scripture, our faith can grow. Once again, we feel like shouting for joy!
Talk Source:
Because Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to return to live with Him, He had His Son Jesus Christ create the earth and establish His church on it. Then Heavenly Father called special men, known as prophets, to teach and guide His people according to His plan. And when people strayed from His counsel and destroyed His church, He called more prophets to help us because He loves us so much!
Three of these prophets are Adam, Lehi, and Joseph Smith.
Adam helped Jesus Christ create the earth. Later, Adam was the first mortal man on earth and thus the “father” of all of us. He was married to his wife, Eve, by the Lord; was taught the gospel of Jesus Christ; was baptized in water and received the Holy Ghost; and taught the gospel to his sons and daughters. He will come again at the end of the Millennium to conquer Satan and his forces forever.*
Lehi was a prophet during a time when the Jews were rebelling against the gospel. He warned them that they would be destroyed and scattered across the earth if they did not repent. They did not repent, so God told Lehi to take his family and flee into the wilderness. He took the brass plates with them so that they would have their family history and the scriptures to help them remember Heavenly Father and His teachings when they went to their new home in the promised land. Lehi died in the promised land but was promised that the story of his people and God’s love for them would someday be told to all the world.†
The Lord called Joseph Smith to be a prophet when he was just a young man. The true Church of Jesus Christ was no longer on the earth, and the Prophet Joseph was called to restore it. He received the priesthood—the power and authority of God—and all the priesthood keys needed to restore the Church. He translated the Book of Mormon, the story of Lehi’s people and another testament of Jesus Christ. He preached the gospel to all who would listen, and he built the first temple in modern times.‡
Another prophet, John Taylor, declared, “Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. … He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and … has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood.”**
Adam and Eve
Lehi Prophesying to the People of Jerusalem
Lehi’s Family leaving Jerusalem
Melchezidek Priesthood Restoration
John Taylor
Talk Source:
“After the prophet Lehi and his family left Jerusalem, and the family of Ishmael joined them in the wilderness, Laman, Lemuel, and some of Ishmael’s family began to rebel against those who were living righteously. Lehi’s son Nephi was sad that his brothers were being rebellious. He said, “How is it that ye are so hard in your hearts, and so blind in your minds, that ye have need that I, your younger brother, should speak unto you, yea, and set an example for you?
“How is it that ye have not hearkened unto the word of the Lord?” (1 Ne. 7:8–9.)
Laman and Lemuel became very angry with him. They did not like to be told they were living unrighteously. They became so angry that they tied him up and planned to leave him bound (tied up) to be eaten by wild beasts.
Nephi prayed, “O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound” (1 Ne. 7:17).
The bands that were tied around him were loosed from his hands and feet, which made Laman and Lemuel even angrier. When they tried to hurt him, however, Ishmael’s wife and two of his children pleaded with them so much that their hearts were softened and they were sorry for their wickedness.
Laman and Lemuel bowed down before Nephi and asked for his forgiveness. Instead of being angry with his brothers for trying to hurt him, Nephi said that he “did frankly forgive them all that they had done, and … did exhort them that they would pray unto the Lord their God for forgiveness” (1 Ne. 7:21).
We, too, can choose whether to forgive those who have hurt or offended us, or to remain angry with them.”
Have your child relate his own story of how they have forgiven or been forgiven.
Talk Source:
