I saw a fun quiz on someone's MySpace profile and took it myself. I am a...

Perfect Mormon 8 Orthodoxy, 5 LDS knowledge, 12 Cultural homogeneity Orthodoxy ranges from (-) anti-, non- and liberal Mormon, to mainstream, conservative, and fundamentalist Mormon (+).

The obedient Latter-day Saint. Temple recommend in hand, you live the gospel every day. Like a city on a hill, you remember the slogan every member a missionary. You beat your peers in seminary scripture chase, and you look forward to (or fondly remember) your beautiful temple wedding.

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 89% on Orthodoxy You scored higher than 90% on LDS knowledge You scored higher than 93% on Homogeneity

Link: The what kind of Mormon are you? Test written by SLC-Mike on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

I try to live the gospel every day, but since I am human, I don't always succeed. I keep trying, though.
I find it very hard to be a missionary, since I'm so shy and don't think my friends would be interested. But they are respectful of my beliefs, so I guess that counts for something.
I was okay in the scripture chases, but there were so many others who were so much better at it.
I do fondly remember my temple wedding! So much happened that day...

Note: Some of the pages may contain adult advertisements or uncouth language. Proceed with caution...

You don't look 200, Joseph...

Today, the church (and, most likely, it's various splinters) celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of our first prophet, Joseph Smith. Now, in no way does this overshadow the traditional celebration of the birth of Christ. Our current prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, said: "We do not worship the Prophet [Joseph]. We worship God our Eternal Father and the risen Lord Jesus Christ. But we acknowledge the Prophet; we proclaim him; we respect him; we reverence him as an instrument in the hands of the Almighty in restoring to the earth the ancient truths of the divine gospel, together with the priesthood."

We're not the only ones who are aware of this anniversary. Wikipedia's featured article today is on his early life. Earlier this week, a friend of mine sent me a link to an NPR broadcast with Richard Bushman, who recently wrote a biography on Joseph called Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling. Newsweek had an article about it in October. And I got an e-mail the other day about a statue being dedicated today in New York of the prophet.

I am very grateful for the restoration of the Gospel, and that I have it in my life. And to think, it all started because a young man wanted to know which church to join. Thank you, Brother Joseph!

James 1:5 - If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Out with the old...

I was realeased today after a year and a half in the nursery with the precious children of our ward. When Sister B called me this morning asking me for my input on the graduation of the soon-to-be-Sunbeams we had today, she said she heard I was being released. The sister who took my place (another sweet gal) told Sister B that she had recently been called into the Nursery, so Sister B naturally assumed I already knew I was being released. I didn't. ^_^

When the *bishop's family came over for dinner a few months ago, he said, "We need to get you out of the nursery," and I told him, "Maybe one of these days". I figured I'd be in there for another year. Thankfully it didn't come as a complete shock when, sure enough, they announced that I was being released today. I had a lot of people saying they were going to miss having me there. We've had a couple releases and calls this year in the nursery, but I was the one constant.

While I'll miss being with those sweet spirits, I'll also get to look forward to sitting with my hubby each Sunday. This year's schedule hasn't worked for him because church starts so early (his health makes it hard to get up before noon), but next year we start later in the day, so it should be easier for him to attend. I'm grateful that I've had this time to work with the nursery-age children. It's given me some experience with that particular age group that I'll need when Mira and I eventually start our family. It's been fun being a teacher to them and I know that at least a few of them will remember me. I know I'll remember them.

*The bishop is the leader of the ward, or congregation.

"An Incredible Journey"

"A Guided Tour of the Spirit World" by Lyse Sonning

I re-read this book for a third time recently (it was in my MIL's book collection). Long story short, Ms. Sonning has had contact with her guardian angel Martha, who describes the spirit world in great detail. It's a rather quick read at 100 pages in nine chapters and an epilogue; it could probably be read in an afternoon. There are two chapters near the end with a bunch of questions that people had for Martha and her answers to them.

It was printed in 1993 by New Horizons Publishing and Recording Co. I've tried looking for both online, but there weren't very many sites selling the book, and the publishing company is probably now defunct. I don't know if anybody else has read it besides me, Mira, his mom, and probably her mom (his grandma gave it to his mom). We're probably in a minority, as it doesn't appear to be a very well-known book.

Something different

When Mira and I were dating, we went to Institute on Halloween. We even got to dress up. ^_^ The first year that we were married, we went trick-or-treating. Last year, we stayed home because it was Sunday. This year, we plan on somehow honoring our ancestors. We're not sure how we'll do that, maybe by doing some genealogy or reading/telling stories about our ancestors, or something. Does anybody else do this or have ideas on what we can do?

General Relief Society Meeting

LisaB over at FMH posted her thoughts on the General Relief Society Meeting that was held last Saturday, and asked others to comment on how they felt about it. I started to comment, but it turned into a post, so I thought I'd post it on my own blog.The one problem I had was that it took until the very last talk to mention those of us who don't fit the not yet married, married with children, married with grandchildren, widowed, or divorced mold: those of us who are married but don't have kids!

I'm one of two married couples in our ward without children. I'll admit that I probably shouldn't have anything to complain about. To my knowledge, I'm still capable of having kids; I'm not infertile, nor do I have any problems that keep me from getting pregnant. I've never had a miscarriage, or gone through pregnancy resulting in a stillborn, or lost a child to SIDS or something else. Really, I should have nothing to complain about.

But I do. My husband is at the moment incapable of raising a family. His health keeps him from doing most anything, actually. He's had health troubles since Christmas Day of 2003, almost two years ago! We get new theories every once in a while, but the treatments never seem to help for long. He can’t go out because he hurts and tires easily. He also can’t eat out at restaurants because so much of the foods are made with soy, sugar, partially hydrogenated oils, and many other ingredients that he can’t eat. He also has troubles doing the things he loves so much because of the pain. He can’t draw, he can’t play the piano, and even playing video games becomes tiring after a while.

I'm grateful that James E Faust remembered to include us sisters in his talk. We were told that we can be as mothers and help others in a motherly way, and that we can be blessed in our efforts in doing so. I was touched, but the natural woman in me was saddened, because it's just not the same as actually being a mother. And being reminded that if I remain faithful, then I can reach the highest level of the Celestial Kingdom and have children then doesn't help either.

It doesn't bother me much the first half of my cycle, but during the second half, it really hits home. I think the PMS fuels it and makes it harder for me to bear. I am grateful that my husband can tell when I'm sad and we can talk about things together. I needed that last night when I heard that my sister's sister-in-law, who got married last month, is pregnant. At the rate things are going, my oldest nephew's wife will have a baby before I do.

This has turned into rambling on on my part, but I needed to get this out of my system. It just doesn't seem fair that we do all we can to be strong in the gospel and our needs don't seem to be met. I truly have been blessed to have a wonderful family, both on my side and on my hubby's, and that my in-laws have been kind enough to let us share their home until we can get on our feet and venture out on our own. I've been blessed with a good job and relatively good health. Most important of all, I've been blessed to be married to my sweet loving husband in the temple, and I'm grateful for the love he shows to me every day, especially when I need it most. I just wish this didn't bug me as much as it does...

Changes to HFPE in 2006

I first heard about this on an iVillage message board I lurk on (LDS Family Life). Apparently some changes are going to be made starting 1 January 2006 in the Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment program. (For non-members reading this blog, HFPE is a monthly meeting of all the sisters 18+ in the Relief Society. It's a way to get together with the other women in the ward.) The idea is that monthly Enrichment nights (for all sisters) will instead be quarterly, with Enrichment activities "for sisters with similar needs and interests" as needed. This should be interesting...

Ward Temple Day

Tomorrow is Ward Temple Day, and I haven't been since through November when my nephew went through (not counting the wedding a couple weeks ago, since I didn't do a session), so I'm going with my mother-in-law. We'll be there from 9 am to 3 pm, so I have to make sure I bring my work clothes with me, since I work at 4:00. It'll be nice to go and be in such a peaceful place for six hours.

Two days until eternity...

On Thursday afternoon, my sister's sister-in-law will be sealed to her sweet fiance in the St. Louis temple. Good luck and congrats!

Pre-dates Christianity?

Opinion warning! This post contains my opinion. I do not want to start a debate. If you don't agree with me, you can say so. But I will not get into a debate with anybody. Uncalled for comments will not be tolerated. If you start bashing, your comments will be deleted.

I've been reading Dan Brown recently. I started with The Da Vinci Code, then read Angels & Demons (A&D is actually first). Both are good books, and very entertaining. I thought a lot when I read TDVC, mainly about the whole "Christianity didn't exist until after Christ's death and lots of Christian ideas were taken from other religions" thing.

Mind you, this is my totally non-professional, just me, an average LDS woman's opinion here, so bear with me. I don't think anything pre-dated Christianity. It always has been, ever since Adam and Eve.

See, when Adam and Eve were here on earth, they had the knowledge and they taught it to their children. But like a game of telephone, the original message was changed as it went forth, and by the time there were people all over the earth, the message was almost unrecognizable. Some of the original message was still intact, but a good portion of it was lost. Other religions on the earth have idealogies similar to LDS belief. This is one that really stands out to me:

*As Latter-day Saints, we are taught that Heavenly Father has a wife.
*We have cultures that include goddess worship.

This was the central theme of TDVC. I don't know why we are told to not pray to or worship our Heavenly Mother. Maybe we already do by praying to our Father, since He and Mother have been sealed for all eternity and are one in body and spirit, much like LDS couples that have been sealed in the temple, just on a much grander scale. But this is only speculation on my part.

So, that's a chapter of the Gospel According to Sister T. I suck at conclusions, so I'll just end it here. Again, this is my opinion, so let me have it.

Welcome back, Jay!

My 2nd oldest nephew "Jay" came home today from a two-year mission to Russia. My mother-in-law says he does have a Russian accent. (Not all missionaries that go to foreign lands come back with accents. Mira didn't, but he did have a tendency to slip into Spanish without realizing it.)
I don't think he'll remember who I am. When Mira and I got married, he was away at school. I think I saw him once, and that was when he came home for his farewell before he left to go to Russia. He'll also get to meet his oldest cousin's wife, who married into the family almost a year ago (sweet gal).
Anyway, congrats to Jay on an honorable mission, and welcome home!

We did it!

We reached our goal, and gave out more than 5,000 copies as a stake. Our ward gave out over 700.
Way to go!

Off topic: I'm a regular over at iVillage, and I lurk on the LDS Family Life board from time to time. A current post concerns how close we've come to fame. So have I ever met someone famous? Yes I have. Well, sorta. When I was a youth, John Bytheway came to a youth fireside, and I got his autograph on a very small scrap of paper that I keep in my scrapbook.
Also, my husband (then my fiance) tuned the piano at the Stake center for a fireside by Marvin Goldstein. My bridal shower was the day before the fireside, and I went to the SC afterwards to see Mira so we could go to his house (now our home) and unload some of the gifts I received. I saw Marvin the next day at my chapel, and I wanted to go tell him that Mira had tuned the piano he was to be using that night, but I was too nervous to get anywhere near him. He is a wonderful pianist, and a very funny guy!
As far as being in the spotlight myself, I was on TV twice. The first was my junior year of high school, and I was in the school musical. We were performing Groovy, "a musical comedy tribute to the 1960's". Anyway, the day or so before the performance, the whole cast got together and advertized on one of the local early morning news shows. We performed part of the opening number before a commercial break, then a friend of mine and the director gave a small interview later in the broadcast while the rest of us waved wildly at the camera.
Then when I was a Senior in high school, I joined the marching band, and we marched in the Mid-America Holiday Parade. At one point we stopped in front of the same news station where I "made my TV debut" and performed part of our routine. I was way in the background, but that's really where I prefer to be.

90 Day Challenge Ends Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the last day for our stake's 90 day reading of the Book of Mormon. There were times when I would go a week or more without reading, then have to catch up, but I did it, and I'm almost done. I haven't read it by myself since before I got married, and that was over two years ago. Mira and I have read a chapter a night since we've been married, and we're almost done with our third time around.
Monday night is Family Home Evening, and a special lesson will be about Joseph and Hyrum Smith. Then at 8:00, the head of each family will lead their family in prayer, and we will express our gratitude for the Restoration. In this way, as a stake, we will mark the 161st anniversary of the death of the prophet and his brother Hyrum.
I regret not having the courage to give out any copies of the Book of Mormon, since that was a part of it. But I hope that I may still have many opportunities in my life to tell others what I know to be true, even if they don't believe it.

New experience

I had an interesting experience this weekend. I went with my family to my grandmother's (dad's mom) family's annual reunion down by the Current River where my grandmother grew up. Her brother-in-law "Bob" is a minister; the last I heard, he attended a Foursquare church, and I think before that he was a Baptist. (You can tell I'm not too up-to-date on my relatives' lives.)
Anyway, while sunning after swimming with my niece in the river, a bunch of folks started towards the river with talk of a baptism. It seems that a couple (I don't know how they're related to me, but they have a daughter about my niece's age, and Lar talked to her for a bit) had decided to get baptized and Uncle Bob was going to do the honors. He took them both out together, basically gave a mini sermon and said a prayer (I didn't catch all he said; I was too far away and he spoke very softly at times), and under they both went.
This was the second non-LDS baptism that I had ever seen. The first was seeing a friend of mine being baptized into the Catholic church a few years ago. That was pretty cool, but very different than what I was used to. This was a bit more familiar, but it still had its differences. Nobody wore white (Uncle Bob was in blue jeans and a button-up shirt, and the couple wore their bathing suits) and I don't think there was a confirmation. I know the family stood around talking, but I didn't really pay attention to what was going on.
Aside from getting burned to a crisp on just about all but my face, I had a really good time. My niece wanted me to hold her, as usual, and people actually asked me if she was my daughter. Somebody even assumed that I was the one who was expecting, not my sister, since I was holding Book; and being behind my folks didn't help, since nobody could see my tummy and see that I was not four months along. ^_^ I missed my hubby, but I'm hoping he can come next year.

Note for non-members: In an LDS baptism, the baptizer and the baptizee wear white to symbolize purity, and baptism is done by immersion. Afterwards, the baptizee is confirmed by somebody holding the priesthood, and the gift of the Holy Ghost is bestowed upon the individual. Feel free to read more at the official LDS sites in my sidebar.

Congrats to...

Harold and Sara! We got the invitation in the mail today. They'll be married on 11 June in the St. Louis temple, and have a ring ceremony that evening at our stake center. Here's to an eternity of happiness and love.
~Sister T

Evangelist = Patriarch?

I was reading about the Community of Christ on their website the other day, just to be curious. It's interesting to see the different ways we see eye-to-eye, but also to see where our doctrines differ. One that jumped out at me is a sacrament that the CoC has that is similar to the patriarchal blessing that a person is given in the LDS church. From what I've been told at the Non-Mormon Latter-day Saints board over at Beliefnet (this post title is named after the thread I started there), the patriarchal blessing was also given to members of the CoC church. What makes the two different is that women were ordained to the priesthood in the CoC in 1985, and the term "patriarch" no longer fit. Instead, they call it the evangelist's blessing. Also, the evangelist's blessing no longer names which tribe one is descended from (as is done in the LDS church), more than one blessing can be obtained throughout a person's lifetime (where in the LDS, a person receives their patriarchal blessing only once), and there is an option for the blessing to be recorded (LDS blessings are recorded).

It's a Mother's Day miracle! ^_^

My hubby was able to go to Sacrament meeting today! He was only there for an hour, but that was okay, because he was there!
Last night, he asked me what time the other ward that shares our building starts. I looked it up, and they start at 11:30 (we start at 9:00). So he set his alarm so he could go to the other ward for sacrament. (A little FYI: He has a hard time getting up early because of the fibromyalgia. We've been working on getting him to bed and waking up early a few days, and it helps a bit. He hasn't been able to go to church for a long time, and he thought it would be a good idea to attend the other ward to get the sacrament.)
He came back from getting ready for bed a few minutes later and said, "I'm going to our ward tomorrow." I was floored. While he showered, I begged in outward prayer that he would be able to go. After his shower, we said a prayer, mainly asking that he'd feel well enough to go to church the next day, and continued reading in the Book of Mormon where we had left off the other night. The second verse we read was Mormon 9:21 - "Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth."
And wouldn't you know it, I woke up this morning and got myself ready, then hubby woke up and I helped him get ready. When we came upstairs, his dad was going out the door and was happy to see him up. Then his mom saw him. "You're going?" she asked.
"Happy Mother's Day!" he said. Boy was she thrilled! She told us on the ride to church that this was her second favorite Mother's Day. Her most favorite was when my hubby came home from his mission.
So this wasn't such a bad day. ^_^ All the women in the ward got a huge chocolate-almond candybar. I had to leave after he Primary kids sang so I could set up for Nursery, but I was back in time to sing the last hymn. I was so happy that I was able to sit with my husband this Sunday at church, and I'm ever so grateful that our prayer was answered.
So, that's my miracle! Thank you for letting me gush. ^_^

Time for God

I got this as a handout in Young Women's a number of years ago. The author, from what I've seen online, is unknown, but if somebody knows who the author is, I would truly appreciate knowing who said it.

Hi,
As you got up this morning, I watched you and hoped you would talk to me, even if it was just a few words, asking my opinion or thanking me for something good that happened in your life yesterday. But I noticed you were too busy trying to find the right outfit to put on and wear to work.
I waited again. When you ran around the house getting ready I knew there would be a few minutes for you to stop and say hello, but you were too busy. At one point you had to wait fifteen minutes with nothing to do except sit in a chair. Then I saw you spring to your feet. I thought you wanted to talk to me but you ran to the phone and called a friend to get the latest gossip.
I watched as you went to work and I waited patiently all day long. With all your activities I guess you were too busy to say anything to me. I noticed that before lunch you looked around, maybe you felt embarrassed to talk to me, that is why you didn't bow your head. You glanced three or four tables over and you noticed some of your friends talking to me briefly before they ate, but you didn't. That's okay. There is still more time left, and I have hope that you will talk to me.
Yet you went home and it seems as if you had lots of things to do. After a few of them were done you turned on the TV, I don't know if you like TV or not, just about anything goes there & you spent a lot of time each day in front of it, not thinking about anything - just enjoying the show. I waited patiently again as you watched the TV and ate your meal but again you didn't talk to me.
Bedtime I guess you felt too tired. After you said goodnight to your family you plopped into bed and fell asleep in no time. That's okay because you may not realize that I am always there for you. I've got patience more than you will ever know. I even want to teach you how to be patient with others as well. I love you so much that I wait everyday for a nod, prayer or thought or a thankful part of your heart. It is hard to have a one-sided conversation.
Well you are getting up again and once again I will wait with nothing but love for you hoping that today you will give me some time. Have a nice day!
Love,
Your Heavenly Father

Let me get a big "Heck yeah"!

Beliefnet has a corner called Blog Heaven: Where faith blogs go if they're good. Under "General" is a site called holyweblog.com (sporadically reviewing the good, the bad and the quirky in the religious world),
and it had an entry from a country station in Utah that did a spoof of Gretchen Wilson's Redneck Woman, and called it Mormon Woman. This is freakin' hilarious! I couldn't find the lyrics, but I did download the song, and I had to laugh at just about everything. The guy who did it, Robert Lund, is a parody song writer, and performed this very well. It's one of those things you have to hear at least once. So give it a try!

Stake Conference is this Sunday!

And we're doing something different. I seem to remember them saying something about this between sessions of General Conference, but it was kind of an interesting surprise. Instead of having a regular SC where members of the stake speak, we'll have opening and closing excercises, but the conference will be broadcast from Salt Lake! I'm not sure exactly how it'll work, but I think it's neat.
I'm hoping that hubby can come to SC on Sunday. It'll only be for two hours, and he won't have to get up too early. Well, it'll be early for him (8:30/9:00), but not as early as he would have to for regular church (7:30/8:00).
I've kinda slacked some on my Book of Mormon challenge. I'm a few days behind, but I think Sunday is a good day to catch up on where I should be. I should be up to Mosiah 11 by then.
Mira brought this up to me today. It's amazing how the Lord provides for us. Last month, we realized that I needed to find a job so we can have an income again since he's not fully healed yet. This was my first week at my new job (I work at a day-care/pre-school with 6 week to 8 month olds), and today was payday. Not only did I get my first paycheck, but I also got a check from the Board of Elections Commissioners today for working the polls for this month's elections (5 April). This means I can start paying tithing again, which is a real blessing.
Mira told me about a guy in Peru that was weary about paying tithing. "Just look at [so-and-so]. He pays his tithing and he still lives in the same old house, works at the same old job, can't read." The list went on.
Mira told him (or was it his comp?), "But he has a job that puts food on the table, he has a place to live, and all four of his children have gone to college (which is difficult in Peru)." Paying tithing does not automatically give you tons of money to buy a mansion, an expensive car, and the latest fashions, all things you may want, but it does enable you to get what you need. 10% may sound like a lot to some people, but it might be better than what you have to pay to the government in taxes very year. ^_^

The Modest Prom

I was reading the headlines of the local newspaper online when an article caught my eye. It was about the tri-stake prom for the Laurels and Priests* that was held this weekend. The authors interviewed some of the youth, and one of the gals they interviewed is the Stake President's daughter, and one of the guys is our ward chorister.
I went to see Phantom of the Opera that night with some of my family and friends (I've seen it three times now ^_^), and when we were talking in the foyer after the movie was over, I asked my dad where one of my brothers was. "Oh, he went to the dance tonight."
"So why didn't [my youngest brother] go?" I asked. My youngest brother is 14, and he can go to the dances now, so I was confused as to why he didn't.
"Because [other brother]'s a priest, and the priest/laurel prom was tonight."
"Oh that's right! He's a... wait! He's a priest?!" It had completely skipped my mind that he's a priest now! Man I feel old. "Don't feel too bad," said mom's friend Rosie. "I remember when you were a bump" she said as she pointed to my tummy. ^_^

*For non-LDS, a Laurel is a young woman in the last two years of the Young Women's program. Beehive girls are 12-13, Mia Maids are 14-15, and Laurels are 16-17. A Priest is the last two years of the Young Men's program. Deacons are 12-13, Teachers are 14-15, and Priests are 16-17.

Update: This weekend, it was on the homepage of the church website! How cool is that?

My condolences to...

First, Terri Schiavo's family (both sides). I apologize for your loss. She is no longer suffering and you'll see her again one day.
Second, to the family and friends of Mitch Hedberg, my hubby's favorite comedian. He's probably telling jokes to his Creator, and I'll bet He's laughing His head off. ^_^
Finally, to the Catholic people, and the loss of their spiritual leader, Pope John Paul II. May his life be an inspiration to Catholics (and non-Catholics) the world over.

First Vision as NDE?

I've picked up an interest in Near Death Experiences (NDE's) lately, and found an interesing site that compares Joseph Smith's first vision to a NDE. Even if you don't believe in them, it's worth at least checking out.

I've come to the conclusion...

that only God knows the intentions of Michael Schiavo's heart, and if his intentions in letting his wife go are not good, then it will be her innocent blood on his hands. And that's all I have to say about it.

Book Review: Mormonville by Jeff Call

I found this book in the library/guest bedroom upstairs and started reading it last night. I finished it about two minutes ago.
Luke Manning is a major writer for a New York paper and leads a very worldly lifestyle. Jack Kilborn, a man who owns a publishing company, contacts him one day with a premise for a new book: "My Year Among the Mormons: The inside story of America's most powerful cult". Luke is to live in a small county in Utah for one year, infiltrate the church, and uncover and expose any lies. This entitles a lot of lifestyle changes and a lot of acting, but he pulls it off and eventually the members of the Helaman 6th ward think they have a potential convert on their hands.
It's an interesting book; I couldn't put it down. I will advise some members that there is talk among some of the non-member characters about the church in general being a cult and members of the church being polygamists, brainwashed, and all stuff that we know to be untrue. ^_^ It's actually quite humorous. But if you're sensitive to any slight jabs over the church, then there are a few parts you can skip ahead. Especially when Luke has a first discussion with the missionaries and hurls all sorts of comments and questions at them. Just remember that it's only a book, and pray that you never run into people like that. ^_^
Anyway, even though it's a novel about the church, it isn't too preachy. There are characters that are often characteristic of LDS people that we've known or have been been acquainted with. George Durrant was correct when he said in his review, "You will see yourself or your fellow members and leaders on every page." Looking at the church from a non-member's point of view, even one bent on digging up dirt about the church, is an experience in and of itself.
The only real beef I have with the book is when I knew something was going to happen and wasn't surprised when it did. Although that only happened two or three times.
All in all, I found it to be an entertaining book. I'd read it again.

MormonChic.com

I don't remember how I stumbled onto this website, but I'm glad I did. It has all sorts of interesting subjects for women in the church. It's divided into seven different Chic sections: Gospel (having to do with the church), Deal Diva (shopping tips and tricks), Recipe (delicious recipes to try), Mommy (all about being a mother), Style (for fashionable ladies), Crafty (for the handiwoman), and Healthy (all about health).
There are a variety of articles in each section, and lots of great ideas for Enrichment night (for those outside the church, Enrichment night is one night a month where the sisters 18 and up can go and learn and hang out). There are even Special Topics dealing with holidays, baby 101, weddings, and missionaries. It's definitely worth at least checking it out.

Happy birthday to my stake!

Our stake celebrated our 25th anniversary this weekend with a variety show on Saturday night (which I missed because I was at a friend's wedding reception), and a fireside last night.
Our stake was organized on 16 March 1980. We have had four Stake Presidents since then, including the current one, and all but the last one were present at last night's festivities. I had never met Vern, the first SP, only heard of him, until last night. George, the second SP is in my ward, Denny, the third SP has moved (to Utah?), and Dave, the current SP grew up with my parents and my sister's mother-in-law. Both stake patriarchs were also present. Fred served for 24 years in the position (my SIL was his first blessing), and John has been there for almost a year. All six men were presented with different tokens of esteem to commemorate the 25th anniversary.
We were told to get there half an hour early to see a slide of different people and events from the past 25 years. I got there two minutes late and missed seeing a picture of my dad's family, but I did see some people I knew. The main piece of the program was a 25th Birthday Tribute to the SP's and a brief history of the stake.
Dave presented us yet again with a challenge to read the Book of Mormon in 90 days. We did this last year for the 25th anniversary of the dedication of the stake center. Mira and I tried, but we didn't succeed, as we had trouble remembering and staying on track. I'm going to do it myself, along with our regular reading of the BoM.
Not only are we celebrating the 25th anniversary of the founding of the stake, but also the 200th anniversary of Joseph Smith's birth, and the 175th anniversary of the organization of the church and the first printing of the Book of Mormon. Not only are we going to read it as a stake, but in honor of the first 5,000 copies that were printed in 1830, we are going to give out 5,ooo copies from now until 26 June. The next day, all the families of the stake will hold a Family Home Evening about Joseph and Hyrum Smith, on the 161st anniversary of their deaths. Then at 8:00 p.m., we'll kneel in prayer and pray for "gratitude and appreciation for the life of the Prophet, the Restoration and organization of the Church, and the publication of the Book of Mormon" (taken from the info we got from last night). We'll also pray for those who received a copy of the book that they'll read it and gain a testimony of it. So we'll see how this works out.

Review: The Work and the Glory

My mother-in-law and I went to see this tonight. The closest theatre to us that was still showing it was almost an hour away, but boy was it worth it. There were eleven people including us: ten adults and a cute little blond girl, maybe four or five years old. When it ended, the lady in front of us said, in a French sounding accent, "I want to see the rest!"
It was interesting how they didn't really bring too much theology into it. Joseph recounts his vision, and we see a couple of people baptized. That's about it. The movie instead focuses on more of the history of the early church, and a major point of focus is the persecution that Joseph and his followers endured. What's sad is that it still goes on today. But I digress.
What can I say? I liked this movie. The music was reminiscent of most church-sponsored films, but that's okay. It worked. The acting was a whole lot better than that of The Book of Mormon Movie, but that's just my opinion. I think Jonathan Scarfe did a wonderful job portraying Joseph Smith. And the subplot involving Joshua and Nathan with Lydia reminded me of an episode in my life (possible spoiler for those who haven't read th books): I was interested in one guy, but he made himself scarce for a while and I ended up going for another guy. The big difference was that in my case, the two men were not brothers. Okay, possible spoiler alert over. ^_^
Anyway, I definitely want this movie as a part of my movie collection. I doubt I'll be able to get a copy where I live though. But maybe I will! Who knows?

Anniversary!

Two years ago today, I knelt in front of Mira and was sealed to him for eternity in the Lord's temple. Here's to many more years of happiness. (He wrote me the sweetest poem for my birthday last week! Is there any wonder why I love this man?)
Sister T

I'm a Mohican!

A startling realization surfaced at Enrichment tonight: Not only am I in a minority, I am the minority! That's right, I am the only young married woman in the ward who does not yet have children! (And we are still the ward newlyweds since the recent newlyweds moved into a different ward. It'll be two years in less than two weeks! ^_^)
Anyway, I realized this at Enrichment night this evening when we divided up into three groups to talk about Family Home Evening at different stages in life: 1) singles, newlyweds without kids, and older folks with kids out of the house, 2) for families with young children, and 3) for families with teenagers. [I was in charge of getting the children's class in order (neé nursery; we just started it last month; they want the kids to actually learn something instead of play the whole time), but I didn't have to stay there. I had a week or so to prepare, but knowing me... Let's just say that procrastination is the only way I can get anything done. I've written some of my best papers the night before! ^_^ But back to our regularly scheduled blog...]
We started off in the Relief Society room, then broke off into our different classes and met back together for the last 15 minutes, then mingled. Anyway, my group consisted of my mother-in-law, who taught the class, two older single sisters (one widowed, one divorced), two older married sisters, and me. Boy did I look out of place! They were all dressed in nice blouses and slacks, and I came in my long sleeved tee and bluejeans. They had all had children before, and I'm just a really loveable aunt and fun nursery leader. Half of the time, we had a lesson, the rest of the time we just talked. Well, they talked, and I chimed in every once in a while.
And my procrastination paid off! The children's class went very well. Remind me to tell you how to play "Don't Eat Pete!" It's cute. ^_^
Well, what started out as a thought ended up as a full scale recap of my evening. Oh well. Congratulations if you made it this far.

What would I do?

One of my worse fears is wondering what I would do if my husband died young, especially before we have kids. I read an article in next month's Ensign that dealth with a woman whose husband died two months after their daughter was born. So far, she has not been remarried, nor do I think she mentioned anything about the possibility of doing so in the future.
I've often wondered what I would do if Mira were to pass away at such a young age. What makes it worse is that he has fibromyalgia, and there are times I worry and freak out that something will happen and I'll be left a widow, even though I haven't heard about anybody dying because of fibro.
In trying to weigh my options in case, heaven forbid, something happens, I realize that I might have to remain a widow, which is something I don't know if I could handle. I couldn't get sealed again because I've already been sealed once. Even getting married for time only, whether to a member or non-member, has it's drawbacks. If I marry a member and we have children together, to whom would they be sealed? To Mira and I? Or my new husband and I? The same goes if I marry a non-member. What if he decides to join the church? He couldn't be sealed to me because I've already been sealed once. And what would happen if we had children together? It bogles my mind and I pray that I never have to deal with it.
It might be a bit easier if we had kids before he passes into the next stage. Then I'd have my kids to love and wouldn't feel too alone. Being a social widow is difficult enough as it is. When I was younger, I'd look at the couples in my ward and look forward to the day that I would be able to sit next to my husband with his arm around me. And for a while, I was able to. But then he got sick and wasn't able to come to church as often, which has continued for quite a while. Being in the nursery has been a safety for me, though. There have been times where I've sat in the chapel with all the couples and have been saddened because my other half isn't with me. So I set up in the nursery before the sacrament and go into the foyer to receive it, then if I have more work to be done, then I finish up during the rest of the meeting. But if I'm done, I stay in the foyer. It helps me keep my mind off the fact that I'm there alone. I guess it keeps me sane.

A couple thoughts...

My mother-in-law shared with us an e-mail she received from her mom (both of Mira's grandmothers are alive) recently. A guy is sitting in a chair at a barber's office, and the barber tells him that he's an athiest. Curious, the mas asks why. "Well," said the barber, " if there were a god, he wouldn't let anything bad happen. There can't be a god because of all the evil in the world." The man, unsure of what to say to that, lets the barber continue to cut his hair, and as he leaves, he sees a homeless man with long hair and a scraggly beard down the street. So the man walks back in and says, "There are no such things as barbers."
"What do you mean?" asked the barber. "I'm right here!"
"But I saw a man down the street with long hair and a scraggly beard. If there were such a thing as barbers, this man would have short hair and be clean shaven."
"But I can't do anything if he doesn't come to me!"
"That's exactly the point! How can we expect God to help us if we don't go to him for help?"

Yesterday was Fast Sunday. In testimony meeting, the daughter of one of my visiting teachers, all of seven, got up and said she was grateful for her family. "My family had a new baby named (name here). I thought my brother would be the last one (he's three), but you never know." I was setting up for nursery and listening to it in there, so I didn't see her parents' reactions to it, but I'm sure I heard some laughing in there. ^_^

I've been thinking: When my nieces and nephews have kids, what relation are I and Mira to them? Great- aunt and great-uncle?

Pre wedding advice

In trying to think of advice for newlywed couples, I'm reminded of some advice that I should give before the wedding actually takes place.
The day we got married was the last day of classes before Spring Break of 2003, so Mira had a few classes in the morning of our wedding day and left his last class early to get to the temple on time. When I got there, he was nowhere to be found. Needless to say, I was getting impatient. Where was my future husband?! He showed up a few minutes later and told me that he forgot the marriage license, so he sent two of his SIL's back to the house to get it. About 15 minutes before they got back, he realized he also forgot my wedding band and his white shoes so we could take pictures outside afterwards. We borrowed another SIL's ring to stand in place of my band so we could exchange rings after the ceremony, and a nephew of his ran over to the mini-Beehive clothing store to get him a pair of shoes.
The next day was our reception, and we woke up late. By the time we got to church to get my hair done, some pictures taken, and all that jazz, we were about half an hour late in starting. Oh boy, what an interesting 48 hours! So, to recap: make sure you have everything you need before you get there and don't wake up late the day of the reception when there's a ton of work to be done. I learned the hard way.
Oh, another thought. One of Lar's SIL's is getting married this summer, and she plans on getting her rings soldered a few weeks before the wedding so she doesn't have to have it done later. I wish I would have thought of that! If you can stand not having your ring on your finger for a while, then that's a good idea. If you can't, it's still a good idea. Just get a ring to wear while your other one is in the shop. I don't wear my ring in the shower or in bed [snags the sheets and is dangerous in the dark (Ow! You poked me!)], so we went and bought a silver $10 band from Walmart. It does nicely and if you lose it down the drain, you're only out $10.
Still need to think of more advice for post wedding bliss, though. Be patient, it will come!

My advice

I was at a wedding reception the other night (29 December 2004) for a guy I went to church with (my dad played photographer at the ring ceremony and reception and took a picture of a bunch of us that were youth together in the stake) and ran into Harold and Sara (see the "It's about time! post). I talked to Sara for a few minutes before Harold came by to talk; I congratulated her on their engagement and mentioned that I was coming up on my 2nd anniversary with Mira and she asked if I had any advice. I blanked! I said, "Um, have fun?" It wasn't until later that I thought of some advice I could have given her. (I'll mete that out later.) Then Harold came over and gave me a hug! I have never hugged that guy when we were teens, and here I was, reaching up to put my arm around his shoulder. I congratulated him and small talked with them about Mira not being there because his back was hurting again and other trivial matters. It was nice to see them again, and I wish them (and RT and his new wife "Janey") the best of luck in their lives together.
Now, onto the list. I started this list at my mom's, but left the list there, so I'll have to remember as much as I can, and add on a few more. Remember, this is just my advice and you can take it or leave it.

1. This is familiar advice that has probably been passed down from parents to newlyweds since the church began, but here it is anyway: read the scriptures and pray together every day.

2. Attend the temple together whenever possible. You never know when either of you will be unable.

3. Take time (especially on busy days) to just be with each other. For example: cuddle on the couch, in bed, etc. for ten minutes each day.

4. You don’t have to spend every waking minute with your spouse. Take some time to be alone, or you’ll never have anything to talk about and you’ll get on each other’s nerves. (Personal experience!)

5. When I was dating Mira, he was the most attractive man I had ever known. To this day, he is still the most attractive man I’ve ever known. And to this day, he says I am the most attractive woman he has ever known. Always remind your spouse how attractive s/he is to you.

6. Three words: breakfast in bed.

I've been picking my brain for more, but I'm fresh out of ideas. I'll post more later.