APPLICATION: Eternal Marriage

                                                

    

    Marriage is about two people.  So for this project, my husband and I decided that we should both work on this together.  After all, if I put a plan in motion to put some spark back into our marriage, that would of course be wonderful.  But if he works on this as well, then so much more the happiness we enjoy.              
     Life is busy!  We wake up, jump out of bed, and literally run from one thing to another, until we find ourselves falling back into bed at day's end - exhausted.  In the rush of life's activities, it is absolutely necessary for us to stop and recognize what is most important.  Because sometimes what is most important, is the thing that gets the least amount of attention.  And just like a garden that is planted in springtime, it will fade and die by autumn without the daily attention and nourishment it needs to flourish.

            We are almost empty-nesters.  That happened way too fast!  We weren't expecting it yet, but here we are.  The time has come for us to stop and regroup.  We need to stop rushing around each other so much, and we need to remember back 35 years ago for what it was that brought us together in the first place.  Now we have the time and space to relax and enjoy each other without worrying about school, jobs, kids, where to live, etc.  That has all been accomplished and we are back to just "me and you". 

            It's the little things.  Remembering to say I love you - daily.  Texting a compliment or two everyday - just out of the blue.  Fixing the air conditioning in her car.  Not leaving his side for hours after his surgery.  Staying up late to clean his white shirt for church.  Doing the dishes for her because she had a rough day at work.  Once we began purposely trying to find things to do for each other, it became more of a race to see who would come up with something first, or who would come up with something better.  The secret looks, the smiles across the room, the wink from the window, all contribute to the fluttering of the heart.

            When the time is taken to nurture a temple marriage, there is no greater blessing on earth.  While at our mission one evening, my husband said, "I wish we could just serve a mission forever and not go back to our home ward. I love serving a mission with you.  We get to serve together in the capacity as missionaries, while serving the Lord, and yet we are spending precious time together.  It's like a date night."  Well my idea of a date night isn't exactly spending it with welfare folks, but I understood what he was trying to say and it was a tender moment.  

Capstone Practicum Instructions

We live in a day and age when the Lord has warned that, “peace shall be taken from the earth” (D&C 1:35). There is a way to find peace in today’s world. The Lord has promised, “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). Because He loves us, He has provided living prophets during these days when, “the whole earth shall be in commotion” (D&C 45:26). The Lord, in His mercy said, “Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments; and also gave commandments to others” (D&C 1:17-18).

Additionally, a latter-day prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley, said: “How thankful we ought to be . . . how thankful we are, for a prophet to counsel us in words of divine wisdom as we walk our paths in these complex and difficult times. The solid assurance we carry in our hearts, the conviction that God will make his will known to his children through his recognized servant is the real basis of our faith and activity. We either have a prophet or we have nothing: and having a prophet, we have everything. (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, p. 499-500).”

To follow the council from the Lord and President Hinckley, you will complete a Capstone Practicum designed to help you live faithfully as you walk your path in these complex and difficult times. The practicum consists of a three phase process: Learn, Listen, and Walk.

Phase 1:  LEARN
This phase is designed to help you identify important issues facing you at this time in your life! For this phase of the practicum, you will study four required topics and select four additional topics that are of personal interest to you. The 4 General Topics that each student must include in their project are: Family,  Atonement,  Agency, Pornography You will also select 4 Personal Topics that are pertinent to your current situation. Some examples include dating, marriage, having and/or raising children, finances, education, missionary service, repentance, forgiveness, service, patriarchal blessings, etc.
Phase 2:  LISTEN
The Lord has taught us that “whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same” (D&C 1:38). Additionally, he has promised that if we “give heed unto all [the prophets] words and commandments … the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good” (D&C 21:4-6). What are the living prophets saying? For this part of the practicum, you will collect a minimum of 10 quotes for each of your 8 topics (for a minimum of 80 total quotes), of “counsel” and “words of divine wisdom” from the living prophets. Choose statements from the living prophets that help you better understand what the Lord and His servants teach concerning the topic, as well as possible ways you can more fully submit to God’s mind and will. You will work on this phase of the practicum throughout the semester. Many of your quotes can come from the readings in Lessons 3-5 and 7-12. You should find at least 8 quotes each week beginning in Lesson 3 and continuing through Lesson 12. Concerning the 10 quotes you gather for each topic, 6 must be from the living prophets and apostles—with no more than 2 quotes used from the same talk. The remaining 4 quotes can be from any prophet, apostle or General Conference address (including any priesthood or women's session address) from this dispensation! Each quote must include a reference to the person, source, month, and year. Here are two examples to help guide you: Elder Richard G. Scott, “Healing Your Damaged Life,” Ensign, November 1992, pp. 34-35. Dallin H Oaks - April 2005 General Conference "Pornography". After you have gathered the 10 quotes for a particular topic, you will write a 100-250 word Position Statement for each topic. The position statement is a declaration of what you learned and your feelings regarding each topic. This should be a simple, clear expression of your belief as well as possible behaviors or actions concerning each topic.
Phase 3:  WALK
Essential to having Peace in our lives is our ability to act upon the insights gained through our learning and listening process. King Benjamin taught, “and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them” (Mosiah 4:10). Some of our greatest learning moments in life come when we actually apply and live the truths that we learn and believe in.  In Phase 3, you will select one of the eight topics and make meaningful application to your life. Take the time to diligently apply the principles of one of your practicum topics for a six-week period during lessons 7-12 of the semester. The application portion of your project should push you above and beyond what you normally do as a disciple of the Lord in your day-to-day life.You do not need to work more than 2 - 4 hours total over the six-week period from lesson 7-12 on this project. Below are a few steps designed to help you implement the Walk Phase of the practicum:
- Step 1: Prayerfully select 1 of the 8 topics to apply at this time in your life.
- Step 2: Develop a plan of implementation to guide your project for six weeks during Lessons 7-12. Set reasonable smaller goals or benchmarks to help you complete your plan.
- Step 3: Faithfully execute your plan. Remember, the application phase of this practicum requires weekly attention.
- Step 4: Complete a 250-300 word write-up explaining your application project, how you spent your time (which could include a calendar documenting your daily/weekly progress), and the impact of this application project on your life.

Final Product 
In the Conclusion Lesson at the end of the semester, you will submit your final product for this Capstone Practicum. Your final product can be organized either in essay form, a blog, or a website. It must include (1) at least ten quotes for each of your eight topics and (2) your position statement for each of the eight different topics along with (3) a write-up/report/chart explaining what you accomplished for the personal application portion of the practicum (250-300 words).

Family

1.  "We need to make our homes a place of refuge from the storm, which is increasing in intensity all about us.  Even if the smallest openings are left unattended, negative influences can penetrate the very walls of our homes."

L. Tom Perry, "The Importance of the Family", General Conference, April 2003

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2.  "Marriage and family are not human inventions or social constructs evolving from human necessity.  They are part of a heavenly order that leads to eternal life and eternal happiness."

Elder Eric B. Shumway, "Preparing Yourself for Marriage", Ensign, October 2008

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3.  "I believe the mission statement for mortality might be “to build an eternal family.” Here on this earth we strive to become part of extended families with the ability to create and form our own part of those families. That is one of the reasons our Heavenly Father sent us here."  

M. Russell Ballard, "What Matters Most is What Lasts Longest", General Conference, October 2005

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4.  "While the family is under attack throughout the world, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proclaims, promotes, and protects the truth that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children. “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” and our vast family history efforts are but two evidences of how this Church brings hope and help to the sacred institution of the family."  

Russell M. Nelson, "Generations Linked in Love", General Conference, April 2010

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5.  "The members of a stable family know who they are, where they are going, and what they want to achieve. The members of a dysfunctional family do not know who they are; they have no plan, no anchor, and no core set of values or standards to set their course."  

Barbara Thompson, "I Will Strengthen Thee; I Will Help Thee", General Conference, October 2007

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6.  "Let us place higher priority on family prayer, family scripture study, and family home evenings and eliminate those activities that fill our lives with worldliness and evil." 

L. Tom Perry, "A Year of Jubilee", General Conference, October 1999

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7.  "Parents should act to preserve time for family prayer, family scripture study, family home evening, and the other precious togetherness and individual one-on-one time that binds a family together and fixes children’s values on things of eternal worth. Parents should teach gospel priorities through what they do with their children."  

Dallin H. Oaks, "Good, Better, Best", General Conference, October 2007

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8.  "The Church exists to exalt the family. And the family is the fundamental unit of the Church."  

Russell M. Nelson, "Set in Order Thy House", General Conference, October 2001

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9.  "The key to strengthening our families is having the Spirit of the Lord come into our homes. The goal of our families is to be on the strait and narrow path."  

Robert D. Hales, "Strengthening Families: Our Sacred Duty", General Conference, April 1999

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10.  "Strong eternal families and Spirit-filled homes do not just happen.  They take great effort, they take time, and they take each member of the family doing his or her part.  Every home is different, but every home where even one individual seeks for truth can make a difference."  

Cheryl A. Esplin, "Filling Our Homes with Light and Truth", General Conference, April 2015

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My Position Statement - Family

I was born into a family with roots as deep as any other in making their mark in pioneer soil.  This family originated in 1682, landing in what was then known as Acadia, the most eastern part of Canada.  French born and escaping religious persecution, my ancestors came to that frozen and densely forest area, tamed the land and made their new home.  And that’s where I was born, seven generations later.  These ancestors of mine were known for their honesty, sobriety, hard work, and strong family ties.  But as with time and the cycle of iniquity, those strong attributes have somewhat diminished.  When I turned 19, I learned about the LDS church.  This opened up a new world to me, and I began my own personal pioneer trek.  I now have a family of my own and have tried my best to raise them with the gospel standards that I have come to learn and accept as truth.  I have taken those gospel standards, and along with the strength and the integrity of my ancestors, I have attempted to turn back the clock from today’s iniquity to bring back some of that good old fashion God-loving, bible reading, and truth telling common sense.  It’s not easy with the many darts that are constantly thrown at us today from every direction.  But my love for my Father in Heaven and for my Savior Jesus Christ, combined with my love for my family, has given me the strength and courage to continue forward and upward to be the best that I can be and do the best that I can do for me and mine.  The ultimate goal for all of us is to be reunited with our families in the eternities, and sometimes this goal is hidden and forgotten by today’s foggy forgetfulness.  Sometimes, we need to be constant in our efforts to shake ourselves awake to remember!  The only thing that matters, the only thing that is important – above all – is our families, both our earthly family and our heavenly family.  And to that end, there should be no rest until we succeed in bringing everyone home.

Atonement

1.  "The Atonement was absolutely essential for men to cleanse themselves from sin and overcome the second death, which is the spiritual death, which is separation from our Father in Heaven. For the scriptures tell us, seven times they tell us, that no unclean thing may enter the presence of God."

Boyd K. Packer, "Atonement, Agency, Accountability", General Conference, April 1988

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2.  "With our heart and soul we yearn to become better with the help of the Atonement of Jesus Christ."

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Come, Join with Us", Ensign, November 2013

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3.  "Considering the incomprehensible cost of the Crucifixion and Atonement, I promise you He is not going to turn His back on us now. When He says to the poor in spirit, “Come unto me,” He means He knows the way out and He knows the way up. He knows it because He has walked it. He knows the way because He is the way."   

Jeffrey R. Holland, "Broken Things to Mend", General Conference, April 2006

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4.  "The Atonement can put you free again to move forward, cleanly and worthily, to pursue that path that you have chosen in life."  

Boyd K. Packer, "The Plan of Happiness", General Conference, April 2015   

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5.  "With our spiritual bodies it is another matter.  Our spirits are damaged when we make mistakes and commit sins.  But unlike the case of our mortal bodies, when the repentance process is complete, no scars remain because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ."  

Boyd K. Packer, "The Plan of Happiness", General Conference, April 2015

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6.  "That is part of the great plan of happiness the Father gave us.  He allowed His son to provide, by His atoning sacrifice, the hope that comforts us no matter how hard the way home to Him may be."   

Henry B. Eyring, "The Comforter", General Conference, April 2015

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7.  "The power of the Atonement makes repentance possible and quells the despair caused by sin; it also strengthens us to see, do, and become good in ways that we could never recognize or accomplish with our limited mortal capacity."  

David A. Bednar, "Therefore They Hushed Their Fears", General Conference, April 2015   

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8.  "That Atonement would achieve complete victory over physical death, unconditionally granting resurrection to every person who has been born or ever will be born into this world.  Mercifully it would also provide forgiveness for the personal sins of all, from Adam to the end of the world, conditioned upon repentance and obedience to divine commandments."   

Jeffrey R. Holland, "Where Justice, Love, and Mercy Meet", General Conference, April 2015

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9.  "The Savior's Atonement cannot become commonplace in our teaching, in our conversation, or in our hearts.  It is sacred and holy, for it was through this "great and last sacrifice" that Jesus the Christ brought "salvation to all those who shall believe on his name."   

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Gift of Grace", General Conference, April 2015

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10.  "He [Our Father in Heaven] prepared a way through  the life of His perfectly obedient Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior, for His Atonement to overcome every difficulty that we may experience in mortality."   

Richard G. Scott, "Make the Exercise of Faith Your First Priority", General Conference, October 2014

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My Position Statement - The Atonement

Whenever I stop long enough to allow myself time to think about the actual gift that my Savior has given to me, what He has done for me and on my behalf, my heart swells and my throat constricts to hold back the emotion that is sure to boil over.  I know that I will never be able to say “I’m sorry” for all the hurt and sorrow I have caused as part of His suffering in Gethsemane.  I know that I will never, in a million lifetimes, be able to repay the debt that He has given in my behalf as He hung on the cross at Calvary.  I know that I will never to able to say “Thank You” enough times to even come close to letting Him know how thankful I truly am that He gave Himself to atone for all of our sins.  To truly think about this, to truly comprehend what He did, and to truly accept this most generous gift, is to come to terms with the fact that He is the Christ, the Son of God and our Savior.  For me, it is so hard to put these feelings into words and I know I don’t do justice to the glory He deserves.  But I repeat the words from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland as only he can relate with such power and such emotion, “Considering the incomprehensible cost of the Crucifixion and Atonement, I promise you He is not going to turn His back on us now.  When He says to the poor in spirit, ‘Come unto me,” He means He knows the way out and He knows the way up.  He knows it because He has walked it.  He knows the way because He is the way.”  For anyone who is feeling lost, afraid, or confused, don’t turn your back on Him because He will not turn His back on you.  He is waiting for you to open the door from the inside.  He is waiting and hoping for that flicker of remembrance for where you came from, and for what He has done for you, so that you can join Him again in the eternities.  Oh, how great the wisdom and the love!

Agency

1.  "God gave us the everlasting gospel, the principles of life and salvation, and has left it up to each of us to choose or reject, with the understanding that we become responsible to him for the results of our acts. The Lord does not force anyone to embrace the gospel, and he will not force them to live it if they have embraced it."

Delbert L. Stapley, "Using Our Free Agency", General Conference, April 1975

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2.  "There are great lessons to be learned from the past, and you ought to learn them so that you don’t exhaust your spiritual strength repeating past mistakes and bad choices."

M. Russell Ballard, "Learning the Lessons of the Past", General Conference, April 2009

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3.  "Our Heavenly Father loves all of His children, and He wants them all to have the blessings of the gospel in their lives. Spiritual light is not lost because God turns His back on His children. Rather, spiritual darkness results when His children turn their collective backs on Him. It is a natural consequence of bad choices made by individuals, communities, countries, and entire civilizations. This has been proven again and again throughout the course of time. One of the great lessons of this historical pattern is that our choices, both individually and collectively, do result in spiritual consequences for ourselves and for our posterity."

M. Russell Ballard, "Learning the Lessons of the Past", General Conference, April 2009

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4.  "The blessings we enjoy now are because we made the choice to follow the Savior before this life.  To everyone hearing or reading these words, whoever you are and whatever your past may be, remember this: it is not too late to make that same choice again and follow Him."   

Robert D. Hales, "Preserving Agency, Protecting Religious Freedom", General Conference, April 2015   

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5.  "My beloved brothers and sisters, don't walk!  Run!  Run to receive the blessings of agency by following the Holy Ghost and exercising the freedoms God has given us to do His will."  

Robert D. Hales, "Preserving Agency, Protecting Religious Freedom", General Conference, April 2015

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6.  "Through Adam and Eve's partaking of the forbidden fruit, knowledge of good and evil was introduced into the world.  Their choice made it possible for each of us to come to this earth to be tried and tested.  We are blessed with agency, which is our ability to make decisions and to become accountable for those decisions."  

Richard G. Scott, "Make the Exercise of Faith Your First Priority", General Conference, October 2014

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7.  "Moral discipline is the consistent exercise of agency to choose the right because it is right, even when it is hard. It rejects the self-absorbed life in favor of developing character worthy of respect and true greatness through Christlike service."   

D. Todd Christofferson, "Moral Discipline", General Conference, October 2009

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8.  "It is our freedom, our agency, our inalienable and divine right to choose what we will believe and what we will not believe, and to choose what we want to be and what we want to do."   

Howard W. Hunter, "The Golden Thread of Choice", General Conference, October 1989

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9.  "To fully understand this gift of agency and its inestimable worth, it is imperative that we understand that God’s chief way of acting is by persuasion and patience and long-suffering, not by coercion and stark confrontation."  

Howard W. Hunter, "The Golden Thread of Choice", General Conference, October 1989

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10.  "The proper exercise of moral agency requires faith. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel.  Because of Him, you have your agency. He must be the very foundation of your faith, and the testing of that faith is a fundamental reason for your freedom to choose."   

Russll M. Nelson, "Choices", General Conference, October 1990

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My Position Statement - Agency

One of the many wonders I discovered when I joined the church was the realization that I had the right to choose for myself exactly what I wanted to do with my life.  Before that, I always felt that my life was a series of events where I was trying to always please someone else and many times, I failed miserably by disappointing someone I loved in one way or another.  But I learned through a lot of deep pondering and much prayer what agency really is.  It is a gift!  Seems simple enough.  This gift, given to us by a loving Heavenly Father, who wants all of us to return home to Him, will not force or manipulate us in any way.  His way is by loving us, by persuasion and patience, forgiving us, comforting us, and showing us the way - all the things that a good parent would do for their children.  

             “Know this, that every soul is free, To choose his life and what he’ll be,

     For this eternal truth is given, That God will force no man to heav’n.  (LDS Hymn Book)

The following words, given to us by Eldred G. Smith at General Conference in Oct., 1971 are perfect to me in explaining our free agency:  "The right to make a decision, then, is now ours, and it is the greatest asset we have on earth. The Lord will not, and cannot, and does not intend to take it away from us. He intends for us to use it. He is constantly advising us and teaching us how to use it for our own good and further growth, even to attain eternal life."

Pornography

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1.  "When persons entertain evil thoughts long enough for the Spirit to withdraw, they lose their spiritual protection and they are subject to the power and direction of the evil one."    

Dallin H. Oaks, "Pornography", General Conference, April 2005

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2.  "Some publishers and printers prostitute their presses by printing millions of pieces of pornography each day. No expense is spared. The finest of paper, the spectrum of full color combine to produce a product certain to be read, then read again. Nor are the movie producer, the television programmer, or the entertainer free from taint. Gone are the restraints of yesteryear. So-called realism is the quest."   

Thomas S. Monson, "Pornography - The Deadly Carrier", General Conference, October 1979

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3.  "We must hold ever more tightly to our testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then we will win the daily battles against evil."   

Ulisses Soares, "Yes, We Can and Will Win", General Conference, April 2015

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4.  "The brain won’t vomit back filth. Once recorded, it will always remain subject to recall, flashing its perverted images across your mind and drawing you away from the wholesome things in life."   

Dallin H. Oaks, "Pornography", General Conference, April 2005

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5.  "Pornography will always repel the Spirit of Christ and will interrupt the communications between our Heavenly Father and His children and disrupt the tender relationship between husband and wife."     

Boyd K. Packer,  "Cleansing the Inner Vessel", General Conference, October 2010

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6.  "Pornography degrades and exploits men, and women, and children in a most ugly and corrupt fashion. Perhaps the greatest tragedy of all is in the lives of children who become its victims. The saddest trend of our day is the alarming, large increase in child abuse."   

David B. Haight, "Personal Morality", General Conference, October 1984

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7.  "It [pornography] grows increasingly worse. It is like a raging storm, destroying individuals and families, utterly ruining what was once wholesome and beautiful."

Gordon B. Hinckley, "A Tragic Evil Among Us", General Conference, October 2004  

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8.  "Satan has become a master at using the addictive power of pornography to limit individual capacity to be led by the Spirit."   

Richard G. Scott, "To Acquire Spiritual Guidance", General Conference, October 2009

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9.  "The onslaught of pornography in all of its vicious, corroding, destructive forms has caused great grief, suffering, heartache, and destroyed marriages. It is one of the most damning influences on earth."  

Richard G. Scott, "To Acquire Spiritual Guidance", General Conference, October 2009

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10.  "There’s a spiritual snare today called pornography, and many, allured by its provocative messages, enter this deadly trap. Like any trap, it is easy to enter but difficult to escape."  

L. Whitney Clayton, "Blessed Are All the Pure in Heart", General Conference, April 2015

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My Position Statement - Pornography

The ugliness of this word is as bad as the act.  I hate to type it, to say it, or to even think it. Pornography in all its disgust has no place in my life and never will have.  As with any kind of dirt and filth, there is no good thing that can come from this abusive activity.  It drives away the spirit faster than anything, and can keep its victims held captive in the tightest of chains.  It destroys families, messes with the human mind, and leads its victims straight into Satan's snares.  Gordon B. Hinckley explains it best when he says: "It is like a raging storm, destroying individuals and families, utterly ruining what was once wholesome and beautiful."  As long as I have strength, I will do my part to make sure this filth is no where around the perimeter of where I am.  Instead of giving Satan control, we must stand in holy places, where there is no place for such things as pornography, where Satan will have no control and where the Holy Spirit will dwell.  That is where we will be safe.

Self Reliance

1.  "We should strive to become self-reliant and not depend on others for our existence."

Marion G. Romney, "The Celestial Nature of Self-Reliance", General Conference, October 1982

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2.  "This Church and its people are commanded by the Lord to be prepared, self-reliant, and independent.  Times of plenty are times to live providently and lay up in store. Times of scarcity are times to live frugally and draw on those stores."   

Keith B. McMullin, "Come to Zion! Come to Zion!", General Conference, October 2002

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3.  "Our Welfare Services program has taught us by using the spokes of a wheel to define the essential elements of temporal self-reliance. The elements contained in the wheel are education; physical health; employment; home storage; resource management; and social, emotional, and spiritual strength."   

L. Tom Perry, "Becoming Self-Reliant", General Conference, October 1991

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4.  "The lesson we learn generation after generation is that rich and poor are all under the same sacred obligation to help their neighbor. It will take all of us working together to successfully apply the principles of welfare and self-reliance."   

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Providing in the Lord's Way", General Conference, October 2011

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5.  "The principle of self-reliance or personal independence is fundamental to the happy life."  

Boyd K. Packer, "Solving Emotional Problems in the Lord's Own Way", General Conference, April 1978

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6.  "The poor are exalted because they work for the temporary assistance they receive, they are taught correct principles, and they are able to lift themselves from poverty to self-reliance. The rich are made low because they humble themselves to give generously of their means to those in need."   

Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Inspired Church Welfare", General Conference, April 1999

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7.  "By avoiding debt and saving money now, we are prepared for full-time Church service in the years to come. The purpose of both temporal and spiritual self-reliance is to get ourselves on higher ground so that we can lift others in need."   

Robert D. Hales, "Coming to Ourselves: The Sacrament, The Temple and Sacrifice of Service", General Conference, April 2012

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8.  "Every human being in every walk of life needs help in building his self-respect and self-reliance. To be truly effective, welfare services must be concerned with the betterment of the total individual."   

Marvin J. Ashton, "Give With Wisdom That They May Receive With Dignity", General Conference, October 1981  

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9.  "Self-reliance is a product of provident living and exercising economic self-discipline. From the beginning the Church has taught that families—to the extent they can—need to assume responsibility for their own temporal welfare. Each generation is required to learn anew the foundational principles of self-reliance: avoid debt, implement principles of thrift, prepare for times of distress, listen to and follow the words of the living oracles, develop the discipline to distinguish between needs and wants and then live accordingly."   

H. David Burton, "The Sanctifying Work of Welfare", General Conference, April 2011

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10.  "More than ever before, we need to learn and apply the principles of economic self-reliance. We do not know when the crisis involving sickness or unemployment may affect our own circumstances. We do know that the Lord has decreed global calamities for the future and has warned and forewarned us to be prepared. For this reason the Brethren have repeatedly stressed a “back to basics” program for temporal and spiritual welfare."   

Ezra Taft Benson, "Prepare for the Days of Tribulation", General Conference, October 1980

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My Position Statement - Self Reliance

I have spent the last few years receiving a first-hand education in self reliance that I did not expect I would be receiving.  And it was not because I found myself in a position where I needed the aid and assistance of the Church's welfare program, but instead, I was called to give that assistance by helping others to learn how to be self-reliant.  Serving as a missionary alongside my husband, at the start of this mission, we were very much on the "mercy" side of the self reliance program.  But we quickly learned that although it was very new to us, it was not new to those who were receiving assistance, and many of them knew how to "work the missionaries".  It took us a few months, but then good old "justice" kicked into high gear and we began to tighten the belts of the church's funds.  However, another lesson was to be learned.  Justice and mercy are pretty tricky, and they actually go hand in hand.  You really can't have the one without the other.  Every situation we deal with is unique.  Every family's problems is unique to that family.  Every person who hits rock bottom has reached that point because of that person's own unique situation.  They may have some things in common, like drug use, loss of employment, abuse, etc., but they each have their own level of coping strategies.  The bottom line is, the temporal needs can be met - that is not a problem.  It's the spiritual needs that take a beating.  When these people are down and out, there is no spiritual side.  They can't see it; they can't feel it.  They only exist for their next meal.  And after that eat that meal, they only think about the next meal.  It is so important that when we are helping others to learn self reliance, that we do so while constantly stressing the importance of the spiritual side of self reliance.  Unfortunately, we have not seen much success in our mission (at least not on our time table), but we do have one.  And it is because he has grasped on to the spiritual side of self reliance and it shows in his eyes. And for him, that was worth 2 years of service.

Eternal Marriage

1.  "One of the most beautiful, comforting doctrines of the Lord—one that brings immense peace, happiness, and unbounded joy—is that principle called eternal marriage. This doctrine means that a man and woman who love each other deeply, who have grown together through the trials, joys, sorrows, and happiness of a shared lifetime, can live beyond the veil together forever with their family who earn that blessing. That is not just an immensely satisfying dream; it is a reality."

Richard G. Scott, "Receive the Temple Blessings", General Conference, April 1999

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2.  "If you want something to last forever, you treat it differently. You shield it and protect it. You never abuse it. You don’t expose it to the elements. You don’t make it common or ordinary. If it ever becomes tarnished, you lovingly polish it until it gleams like new. It becomes special because you have made it so, and it grows more beautiful and precious as time goes by."  

F. Burton Howard, "Eternal Marriage", General Conference, April 2003

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3.  "Eternal marriage is a principle which was established before the foundation of the world and was instituted on this earth before death came into it. Adam and Eve were given to each other by God in the Garden of Eden before the Fall."  

F. Burton Howard, "Eternal Marriage", General Conference, April 2003  

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4.  "We believe that marriage and family ties can continue beyond the grave - that marriages performed by those who have the proper authority in His temples will continue to be valid in the world to come.  Our marriage ceremonies eliminate the words "till death do us part" and instead say, "for time and for all eternity."   

L. Tom Perry, "Why Marriage and Family Matter - Everywhere in the World", General Conference, April 2015  

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5.  "When parents themselves have complied with the ordinances of salvation, when they have set the example of a temple marriage, not only is their own marriage more likely to succeed, but their children are far more likely to follow their example."   
Ezra Taft Benson, "Fundamentals of Enduring Family Relationships", General Conference, October 1982

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6.  "Successful eternal marriages are built on the foundation of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and adherence to His teachings."   
L. Whitney Clayton, "Marriage: Watch and Learn", General Conference, April 2013

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7.  "Marriage is a gift from God to us; the quality of our marriages is a gift from us to Him."   
L. Whitney Clayton, "Marriage: Watch and Learn", General Conference, April 2013

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8.  "There is no more powerful principle of life to promote love, forbearance, and devotion in the home than that of eternal marriage."   
Howard W. Hunter, "Spiritual Famine", General Conference, October 1972

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9.  " You cannot give to your companion a greater gift than that of marriage in God’s holy house, under the protective wing of the sealing covenant of eternal marriage. There is no adequate substitute for it."   

Gordon B. Hinckley, "Living Worthy of the Girl You Will Someday Marry", General Conference, April 1998  

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10.  "The ultimate purpose of every teaching, every activity in the Church is that parents and their children are happy at home, sealed in an eternal marriage, and linked to their generations."   
Boyd K. Packer, "The Father and the Family", General Conference, April 1994

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My Position Statement - Eternal Marriage

I did not grow up in the LDS faith; in fact, I did not even know what the LDS faith was.  I was born and raised Catholic.  I remember one time when I was talking with my Dad about work.  He said to me that "if you work hard to earn enough money to buy something for yourself, it will mean more to you than if someone just hands it to you.  Because you worked for it, you will put more effort into looking after it."  I was no more than a young teenager when my Dad gave me those words of wisdom.  As I learned about the church and began to have many questions about many things, one thing stuck out to me more than others.  In our church, when people got married, it was until death and then...what?  I never really thought about the what, and I don't ever remember anyone every talking about it either.  But in this church, there was no talk of being married until death.  Marriage was for eternity and they talked a lot about it, and they planned a lot for it.  Then my Dad's words from my teen years came back to me..."if I work hard enough for something, it will mean more to me."  So what of marriage?  I thought so long about this. If I fell in love and I loved that person so much that I wanted to marry him, and have a family with him, then wouldn't I want to be with him and my family forever?  It just seemed to make so much sense to me.  And then I was blown away when I learned about linking our generations together.  How could that be if we follow the "til death do us part" scenario?  If we part at death, there is no link!  We can't have it both ways.  The Lord's plan is not one of confusion.  It is simple and it is perfect!  Marriage takes work - it's like gardening.  There is planting, cultivating, tending, weeding, and harvesting.  And most importantly, the garden is always best where it is watered.

Tithing

1.  "Tithing develops and tests our faith. By sacrificing to the Lord what we may think we need or want for ourselves, we learn to rely on Him. Our faith in Him makes it possible to keep temple covenants and receive eternal temple blessings."

Robert D. Hales, "Tithing: A Test of Faith with Eternal Blessings", General Conference, October 2002

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2.  "My brethren and sisters, again I say, tithing is a law of God and is required of his followers. To fail to meet this obligation in full is to omit a weighty matter. It is a transgression, not an inconsequential oversight."  

Spencer W. Kimball, "The Law of Tithing", General Conference, October 1980

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3.  "I promise that as you and I observe and keep the law of tithing, indeed the windows of heaven will be opened and spiritual and temporal blessings will be poured out such that there will not be room enough to receive them."   

David A. Bednar, "The Windows of Heaven", General Conference, October 2013

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4.  "I testify that the principle of tithing is of God, taught to us in such scriptural simplicity that we cannot doubt its divinity."   

Jeffrey R. Holland, "Like a Watered Garden", General Conference, October 2001   

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5.  "Tithing is a principle that is fundamental to the personal happiness and well-being of the Church members worldwide, both rich and poor. Tithing is a principle of sacrifice and a key to the opening of the windows of heaven."   

James E. Faust, "Opening the Windows of Heaven", General Conference, October 1998

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6.  "Let us show our faith in the Lord by paying our tithing. Pay it first; pay it honestly. Teach our children to pay tithing even on their allowance or other income, and then take them with us to tithing settlement so they know of our example and our love for the Lord."   

Carl B. Pratt, "The Lord's Richest Blessings", General Conference, April 2011

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7.  "The imagery of the “windows” of heaven used by Malachi is most instructive. Windows allow natural light to enter into a building. In like manner, spiritual illumination and perspective are poured out through the windows of heaven and into our lives as we honor the law of tithing."  

David A. Bednar, "The Windows of Heaven", General Conference, October 2013

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8.  "Paying tithing is not a token gift we are somehow charitably bestowing upon God. Paying tithing is discharging a debt."   

Jeffrey R. Holland, "Like a Watered Garden", General Conference, October 2001

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9.  "Pay Your Tithing!  I truly believe that the payment of an honest tithing will go a long way to ensure continued activity in the Church."   

Thomas S. Monson, "Be Thou An Example", General Conference, October 1996

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10.  "While tithing is paid with money, more importantly it is paid with faith. I have never met an individual who paid an honest tithe who complained about it. Rather, he put his trust in the Lord, and the Lord never failed him."   

Gordon B. Hinckley, "Let Virtue Garnish Thy Thoughts Unceasingly", General Conference, April 2007

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My Position Statement - Tithing

I have to admit that when I joined the church, most things made perfect sense to me.  But tithing was my biggest challenge.  It wasn't that I didn't believe in the principle of tithing, I just didn't grow up paying it.  And there were many times when I thought that I needed to pay my bills before paying my tithing, because it didn't make sense to me, that if I paid my tithing that my bills could get paid if I had enough faith.  I had a hard time wrapping my brain around that concept.  I was the one who had the bills, and I didn't expect that Heavenly Father should have to take care of them for me.  What I needed to learn was the spiritual side of tithing.  I needed to have enough faith in the principle of tithing, and the blessings that it brings, in order for me to see the true purpose of tithing.  Does God need 10% of my money?  No, He doesn't need money at all.  Everything on this earth is already His.  What God needs is to know if we have faith in Him.  That is the purpose of tithing.  And if we show Him that we have faith in Him, then He blesses us with what we need.  And often, He knows our needs before we do.  I remember seeing a Mormonad once that read, "Don't think about it as giving Him 10%.  Think about it as Him giving you 90%."  That really opened my eyes and made me think.  There isn't anything that God does, and any commandment that He gives us, that isn't for our best welfare and because He loves us so much.