Why is Joseph Smith’s mission important to me?

When I read through the YW and Aaronic Priesthood lesson for Sunday, I was stopped up by the question it posed, “How did you gain your testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith?” I thought for a long time and realized that I’ve never really had a huge moment where I just knew. My testimony of Joseph Smith, much like my testimony of the gospel in general, has come to me piece by piece, as if I were putting together a puzzle.

My puzzle definitely still has many missing pieces, but the more I read and study, the more the pieces fall into place. When I was younger, I used to feel like I might be broken or missing something important, when I didn’t feel anything big or earth shattering when others around me were visibly moved by the spirit. It took me many years to understand that tears and emotion are not generally how I feel the spirit and that’s okay. For me, it’s much more subtle--more like just a sense that that concept makes sense to me.

When I talk to my kids and teach youth classes, I like to make sure that they know that different people feel the spirit in different ways, and that’s totally okay. I don’t ever want a young person to wonder if they have a testimony just because they don’t cry or feel anything huge. Also, I want them to know that it’s not only okay, but completely normal to still have missing pieces of that testimony puzzle. You don’t have to know everything to have a testimony. In fact, I don’t believe there’s a person alive whose testimony is perfect. We all wonder about some things that don’t make sense to us and that’s okay, as long as we don’t focus so much on those missing pieces that it distracts us from the things we do know.

“When problems come and questions arise, do not start your quest for faith by saying how much you do not have, leading as it were with your “unbelief.” That is like trying to stuff a turkey through the beak! Let me be clear on this point: I am not asking you to pretend to faith you do not have. I am asking you to be true to the faith you do have."   

Jeffrey R. Holland

One of the other things I feel like we need to talk about in our class are some of the lessons we learn from the First Vision. It really was a remarkable event that changed so much of what we knew about God. And it’s many of those lessons that are a foundational part of my testimony. Is there anything you’d add to this list?


     1. We learn the Heavenly Father and Jesus are separate beings.
     2. We learn that Heavenly Father and Jesus have a body of flesh and bones.
     3.  We learn that we can be influenced by Satan.
     4.  We learn that prayers are answered and God knows us by name.
     5.  We learn that answers come by exercising faith.
     6.  We learn that the true church had been taken from the earth and had not been restored yet.
     7.  We learn that Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead and still lives.
     8.  We learn that the scriptures provide guidance and answers for us.
     9.  We learn that God’s power is stronger than Satan’s.


The class I’m teaching is young, but I’m hopeful we can have a good discussion about testimonies, Joseph Smith, and his mission. Though we know that Joseph Smith was not perfect, his mission definitely was divine.

“Though Joseph was young and inexperienced, he had been foreordained from before the foundation of the world to be God’s prophet at this particular time. Joseph was tutored, trained, and prepared by heavenly beings." 

Russell M. Nelson

One more thing I just discovered that I want to talk about in our class too...check out Page 15 in the February 2020 edition of the "New Era".     "A Pattern for Seeking Truth" is a great way to apply what we learn about Joseph Smith to our daily lives. And isn't that what learning the gospel is all about?  Seeking truth, and then making it mean something in our everyday life. 

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Getting Ready for Our Humanitarian Trip to Africa

In this post, I told you a little about how our humanitarian trip to Africa came to be and in this post I told you about what we did on our trip.  Since we didn't find out for sure that the Family Humanitarian expedition to Uganda was going to happen at Christmastime until mid-October, it was quite an adventure trying to get the 8 of us living in 3 different states prepared for it in such a short amount of time!  Thankfully, we had decided early on that if the trip came together that it would be in lieu of any Christmas presents, so at least we weren't Christmas shopping on top of all that too!  😏

So, here's a little glimpse of the tasks that we needed to accomplish, along with our packing list and  some tips in case anyone out there is planning a similar trip! 

Plane tickets--This was, by far, one of things I was most stressed out about.  We are normally super budget travelers, only going places when plane tickets are rock bottom cheap. (Click on this link to see where we find our deals) We pack light, eat cheap, and stay in cheap places.  With this trip, though, I knew  that I was going to have to set aside those cheap tendencies and embrace the cost as part of the experience.  Because of the kids' school and Glen's work schedules and the expedition requirements, our dates were totally inflexible, which meant that there was only so much deal finding to be had anyway.   Combine that with the fact that this required  buying tickets for an overseas route at arguably the most expensive time of year to travel and there wasn't much to do.   I did incessantly check Google Flights, Skyscanner, and Expedia  for a week or two,  watching the prices and routes, but ultimately we just bit the bullet and bought the cheapest tickets we could with the fewest amount of stopovers.   We flew on Kenya Air and had a very positive experience.

Visas--Because we were visiting both Uganda and Kenya, it was more economical to get the East African Tourist Visa, than to get separate visas for both.  You can apply for the East African Visa or just the Ugandan Visa here.  The website is a little glitchy and it does take some time for everything to be approved, so I recommend applying for these about  3-4 weeks before your trip. 

Vaccinations--The yellow fever vaccination is required to enter Uganda and Kenya, so that was something I needed to make sure everyone got.    At the time we were getting our vaccines, there was a shortage of it available  in the US, so it was only offered at certain clinics.  If that is the case when you're looking too, I  recommend checking the CDC website for a list of places in your area that offer it.    Be forewarned, that the vaccine is not cheap ($100+ ).   Hopefully when the manufacturing issue that is causing the shortage is taken care of, the price will drop.  Luckily the yellow fever vaccine offers life-time immunity, so at least it's a one-time thing.   Don't forget to bring your yellow fever certificate with you on your trip--they absolutely do check at the borders--for both Uganda and Kenya.   We tucked them right into our individual passports.

Check the CDC website for other vaccines that may be recommended for your trip too.    For us,  it was also recommended that we get the typhoid vaccine and get everyone up-to-date on their routine vaccines.  For me that meant also getting the flu shot, hepatitis A & B, meningitis, and tdap.  I felt like a pincushion by the time I got them all!  

Anti-Malarials and other just-in-case medications--Malaria is still rampant in sub-Saharan Africa, so you'll definitely want to be taking an anti-malarial.   We were mostly prescribed Malarone (Atovaquone/Proguanil), because side effects are minimal and it only needs to be taken for 7 days additional days after the trip is over.  I did get a slight headache with it, but otherwise we didn't have any issues or side effects.  The hardest part was remembering to take the pills once the trip was over.    Doxycycline was prescribed to one of my kids (I guess that's what happens when everyone ends up going to different doctors all over the country).   Doxycycline is also considered highly effective with minimal side effects, however it needs to be taken for an additional 4 weeks past the end of the trip, so it's less appealing for that reason.    She's done fine with it and has had zero issues. 

Because traveler's diarrhea is so common in Africa, we were also prescribed Azithromycin to take just in case it was needed.   About half of us ended up needing to take ours, the other half ended up fine without it.   Because we had the Azithromycin and Imodium (see below), nobody got sick to the point where they couldn't participate with the activities of the day.  

We also packed prebiotics, probiotics (to help our gut stay as preemptively healthy as possible), Travelan (a natural dietary supplement used to help prevent diarrhea), Imodium (otc antidiarrheal), Zofran (an anti-nausea pill prescribed by the doctor), Benadryl , Electrolyte powder packets, and standard painkillers (Aleve, aspirin, etc).  We put all of them to use on the trip except the Zofran.     We also brought antibiotic ointment , hydrocortisone cream, assorted bandages, and lots of wipes.  All of this was used liberally too.   See below for more of what we packed.  

Packing--We normally pack very light (these are the awesome backpacks we usually pack in).

It's part of traveling cheap and it doesn't even phase us anymore.   This trip was different in that we had two free check-ins per person, we were bringing lots of books to donate to the school, and had more incidentals (like medicines, snacks, etc) to pack than usual.   In the end, although I think I overpacked a little, there were a lot of items we don't normally bring on trips that I was very grateful to have, so I have no regrets. 

Here are some things I'm glad we packed:

Non-perishable snacks--granola bars, nuts, meat sticks, trail mixes, flavored drink powders, etc.   We were fed well on the trip, but still found that for long bus rides or days spent serving, that having plentiful snacks available was necessary for everyone's happiness.   I made sure that everyone had picked some favorite snacks beforehand to include in the stash.

Hand sanitizer--I recommend getting a travel size hand sanitizer for everyone to attach to their day bags, so everyone has it when they need it.  Then bring a 1-2 bigger ones for refilling purposes.

Wipes--get everyone their own travel size pack of wipes, plus a few for backups.   We used these all the time, because running water generally wasn't available when we were away from our accommodations.

Toilet paper--I recommend collecting half-used rolls before the trip.  Why half-used?  So it doesn't take up as much space in your bag.  You will 100% need your own toilet paper if you're ever leaving the hotel in Africa.

Sunblock --Uganda and Kenya are right on the equator and even if you're normally not super prone to sunburn, you'll be glad you have plenty.    Additionally, most anti-malarials make you more prone to sunburn than usual, so there's double reason to be prepared.

Insect spray-- The bugs were actually not as bad as we expected, however there were still some and because we didn't want to contract any weird mosquito borne illnesses so we were still grateful to have plenty of spray.  Thankfully everywhere we stayed had mosquito nets over the beds, so there's no need to bring those.  They recommended one made with 30-40% DEET .

Electric travel adapter--  For Uganda and Kenya, you'll need the type G travel adapter (same as the UK).  This will work great for charging cell phones, etc.   It will NOT work for hair dryers, irons, etc.

Quick drying travel towels--The places we stayed had towels for showering, but we had some activities and rainy days where we were glad that we had our own towels.   These got used for drying up messes and as yoga mats.  We were glad that they could be handwashed and dried pretty quickly. 

Quick dry clothing--If you have the budget, I highly recommend going to an outdoor store (we got ours on sale at Columbia Outlet) and getting some light-weight quick dry clothing before your trip.   I will seriously never travel without it again to any destination, but especially somewhere like Africa.  I love that this type of clothing will quickly dry after getting wet, which served us well on a rainy day and a day we got soaked by a waterfall.  I also love that they can be easily spot-cleaned or fully washed in the sink and dried overnight. 

Materials to wash clothes--Part of packing light means rewearing the same clothing multiple times.   To avoid appearing/smelling/feeling grungy, I highly recommend bringing a way for you to wash your clothes on the go.   You'll want a good bar soap for laundry (so it doesn't end up taking up your precious liquid allotment on the plane), flat drain cover (to allow yourself the ability to fill up a sink or tub with water), and a travel soap case .    Washing clothes generally works best if you're staying in the same place for a couple of days.   Unless your clothing is all of the nice "quick-dry" variety I mentioned above, you'll probably need at least 24 hours for them to fully dry.  And even longer for jeans or other heavy items.   If you have access to a fan in your hotel room, that will help reduce the drying time significantly. 

Extra toothbrushes--When you're somewhere where you can't use the water for drinking, you also want to keep your toothbrush away from it.   We found that not putting your toothbrush into the stream of running water is an exceedingly difficult habit to break though, so we were glad to have back-up toothbrushes, so the ones we tainted accidentally could be tossed without guilt.

What not to bring:  
Don't bother bringing jeans or other bulky items of clothing.  Not only do they take up a lot of room in your luggage, but they'll take forever to dry if you need to wash them.

Don't bother bringing hair dryers, irons, hair straighteners, or curling irons.  Your  travel adapter will NOT work with them anyway (you will need a more expensive electric travel adapter AND converterfor that) and if you do try it with just the adapter, you're likely to fry your electronic.   If you're staying in a nice hotel, they might provide them for you, but if you're like us, you may just have to forgo having cute hair and ironed clothes for the duration of the trip.   And that's okay!

Have you ever done a trip like this before?  What tips do you have to share?   Do you have any questions?  Send me a note!  

Come Follow Me Activity Sheet for 2 Nephi 1-5 (February 9, 2020)

Here is an activity sheet to go along with 2 Nephi 1-5.   I love the idea of "living after the manner of happiness" that it mentions in 2 Nephi 5:27.  It's such a thought provoking idea that I ended up writing a whole blogpost about it.  Click here to see some of my thoughts on the topic.  




 These activity sheets make for a great quiet sacrament activity or as a light-hearted introduction or review of the CFM reading for the week.  Hope your classes/families are enjoying these! 

See here for my "Come, Follow Me" catalog of activity sheets. 

Living After the Manner of Happiness

Happiness is not something that always comes easily to me, which is probably why 2 Nephi 5:27 has always fascinated me.

“And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness.”

What does that even mean? I’ve experienced enough hard things in my life that I’m always a little cynical of the whole “follow this formula and you’ll get this result” way of thinking that sometimes gets preached in Sunday School. What if I follow the formula and didn’t get the desired result? Does that mean that I did something wrong? Or that my way of following the formula was not as good as my Sunday School friend did? Or maybe that I don’t actually deserve the blessings in the first place?

Or maybe I’m asking all the wrong questions.

Most of us can easily recite the words to, “I Am a Child of God”, yet do we really believe the words? President Packer said, that “No idea has been more destructive of happiness, no philosophy has produced more sorrow, more heartbreak and mischief; no idea has done more to destroy the family than the idea that we are not the offspring of God”

Sometimes I think we get so caught up in the complexities of life that we do forget that we are literally children of God. He knows me. He loves me. And he absolutely wants me to be happy. That doesn’t mean that I’ll be happy in every moment, but that in the trenches of life when I’m bogged down and not feeling happy, that is when it is most important to remember our divine heritage and to look forward to happiness to come.

I love this quote from Elder Uchtdorf: “My dear brothers and sisters, it may be true that man is nothing in comparison to the greatness of the universe. At times we may even feel insignificant, invisible, alone, or forgotten. But always remember—you matter to Him! God sees you not only as a mortal being on a small planet who lives for a brief season—He sees you as His child. He sees you as the being you are capable and designed to become. He wants you to know that you matter to Him.”

Let me repeat that...you matter to Him! He cares about you and your journey.

In 2 Nephi 26:33 it reads, “...he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him…”

President Hinckley said of this scripture, “I believe {that scripture} is saying to each of us, be happy. The gospel is a thing of joy. It provides us with a reason for gladness. Of course there are times of sorrow. Of course there are hours of concern and anxiety. We all worry. But the Lord has told us to lift our hearts and rejoice”

I read that quote and thought back to the time several years ago when our 16-year-old son was living full-time in the hospital for many months. He had an aggressive form of cancer with less than a 50% chance of surviving. Additionally, less than a week after his diagnosis, Glen very unexpectedly lost his job. We were completely blindsided by two enormous life-changing stressors at once and it was hard not to feel overwhelmed with the enormity of what we were facing.



But guess what?

We may not have been all that happy during that time, but we were okay. I never in a million years would want to repeat that experience, but I believe that by “living after the manner of happiness” that we were blessed with an underlying sense of calmness that overcame the feelings of overwhelm. We absolutely went through a lot of really crappy things and didn’t know what amount of even more crappy things might be coming our way, but we somehow just knew in our hearts that we’d be okay. We had no sense of what okay would look like, but whatever the result of Spencer’s treatment and Glen’s job search, that in the end we’d be okay.

And we were.

We struggled mightily along the way (and our struggles are far from over), but even amidst the struggles we had that underlying sense of calm, glimpses of the divine, and a knowledge that God was in the details of it.

So what does “living after the manner of happiness” mean to me?

It means doing my best to live in a way that God can communicate with me, so that I can allow myself to feel his comfort and love, in good and bad times. It means putting one foot in front of the other and seeking for ways to fill my life with beauty, meaning, and love. It means putting aside the distractions for a time each day and looking for ways I can partake of his goodness. It means being vulnerable and allowing people to help me when I’m struggling. It means seeking for ways to build and support those around me who may be struggling more than they appear. It means remembering when I'm not happy, that happiness will return...eventually. It means being mindful and recognizing God’s hand in my life. And it means remembering who I am and trusting that God wants me to be happy.

 What does "living after the manner of happiness" mean to you?   I'd love to hear what's on your mind.

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SOURCES:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2011/10/you-matter-to-him?lang=enghttp://www.byui.edu/devotionals/elder-jeffrey-r-holland
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/marlin-k-jensen/living-manner-of-happiness/

Getting Started with Youth Goals for 2020

It's been a couple months now since we first heard about the new "Youth Guidebook" and goal plan that is replacing Personal Progress and Duty to God for young men and young women.  It's an exciting concept, but like so many of the new "home-centered" shifts the church is making, it can be hard to figure out how to help our youth get on board with it. 

  Now that I have recently been called back into young women, I've got double reason to try and figure out how to get the  youth excited about it.  I've got my own two kids and a whole class of brand new young women and I want them to feel the power of setting goals and striving to reach them.    As youth leaders I know we are not meant to be the overseers  of these goals, but I do feel like some inspiration and encouragement can go a long way to getting them engaged and excited about it.   

To begin with, I asked at the beginning of class on Sunday if anyone had any success stories with their goals that they wanted to share with the class. I plan on doing that every Sunday as part of the "counsel together" part of class that the class presidency member leads.  When I got blank stares and realized that not one of the ten girls in my class had even set any goals yet, I shared with them some feelings I'd had about one of my goals.   I then went over  the first few pages of the guidebook with them and encouraged them all to go through the DISCOVER and PLAN sections before we met for class again in 2 weeks.

We talked a little about what the DISCOVER section contained and I encouraged them to answer those questions for themselves (either on pages 18-19 of their guidebooks or in their journals) before moving on to the PLAN section. 

 

Here is the letter I sent to the YW in my class, as well as their parents:   (feel free to copy/paste/make it your own)

I'm hoping that by sending the letter during the week, we can try to  get the parents on board as well as generate a little enthusiasm when there's actually time for them to work on the goals.  The offered treat is bribery at its best and I think is absolutely appropriate as an occasional incentive! 

With my own kids I want to spend a little time discussing their plans with them in more detail and making vision boards together, but for the girls in my class, I feel like inviting them to include their parents was the best I could do.  We simply don't have enough time together as a class to spend a lot of time on it and the YW presidency I am working with keeps a pretty hands-off approach with this type of thing, so I'm not sure we'll ever do any activities with it.  

I was asked to do a presentation on the goals in  New Beginnings and hope to do some more enthusiasm building there....including hopefully getting the parents and older girls excited too!  

I plan to talk about Ether 12:27 and the idea that we can "make weak things become strengths" as we focus on overcoming and working on our weaknesses.  I also plan on using some of the quotes from the letter above and this FHE lesson on goal setting.    I love the quote from Johann Sebastian Bach about working hard.  I actually found that the quote differs slightly depending on where you find it, but the idea is powerful...

“I was obliged to be industrious. Whoever is equally industrious will succeed . . . equally well.”   Johann Sebastian Bach 

That's as far as my plan goes for now, but I hope that by consistently asking the girls about their goals in the "counsel together" part of YW each time we meet, that we can help them keep it fresh on their minds.  

So what are you doing in your families?  What about in your wards?  I'd love to hear your ideas!